At six o'clock in the evening, the banquet officially began. The proceedings were almost identical to last year. Representatives from several Chiba families took turns speaking on stage. Hikigaya felt that even the content of the speeches was not much different from the previous year. It was no wonder these representatives could speak so fluently without a script; it had become a traditional art form.
"Let's go, Hikigaya-kun. Just like last year, we should meet up with my writer friends. Perhaps one of them will write a preface for your book in the future," Mr. Arisugawa said as he gestured for Hikigaya Hachiman to revisit the writers he had met the previous year.
This year, Hikigaya's status in the literary world had risen significantly. He was already the author of two best-selling books, had won prestigious literary awards, and had recently been nominated for the Naoki Prize. It was no exaggeration to say that the sixteen-year-old Hikigaya had achieved in just one year what many writers take over a decade to accomplish.
As Hikigaya greeted the writers again this year, he could sense a notable change in their attitudes. If last year was filled with praise and encouragement from the elders to the younger generation, this year had shifted to genuine admiration.
There was even a young female writer, whom he hadn't met last year, who openly expressed her desire to get Hikigaya's autograph. Her enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming for him to handle.
"That girl just now was nominated for this year's Honkaku Mystery Award and won the Mephisto Award two years ago," Arisugawa informed Hikigaya after their meeting.
"The Mephisto Award? So she's quite impressive?" Hikigaya replied, a bit surprised. The Mephisto Award is a unique honor for new mystery writers in the Japanese literary scene. In recent years, the winning works have become increasingly extreme and unconventional, giving rise to many new mystery writers with highly personal styles. However, some of these works are considered too perverse to be accepted by the mainstream mystery community.
"Hahaha, impressive? You could say that! These Mephisto Award-winning authors have truly taken detective fiction to realms I never dared to imagine before," Arisugawa noted, referring to the peculiar genre known as "setting-based reasoning."
"Well, Hikigaya-kun, I have nothing else to do tonight. You will certainly be more popular at the banquet this year than you were last, so I won't intrude," Mr. Arisugawa joked, giving Hikigaya a pat on the shoulder before walking away.
"Popular? That really doesn't suit my personality," Hikigaya sighed to himself.
"Hello, my name is Spencer. Are you Mr. Hachiman?" a middle-aged gentleman in a suit approached Hikigaya. Hikigaya didn't concern himself with how the man knew his identity; after meeting so many other writers, it seemed natural for him to be recognized. Moreover, as a foreigner invited to the event, the man's status must be significant.
"Hello, Mr. Spencer. I am the writer Hachiman, but my real name is Hikigaya Hachiman."
The two shook hands politely and exchanged pleasantries. Hikigaya learned that Spencer was a British diplomat stationed in Japan, confirming his distinguished status.
"Mr. Hachiman, I have a request. My daughter, her name is Sawamura Spencer Eriri, is a painter and is the same age as you. She greatly admires your work. If it's convenient for you, could you meet her?" Spencer asked.
Mr. Spencer stated his purpose.
"Of course, Mr. Spencer, just take me there. What should I call your daughter?" Hikigaya asked. Upon learning that a painter was a fan of his, he began to formulate some ideas.
"Just call her Sawamura; that's my wife's last name," Mr. Spencer replied.
Hikigaya then followed him to meet the mother and daughter. The mother was a typical Yamato Nadeshiko, well-maintained and even looking younger than Mrs. Yukinoshita. The daughter had bright blonde hair like Mr. Spencer and projected the perfect image of a young lady.
Spencer introduced Hikigaya, and before Hachiman could even speak, the beautiful blonde girl was trembling and her facial expression was nearly frantic.
"Hello, Ms. Sawamura, Sawamura-san. I'm Hikigaya Hachiman; nice to meet you."
"Hello, Hikigaya-kun! Our whole family loves your novels, right, Eriri?" Sayuri Sawamura said with a smile, patting her daughter, whose composure seemed to be falling apart.
"Eh, eh, Mr. Hachiman, nice to meet you! I'm Sawamura Spencer Eriri," Eriri introduced herself quickly and bowed just as fast. Sayuri, standing beside her, stroked her forehead in slight disbelief.
After a few pleasantries were exchanged, Eriri remained silent, merely stealing glances at Hikigaya. It was clear that he matched, and even exceeded, her expectations. Among all the formal dresses and skirts at the venue, Hachiman's kimono stood out as both conspicuous and elegant.
"Could you please exchange contact information with me, Sawamura-san?" Hikigaya asked before leaving. He had some ideas about possibly collaborating with this talented young painter in the future. Unsurprisingly, Eriri seemed to lose her composure once again.
After the meeting with the Spencer family, Hikigaya suddenly realized that he had just experienced his first real social occasion in two years, and this was only the beginning.
Due to his distinct and out-of-place attire, Hikigaya attracted a lot of attention as he walked around the venue, leading many wealthy young men and women to approach and strike up conversations with him.
For Hikigaya, if someone already knew his identity, he wouldn't hide it. However, if they did not, he wouldn't feel the need to disclose it, which was the most convenient approach.
"Ah... I'm so tired. Formal socializing is really exhausting..."
After engaging with no fewer than ten people, Hikigaya collapsed alone in the Yukinoshita family's lounge. Logically, this was someone else's home, and his posture might have seemed a bit rude, but there was no one else in the room at the moment, so he didn't care.
Just as he sprawled comfortably on the sofa, he heard the sound of a door opening from outside, causing him to tense up.
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Latest Chapter -Chapter 98 : Hikigaya Hachiman and his Threesome (Part 2)