— — — — — —
Oikawa still chatted with Utaha every day.
But ever since that one day he posted on his feed, she hadn't sent him a single photo again.
It left him restless.
The feeling was like a kid who'd never tasted candy before suddenly being given one piece… only to have it taken away after the first bite.
At first, Oikawa thought he still had a bit of innocence left in him.
Now he admitted it. He was a complete and utter pervert.
...
Over the next few weeks, aside from tutoring Kawasaki as usual, Oikawa had basically been eating his way through life.
He'd probably already sampled half the food Chiba had to offer.
Every now and then, Zaimokuza would come over to hang out.
When the two of them got together, they mostly read novels and played games.
Oikawa's house was honestly the perfect hangout spot. All kinds of electronics and entertainment gear, more than you could ever need. Shelves packed with manga and light novels.
Still, he made sure to exercise once in a while. No way was he ending up with a body like Zaimokuza's.
And just like that, three pleasant weeks passed.
Finally, the release day for Your Lie in April had arrived.
---
August 5th. Saturday.
On this day, bookstores all across Chiba put Your Lie in April front and center.
Promotional posters were everywhere:
— A healing masterpiece you can't miss.
— A magical story that will sweep away your bad moods.
— Believe it. Love still exists in this world. Your fated encounter is just around the corner.
— Witness the rise of a seventeen-year-old novelist genius. This is his reconciliation with the world.
Outside a bookstore, Oikawa looked at the slogans, a genuine smile on his face.
Once the second volume of Your Lie in April came out, the world would learn what "deceptive storytelling" really meant.
A healing story?
More like emotional devastation.
But before that, he needed to make sure people were actually reading it.
Inside the store, there was a decent crowd.
Most of them were there for Your Lie in April. Some couldn't even wait and started reading right there on the spot.
Others flipped through a few pages and gave quick opinions,
"A healing novel, huh? That's pretty rare."
"A Dengeki Bunko grand prize winner? Should be worth something. Worst case, it's still a safe buy. I'll take it."
"Only read a few pages, but the writing's solid. Buying it."
"This feels like it could blow up. A rookie writer with this level of polish? First time I've seen that."
Seeing all this, Oikawa finally relaxed a little.
At the very least, it wasn't dead on arrival.
Of course, the first day didn't mean much. Most people were buying it because of the award.
Whether it would keep selling depended on the real thing—its quality.
Oikawa wasn't asking for much.
Three hundred thousand copies sold would be enough.
---
On a light novel forum, a post suddenly shot to the top, its replies exploding in number.
The title read: "Youth is Like Fizzy Sweet-and-Sour Soda." — The poster's username: Kuroneko.
{I just finished reading Your Lie in April, and immediately came here to write this post.}
{First of all—}
{Before reading it, I didn't have high expectations.}
{Seventeen years old. A high schooler. First book. A 'healing' story.}
{All of that made it hard for me to believe this would actually be good.}
{What does a seventeen-year-old even know about healing? (lol)}
{But after finishing it, I have to sincerely apologize to Oikawa-sensei. I judged too quickly.}
{Kousei is the kind of protagonist shaped by tragedy. He grows through loss, forced to mature after losing someone he loved.}
{Without Kaori, he might've stayed trapped in a black-and-white world forever.}
{But then she appears, and suddenly, color returns to his life. It's like how Doraemon saves Nobita. Kaori saves Kousei.}
{I'm really looking forward to what happens next.}
{I wanted to write more, but I'll avoid spoilers.}
{Guys, go buy it. Seriously. Let's get Oikawa-Sensei to release the next volume ASAP. I need it!"}
The comments below flooded in.
"Just finished it. Still craving more."
"If Kuroneko-chan recommends it, it can't be wrong. I'm buying it this afternoon."
"Who doesn't love a healing story?"
"The writing is so delicate. Hard to believe this came from a rookie author, let alone a seventeen-year-old."
"Feels like we're watching a new star rise."
…
On that day, countless readers bought Your Lie in April and quietly read it at home.
And as they turned the pages, anticipation grew.
How would Kaori Miyazono heal Kousei Arima?
And how would the author use his delicate prose to tell the rest of this beautiful story?
.
.
.