I Created Urban Legends in Parallel World
[Original – YakuMan]
[TL – MiT7]
[PR – Spades]
Chapter 6: What a Perfect World for a Plagiarist… Too Bad…
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Though Kamihara Shinji was dubbed the "gloomy guy" at school, he wasn't actually gloomy.
People thought he was because his long hair nearly covered his eyes. Without seeing the emotions in his gaze, students naturally filled in the blanks with their own assumptions.
In truth, Kamihara Shinji just didn't want to stand out. Otherwise, if he got a haircut, he'd be a walking heartthrob.
After chatting with Uesaki Kaito and exchanging names, Kaito relaxed. He'd assumed Kamihara would be hard to get along with.
Kamihara also learned that Uesaki Kaito was here for the first-year girl who'd joined the club yesterday.
According to Kaito, he and Shinkawa Chie were childhood friends who'd grown up together. He'd always had a crush on her and planned to confess in high school. Both their families hoped they'd eventually tie the knot.
What could Kamihara say? He just wished the guy luck.
As for why Kaito spilled all that to someone he'd just met, Kamihara didn't even need to guess the kid's motives.
High schoolers were too easy to read.
Arriving at the Ghost Club, Kamihara pushed the door open. He instinctively reached for the light switch, only to find the room already bright. The curtains, usually drawn tight, were wide open for once.
A glance inside revealed two lifeless "salted fish" slouched at the computer desks, basking in the sunlight, and a pretty girl—Shinkawa Chie—reading on the sofa.
As the door swung open, all three turned to look.
"Kaito, what are you doing here?" Shinkawa Chie asked, surprised. "Didn't you go to Kasugaoka High?"
At the mention of Kasugaoka High, Nakamura Kota and Kozasa Hideki's pleading gazes shifted to shock. Their eyes slid past Kamihara to the round-faced, bespectacled boy behind him.
Kasugaoka High was one of Tokyo's elite schools, reserved for the brightest students.
"I transferred," Uesaki Kaito said, adjusting his glasses with a smile. "Kasugaoka's great, but the competition there is brutal—too much pressure. It didn't suit me. You know I've always preferred a balance between work and play."
Kamihara glanced at him sidelong. He'd pegged Kaito as a hopeless simp—chasing her across schools and all. Turns out the guy had some restraint.
He nodded toward Kota and Hideki. "This junior wants to join."
Their curious stares turned scrutinizing.
A guy wanting to join? Dream on. Plus, he clearly knew Chie—no way they'd let him in.
Kozasa Hideki sized up Uesaki Kaito and drawled, "You can join, but you've got to tell us a scary story we haven't heard before. It's gotta be good enough to pass."
Hearing this, Kaito glanced at Shinkawa Chie. She nodded. He thought for a moment, then began, "I wonder if you three senpai know about a photo circulating online recently—"
Shinkawa Chie coughed lightly. "Kaito, I told that one yesterday. Pick another."
"Uh…" Kaito faltered, suddenly at a loss. He glanced at Nakamura Kota and Kozasa Hideki—unlike Kamihara-senpai, these two didn't seem as approachable. Scanning the room, his eyes brightened.
"Senpai, can I talk to you two outside for a sec? There's something I'd like to discuss."
After a brief hesitation, Kota and Hideki followed Kaito out.
Kamihara couldn't be bothered with the entry test. He sat at the computer and said casually, "Shinkawa, mind closing the curtains? The screen's got glare."
"Huh?" Shinkawa Chie, still wondering what Kaito was up to, snapped out of it and hurried to pull the curtains shut. "Sorry, I didn't know it was reflecting. The other two senpai didn't say anything."
Thinking back to Kota and Hideki's pleading looks earlier, she realized *they* were the real simps.
Kamihara nodded, ending the conversation. He opened a writing program and started typing away.
Shinkawa Chie, hearing the clatter, glanced over curiously. "Kamihara-senpai, are you writing a novel?"
"Yeah," he replied offhandedly, waving her off. "Go read your book. Don't bug me."
"Okay." She obediently returned to the sofa, thinking to herself, *Looks like Kamihara-senpai isn't very friendly.*
Kamihara Shinji was indeed writing a novel.
Though he'd been in this world for a month, the original owner had squandered money like water during his year of self-destruction. His savings were running thin.
He wasn't about to live like that. He had to plan for the future.
But he was just a high schooler. While Sakuraaki High allowed part-time jobs, it came with a catch: grades had to stay up.
After some thought, Kamihara decided to become a light novel writer.
This world's Japan was different from his previous one—missing many light novels and manga…
What a perfect world for a plagiarist.
Too bad…
Too bad that, after starting work in his past life, he'd stopped watching anime. The classic series he'd once loved had faded from memory over time.
Even games—he'd barely played them as a corporate drone. He'd mostly "cloud-cleared" them: watched playthroughs, bought the ones he liked, and let them sit in his library. Actually playing? Out of the question.
And after crossing over, he didn't get any handy perks like [Perfect Recall], [Subconscious Plot Memory], or [Photographic Memory].
When it came to light novels and manga, his mind was a blank slate.
Plagiarism? Yeah, right.
So he had to come up with his own stuff and write it himself.
Of course, the main reason he chose light novels was the notebook.
When he'd written his first urban legend, it had taken seven or eight drafts before the notebook accepted it, making *The Gaze from the Cracks* real.
Most urban legends were vague and open-ended, designed to spread fear. Few were complete, fleshed-out stories.
But to write one in the notebook, it had to have a beginning and end, detailed settings, clear ghost abilities, and logical flow.
That had stumped him.
That's why he was writing light novels—to hone his skills for crafting urban legends. If he made money, great. If not, he wouldn't be too torn up about it.
It was also why, despite having over 40,000 Legend Points, he hadn't started on a second legend yet.
A minute or two later, the three returned from outside. Shinkawa Chie exhaled in relief—being in the room with Kamihara-senpai felt so oppressive.
"Congrats, Kaito! You passed the entry test. Here, fill out the application," Nakamura Kota said, handing over the form as he walked in.
Kamihara glanced up, surprised at the trio chatting and laughing.
He'd figured Kaito would crash and burn. Whatever trick he'd pulled to get in was beyond him.
Kozasa Hideki plopped down beside him, catching his expression. He grinned mischievously, voice low but excited. "Kaito promised me and Kota he'd bring us his family's prized Rinka figure tomorrow… a five-year-old, out-of-print gem!"
That explained it.
Of course—otaku's true wives were 2D paper girls.
"It's just the entry condition, though," Kozasa Hideki added, lowering his voice mysteriously. "Plus, I got some big news: Chie-senpai and Kaito are childhood friends."
"So you two are screwed, huh?"
"Pfft, you clearly don't know much about ACG. When has the childhood friend trope ever beaten the 'girl from the sky'? Kaito's already a certified loser."