The moment the book signing officially began, I finally understood the true meaning of the words...
"Bestselling Author."
When I had heard the editor bragging about my popularity before, I had assumed she was exaggerating to make me feel guilty about refusing interviews.
Now...
Looking at the crowd before me...
I realized she hadn't exaggerated in the slightest.
The queue stretched from the signing area on the bookstore's second floor all the way down to the first-floor entrance. It looped around the staircase twice before continuing out through the front doors, disappearing into the busy streets of Konoha.
For a long moment, I simply stared at the seemingly endless line.
Only one thought crossed my mind.
So... stories about an emotionless elite ninja falling in love with a gentle heroine are really this popular.
I quietly adjusted the brim of my hat lower.
The mask covering most of my face suddenly felt much more comforting.
Thankfully.
Very thankfully.
No one here actually knew what I looked like.
Otherwise...
I might never have been able to leave this bookstore alive.
The readers came one after another.
Since my novels were written for readers of all ages, the audience was incredibly diverse.
The first was an energetic middle-aged aunt carrying an entire boxed collection.
She placed the heavy stack on the table with a loud thump.
"Teacher Bluebird!"
"You absolutely have to sign every volume!"
I silently looked at the mountain of books.
"...Of course."
Several minutes later...
After signing every single volume, my wrist was already beginning to protest.
The next reader was a teenage girl.
She shyly slid a single book toward me, her cheeks bright red.
"T-Teacher..."
"I..."
"...I really loved the ending."
I smiled behind my mask.
"Thank you."
Her face somehow became even redder before she hurried away clutching the signed novel against her chest.
Next came a bespectacled Konoha Chunin.
The poor man looked as though he were about to report for an S-Rank mission.
His face was completely stiff.
After gathering his courage several times, he finally blurted out,
"I-I like Miss Tachibana the most!"
I couldn't help chuckling softly.
Kawana Tachibana...
The heroine of the story.
Strong on the outside.
Gentle at heart.
She had been my favorite character while writing the novel as well.
"I'm happy she has another fan."
The Chunin looked as though he'd just received praise from the Hokage himself.
He accepted the signed book with trembling hands before walking away in a daze.
The next readers were a pair of siblings from Kumogakure.
Both had healthy bronze-colored skin.
The older brother quietly handed me his book.
Before I could say anything...
His younger sister suddenly leaned around him, standing on tiptoe as she stared directly at me.
Her eyes sparkled.
Then—
She shouted loud enough for half the bookstore to hear.
"Big Brother!"
"I told you!"
"Teacher Bluebird is a woman!"
"I knew it!"
"How could someone who writes romance novels possibly be an old man?"
...
Behind my mask, I almost burst into laughter.
If Jiraiya happened to hear those words...
His heart would probably shatter into a thousand pieces.
The older brother immediately sighed.
Without changing his expression, he gently pushed his sister backward.
"Sorry."
"She gets excited."
"It's alright."
I opened the title page.
"What should I write?"
"For Bee."
I nodded.
Carefully writing the requested dedication before returning the book with both hands.
The older brother accepted it politely.
Before he could leave...
His sister popped back into view again.
She leaned across the table with unconcealed excitement.
"Teacher Bluebird!"
"Will your next novel have characters from Kumogakure?"
"Our Raikage-sama is really handsome!"
"You can totally use him as inspiration!"
I paused.
"...I'll think about it."
"Really?!"
"Yay!"
She skipped away happily.
Her brother followed behind, offering me one final respectful nod before disappearing into the crowd.
The signing continued.
Readers came from every corner of the shinobi world.
A quiet young kunoichi from the Hidden Mist shyly thanked me after receiving her autograph.
A fierce-looking middle-aged man from Iwagakure stepped forward next.
At first glance...
He looked less like a reader and more like someone coming to collect a debt.
After I finished signing his first book...
He awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"My wife likes your novels."
He reached into his bag.
Pulled out another book.
"My daughter likes them too."
Then another.
"My mother-in-law also insisted."
He looked genuinely embarrassed.
"So..."
"...could you sign all three?"
I couldn't help smiling.
"With pleasure."
The fearsome-looking shinobi left carrying three carefully signed novels with an expression of complete satisfaction.
Then came a young man from Takigakure.
The poor fellow had apparently waited in line for nearly two hours.
By the time he reached me, he was so nervous...
He accidentally handed me the book upside down.
I pretended not to notice.
Simply rotated it naturally before signing.
His relieved expression afterward made the small gesture worthwhile.
Book after book.
Name after name.
Signature after signature.
Eventually...
Another reader stepped forward.
I instinctively reached for the book.
Then...
My eyes stopped on his forehead protector.
It wasn't one I recognized immediately.
The symbol...
Had a horizontal slash carved straight across it.
A missing-nin.
Before I had time to react...
Whispers spread through the line behind him.
"...Isn't that..."
"...An Amegakure rogue ninja?"
"...What's he doing here?"
The cheerful atmosphere instantly became noticeably quieter.
Even several bookstore employees exchanged nervous glances.
No one moved.
No one spoke loudly.
I simply opened the book.
As though nothing had happened.
"What would you like me to write?"
The man remained silent for several moments.
When he finally answered...
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"...No name."
"Just..."
"...write one line from the novel."
I thought quietly.
Then turned to the final chapter of Volume Three.
Without hesitation...
I wrote the words spoken by Chudo Shunsundo.
«"I won't wait until tomorrow... so I came tonight."»
I closed the book.
Then slid it back toward him.
He didn't pick it up immediately.
Instead...
He stared at those words.
For a very long time.
His fingers slowly tightened around the cover.
Finally...
He nodded once.
Turned.
And disappeared into the crowd without another word.
Only after he left did everyone around us quietly release the breaths they'd been holding.
The line began moving again.
As though nothing had happened.
Time continued passing.
My wrist grew steadily more sore.
Still...
The smiles on each reader's face somehow made the repetitive work feel worthwhile.
I signed another novel.
Reached for the next one.
Then...
My eyes landed on a familiar black fingerless glove.
I slowly looked upward.
Silver hair.
A forehead protector tilted over one eye.
A black mask covering the lower half of his face.
Only one visible eye remained...
And it was staring directly at me.
Bright.
Curious.
Trying very hard to appear calm...
Yet completely failing.
Kakashi Hatake.
...
Honestly.
I wasn't sure whether I should have expected this...
Or not.
He quietly placed a copy of Volume Three onto the table.
The book was obviously well-loved.
Its corners had become soft from repeated reading.
The cover had faded slightly.
Several colorful bookmarks peeked out from between the pages.
Clearly...
He had reread this volume many times.
I opened to the title page.
"What would you like me to write?"
Kakashi scratched the back of his head.
"...Could you..."
"...write..."
"...'For Kakashi Hatake'?"
The tips of his ears had already turned faintly red.
I nodded.
Beginning to write.
Surely...
Surely he hasn't realized the hidden meaning behind Chudo Shunsundo's name...
...Right?
Before I could finish...
He spoke again.
"And..."
"If it isn't too much trouble..."
"...could you also write one quote from the novel?"
"Any line is fine."
"I trust your judgment."
His usual lazy drawl was gone.
Instead...
He sounded exactly like an ordinary fan talking excitedly with another reader.
"The confession beneath the moon..."
"The one in Volume Three..."
"I've read it countless times."
"Every time..."
"I think it's incredible."
"The person who wrote those words..."
"...must be amazing."
Hearing him sincerely praise the hero whose name secretly carried another meaning...
Felt strangely surreal.
As he continued speaking...
His voice became softer.
Quieter.
By the final sentence...
Even his ears had turned completely red.
I lowered my head.
Instead of writing the famous confession...
I quietly wrote something else.
The sentence...
That had never appeared in the novel.
The words Chudo Shunsundo had never spoken aloud.
Only I...
The author...
Knew they existed.
After finishing...
I closed the book.
Then returned it with both hands.
Kakashi accepted it.
His eye casually dropped toward the page.
Then...
He froze.
He blinked.
Looked down again.
Looked back at me.
Then back at the page.
His visible eye widened noticeably.
"...This..."
"...This line..."
"The second half."
I answered simply.
"The second half of the confession."
Silence.
He opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
For several long seconds...
He simply stood there clutching the novel.
The readers behind him began stretching their necks to see what had happened.
Only then did Kakashi finally step aside.
Yet...
His eyes never left the page.
"I..."
"I always thought..."
"...that scene ended there."
His voice carried emotions difficult to describe.
Surprise.
Joy.
Perhaps even gratitude.
Then...
He slowly looked back at me.
His visible eye curved gently.
Not the polite smile he showed during missions.
Not the lazy smile everyone knew.
This time...
He was genuinely smiling.
Even his voice contained unmistakable laughter.
"Thank you."
"I'll definitely buy your next novel."
Still staring at the page...
He absentmindedly walked away.
Without looking ahead...
He nearly walked straight into one of the bookstore's display shelves.
Thump.
He quickly caught himself.
Steadied the bookshelf.
Coughed awkwardly.
Then gave me one final grateful nod.
The faint redness on his ears hadn't disappeared.
A moment later...
He vanished behind the rows of books.
The young kunoichi waiting directly behind him had witnessed everything.
She rushed forward.
Both hands were shaking with excitement.
"Teacher Bluebird!"
"Was that..."
"Copy Ninja Kakashi?!"
"He actually reads romance novels?!"
"And he's your fan?!"
...
I quietly resisted the urge to laugh.
Not only does he read romance novels...
He also reads Jiraiya's adult novels.
Outwardly, however...
I remained perfectly composed.
As I opened her book, I answered calmly,
"Perhaps..."
"...he was buying it for a friend."
The girl immediately shook her head.
"No way!"
"He only brought Volume Three!"
"If he were buying it for someone else, why would he only bring one volume?"
"It's obvious that's his favorite!"
"I saw him downstairs earlier!"
"He waited in line for almost an hour..."
"...reading the whole time!"
"He only closed the book when it was finally his turn!"
"The famous Copy Ninja spent an entire hour reading a romance novel!"
I quietly handed her signed book back.
The smile hidden beneath my mask was becoming harder and harder to suppress.
"...Maybe..."
"I just happened to write one particular character's dialogue rather well."
The girl looked unconvinced.
But before she could continue asking questions...
Another reader stepped forward.
The line still stretched beyond the bookstore entrance.
The afternoon sun slowly shifted across the windows.
My signing pen continued moving without pause.
Yet somehow...
I had the strange feeling...
That today's unexpected visitor would not be the last familiar face to appear.
And for reasons I couldn't quite explain...
That thought made me both curious...
...and slightly nervous.