CHAPTER 1. * MY FAVOURITE E-NOVEL*
Putting on his thick, cozy winter coat with a fluffy hood, Takeru walked excitedly to the book stall located at the corner of the bustling shopping district in the snowy town of Sakura-machi.
Today was the day he'd been waiting for—the first edition of his favorite Japanese author, Kiyoshi Nakahara, was going to be released.
He had followed this author's works since middle school, devouring his books online through the author's popular web novel series.
So he wanted to be first in the queue to get his hands on the physical copy of "Kaze no Kokuoro" series, a fantasy epic that had captured his heart.
It was cold, and a brisk winter breeze rustled the decorations on the stalls as pedestrians hurried past, bundling up against the chill.
But that didn't stop Takeru anyway; his excitement kept him warm.
As he walked briskly, crunching through the thin layer of fresh snow on the sidewalk, his phone buzzed in his coat pocket.
He pulled it out to see a message from his mother, Chiaki.
"Buy groceries on your way back Takeru."
Takeru rolled his eyes good-naturedly.
Before he was leaving the house, his mother had given him an earful, saying that there was a big snowstorm forecast for later and that he shouldn't go out.
But after persistently requesting, his mother allowed him to go only on one condition: he had to use his own money.
Of course, he took his savings from his part-time job at the local café and left.
He'd been saving up for this book for weeks.
Finally, he arrived at the book stall, festively decorated with paper lanterns and banners advertising the release of "Kaze no Kokuoro".
And unfortunately, it was packed with fans like him, all clamoring to get their copies.
He struggled through the throng of customers before he managed to squeeze himself to the front and stand in front of the cashier.
The cashier was a friendly woman named Haruka, who recognized him as a regular customer.
"Kon'nichiwa, Takeru-kun," Haruka said with a smile, greeting him. "Welcome!"
"Kon'nichiwa," Takeru replied, trying to contain his excitement. "One Kaze no Kokuoro series please."
Haruka, whose gloomy face often reflected the serious nature of bookkeeping, lit up with a smile upon hearing Takeru words. "That would be 1000 yen, I saved this especially for you," she said with a wink.
Takeru happily handed over his money, smiled at Haruka, and excitedly took the book.
The cover was glossy and had a special foil stamp marking it as a first edition.
"Arigatou gozaimasu," Takeru said, thanking her.
"I knew you loved it, have a nice day," Haruka said, and Takeru nodded enthusiastically.
Although the book was a bit expensive for a high school student like him, knowing it was written by his favorite manga artist-turned-novelist, Kiyoshi Nakahara, didn't make him feel the burden.
He had more savings than he could count from his diligent part-time work.
Takeru clutched the book tightly to his chest, grinning from ear to ear amidst the cold, snowy day, already flipping through the pages to catch glimpses of the story he loved.
Takeru clutched the book tightly to his chest, grinning from ear to ear amidst the cold, snowy day, already flipping through the pages to catch glimpses of the story he loved.
The snowflakes danced around him as he stood outside the book stall, the paper lanterns swaying gently in the breeze.
He took a deep breath of the crisp winter air, feeling the excitement bubbling inside him.
After a minute of page-flipping, Takeru looked up and realized he needed to head back home soon.
His mother had reminded him to buy groceries on his way back.
He glanced at the sky; the clouds were getting darker, and the wind was picking up, hinting at the snowstorm forecast for later.
"I'd better get going," he muttered to himself.
Takeru turned to Haruka, who was now tidying up the book stall amidst the decreasing crowd.
"Arigatou again for saving this for me," he said with a smile.
Haruka smiled back.
"Yokoso. Enjoy reading, Takeru-kun. And be careful on your way home with the snow coming down."
Takeru nodded, tucking the book securely into his coat to protect it from the snow.
He waved goodbye to Haruka and headed towards the grocery store his mother had mentioned.
The snow was starting to fall thicker now, big fluffy flakes drifting down to blanket the town in white.
As he walked into the grocery store, the warmth enveloped him along with the bustle of shoppers stocking up for the storm.
Takeru grabbed a basket and quickly picked up the items his mother had asked for—bread, milk, and some vegetables.
He paid at the counter and headed out into the snow again, his boots crunching into the accumulating snow.
The wind was getting stronger now, whipping the snow into swirling patterns.
Takeru trudged on, book safely tucked away, groceries in a bag swinging at his side.
He thought about getting home, curling up with his new book "Kaze no Kokuoro", and reading while the snowstorm raged outside.
As he turned into his street, the houses looked cozy with lights twinkling in the gathering dusk and snow piling up on roofs.
Takeru quickened his pace, looking forward to being home.