Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard-Chapter 900 - 529: Light Novels and Yuuki_2

About the light novel he published in the bookstore.

Uesugi Sakura really wants to see what the data is like, whether there’s any discussion online, but obviously, it’s only the second day since its release, and online, you can only find the qualification of this book and the announcement from the official Kadokawa Bunko about it winning the newcomer award.

The initial sales volume was actually just ten thousand copies, considered a testing phase.

Of course, there are people discussing this book on Twitter.

The second-place award in the Sneaker Bunko newcomer category is still quite valuable.

But the content of the online discussion is not about the book itself. Instead, it’s about who illustrated this novel, and people’s comments like the illustrations in this book are amazing!

Even if the illustrations were done by my own wife, still, this novel is something I put a lot of effort into writing... is it really that lacking in appeal?

When I was creating it, I even sought advice from several classmates at Waseda University, and also got suggestions from Professor Okuno.

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t help but scroll through Twitter and search for the keyword "Hanabi’s Love."

Leaving aside some everyday sharing about the fireworks festival, you can indeed find information about this book in an illustration circle.

Just as Uesugi Sakura wanted to take a closer look at how the public was evaluating his novel, the doorbell rang.

Curious if it’s his parents-in-law visiting, he put on slippers, walked to the entryway, and opened the door.

"Hey, brother-in-law, good morning."

At the door was a young girl wearing a baseball cap, smiling, with her right index and middle finger together on her forehead, a baseball jacket half draped on her shoulders, a pleated short skirt, over-the-knee black stockings, with a pure black leg band tightly wrapped around her right thigh, and the most noticeable were her red and blue sneakers.

She looked like a trendy and fashionable young girl.

"Yuuki?"

Uesugi Sakura looked her up and down, not too surprised by her appearance, "You came over to play with Hanabi?"

"That’s right, doesn’t my brother-in-law welcome me?"

"You’re welcome, come in quickly, it’s cold outside."

"Thank you, brother-in-law," Hanamaru Yuuki said with a smile, then extended her right hand and pulled over a suitcase from the side, "But lately, I’ll be staying at your place for quite a while."

"Staying for quite a while?" Uesugi Sakura glanced at her luggage, which was the same as the model she had when she returned the day before, "Why?"

"Simple, my mom kicked me out." Hanamaru Yuuki said with a bright, indifferent smile.

"..."

——————————

Chiyoda District, as an unavoidable area in Tokyo’s 23 districts, is a place where the government and wealthy gather together. Whether it’s in life, technology, or education, it holds a terrifying presence throughout Japan. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Although the average income is slightly lower than that of Minato District, ranking second.

Chiyoda District is a hub for dignitaries and established enterprises, and Kadokawa Bookstore, a long-established publisher founded in 1945, naturally stands among various enterprises here.

Since its establishment, Kadokawa Bookstore has published numerous popular books and academic and scholarly publications, contributing to the spread of classic works and research achievements in Japanese society.

In modern times, Kadokawa Bookstore, to cater to young people’s preferences, established Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko under its name starting with the youthful "Sneaker Bunko."

Now, it can be said it’s the light novel department of Kadokawa Bunko.

The published works mainly target adolescents as light novels and also excel in animation adaptations, having given birth to many classic IPs over its 30-year history.

In recent years, many light novel works have become well-known, for example:

"My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Former Girlfriend," "Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway," "Redo of Healer," "Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!"

Going further back in time, there are series like "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya," "Hyouka," "Rhode Island Chronicles," and many other classic IPs.

These works have spread both domestically and internationally, winning numerous prestigious awards.

Nakata Kiyoshi, now 45, serves as an editor at Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko.

Born in the 80s, he was always accompanied by video games and animations throughout his life, especially anime, which greatly influenced him, inciting his dream to enter the animation industry due to these childhood memories.

However, despite his efforts, he couldn’t get into an animation company due to his better performance in liberal arts, and instead became an editor at Kadokawa Bookstore.

Anyway, Kadokawa Bookstore has invested in the animation industry, with numerous adaptations into anime, and the novels he’s responsible for have a chance to be turned into anime and broadcast on TV.

Sigh, it’s like half his foot stepped into Japan’s animation industry.

Three months ago, he unfortunately got hit by a car after work, breaking a leg, and after recovery, he just now returned to work.

Since it was after work hours, it wasn’t considered a workplace injury, and the perpetrator was a local thug. Even if he won the case, he could only extract some meager earnings from the offender, so indeed, it was unfortunate.

Even his wife, while peeling an apple by the hospital bed, told him about the misfortune at home.

Now he feels like "misfortune," this gloomy cloud, is stuck over his head, making everything seem dark.

Trying hard to abandon these frivolous thoughts.

Nakata Kiyoshi brewed a cup of coffee, greeted old colleagues, and returned to his familiar desk to start working again.

The seat, the feel, the cactus next to his desk.

Even though he has spent plenty of time at this position, after three months away, sitting there again, there’s a sense of nostalgia.

Drinking coffee, he began checking emails.

There were many submissions inside, a variety of styles, with different formats, some starting without an introduction or title, directly discussing their tragic life, others appearing arrogant, claiming their work was extremely innovative as a newcomer.

Nakata Kiyoshi doesn’t understand what’s innovative about this; hasn’t this plot already been used by Shakespeare a millennium ago?

Moreover, it reads more like a high school student’s work, lacking logic, with bits written here and there.

But as an editor, he still follows his professional principles, sending each person a reply.

Whether they listen to his words and suggestions is up to them.

After reviewing all morning, he didn’t find many interesting works.

How should I put it... some authors have a decent standard, but it’s only limited to the beginning. The latter development makes no logical sense, as if forcing a character change just for the plot.

Other people wrote the whole piece in a flowery, obscure manner, full of metaphors. Even he, a Waseda University graduate with a master’s degree, found it hard to grasp what they were trying to say?

He furrowed his brow, forcing himself to read it five times, finally understanding.

This person, they’re writing a diary.

Sigh, please, this is a light novel submission, here is Sneaker Bunko, aimed at easy-to-read light novels. Young man, you’re doing this... not only is it out of context, but reading it doesn’t provide any light-hearted enjoyment.

Pass.

...

...

"Ah..."

Having reviewed submissions all morning, Nakata Kiyoshi felt a headache, continually massaging his temples as he felt dizzy from reading.

Anyway, now there are only a few left.

With a meeting at two in the afternoon, he must hurry up and finish reading.

He took a sip of his somewhat cooled coffee, continued working in front of the computer without checking the submission times, directly looking at the titles.

"Another newcomer?"

"Hanabi’s Love, this name seems quite ordinary."

"Let me see... type, love, daily life, youth."

"Synopsis... the Tokyo-struggling young man Akisuki, finally at the lowest point in his life, meets the most suitable person, success, healthy family, a love worth entrusting for a lifetime, he believed these things were unrelated to him until her appearance... a mysterious girl who always had a bright smile on her face, perhaps... he could return to the world he once had."

"Synopsis, also quite ordinary."

Nakata Kiyoshi softly rolled a ballpoint pen on the desk with his fingers, patiently continuing to read.