Junior high schools in Japan operate on a three-semester system. At this time, Hikigaya Hachiman has just completed the first semester of his second year and is enjoying his summer vacation.
However, it would be more accurate to say that he is primarily enjoying the air conditioning rather than the vacation itself. For someone like Hachiman, who has no friends, spending the entire vacation at home is quite normal.
Before summer break, Hachiman performed exceptionally well academically. Although he struggled with math in his previous life, he managed to get into a good university. His knowledge of second-grade junior high school math was sufficient to keep him from feeling completely lost. Furthermore, his strong background in liberal arts helped him become the top student in that subject in his grade.
"Is this the kind of energy a heartbroken man can unleash?" his classmates thought.
Thanks to his excellent grades, Hachiman's school life improved somewhat. At least the rumors about him circulating among the girls' group had mostly faded. Junior high school students often behave this way, as they tend to admire those who excel academically.
After completing the first volume of "Confessions," Hachiman carefully proofread it and submitted it to the designated email address for the "All Reading" newcomer award.
"The Internet is so convenient," Hachiman sighed. A few years ago, most magazine newcomer awards still required submissions to be written on manuscript paper and delivered in person or mailed to the publisher.
"Still, using manuscript paper has its advantages," he added. In Japan, all magazines use standardized manuscript paper for submissions, typically consisting of 400 words per page. Comic magazines also follow this guideline.
One significant benefit of using this standardized manuscript paper is that it simplifies the calculation of manuscript fees. In Japan, submissions to literary magazines generally pay between 4,000 to 6,000 yen per manuscript paper. This price is fairly uniform for all writers. Even Haruki Murakami, a renowned author, would only receive up to 6,000 yen per manuscript paper. This illustrates how unknown writers have little bargaining power, while famous authors usually consider such small amounts insignificant compared to the royalties they earn after publication.
Hachiman is not particularly self-disciplined. Whenever he feels he has worked or studied hard enough, he tends to reward himself.
"We can't keep doing this! Hachiman, where's the ambition you had when you decided to become a literary giant?" he admonished himself, though he still opened up Dota anyway.
After his self-imposed reward, Hachiman decided to buy a typewriter. While it might seem old-fashioned, many writers still prefer typewriters for their work even in this digital age, and there are manufacturers still producing new models. Typewriters can not only accommodate manuscript paper directly but also help writers stay focused on their writing.
"Wow... it's so expensive."
Hikigaya was browsing typewriter products on Japan Asia. A slightly better typewriter on the market would start at 100,000 yen. "Let's wait until the first month's manuscript fee is paid..."
He calculated the income that his book, "Confessions," could generate during its serialization. He planned to serialize it in the "All Reading" magazine over four months, publishing a total of 90,000 words, which amounts to about 225 manuscript pages. The income from the manuscript fees alone over those four months would exceed 1.1 million yen, and if he wins a prize, there would be an additional bonus of 500,000 yen.
Of course, if the book is successfully published next year, these amounts will seem relatively small. As he thought about this, his ambitions grew.
The first chapter of "Confessions" is a monologue by Teacher Moriguchi, where she reveals the truth about her young daughter's death following her investigation. Her daughter was killed by two murderers, and Moriguchi decides to punish them in her own way, which she discloses at the end of the chapter.
In the second chapter, the perspective shifts to a student named Mitsuki in Mr. Moriguchi's class. Mr. Moriguchi's revenge proves to be very effective, leading the students to bully a classmate excessively in the name of "justice." Mitsuki, who does not want to participate, also becomes a target of bullying.
The third chapter is narrated by the sister of one of the murderers. Her brother has been absent from school for some time. The day before the Obon Festival, she learns from her father's phone call that her brother has killed their mother. When she returns home, she discovers her mother's diary, which details a tragic relationship between her mother and her brother over several months. She resolves to uncover the truth behind her brother's change.
In the fourth chapter, the perspective returns to the younger brother, who recounts his experiences with the other murderer and the relentless torture he endured after Mr. Moriguchi's retaliation. He also reveals the truth about his matricide.
The first four chapters of this book create a complete narrative loop, with each chapter helping readers understand the overall situation better. The fifth and sixth chapters shift focus from the revenge incident to a more chaotic form of revenge.
Hikigaya does not plan to serialize the last two chapters; the first four are exciting enough on their own. Instead, he plans to include the fifth and sixth chapters directly in the published book. To find out what happens next, readers will need to purchase "Confessions." Thank you.
This approach is not a despicable business practice. Isn't it, in fact, the essence of magazine serialization? Just like a singer who releases a few pre-release songs before launching a full album, consumers need to make early judgments to decide whether they want to pay for it.
... ...
The 63-year-old literary giant, Ryutaro, is reviewing submissions for the All Readings Newcomer Award at home. He currently serves as the chief judge for this prestigious award. As a seasoned author who has written numerous books and read countless articles, Ryutaro remains patient despite the uneven quality of the submissions. However, the editorial department occasionally urges him to expedite the process, as he has over 2,000 submissions of at least 20,000 words each to evaluate—a substantial workload. As the most important judge in the panel, Ryutaro's assessments can significantly impact the fate of each submission.
"What a delicate brushstroke! Underneath this delicacy, however, lies an extreme ruthlessness of rationality," Ryutaro commented on a submission titled "Confession."
"This is incredible! Not only does this work excel as a mystery novel, but it is also very literary. I need to call Arisugawa," he thought. Arisugawa is a renowned mystery writer, and since many mystery novels are submitted for the All Readings Newcomer Award each year, it's essential to have a mystery novelist on the judging panel. This year, he has been invited to serve as a judge for the first time.
When he tried to call Arisugawa, he heard, "The user you are calling is currently on the phone... What could Arisugawa be busy with?" He was unable to get through, but shortly after, his phone rang, and the caller was indeed Arisugawa.
"Finally got through! Hello, Ryutaro. Are you busy? I tried to call you earlier, but the line was busy," Arisugawa said.
"I was just about to call you," Ryutaro replied.
"Hahaha, we really have a tacit understanding. But let's not dwell on that. I'm reviewing the submissions for the Newcomer Award, and I've found a pretty good mystery novel. It's likely the highest quality one in this year's batch. Let me tell you..."
As Arisugawa continued talking, Ryutaro was eager to confirm his suspicion.
"Oh, I haven't mentioned the name for a while. This submission is titled…"
"Confessions?" Ryutaro interjected.
"Yes, yes, yes! Hey, Ryutaro, how did you know that? Have you seen it too?"
"What if I told you I called you to discuss this article?" Ryutaro replied.
From that moment, it seemed that the winning work for this year's Newcomer Award was already decided.
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