Tokyo: The Manga Begins with the Funeral of Frilian

"I only slept for an hour and a half in total yesterday and the day before."

Shiori Shirakawa softened her voice.

"Let him sleep for a while."

Aoi Nakano looked at Shiori Shirakawa's expression, a hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.

"OK."

She put the pen away and took a magazine from the other side of the table, pushing it over.

"You sit with him for a while, I'll go handle other cases."

The office fell silent again.

Shiori Shirakawa didn't flip through the magazine; she just stared at Yuma Kamiya's sleeping face.

The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window.

It landed on his chapped lips.

She remembered him sitting at the low table drawing early Saturday morning.

The pen tip scratched across the paper, and I stood ramrod straight.

She was lying in bed at that time, listening to that voice as she slowly fell asleep.

When I woke up, the voice was still there.

She had never seen anyone work so hard.

It's just drawing comics, not going to war.

"Shiori".

Kamiya Yuma suddenly opened his eyes.

Shiori Shirakawa was startled and instinctively sat up straight.

"Hey, I'm here!"

I just dozed off for a bit.

Yuma Kamiya stretched his neck.

"Where's Attorney Nakano?"

She said the contract was fine and told us to sign it directly.

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Yuma Kamiya nodded.

Take the contract and turn to the last page.

Hearing the noise, Nakano Aoi came over from next door.

"I've finished watching it."

Yuma Kamiya took the pen she handed him.

He neatly wrote the four characters "Kamiya Yuma" in the signature area.

Nakano Aoi watched him finish signing and put the contract away.

"How much is the consultation fee? I'll transfer it to you later."

"Shiori's friends, no money required."

"That won't work."

Kamiya Yuuma shook his head: "It's not that I'm short of money now, I'll follow the rules."

Nakano Aoi glanced at Shirakawa Shiori.

"Your friend certainly knows the rules."

"Five thousand yen, based on the lowest consultation fee."

Yuma Kamiya took out five 1,000 yen bills from his wallet and placed them on the table.

"This is troublesome."

"If there are any contract issues in the future, just call us directly."

Nakano Aoi handed him her business card.

"As a newcomer to comics, you'll have plenty of opportunities to sign contracts."

Yuma Kamiya took the business card and carefully put it into his wallet.

It was already four o'clock in the afternoon when I left the office.

Shiori Shirakawa walked beside him.

The streets of Shinjuku are bustling with traffic.

"Shiori".

"Um?"

What do you want to eat tonight?

Shiori Shirakawa was taken aback.

"What?"

"It's my treat."

Yuma Kamiya said.

"I promised you, I'd treat you to dinner when I get the bonus."

"The bonus hasn't arrived yet."

"I haven't finished paying back the 30,000 yen that Onodera-senpai borrowed. But I can afford to treat you to this meal."

Shiori Shirakawa thought for a moment.

"Then I want to eat sushi."

"OK."

"Regular conveyor belt sushi is fine, nothing too expensive."

Shiori Shirakawa tilted her head: "Because you've only just started drawing manga, you need to save money. Conveyor belt sushi is also delicious."

Kamiya Yuma glanced at her.

Even when he's treating others, this person is still trying to save money for himself.

"Then let's have conveyor belt sushi."

"Um."

It was already dark when I left the sushi restaurant.

Shiori Shirakawa ate to her heart's content.

Although it was just ordinary conveyor belt sushi, she ate twelve plates in a row.

"My stomach is going to burst."

She rubbed her stomach, a satisfied smile on her face.

Are you sure you can walk home?

Kamiya Yuma asked with a smile.

"I can walk."

Shiori Shirakawa paused.

"But you have to support me."

Kamiya Yuma helplessly stretched out his arm.

Shiori Shirakawa hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed to join in.

Her fingertips rested lightly on his sleeve.

They were as careful as if they were afraid of being bounced away.

When they reached the subway entrance, Yuma Kamiya stopped.

"I'm going home first."

Why?

"The contract needs to be sent out, and I still have some things to organize at home."

Shiori Shirakawa nodded.

"Then come over for dinner again tomorrow."

"Um."

She let go of his hand and waved at him.

As he turned around, he turned back and said something.

"Be careful on the road."

"Know."

…………

When Kamiya Yuma returned to his apartment, which was less than six tatami mats in size, it was already nine o'clock at night.

Back inside, the first thing you see is a jumble of belongings.

The table leaned against the wall, and several scraps of paper were scattered on the floor.

Kamiya Yuma stood in the middle of the room for a few seconds.

Then he squatted down and picked up the scattered drafts on the table one by one, folding them neatly.

Organize the dip pens and paint boxes into a cardboard box.

After tidying up, he sat down at the folding table.

He rummaged through the drawer and pulled out an envelope, carefully placing the signed contract inside.

The address was written down beforehand: 2-5-10 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku.

Editorial department of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump.

Recipient: Ryota Onodera.

He affixed the stamp to the envelope.

I'll mail it from the nearest post office first thing tomorrow morning.

After finishing these tasks, he leaned against the wall and stared blankly for a while.

"I hope this time it will be successful."

He still has over 24,000 yen left, plus the 2 million yen bonus that will arrive next month, enough for him to move to a new place.

The landlord charges him 32,000 yuan a month for this apartment, which is less than six tatami mats in size.

But there wasn't even enough room for a decent table.

It's drafty in winter, stuffy in summer, and there's been no hot water for two consecutive years.

"It's time to move."

He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

A jumble of images floated into my mind.

Shiori Shirakawa walks over carrying a bowl of miso soup.

She knelt across the low table, watching him paint.

The image of her pulling out a file folder for him in the law firm.

She sat on the subway, rubbing her stomach and saying she felt like she was about to burst.

Yuma Kamiya shook his head.

Why think so much?

He stood up and quickly washed up.

The hard bed creaked as it supported his weight.

As soon as the lights were turned off, the whole room was plunged into darkness, and the exhaustion from not sleeping for forty-eight hours suddenly overwhelmed me.

Kamiya Yuma closed his eyes and fell asleep in less than thirty seconds.

…………

The next morning.

Yuma Kamiya went to the post office to mail the contract.

The post office clerk glanced at the mailing address.

"Shueisha, are you a manga artist?"

"That just counts."

"That's amazing."

She smiled and handed over the receipt.

"My son also likes to read comics and buys Jump every week."

Yuma Kamiya accepted the receipt.

"I smiled and said to her, 'Maybe he'll see my comics someday.'"

When I got back to my rented room, it was already 11 a.m.

The manuscript for the second episode is due next Monday.

Although the first chapter and color pages had already been drawn.

But every week thereafter, I have to submit my manuscript on time.

That's how weekly serializations work.

Once you start, you can never stop.

He took out his pen and continued writing.

At that moment, the phone rang at Shiori Shirakawa's place.

The voice on the other end was that of Ryota Onodera.

"Moshi moshi, is that Kamiya-kun?"