Get on the train at the nearest subway station, take the Marunouchi Line for four stops, then transfer to the Shinjuku Line. Get off at Jimbocho Station four stops later and walk 300 meters south to see the headquarters of Shogakukan Co., Ltd., the famous Shogakukan Building.
The building was completed in 1967. Due to the great success of the manga "Q-taro the Kid" published by Shogakukan at that time, the building was affectionately called the "Q-taro the Kid" by comic fans.
After entering the building and explaining my purpose, Kaito was assigned to do a submission review and registration. The person in charge was a female employee named Kitahara Eri, who, judging by her age, should have just graduated from college.
"Kaito-san, your picture book 'Crocodile is Afraid of the Dentist' has been reviewed and meets the submission requirements for this competition."
"Thank you Kitahara-san."
Kaito was not surprised that the review was passed. After all, the picture book he chose was the work of Taro Gomi, an internationally renowned picture book master who later became famous. With the goal of winning an award, how could it not even pass the review?
In his previous life, when he had just graduated and was staying at his sister's house, the most common gift he gave to his little niece was picture books. The book "Crocodile is Afraid of the Dentist" left the deepest impression on him.
The picture book tells the story of a crocodile who is afraid of going to the dentist and a dentist who is afraid of treating the crocodile's teeth, and how they work together despite their fears and finally solve the crocodile's tooth decay.
The story is simple and full of childish fun, and it can also cultivate children's good habit of brushing their teeth. He remembered that his little niece, who never liked brushing her teeth, actually took the initiative to brush her teeth after reading the picture book.
In addition to considering whether the story of the picture book was good enough, the main reason was that he discovered that there was a familiar name on the list of judges for the picture book competition, Taro Gomi.
Is it necessary to consider using my own work to please the public?
After the review was announced, Kitahara Eri began the next step of registering the submission information.
"Kaito-san, are you using your real name or a pen name?"
"My real name."
"What's the contact information?"
Kaito didn't have a pager, so he gave his apartment phone number, "******"
"Excuse me, where are you from, Kaito-san?"
"Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture."
"So Kaito-san is from Sendai City. Who are your family members?"
"Besides my parents, I have a younger brother and a younger sister."
"Do you like baseball, Kaito-san? Have you been following the baseball heroes serialized by our publisher?"
"Excuse me, I like football."
"The clothes you're wearing look very special, Kaito-san. Where did you buy them?"
Upon hearing this, Kaito looked down.
The slightly loose white T-shirt and the tapered overalls on the legs were all bought at street stalls in Shinjuku and then altered by a seamstress in the apartment. The only shoes are the original Vans SK8-Hi high-top skateboard shoes.
Fashion in Japan developed rapidly in this era, but looking back from the perspective of forty years later, most of the clothes were still very tacky. He liked to modify old clothes in his previous life, so he simply DIYed them and made them look more special.
"Hey, isn't this registration information? Why are you suddenly asking about clothes?"
Kaito finally realized that the previous questions seemed to have nothing to do with the submission. Why did it feel like a blind date in the previous life?
On the other side, Kitahara blushed slightly. Looking at Kaito's haggard, handsome face, she couldn't control herself for a moment and couldn't help wanting to know more.
Realizing that Kaito had noticed, Kitahara quickly put away her thoughts and spoke first, "Kaito-san, the registration has been completed. Please wait patiently. The results of the competition will be announced on the Bunyun Post in a week."
Kaito had already guessed what the girl was thinking, but he didn't point it out. He said politely, "Thank you, Kitahara-san. I'll leave first."
Kaito's attitude made Kitahara Eri unable to help but have some thoughts, so she tried to invite him, "Kaito-san, it's lunchtime. Can we have lunch together?"
Alas, being too charming is not a good thing. Every girl would want his body. He had received confessions from many female students in the training room before, and he didn't expect that he would still not be able to escape even after submitting an article.
Kaito sighed inwardly.
Unfortunately, the other person was not his type, and he hadn't slept for two days and one night, so he just wanted to go home and sleep, so he politely refused.
"Sorry, I have other things to do this afternoon."
"Okay, then let me take Kaito-san downstairs."
Although she was a little disappointed to be rejected, Kitahara still had to show due courtesy.
After being sent to the door of the first floor, Kaito pushed the door open and prepared to leave.
"Please make way!"
But at this moment, accompanied by the sound, a figure rushed into the building quickly and bumped into him directly.
He was already feeling a little dizzy from exhaustion, and after being bumped into, he immediately sat down on the ground.
He looked outside and found that since some time ago, a large group of people had gathered outside the Shogakukan building. There were reporters with cameras and ordinary people with excited expressions, all rushing towards the gate.
Looking towards the door again, he found that the person who bumped into him was a girl. She had round eyes and a cute face with baby fat.
Why does it look familiar?
Hey! Isn't this the popular Japanese idol Seiko Matsuda? She is the hottest topic in the media because of her recent romance with Hiromi Go.
Just when Kaito recognized Matsuda Seiko, Matsuda Seiko, who realized that she had bumped into someone, also walked up to Kaito.
Seiko came to Shogakukan to collaborate on the release of a photo album. After her itinerary was exposed, she was surrounded by the media and fans. She finally rushed into the building under the protection of the staff but accidentally bumped into someone.
Out of politeness and her idol image, she bowed and apologized sincerely, and also used a sweet smile as her trump card.
"Excuse me, I am very sorry for bumping into you in my haste to avoid reporters and fans."
If a Seiko fan was treated like this, he or she would not blame Seiko for bumping into others. Instead, he or she would probably reflect on himself or herself on the spot and ask why he or she did not pay attention and stand in front of the idol.
But Kaito is not a fan of the other party, and he also understands that given the other party's popularity, he has no right to get involved.
He hasn't forgotten that he is still an idol who has not officially announced his retirement. Even though he has never been popular, the media will not treat him as an amateur.
There are so many cameras outside; if he is photographed with Seiko Matsuda, the gossip headlines tomorrow might be, "Unknown idol interferes with the relationship between Seiko Matsuda and Hiromi Go!"
By then, there will be no hope of living a peaceful life.
So when Matsuda Seiko apologized, he quickly stood up and said, "It's okay, I'm fine."
As he spoke, he took a few steps back, staying far away from the popular idol in front of him.
When apologizing, Seiko had already anticipated various reactions from the other party. Accepting the apology was certain, and she might even gain a loyal fan because of her kindness and sincerity.
But Kaito's reaction was completely beyond Seiko's expectations. She even forgot to maintain the formal sweet smile on her face.
Ever since she became famous, both fans and reporters have been extremely enthusiastic towards her. This kind of reaction, as if they had seen a ghost, was the first time she had ever encountered such a reaction.