Tokyo: The Manga Begins with the Funeral of Frilian

Pushing open the door, you enter a beautiful and cozy one-bedroom apartment.

Yes, Yuma Kamiya finally arrived because the rain was just too heavy.

The radio said that today was a once-in-fifty-year torrential rain in Tokyo, and several low-lying subway entrances were flooded beyond recognition, forcing the Shinkansen to suspend operations. They managed to catch the last train back.

"How about it? My house is very clean, isn't it!"

Saori Shirakawa proudly put her handbag aside, then took out a spare pair of slippers from the shoe cabinet. "I only have women's slippers at home, so please make do with these. If you feel a little uncomfortable, you can come in barefoot."

The slippers were indeed quite small, and according to Japanese etiquette, wearing someone else's slippers would be considered very offensive, so Kamiya Yuma resolutely went in barefoot.

"There's still some ramen at home, would you like some? I can cook it for you," said Saori Shirakawa.

"More than ramen, I'd like to ask, where am I going to sleep?"

Kamiya Yuma swallowed hard.

This is a very simple one-bedroom apartment; in other words, it only has one bed...

"Of course I'll sleep on the floor! Do you really want to sleep in the same bed as me?" Shirakawa Saori said, hands on her hips, with conviction.

Kamitani Yuuma hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Shiori, do you have dip pens and manga manuscript paper at home?"

Shiori Shirakawa was taken aback. "You want to draw manga? Yes, but it's so late, you should rest."

"Tonight's events gave me a lot of inspiration, and I want to write them down quickly so I don't forget them tomorrow." Kamiya Yuma scratched his head, pretending to be embarrassed.

After making his choice, he had a lot of ideas about the plot and storyboard design of "The Burial of Frillian" in his mind, and now he was really itching to make a move.

"Okay, I'll go get it for you now."

Shiori pulled Kamiya Yuma to sit at the desk. The bookshelf was mostly filled with documents, as well as reference books for civil service exams, such as "Civil Service Exam Study Guide".

The top layer was a folder. Shiori Shirakawa took it down, opened the first page, and found a hand-drawn Astro Boy, which was quite beautiful.

"I sometimes practice secretly."

Shiori Shirakawa blushed.

"It's beautifully drawn."

Kamiya Yu said sincerely.

Shiori Shirakawa's blush deepened. She rubbed her fingers and said, "Then you draw. I'm going to take a shower first. Don't you dare peek! Absolutely not!"

Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. Kamiya Yuma's pen froze. He took a deep breath and solemnly began to write.

Because the plot and storyboard were so clear in his mind, Yuma Kamiya didn't need to make a draft. With his artistic background from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the image of Frillie quickly came to life.

"The Burial of Frilian" is a slow-paced manga, so Yuma Kamiya's brushstrokes are also very light, avoiding large blocks of color as much as possible.

In contrast to this manga is "Berserk," where Kentaro Miura's drawing skills are frighteningly powerful, evoking the reader's emotions in a different way.

......

  

Thirty minutes later, Shiori Shirakawa walked out of the bathroom while drying her hair and was slightly taken aback when she saw Yuuma Kamiya, who was focused on the task.

I quietly walked over and found that he was drawing a girl, and she was really beautiful.

"Kamiya-kun's drawing skills have improved a lot."

Shiori Shirakawa wondered to herself, "Is Kamiya-kun drawing a fantasy story?"

"The hero adventure genre."

"The kind of thing called 'Dragon Quest'?" Shiori Shirakawa asked, tilting her head.

Dragon Quest only started serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump this year; only true manga fans know about it. Kamiya Yuuma paused, then said:

"It's not quite the same. The theme is actually love, not adventure."

"Hey? Tell me about it quickly."

Actually, Kamiya Yuuma didn't really want to say it, since it involved copyright issues. However, Shirakawa Shiori had helped him and given him a place to stay, so she must be a very kind person.

"Frilian is an immortal species, with a lifespan of several thousand years."

A hundred years ago, she and her companions, along with an unrecognized hero, defeated the Demon King.

A century is but a blink of an eye for Frilian, but a lifetime for a short-lived species.

A century later, Frilian embarks on another journey by chance, only to discover traces of the hero's love for her all over the world.

Frillie was a somewhat slow-witted girl, and it wasn't until then that she realized the hero's overwhelming love for her.

Unfortunately, the person is gone. What I once wanted may have been obtained, but like sand slipping through my fingers, it is all gone in the end.

......

"Kamiya-kun is a bad guy."

Kamiya Yuma was talking non-stop when he suddenly heard this sentence and couldn't help but turn his head.

Shiori Shirakawa's eyes were red for some reason, tears welling up in them, and she whispered, "Kamiya-kun is a bad guy."

"Why are you crying?" Kamiya Yuma asked.

"It's all because Kamiya-kun's story is so touching, and the hero's character design is also very gentle."

Shiori Shirakawa sniffed: "Kamiya-kun, you, you should get some rest. I'm going to sleep."

As she spoke, she lay down on the bed, covered herself with the blanket, and turned her back to Kamiya Yuuma.

The death of Frillie reminded her of herself. The feelings she had in middle school were different from the feelings she had as an adult. She thought that she might have liked Kamiya-kun in middle school.

But after she grew up, she couldn't explain it anymore.

She was a little scared.

I fear that after a year with Frilian, I won't realize how beautiful the present moment is until many years later. I fear that, like Frilian, I will slip through my fingers like quicksand, and eventually, everything will be gone.

"Women are so complicated."

Kamiya Yuma was a little confused and continued to immerse himself in drawing.

Japanese manga submissions typically require 15-40 pages, while the requirements for the Shonen Manga Newcomer Award are 35-50 pages. He needs to hurry.

After all, I only have 2500 yen left in my pocket!

The prize money for being selected for the Shonen Manga Newcomer Award is as high as 200 million yen. Even if it is just a good work or a shortlisted work, it can still be as high as 50 to 100 million yen!

That's about $1.6!

This amount of money is not enough to make Yuma Kamiya a millionaire, but at least it will keep him from going hungry.

"My plan is to win the prize money, get noticed by the editorial department, and become a professional cartoonist with a serialized comic!"

Kamiya Yuma calmed himself down and continued to immerse himself in his painting.

The rain intensified, the raindrops pounding against the windowpane. Shiori Shirakawa, unable to sleep, quietly turned over.

Hidden under the warm yellow light, Yuma Kamiya was focused, his pen moving steadily, just as before.

......