Chapter 1: I Plan To Copy Extensively After Regaining My Memories
"Is it only six o'clock?"
Shunsuke Fujii opened his eyes and looked at the clock hanging on the wall.
"I clearly don't have a habit of waking up early, but recently, I often find myself awake long before my usual time. Moreover, my mind is very clear, and I feel great—there's no desire to go back to sleep at all."
"My memory seems to have improved as well; I've been recalling many things from the past. It seems my physical condition has also enhanced. Although it all sounds like good news, it would be wise to get a thorough check-up soon."
As a successful reincarnator with some achievements in writing, Shunsuke values his life. He cherishes the opportunity to live again in this two-dimensional world.
Thus, even in Japan, where medical expenses are notoriously high, he is more than willing to invest in the best possible comprehensive medical examination for himself.
With no intention of falling back asleep, Shunsuke got out of bed and quietly walked through the corridor to the door of this world's "father." He found it slightly ajar, and the room still looked much the same as before.
"Did he not come back again last night? What a heartless company! They exploit their employees way too much."
Perhaps due to the "parental sacrifice" that comes with being a reincarnator, Shunsuke's "mother" had passed away from illness when he was very young, and his "father" worked at a heartless company, often having to work late into the night, sometimes even pulling all-nighters, leaving him unable to take care of the family.
Fortunately, Shunsuke had an adult's mindset and consciousness from a young age. With the help of neighbors like Mrs. Yasuraoka and Mrs. Izumi, he was able to grow up healthy and safe.
All things considered, it was a situation of having a little sister and a house, but being orphaned.
Seeing his "father" in such a miserable state, Shunsuke, as a reincarnator, solidified his determination to become someone significant in the future.
With plenty of time on his hands, Shunsuke prepared himself a lavish breakfast.
This was a habit he had developed since childhood.
He wanted to maintain a healthy body so that he wouldn't be held back in old age from discussing profound topics like the origin of life with lovely girls. Therefore, eating well in the morning was a must.
In his past life, high school students aspiring to enter good universities wouldn't have the leisure to have breakfast this way, but in this world and country, even if you wake up at seven-thirty, you can still have a good breakfast before heading off to school.
Shunsuke is currently a sophomore attending the National Sobu High School in Japan. Yes, it's not Chiba City Sobu High School; it is the National Sobu High School. Compared to the original Sobu High, the current version is a little "more exceptional."
Shunsuke isn't quite sure how this happened. He can only speculate that, in this mixed universe of various talented high school students, the country has taken steps to build several super high schools to better cultivate and educate talent.
After finishing breakfast, Shunsuke checked the time and noticed he still had some time before his commute. After pondering for a moment, he took out a trending light novel set in a different world.
Prior to this, he had been concerned about the possibility of encountering similar storylines and potential copyright issues. Therefore, he initially focused on new light novels in the isekai genre, which were still in their nascent stages at the time.
He didn't directly copy other works, and frankly, he wasn't confident in his ability to do so after ten years had passed.
Instead, after thoroughly researching the preferences of the youth in this country, Shunsuke leveraged his decade-ahead industry insight to create a light novel filled with classic elements, making it uniquely his own.
Perhaps due to an influx of talented high school student light novel authors, this world, despite losing many classic works such as "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU" and "How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend," has seen the emergence of many excellent new titles. The industry is now flourishing with diversity.
In such an environment, the once blue ocean of isekai light novels quickly turned into a red sea within just a few years, leading even a master of the isekai genre like him to occasionally refresh his skills to avoid being swept away by the tides of time.
His first novel had been a hit, while his second flopped, reminding him that just following trends wasn't exclusive to web literature!
However, with his significantly improved memory, Shunsuke didn't want to engage in such a laborious endeavor anymore; he thought it would be far easier to just directly adapt popular works!
Now, he faced three choices: the foundational work of the dark genre, "Overlord," the pioneering piece of the survival genre, "Mushoku Tensei," and the widely popular comedic series "KonoSuba."
Shunsuke found himself indecisive. Whether he chose the Bone King from "Overlord" or the lovable characters from "KonoSuba," both represented the pinnacle of writing, plot, and structure in the isekai genre.
Abandoning either option felt like a waste. It wasn't until now, with his enhanced memory, that he dared to consider adaptation.
As for why he wasn't borrowing from "A Certain Magical Index"...
That's obvious—because someone had already done the job!
"Wait a minute! Since I can adapt works now, why not just write them all out? How long can it take to copy them directly? I can hand them all to editor Suzuna Hiiragi at once."
By the time he reached this conclusion, it was already time for his commute. After all, it was the first day of school, and he couldn't afford to be late. Shunsuke Fujii set the novel aside, picked up his backpack, and headed out the door.
At the entrance, a beautiful girl leaned against the wall, playing on her phone. She was impeccably clean, wearing a light touch of makeup, her eyes sparkling like raindrops on leaves after a rain shower, and she sported shoulder-length, deep purple-black hair.
"You're late," Yasuraoka Hanabi said, glancing at Shunsuke as she typed out her last few words before casually putting her phone away. Without waiting for a response, she started walking toward the school.
"I was just thinking about something," Shunsuke replied casually, not paying much attention to Hanabi's actions.
After all, they had been childhood friends for over a decade, so their interactions were very relaxed.
Of course, while she treated him casually, Shunsuke made a conscious effort to keep a certain distance in their relationship.
In the eyes of Mrs. Yasuraoka and "Father," they probably already saw them as a couple. Yet, Shunsuke had no intention of taking their relationship any further.
Even if he wanted to pursue her—considering that Hanabi was drawn to the older brother type due to her lack of paternal affection—he was confident he could have won her over back in middle school.
The reason he didn't pursue this was simple: he found it distasteful.
It was terrifying how people extolled the virtues of love as if they couldn't survive without it, considering emotions as something sacred while simultaneously trampling on them.
Acting purely out of revenge, some would readily hand over their bodies and toy with their feelings. Such behavior was absolutely frightening.
Moreover, Shunsuke had great confidence in himself.
He had managed to abstain from indulging in "meat" so far, but he feared what might happen if he ever did.
Given his self-control, talent, and looks, it was likely he would find himself in a situation filled with late-night escapades.
He had dared to take risks back in middle school—did he really want to jeopardize his wellbeing? How would he be able to "drive a big car" later on?
Ahem, he was joking. Mrs. Yasuraoka had always taken good care of him, and he couldn't bring himself to do something that would betray her kindness by harming her daughter.
But the thought of just becoming a couple with Hanabi made him worried that one day, he might suddenly find himself wearing a metaphorical hat he didn't want.
So, to respect the feelings of the adults in their lives, it was best for the two of them to maintain their current distance.
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