Tokyo Girlfriend Illustrated Book

"Good morning, Mr. Futami."

The store manager of Meiren Bookstore, Meiren Yoshihiro, saw the person coming and said hello quickly. The reason why he called Futami Jiraiya "sensei" was not only because of his status as a critic, but also because the old man's job was at the University of Tokyo. The professor of literature in the Department of Literature is a serious teacher.

"Well, good morning, store manager." Teacher Futami nodded, neither enthusiastic nor cold, and did not enter the store.

Seeing that this respected customer did not speak or enter the store, but just stood at the door like a prosecutor, the boss was immediately confused. However, as the hereditary bookstore heir, he met the literary giant Dazai Osamu in the arms of his mother when he was two years old. , a man who has been poured with spiritual energy at close range, store manager Minglun thinks he knows a lot about literary writers.

Futami-sensei must be thinking about something important, such as the difference between today and yesterday. It's better not to disturb him, or be careful of letting the teacher's inspiration dissipate because of your recklessness.

So the store manager nodded politely to this important customer and began to instruct the store staff to arrange the posters.

The most important thing in running a store is the first impression it gives to customers. If a bookstore looks messy from the outside, customers who like books and reading will definitely avoid it, so how to decorate the store becomes a top priority. . It is necessary to keep the overall freshness of the store and attract customers through posters of books and CDs. Generally, employees who master this skill will become the store manager's favorite.

Therefore, even though Miss Yuriko has asked at least a hundred times, "When will Mr. Hojo's new book be delivered?", the store manager Meiren still smiled gently and kept replying in one sentence:

"Whether Mr. Hojo's new work will be a big seller depends on you, Yuriko. Be sure to put the poster in the most eye-catching position! If the number of customers exceeds expectations, I will place additional orders with the publishing house. As you know , if you purchase more than 3,000 copies, you can get support from the publishing house with promotional materials. At that time, Yuriko, you can also participate in the lottery and get a gift from Mr. Hojo. "

Crack the whip while dangling a carrot in front. The store manager knows the way of experience. Well, Neon’s reservation system can be said to have penetrated into every corner of society, especially bookstores. A bookstore is not only a place where books are sold, but is also part of a huge sales network, booking and selling tickets for concerts and baseball games, selling records and albums, and mailing new magazines to customers...

"Oh, time flies so slowly." The store clerk Yuriko lamented and carefully adjusted the angle of the poster.

The street where the bookstore is located runs north-south, so pay attention to the issue of sunlight. If the reflection of the poster disturbs people passing by, not only will they not be allowed to enter the bookstore, but it may also cause dissatisfaction with the books on the poster, potentially causing Customers are lost. At the same time, there cannot be no light at all, otherwise the poster will not be eye-catching enough. This is a university question!

While there was no one around, the clerk updated the books on the recommended bookshelf facing the store door again. She removed books that were not popular enough and put books that she thought were good and that had increased online ratings, and posted them again. Many eye-catching labels.

Of course, the most eye-catching one is the poster standing next to the bookshelf.

The poster is a realistic painting. In the dark room, there is only a faint light coming from the window, which looks like moonlight or cloudy light. The light spread on the ground, illuminating a person tied up with a quilt. He was a somewhat fat man with something stuffed in his mouth, and he looked frightened and desperate.

Another person stood in the darkness in the center of the room. His face could not be seen clearly. He could only see that he was a well-proportioned man wearing a very elegant black suit. A hanging rope hung from the ceiling. The man raised his hand and gently stroked the ring of the rope. On his exposed wrist, there were shiny cuffs on his shirt cuffs.

The bottom row of bold boldface letters reads: "The Dream and Death of Writer K", the new work of "The Devotion of Suspect X" author Hojo Kyosuke, will be released on April 23, so stay tuned.

"Indeed, time passes too slowly."

Futami Jiraiya, who had been standing at the door for a long time, almost turning into a decoration, suddenly spoke.

Store manager Minglun was startled and quickly turned around to ask what happened with his eyes.

"Mr. Store Manager, has this book not arrived yet?"

Futami-sensei asked, pointing to the poster.

"Ah, yes, the publishing house will start shipping to various places tomorrow. If you go to our store, you should be able to get it at noon tomorrow." This is Tokyo, always at the forefront of this country.

Store manager Minglun replied, and then he realized that the teacher was standing at the door looking at the poster, and then he added:

"Even this poster was only delivered this morning. It is said that it was only completed yesterday."

"so perfect."

Jiraiya let out a sigh-like admiration when he saw him.

"Yes, I'm also looking forward to Mr. Hojo's new book." Store manager Mei Lun nodded in agreement.

"I mean this poster."

Futami shook his head and continued:

"This poster alone makes me willing to go into the bookstore and pay for this book. Today's publishers are really terrible. They have a clear grasp of the psychology of their customers."

"Huh? It's really rare that Futami-sensei actually becomes interested in novels just because of a poster."

Manager Minglun was surprised to know that this gentleman had often criticized some books for using sexually explicit covers to attract readers. He had scolded some new-generation writers and idols who made money from publishing books several times in newspapers and TV programs. Bloody head. It's amazing that this poster has such a high opinion now.

"If you go read "Aesthetics", "Oriental Aesthetics", "Principles of Aesthetics"... these books, there is probably a 10% chance that you will be able to understand me."

Futami Jiraiya eloquently mentioned the names of more than a dozen books, which made Yoshihiro Akira feel dizzy. Why, isn’t it just a poster? Is the threshold for being an audience so high now?

He did think that the poster of Mr. Hojo's new work was very beautiful, but he did not expect to hear such praise from this harsh critic.

Fortunately, Mr. Futami can still distinguish between real life and literary criticism, and his words are far less sharp than those in newspapers and magazines. After all, the store manager has a good relationship with him, and he will actively help him every time he needs to find any books and materials. It can be said that the two parties have been friends for more than ten years (counting the first generation store manager Meiren), so Futami shared his feelings in a friendly way:

"Look, as the only light in the whole painting, it is the fat man who is like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. When you see this, do you feel a deep despair?"

"Hmm...should I feel desperate?" Store Manager Minglun asked uncertainly.

"Of course, the moon is bright outside the window, but my hands and feet are restrained, and I can't even cry."

"Hiss... I heard you say that, but yes, it's quite desperate." Store manager Minglun nodded heavily. He couldn't use questions anymore, otherwise he would be regarded as an idiot.

"Look again, it's obviously a hanging rope that symbolizes death, but the man in a straight suit is so elegant, and his movements are as graceful as stroking his lover's smooth back, as if he is not creating death but completing a gorgeous drama. , death and elegance achieve a perfect unity, with a kind of cruel beauty.

Seeing this, don't you have expectations in your heart? Not curious about what this man is doing? "

Teacher Futami spoke so emotionally that not only the store manager and clerk, but also a passing office worker stopped and listened intently.

"Don't say it, you really don't say it... I really got it right, Mr. Futami!"

Store manager Minglun clapped his hands and spoke louder:

"This is a mystery novel, and the person on the poster is the male protagonist. When I went to the publishing house for a promotion meeting, Mr. Hojo said that this is both a trick and an art, and it is a drama dedicated to the world."

"I see. It seems like this is not a book that just relies on posters to deceive people." Teacher Futami nodded:

"Register it for me. I want to reserve a copy."

"And me, I want it too!" Passers-by and office workers also said quickly.

After registering the two of them, store manager Minglun came to the door of the store again, stroking his chin and looking at the poster of "The Dream and Death of Writer K".

It is indeed very artistic, full of artistic sense, both post-modern style and neon tradition...

"Hey, Minglunsang, what are you doing here?"

A sudden sound interrupted Manager Minglun's thoughts about beauty. He turned around and saw that it was Mr. Koyama who opened a ramen shop nearby.

"I'm looking at this poster."

"Poster? What's so good about the poster?" Mr. Xiaoshan came over and took a look at it.

Upon hearing this, Mr. Minglun looked at the vulgar cook with a contemptuous look that was a mixture of artist and critic, and then said:

"Look, as the only light in the whole painting, it is the fat man who is like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. When you see this, do you feel a deep despair?"

"This... I can see that the whole picture is quite bright. Even if it's not bright, I can't see clearly."

Perhaps the artistic flavor in the words of the store manager Minglun was too strong, and Mr. Xiaoshan's tone was a little timid.

Upon hearing this, the store manager first sighed and then shook his head again. Mr. Xiaoshan clearly felt that the good neighbor's eyes were full of sympathy when he looked at him, just like a human looking at a monkey in the glass window.

"Look again, it's obviously a hanging rope that symbolizes death, but the man in a straight suit is so elegant, and his movements are as elegant as stroking his lover's smooth back..."

Mr. Minglun's tone was deep.

"hiss……"

Mr. Xiaoshan stared at the neighbor next to him with wide eyes. Others didn't know it, but he knew it. Don't think that the person who opened the bookstore in his family must be an educated person. If he was really educated, he would not come back to inherit the family business and open a bookstore. Yoshihiro Minglun What this guy likes most is to come to his ramen shop to drink and watch baseball games. He curses others more rudely than himself. What happened today?

Although he was confused, Mr. Xiaoshan knew that he could no longer use questions, otherwise he would probably turn from a monkey into a brainless sea urchin.

So he nodded in agreement.

"If you read "Aesthetics", "Oriental Aesthetics", "Principles of Aesthetics"... these books, there is about a 20% chance that you will be able to understand me."

But the store manager Minglun obviously saw through Xiaoshan's disguise and said with a sigh.

"You guy..." Mr. Xiaoshan was so angry by that contemptuous look that he scratched his neck and shouted loudly:

"Who says I can't understand this poster? I think you're just pretending to understand!"

As he spoke, Mr. Xiaoshan took a step forward, pointed to the title of the book under the poster and said:

"The man holding the hanging rope is the writer K, right?"

"right."

"The man tied to the ground is the dream of writer K! That's why he is endowed with light, and now writer K is going to kill his dream with his own hands! This is the meaning of the title and poster of "Writer K's Dream and Death"!"

"Hiss..."

Manager Minglun was shocked, staring at the vulgar neighbor cook with wide eyes in disbelief. You guy, you really saw something?

Seeing his neighbor's shock, Mr. Xiaoshan sneered in his heart, waved his hand casually and announced:

"Give me ten copies of this book."

"It hasn't arrived yet."

"Then I'll pre-order it, and give me a poster by the way, I'll take it to the store to help you advertise."

"This... OK."

Manager Minglun, who was hit hard in the field of art, didn't dare to refuse at all, and could only take out the poster he planned to keep as a treasure and offer it with both hands.

Xiaoshan and Futami-sensei must have a lot in common.

Looking at the back of Xiaoshan holding the poster and walking away from the ramen shop, the bookstore manager thought so.

Xiaoshan Ramen

"You're so slow, did you get lost just to buy soy sauce?"

In the store, the old customer who was waiting so long that his stomach growled saw Xiaoshan coming back and immediately urged him loudly.

"Why are you urging me? Do you know that the most important thing for a bowl of ramen is soy sauce? My Xiaoshan family only uses Bundesliga soy sauce!" Xiaoshan said casually, and did not go to the back kitchen, but came to the wall with the poster.

"Asshole, didn't you say last time that the most important thing is noodles?" The old customer glared.

"Idiot, noodles are made by noodle machines now, can I still deduct his salary?"

Xiaoshan was not polite at all. He was the only ramen shop open at this time nearby. This old customer had been scolded by him for more than ten years. He loved him deeply.

After pulling the tape and sticking the new poster on an unknown idol, Xiaoshan took two steps back and touched his chin to admire it.

It is indeed very artistic, full of artistic sense, with both Victorian style and pop art...

"Xiaoshan, what are you doing? Go cook noodles, I'm starving." The old customer was angry.

"Eat, eat, eat, you don't know anything else except eating? Don't you know that art is spiritual food? Even if you fill your stomach every day, you can't be considered a complete person if your head is empty!

Look, the only light in the whole painting is a fat man who is like a lamb to be slaughtered. Seeing this, do you feel a deep despair? Look again..."

The old customer looked at the cook Xiaoshan who talked about art, and then looked at the posters on the wall, and felt that this world was really crazy.

Am I going to starve to death?

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