On the shaking subway car, Qing Shui Toru leaned against the wall, boredly looking at the weekly Wenchun poster hanging in the air.

The discussion of the earthquake has temporarily replaced the usual lace news, and all kinds of talk seem to have finally found an outlet that can be poured out.

However, the people around me didn't mean to glance over there at all, just focused on the phone or the thing in front of them, as if it was discussing something from another world. After looking carefully for a while, Toru Shimizu also withdrew his gaze and observed the passengers around him, looking for an image worth recording.

Approaching Kitasando Station, the train began to slow down.

Dragged out of the station, and bumped into the oncoming crowd, he finally managed to get out of it, and Toru Shimizu noticed that the irregular sky cut by the wires had been dyed with a thin twilight.

Looking back, Masaaki Kishida also squeezed out.

"Kishida-san, have you told the president about the new book?"

"As I said, that's what brought you here today," he wiped the sweat from his forehead and took off his blazer and put it over his shoulder, "Let's go." ”

"Good".

Bucking the flow of people gathered by office workers, Toru Shimizu followed Masaaki Kishida for two minutes and saw a small white building that was already very familiar.

The café on the first floor is bustling as usual, the bright glass doors are closed and closed, and the lights on the top seem to be contaminated with this vitality, squeezing the few dim Chinese characters of "Hayami Study" to a higher position that no one cares about.

Without stopping there, the two went around to the side of the small building and climbed up the second floor along the smooth cement staircase that had been stepped on.

Using the key to open the closed door, Kishida Masaki walked in, followed by Toru Shimizu.

After work, the office was already empty, with more than a dozen desks with computers and various materials standing quietly, and the room used for meetings and guests next to it was also shrouded in shadows, except for the door of the president's office at the end, which was hidden and a faint sound floated out of the light.

“… President, compared to the year before... Last year's sales... Profit, too..."

"Oh, that's not a profit, is it?"

"It's... In terms of business, the income of the publishing house includes the publication of magazines and books. The overall situation of the magazine is not bad, mainly on the book publishing side..."

Toru Shimizu wanted to listen to it again, but Masaaki Kishida had already led him to the door. The people inside were apparently aware of it as well.

"Suzuki-kun, let's get here today."

"Okay".

The door was pushed open from the inside, and Toru Shimizu recognized it as Taku Suzuki, who was in charge of the publishing house's finances, and the two sides nodded lightly to say hello.

When he left, the two knocked on the door and entered, and Toru Shimizu finally met the person he wanted to visit on this trip, and the president of the publishing house was already victorious.

"Oh, Kishida and Shimizu-kun, please be seated."

Sitting down on a chair with Masaaki Kishida, Toru Shimizu looked at the old man behind the wooden table. I saw him take off his reading glasses and press them on the report he just read, and his tone was with a sense of warmth that is unique to older people, "Qing Shui-kun's signing meeting today, how is it?" ”

"It's about the same as the previous ones, and it's about the same amount sold." Kishida gestured.

"In terms of the sales of new writers now, it's pretty good." Hayami leaned back in his chair and bowed slightly.

In fact, as a little-known newcomer, Toru Shimizu felt that it was rare for someone to buy his own books. As for sales, although the higher the better, there is no desire to force anything.

Nodding in agreement, he said the purpose of this trip: "Hayami-san, about the next book, I want to trouble you..."

"Kishida told me that you plan to write a book related to dictionary editing, so you want to go to a publishing house with a dictionary department as an apprentice?"

"Yes"

"I've talked to Kodansha about this. Find a time and let Kishida take you. ”

Unlike the Hayami study room, which is huddled upstairs in a café, Kodansha, as one of the largest companies in Japan's publishing industry, is naturally able to support a department like the dictionary editorial department, which is not very profitable at first glance.

But Hayami Katsu was able to handle the relationship over there, which was really a bit unexpected by Toru Shimizu. But now is not the time to find out why.

"Excuse me..."

"President, why did you let me go?"

The words of thanks were interrupted, and Toru Shimizu turned his eyes to find Kishida next to him leaning out of the armrest, his face full of surprise.

"You're the editor in charge of Shimizu-kun, and there's no one else in the publishing house who is familiar with Kodansha, except for you."

"Don't you also... Never mind. ”

The words were about to reach his mouth, but Kishida Masaaki gave up his intention to refute, let go of his hands, and the whole person fell on the chair with a muffled sound, his arms were wrapped around his chest, and his legs were shaking impatiently.

Hayami Katsu had obviously expected his appearance, so he didn't pay much attention to it and mentioned something else.

"Speaking of which, in the early years we also had our own dictionary editorial department, and at that time—" he paused, as if realizing something, "I'm sorry, but at my age, it's easy to remember the past. By the way, Shimizu-kun, I remember you were still a college student, right? ”

"Yes, Waseda Faculty of Letters, it's the second year after the school starts."

"Oh? At that time..."

"I try to find a time when I don't have classes."

"I'd better tell Kodansha again. Also, even though it's an apprenticeship, it should also involve you in some work, no problem, right? ”

"Yes." Toru Shimizu immediately agreed. In terms of materials, it is more profound than simply observing, or actually participating in the acquisition of the experience.

"If you are paid, they will pay you according to the standard of a general trainee."

"Thank you."

Hayami Sheng nodded slowly, and after a few seconds, no one spoke, and said, "If there is nothing else, let's go back." ”

After saying goodbye, go down the steps on the side. The café behind the glass was a little brighter again, and the sky was only a calm dark blue.

Standing on the side of the road, Toru Shimizu noticed that Masaaki Kishida seemed to be impatient, took out a cigarette from his pocket, sandwiched it between his fingers, lit it with one hand, and took a hard puff before turning to this side.

"Hey, you've got me a great job."

"So what's the problem?"

Wanted to ask something.

"It's nothing," he flicked the end of his cigarette, "you come to the publishing house next Monday morning, and I'll take you there." ”

"Not next Monday, I'm going to move that day."

"Moving? Then contact me when you want to go," Kishida put the cigarette butt under his foot and turned to go up the stairs, "As long as it's a weekday, it's up to you." ”

Seeing the door of the publishing house being closed again, Shimizu shook his head inexplicably and blended into the crowd heading to the station.