Well, I'd hesitate to say the novel's popularity is due to FuyuSo, as the history of doomed love in Japanese literature goes all the way back to Edo-period Kabuki love suicide plays, and you can see similar themes in earlier Noh plays and novels as well. So I'd say it was those that contributed to FuyuSo's popularity.

Am safe and sound out of Bangkok now. Thanks for the wishes:)