Chapter 12 Yukinoshita Haruno is curious

Chiba City: The Snow House

The Yukinoshita family is one of the traditional wealthy families in Chiba Prefecture. Like many affluent families in Japan, they have always sought influence in both political and business circles. The current representative of the Yukinoshita family is Mr. Yukinoshita, who serves as a councilor for Chiba County. However, he is the son-in-law of the Yukinoshita family. Consequently, many outsiders believe that the actual head of the family is Mrs. Yukinoshita, who oversees the family's existing businesses.

This perception is accurate. Mrs. Yukinoshita's control over the family is unparalleled. She embodies many of the characteristics often attributed to hostesses of wealthy Japanese families: she wears a kimono, has a cold demeanor, is decisive, and can be intimidating without raising her voice.

The story of Mrs. and Mr. Yukinoshita resembles a fairy tale: a delinquent boy from an ordinary background who skipped classes to smoke and play mahjong falls in love with a girl from a wealthy family. Under the watchful eye and discipline of his strict girlfriend, Mr. Yukinoshita turned his life around and even quit smoking. He eventually earned the approval of the former head of the Yukinoshita family and became a son-in-law.

However, despite having experienced a beautiful love story, Mrs. Yukinoshita would never allow her two daughters to follow their hearts as she did. Often, people end up becoming what they once despised. As Mrs. Yukinoshita rose to a position of power, she recognized that the political marriages she once abhorred were, in fact, an effective means of ensuring the continued prosperity of the Yukinoshita family.

Both of her daughters inherited her striking looks. The younger daughter, Yukinoshita Yukino, has a cold personality and is currently studying abroad, so her story will be set aside for now. The elder daughter, Yukinoshita Haruno, is a sophomore at Chiba City Sobu High School. She has grown up under Mrs. Yukinoshita's strict guidance and holds her in high respect. At 17, Haruno is already working hard to prepare herself to eventually lead the Yukinoshita family.

Mrs. Yukinoshita is strict in raising her daughters but does not prohibit them from pursuing interests that enrich their bodies and minds. Reading is fundamental in their household, and the Yukinoshita family has a long-standing tradition of reading. Every day, a variety of newspapers are delivered to their mailbox, along with numerous weekly and monthly magazines.

While Yukinoshita Haruno does not exclusively read any specific magazine, she enjoys reading widely. She subscribes to everything from "Weekly Shonen Jump," a popular comic magazine among teenagers, to "Literary World," a serious literary publication. On a brand-new Monday morning, after bidding farewell to her parents and preparing to go to school, Haruno casually took out the November issue of "All Readings," which had just arrived that day, intending to flip through it during her ride to school.

"By the way, the works of the All Readings Newcomer Award are published in this issue," she noted.

Haruno glanced at the promotion on the cover and turned directly to the newcomer appreciation column. 

"The 15-year-old genius writer Hachiman suddenly emerged! He has broken the previous record for the youngest new writer!" the text exclaimed. "His award-winning work received unanimous praise from all five judges!" "The mystery novel giant Arisugawa praised Hachiman, stating: 'This is the future of Japanese mystery novels!'"

Haruno felt a moment of confusion at the bold slogans. In her view, "All Readings," being a popular literary magazine, rarely promoted itself in such an exaggerated manner, akin to light novels or comic books.

"Fifteen years old?" Haruno thought in disbelief. That age corresponds to the second or third year of junior high school, the same age as her beloved sister Yukino. Yet this "Hachiman" had already won the "All Readings" Newcomer Award and garnered acclaim from literary masters.

"All Readings" magazine is somewhat exaggerated; most of the content consists of the original words of the judges for the Newcomer Award. These well-known writers in Japan would not compromise their integrity for the sake of publicity. Haruno increasingly felt that this year's winning works must be extraordinary. Just then, the car arrived at the school gate. Haruno placed the magazine into her schoolbag and got out of the car. As the student council president of Sobu High School, she knew that carrying magazines into the school could create a negative impression.

"I will be very busy today. I hope I can find time to read 'Confession,'" she thought. 

Seeing several student council members approaching her, Haruno sighed. 

It was noon, and Haruno usually used the student council office for her lunch break, a practice no one objected to. She decided to use this quiet time to read.

"Confessions" Chapter 1: Clergy 

"There are many cases in this world where people have completely different views on the same thing due to varying perspectives."

This was the first sentence that caught Haruno's attention. It was a simple and straightforward truth. She believed the content of the novel might be a specific exploration of this idea.

Time always flew by when she read. About forty minutes passed before Haruno lifted her head, a complex expression on her face. 

"This Hachiman is incredible..." 

Haruno was so shocked that she found herself at a loss for words. The shocking foreshadowing of Moriguchi's revelation about his lover having AIDS, coupled with a keen analysis of social issues like juvenile delinquency and the misleading guidance of the media, showcased the author's strong writing skills.

She was confident that the magazine wouldn't produce false hype, which only deepened her curiosity about this talented writer who was the same age as her sister. While she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to learn about Mr. Hachiman, she felt an inexplicable desire to know more.

For the average reader, finding out about an author typically means accessing public information, but Haruno was not an ordinary reader, and the Yukinoshita family was not an ordinary family. She believed she could certainly find a way to learn more.

"The editor of All Readings magazine? I don't think I know him, but I have a classmate at Sakuraba Publishing House; he might have some information," she suggested.

That evening, at the Yukinoshita family home, Mr. Yukinoshita pondered his eldest daughter's request. He didn't question why Haruno wanted to know about a junior high school writer, trusting that her intentions were honorable.

"I did ask, Haruno. My friend mentioned that the publishing house keeps specific information about Mr. Hachiman confidential. However, his colleague did sign a contract with Mr. Hachiman last week, and the business trip was to Chiba City."

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