[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-literary-master-of-tokyo":3,"chapter-literary-master-of-tokyo-literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-185":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Literary Master of Tokyo",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2355034,4607,"Chapter 185: Can You Take Me as Your Disciple?","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-185",185,"\u003Cp>Upon hearing footsteps, Akiwara Yuto subconsciously raised his head and looked toward the open shoji door, but he froze the moment he saw who it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A woman with a slightly slender figure, wearing a blue bathrobe, walked in—her hair was pinned up, revealing a delicate neck and dainty ears; her features were refined, her eyes exceptionally bright, and she possessed an air of independence and self-confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto had originally intended to take his leave, but for some reason, his heart stirred, and he halted his movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman in the bathrobe walked in, frowned at the girl who had run in earlier, and said, \"Minai, there is a guest here; mind your manners.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then turned to Akiwara Yuto, bowed her head, and said, \"Hello, I am Toyama Miho. It is a pleasure to meet you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto snapped out of his daze and immediately returned the greeting: \"I am Akiwara Yuto. It is a pleasure to meet you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a moment ago, for some reason, his heart had skipped a beat—something that had never happened since he transmigrated into this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after thinking it over carefully, he felt his thoughts were highly inappropriate. If he were to like someone just from a single meeting, wouldn't that be nothing more than being led by his desires?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As of now, other than her name, he knew absolutely nothing about her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Akiwara-sensei, this is my eldest daughter, Toyama Miho,\" Toyama Shuichi said with a smile from the side, then patted the girl's head. \"And this is my daughter, Toyama Miho.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toyama Shuichi continued, \"Miho has already passed the independent admissions for the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Letters. When the cherry blossoms bloom next April, she will be moving to Tokyo to attend university and settle down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying this, he sighed faintly: \"Poor me, an old father.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad, don't I still exist?\" the 15-year-old girl said with dissatisfaction, wearing an expression of disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, yes, there's also Miho,\" Toyama Shuichi said with a smile, patting her head again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this news, Akiwara Yuto couldn't help but feel admiration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The University of Tokyo was the top institution in Japan, with a status equivalent to the elite universities back home. In his previous life, even if he had worked himself to the bone, his grades would have barely scraped the minimum cutoff for that key university.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for the memories of works from his previous life in his mind, the gap between him and her would likely be as vast as heaven and earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Toyama Miho also walked in, knelt on the tatami, and asked in a puzzled tone, \"Akiwara-sensei? May I ask if you are the author of *The Devotion of Suspect X*?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she first heard the name Akiwara Yuto, she had suspected it might just be a coincidence of names, but upon hearing her father address him as \"Sensei,\" she became 70 or 80 percent certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto nodded, candidly admitting his identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's wonderful,\" Toyama Miho smiled, a smile that made Akiwara freeze for a second once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he immediately heard her say: \"Akiwara-sensei, I am a fan of your books and really love your writing style. I have written an article myself and hope you can offer some guidance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Akiwara nodded, she stood up and left the tea room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Akiwara Yuto couldn't help but look at Toyama Shuichi, who was teasing his daughter, and cast a questioning glance at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man had introduced his daughter to him, but after she arrived, he hadn't mentioned anything about this; what was the meaning of this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A helpless expression appeared on Toyama Shuichi's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eldest daughter, Toyama Miho, had a very independent and strong-willed personality; after rejecting his suggestion that she attend Kyoto University, she had gone off on her own to take the independent entrance exam for the University of Tokyo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had said anything unnecessary in front of her just now, he probably wouldn't have looked very good right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he hoped that after Akiwara Yuto saw how excellent his daughter was, he would put in some effort himself...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the sound of footsteps in the hallway, Toyama Miho returned with a stack of papers, knelt on the tatami, and said politely, \"Akiwara-sensei, I hope you will take a look.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto hesitated for a moment but still took the manuscript.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her demeanor didn't look like that of a fan at all; rather, it felt more like a student seeking advice from a teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, if any other writer had come today, this Toyama Miho would likely have liked their work as well and asked them to critique her writing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it, since she had made the request, he would just play the role of a tool for once; it wouldn't take much time anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Toyama Shuichi suddenly coughed, then pulled his daughter Toyama Miho away, saying he wanted to see how her homework was coming along. The latter, though unwilling, was dragged away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, only Akiwara Yuto and Toyama Miho remained in the tea room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto didn't overthink it; he picked up the manuscript and felt its thickness, estimating it to be over 30 pages, roughly ten thousand words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first looked at the title and found it was called *The Deceased Mother*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Toyama Miho's nervous gaze, he turned past the title page and began to read.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The story takes place in a slum in Osaka. The police receive a report from a resident of an apartment building that a foul odor is coming from the room next door, and there is no response to knocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon receiving the report, the police rush over and have the building manager open the door. They immediately discover the corpse of an elderly person who had hanged themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The police don't think much of it; suicide cases among the elderly in Japan are endless, so it isn't worth much attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, they simply comfort the neighbor who reported it and notify the elderly person's daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But among these police officers, a rookie feels that something is not quite right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to knowledgeable people nearby, the elderly person's daughter visits and cares for her parent every so often, so why was she unaware even when the corpse had already begun to smell?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides this, a notebook was found at the scene, but other than the daughter's name, it was basically blank. However, there was a torn page in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two suspicious points keep the rookie officer conflicted. But when he reports these matters to his superior, he is told that it is clearly a suicide, so it is better to avoid unnecessary trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The new officer is indignant and decides to investigate privately. After a series of tracking and probing, he finally learns the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the daughter could no longer bear the hardship of caring for her parent, she had quietly written 'I hope you commit suicide' in that notebook. Furthermore, she had even placed the rope and other tools in a corner of the kitchen where the parent could find them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like that, in order not to be a burden to her daughter, the elderly person chose to end her own life and used the rope to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After obtaining the evidence and a confession, the new officer immediately reports this to his superior and has the daughter arrested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as the prosecutor's office prepares to indict and sentence the daughter for 'inciting suicide,' the new officer learns new information from the hospital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is, the day before the suicide, the elderly person had learned from the hospital that she was suffering from cancer. In order not to add a burden to her daughter, she had decided to end her life...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the rope she used to commit suicide was also purchased by herself, not provided by the daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by this time, the charges had already been confirmed and could not be changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The superior warns the new officer that if he dares to do anything so unnecessary again, he will be dismissed or transferred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faced with his own interests, this new officer who believed in 'justice' falls into hesitation...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the story, Akiwara Yuto felt an indescribable sensation in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rookie officer had insisted on justice at the beginning, even defying his superior, and through constant effort, had sent the person he perceived as the murderer to prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the facts he investigated were all wrong. The true reason for the elderly person's suicide was likely her own decision, not the result of the daughter's incitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by this time, the prosecutor's office had already made the corresponding judgment based on the suspect's confession provided by the new officer. If the judgment were changed, everyone, including the new officer, would have to bear significant responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, this work was less of a mystery and more of a satire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It contained the perfunctoriness of the Metropolitan Police Department, the impatience of children toward caring for their elderly parents, and the protagonist's hesitation when weighing justice for others against his own interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Akiwara Yuto had finished the work, Toyama Miho scrutinized him for a few moments and then asked cautiously, \"Akiwara-sensei, do you think this work is good enough for a debut?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto hesitated for a moment, then gave an honest reply: \"It is enough for a debut, but I think there are still some problems.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toyama Miho became serious and asked, \"Please offer your critique, Akiwara-sensei; you don't need to worry about my feelings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Akiwara Yuto nodded and began to express his views.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Regarding the protagonist, his humanity feels too abrupt, and there is a sense of inconsistency. For example, he could uphold justice at the beginning, but he hesitated when it came to his own interests, so you should add some background for him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toyama Miho nodded in confusion, waiting for Akiwara Yuto to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For instance, if the theme of this work is 'mother,' you could give the officer a background of having a mother he is very close to who is suffering from a severe illness. At the beginning, he thinks of his own mother, which is why he keeps pursuing the murderer. But in the end, he has to consider the trouble his unemployment might cause his mother, which is why he falls into hesitation. If you do that, everything becomes very logical.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toyama Miho listened very intently; after all, although her father was a professor in the Faculty of Letters, he only had a deep understanding of literary theory. His level regarding concrete literary creation was actually limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing his comments on the protagonist, Akiwara Yuto spoke about the design of the trick, pointing out that the woman's idea of letting her mother commit suicide through a diary was too abrupt and should be supplemented with a step-by-step progression. For example, the relationship between mother and daughter had always been good, the mother couldn't bear to see her daughter suffer, the mother's own background, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this way, the reader could mentally accept this trick of induced suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toyama Miho was completely convinced. She had thought that after much deliberation, this work was foolproof, but she hadn't expected so many flaws to be picked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed that compared to a famous writer like Akiwara-sensei, she was still far behind. His guidance had saved her a lot of effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, was there any way to get him to guide her more?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toyama Miho hesitated for a moment and then immediately made a decision. She knelt with her knees together, and then, under Akiwara Yuto's surprised gaze, she performed a dogeza.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Akiwara-sensei, although it is too abrupt, I would like to ask you... can you take me on as your disciple?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1982,"2026-06-21T03:58:01.347Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","9a9fec29da4cb864aaed2f46d8ca2bfe46d1799111ad0bd6d4343069d33793a6","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-186","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-184",334,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliterary-master-of-tokyo-cover.jpg"]