In the days that followed, Minamoto Senya returned to the rhythm of his long-missed busy life.
Though he had always known the Edogawa Rampo Prize was prestigious—one of the highest honors for aspiring mystery novelists—actually winning it made him realize he had underestimated just how significant it truly was.
Under the guidance of Miyoko Kudou, the day after signing his contract, he went to Kodansha for a publicity interview.
Originally, it had been planned as a simple written interview to be published later in various magazines and newspapers.
But Kodansha, having been reminded by Ms. Kudou at the time of signing, realized that Senya already carried a certain degree of fame on his own. He was, in a sense, a minor celebrity.
Combine that with his striking looks as a young, charming man, and they couldn't possibly let such obvious points of public interest go to waste.
So they arranged for television crews to join the interview on top of the original plan.
The process wasn't difficult.
All the topics had been rehearsed beforehand, so Senya knew exactly what to expect. When the formal interview began, everything went smoothly.
By the evening of that same day, his name appeared on the front pages of magazines and newspapers.
Footage of his interview was edited and aired on multiple TV programs as well.
The following Monday, when Senya headed to school, he hadn't even stepped onto the campus yet—just riding the train with Rokka—and already passersby recognized him and came up to talk.
By the time he got off the train, the crowd had grown so thick, and nearly everyone seemed eager to engage him, that he nearly couldn't get through.
With no other choice, he grabbed Rokka's hand and forced their way out together, his physical presence clearing a path.
At school, the scene became even more chaotic.
As expected, Rokka was swarmed by the girls in her class, along with Eriri, who peppered her with questions about their adopted brother's award.
Knowing Rokka's penchant for snacks, the girls didn't hesitate to feed her treats. By the time class started, her desk was overflowing, and Eriri had to help redistribute the pile.
Senya's situation was even more extreme.
During recess, he was surrounded by the boys in his class. Led by Youhei Sunohara, they were practically speechless, their only words of praise being endless exclamations of "awesome" and "incredible."
Even when he went to the restroom, a parade of classmates followed, like a royal entourage on a campaign, showing off for all to see.
Throughout the hallways, students from other classes would peek into his classroom, their gazes, postures, and the constant chatter making Senya feel like he was in a zoo.
He was the one in the cage.
As the final bell of the morning rang, the principal and chairman personally stood outside the classroom with beaming smiles, inviting him to the principal's office to "discuss something."
The entire class watched as Senya stepped out of the room. A short distance away, someone in the class started making noises, and soon enough, the rest joined in with a cacophony of shrill whistles and banging books.
It was hardly surprising—they were overjoyed. After all, this was their classmate, the Edogawa Rampo Prize winner!
Imagine: years from now, after settling down with families and children, when their kids read Senya's novels and marvel at the author's brilliance, they'd casually say, "Oh, Senya? Yeah, I knew him—he was my dad's middle school classmate. I even swiped his lunch once."
Ah… just thinking about the bragging potential made life feel complete.
Mom, thank you for sending me to Kawaramidori Middle School.
Senya, for the sake of future bragging rights, you have to become a great author!
At that moment, the chairman and principal of Kawaramidori Middle School were warmly inviting Senya into the office.
Naturally, they were aware of the achievement of their student.
They had thought that his four consecutive victories in kendo tournaments were already unprecedented, but they never expected his literary talent to be so astonishing!
Today's invitation had two purposes.
One, they were genuinely thrilled about having such a remarkable student and were curious about the behind-the-scenes story, since the information released in interviews was too formal to satisfy their curiosity.
Two, and more importantly, as before, the school intended to reward him financially.
The finance department allocated one million yen, and the chairman personally added another two million, totaling three million yen!
For a middle schooler, that was no small sum—almost equal to the total budget for all school clubs to upgrade equipment for an entire semester.
It even exceeded the two million advance payment Senya had received from Kodansha after signing his contract.
Of course, Senya understood that this reward wasn't entirely just a reward.
It was a subtle way of encouraging him to mention Kawaramidori Middle School in future media appearances, and the more he included the principal and chairman's names, the better.
Senya played along, giving a perfectly polished speech about how his achievement was due not only to his own efforts but also the support from his school.
The principal and chairman were beaming, and Senya silently admired them in return. He thought to himself, This young man is extraordinary. His future is limitless!
"Senya, there's one more thing I need your help with," said the chairman.
"The principal and I have already said everything; your talent and effort are what truly brought you here," the principal added.
"No, the school's guidance helped me…" Senya began.
"You have the ability yourself…"
Finally, the chairman waved his hand, ending the mutual flattery. He had a golf meeting with business partners later, so time was tight.
"Alright, Senya, what is it?" he asked.
The principal smiled, walking to a display cabinet along the wall with his hands behind his back. "No rush. Before you graduate, I want you to take a photo to be displayed here."
Senya frowned at the cabinet filled with photos of past principals and chairmen—honored elders of the school. "Placing my photo alongside them… isn't that inappropriate?"
"Not at all," the chairman said, placing a hand on his shoulder with a broad smile. "This was a joint decision. You are the best student in the history of Kawaramidori Middle School! You deserve it!"
The principal nodded in agreement. "No one will oppose it, so don't worry."
With that, Senya had no objections. The matter was settled, and both the principal and chairman patted him on the shoulder, laughing heartily.
The following Wednesday, Senya's award-winning novel, Astrology Murder Magic, was officially released by Kodansha.
It quickly became the next big sensation in the mystery novel world, thrilling avid readers everywhere.
Kodansha, one of Japan's most prominent publishers, usually had a solid grasp of the industry, but even they hadn't anticipated the reaction.
They had boldly set the initial print run at 30,000 copies—but within less than a day, the books were completely sold out.
Many readers who missed out on purchasing felt as frustrated as a lover stood up by their partner at the hotel after anticipating an intimate reunion.
Outraged, readers flooded social media, criticizing Kodansha for "manipulative scarcity marketing," though they were perfectly capable of buying the book.
Kodansha wasn't at fault; they simply hadn't anticipated the sudden demand. Previously, Rampo Prize winners' first print runs were usually just 10,000 copies, with perhaps an additional 5,000 for highly favored works. These would sell gradually over a week.
From a business standpoint, their cautious approach was reasonable. Overprinting could lead to wasted storage and destruction costs.
But this time, conservative planning backfired spectacularly.
On the bright side, the excited readers inadvertently promoted Senya and his novel further, and television crews filmed the chaotic rush at bookstores, spreading the buzz even wider.
Kodansha reacted quickly, filming apology videos and initiating an emergency second print run.
Originally, the second run was set at 200,000 copies. After two hours of preorders through online platforms, 80,000 had already been reserved. Soon, the total approached 100,000, forcing Kodansha to double the second print to 400,000 copies.
Meanwhile, as Kodansha celebrated, Senya had breakfast with his family that morning. After Rokka and Toka left for school, he calmly cleared the table and went upstairs to change.
Since the novel's release the previous day, his name had dominated social media, surpassing even his championship in the Tamaryu Flag competition.
By the time physical education ended yesterday, reporters were already crowded outside the school gates.
Much of this buzz was organic, fueled by readers demanding additional prints of the sold-out 30,000 copies. Those who had read the novel were captivated by its clever puzzles and plot twists, discussing its brilliance online.
With so much attention, Senya often got recognized on the streets, approached by strangers. It was manageable once or twice, but constant attention began to disrupt his life.
So he requested leave from school, intending to stay home until the frenzy settled. With his grades and reputation, the school had no problem granting him leave. Even if he skipped the rest of the term or his graduation exams, they would ensure he received his diploma.
Truly, a second-year middle schooler reaching this level was unprecedented in Japanese history.
That afternoon, Ms. Kudou drove him to a banquet, a commitment he had accepted when contacted by the Japanese Mystery Writers Association.
At a red light that held for over ninety seconds, Ms. Kudou, cheerful and smiling, glanced at the passenger seat. She noticed her new client, Senya, staring expressionlessly out the window.
"Senya, your book was praised by the judges, readers love it, and it's getting an emergency reprint of 400,000 copies. How come you don't look very happy?"
Over the past few days, they had grown familiar, with Senya even allowing her to call him by name. Yet in public, she still addressed him respectfully as "Senya-sensei."
Senya smiled faintly and brushed off the concern, explaining he had been losing sleep from excitement.
Ms. Kudou nodded in understanding and went on to explain the banquet schedule. Senya listened quietly, occasionally nodding.
He wasn't in a bad mood—he was simply preoccupied with Toka.
Her distant behavior had become increasingly noticeable. She refused help with cooking, folded laundry no longer, and maintained deliberate physical distance in shared spaces. Even brushing past him in the living room, she turned her shoulder to avoid contact.
These subtle actions didn't escape Senya's notice.
Am I some untouchable virus? he thought, frustrated.
He resolved to confront Toka that night, to try to restore their previous relationship, even if he had to resort to deception.
But when he knocked, Toka said to wait and then came out herself instead of inviting him in. They ended up standing in the hallway, talking, with Rokka occasionally peeking at them. Unsurprisingly, no resolution came of it.
Senya knew from his "god's-eye view" that Toka smiled faintly while reading his novel, her eyes reflecting complex emotions. He was ninety percent sure she didn't dislike him; on the contrary, she likely harbored strong feelings.
The real problem lay in their family dynamic. Ugh… what a headache.
"Senya," Ms. Kudou offered thoughtfully, noticing his sigh, "I could help push back your schedule for the next couple of days. Being a student works to your advantage—people will understand."
Senya shook his head. "It's fine, Miyoko-san. Let's stick to the original plan."
He liked clearing his schedule quickly; leaving tasks unfinished always gave him a faint sense of anxiety.
At the banquet organized by the Mystery Writers Association that afternoon, he met many industry veterans and exchanged business cards with journalists and media professionals.
Under Ms. Kudou's guidance, he conducted himself properly, gradually becoming comfortable with professional interactions. Humble and courteous, he built several valuable connections.
All in all, everything went smoothly.
At 1:00 a.m., at the Shimiya residence, Ai Hayasaka leaned against her bedhead, clutching Astrology Murder Magic, and exhaled deeply.
It was late, but the hardworking maid felt no drowsiness.
She regretted not saving such an exciting novel for a day off. Her mind buzzed with its details, leaving her unable to sleep.
Normally, she didn't read novels, but she was grateful to have chosen this one. Finishing it, she felt an inexplicable urge to share her thoughts and discuss it with Senya…
He's really amazing.
Glancing at the clock, she noted how late it was. He should already be asleep, and it seemed inappropriate to disturb him.
Yet, seeing his avatar on her phone, desire overrode etiquette.
Hayasaka Ai: I just finished your novel. It's amazing and brilliant.
She sent the message and stared at the screen, seeing it remained unread.
As expected, but still, she felt a slight pang of disappointment.
Setting the phone down to use the bathroom, suddenly, a notification sounded.
She snatched up the phone.
Minamoto Senya: ?
Seeing the question mark, her excitement immediately dropped, replaced by worry.
Oh no… I woke him up. He's probably angry and thinks I'm thoughtless…
Her fingers hovered over the screen as she hesitated. Then Senya's next message arrived:
Minamoto Senya: You bought my novel? Why didn't you tell me? Kodansha gave me a dozen copies, all deluxe editions, and all free.
Her worries melted, replaced by a delighted laugh, crystal-clear and light as a silver bell.
Senya had been staying up late in the past few days, diligently completing the following chapters of Astrology Murder Magic, and conducting high-intensity self-research online.
After a quick bathroom break, he saw her message, had just finished his work, and was ready to rest—perfect timing to chat.
As they exchanged messages, seeing the respect and admiration in her words, he wondered whether it was sincere or mere politeness.
Curiosity drove him to want to see her expression firsthand.
Activating his god's-eye view, he saw Ai leaning against her bedhead, smiling cutely, eyes sparkling genuinely. Beside her pillow lay his novel.
Just then, she got out of bed.
Normally, he would have been satisfied just seeing her expression and turned off his view.
But as she stood up, the faint sense of familiarity struck him.
He saw clearly…
Wait, Ai… why are you wearing my clothes?!
…