9An instant bestseller when it was first published in Japan, Train Man became a multimedia sensation, generating a smash-hit TV series, a blockbuster film, and multiple manga series. Now here's the novel that started it all.

Boy--bashful and not overly brave--defends girl from obnoxious drunk on a Tokyo train. Girl sends boy a thank-you pair of pricey Hermés teacups. Boy's a geek and doesn't know what to do next. End of story for most nerds--but this one turns to the world's largest online message board and asks for help, so for him it's just the beginning. This matchless love story is told through a series of Internet chat room threads.

As Train Man, our hero charts his progress and unveils each new crisis--from making conversation to deciding what to wear on a date and beyond--in return, he receives advice, encouragement, warnings, and sympathy from the anonymous netizens. And Train Man discovers the secret to what makes the world go round--and proves we really do live in a universe where anything can happen.