Chapter 15 “Black and Red” is also “Red”

Chapter 15 “Black and Red” is also “Red”

Chapter 15 “Black and Red” is also “Red”

Saito Rena, who was sitting outside, pretended to read a script, but was actually listening carefully to what was happening in the conference room.

After the shortlist was announced, the reaction from the industry and readers was more intense than she had imagined, and public opinion almost unanimously criticized the editorial department's hasty behavior.

As the "culprit" in the eyes of public opinion, she has hardly slept in the past two weeks. She even put on heavy makeup to try to cover up her dark circles when she went to work today, but the effect was obviously poor. With her swollen face, she looked like a giant panda.

I heard that the emergency meeting in the afternoon discussed removing Kitagawa-san's novel from the shortlist. If this were true, she would become a complete laughing stock in the editorial department.

But things have come to this point, and it is no longer something that a small editor like her can control. Now Saito Rena can only believe in her own judgment and pray that the review committee will not make such a cruel decision.

While I was daydreaming, the door to the conference room suddenly opened.

She quickly put down the manuscript paper that was covering her face and looked up.

Editor-in-Chief Muramatsu and Deputy Editor-in-Chief Anyuan swept away their former arrogance, bowed 90 degrees like docile little lambs, and watched a group of old men and women go out first, then straightened up and followed.

The review committee members left the office in a hurry without even looking at the editors.

After all the big guys left, the atmosphere in the office seemed to become instantly more relaxed, and everyone became active again.

Sada, who was known as the "super-ear" in the front row, immediately delivered the latest news:

The review committee decided to advance the review time, so let’s rush to the hotel now to start the closed review!
"I have to say this is a brilliant move! Since Kitagawa-san's novel has caused such a huge controversy, and we can't explain anything now, we might as well move up the judging process and announce the winning works as soon as possible to increase the popularity. This is indeed the best solution to the problem at the moment! Editor-in-Chief Muramatsu is worthy of it!"

Editor Yamashita, a die-hard supporter of Editor-in-Chief Muramatsu, began to excitedly "deduce" the content of the meeting and the purpose of the resolution.

It sounds like that, but at this moment, Saito Rena was no longer able to care about these things. There was only one thing on her mind now, and that was to inform Kitagawa Hide of the early judging information as soon as possible!

"It seems like I'm really saved." Saito Rena felt her rapid heart rate slowly decreasing.

Whatever the reason, bringing the judging forward will definitely benefit Kitagawa Hidehiro in no way!
9pm, in a rental house in Adachi Ward.

"Yumeko-chan, haven't you finished writing your long review yet?" After forcing her two slender legs wrapped in black stockings under her denim hot pants into the kotatsu under the table, Jaburi Rei picked up a piece of yam bun with her fingers and threw it into her mouth, complaining in a low voice, "It's all that old stubborn guy's fault. Why did he suddenly ask us to write a long review for no reason?"

"Even though you complain, Li-chan, you're obviously very happy writing." Mengzi looked up and glanced at her friend, and as expected, she was hit by her "Justice Kill" with a knife.

"Because this novel is really interesting. Although it is only two short chapters, the humorous and concise writing style, as well as the fascinating plot, are really hard to stop reading!"

The usually venomous Snake Rei said something nice for once, then scratched her head in confusion.
"But I always feel like I've seen the girl with only four fingers on her left hand in the book before."

"Is it because his personality is a bit like yours?" Kitagawa Hide, who was holding Pete for warmth and writing non-stop at the desk, suddenly interjected.

After receiving his salary and translation fees during the day, he couldn't stand the rental house without any heating equipment, so he took out some money to buy a brand new kotatsu.

1.7 yen, although it instantly consumed nearly one-third of his salary, it significantly improved the livability of the rental house.

At least we don’t have to worry about the terrible late spring cold in Tokyo in April.

It's a pity that this uninvited guest came again tonight, preventing Kitagawa Hide from happily snuggling in the kotatsu with Yumeko to enjoy their sweet world of two.

Who made this kotatsu so small?

If he also squeezed in, what if he had any physical contact with the sharp-tongued woman, Jabami Rei, wouldn't she take the opportunity to attack him in various ways?
I originally hated Jabami Rei, this sudden light bulb.

But I heard that they had to hold a study session together because of a sudden homework, and the homework was to read the opening chapter of "Hear the Wind Sing".

Kitagawa Hide's anger immediately disappeared.

It turns out that I was the mastermind behind the loss of his sweet world of two people. That’s nothing.

Hearing his words, Jaburi Li immediately got angry: "Parasite! Shut up! No one will think you are dumb if you don't speak!"

"If you hadn't bought a kotatsu today, I would have kicked you out right now!"

Jabami Rei was angry and ate another steamed bun.

After saying that, Kitagawa Hide regretted it.

Because he remembered that the previous chapters had given a detailed description of the girl's body, down to her breasts and even her private parts.

No wonder Jabami Rei was so angry. From her point of view, Kitagawa Hide was clearly veiled sexual harassment.

Kitagawa Hide decisively shut up and continued to write the sequel to "Hear the Wind Sing", "Pinball in 1973" with his fountain pen.

Although it is called a sequel, in fact the two works are not closely related, they are just both part of the "Youth Trilogy".

After get off work today, Saito Rena came to him breathlessly and gave him good news and bad news.

The good news is that the judging of the Group Portrait Newcomer Award has been brought forward. It is said that the members of the judging committee have packed up and checked into the booked hotel tonight. According to previous years' experience, the winning works will be announced in three days at the latest!
In this way, Kitagawa Hide only needs to endure "three days of merciless lashing" from readers to be completely relieved. After all, at that time, the attention of the industry and the outside world will only be on the award-winning work and its author.

Kitagawa Hide, the newcomer who was suspected of getting in through the backdoor, will no longer be mentioned.

Kitagawa Hide didn't care about it and was not at all nervous about being criticized by the industry as a "backdoor author".

He is a new generation of people from the 21st century. He does not reject "black and red". "Black and red" is also "red", which is better than being unknown and having no traffic.

And it’s hard to say whether it’s really “black and red” or “red”.

The bad news is that the judging committee has also invited many industry leaders, including the "old-fashioned professor" Osamu Takeuchi.

Kitagawa Hideya had heard of this person's deeds.

After all, he is the only literary giant who dares to publicly criticize the winner of the Akutagawa Prize.

In later times, this would be equivalent to a Peking University professor angrily criticizing the winner of the Mao Dun Literature Prize. Not only that, but he was merciless and directly called the other party, the judges, and the award a piece of shit.

After this big troll joined, Saito Rena was afraid that he would set his sights on Kitagawa Hide.

After all, she was not sure whether Kitagawa Hide's unorthodox writing style would be regarded by classical professors as a sensational act that challenged authority.

Kitagawa Hideya didn't care about this.

Same principle as above.

Instead, he felt that this might be a great opportunity. Since "Hear the Wind Sing" had already become popular, he could put the sequel on the agenda and write it first.

Even if he didn't win the award, with this kind of popularity, I'm sure that any newspaper or magazine he submitted his article to would be happy to accept it.

This is enormous wealth.

He has to catch it!

As he was thinking this, Kitagawa Hide, who was concentrating on writing, made another typo.

After reading it several times and finding it impossible to revise it, he had no choice but to cross out the wrong words and continue writing.

After writing a handwritten novel for more than a month, Kitagawa Hide sincerely admired the literary masters of that time.

This is too tiring. My hands are so sore from writing all the time. Will I get some hand and foot disease when I get old?
He decided that after receiving the new royalties, he would buy himself a typewriter first!

On the other side, after writing a long review, Yumeko began to whisper with Jabami Rei about the plot of "Hear the Wind Sing". The two of them were indeed top students in the Faculty of Literature at the University of Tokyo, and they actually guessed most of Kitagawa Hide's creative ideas.

However, like Reina Saito, they only realized that "I" and "Mouse" were the same person, and did not guess that Hatfield was fictional.

Perhaps because they were still at the most youthful age, as the two of them talked, they couldn't help but discuss the romantic elements in the story.

Although they had only read the first part, they were all convinced that this was a romance novel about youth, a rare pure literature on the market that deals with youthful love.

As they chatted, they began to discuss how many times I had been in love, how many girls I had slept with, whether there was any other follow-up with the girl with four fingers, etc.

Kitagawa Hidenori was extremely sleepy.

Since he traveled through time, the high-intensity work day and night has allowed him to develop a very healthy schedule. Under normal circumstances, he would have been lying on the sofa and sleeping soundly.

Now that he has a kotatsu, he can curl up and sleep more comfortably.

But not today.

Jabami Rei is still here, and it looks like she has no intention of leaving.

"Ah, the more I talk about it, the more I want to see it. What happened to the girl with four fingers? Was she ever with 'me'?" Perhaps because she had tacitly accepted in her mind that the girl did look a bit like herself, Jabami Rei couldn't help but become more concerned about the follow-up.

"No." Beichuan Xiu yawned and continued casually, "If I were to write it, she would definitely disappear in the vast sea of ​​people in the end, and it would have to be after she fell in love with the protagonist."

"Damn it! You know shit about novels! Shut up, you parasite!" Jabami Rei was so angry that she bared her teeth and clawed at him. Her always stable image of an iceberg cool sister collapsed in an instant.

A pillow flew towards Kitagawa Hide.

"This novel actually ends like this."

Inside a room at the New Lexi Hotel.

Takeuchi Osamu looked at the scattered manuscript papers in front of him, feeling lost.

(End of this chapter)