Tokyo: The Manga Begins with the Funeral of Frilian

Golden Snake Karaoke in Shibuya, Tokyo.

The private room was brightly lit, filled with unrestrained cheers, and the coffee table was littered with empty beer bottles. Someone knocked over a bunch of them with a single touch, and upon realizing there was no more beer, angrily shouted in Japanese:

"Where's the wine! Where's the wine!"

"This wine costs 3000 yen a bottle. Even if the boss is treating, don't drink too much!"

"Are you kidding me! It's only 3000 yen, only Kamiya wouldn't be able to afford that!"

"Boss, you're a bank employee! Your daily wage can buy 100 bottles of beer at 3000 yen each! Give me another 100!"

The private room erupted in laughter, the music grew louder, and people laughed heartily, seemingly without a care in the world.

Kamiya Yuma hid in the corner of the private room, looking somewhat out of place.

"This is the end of the bubble era. I wonder if they'll still be able to laugh in another month."

"In order to recruit employees, companies will start interviewing and selecting as early as the freshman and sophomore years of college. Successful candidates will be offered jobs early on, while unsuccessful candidates can find other opportunities."

  

"But a month later, the bubble burst, companies defaulted, and this generation of college students became dependent on their parents, the so-called lost generation."

"But my situation is worse than theirs. At least they can still find jobs, while I can't even afford to eat. I can only come to classmate reunions to freeload off them..."

Kamiya Yuma thought silently, picked up a bottle of beer, took a sip, and found it tasted astringent and bitter, far inferior to Tsingtao Pure Draft.

However, this stuff is made from malt, so it's practically a meal!

He traveled here yesterday.

The original owner was considered a half-good-for-nothing. Despite attending university, she wasn't invited by companies during her freshman or sophomore year like others.

The reason was that he was too introverted. He couldn't say a single word to the interviewer, and could only nod and say "Oh my," and the second sentence was "Sayonara."

Even if Japan were facing a severe shortage of university graduates at that time, they wouldn't hire someone like this for a job.

Naturally, the original owner couldn't find a job and is now a freelancer, making a living by drawing short comics.

Unfortunately, I've been having a run of bad luck lately. Several of my submissions have gone unanswered, and now I only have 2500 yen left in my pocket, not even enough to buy a bottle of wine.

With only 2500 yen left, I was basically stuck with this meal and didn't know where my next meal would come from. Luckily, I heard there was a classmate reunion today, so I decided to freeload and have a meal.

"Nobody told me that Japanese classmate reunions are all about drinking and not eating. I wish I hadn't come."

Kamiya Yuma muttered something, staring longingly at the table to see if there was any bread.

"Kamiya-kun."

At that moment, a rather pretty figure suddenly sat down next to Kamiya Yuma. She was wearing white sandals, her slender, fair ankles were very delicate, and above that was a slightly wrinkled white skirt.

Kamiya Yuma looked up along the skirt and finally saw her face. This face was very similar to Nakamori Akina, who later became a sensation in Japan, but she was even prettier than Nakamori Akina, with some baby fat on her cheeks.

"Shiori Shirakawa?"

Yuma Kamiya realized that this was his college classmate.

Not only that, Shirakawa Shiori was also the original owner's crush during college. In her memory, the original owner always sat in the back row, staring blankly at Shirakawa Shiori's slender back in the first row.

They rarely interacted, except during volleyball class when the original owner would muster the courage to approach Shirakawa Shiori, who was practicing diligently alone, and cautiously ask:

"Shiori, do you need me to help you with the ball?"

That's so lame! Kamiya Yuuma despises this kind of behavior. If you like something, just say so!

"So Kamiya-kun still remembers me."

Shiori Shirakawa smiled happily, her eyes curving into crescents, and asked with some curiosity, "Kamiya-kun, are you very hungry?"

"Was my search for food that obvious?" Kamiya Yuuma touched his stomach, a little embarrassed.

"I brought croissants with me."

Shiori Shirakawa took a bag of bread out of her pocket, and Yuma Kamiya took it from her. When he touched it, he found that it was still warm. Could it be that it was just bought?

"Thanks." Kamiya Yuma didn't stand on ceremony and started eating. "I came over before I even ate. I didn't expect to be out so late."

"It's been a long time, everyone. What are you up to these days, Kamiya-kun?"

"Same as always, drawing comics to make a living."

"Still drawing teen comics?"

"I'll draw anything, whatever the magazine wants. What is Shiori doing now?"

"I'm doing official business now... paperwork and the like," Shiori Shirakawa said.

Kamiya Yuma couldn't help but be taken aback. Handling paperwork is basically the job of a civil servant, right? Is Shirakawa Shiori trying to protect my self-esteem?

Kamiya Yuma had a deep impression of Shirakawa Shiori, but he didn't really know her. His impression of her was that of a quiet, beautiful goddess, and he had no idea about her true personality.

He turned out to be a very kind person.

"Um, Kamiya-kun, why don't you leave?" Shiori Shirakawa said in a low voice.

Well, it seems we jumped to conclusions too early.

"Why?" Kamiya Yuma asked, puzzled.

Shiori Shirakawa glanced around furtively. The other students were still singing with great enthusiasm, and only a few boys would occasionally glance over, probably those who had a crush on her during their university years.

Kamiya Yuu really wants to be beautiful, and this is what it's like. Whether in elementary school, middle school, high school, or university, she is always surrounded by all kinds of gazes.

"I just heard that someone is targeting you and trying to make you pay the price," Shiori Shirakawa said.

"Should I pay the bill?"

Kamiya Yuuma sneered, "They're really dreaming. Even if they sold me out, they couldn't afford this!"

Shiori Shirakawa was taken aback: "The key point isn't paying the bill, it's that they want to humiliate you."

"Are you insulting me by saying I have no money?"

Shiori Shirakawa remained silent.

"I just don't have money right now, it doesn't mean I'll always be broke."

Thinking about the plot of "Slam Dunk," Yuma Kamiya confidently declared, "I'm sure I can draw a fantastic manga, a manga that many people will love and adore!"

Shiori Shirakawa froze, the image of the male protagonist from a manga she had read in the past gradually overlapping with Yuuma Kamiya's current state. She opened her mouth, murmuring:

"Kamiya-kun, you've really changed a lot."

"You talk like you used to know me so well," Kamiya Yuma said, surprised.

"No, no, it's just that my aura is different."

Shiori Shirakawa quickly denied it, a faint blush rising on her face in the dim light.

At this moment, the so-called leader, Okita Kyouji, the wealthiest student in the 1986 class of the Economics and Management Department at Aoyama Gakuin University, walked over somewhat drunk, put his arm around Kamiya Yuuma's shoulder, and shouted:

"Hey everyone, did you hear that?! Kamiya said he's paying for everything tonight! Cheers to Kamiya!"

"Kamiya Yuma!"

"Kamiya Yuma!"

Kyouji Okita looked at Kamiya provocatively, winking mischievously. "Seeing you're always alone, I'll find a reason to help you attract some attention."

Before Kamiya Yuuma could answer, a semi-transparent light screen suddenly appeared before his eyes, with several lines of text clearly visible.

[The World Line Convergence System has been activated!]

[Can converge world lines]

[Fork in the road 1: You choose to decisively admit defeat, slink away from the karaoke bar, and stay at Shirakawa Saori's house for a heart-to-heart talk. Reward: Your bank account increases by 50,000 yen.]

[Branch 2: You decide to confront him head-on, telling your classmates about Okita Anzu's despicable behavior and moving into Shirakawa Saori's house for a heart-to-heart talk. Reward: Increased favorability with some female classmates.]

[Branch 3: You choose to wait and see, but are pulled away by Shirakawa Saori and taken to her home for a long talk. Reward: The complete story and storyboards of "The Burial of Frilian"]

……