Sequels are difficult. The Sazae-san method of "no one dies or gets older" is not common in novels, and months or years pass. The growth and changes of the characters are what makes the story interesting, and the author's writing is what makes it interesting, but it is not uncommon for the story to fall into the trap of being "a rehash," "the protagonist's charm fades," or "the story feels forced." This book is the sequel to the famous "Naruse wa Tenka wo Tou Ni Iku." "A mixture of hope and anxiety" is a very ordinary phrase, but there are times when that is the only way to describe it, and I learned this through my eyes!

The conclusion is, it's completely silent. I was ashamed of myself. Naruse Akari's distinctive charm is not something that comes from the era of "mid-teenage seriousness", nor is it her personality or ideology. It's her backbone. I'm sorry, Naruse, for not realizing this. She's as interesting as ever.

The first episode features Mirai, a fourth-grader. She is a huge fan of Naruse, and suggests to her group that they talk about "active people in the area" during "integrated studies" and feature the duo Naruse Akari and Shimazaki Miyuki, who have participated in a certain famous competition and hosted the summer festival (check out the main story for more details!). Afterwards, they go to hear the principal's story, and Mirai and I are completely taken aback. During the summer holidays, the school distributes lists of competitions for painting, essay writing, calligraphy, etc., and students are free to choose the assignments they like. Naruse does something surprising.

More than "I did it," why don't I have the idea that it's okay to do something like that? Even if I did think of it, I wouldn't do it, and I wouldn't be able to do it. Anyway, Naruse once again destroys my rigid mind and narrow-minded perspective in a satisfying way.

Also, Mirai-chan is a child who cries a lot, and on the day of their first interview, she burst into tears when she heard that Naruse's partner Shimazaki plans to leave their hometown of Otsu next year to take the entrance exam for a university in Tokyo. To be honest, Mirai-chan is 100% crazy about Naruse. But she can't stop sobbing at the thought of Shimazaki leaving. And now the fun part begins.

Usually, when a friend who was with them explains "This child cries a lot", one would think, "Oh, that's how it is" and wait for her to calm down or just blindly comfort her. But Naruse explains to Mirai herself why she is crying. To put it in perspective, when the floor is soaking wet, instead of just wiping it up, you investigate, analyze and present where the water came from. It's a typical Naruse scene. The other person is shocked and dumbfounded. The tears have subsided!

Other characters who appear include a complainer, a YouTuber, and the daughter of a city council member from a wealthy family. As usual, Naruse doesn't care about what others think of her. She only cares about how she wants to be as a person. No doubts. Only decisions. And she unintentionally teaches others that words that come alive bring out the best in people. What it means to be "interesting." And that nothing beats "love" and "energy" to overcome difficulties!

It's not Naruse's "strong" or "big" that draws in the surroundings, but rather "strange" and "unusual" that connect the story. It's a great read!
 

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【profile】

"The original charismatic bookseller" who recommends books in various media such as magazines and TV. Has serials in magazines such as Fujingaho and Precious. Active as a book critic, her paperback reviews include "The Pale Horse" (Agatha Christie/Hayakawa Christie Bunko), "Motherhood" (Minato Kanae/Shincho Bunko), "The Snake Moon" (Sakuragi Shino/Futaba Bunko), and "Staph" (Michio Shusuke/Bunshun Bunko).