Tokyo: The Manga Begins with the Funeral of Frilian

"Of course."

Kamiya Yuma pointed to the stack of original manuscripts.

"You've seen it all, do you really think you can't get it?"

Shiori Shirakawa had no way to refute it.

She did think the comic was very good.

It was so good that she wanted to see what happened next.

I want to know what happened to Frillie afterward.

I want to know just how deep Simmel's love was.

I wonder when that slow-witted elf will finally understand what he missed.

"Whatever."

Shiori Shirakawa lowered her head to drink her soup, her voice somewhat muffled.

"The number is written next to the telephone; please write it down."

Yuma Kamiya walked to the telephone and saw a string of numbers written on a sticky note.

  

The handwriting is very neat.

He copied the number onto the last page of the original manuscript.

"It's not finished yet. I need to work hard today and try to send it out tomorrow."

"Where should I send it?"

"Weekly Shonen Jump Newcomer Award"

Yuma Kamiya said.

"The deadline is next Monday, there's still time."

Shiori Shirakawa thought for a moment, then asked worriedly, "Is the competition in Jump very fierce?"

"That's why I sent it to Jump; I have faith in it!"

Yuma Kamiya carefully rolled up the manuscript.

Although "The Burial of Frilian" is not a traditional shonen manga.

But that kind of delicate emotional expression is precisely what Jump is lacking now.

Yuma Kamiya recalls that it was in recent years that Jump began to explore more diverse themes.

There always has to be someone who's the first to try something new.

"Then I'm leaving."

Kamiya Yuma said goodbye to her, saying that he had to finish the rest today, otherwise he might miss the award judging.

Shiori Shirakawa walked to the entrance and watched Yuma Kamiya put on his shoes.

"Kamiya-kun."

"Um?"

"If your comic wins an award, tell me first."

Kamiya Yuma turned around and saw Shirakawa Shiori standing in the morning light.

Her expression was very serious.

"Of course I'll tell you first."

Yuma Kamiya nodded earnestly in return.

"After all, it's your home phone."

"Is that what you meant?"

Shiori Shirakawa glared at him angrily.

Kamiya Yuma couldn't help but laugh and waved at her.

"Don't worry, I'll let you know first. Whether I win or not, I'll be the first to tell you."

"That's more like it."

......

When Kamiya Yuma got home, it was already nine o'clock in the morning.

It's called a home, but it's actually a cheap apartment with less than six tatami mats.

He closed the door and carefully placed the file bag containing the original manuscript on the table.

Then he took his wallet out of his pocket.

Two thousand five hundred yen.

Submitting an article requires a mailing fee; if you use express mail, it will cost at least several hundred yen.

But the bigger problem is that today is Friday, if it's mailed...

The original manuscript won't be delivered to the editorial department until next Monday at the earliest.

The deadline for submissions to the Newcomer Award is next Monday.

"What if it's delivered on Monday and gets pushed to the next issue?"

Kamiya Yuma muttered something to himself.

He opened his wallet, looked at it again, and then closed it.

Make a decision.

Send it directly over.

The editorial office of Weekly Shonen Jump is located at Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku.

The headquarters building of Shueisha.

It takes about forty minutes by tram from where he currently lives in Adachi Ward.

The fare is 380 yen one way.

The round trip will cost 760 yen.

He glanced at the remaining manuscript paper on the table.

There are still twenty pages short of the minimum submission standard.

"Let's finish drawing first."

Yuma Kamiya sat down at the folding table.

The room was so quiet that only the sound of pen nibs scratching paper could be heard.

"Coo coo..."

There was absolutely no food in Kamiya Yuma's house.

The only thing we could drink was tap water.

He drank three glasses, but each time he finished, he felt even hungrier.

The light outside the window turned orange-red.

When Yuma Kamiya finished drawing the last page.

The sky outside the window darkened.

He glanced at the clock.

It's already 6 PM.

"Thankfully, I made it in time."

Kamiya Yuma breathed a sigh of relief.

He carefully arranged all the original manuscripts and put them inside.

The address is already written on the envelope.

No. 5-10, Hitotsubashi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku.

Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Editorial Department Newcomer Award Secretariat.

Yuuma Kamiya, whose real name is the contributor.

He checked it three times to make sure nothing was missed.

Then he stood up, holding the envelope.

His low blood sugar made him feel dizzy.

My stomach was making louder noises.

Kamiya Yu patted his stomach, comforting him.

"Bear with it for a bit, I'll treat you to barbecue when I get my bonus."

He stuffed the remaining two thousand five hundred yen into his pocket and walked out of the apartment.

Tokyo streets at night.

Steaming hot oden was displayed at the entrance of the convenience store.

Kamiya Yuma swallowed hard and quickened his pace.

How long does it take to walk from Adachi Ward to Chiyoda Ward?

he does not know.

No problem, he just needs to hand the manuscript to the editorial department and then walk back.

The money he saved on the tram fare was enough to last him for another two days.

The night grew deeper.

Kamiya Yuma walked south along the Arakawa River.

After passing through Kita Senju and Minami Senju, we entered Taitung Ward.

When his feet started to feel hot, he finally saw the neon signs of Akihabara.

Further ahead is Kanda, and then Hitotsubashi Bridge.

By the time he stood in front of the Shueisha headquarters building, it was already 9:30 p.m.

The impressive glass curtain wall building reflects the city lights in the night.

Most of the building's windows were dark.

Only a few windows were still lit.

The automatic doors in the lobby on the first floor are already closed.

Is anyone else here?

Yuma Kamiya stepped sideways and entered through the visitor passage next to him.

A woman in a uniform was sitting at the front desk.

I'm organizing the files on my desktop; looks like I'm getting ready to leave work.

"Excuse me."

Yuma Kamiya walked to the front desk.

The receptionist looked up, her expression clearly showing surprise.

No wonder.

The person standing in front of her had greasy hair plastered to his forehead.

My lips are dry and cracked.

There were still a few ink stains on the pants.

He looked as disheveled as if he had just crawled out of a sewer at a construction site.

"Excuse me... is there anything I can help you with?"

The receptionist maintained politeness out of professionalism.

"I'm submitting my work to the Newcomer Award. The deadline is next Monday, and I'm worried that mailing it won't be in time, so I'm sending it directly to you."

Yuma Kamiya placed the envelope on the front desk.

The receptionist glanced at the envelope, then at him.

"For submissions, you can mail them; there's no need to bring them in person. It's already past working hours, so please come tomorrow..."

"Tomorrow is Saturday, the editorial department will be closed."

Kamiya Yuma interrupted her.

The receptionist was right.

"It's fine to come on Monday; delivering it on the deadline is no problem at all."

"If it's delivered next Monday, will it be counted towards the next period?"

"this......"

The receptionist's expression clearly showed hesitation.

She wasn't actually clear on the specific judging process for the newcomer award; she was just following the rules.

"I know it's past working hours. But if it's convenient, could you please put it in the editorial department's mailbox for me? Just putting it in the mailbox is fine, it won't take up too much of your time."

Kamiya Yuma insisted.