Reflections on a Day of Reading and Drinking

Tianxianzi

2026-02-01

Its been a while since I wrote a diary entry, so today I finally sat down and documented some thoughts that were floating around in my head. Given the exceedingly pleasant weather both at home and in the office, I found myself wasting time by picking through books that seemed fitting for such occasions. I brought along two comics and one fairy tale.

I had initially planned to go out to a coffee shop to , but while strolling down the street, I noticed a bar hosting a otaku event in a bar, so I decided to pop in for a drink instead of sticking around. After circling the bar three times and checking out the books on the shelf, flipping through some vocabulary words on my phone, I finally made it inside. Now that I think about it, drinking and reading new otaku material are mutually exclusive. The young adults who enjoy alcohol seem to be more grounded individuals with strong social skills, while those who engage deeply in otaku tend to have a more online personality. These two groups, although both socially inclined, dont really overlap, and neither has much in common with me. I hesitated at first before going into the barjust taking out some books and flipping through words on my phone while waiting for my friend. Now that I think about it, drinking and new otaku are opposing forces.

The event had ended by then, so we were all seated in the bar listening to various stories. Both groups seemed to be talking about themselves but didnt really connect with anyone else. The person sitting next to me spoke about her childhood, and I tried to keep up with her stories about reading comics or getting their hands on used copies of manga through apps like Weiyong or Hearing all this made my head spin a bit. I had started reading when I was in high school, but back then, I wasnt as plugged into the internet and paperback books werent as prevalent. I also realized that even though Im from a small town, were able to access some of the same comics as people from bigger cities.

I ended up just listening to her stories about these topics for quite a while before realizing I had to make my way out of there. After paying at the counter and grabbing a drink, I decided to check out another bar that had tables with comics on display. I thought it might be a good idea to kill some time reading in a more relaxed environment. The staff at this bar seemed friendlier than most, so I took a seat right awayunfortunately, they didnt have any free drinks left.

The next morning after finishing my latest manga, I felt pretty wiped out and decided not to drink anything before heading out. I got ready for the day by taking a shower and having breakfast at home before rushing out of the house. It was only about nine thirty when I stepped onto the street, but I had already wasted half an hour just sitting around waiting for someone to join me for lunch.

The weather turned cold pretty quickly once we got moving again, which made the street feel a lot less lively than it had been earlier in the day. Only two or three people were out having coffee at this point, and most of those were old-timers who still seemed to have all the fun. I ended up tipping my hat to a couple of guys who were waiting outside a nearby bar for their friends. Its not like they were exactly regulars, but both of them seemed pretty happy with where they were sitting.

After hanging around at this bar for a while, I noticed a girl named Eva was reading a lot of manga and had even gotten into the habit of watching giant screen TV shows. That seemed to be her main activity these daysthey didnt seem to mind spending hours in a bar like this either. A few blocks over, there were some people who looked like they hadnt moved since high school, but I wasnt sure if that was because their lives had slowed down or just because they always did that kind of thing.

I decided it would be best to stick to reading and not get too carried away with the drinks. I took a seat at this bar and flipped through some manga while waiting for my friend to show up. The girl sitting next to me was reading a lot of manga, so I figured maybe shed catch on if I brought along my own copy of The Rainy Storehouse She seemed pretty interested in it and even asked for my opinion about some of the stories. I told her that I was planning to read it myself soon, but I also mentioned that I had a feeling this particular story might be a little too intense for her age.

As I finished reading the latest manga and felt pretty wiped out from drinking all night, I decided to head back home after dark. After putting on some clothes and taking a quick shower, I grabbed my laptop and went straight back to work. Before I knew it, I had already read through half of this weeks newest issue of Ninja Tenshou and was completely engrossed in the story. There wasnt really anything else for me to do at home that would match my current level of interest in these stories.

It didnt take long before I realized how much time had been wasted today just sitting around reading and drinking. Even though I didnt spend any money on drinks, it was still a pretty bad investment considering everything else this week had turned out to be so great. The only thing that really saved me from feeling too bad about it was the fact that my friend Eva seemed to have managed to read through her entire collection of manga over the past few months without getting herself into any trouble.

After finally finishing up all the stories Id been reading, I decided to head out for a drink with some friends who had just gotten back from work. It turned out they were all pretty into Mystery Tenshou right now and even more into something called Kenji Uemuras manga The conversation quickly got into the weeds, but I managed to hang around for a while before realizing it was time to head back home. Once I made my way through the parking lot, I figured Id take a nap for a bit before calling it a night.

As I settled down in bed and started reading another story just as the lights were dimming, I had one final thought about todays events. There seems to be something about drinking that makes most people go into some kind of altered state, but honestly, I dont know if it really does anything for my ability to enjoy stories like Ninja Tenshou or other titles Ive been reading lately.

Its funny how the stories just keep getting better and better. Even though I had a little trouble focusing on some of these new releases, everything seems to be working out in my favor right now. I cant tell you how many times Ive gotten through a whole series just by pushing myself when I felt like giving up. Sometimes it really does feel like theres no limit to what you can accomplish if you put your mind to it.

Im definitely looking forward to reading whatever comes next, whether its the latest release or something Ive been saving up for all these months. There are some stories out there that seem impossible to finish in one sitting, but every time I push through and try again, it feels like Im getting closer and closer to completing them. Its these little moments that keep me coming back for more.

Theres a lot of pressure involved in trying to meet all the expectations that come with being an adult, but I dont think theres ever been a time when I felt as free as I did after putting everything on hold for today. Sure, tomorrow is going to bring its own set of challenges and responsibilities, but right now it feels like Im finally able to relax and enjoy myself without anyone else telling me what to do.

I cant tell you how many times Ive tried to push through when I felt like giving up, but every time I try again, it seems like things are getting a little easier. Its funny how small victories add up over timejust yesterday I was still questioning whether I could make it through another day without having to rely on someone else for supportand today Im already counting down the hours until tomorrows release. Theres definitely something about these stories that keeps me coming back for more.

Its funny how certain things just keep getting better and better. Even though today was filled with a lot of different emotions, theres one thing I can say for sure: Im not going to let this latest batch of stories hold me back any longer. No matter how tough it is to push through right now, I know there are even better things coming down the pikeand I dont want to miss them.

As I lie here in bed, reading another story just as the lights dim, I cant help but feel a little contented. Theres something about these stories that keeps me coming back for more, and today was no exception. Whether its the latest release or something Ive been saving up for all these months, theres always something new to look forward to.