Looking at the bookstore in front of him, Lin Yu suddenly remembered.
In Neon (Japan), it's common for authors to collaborate with bookstores to hold events like book signings.
For an author, aside from the data provided by the publisher, the best way to gauge how popular their work is would be to see how many people are interested in their books at the bookstore.
Lin Yu nodded, thinking there was no harm in checking it out since he had nothing else to do. It would be nice to see his work appreciated.
As soon as he entered the bookstore, he heard a warm greeting.
"Welcome!"
A slightly thin middle-aged woman with round glasses stood behind the counter, warmly welcoming them.
Upon entering, Lin Yu immediately noticed that Weekly Shonen Jump was placed prominently at the most visible spot in the bookstore, surrounded by a number of customers.
He exchanged a glance with Nanako and then walked toward the bookshelves.
After just a glance, Lin Yu could see that most of the people in front of the shelf, holding Weekly Shonen Jump, were flipping through the pages of Inuyasha.
Among them were mostly teenagers, their expressions showing deep concentration.
"It looks like Lin-kun's Inuyasha is really popular," Nanako said with a smile, standing beside him.
Lin Yu smiled and nodded, not saying much but feeling a deep sense of joy.
Even if he was just a manga editor, seeing people enjoy his work still made him happy and proud.
"It's a pity though, I thought Kikyo was going to be the main heroine, but she ended up dying."
"Well, it's not really death, right? Kagome is probably Kikyo's reincarnation."
"Even if it's reincarnation, their souls are different..."
The soft voices of two female high school students could be heard, discussing the plot of Inuyasha animatedly.
Just as this conversation unfolded, Lin Yu noticed something familiar in the corner of his eye.
There, behind the bookshelf, a young woman in an apron was peeking out, making strange gestures toward the counter, as if signaling something to someone.
Lin Yu found this scene vaguely familiar and instinctively glanced toward the counter. There, the middle-aged woman who had greeted them earlier was holding a stopwatch, twisting her body and mimicking odd poses.
The two were clearly communicating through gestures, almost as if they were using a secret code.
Seeing the scene, Lin Yu couldn't help but smile.
He recalled that in the original work, there was a bookstore called Sports Bookstore, where the shopkeeper and the staff had been quite the characters, often causing chaos, especially with the antics of Shin-chan.
The most memorable part was their hand-sign language, a secret code only they understood.
Whenever a customer lingered in the store for more than three minutes without buying anything, the shopkeeper would send the staff to drive them away using various methods.
Remembering the previous scenes from the manga and the actions in front of him, Lin Yu couldn't help but smile.
The staff member, Nakamura Yasuko, was incredibly dedicated to her job. In this era of economic uncertainty and tough job markets, she valued her position at the bookstore immensely.
She worked diligently every day, organizing books and chasing away freeloaders. Though the work was tiring, it was also fulfilling.
Earlier, after hearing a subtle cough from the shopkeeper, she had exchanged hand signals and was preparing to confront the high school girls who had been browsing without buying.
But before she could act, Nakamura Yasuko noticed a young man standing there, watching her with a curious smile on his face.
Though she was used to the hand gestures when no one was looking, being caught by a handsome young man made her blush furiously.
It was social death.
Nakamura Yasuko felt like she wanted to disappear into a hole in the ground.
She was so embarrassed that her toes nearly started digging into the floor.
The thought of her awkward, strange gestures being seen by someone was unbearable.
"Ah-hem!" the shopkeeper coughed to draw attention to Yasuko's actions.
But before they could proceed with their routine, the store's door suddenly opened.
Out of instinct, the shopkeeper was about to greet the new customer with a welcoming phrase. However, the person who entered was none other than a small child dressed in red clothes and yellow pants, looking like a potato with a round face. It was none other than the mischievous Shin-chan, who had met Lin Yu earlier.
Seeing him, the shopkeeper's heart immediately sounded the alarm.
She was not unfamiliar with this troublesome child, who had caused them so much trouble the last time he visited.
The shopkeeper quickly raised her hands, sending frantic signals to Nakamura Yasuko, warning her to handle this new arrival.
"Yasuko! Highest alert! Highest alert!"
"That potato-headed kid is here again—get rid of him!"
Nakamura Yasuko, having just recovered from her previous embarrassment, now had to face an even greater threat.
As she slapped her own cheeks, she forced herself to forget the earlier moment of humiliation and steeled herself to deal with this lifelong enemy—Shin-chan.
However, just as she prepared for action, the store was suddenly filled with Shin-chan's excited voice.
"Nanako-nee!"
Nanako turned in surprise, hearing her name. Shin-chan came running toward her.
"Shin-chan, what are you doing here?"
Shin-chan, aiming to leap into Nanako's arms, was instead caught by Kanda Torinobu, who lovingly rubbed his cheek against Shin-chan's face.
"Long time no see, Shin-chan."
Lin Yu, watching this playful scene, couldn't help but laugh.
The reality was even funnier than the anime!