Chapter 543: For the sake of the academic world's face, I won't answer!

Keio University, which has the reputation of being the number one private university in Asia in the future, is a private university founded by Otake Yuji Fukuzawa.

Naoki Nagayama walked on this campus full of Western aesthetics, accompanied by Kuniharu Morikawa of Shogakukan, admiring the European-style red and white mansion not far away...

"This is the university that a certain bottom-tier gal is desperately trying to get into!"

Kuniharu Morikawa beside him had a face full of question marks: "What is Naoki-san saying?"

"Hahaha, someone I know." Naoki Nagayama laughed it off, and then the two stood in front of a statue, "This is the statue of Otake Yuji Fukuzawa~"

After Otake Yuji Fukuzawa's portrait is printed on banknotes this November, he will become the Otake Yuji Fukuzawa that everyone likes!

Skipping it, Naoki Nagayama continued to follow Kuniharu Morikawa to the venue where the book signing was held.

Finally, they stopped in front of a teaching building. At the entrance, there was a stand-up poster for Naoki Nagayama's book signing, with the titles of best-selling author and Naoki Prize winner, as well as photos of books such as *Xia Zhiting*, *Love Letter*, and *Koizora*...

"Naoki-san, today's book signing is here!" Kuniharu Morikawa led Naoki Nagayama inside, "Basically, Keio university students are here today, and there are also some people who came from other places..."

Naoki Nagayama nodded in agreement. Although the ordinary book signing had turned into a forum lecture, which made him a bit uncomfortable, they had already prepared an interview outline, so there shouldn't be any problems~

It definitely won't be a problem!

The space in the auditorium was very large. On the podium in front, besides the moderator's lectern, there were several chairs and a coffee table, making it look like a tea party.

Naoki Nagayama was originally going to the backstage to chat with the guests and the moderator who were going to be interviewed today, but he actually saw a familiar figure backstage...

"Haruki-san?" Naoki Nagayama shouted in surprise, "Why are you here?"

A smile appeared on Haruki Murakami's face: "Because I saw Naoki-san's book signing, so I came to take a look~"

Haruki Murakami had started traveling everywhere in the past two years and wanted to go to the United States this year, but he came to Tokyo this time for some publishing matters.

Having met his pen pal, Naoki Nagayama was still very happy. Haruki Murakami was a lonely guy who didn't like lively parties, but he would also chat with friends.

The two chatted happily about their recent situations. Haruki Murakami was very curious about the history and culture of various countries, and Naoki Nagayama happened to know a little bit about everything. And Naoki Nagayama admired Haruki Murakami's deep understanding of literature very much.

Upon learning that Haruki Murakami was going to live in the United States this summer, Naoki Nagayama sighed: "Haruki-san's life is really carefree~"

"Isn't Naoki-san's life also very exciting?" Haruki Murakami also paid attention to Naoki Nagayama's news, "Getting more and more famous~"

"It's just that I always feel like it's a busy life." Naoki Nagayama shook his head. In fact, since the second half of last year, he seemed to have started to become busy... Why exactly...

Ah! It's because I have a girlfriend...

Shaking his head, he threw this strange thought out of his mind. Naoki Nagayama smiled, "Haruki-san, if you go to the United States, are you going to New York?"

"Actually, I don't really want to go to that kind of international city. I want to learn more about the local customs of the United States." Haruki Murakami said so.

"It's really enviable~"

Just at this time, Kuniharu Morikawa walked over and said: "Naoki-san, the book signing is about to start."

"Hai!" After Naoki Nagayama agreed, he looked at Haruki Murakami, "Haruki-san, together?"

"I'll just be down there~" Haruki Murakami just came to see a friend. He followed his interest and left satisfied; that was his attitude, and he didn't mean to go on stage.

"That's good, let's go for a drink after the book signing ends~"

"Haha, okay~"

The auditorium was already a bustling crowd, and of course, they were basically young people.

Under the introduction of the moderator, Naoki Nagayama walked out from behind the scenes, and then ushered in a burst of cheers: "Fujii Itsuki! Fujii Itsuki! Fujii Itsuki... Itsuki-chan, I like you!"

"..."

Naoki Nagayama's forehead started to sweat. He forgot the fact that he was still a star. Besides book fans, there were also movie fans...

What should he do? Naoki Nagayama could only wave at that side, which caused another burst of exclamation...

Naoki Nagayama seemed to see his fan group, Yona Kono, Shoko Fukumoto, and Akiko Tsukada, these familiar figures. Looking at the support group surrounding them, the scale had really expanded a lot!

"Hahaha, Naoki-san's fans are really enthusiastic! But let's calm down first and let Naoki-san go to his seat..."

The moderator tried hard to control the atmosphere of the scene, and it was only with great difficulty that the book signing returned to the right track.

Naoki Nagayama, sitting in the seat, looked at the guests beside him, feeling a bit embarrassed... because he was busy chatting with his best friend just now, so he didn't have time to communicate with the female guest.

But this short-haired female guest had a cold face, and the one beside her, why was her face so serious... Why did it feel like she had a big opinion of him? Was it just because he didn't say hello backstage? She wouldn't be so petty, would she?

"Naoki-san is a writer who became famous at a young age, and currently has three well-known best-selling novels: *Xia Zhiting*, *Love Letter*, and *Koizora*..."

"Now, let's invite Naoki-san to say a few words~"

Naoki Nagayama took the microphone and started to say some scene words:

"Thank you all for coming to my book signing today... I am very flattered that everyone likes my novels..."

"*Koizora* is actually carrying some of my fantasies about the future..."

Naoki Nagayama first thanked everyone for coming, and then briefly talked about the creative ideas of the novel... Then, after Naoki Nagayama finished speaking, the moderator immediately started the follow-up questions.

"Naoki-san basically publishes a novel a year, which can be said to be very fast~" The moderator turned to the guest beside him, "May I ask Teacher Yuru Hirayama, you have also published more than a dozen books, may I ask if you can write a book a year?"

"..." Yuru Hirayama seemed to look at the moderator very unhappily, "My books are professional books, all of which require long-term preparation and detailed data collection..."

"..." The moderator choked for a moment, feeling if he had said something wrong, and could only laugh it off, "Hahaha, writing books is really hard~"

Then he turned to Naoki Nagayama again: "Naoki-san, the recent movie *Love Letter* is very popular. It is adapted from your novel *Love Letter*, right? You are also the director and lead actor..."

"... Yes."

"Then may I ask if *Xia Zhiting* and *Koizora* will also be adapted?" The moderator added, "Will you be the director... or will you star in it?"

Naoki Nagayama smiled: "Probably... but the director might not be me, and the lead actor... I guess it won't be me either."

The moderator was curious: "Eh? Why is that?"

"Haha, because the copyright has been sold... sold to Toho~"

"..." The moderator paused, "Ah... so that's it."

"Actually, the copyright of both books has been sold~~ This is a big profit!" The moderator turned to Yuru Hirayama, "Teacher Yuru Hirayama, have your books ever sold copyright?"

Naoki Nagayama confirmed this time that this moderator might have bad intentions.

"This..." However, Yuru Hirayama still picked up the microphone, "For the sake of the academic world's face, I won't answer this question~"

The students in the audience burst into laughter~

The moderator handed the microphone to the guest: "Then Teacher Yuru Hirayama, what do you want to say to Naoki-san?"

Yuru Hirayama first chatted with Naoki Nagayama about the creative techniques of the novel according to the prepared discussion outline, and then talked about the trend of best-selling novels now.

"Naoki-san, what do you think the mainstream direction of novels will be in the future?"

Naoki Nagayama didn't reply immediately, but asked: "Teacher Hirayama, do you know Shueisha Bunko?"

"I've heard of it... It's a story collection with illustrations, right?"

"Hai, light novels." Naoki Nagayama said, "I think this kind of 'novel that can be read easily' will definitely be read by more people in the future. This kind of entertaining popular literature and popular literature will be loved by the vast number of young people and teenagers."

Yuru Hirayama asked: "Do you mean that people like to read this kind of picture book novel?"

"Hahaha, perhaps in Teacher Hirayama's eyes, this is just a picture book for children, but after the current young people grow up, their reading habits will not change much." Naoki Nagayama smiled, "Currently, it is mainly youth romance novels, but in the future, light novels will definitely accommodate more types, such as mystery novels, suspense novels, fantasy novels, and even science fiction..."

"Light novels will definitely become a popular trend among young people~"

"Really? I don't believe it..."

Yuru Hirayama revealed an expression like an emoji and blurted out.

Naoki Nagayama scratched his head: "This... I'm only 20-something, this is just my shallow opinion, everyone can just laugh it off after listening~"

Seeming to want to hit Naoki Nagayama, Yuru Hirayama looked at Naoki Nagayama:

"Naoki-san, although you are very young, starting three years ago, you have published a best-selling novel every year and soon won the top literary award—the Naoki Prize. Do you think this is your peak?"

Naoki Nagayama thought about it. Her question didn't seem to have a trap...

"This... I hope not~" Naoki Nagayama said, "I still hope to continue to provide more novels to everyone."

Yuru Hirayama continued: "What if your thinking dries up?"

"..." Naoki Nagayama was speechless, "This, I haven't thought about it yet."

"How about, think about it now?"

"..."

Naoki Nagayama smiled helplessly, "Then... after the literary thinking dries up, I should become an outdated author~"

"Just like an outdated idol star or something."

Talking to this guest is a bit tiring~

The moderator seemed to have discovered the gunpowder smell on the stage at this time: "Haha, speaking of which, Naoki-san is indeed an idol and a star!"

Then he immediately turned to the audience: "Audience in the audience, what do you want to ask?"

The moderator quickly found a student who raised his hand. The girl took the microphone and took a deep breath:

"Naoki-san, I like you!!!"

The sound shook the whole venue, and even the teaching building seemed to shake for a while.

Other students burst into laughter, and even the moderator was caught off guard. Naoki Nagayama could only thank him repeatedly: "Arigato... Thank you for your liking, I will work harder~"

When the girl wanted to say something like "I want to marry you and have children for you," the book signing assistant used all his strength to grab the microphone back.

The moderator had to urge again: "Please ask serious questions for the next audience... Don't say anything messy and irrelevant."

However, for the next questions, the assistant would go directly to hold the microphone with his hand...

Another girl: "May I ask Naoki-san, the two novels *Love Letter* and *Koizora* coincidentally imply secret love in school life... May I ask if it is based on Naoki-san's life? In Naoki-san's student career, is there such a person?"

Finally returning to the field he was good at, Naoki Nagayama smiled and said: "Yes, the person I secretly loved is Momoe Yamaguchi..."

"Click," the photographer at the scene also happened to capture the picture of Naoki Nagayama speaking.

"Roar roar roar~" The audience in the audience booed.

"It's a pity that Momoe-san is already married~ There is no chance~"

The subsequent questions were more about personal aspects, such as whether he is currently in love, the scandal with the heroine of *Love Letter*, the next movie he wants to shoot, and so on.

Naoki Nagayama could be said to be familiar with these questions and replied one by one.

In a literary journal newspaper not long after, the discussion meeting held at Keio University was published. Among them, the popular trend of "light novels" was agreed by many literary critics.

And in a building in Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo, a pregnant lady was reading the newspaper. When she saw the photo inserted in the middle of the newspaper, and Naoki Nagayama was smiling and saying "The person I secretly loved is Momoe Yamaguchi," she couldn't help but laugh.

Tomokazu Miura beside her looked over strangely: "What's wrong?"

Momoe Yamaguchi smiled and handed the newspaper to him: "Someone said they secretly loved me~"

Then he saw the handsome photo in the report, as well as the text of the report...

"This guy Naoki Nagayama!" Tomokazu Miura gritted his teeth, this guy who said he secretly loved his wife in front of the media all day long...

"Momoe-chan, do you remember this person?"

"I have no impression at all, even though he is a big handsome guy~" Momoe Yamaguchi's young face revealed a mischievous smile, "There were too many people who liked me before~"

"..."

Tomokazu Miura was slightly jealous, but soon became happy again. After all, the former heartthrob had now become his wife and was pregnant with his own flesh and blood.

"That's fine, let him go for now!"

"Haha, Naoki Nagayama is a famous director... Maybe there will be a chance to cooperate in the future." Momoe Yamaguchi said with a smile.

"I guess there won't be~ After all, I am his love rival~"

"Hahaha~ That's true~"

Since marrying the national idol, Tomokazu Miura's career could be said to have plummeted. On one hand, it was the dissatisfaction of Momoe Yamaguchi's fans, and on the other hand, it was also the bottleneck period of his own career.

However, gently hugging his wife, he had no regrets at all. ===== CHAPTER 544 =====