Tokyo: The Manga Begins with the Funeral of Frilian

Shiori Shirakawa paused for a moment.

She lifted her foot, her fingers slowly sliding down his shoulder.

She then went limp and nestled into his arms.

"Kamiya-kun, I want to be the first to see every story you draw from now on, not just manga, but everything you create—what you want to draw, what you dare not draw, what you have in your mind but haven't started drawing yet, I want to be the first to see it."

Yuma Kamiya raised his hand.

He gently pulled her into his arms.

When my palm touched her back.

You could tell she was trembling slightly.

"it is good."

"Also, you're not allowed to go for 48 hours without sleeping anymore. This is a new rule we've added to our cohabitation rules, and I'll write it on your schedule tomorrow."

"Write."

"There's more, there's more."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

"Thank you for saving me from those dark spots in junior high school."

In the evening breeze, the golden leaves outside the window swayed gently. In the alleyway area, scattered lights stretched towards the sky.

......

the next morning.

Shiori Shirakawa rubbed her aching temples and calmly walked out of the bedroom.

Yuzhen was already seated in front of the drawing table in the master bedroom.

"My head hurts so much."

She was holding a cream-colored ceramic cup, leaning against the door frame of the master bedroom.

Do you remember how much you drank last night?

Yuma didn't turn around.

His fingers were sketching the storyboard for episode six.

  

"Four cups, no, five cups."

Shiori Shirakawa took a sip of water.

"Did I say anything strange?"

"no."

You're lying.

"Is it strange that you said you've liked me since junior high?"

Shiori picked up the white porcelain cup, drank all the warm water in it at once, and then turned and walked into the kitchen.

"I forgot."

"You didn't forget yesterday."

"I said I forgot, and I mean I forgot."

......

At this time on Friday evening.

Ryota Onodera rang the doorbell.

Kamiya Yuma pushed open the door, and then he noticed that there was a figure following him.

It's a girl.

She is small in stature.

Her black hair was tied into a low ponytail with a simple hair tie.

He was wearing a charcoal gray sailor shirt.

The bow at the neckline is crooked.

He was wearing a beige face mask, which covered most of his face, a rather unusual situation.

"This is our new assistant."

Ryota Onodera pushed the girl into the entrance hall.

"Her name is Hoshino Rin, she is nineteen years old, and she was shortlisted for the Shueisha Newcomer Award last year. Her talent for drawing backgrounds and battle scenes is better than most professional assistants."

Hoshino Rin stood at the door with her head down.

Both hands gripped the shoulder straps of the backpack tightly.

She suddenly raised her eyes and quickly glanced at Yuma Kamiya.

Then he quickly lowered his head again.

"Hello, Kamiya-sensei. I am Hoshino Rin, nineteen years old, blood type A, and my zodiac sign is Scorpio. My hobby is drawing anatomical diagrams of demons. My favorite manga is Berserk and Fist of the North Star. I am not good at talking to humans."

He recited everything quickly, like a tongue twister.

It seems that he became skilled through repeated practice.

Kamiya Yuma looked at Onodera Ryota.

"Where did you find her?"

"She came to us herself. Last week, she sent the editorial department a thirty-page fan comic of 'Frilian,' depicting a battle scene between the remnants of the Demon King's army and the human knights. The perspective and composition of the background are better than half of the serialized authors in our editorial department."

Ryota Onodera took out a fan art piece from his briefcase.

Then I handed it over.

"I asked her if she wanted to be an assistant, and she asked which teacher she would be working for. I said it was Yuma Kamiya, and she agreed on the spot."

Hoshino Rin stood in the entrance hall without moving.

"Mr. Kamiya, my drawing isn't good enough yet, but that's only my third draft. If you can give me a week, I can draw it better. If not, three days or even two days will do. I can draw backgrounds three times faster than a regular assistant because I don't need to sleep or eat. All I need is darkness and ink."

Shiori Shirakawa poked her head out from the kitchen.

When she looked over at the entrance hall, she saw another person.

She quickly wiped the water off her hands, and then hurriedly came out of the kitchen.

"Hello there."

Hoshino Rin's gaze fell on the apron Shirakawa Shiori was wearing, noticing the strawberry pattern on it.

Then, she looked at Shiori Shirakawa's fingers, which were covered in water droplets.

"You must be Shiori Shirakawa-senpai."

"So you know me."

"It was editor Onodera who told me. He said that Kamiya-sensei has a live-in assistant at home. This assistant's main job is to scrape off halftone dots and apply black, and her hourly wage is 1,200 yen. According to Shueisha's standard hourly wage for assistants, this figure is higher than working in a convenience store, but lower than working in a coffee shop. If this were a world ruled by demons, that price could buy a goblin's ear."

She paused for a moment after saying this.

"I'm really sorry, what I meant was that what you've done is of great value. You know, goblin ears are a very precious material."

Shiori Shirakawa turned her head and looked at Yuma Kamiya.

Is she praising me?

Yuma closed the fan art she was holding.

Then he raised his eyes and looked at Ryota.

Why are you wearing a mask?

"She insisted on wearing it herself. She said that if she didn't wear a mask, the spiritual pressure around her body would leak out, which might harm ordinary humans."

Ryota Onodera took out a cigarette and lit it.

"I really don't understand what's going on in the minds of these young people these days."

After Yuma finished drawing the fan art, she placed the artwork on the shoe rack in the entryway.

Then Yuma turned around and walked towards the direction of the master bedroom.

"Come in."

Hoshino Rin followed Yuuma into the master bedroom.

When she saw the hand-painting table, the copying table, and a three-compartment storage cabinet on the desk, she stopped in her tracks.

"This is actually... a custom-made workbench. The angle of the tabletop is adjustable, and the inside of the light table is equipped with LED lights. Moreover, the depth of the drawers is just right to fit the standard size of halftone paper."

She walked around the drawing table.

"This model is nowhere to be found on the market. Is it custom-made?"

"That's right."

Yuma Kamiya sat down in front of the drawing table.

"I was just about to start drawing the next chapter of 'The Burial of Frilian,' and you've come at just the right time."