Chapter 25 Hikigaya's publication preparations

During the remainder of the New Year holiday, Hikigaya spent a relatively relaxed time watching TV programs with his sister, Komachi, whenever he had free time. On New Year's Eve, he called Machida Sonoko, Imamura Naho, and Arisugawa, engaging in long conversations with each of them. Regarding Yukinoshita Haruno, whom he had just met, he edited a New Year's greeting email and sent it her way, soon receiving a reply. He also got a New Year's greeting email from Orimoto Kaori. Although it was clear it was a group message, he replied with a polite short blessing.

The Hikigaya family gathered together, listening to the songs from the Red and White Songs Festival, which is broadcast every New Year's Eve. Hikigaya's extraordinary year came to a close. The next morning, the family woke up early and drove to Chiba Temple to pay their respects.

"I hope my son's book will be a big seller this year," his mother and sister wished silently in unison.

After finishing the New Year holiday in a daze, Hikigaya started working on "Malice." He hadn't felt inspired to create during the holidays, and could only get fully to work once school started again. "Malice" concerns the occurrence and investigation of a murder, with the middle third focusing on the search for and discovery of the murderer's motive. Hikigaya had completed these two parts, and now faced the shortest yet most crucial and shocking last third, where the truth is fully revealed. The writing style of this section mirrored the last two chapters of "Confessions."

While Hikigaya finished up "Malice," Sakuraba Publishing House was also completing the final touches before publishing "Confessions." A week later, on January 22, the February issue of All Readings would feature the fourth chapter of "Confessions," titled "The Seeker of Truth," and promote the release of both the single volume and paperback edition. After conducting preliminary research and gathering reader feedback during the serialization of the earlier chapters, the publishing house tentatively scheduled an initial print run of 100,000 copies of the single volume and 500,000 copies of the paperback edition.

This initial print run quantity is typically reserved for exceptionally successful works, and Sakuraba Publishing House was particularly concerned with how quickly the copies would sell out to allow for additional printing.

Before the printing began, Hikigaya Hachiman received a sample of the final edition of "Confessions." The cover design was similar to the one published by Futabasha, and Hachiman expressed great satisfaction with it.

On the weekend leading up to the publication of the fourth chapter of "Confessions," Naho Imamura returned to Chiba City with a mission and arranged to meet Hikigaya at his house. This time, her task was to conduct an exclusive interview with him. The text of the interview would be refined and released as part of the promotional strategy for the publication of the single volume of "Confessions." Naho Imamura accepted this mission without hesitation.

As a result, the meeting turned into one where Imamura brought her laptop to record the discussion, while Hikigaya played the role of narrator. After a brief exchange of greetings, the interview officially commenced.

"Mr. Hachiman, before we begin the formal interview, could you please introduce yourself to our readers?"

"Hello, readers. I am Hachiman, the author of 'Confessions.' I am fifteen years old and a real second-year junior high school student," Hikigaya said with a smile. Unfortunately, while this smile may charm Naho Imamura in front of him, it couldn't reach the general readership.

"Then, for the first question, Mr. Hachiman, what inspired you to write 'Confessions'?" 

Hikigaya took a moment to reflect on the relevant content from the book's postscript in his previous life.

"I think it has something to do with the increasing frequency of juvenile crime cases I see in the news. As a teenager myself, I struggle to understand the mentality of my peers who choose the path of crime. So, I attempted to investigate not only their mindsets but also the surrounding factors, such as their schools and parents. Ultimately, 'Confessions' was the result of that exploration."

"Mr. Hachiman, you truly are a writer with a strong sense of social responsibility, which resonates with many readers. For the second question: how would you evaluate the character of Yuko Moriguchi that you created in your book?"

"As for Ms. Moriguchi, I must express that I am firmly against using non-legal means to punish criminals. Her instinct is to combat violence with violence, which makes her the inherently evil party. Though Ms. Moriguchi is the protagonist of the book, her actions are meant to advance the plot without reflecting my personal opinions.

This kind of behavior must be dealt with at lightning speed.

Got it. Now, let's move on to the third question. Mr. Hachiman, the overall tone of the first four chapters of your book "Confessions" leans towards despair and ruthlessness. Is this tone a reflection of your own creation, or have you intentionally infused this emotional tone into the book?

Of course, I am referring solely to this book. The theme revolves around Ms. Moriguchi's quest for revenge and the endless pain it inflicts on her students and family. This suffering is not merely the result of the act of revenge itself; it is triggered by it. The deeper issues leading to the tragedy stem from family upbringing, teacher ethics, and other elements that I aim to explore. Therefore, no one in this book is redeemed, which contributes to its prevailing tone.

Okay, we look forward to your future works that may carry a more heartwarming theme. Next question...

In fact, many of the questions and answers in today's interview had been simulated in advance. Regarding "Confessions," Hikigaya has no secrets from either Imamura Naho or the entire publishing house. If not for the request of the publishing house's leaders, Hikigaya would have asked Imamura Naho to compile the interview record herself.

With the conclusion of the interview, the final preparations for the publication of "Confessions" have been announced. Next Monday, which is the day after tomorrow, "All Readings" magazine will serialize the fourth chapter of "Confessions" and initiate a large-scale promotion. The following Friday, the single volume of "Confessions" will be available in all Sakuraba bookstores, and online sales channels will open simultaneously.

However, before eagerly awaiting readers could prepare for the release of "Confessions," a significant amount of money had already been deposited into Hikigaya Hachiman's account. 

The first printing of 600,000 copies of "Confessions" was distributed among bookstores nationwide, resulting in Hikigaya Hachiman receiving approximately 45 million yen in royalties after tax. The unpaid taxes that were not deducted directly from the account amounted to 23 million yen. The distraught Hikigaya hoped that the tax department would issue him a "large taxpayer" sign to compensate for his emotional trauma.

Royalties are not influenced by the actual sales of the book since the publisher acquires the author's copyright when the book is printed and supplied to bookstores. If the book does not perform well in sales, the publisher bears the consequences. Thus, publishers conduct thorough market surveys before the first printing, and "Confessions" has given Sakuraba Publishing House a level of confidence it has not experienced in years."

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