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Akaji was speechless.

"What have you been watching recently?"

"White Album 2. It's quite good. I like Xiao Muzeng Cabbage the most.

That scheming and pretentious look on her face is really cute. "

"What's it about?"

"The emotional entanglement of two women and a man.

The two female leads, Cabbage and Winter Horse, both liked the male lead, Haruki. Cabbage found out that Haruki and Winter Horse liked each other, but they didn't know about each other's feelings.

She began to interfere with the relationship between Haruki and Winter Horse.

She took the initiative to confess and snatched Haruki.

But she stopped the two of them from taking a step further, but she couldn't stop the attraction between the two of them.

In the end, Haruki still knew about Winter Horse's feelings. He kissed and hugged Winter Horse in front of Cabbage. "

"… Don't look at all this nonsense."

"Eh?

I got it.

Since Seijuro said so. "

The atmosphere was silent for a while. Akashiji Seijuro couldn't help but turn around and ask Sanchū Ming,

"What happened to Cabbage in the end?"

"You like Cabbage too, right?

I knew that Seijuro was a Cabbage fan like me!

I told you that I was tortured to death. I specially went to play games... "

After returning home,

Akaji, who dreamed that Sanchū Ming, who was crying and snot, roared at him, "Why are you so skilled?", was shocked awake.

Akaji, who was not sleepy at all, got up and made a glass of water. He thought for a moment.

He put the DVD that Sanchū Ming had specially brought home for him into the TV player.

The DVD box was printed with two girls with their backs facing each other on the rooftop of the school at dusk. The name at the top was written —

“WHITE

ALBUM

2”。

He was quite interested in what Sanchū Ming said about "Cabbage, who always knew what she wanted and worked hard to achieve it."

The DVD began to play.

Akashiji Seijuro nodded as he watched the male lead of the first episode, Kitahara Haruki, practice his guitar with all his might for the school festival performance. Although this male lead didn't have much talent, his hard work was still commendable.

Akaji frowned when he saw that the school idol, Xiao Kizeng Cabbage, had refused to sing at the school festival because of Haruki's lecture.

He felt that Cabbage was not as good as Sanchū Ming said.

Seeing Winter Horse and Hesha appear, Akaji's expression relaxed. He always liked women with good taste.

Akashiji Seijuro's expression changed again when he saw Winter Horse, who was playing the piano, being attracted by Haruki, who was messing around with the guitar. He thought Winter Horse was a smart person.

Akashiji Seijuro, who saw Winter Horse keeping Haruki at her house every night to practice, thought that something was wrong.

Akashiji Seijuro, who saw Haruki and Cabbage together, thought that something was wrong.

He saw the three of them together, and they were really naked together in the hot spring.

Akashiji Seijuro, who saw Cabbage announcing that she hoped that the three of them could continue to live happily together, thought that something was wrong.

Haruki, who was dating Cabbage, knew Winter Horse's feelings for her.

She actually pounced on Winter Horse without hesitation, kissing and hugging him.

Akaji, who received Winter Horse's slap and "Why are you so good at it!", was speechless.

He took a deep breath and turned off the TV. His expression was as if Sanchū Ming had fed him a big bowl of red ginger.

He should not have believed in the aesthetics of a person who could write a melodramatic story about a man cheating on his wife and causing her to become depressed and commit suicide.

At three o 'clock in the morning, Sanchū Ming, who was sleeping soundly, was woken up by a bombardment of phone calls.

"Who is it? I'm going to kill you … Eh?

Seijuro?

Why are you so late? "

"Have you thought about how you want to die?"

Akaji's calm voice was wrapped in a murderous aura that pierced Sanchū Ming's nerves through the phone. Sanchū Ming sat up in shock.

"Eh?

Eh???

Why? "

She suddenly thought of the treasure she handed to Akaji and felt that she understood the reason.

She said solemnly, more solemnly than when she was choosing her future political orientation, "Even if you become a Winter Horse supporter, you don't have to kill me. Seijuro, I'm not a pure Cabbage supporter."

She took a deep breath.

"I hope that the three of us can be happy together!"

Akaji hung up the phone directly.

He poured himself a glass of water and sat back in the chair. He deeply reflected on why he did not directly kill Sanchū Ming when she was young and weak.

Then the world would be completely clean.

"Hello?

Hello?

Seijuro?

Brother Zheng?

Treasure Zhengbao? "

Sanchū Ming shouted into the phone and slowly realized that Akaji had hung up the phone.

"What's going on …" Sanchū Ming was stunned. "I didn't expect Seijuro to be the type of person who is fiercely involved in the party struggle …"

Didn't he see that Seijuro, who was on the Winter Horse's side, tried to kill her overnight?

"Party struggles are really scary. Isn't it good to gamble on glory and vote for your cuteness?" Sanchū Ming mumbled.

After being disturbed by Akaji, she was no longer sleepy. She hugged the Baby Dragon doll and leaned against the headboard to look at the unread email.

"… Ah, it's an email from Koike." She opened the unread email.

"'Going Home' can be published. The Ministry has decided to sell it as a softcover single volume. The initial print run is set at 10,000 copies."

Sanchū Ming instantly sat up straight.

There was another email under Koike's edit. She quickly clicked on it.

"The Minister wants you to participate in a competition and officially debut.

'Mephisto Award' and 'This mystery novel is amazing!'

Which one do you want to fight for? "

This time, Sanchū Ming directly jumped up with the Baby Dragon in her arms.

Mephisto was the name of the devil in Goethe's Faust. In Goethe's work, Faust had to pledge his soul to the devil Mephisto. As long as he stopped pursuing life, death would come.

The Mephisto Award, which was held by Kodansha and named after the devil, was one of the many awards for novel newcomers in Japan. It wasn't a regular mystery novel award.

The main source of works for the competition was the author's submission. It could be a long story or a short story collection. There was no specific novel category. The only criterion for the award was "good looking." The winning works were mostly individual works with a clear personal style. They often brought a different kind of shock to the mystery novel world and were obviously innovative.

And the "This mystery novel is amazing!" sponsored by Treasure Island was aimed to attract new talent.

The target of the collection was "generalized mystery novels with the primary purpose of entertainment." It tended to choose a mystery novel that was in line with the general public's taste. It could be said that it was a stepping stone for new writers to sell well.

Editor Koike asked this question to ask her about her future writing direction.

Sanchū Ming hesitated.

Logically, she should choose to participate in the "This mystery novel is amazing!"

Because her original intention of writing was to make money. Treasure Island's award was more recognized by the public. More importantly, this award was directly related to the "This mystery novel is amazing!" mystery novel ranking.

Sanchū Ming's favorite novels, Kyōji Natsuhiko's Box of Demons and Isaka Kotaro's Gravity Clown, had always been on this ranking.

But personally, she preferred the free style of the Mephisto Award.

The "Amazing" Award was too focused on entertainment and popularity. For Sanchū Ming, who didn't have much social experience, there was no advantage in the selection.

If she chose the Mephisto Award … According to the trend of the Mephisto Award winning works in recent years, her writing style might be more towards the light novel genre. She didn't want to.

There were pros and cons to both options …

Sanchū Ming thought about it and decided to call Akaji.

The phone rang for a while, then hung up.

？？？

Why did Seijuro hang up?

Did he go to bed so soon?

Sanchū Ming, who had completely forgotten what she had done, was confused. She sent Akaji an email.

"Which one should I choose between the 'Mephisto Award' and the 'This mystery novel is amazing!'?"

Akaji didn't seem to be sleeping. He replied quickly.

"'Going Home' or the new book?"

"'Going Home' has finished serialization and is preparing to be published. It doesn't meet the requirements for the Newcomer Award."

Sanchū Ming had just clicked send when she suddenly thought of something.

Why didn't she participate in the Edogawa Upanishad Award?

"Participate in the Edogawa Upanishad Award."

Akaji's email also arrived.

The Edogawa Upanishad Award, also known as the "Upanishad Award," was a literary award created by the Japanese Mystery Writers' Association with funds donated by the Edogawa Upanishad. It was the oldest and most famous newcomer award in the Japanese mystery novel world.

But …

"The Upanishad Award is more social. There aren't many great Bunge novels, and even fewer unconventional mystery novels. Also, no author under the age of 20 has ever won the award." She replied to Akaji's email.

"Are you afraid?"

Even though Seijuro was clearly mocking her, Sanchū Ming felt as if she had been encouraged.

She exited the email interface with Akaji and quickly sent an email to Editor Koike.

"How's the Edogawa Upanishad Award?"

Editor Koike seemed to still be working. He quickly replied to Sanchū Ming.

"Difficult."

Sanchū Ming lay down in her blanket and buried her face in the Baby Dragon's stomach.

Of course, she knew it was difficult.

Even Keigo Higashino was 26 years old when he was nominated for Magic Ball.

The youngest author to win the Upanishad Award since its inception was 21 years old.

Sanchū Ming wasn't even 15 years old yet.

If she was a genius, had a deep content, and passed the award in one try, Sanchū Ming would need at least two years to write a novel that could be nominated for the Upanishad Award.

However, Sanchū Ming didn't think she was that much of a genius. She didn't have that much experience, and it was impossible for her to pass the award in one try.

Considering the time it took to write a novel, and considering the Upanishad Award usually took one or two years, she estimated that it would take her four years.

This was the complete opposite of her original goal.

Sanchū Ming's goal was very clear. She wanted to earn enough money to move to Italy.

She thought about it for a long time. Even when the sun was about to rise, she still couldn't resist the temptation of the Upanishad Award.

At most, she would just take a roundabout route and use the loophole in the Upanishad Award's rules for "newcomers."

The Upanishad Award's rules for newcomers were newcomers who hadn't published a mystery novel before.

Strictly speaking, her "Going Home" and the short story before it didn't count as a mystery novel.

Although it was a slippery tactic, this was already the best choice for Sanchū Ming.

"I won't be publishing a serious mystery novel in the future," she wrote in her email to Koike, "I want to write a mystery novel while preparing for the Upanishad Award.

Will the minister agree? "

Koike's reply was very quick, as if he already knew Sanchū Ming's answer.

"Prepare a short story of less than 40,000 words for the Literary World Newcomer Award that closes on June 31st."

The Literary World Newcomer Award was an open competition for newcomer awards by the literary magazine "Literary World" published by Bungei Chunqiu Publishing House. It was a purely literary award, and there were no restrictions on the genre. The competition was very relaxed.

As it had a history of more than fifty years, it had a great influence in Japan. It could be seen as the wind vane for the Akutagawa Prize.

Koike's translation of the editor's message was:

"Take the Literary World Newcomer Award first, then talk about the Upanishad Award!

Newcomer! "

Sanchū Ming couldn't help but jump off the bed. She excitedly jumped around the room. She was so happy that little flowers floated in the air.

Good

Job！

Upanishad Award!

I, Sanchū Ming, am here!

But the most important thing right now was to think of a short story for the Literary World Newcomer Award.

She couldn't fall at the first step just because she was full of bragging. That would be too embarrassing.

What should I write …

Sanchū Ming pulled out a chair and sat in front of the table. After thinking for a while, she turned on the table lamp and flipped open her draft book.

"It looks good."

"Zhe Jun, you tell me."

"Sanikuyue San, I think you can reconsider." Tetsuya Kuroko tactfully persuaded her.

"There's no need. This is pretty good."

Sanchū Ming directly decided. "I've been thinking about it since yesterday when I saw your colorful pile. I'm still hesitating on what color to dye it to make it more lively."

She tapped on a page of the sketchbook that the hairdresser had given her and said solemnly, "This hair completely touches my heart."

…

"Hello, is this Akaji Jun?

This is Momoi. I'm currently helping Sanikuyue San dye her hair. "Satsuki Momoi directly walked out of the shop and took out her cell phone to call Akashiji Seijuro.

"She wholeheartedly wants to dye her hair in a very scary style. I can't persuade her … Okay, okay, the address is Shibuya xxxxx."

After Momoi hung up the phone, Tetsuya Kuroko also came out.

"Didn't you say that you have to hide the fact that you're looking for Sanikuyue San from Akaji?"

Satsuki Momoi turned her head to look at Tetsuya Kuroko. Her eyes were full of deep pain that didn't match her age.

"A new friend of the same sex is about to be separated because of aesthetic differences. Does Zhe Jun still care about such a small matter?"

"… Actually, I don't think Morus Momoi is in any position to talk about Sanikuyue San."

Tetsuya Kuroko looked serious and pointed at Momoi's hair. "Morus Momoi's hair is pink."

"… Then Zhe Jun is in no position to talk about me, right?

Your hair is sky blue!

Sky blue! "

"Lord Qingfeng clearly said that this color is very beautiful."

"Idiot Ada said that?

He has never praised me — "

"Wait," Momoi was shocked. "How long have we been out?"

Tetsuya Kuroko was stunned and unlocked his cell phone to check the time. "It's only been ten minutes. There's still time for Akaji Jun to come over."

"No!

Little Moon's hair is light blonde and doesn't need to be bleached — "Momoi calculated in her heart." Ten minutes is enough for her to wash her hair and start to color it! "

'Oh no, oh no, I've calculated too much time to bleach her hair!'

Momoi rushed into the shop.

"Zhe Jun!

I'll stop her!

Hurry up and talk to Little Moon!

"Master, please keep your hair!!!"

Satsuki Momoi prayed frantically in her heart.

'Captain Akaji, I beg you to show your true strength at this moment of life and death!'

'Your manager, Satsuki Momoi, begs you, quickly remove the seal and teleport over!'

…

Unfortunately, Tetsuya Kuroko was not good at persuasion, Satsuki Momoi was too weak, and Akashiji Seijuro was not good at persuasion.

Therefore, half an hour later, Akashiji Seijuro was panting slightly when he stepped into the barbershop that Satsuki Momoi mentioned. He saw a rainbow pouring down like a waterfall under the bright lights of the barbershop, almost blinding his eyes.

Akaji's heart sank.

"Eh?

Seijuro? "

The rainbow turned around and revealed the cold face of his young trainer, Ran.

Sanchū Ming, with his rainbow hair, greeted Akashiji Seijuro, "Why are you here?"

Akaji's heart sank completely.

Not only did his heart sink, but his vision also darkened. He had to hold onto the barbershop chair next to him and tried to calm himself down.

'I didn't make it … I failed …'