— — — — — —
That night was torture for everyone planning to attend the signing event. Countless readers lay awake, eagerly waiting for the moment they could finally meet Copycat-sensei in person.
Online, everyone casually called him "bastard Copycat" and joked about forming a hit squad to take him out.
But internet was one thing. Reality was another.
Aside from a few people who had genuinely lost the plot, most fans knew perfectly well where to draw the line.
Talking big behind a keyboard was harmless enough. Try insulting someone to their face, though, there was every chance they'd make a legal issue out of it. In Japan, getting hauled off to the police station over something as simple as verbal abuse wasn't exactly unheard of.
...
Kentaro had booked a room at the hotel closest to Tsutaya Bookstore.
Its name was Forbidden Dream.
It sounded suspiciously like the kind of establishment that offered... extracurricular relaxation services. But in reality, it claimed to be a perfectly respectable hotel.
...Probably.
Though whether it really was respectable depended on who you asked.
_
Around ten that evening, Kentaro arrived at the front desk, pulled up his reservation on his phone, and checked in.
"Good evening, sir. Your name, please?"
"Kentaro Kotou." As he confirmed his booking, he casually looked around the lobby.
The instant he said his name, however, a burly man standing by the vending machines turned his head and stared straight at him.
Kentaro immediately noticed the scrutiny. His heart skipped a beat.
The guy looked enormous.
Broad shoulders, thick arms, the unmistakable physique of someone who spent more time lifting weights than sleeping.
"Uh... can I help you?" After several painfully awkward seconds of eye contact, Kentaro swallowed and cautiously broke the silence.
"You're Kentaro?" The man's booming voice only made him seem even more intimidating.
"...Yeah. And you are?" Kentaro tightened his grip on his backpack. He was already calculating the fastest escape route.
Then the giant suddenly broke into a grin. "So you're the group owner?"
"...Huh?" Kentaro blinked. "You are?"
"I'm Justice Bringer! From the Your Lie in April fan group!" The man strode over enthusiastically.
Kentaro searched his memory before it finally clicked.
Justice Bringer.
The first asshole who'd quit the group. The guy who'd ruined his flawless plan.
Kentaro ground his teeth.
If this idiot hadn't left, everything would've gone perfectly. He wouldn't have had to worry about making it into tomorrow's signing line, let alone spend the whole day standing in it.
Over the past few days, Kentaro had imagined all sorts of ways to get revenge the next time they met.
Embarrass him. Prank him. Beat him. Make him pay.
What he had not imagined... was that Justice Bringer was built like a professional wrestler.
Revenge? Yeah, forget that. A wise man knew when to admit defeat.
Kentaro instantly put on the friendliest smile he could manage. "So... Justice Bringer! I didn't expect to see you in Tokyo. Aren't you from Osaka?"
"Yep. Came all this way for Copycat-sensei's signing. And it's not just me. More than a dozen people from our group made the trip. We're hanging out in one of the rooms right now. Kentaro, come join us!"
Kentaro was just about to refuse. But before he could get a single word out, Justice Bringer grabbed him with one hand and effortlessly lifted him off the ground.
Seriously?!!
He wanted to resist. But his body simply wasn't qualified.
Kentaro wore the expression of a man resigned to his fate.
Just yesterday, he'd personally asked every single group member whether they were coming to the signing. Every last one of them had said no.
Some had even declared, "I'd rather eat dirt than go to Copycat's signing."
So this was how it was? Their mouths said no. Their bodies had booked train tickets.
...
..
Tokyo—
Early the next morning, Hina Ebina and Yumiko Miura took the train from Chiba.
"Hina! I told you we should've come earlier! Look at this line! We're going to be here until next year!" Yumiko stared at the endless queue stretching into the distance, her face full of despair.
She absolutely adored Your Lie in April.
To think a seventeen-year-old author could write with such delicacy, creating a story that moved people so deeply... she admired Copycat-sensei more than words could express.
She had left home at the crack of dawn for the signing event.
Compared to her, though, Hina seemed remarkably unconcerned.
"Oh, relax." Hina smiled. "It's just a signed copy of Clannad. If you can't get one, I'll ask for one on your behalf."
"...You'll ask for one?" Yumiko looked at her in confusion. "You know Copycat-sensei?"
"Nope." Hina shook her head.
"Then who are you asking?" Yumiko frowned, completely baffled.
Hina let out a playful giggle. "I don't know him. But Oikawa does. They're actually really close friends."
Yumiko blinked, "...How do you know that?"
"That's a secret." Hina's cheeks turned slightly pink.
She'd discovered it after spotting a personally autographed copy of Your Lie in April at Yui's house. It had taken a lot of questioning before Yui finally admitted where it came from.
And this questioning was top-tier fan service material. For a moment, Hina fell for Yui's breasts so hard that she forgot about the whole questioning part.
"Hina..." Yumiko narrowed her eyes. "You and Oikawa have been spending a lot of time together lately. Don't tell me you're still..."
Hina rolled her eyes before Yumiko could finish. "I already told you. The confession back then wasn't because I liked him. I just didn't want things to become awkward with Tobe and the rest of the group. And Oikawa's a pretty hot commodity, you know. Plenty of girls have their eyes on him. What chance would I have?"
Yumiko nodded in agreement, thinking it over. "Oikawa really is amazing. He's handsome, he's smart... though if we're comparing, Hayama still has him beat."
Hina narrowed her eyes at Yumiko's lovestruck expression but said nothing.
Just then, the front doors of Tsutaya Bookstore swung open, and a blond man stepped outside. "Attention, everyone! Copycat-sensei's signing event will begin shortly. I'm Chris Yamada, the editor in charge from Full-Drive Bunko. Before we start, there are a few important rules I need everyone to follow."
"First, no dangerous items of any kind are permitted. Tsutaya Bookstore is directly connected to the emergency response system. If anything happens, the police can be here within a minute."
"Second, please enter in an orderly manner. Any disruptive or uncivilized behavior will not be tolerated."
"Book sales will begin in three minutes. Thank you for your cooperation."
The moment Chris finished speaking, the crowd exploded into deafening cheers and chants.
Even Hina found herself swept up in the excitement, her heart racing as the energy of the crowd became contagious.
It almost felt like being at a rock concert.
Then something caught her eye. A figure not far ahead looked strangely familiar.
'Wait... is that... Yukino?'
Hina blinked in confusion and tapped Yumiko's shoulder. "Yumiko... doesn't that person up ahead look like Yukino?"
"Who?" Yumiko frowned, scanning the crowd.
"There!" Hina quickly pointed ahead. "The one in the white coat wearing a face mask."
"Huh? I don't see anyone." Yumiko searched in the direction Hina pointed but couldn't spot anyone matching the description.
By the time Hina looked again herself, the figure had vanished.
'Did I imagine it?' She frowned. 'Yukino doesn't seem like the type who'd come somewhere this loud...'
The line slowly shuffled forward. Before long, Hina stopped thinking about it and simply waited her turn.
...
..
Even after stepping inside Tsutaya Bookstore, Oikawa Toru still found the whole situation surreal.
It had all started with the release of Your Lie in April.
Then it broke one hundred thousand copies. Then five hundred thousand. Then a million.
And now, Clannad hadn't even officially gone on sale yet, but nearly three hundred thousand copies had already been sold.
Granted, those were advance orders placed by bookstores. Still, convincing that many retailers a book was going to be a bestseller before readers had even touched it... that was a feat in itself.
Inside the signing room Tsutaya had prepared, Oikawa looked around the enclosed space and shook his head with a wry smile.
"They're really that worried someone's going to stab me."
The bodyguards stationed around the room all wore grim expressions, looking as though they were preparing for a battlefield.
Their tension was contagious.
Even Oikawa found himself getting a little nervous.
A long table covered with a crisp white cloth sat in the center of the room. On top were several fountain pens for signing books, along with a few decorative acrylic stands featuring Clannad's characters.
A thoughtful touch.
Oikawa adjusted his chair, took a deep breath, and glanced at his phone.
The bookstore would open at eight. While the signing itself wasn't scheduled to begin until eight twenty.
There were still more than twenty minutes to go.
Just then, a LINE notification popped up. It was from Utaha Kasumigaoka.
『Utaha』: Senpai, good luck! I'm sure Clannad will outsell Your Lie in April.
Oikawa smiled.
『Oikawa』: And if it doesn't? Think my adorable kouhai would be willing to keep me warm with that gorgeous body of hers this winter?
A reply came almost instantly.
『Utaha』: Who knows? Maybe if Senpai says enough nice things, I might actually do something.
Oikawa's eyes lit up.
'There's hope.'
'Yukino's birthday party tomorrow? I can totally skip that.'
Having made up his mind, he sent one last message.
『Oikawa』: Then get yourself ready tomorrow. I've got a silver tongue. If you don't believe me, you can test it yourself.
With a grin, Oikawa put away his phone and leaned back, intending to rest his eyes.
...
A few moments later... Eight o'clock arrived.
Then, from somewhere beyond the signing room, an earth-shaking roar erupted from inside Tsutaya Bookstore.
"Copycat-sensei!"
"Bastard Copycat!"
It sounded like a tidal wave crashing through the building, as though the entire bookstore might collapse under the fans' deafening cheers.
"Um..." The corner of Oikawa's mouth twitched.
Seriously? There's actually a whole group shouting "Bastard Copycat"?
Being called that to his face wasn't exactly pleasant. Still... his heart was pounding. This was the first time he'd ever faced a crowd of this size.
If he claimed he wasn't nervous, he'd be lying.
But this was part of becoming famous.
Fortunately, Oikawa was good at adapting. After a few deep breaths, his anxiety gradually gave way to excitement.
Following the chaos of the book sales, his first fan was finally ushered into the signing room.
An old acquaintance. Kentaro.
'This guy really is a fanatic...'
"Copycat-sensei, I absolutely love your books, especially Your Lie in April. Kaori was such an incredible character. I'll always support you! Oh, and a friend wanted me to ask... Is Clannad heartwarming... or soul-crushing?"
Kentaro completely failed to notice the amused look in Oikawa's eyes.
Taking the copy of Clannad, Oikawa uncapped his pen and smiled while signing. "Hmm... I seem to remember you calling me 'bastard,' 'liar,' and all sorts of other names in your group chat. You even came up with strategies specifically to deal with me."
"I didn't! Never happened!" Kentaro denied it with remarkable confidence.
Oikawa extended a hand toward him with a grin that was just a little too friendly. "Thanks for pretending to be my biggest hater all this time, Kentaro. I hope you'll keep it up."
"Y-You've got the wrong person, Copycat-sensei! Goodbye!" Noticing the intimidating stares from the nearby bodyguards, Kentaro snatched up his signed book and bolted.
He didn't slow down until he was safely outside Tsutaya.
"Heh. Copycat, you mutt." He muttered the insult under his breath before opening the book.
Besides Oikawa's signature, there was a handwritten message: {To my very first friend. Thank you for always supporting me. I hope every day of your future is filled with happiness.}
Kentaro froze. Then a broad, genuine smile spread across his face.
Apart from Kentaro, Oikawa recognized only a handful of familiar faces from the fan group.
For them, he wrote personalized messages and chatted briefly.
As for everyone else... most of the time, he could only sign books.
Unless someone asked him a question directly, the process became almost mechanical.
He couldn't help it. There were only so many hours in the day. He wanted as many people as possible to leave with a signed copy.
Some fans also asked to take photos with him. But he politely declined every request. He had no intention of letting fame intrude too deeply into his private life.
And before he knew it, more than two hours had passed.
Oikawa's signing hand was beginning to cramp. And quite a few readers had come carrying emotional baggage.
Luckily, nobody actually tried to stab him...
But plenty of fans glared at him with righteous fury.
"Why did you kill Kaori? Weren't you the one who said Your Lie in April was supposed to be healing?!"
"If you're a man, come out and fight me one-on-one! I'll personally teach you just how much emotional damage Kaori's death did to me!"
This was where the bodyguards finally earned their pay.
Chris Yamada even came over and quietly asked if Oikawa wanted to take a break.
A break? No way.
This? Compared to the internet? The abuse barely even registered.
After all, anyone who'd survived the comment wars online had built up a pretty thick skin. So the signing continued.
Then another fan stepped into the room. She wore a white coat and a face mask.
"Copycat-sensei. Could you write, 'To Oikawa Toru' in the inscription?"
Oikawa paused. He looked up and met a pair of familiar eyes.
He coughed awkwardly. "Of course."
As he signed the book, he asked with a perfectly straight face, "So... is this Oikawa your boyfriend? I'm honestly jealous. A beautiful girl like you dating him... that guy must be the luckiest man alive. How about dumping him and giving me a chance instead?"
The bodyguards standing nearby exchanged bewildered glances.
Still, years of professional training kept their expressions perfectly composed.
The girl in white blushed faintly before shooting Oikawa a fierce glare. "Heh. Someone sure has a lot of nerve. Wasn't a certain someone insisting all this time that he wasn't Copycat-sensei? Or are there two identical idiots running around this world?"
The bodyguards finally pieced things together.
A few couldn't help the corners of their mouths from lifting into faint smiles.
Oikawa looked thoroughly embarrassed.
Lowering his voice, he whispered, "We'll talk after this. I even got you a birthday present. So please... let me keep a little dignity in front of everyone."
"Hmph." Yukino shot him one last glare before turning to leave.
.
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