[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-literary-master-of-tokyo":3,"chapter-literary-master-of-tokyo-literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-52":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},2354901,4607,"Chapter 52: The","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-52",52,"\u003Cp>Should I go buy a copy of *New Novel*?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muraoka Maki thought about this question while eating dinner, a persistent itch in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since finishing the copy of *Neon Industry Review* subscribed to by her family this morning, she had been thinking about it constantly—thinking about it during morning classes, thinking about it at lunch, and still thinking about it after school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was genuinely curious about what kind of article could be praised by Mr. Miyagawa Yosuke as \"warmth in the midst of sorrow.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a high school girl, she shouldn't have cared so much, but beyond being a student, she was also a literature enthusiast; it was hard not to pay attention to excellent works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't think there was anything strange about this either; among her friends, there were even those who were \"history girls\" (girls in Neon who love history).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother, who was eating nearby, noticed her deep distraction and flicked her forehead with a finger. \"Maki, pay attention while you're eating dinner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ouch!\" Muraoka Maki covered her head and looked at her mother with some dissatisfaction, but she still obediently lowered her head and said, \"I know, I'll eat properly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought about running to the nearby bookstore to buy the book as soon as she finished eating, but just then the door chimed, a mature male voice called out \"I'm home\" from the Xuanguan, followed by the sound of footsteps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned her head and saw that her father had returned, and he seemed to be holding a book in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muraoka Maki looked closely and realized it was the very copy of *New Novel* she had been longing for; her spirits soared, and she reached out to take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her father dodged, smiling as he said, \"I know you want to read it, but eat first. Look, Mom is already unhappy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muraoka Maki looked at her mother and found her smiling \"kindly\" at her—oh no, that was a sign that a storm was about to arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She immediately behaved herself and began to eat honestly, finishing her meal in about 20 minutes before happily standing up to get the book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mother didn't object this time, only ordering, \"Don't forget to do your homework after you finish reading.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muraoka Maki said \"I know,\" and after saying \"Thank you\" to her father, she took the book back to her room, closed the door, opened the table of contents, and found the work Mr. Miyagawa Yosuke had mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was actually a bit curious; she wondered why Mr. Miyagawa Yosuke would so strongly recommend a writer—could it be his disciple?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn't impossible; after all, in the Neon literary world, there were many nepotistic ties, and many writers who seemed unrelated were often master and disciple or fellow students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, if that were truly the case, she might be greatly disappointed, as she had only wanted to read this book because of the \"highly recommended\" tag in the review.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forget it, let's not think about that for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She cast aside her wild guesses, glanced at the title *Poem of the Sun-Facing*, and began to read carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she read, she became completely immersed in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story takes place with a girl who wakes up in a warehouse, only to find herself stark naked, with a man in a doctor's coat sitting in front of her. Through their conversation, she learns she is an android created by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two leave the warehouse for a cabin at the foot of the mountain. On the way, the girl learns from the man that her purpose is to handle household chores and take care of his funeral arrangements. The man tells her, \"I don't have long to live.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl, not understanding the meaning of death, nods blankly. After this, the two begin their life in the cabin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But during their long time together, the girl learns that all humans on Earth died due to a virus, and only the man survived because he modified himself. Through their daily life together, the girl gradually understands the meaning of \"love.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the final day, the man reveals the truth that he, too, is an android, and amidst the girl's tears, he departs from this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muraoka Maki put down the magazine and lifted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn't expected to read a story like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A \"girl\" who was created, burying the one who created her, while also experiencing reflections on life and death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this what is meant by \"warmth in the midst of sorrow\"?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Muraoka Maki was teary-eyed, Uesugi Sonoko, far away at Yokohama National University, was also lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was somewhat puzzled by the style of this article.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her view, the works of Mr. Akiwara Yuto should be mixed with a glimmer of human nature amidst the horror, not a whole piece describing life and death through the eyes of a young girl like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How should she put it—this kind of article wasn't the type she liked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although this article constructed a post-apocalyptic world and used that background to express the brilliance of human nature: such as the man and the girl's appreciation and longing for life, their daily life together, and the girl's love for everything in the forest...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how to say it, this expression made her feel it was a bit \"hypocritical\" and \"contrived.\" She felt it didn't have the depth of his previous articles—which could express human nature through darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She put down the magazine in her hand and fell into silence for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sonoko-chan, aren't you the biggest fan of Mr. Akiwara's work? Why are you making such a strange face?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the voice, Uesugi Sonoko looked up and saw a girl wearing earrings; it was her good friend and roommate, Asami Yuki.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Sonoko shook her head and replied, \"Mr. Akiwara's article this time isn't the type I like; it's very different from his previous style.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asami Yuki asked in confusion, \"How much can the work of the same writer change?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hesitated, but guessed, \"Could it be that he hired a ghostwriter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uesugi Sonoko shook her head: \"Although the style is different, the writing and prose still show it's his work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see, then there's nothing to be done...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Asami Yuki sighed: \"A female singer I used to like was the same; she went from a pure, innocent style to a 'gyaru' style, and I just couldn't bring myself to like it anymore.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her friend depressed, Uesugi Sonoko comforted her: \"Maybe that singer wanted to have a breakthrough; she couldn't always be...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, she suddenly seemed to realize something, and a different thought occurred to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps Mr. Akiwara also wanted to break through himself; otherwise, if he kept following the dark route, the outside world would sooner or later question whether his talent had been exhausted...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the teacher wrote an article like this; he must have wanted to try something new!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'm sorry, I misunderstood you just now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt a bit happy, but at the same time, she had some worries: with this style of article, surely the sales of this issue of *New Novel* wouldn't be very good, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opposite her, Asami Yuki watched her expression change constantly and was speechless for a moment. *Aren't you supposed to be comforting me? How did you end up thinking about that...*\u003C\u002Fp>",1238,"2026-06-21T03:58:01.347Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","9709d2a98b3dbb721f894cd194e9030ef24737723d82081b97b11e2486a69044","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-53","literary-master-of-tokyo-chapter-51",334,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliterary-master-of-tokyo-cover.jpg"]