Hikigaya realized that he had not kept up with the serialization of "Disintegration of the Causes" for quite some time. In fact, at the end of December, the January issue of "All Reading" magazine was officially released, which included the fifth chapter of "Causes of Disintegration," titled "Rapid Disintegration." This chapter's style was unremarkable and did not generate much buzz.
However, the peculiar motive presented in this chapter sparked heated discussions. The murderer had accidentally hit someone while driving and was subsequently threatened by the victim, leaving her with psychological trauma. Later, when she struck someone again, those bad memories resurfaced, prompting her to abandon any intent to rescue and instead devise a plan for murder.
"The cases described in this chapter remind me of real news. Some people kill those they hit because they are afraid of facing responsibility."
Although motivation is just an optional aspect of the story, many people still draw connections between it and real-life situations.
"Yes, Mr. Hachiman must have drawn inspiration from reality. But isn't this a true mystery? Why is everyone discussing motives? Let's set aside our social behaviors."
Orthodox mysteries focus largely on the murder method, the logic behind it, and the process of solving the crime, while social mysteries emphasize motives and societal phenomena. This fundamental difference dictates that readers will concentrate on distinct elements when engaging with these two types of novels.
Hikigaya himself did not care about the online reactions to the last three installments of "Disintegration of the Causes and Conditions," as he had serialized the more thrilling chapters earlier in the series, making those last chapters seem somewhat lackluster in comparison.
After the holiday, NHK's TV adaptation of "Malice" premiered, achieving a remarkable rating of about 13% in its first week—considered high for non-prime time television.
According to questionnaires distributed by the TV station, many viewers who had not read the original novel tuned in simply because of the renowned name "Yawan." This indicates that Yawan has become a brand in itself, as people are willing to believe in his work without question based solely on his name.
At this time, Hikigaya received a preliminary cooperation proposal from NHK TV. The proposal stated that if Hachiman provided NHK with original TV scripts, they would be willing to increase the payment to 6 million yen per episode.
"Six million... If I finish writing one season of 'Kohata Ninzaburo,' that would be 72 million yen. Writing three seasons could net me 200 million... Is it really that easy to make money?"
Moreover, based on his past experiences, Hikigaya was confident that the "Kohata Ninzaburo" series would definitely become a hit. Beyond the basic creation fee, he could also receive a significant share from each episode aired. If the first season was well-received and popular, NHK would likely want to renew it for a second season, possibly increasing his scriptwriting fee.
He was taken aback by NHK's generosity. It was crucial to note that writing a script for a unit drama like "Kohata Ninzaburo" was considerably less challenging than serializing a novel in "All Reading." Yet, the magazine only paid him 500,000 yen per issue—an amount he would earn in a year for scriptwriting.
Hikigaya was not complaining about the low pay from magazines. In reality, best-selling authors like him had long compensated for those smaller amounts and continued serializing in magazines as part of their routine.
After the winter vacation, Sakuraba released the fourth edition of "Confessions" and announced that total sales had officially surpassed 1.5 million copies, with expectations of exceeding 2 million copies within the year. With this additional printing, Hikigaya's bank account balance exceeded 300 million yen.
"Should I spend a little money?" Hikigaya pondered silently as he looked at the numbers in his account. Although he excelled at making money, he felt completely at a loss when it came to spending it.
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On January 20th, the 153rd Naoki Prize award ceremony took place at the Tokyo Hall in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, not far from the Imperial Palace. Hikigaya was not attending to receive an award that day, so he dressed in an ordinary suit to avoid drawing attention. With some time left before the official ceremony began, participants mingled in the lounge.
"Ah! Is this Mr. Hachiman? Hello, I'm Toshiyuki Morimoto from Kodansha's Public Relations Department. Congratulations on your book *Confessions* exceeding 1.5 million copies in sales!"
As Hachiman entered the room, a bald, middle-aged man approached him, shook hands, and introduced himself as a representative of Kodansha. Kodansha is a major player in the Japanese publishing industry, well-known for its highly successful comics division. Their *Weekly Shonen Magazine* is the second highest-circulation comics magazine in Japan.
However, Kodansha is also celebrated for its excellence in publishing literary works, having released many notable mystery novels. Furthermore, the company hosts several prestigious literary awards in Japan, including the renowned Edogawa Ranpo Award in the mystery genre, with winning works published directly by Kodansha. If Hikigaya aims to enter the literary award scene, collaborating with Kodansha could be a beneficial avenue.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Morimoto," Hikigaya said, shaking hands enthusiastically.
"Mr. Hachiman, I understand you haven't signed a formal contract with Sakuraba for *The Clockwork Museum Incident* yet," Morimoto inquired quietly.
"Yes, Mr. Morimoto, you are well-informed," Hikigaya replied.
"Okay, I understand. If opportunities arise in the future, we look forward to potentially collaborating with you, Mr. Hachiman," Toshiyuki Morimoto said, nodding to Hikigaya before moving on.
Soon after, representatives from other publishing houses approached Hikigaya to introduce themselves.
"Hello, Mr. Hachiman, I'm from Futaba Society..."
"I represent Shueisha..."
"Hi, I'm with Kadokawa Bunko..."
Hikigaya smiled and shook hands with each of them, showing no signs of resistance or annoyance.
Meanwhile, Mr. Suzuki, the representative from Sakuraba who was expected to be present, had hidden in the restroom. With tears in his eyes, he described to the president the scene of Hikigaya chatting comfortably with other publishing house representatives.
"President... President, I might have made a mistake. I didn't anticipate this happening," Suzuki lamented. Since Suzuki had fought for Hachiman's consideration, he inadvertently created an opportunity for other publishing houses to engage with him directly. If Hachiman ended up signing with another publisher, thus depriving Sakuraba of the rights to *The Clockwork Museum Incident*, Suzuki risked being fired.
"Listen, Suzuki. Gather yourself and head back to the venue. Mr. Hachiman was just having conversations; don't overthink it. Remember, Mr. Hachiman's contract with us hasn't expired yet. You must ensure the other publishers know that Mr. Hachiman is still affiliated with Sakuraba!" the president instructed sternly over the phone, feeling a deep sense of crisis.
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