Tokyo: The Manga Begins with the Funeral of Frilian

After Yoshikawa Taro left, the meeting room was quiet for a few seconds.

Kamiya Yuma looked at the two of them intently.

"My two seniors, I will not allow you to retire early."

Editor-in-Chief Tanaka took the cigarette out of his mouth and stubbed it out in the ashtray.

"Then you should draw well."

"I'll try to persuade the board at next Monday's serialization meeting. You don't need to worry about Yoshikawa; leave that to me."

"Will it work?"

Kamiya Yuma was somewhat worried.

"nonsense."

Editor-in-Chief Tanaka sat back down in his chair.

"I'm the editor-in-chief, and I decide what comics are serialized. The board of directors can offer suggestions, but they can't edit the magazine for me."

Ryota Onodera added a comment from the side.

"Moreover, Editor-in-Chief Tanaka has never lost an argument at the board meeting."

"That's because I'm right."

Editor-in-Chief Tanaka couldn't help but speak up in rebuttal.

"Even when it's unreasonable, I'll still resort to cheating."

Yuma Kamiya couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, you can go back now."

Ryota Onodera patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't be late for the serialization meeting next Monday morning at nine. If you're late, the editor-in-chief and I will be completely embarrassed."

"understood."

Kamiya Yuma and the other person bowed and turned to leave the conference room.

When I came out of the Shueisha building, it was still bright outside.

He stood at the doorway and took a deep breath.

The early autumn breeze felt pleasant on my face, no longer stuffy.

He has no regrets.

Even if it happened again, he would say the same thing.

I got off at Yonghe Station and walked along the road lined with ginkgo trees.

  

The edges of the ginkgo leaves have begun to turn yellow.

Standing at the door of Shiori Shirakawa's house, he rang the doorbell.

The door opened faster than usual.

"How is it?"

Shiori Shirakawa stood at the doorway, her apron still tied around her neck.

"The serialization meeting is scheduled for next Monday."

Yuma Kamiya took off his shoes and went inside.

"But something went wrong."

"What's going on?"

Shiori Shirakawa frowned.

Kamiya Yuma placed the file folder on the low table and recounted what had happened in the editorial department.

Shiori Shirakawa listened to it.

"So the question now is, is there opposition from the board of directors?"

"right."

"Can Editor-in-Chief Tanaka convince them?"

"I don't know, but I believe him."

Yuma Kamiya leaned back in his chair.

Shiori Shirakawa placed the wooden shovel on the table and sat down opposite him.

"Kamiya-kun."

"Um?"

"If Jump doesn't work, other magazines will do."

Her voice was very serious.

"You're drawing good stuff. Even if Jump's board of directors doesn't understand it, editors from other magazines certainly will. Weekly Shonen Magazine or Weekly Shonen Sunday are also looking for good new talent. You don't have to stay in Jump."

Yuma Kamiya looked at her.

"You trust me that much?"

"Because I've seen it."

Shiori Shirakawa said.

"I know you draw exceptionally well."

"So if Jump doesn't want it, it's their loss. Not yours."

Kamiya Yuma sighed as he spoke.

"But they simply don't agree with anime without combat."

Shiori Shirakawa began to speak.

"That's because Director Yoshikawa didn't understand it at all."

"Um?"

"He was saying that shonen manga should have battles. But every page of your manga is filled with battles. Frilian is battling her own obtuseness, battling people who can never come back, battling the words she can't say."

She looked up at Yuma Kamiya.

"This kind of battle is much harder than fighting the Demon King."

Kamiya Yuma didn't say anything.

"Kamiya-kun."

"Um?"

"On Monday, if Editor-in-Chief Tanaka can't convince the board, then you should say this."

Shiori Shirakawa's eyes lit up.

"Those who have lived too long never face a demon king as their enemy, but time itself."

......

Shiori Shirakawa was woken up by her alarm clock.

Saturday morning at six o'clock.

She rubbed her eyes as she walked out of the bedroom, then froze.

The low table was covered with manuscript paper.

Yuma Kamiya sat cross-legged at the table.

His back was ramrod straight.

The original manuscript in front of him was already more than half finished.

Frilian stood on the meadow in the morning light, her hair blowing in the wind.

"Kamiya-kun?"

Shiori Shirakawa's voice still sounded sleepy.

"You didn't sleep last night?"

"Going to sleep."

Kamiya Yuma didn't even look up.

"When did you go to sleep?"

I slept while you were sleeping.

You're lying.

Shiori Shirakawa walked quickly to the low table.

She knelt down and stared at his face.

Kamiya Yuma was wide awake, his gaze fixed on the manuscript.

The pen tip moved with a scratchy, rustling sound.

"I'm really asleep."

"You were still drawing when I got up to use the bathroom last night."

"You're probably dreaming."

Shiori Shirakawa took a deep breath and swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

She got up to wash up, and when she came back, Kamiya Yuma was still drawing.

She made two breakfasts and placed one on the low table.

"Eat first."

"Wait a minute, finish this panel."

"Eat now."

Shiori Shirakawa's tone left no room for negotiation.

Yuma Kamiya put down his pen and picked up his bowl.

He ate while staring at the manuscript.

Shiori Shirakawa sat opposite him, watching him.

"How many have you drawn?"

"The final draft of the first chapter was twelve pages long."

"Twelve pages in one night?"

"Um."

Kamiya Yuma shoveled the last bite of rice from his bowl into his mouth.

"I need to finish the remaining twenty pages today."

"Today? Twenty pages?"

Shiori Shirakawa's voice rose in pitch.

"A typical cartoonist only draws about twenty pages a week."

"I am not an ordinary cartoonist."

Shiori Shirakawa watched as Yuma Kamiya lowered his head again, his pen tip landing on the paper.

He draws the background at an alarming speed.

The buildings and natural scenery are almost seamlessly integrated.

The network of outlets is being closed too quickly.

She got up to wash the dishes, and when she came back, Kamiya Yuma had finished drawing two pages.

She took out her civil service exam reference books and pretended to look at them.

But my gaze involuntarily drifted over there.

Yuma Kamiya drew all day.

At noon, Shiori Shirakawa made rice balls and placed them beside him.

At 10 p.m., Shiori Shirakawa lay down on the bed.

I peeked through the crack in the door at the light coming from the low table.

The sound of the pen tip scratching the paper was like some kind of white noise, and she fell asleep while listening to it.

When I woke up on Sunday morning, the light was still on.

Shiori Shirakawa opened the bedroom door.

There were more manuscript papers on the low table than yesterday.

Yuma Kamiya is still in the same pose.

But his shirt was soaked with sweat and stuck to his back.

"Kamiya-kun."

no respond.

Shiori Shirakawa walked over and circled around to stand in front of him.

Kamiya Yuuma's eyes are very bright.

It felt like something was burning inside him.

All weariness was burned to ashes.

"How long has it been since you last slept?"

"Not long after."

"Tell the truth."

Kamiya Yuma finally looked up at her.

"Starting Friday night."

Shiori Shirakawa's head buzzed.

"Friday night? It's Sunday morning! You haven't slept for over thirty hours!"

"yes."

Yuma Kamiya looked down at his hands.

The fingers remained steady, and the pen tip did not tremble at all.

There was a strange feeling in my body, like some kind of switch had been turned on.

All fatigue is isolated somewhere.

[The "Liver Emperor" constitution has been activated.]