Landmark Collaboration Novel Collection 'I Guess I Should Just Hate You' by Kazuki Sakuraba and Yuki Shasendo to be Released on May 20, 2026

Kawade Shobo Shinsha Co., Ltd. has announced the publication of 'I Guess I Should Just Hate You: Love, Murderous Intent, and the Seven Conditions,' a landmark collaborative short story collection by Kazuki Sakuraba and Yuki Shasendo, two authors who command immense support from readers. The book is scheduled for release on May 20, 2026. This project marks a momentous collaboration between authors celebrated for their depictions of and by 'young girls.' Yuki Shasendo, an author gaining attention for her sharp portrayals of the tense love-hate relationships of modern youth, has publicly stated, 'I was raised on your novels' to Kazuki Sakuraba, a popular author who continues to create sensations with her depictions of girls' pain and craving for love. This dream match between two 'charismatic figures for girls' from different generations—one born in the 1970s and the other in the 1990s—has finally come to fruition. The collection features a series of poignant murder cases set in 2020s Tokyo, where the 'love' and 'murderous intent' of young girls intersect. It is a deluxe crime suspense anthology containing a total of eight short stories (two pieces each, written over four rounds). 'This was a form of study I could never have achieved alone, and I was able to do it four times,' says Kazuki Sakuraba. Yuki Shasendo adds, 'Through this project, I wanted to show that a novelist raised on your work has become capable of writing this much.' 'I Guess I Should Just Hate You' is an unprecedented collaborative collection where each author has written short stories based on seven shared 'conditions' they established together, all set in 2020s Tokyo. These conditions were born from conversations like, 'I want to know... what your definition of love is, Ms. Sakuraba' (Shasendo) and 'There are times when you just think, if it's going to burn, let it burn, right?' (Sakuraba). Readers can enjoy comparing the differences in the two authors' works and searching for the common conditions as they read. The collection includes a total of eight stories (two of which are newly written) and an afterword. Among them are Shasendo's 'Off-site Battle,' a story of love and betrayal among girls frequenting a card game shop in Akihabara at the end of summer vacation in 2024, and Sakuraba's 'To Live On as a Monster,' in which a Chinese restaurant owner's daughter's fun summer vacation is shattered when a friend falls from a building rooftop. Full-text previews of 'Off-site Battle' and 'To Live On as a Monster' are currently available on the official 'WEB Kawade' site. The book has already received rave reviews from booksellers across Japan. Sayuri Arai from Kinokuniya Shinjuku Main Store praised it, saying, 'The stories that emerge from the same prompts are surprisingly different. The thrill of relationships collapsing and the intersection of distorted love.' Norie Ohtani from Miraiya Shoten Mito Uchihara Store commented, 'Both authors have different charms yet are similar in some way. If you only knew one, you're sure to gain another favorite author.' To commemorate the launch, Kawade Shobo Shinsha is holding a感想投稿キャンペーン (review submission campaign) on its X account with the hashtag '#きみにく' until May 31, 2026. Two winners selected by lottery from those who follow the account and post their thoughts will receive a deluxe art board signed by both authors.