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~~~~~~~~
Chapter 11
Ryuo Tenshin returned home and changed his clothes.
Just as he was about to prep food for the stall, his phone rang—Fujii Yuuna.
Her voice trembled with excitement: the manuscript had been accepted.
He could now enter the selection for the Dengeki Bunko Newcomer Award.
Even if he didn't win, publication with an assigned typesetting number was on the table.
Ryuo stayed calm.
Japan already had countless wonderful literary works; acceptance alone wasn't earth-shattering. Still, Your Lie in April was a top-tier piece—its approval wasn't exactly surprising.
Yuuna did add that, here and there, the prose felt a bit off—like traces of another language slipping into the phrasing.
Ryuo didn't mind. Your Lie in April was etched into his mind so deeply that when he wrote in a flow state, nitpicks faded away. Besides, leaving polishing work for an editor only deepened their sense of involvement.
After hanging up, he added Yuuna on LINE.
The Dengeki Novel Award results would be announced at the end of May, she said.
They signed an online intention contract: Ryuo wouldn't submit elsewhere; Dengeki Bunko wouldn't use his manuscript for any purpose beyond the award. A full profit-sharing contract would come after the results—since the award level would affect the contract tier.
The moment they finished, a familiar electronic chime rang in his head.
"Ding-dong. Congratulations to the host for completing a new task."
[Task Name: First Work]
[Task Content: Successfully submit a work to any publisher]
[Task Reward: One Gold-level Treasure Chest]
"Gold, huh?" Ryuo muttered, opening the system warehouse.
Treasure chests came in Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and World tiers. Despite the name, Gold was more like bronze in practice—but even 'bronze' from the system was valuable.
He opened it.
[Task Reward: Short Story Hotarubi no Mori e (Into the Forest of Fireflies' Light)]
The instant he claimed it, something unlocked in his mind; vivid scenes unfurled—he remembered the work completely now, a story he'd once known yet couldn't fully grasp.
"A short story as a Gold reward, really?" he sighed, then smirked. Emotional impact meant readers—and readers meant points. Even with some logical seams, its ability to move people was undeniable.
Still, short fiction wasn't something to toss out carelessly. Without the right timing and platform, both reader impact and manuscript fees would suffer.
"System, what's my depression value now?"
A panel flickered into view:
[From Saki Kawasaki +100]
[From Saki Kawasaki +20]
[From Saki Kawasaki +20]
[From Hachiman Hikigaya…]
[From Saika Totsuka, Yui Yuigahama, Yumiko Miura, Kakeru Tobe…]
[Total Depression Points: 625]
"…Not bad."
Daily interactions brought in small but steady gains. But to reach the six-figure threshold for bigger exchanges, he'd likely need the second volume of Your Lie in April to land—or to publish Hotarubi no Mori e at the perfect moment.
He closed the panel and picked up his knife.
Daikon first. The radish oden always sold out.
He sliced neat rounds, thick enough to drink in the broth. Every day he cut plenty; most days he didn't even get a bite. Oden lived and died on its soup base, and radish—tender and juicy—took to the pot like nothing else.
He always saved some for Saki Kawasaki. There were never leftovers.
With the manuscript submitted, he could refocus on school. If he wanted Soubu High's Super VIP recommendation, then a spot at a top Tokyo university with financial aid, he had to keep his grades sharp.
University in Japan wasn't cheap. Even national schools came with entrance and tuition fees; private universities could run into the millions of yen per year. Dorms, food—those costs stacked, too.
Plenty of kids from ordinary families went straight to work after high school.
Ryuo refused to let that be his fate.
"I'm home, bro!"
The wooden door slid open; Mizuki's bright voice carried from the entryway.
She stepped into the living room, dropped her schoolbag, swapped into a cozy jacket, held her hair tie between her teeth while pulling her hair up, and asked:
"So—how did the submission go?"
End of the chapter usual power stone goal