Chapter 2: An Encouragement of Reading
Ta: Alright, Anzu. Tama's gonna borrow this book, okay?
An: Sure! Let me know your thoughts after you've read it.
Ta: Sure thing. Leave it to Tama.
An: Tamacchi-senpai has been borrowing a lot of books lately. Hihi, that kind of makes me happy.
An: Well then! I'll follow suit. My read for tonight... Huh? The book I wanted to read isn't there. Oh, right. I lent it out.
An: Tamacchi-senpai? I'm coming in! About that book you borrowed...
An: Ah! She's using my book as a pillow and drooling all over it!
Ta: Reading books makes me tired, you know? It's just what I need when I can't sleep.
An: Haah... Geez... So that's how you used all those books I gave you...
Ta: My thoughts: They were super comfortable to sleep on!
An: After you've read it! I wanted your thoughts after you've read it!!
Ta: Ah, but I got it dirty, so I wanted to return it and report to you later...
An: There's no need to worry about that. I have three copies of my favorites; one for proselytization, one for preservation and one for appreciation.
Ta: Ah, is that so...
An: But to think that my books were used as a substitute for sleeping pills... As a book lover, I feel insulted.
Ta: Hahaha, well, I fall asleep right away when I really try to read!
An: Mhhh! I want to show Tamacchi-senpai how enjoyable books are... Oh, I know!
An: Everyone! How about we start having ten minutes of morning reading time from tomorrow on?
Wa: Morning reading time?
Hi: Ah, we had that in elementary school.
An: That's right! By reading in the classroom together for a mere ten minutes every morning we'll make a habit of reading books!
Ta: Eeh? But I'm gonna get sleepy so early in the morning.
An: That's why it'll only be for ten minutes! Just read without falling asleep during that time.
Yu: Come to think of it, I haven't read many books lately... I had so much fun training martial arts, you know.
Ch: I like playing games more.
An: That's why we'll make a habit of reading! It's terrible that young people no longer read! We have to fix that!
Wa: I'm fine with that. Fighting is our primary duty, but educating ourselves is also important.
Hi: Wakaba stands out in battle all the time so it's often forgotten, but she's actually a brainiac with perfect grades as well.
Wa: It's often forgotten, huh...
Yu: Okay, let's try it! I agree with An-chan's suggestion!
Ch: If Takashima-san says so...
Ta: Eeeh...
An: The next day. Morning.
An: Well then, we'll now begin our ten minutes of morning reading time. Everyone, did you bring your books?
Wa: Indeed I did! I've brought this: Yoshikawa Eiji's Musashi!
An: Picking a classic among swordsmanship novels, that's the way to go! A masterpiece about Miyamoto Musashi and his Niten Ichi-ryuu style of swordsmanship!
Wa: Yeah. The swordsman's way of life and the philosophy of the oneness of sword and Zen are absolutely fascinating!
An: I couldn't sit still when Otsuu and Musashi missed each other.
Wa: And the famous duel on Ganyruu-jima was so intense, he was burning with passion!
An: Speaking of the duel on Ganryuu-jima, according to one theory, Sasaki Kojirou was actually 70 at the time.
Wa: Huh!? He pummeled a geezer like that with his wooden sword!?
An: And the one who made it public was Miyamoto Musashi.
Wa: I just... don't know anymore...
An: If they had SNS at the time, I'm sure Musashi would have posted "Just rekt Kojirou. Lol." or something, attached a photo and started a flame war that way.
Wa: Huh, so Ganryuu-jima is burning in that sense too...
An: Hinata-san, what are you reading?
Hi: Sarah Waters's Affinity.
An: The famous foreign mystery novel, right? Do you like mystery fiction?
Hi: Rather than the mystery elements, the back and forth between Margaret and the prisoner Selina makes my heart race! Haah... I think that author and I are on the same wavelength...
An: I see. In that case, I think you'd enjoy reading Natural Woman or Unnan no Tsuma next.
Hi: What kind of novels are those?
An: Let me look up a synopsis on my phone... This kind.
Hi: Oh! Those look promising.
An: Chikage-san, you're reading...
Ch: The complete works of Lovecraft from Tokyo Sougensha. I use them for reference when I'm making TRPG scenarios.
An: In that case, I can recommed the books of a writer Lovecraft was influenced by, Lord Dunsany!
Ch: I'm reading it already. Dunsany's The Gods of Pegana.
An: Good job!
An: Yuuna-san, that's...
Yu: Ah, it's a book I borrowed from Gun-chan. Uhm... but this is a... novel, right?
Ch: It's a replay of a TRPG. I'll slowly get you interested like this, Takashima-san... Takashima-san, just tell me when you want to know more about TRPGs.
Yu: Okay! Thank you!
An: The missionary work has begun! And Tamacchi-senpai is...
An: Sleeeping!
Yu: She's fast asleep, huh.
Ch: She can sleep as well as a certain robot cat's master...

Yu: Tama-chan, wake up!
Ta: Sorry, sorry, dozed off...
An: And you didn't even bring a book, Tamacchi-senpai.
Ta: I kina couldn't find any book I'd wanna to read.
An: In that case, I'll lend you one I would recommend.
Ta: Huh? Your recommendations are nothing but romance novels.
An: Please don't make light of romance novels! The novels who are known as masterpieces are nothing but love stories!
An: The foreign classics The Red and the Black, Anna Karenina, Wuthering Heights... Japanese works like The Dancing Girl of Izu or Naomi... even The Tale of Genji is a romance novel.
An: The best-selling books in Japan are Socrates in Love and Norwegian Woods, also romance novels...
An: You fell asleep just from hearing the titles!?
Ta: Ah, my bad, my bad. Don't you have, like, a book that would be a betta match for Tama?
An: Then how about a novel about mountain climbing? That's the outdoors you like so much, Tamacchi-senpai.
Ta: Nice! Tama loves mountain climbing!
An: Here. The Summit of the Gods. Volumes one and two are over a thousand pages.
Ta: Way too thick, nope!!
An: But it's an original work! How about this book? Sacrifice, a road race novel with a mystery.
Ta: Road race sounds great. 'Kay, Tama's gonna read it... Tap, tap... "Sacrifice spoilers."
An: Don't look up the ending in your phone! The mystery will be ruined!
An: Ah... the reading time is over...
Ta: Tama's gonna read properly starting tomorrow!
An: That's what someone who absolutely won't read would say...
Ta: But you know, Tama's not a book person after all.
An: Yeah, maybe I've been a bit too pushy. But... I wanted to share a hobby with the one I love so that we can talk about it...
Ta: A-ah, that's right, that's right. O-okay! Then Tama's gonna start reading a few books from now on! The easy ones!
An: Really!?
Ta: Yeah. And Tama will show you some outdoor stuff too, Anzu. We're gonna have a barbecue in the mountains next Sunday!
An: Sure! I can't wait!

Otsuu: Musashi's lover
Affinity: Story about a woman falling in love with a female prisoner.
Natural Woman: Novel about lesbos lezzing it up.
Unnan no Tsuma: Novel about a marriage between women.
Nobi Nobita from Doraemon

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Pub: 26 Dec 2020 16:16 UTC
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