An 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.