Advice From A Storyteller

Rurouni stopped beside the bench. His heart was pounding. He took a small breath.

"H-Hello, sir."

"C-Can I sit here?"

Hashaku looked up from his notebook.

A small laugh escaped him.

"I see."

"So you know who I am."

Rurouni froze, failed to understand how he got busted in the spot.

"Huh?"

"How did you know, sir?"

Hashaku closed his notebook.

"Because no one casually calls a stranger 'sir' while hesitating that much."

Rurouni blinked, still nervous though.

"I see."

Hashaku moved slightly to the left, making room on the bench.

"You can sit here."

Rurouni became embarrassed again.

"T-Thank you, sir."

He carefully sat down beside him.

For a little while...

Neither of them spoke.

The gentle splash of the fountain filled the silence.

Somewhere nearby...

Children laughed as they chased one another through the park.

A breeze quietly turned one corner of Hashaku's notebook before he rested his hand over the page.

"Tell me something."

"Do you want to be a writer?"

The question had arrived so suddenly that Rurouni almost forgot how to answer.

"I..."

His fingers instinctively tightened around the bottle resting in his lap.

"I think so."

Then he remembers the enjoyment he felt while reading his novels.

"No."

"I know I do."

"I just don't know if I'm good enough."

Hashaku's expression remained calm.

There wasn't a trace of judgment in his eyes.

Only quiet understanding.

"Well..."

"That's a familiar answer."

Rurouni blinked, didn't expected that answer.

"R-Really?"

"Almost every aspiring writer I've met has said something similar."

"Even me."

Rurouni's eyes widened with extra drama.

"Whaaat?"

"You too?"

"Yeah."

"Especially me."

Hashaku looked toward the fountain.

"I spent years wondering whether I was worthy enough to write stories."

"Then one day..."

"I realized something."

"No one starts because they're good enough."

"They become good enough..."

"Because they keep learning."

Rurouni listened without moving, not even a little.

Every word seemed to settle somewhere deep inside him.

Hashaku gently closed the notebook resting across his knees.

"May I give you one piece of advice?"

Rurouni immediately straightened.

"P-Please, sir."

"Then don't start writing yet."

Silence.

Confusion made Rurouni say.

"...What?"

"Don't?"

Hashaku nodded, eyes closed, felling the atmosphere.

"Yeah."

"Not yet."

Rurouni still don't know why he said that.

"But..."

"I thought I should practice as early as possible."

"Perhaps."

"But before writing your own stories..."

"You need to read enough first."

"It will be better this way."

"Reading can expand the limits of your imagination too."

He folded his hands together.

"Tell me."

"How many novels have you read?"

Rurouni thought carefully before answering.

"Around thirty."

"Maybe a little more."

"Mostly fantasy."

Hashaku nodded thoughtfully.

"That's a wonderful beginning."

"Now..."

"Read twenty more."

Rurouni's eyes widened, surprised by the number.

"Twenty?"

"At least."

"Fantasy."

"Mystery."

"Adventure."

"Science fiction."

"Historical fiction."

"Romance."

"Comedy."

"Read books that excite you."

"Read books that bore you."

"Read masterpieces."

"Read failures as well."

Rurouni listened in complete silence.

Hashaku continued calmly.

"A brilliant novel tells you what to do."

"A terrible novel tells you what not to do."

"They're both teachers."

"Neither of them should be ignored."

He gently tapped the cover of his notebook.

"Many beginners rush to write."

"But they've only seen one small corner of storytelling."

"Then they start wondering why every idea they have feels so familiar."

Rurouni slowly lowered his eyes, felt like he gained some knowledge for the first time.

"I've never thought about it that way."

"Exactly."

"Most people don't."

"Writing begins long before you write your first sentence."

"It starts every time you lose yourself inside another person's story."

"Every novel you finish leaves something behind."

"Even if it's just a little."

"A new way of thinking."

"A better understanding of people."

"A chance to see the world from a completely different perspective."

He looked directly into Rurouni's eyes.

"So, first of all..."

"Read enough."

"And one day..."

"You'll stop wanting to write like your favorite author."

A gentle breeze passed between them.

"You'll start writing like yourself."

For several long moments...

Rurouni couldn't say anything.

Those simple words carried far more weight than any complicated writing advice he'd ever read.

He slowly nodded, determination in his heart.

"Okay, sir."

"I'll do it."

"I'll read them."

"All of them."

Hashaku corrected him with a little laugh due to his exaggerated words.

"Not all of them, my friend."

"There are far too many."

"Just..."

"Keep reading until curiosity becomes a habit."

"Then..."

"Eventually..."

"One day..."

"You'll find your own voice."

Rurouni smiled, a genuine smile.

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll remember this for the rest of my life."

Hashaku's smile remained warm.

"I'm happy to hear that."

"But stop calling me sir."

"Just call me Hashaku."

Rurouni gave a salute dramatically.

"Yes, sir"

"As you wish."

A question appeared in Hashaku's mind.

Is he an idiot or something?

Footsteps approached across the grass.

Kara and Katon finally walked over.

Both stopped at a respectful distance.

Kara bowed slightly like a waiter.

"Sorry for interrupting your happy moment."

"Thank you for talking with him."

"It really meant a lot to him."

Hashaku smiled, tilted his right hand.

"No... no... NO!"

"I genuinely enjoyed talking with him too."

Then looked at the two innocent boys in front of his eyes.

"I believe you're lucky to have each other."

"You should treasure your friendship."

"Not everyone has friends who are genuinely happy when you're happy."

No, we're professional terrorists.

Please stop decreasing our value in the underworld.

Katon decided to say something after seeing the atmosphere.

"Thanks."

"We didn't expect Rurouni's favorite novelist to be this polite."

"He has admired you for a long time."

"I'm truly happy that we met."

Hashaku raised an eyebrow.

"Please stop buttering me up."

"I feel like drinking coffee with ten times more sugar."

Yeah, me too...

I wonder which brand should I try today.

Kara couldn't hold himself back.

A small laugh escaped him.

"Maybe we should add that dialogue to our future pranks."

Katon nodded.

"True."

"We never know what might happen in the future."

Hashaku nodded as he laughed softly.

"I suppose it isn't a bad idea."

Hashaku then noticed Rurouni staring at him curiously.

"Hm?"

"What's the matter?"

Rurouni immediately replied.

"Nothing."

"I was just thinking..."

"You're quieter than I expected."

Hashaku laughed at him.

Not because he said a joke...

But he said the same thing to his favourite author at his age.

"Novelists spend most of their time observing, kid."

"We become quieter naturally."

After exchanging one final farewell...

The three left the bench.

Hashaku reopened his notebook almost immediately.

I wonder if he can surpass me?

Within seconds...

His cheap blue ball pen was moving once again.

Scratch...

Scratch...

It was almost as if their conversation had quietly become another page in his story.

Rurouni looked back several times before the trees finally hid the bench from view.

"I still can't believe it."

His voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"Hashaku..."

"My favorite author."

Kara smiled to himself.

"It's better than lying in your room all day, right?"

Rurouni nodded honestly this time.

"Definitely worth it."

"Today is the best day."

"I'm serious."

"I think I'll remember every single moment of it."

"I don't think I'll be sad for a while."

Neither Kara nor Katon answered immediately.

They simply smiled.

For the rest of the walk...

Rurouni couldn't stop talking.

Anyone will think he's a lost cause.

He talked about Hashaku, the advice he'd just received.

About the twenty books he suddenly wanted to read.

His excitement spilled from one topic to another without pause.

Kara quietly listened, ocasionally teasing him.

Katon listened as well, offering only the occasional comment.

Both of them watched Rurouni slowly become the energetic boy he'd been before the nightmare.

As the afternoon sun sank lower across the town...

Neither Kara nor Katon regretted the ridiculous plan they'd carried out the previous night.

Because seeing Rurouni smile like this...

Made every bit of trouble feel worthwhile.