The morning had begun like any other in Minami, a city known for its vibrant, multicultural, and youthful energy. Perhaps that's why the city has become one of the strongest centers of Japanese pop culture, especially regarding light novels.
Despite the existence of numerous literary magazines and periodicals with national reach, none were as renowned as the five major regional publishing houses: Katsu Minami Library, Beauty Flower Publishing, Fantasy Literature, Sakura Library, and Red Violet Literature.
Their titles were sold on every corner, in newsstands, convenience stores, literary megastores, and even vending machines. Those who lived there grew up seeing colorful covers displayed everywhere, and in a way, the province's cultural identity was built upon them.
The readers of these magazines were people of all ages and professions, including office workers, students, and teachers. In Minami, no one found it strange to see an adult nearing thirty years old leafing through a young adult romance magazine on the subway, completely absorbed. There, being a fan wasn't something to be ashamed of; it was simply part of who you were.
That's why, as the clock approached lunchtime, the lines outside bookstores and newsstands began to grow. It was release day for new editions, and regular readers already knew: the closer to noon, the harder it was to get an untouched copy.
The five main light novel publishers in the Southern Province are competitors, but this competition isn't irrational or reckless. There was an unspoken rule among them: never compete directly on the same date.
Almost like a silent choreography, each chose its specific days to release its main publications. This way, they avoided forcing readers to choose between one title and another, which would result in a drop in sales for everyone.
Red Violet, for example, released its main magazine every Wednesday and Sunday. Sakura Library, which at that time held the title of best-selling magazine in the region, released on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The other publishers followed similar patterns, carefully alternating their schedules.
But there was a peculiar case in that organized machine: the magazine "Fantasy Literature," an independent title that, by coincidence or stubbornness, released its issues on the same day as Red Violet. Both were fast-circulation magazines, published every three days, and their readers knew: if it was Red Violet day, it would also be Fantasy Literature day.
For some, this was a problem. For others, an opportunity.
After all, the magazines were relatively affordable: Red Violet cost 15 yen, while Fantasy Literature went for 12. There were enough loyal readers to buy both, and this niche sustained the less popular title.
Among these readers was Akame, a young woman in her twenties, born and raised in the urban center of Minami. Her childhood smelled of the pages of Red Violet. In her adolescence, the characters wrote stories inside her head. Even as an adult, with a busy routine full of responsibilities, she continued to buy each new issue, like a ritual that never disappointed her.
"Let me see… In this issue of Red Violet, there's a new serialized novel, 'Phoenix Cry.' It seems 'Dawn' was canceled and replaced by this one. This novel should have been canceled a long time ago; it's awful," Akame murmured to herself.
Upon returning home, she first set aside Red Violet and focused her attention on 'Momentary Blossoms'.
This was her reading habit: she would start with serialized romances in magazines that didn't particularly interest her and then finish reading those from the magazines that interested her most.
As soon as she opened the magazine, she noticed something unusual. There was something clearly hidden inside, and the magazine was thicker.
It featured two unfamiliar cartoon illustrations. The first showed a boy and a girl holding hands, gazing at a starry sky. At the top of the image, the title was written in large letters: "The Light of Yesterday's Stars".
The second illustration depicted an autumnal scene: red leaves fell from a tall tree while the same boy and girl gazed at each other in the wind. The images were beautiful and simple, yet evocative, with a style reminiscent of classic teen romance covers.
Both posters were, in fact, very well designed, but their main purpose was to give readers a general impression of the appearance of the novel's protagonists.
Upon opening the plastic wrapping of this edition of 'Momentary Blossoms', Akame immediately noticed that something was different.
"Ao Haru Ride?"
"This edition of Momentary Blossoms includes two new serialized novels?" Akame sat on her sofa at home, curiously flipping through the pages.
As usual, she started with the new serialized novels.
The first new novel in that edition was titled "The Light of Yesterday's Stars," written by the author under the pseudonym Daiki Watanabe. Akame adjusted her glasses and began to read, expecting to find a typical school romance story.
However, after less than two thousand words, she realized she was completely mistaken.
The story began with an old urban legend, quite well-known among the students of a certain Japanese high school. A rumor about a curse involving dreams, silent nights, and a strange black cat that always appeared before something bad happened.
The female protagonist, Aoi, found this injured cat in the schoolyard and helped it. What she didn't expect was that, that same night, she would dream of a mysterious boy… who turned out to be the cat itself, transformed within that dream world.
"A university fantasy romance? That's quite rare."
Having unintentionally triggered the curse of the school's strange legend, the black cat enters her dreams, leading the protagonist on a journey through the school's dream world, helping her find a way to save her destiny. During this journey, the boy the black cat transforms into in her dreams and the protagonist, Aoi, develop feelings for each other.
Akame found herself completely absorbed.
The narrative began slowly, explaining the folklore, the school, the routine, the city's atmosphere, but the second half became tense and emotional. The atmosphere almost breathed from the page. The relationship between Aoi and the boy developed with surprising delicacy, and before she knew it, Akame had read everything.
She spent almost ten minutes reading the short story of less than 20,000 words.
Upon finishing the last page of the first chapter of this series, "The Light of Yesterday's Stars," Akame was completely absorbed, feeling an irresistible urge to continue reading.
"NO! It can't end there!" she groaned, frustrated. "Which of the three Aoi's is the real one? How did the boy figure it out? What the hell, this is so frustrating!"
Akame seemed annoyed. Initially, she thought it was just another ordinary romance published in 'Momentary Blossoms', but the plot had become incredibly engaging.
Of all the romances published in magazines, most seem mediocre after reading, because each person has different tastes and preferences. Most serialized romances in magazines may not appeal to everyone.
She had been reading Fantasy Literature for years, but rarely had a new novel captivated her so violently in the first chapter.
Akame didn't know how the others felt after reading this chapter, but at least "The Light of Yesterday's Stars" was to her liking. "Another romance to keep up with! I hope the plot doesn't fall apart later," she said, stretching.
Relieving her frustration with a sigh, she returned to the table of contents and found the second new release of the month: "Ao Haru Ride," by an author named Mizuki Ito.
As soon as she began reading, she felt something change in the air.
The story opened with a simple, gentle, almost melancholic narrative from the protagonist, Futaba, recalling a moment that had marked her life forever.
["Once I experienced an unforgettable moment. It was a summer in elementary school, after class, a sudden rain."]
The first paragraph describes the protagonist Futaba's inner monologue during her elementary school years.
She encountered a classmate seeking shelter under the eaves after the rain.
The two were shy around each other. Futaba took the boy's towel to dry her hair. Futaba peeked at the boy's face through the rain. Futaba's heart raced.
Out of shyness and fear that her classmates would discover her feelings for the male protagonist, Kou, she blurted out: "I hate all boys!" Then, Kou, the boy she liked, overheard the conversation.
The initial plot is very simple, but in just a few hundred words, it captivated Akame. A few paragraphs were enough for her to be completely immersed in Futaba's perspective.
She identified with the female protagonist.
Arrogance ruins a life; The hurtful words she uttered led the male protagonist to transfer schools the next day, and the female protagonist, Futaba, wanted to apologize but didn't have the opportunity.
When she finished reading the chapter, Akame slowly closed the magazine, hugging it as if trying to preserve a fragile feeling.
"What a beautiful chapter…" she whispered.
Akame stood up, placed the issues on the table next to Red Violet, and took a deep breath, feeling a warm contentment spread through her chest.
Two new stories. Two different promises. One of fantasy, the other of pure romance.
And both had touched her in different ways.
With few words, a plot was created, sparking Akame's interest in reading.
End of Chapter 15