Tokyo: The story begins with a confession.

Page 21

"It's trending? Can't you explain what happened more clearly?" Uesugi Kenichi asked, looking completely bewildered.

"Take a look at this and you'll understand." Watanabe Futa rushed over to Kobayashi Yoshihara, who was still making exaggerated facial expressions, and handed him a magazine.

Kenichi Uesugi curiously took the magazine, and the words "God's Arrival" were prominently displayed at the top of the cover.

But what caught his eye even more was that his photo was prominently displayed on the cover of the magazine!

On the cover, Kenichi Uesugi has his hands crossed, his chin resting on them, his gaze fixed on the distance, a faint smile playing on his lips. He shines like a brilliant star, so bright that even he himself was stunned the moment he saw it.

I look even more attractive in this picture than usual!

Of course he would feel that way. This picture has obviously been edited. His charm was already terrifying, but now it looks even more terrifying. Even he himself thinks he's incredibly handsome!

"A genius sculptor shines at Shibuya Comic Con, a true master!"

Looking at the exaggerated title on the cover, Uesugi Kenichi felt his face flush slightly. He felt that he still had some self-respect. He was hardly a master; he was just an ordinary person.

Suppressing the urge to complain, he opened the magazine, which contained nearly half of its pages about him.

First is his profile, then you flip through to see his work. One photo takes up the entire page, showing all the wooden carvings he displayed at the comic convention.

Interspersed among these are images of the huge sensation he caused at a corner of the convention, and other people's reactions to his work, with people who bought his wood carvings excitedly taking photos with the camera.

His conversation with Shiki Ishii was not only recorded verbatim, but also included many comments from industry professionals on his work.

Before he could even finish reading the magazine and express his feelings, Watanabe Fuuta handed him another stack of newspapers.

"Kenichi Uesugi, a 16-year-old master sculptor!"

"Shocking! I never knew he was this kind of person!"

"Inheriting the spirit of craftsmanship: A young man's journey in sculpture!"

……

Kenichi Uesugi glanced at the newspapers. The articles about him occupied the best pages, and without exception, each one featured a photo of him...

“I think you should take a look at this evaluation of your work by the sculptor Lin Hong.” Watanabe Futa placed the bottom newspaper on top.

"To be honest, I was very surprised when I was suddenly asked about this, because I had never heard of such a person before, and he was only sixteen years old and a high school student. I wondered if this was a publicity stunt by some media or some people."

"However, after I saw the works of this boy named Kenichi Uesugi, I realized that I was wrong. I specifically looked for videos to watch. His works have a very solid foundation and his round carving skills are very exquisite. What is most commendable is that he abandoned the assistance of many machines and used only a carving knife to present such a high level of artistry in his works."

"Many people are now abandoning the purest techniques, which is very commendable."

"Of course, I can't say much about what you mean by 'master.' Just like you often call me a master, I don't think I'm a master at all. I just think we shouldn't put too much pressure on such a talented young man. What we need is to give him a comfortable environment to grow up in."

"After all, the pressure of being called a master is too heavy, it can be suffocating, but I believe that if Uesugi-kun can continue to grow step by step, he can definitely become a shining pearl in the history of sculpture!"

……

"Tsk tsk, Master Lin Hong is a recognized master sculptor in China. He praised you, Uesugi, highly in the interview." Kobayashi Yoshihara said, shaking his head with a smug look on his face. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the article was about him.

Kenichi Uesugi scratched his head awkwardly. "But why did the information spread so quickly? It's only been a day!"

"Uesugi, you underestimate how fast news spreads these days. The news that the Giants' ace pitcher, Egawa Kaede, was suspected of being injured only took two hours to reach the top of the trending searches!" Kobayashi Yoshihara looked at Uesugi Kenichi with an expression of utter ignorance.

As he spoke, he revealed an extremely envious look in his eyes, "I checked Weibo and Shanda Games, and they are all videos uploaded by girls from the anime convention that day. Especially on Shanda Games, there are several videos about you with over 80 likes!"

"Big brother, I'm entrusting my future happiness to you. You definitely can't take care of all these girls. When the time comes, you can eat the meat, but it's not too much to ask you to leave me some soup."

Watanabe Futa angrily tapped him on the head, "You big idiot! All you do is daydream. Uesugi-kun's achievements are all the result of his own hard work. What's the use of you just daydreaming all day?"

"But it is indeed very enviable. Look at what those netizens are saying. They all want to have babies for Uesugi. He is only one person. How can he have so many babies? I am only thinking of him, okay?"

I fucking thank you so much!

Uesugi Kenichi glared at Kobayashi Yoshihara, then ignored him and took out his phone to look at it.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Explosive Popularity

He logged onto LINE and found that the editor named Shiki Ishii, whom he had added on Sunday, had sent him a bunch of messages after he fell asleep the previous night.

"Uesugi-san, I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I'm just so excited. This issue of the magazine sold 50 copies in just one day. It's all thanks to you."

"Thanks to you this time, I really made a name for myself. To celebrate this great sales performance, my boss asked me to give you a red envelope. It's just a small token of my appreciation, and I hope we'll have the opportunity to work together again next time."

Uesugi Kenichi looked at the transfer information showing one million yen and decisively chose to confirm. He didn't feel embarrassed at all; it was what he deserved.

After replying to Shiki Ishii, Kenichi Uesugi opened the Flashy Sound app. He had downloaded the app before and had never used it since he arrived.

Just as Kobayashi Yoshihara had said, he quickly found videos about him after only a few scrolls, with 106 million likes and 12 comments.

"I saw a super handsome guy at the anime convention today, what do you guys think?"

Below the video was a line of text, followed by a video of him sitting in a chair carving. The angle of the video was clearly carefully chosen by the person filming, clearly capturing Uesugi Kenichi's entire face.

To be honest, when he saw himself appear on the video, Kenichi Uesugi felt a little strange, a sense of unreality.

Surprisingly, he wasn't particularly averse to it.

Indeed, the human heart inherently craves attention and the praise of others, although each person's pursuit of this may differ.

Some people simply want attention, regardless of the reason or the consequences, and they don't care even if they are criticized by countless people.

Some people, however, hope that their work and their value will be recognized by people.

Whether it's character or knowledge...

A name is something many people desperately desire. Even the great scholars of ancient times were not afraid of death, but they were terrified of being infamous for eternity. This was far more terrifying than killing them.

He opened the comments section to see what everyone was saying.

"I'm in love! From now on, he's my god."

Does anyone know this guy's WeChat ID or LINE ID?

"What divine beauty! Ah, I'm so envious that the author was there!"

"I regret it so much. My friend invited me to go, but I didn't go. I've cried myself to sleep."

"Does anyone have this guy's contact information? I'm willing to pay a hefty price to buy it!"

"I'm so jealous! How can he be so handsome!"

"Doesn't anyone notice these wood carvings? They're practically works of art! Anyone who has them, DM me. I'll buy them for 50 yen, or we can discuss it further!"

……

It has to be said that among so many people online, there are quite a few talented individuals, and some of the hilarious comments made him laugh quite a bit.

I watched several similar videos, all about what happened at the comic convention that day, and they were all very popular.

Even many bloggers who specialize in capitalizing on trending topics have jumped on his bandwagon, demonstrating just how popular he is.

If someone is only good-looking, they might only be popular online for a short time. If they don't gain any other popularity afterward, their fame will fade away soon.

Even girls who only care about looks will naturally forget about Kenichi Uesugi after their initial amazement if they don't keep up with news about him regularly.

However, if you add the works themselves, then it's a completely different story; the level of popularity is not as simple as 1+1.

After the initial excitement, he stopped looking at it. These things didn't affect him much. However, what made him a little uneasy was that due to the leak of his information, he saw many messages saying that people were going to come to the school to ambush him.

During the following class, even the teacher's gaze lingered on him for a long time, making him feel quite uncomfortable.

As soon as get out of class ended, the homeroom teacher, Kuroda Takuro, gave him a complicated look, seemingly not expecting that one of his students would be such a genius.

He had seen those works, and they were indeed excellent; no wonder the principal wanted to meet him.

"Uesugi, the principal asked me to come and tell you to go to the principal's office." Kuroda Takuro patted Uesugi Kenichi on the shoulder and said gently. "Don't be arrogant. Keep working hard and don't waste your talents."

"I understand, Mr. Kuroda. I'll head over now." Uesugi Kenji nodded and went to the principal's office.

Actually, the principal didn't see anything serious about him; he just came to offer some encouragement. After all, he couldn't just ignore such a great achievement of his student; he had to show some concern.

Just as Uesugi Kenichi was feeling somewhat uneasy, it was soon time for school to end in the afternoon.

He felt a little uneasy looking at the crowds gathered in three concentric circles outside the school gate. He could even see several large support signs being held up in the distance.

He lingered in his seat for a while, and Kobayashi Yoshihara and the others understood why he was dawdling, so they didn't urge him until he couldn't drag it out any longer and then left.

Before he even reached the school gate, he heard a huge cheer. A dense crowd of people was packed at the school gate, creating a very oppressive atmosphere!

"Hello, I'm a reporter from Entertainment City Daily. May I interview you?"

"Hello, now that you're so famous, will you still continue your studies?"

"Would it be convenient for you to tell me about your future life plans?"

Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? What kind of girl do you like?

"Ahhh, so handsome! Uesugi-kun, look here, I like you so much."

"He's so handsome! He looks exactly the same as in the videos! Who told me he'd look terrible in person?!"

"I don't care anymore, I've decided to transfer to this school. Anyway, it hasn't been long since the semester started!"

As soon as Kenichi Uesugi came out, reporters swarmed around him, impossible to stop. What does it mean for a medium-sized magazine, targeting a specific audience, to sell 50 copies a day after featuring Kenichi Uesugi on the cover and in an interview?

It has to be said that these people are really envious. Although the first bite of meat has already been eaten, the rest is also very tempting.

Uesugi Kenichi was so jostled that he could barely move, and he could only grit his teeth and answer a few questions. Just as he was feeling somewhat helpless, Ishida Tetsuya and the others stepped in front of him.

At the same time, he felt a warm, jade-like touch on his hand. He turned around and saw Kato Megumi winking at him, looking very playful and cute. "Come with me, Uesugi-kun."

Without the slightest hesitation, Uesugi Kenichi ran out after Kato Megumi.

As expected, Kato Megumi's Akarin attribute was quite powerful, and she successfully slipped away following behind her.

Chapter 50 Let's Grow Our Hair Long (Seeking Flowers)

"Thank you so much, Kato, you've really been a great help." Uesugi Kenichi said, still a little shaken. He only realized what was happening when he felt the soft touch on his hand and released Kato Megumi's hand.

"It's alright, it's nothing to worry about. But Uesugi-kun is really amazing." Kato Megumi chuckled, feeling a little relieved. Even she felt a flutter in her heart when Uesugi Kenichi held her hand.

"Let me treat you to something to show my gratitude."

"okay."

When they passed a dessert shop on the way, Uesugi Kenichi took Kato Megumi inside, asked her about her preferences, and ordered some desserts and drinks.

"I never expected that Uesugi-kun would go to the comic convention on Sunday, and cause such a huge sensation," Kato Megumi exclaimed.

Last night, when I saw a magazine with Kenichi Uesugi on the cover by the roadside, Megumi Kato bought it without hesitation.

"I didn't expect this myself. I hope things will be more normal in the future," Uesugi Kenichi said with a wry smile. If he really had to face this situation every day, he really couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't have the urge to hit someone.

"No, it should calm down in a couple of days. After all, everyone has their own things to do." Kato Megumi smiled gently. Seeing that Uesugi Kenichi seemed a little hot, she took out a small fan from her bag and gently fanned him.