May in Shanghai is like a sauna, the sun casting distorted ripples on the ground.
During lunch break, groups of students can be seen gathering in many classrooms, discussing the latest anime and manga.
"Have you guys seen the latest issue of 'Water Shadow'? The main character is so handsome..."
"It's mainly because the manga artist, Wanfeng-sensei, has amazing drawing skills; the plot is actually just so-so!"
"Speaking of art style, Lin Zheng is definitely better... He used to be a struggling manga artist with terrible storytelling abilities, but his collaboration with novelist Liu Yue on 'The Journey to the Center of the Earth' had such explosive art style that I was blown away..."
Xia
Jing listened to his classmates discussing the latest issue of the popular manga "Monogatari Comic," but he was completely uninterested.
As one of the top ten best-selling weekly comic magazines in Xia Country, Monogatari Comic sells over ten million copies per issue. Most of the comics serialized in it are adapted into anime, novels, stage plays, and even movies and TV series...
But having had his palate spoiled by a plethora of more delicious dishes in his previous life, he's only been in this world for two months and seeing the popular anime and manga in Xia Country. It's not that he's completely unmoved, but to be more precise, they're a bit of a letdown .
Tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away.
He's seen too many excellent works; his threshold has risen, and he's already a fan of anime.
However...
Xia Jing packed his bags and walked up the first-year high school floors to the rooftop of the teaching building.
He didn't have any strange thoughts about going up to the rooftop; it's just that drawing comics in the classroom is too disruptive.
While it wouldn't matter if his classmates knew, he'd be annoyed if some gossipy students went to the homeroom teacher to tattle.
Taking out the nearly finished comic manuscript from his backpack, Xia Jing examined his own work countless times. Xia Jing, from the manga
*5 Centimeters Per Second*
, died suddenly at work in his previous life. The good news is he was reborn.
But the bad news is his memories from his past life are still recovering.
His initial thought upon arriving in this world was that since he was a die-hard anime fan in his previous life, transmigrating would be easy. He
could simply pull out his memories of Dragon Ball, Naruto, Yu-Gi-Oh!, work hard for three years, and live a carefree life as a wealthy man.
But reality is harsh. Although he knew these highly valuable anime works existed, upon closer examination of their content, he found...
he couldn't visualize them, only able to recall fragmented details.
He could remember Dragon Ball as a story of a monkey searching for seven glowing orbs.
He could remember One Piece as a story of a boy aspiring to become the Pirate King.
But why become the Pirate King, why search for the orbs... he didn't know.
It was clearly impossible to construct a complete story from those fragments.
However, these things were slowly recovering, otherwise...
Xia Jing looked at the original manuscript of *5 Centimeters Per Second* in front of him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have had such a vivid dream a month ago about watching this tearjerker and depressing work in his past life and crying uncontrollably.
In this world, Xia Jing's parents died in a car accident a few months ago.
But Xia Jing wasn't homeless.
His parents left him a tiny, old, three-bedroom apartment in the suburbs of Shanghai, worth about a million yuan...
However, because the accident was so severe and the insurance was so low, his deceased father ended up owing over two million yuan in debt.
Xia Jing was temporarily living in the apartment, but no one knew when the court ruling would force him to the streets.
His parents' savings were frozen, and Xia Jing's living expenses were supported by the ten or twenty thousand yuan of pocket money and New Year's money he had saved over a decade, a testament to his past as a penny-pincher.
It was a disastrous start.
Otherwise, Xia Jing wouldn't have immediately started drawing a manga and preparing to submit it for publication after recalling the plot of "5 Centimeters Per Second" last month; reality didn't allow him to leisurely enjoy being a high school student.
"Sigh..."
Xia Jing sighed softly, picked up his paintbrush, and after taking out his tools on the rooftop, began drawing the final part of the original manga manuscript for 5 Centimeters Per Second.
It's worth mentioning that when Xia Jing found this place last month, there happened to be a set of abandoned tables and chairs on the rooftop, perfect for drawing manga.
Quiet, undisturbed.
5 Centimeters Per Second, as the first animated film by Makoto Shinkai, one of Sakurajima's national treasure-level animation directors in his previous life, is divided into three parts: Sakura no Tsurugi, Astronaut, and 5 Centimeters Per Second.
Although this work isn't particularly famous and its commercial value isn't high,
the work that left the deepest impression on Xia Jing among Shinkai's works in his previous life wasn't his famous work, "Your Name."
It was this work, "5 Centimeters Per Second," which always brought a pang of heartache to his heart, a work he would revisit every year.
In his previous life, Xia Jing was a struggling manga artist and illustrator. Now, with limited resources, drawing manga by hand was initially quite difficult for him, but after two months in this new world, he gradually adapted.
In Xia Country, the internet is just beginning to develop, but print comics magazines are still thriving due to capital investment, the animation industry is booming, and the status and income of famous comic artists are absurd. In
my previous life, Sakurajima's most popular weekly manga, Jump, in the 1990s, only sold a little over six million copies a week at its peak. Of course, that was a record set during the Dragon Ball serialization.
But in Xia Country's comic book industry, that record has been raised to over twenty million copies, and it's still on the rise.
After all, the population has increased tenfold.
Every afternoon, major television stations take turns broadcasting adapted anime series.
Walking the streets of Shanghai, one can still occasionally hear vaporwave music that is extremely retro and nostalgic for Xia Jing.
Moreover, the number of teenagers in Xia Country is about to reach its historical peak.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the next decade will be the golden age of the anime industry.
Although Xia Jing's thoughts are on these things, his writing speed is not slow.
After recalling the content of 5 Centimeters Per Second, perhaps because of the fusion of two souls, Xia Jing's mental energy is extremely abundant.
Imagining related scenes in his mind is effortless. He can vividly see related anime scenes with his eyes closed, and he can freely change the angle and perspective of the view...
To put it bluntly, the CPU and graphics card functions of his brain are probably twice that of an average person.
As long as he recalls the plot content, he can quickly organize the anime storyboards automatically. The manga content, details, character designs, and lines he wants to draw can be quickly sketched and set in his mind.
Therefore, he doesn't really need storyboards when drawing comics, and his drawing speed is very fast with an extremely low error rate...
The reason it took him a month to complete the roughly 100-page comic "5 Centimeters Per Second" to this point was simply because he spent more time familiarizing himself with drawing comics.
His lunch break passed quickly while drawing comics. Although he found a rooftop with eaves for shade, beads of sweat gradually appeared on Xia Jing's neck.
A gentle breeze swept by, bringing a cool sensation from his back to the deepest part of his body.
"Here, take this and wipe your sweat. It would be a shame if your well-drawn work dripped onto the original manuscript."
"Oh, thank you." Xia Jing casually picked up a tissue from the side and wiped his nose and neck.
But he immediately realized...
"Eh, who are you?"
Wasn't he alone on the rooftop? Who was handing him a tissue?
Xia Jing turned his head and saw only strands of hair fluttering gently in the breeze, the girl's delicate and beautiful features, and a faint smile on her lips. The girl's bright eyes were fixed on him, and on the comic book manuscript in front of him.
"You are, Su Qingxiao from Class One?" Xia Jing asked.
"You know me? Xia Jing?" Su Qingxiao asked in surprise.
"Of course I know you. You're so famous in our high school, no, in our first year... wait, how did you know my name is Xia Jing?" Xia Jing's expression froze. "
Oh, I saw you drawing comics here on the rooftop last month, and I kept an eye out and found out your name." Su Qingxiao spread her arms and closed her eyes slightly, feeling the breeze on the rooftop.
Then she opened her eyes and looked at the original comic book manuscript in front of Xia Jing, and the title of the work on the first page.
[5 Centimeters Per Second]
"I don't remember seeing you on the rooftop last month..." Xia Jing pondered.
"You were really focused on your drawing back then. I stood behind you watching you draw for half an hour and you didn't even notice me," Su Qingxiao chuckled.
"And two weeks ago, last week, three days ago, and today, I stood behind you watching you draw comics a total of five times, and you didn't notice me even once."
"Xia Jing, your concentration when you draw comics is truly amazing! If I hadn't noticed that your sweat was about to drip onto the original artwork, which would have been such a waste, I probably wouldn't have reminded you today." Xia
Jing's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and he felt a pang of unease.
He hadn't muttered to himself while drawing comics for the past month, which would have revealed his identity as a transmigrator from Earth.
"This is... peeking?"
"Peeking..."
A smile flashed across Su Qingxiao's fair and delicate face as she looked directly at Xia Jing and spoke softly.
"Xia Jing, that's too harsh. Why do you think there's a set of abandoned tables and chairs like this on this empty rooftop... Did they fall from the sky?"
Su Qingxiao rummaged through her bag and pulled out a stack of blank comic paper and several professional pens.
"This middle school has over four thousand students. Why do you think you're the only one in the school who wants to draw comics, and the only one who thinks the rooftop is the perfect spot for drawing comics during lunch break...? Before you came here last month, you were the only one sitting in these chairs drawing comics."
"Although I'm saying this, I'm just reminding you of the truth. I'm not actually angry!"
Xia Jing was stunned at first, then thought for a moment, his expression becoming awkward.
"I'm sorry, you, you could have reminded me back then," Xia Jing said.
"Well, after all, I saw with my own eyes another person in the school creating comics, and drawing so well and so focusedly. Putting myself in their shoes, I hate being disturbed when I'm drawing comics! Besides... you might just occasionally come to the rooftop to reserve my spot." Su Qingxiao's tone softened slightly.
Upon hearing this, Xia Jing understood everything now.
Last month, he reserved a drawing spot on the rooftop that someone else had set up. The other person probably initially thought he was just having a short-lived interest and didn't disturb him immediately.
A week later, he was still there reserving a seat.
Two weeks later, he was still there, reserving a seat.
Today, he's still reserving a seat.
"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Let's formally introduce ourselves." Su Qingxiao extended her hand to Xia Jing.
"My name is Su Qingxiao. Um, I'm a professional cartoonist and a part-time high school student!"
...-+Chapter Two: Proposal and the Cherry Blossom Weekly A professional cartoonist, part-time high school student!
[Remember this site's domain name: Taiwan Novel Network has a large collection of books, 🅣🅦🅚🅐🅝.🅒🅞🅜 super convenient]
Xia Jing's expression was strange as he looked at Su Qingxiao's outstretched hand. But since she didn't mind, he certainly wouldn't either. He gently took her hand and said,
"Xia Jing."
"But Su Qingxiao, you said you're a professional cartoonist...you mean..." Xia Jing said.
"Have you already published a comic series in a magazine?"
"Oh, very perceptive."
Su Qingxiao finally waited until Xia Jing understood this point, and her face showed the humble smile she had prepared long ago.
"I started serializing comics in [Sakura-iro Weekly] when I was thirteen years old. So far, I have published two short comics and one medium-length comic. The comic series currently ranked third in popularity in [Sakura-iro Weekly], 'A Sad Tale,' is my work..."
A Sad Tale?
Xia Jing's expression froze. This name.
Xia Jing mentally complained.
Are you Nisio Isin, a time traveler who's come back to draw the sequel?
But he knows about the magazine "Sakurairo Weekly."
Generally speaking, there are currently six major manga magazines in Xia Country's comics industry.
Each of these six major manga magazines boasts weekly sales exceeding 10 million copies in Xia Country and surrounding countries.
But in Xia Country's comics market, with a population of over one billion, besides these six giants,
there are also numerous second-, third-, and fourth-tier magazines with sales ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, and even millions.
"Sakurairo Weekly" is a popular magazine in the provinces surrounding the Magic City.
It belongs to the Huanmeng Group, along with "Huanmeng Comic," one of the six major magazines.
Of course, it's definitely not on the same scale as "Huanmeng Comic." It's a third-tier magazine serialized by cartoonists who have signed contracts with the Huanmeng Group but whose works aren't of the quality required for publication in "Huanmeng Comic."
It sounds pretty ordinary.
But in reality, having a work signed and published in even a third- or fourth-tier journal equates to a top-tier presence among ordinary manga fans.
Just like the Chinese national football team—while everyone criticizes them for being weak and wonders if they've even reached the level of a top-tier professional footballer worldwide—if Xia Jing really played, he'd likely still be no match for them.
Especially considering Su Qingxiao's age...
fifteen, with three works serialized, that's already considered a manga prodigy.
Even past masters like Oda and Kishimoto were still amateurs at that age.
"Oh... impressive," Xia Jing complimented.
Su Qingxiao's eyes narrowed.
She could tell Xia Jing hadn't even heard of her work, Aimonogatari, and had only heard of Sakurairo Magazine.
After all, it was a niche manga magazine with a weekly circulation of several hundred thousand, not to mention that most of the serialized works were emotional, shoujo-oriented stories. It was perfectly
normal for a boy like Xia Jing to have never read it.
It was just...
a little bit hard to help but feel a little bit uncomfortable.
No one at school knew Su Qingxiao's identity as a cartoonist. She simply couldn't relate to the average reader who knew nothing about comics and only mindlessly complained about poor art and plotting.
Today, she'd taken the initiative to reveal her hidden secret to Xia Jing, a manga artist equally skilled and clearly not just a flash in the pan. She
simply felt a deep desire to express her passion for comics and wanted to share it with someone... who knew nothing about her work.
Suppressing her negative emotions, Su Qingxiao suddenly had an interesting thought.
Hmm...
I've only read a few pages about 5 Centimeters per Second, but it should be a romance manga.
How about...
"Xia Jing, your comic seems to have quite a few pages," Su Qingxiao looked at Xia Jing.
"Yeah, I've already drawn over a hundred pages. At my rate, it should be finished in two or three days," Xia Jing said.
"Have you ever thought about publishing it?" Su Qingxiao looked at Xia Jing with a smile on her face.
"Of course I've thought about that," Xia Yan said.
"I'm not going to think about the six major magazines for now. They're basically not going to accept submissions from completely new manga artists. But the other magazines... well... I don't know how to choose," Xia Jing sighed. Don't
look at the rookie manga artists that often appeared in Weekly Jump in your past life. That's all bullshit.
In reality, they probably debuted under other pseudonyms years ago, won prizes in new manga competitions, and then serialized some obscure works in lesser-known magazines, building up some industry connections and editorial resources before finally getting the chance to serialize manga in Jump under a new pseudonym.
Even Oda, though he didn't start serializing One Piece until he was 22, won second place in the Tezuka Prize at 17. He spent the next five years accumulating experience, publishing a few short stories that also won awards. How could he suddenly create a masterpiece like One Piece?
It's the same in Xia Country.
No matter how good Xia Jing's submissions are, it's not impossible for a completely amateur to submit one, but the editors probably won't bother to read them. Even if they do, the editorial department will simply reject them at the serialization meeting.
If he wants to serialize comics on those platforms in the future, he first needs to accumulate experience and fame by serializing his works in some second-tier, third-tier, or even fourth-tier comic magazines, and also get to know some connections. Only then will he have a chance to successfully submit his work to the six major comic magazines.
So if the six major magazines weren't an option, Xia Jing was faced with the hundreds of second-, third-, and fourth-tier manga magazines on the market.
First, he didn't have the connections to know the editors of those magazines. Second, as a student, submitting his work in person was a hassle, and the waiting period for rejection was enormous. Honestly, he'd been struggling with the decision these past few days.
"How about this..." Su Qingxiao smiled gently at that.
"Why don't you submit your work to my manga editor and see if I can get it serialized in Weekly Sakurairo?"
"Huh? Weekly Sakurairo? Isn't that a shojo manga?" Xia Jing was stunned.
"That's the stereotype. Who told you that Weekly Sakurairo is a shojo manga? It's more like a romance manga. It also has a lot of young people's romance manga..." Su Qingxiao laughed.
"I don't know the general plot of your 5 Centimeters per Second, but from the style and plot I've seen, it seems to be a romance work, right?"
"Yes, that's right..." Xia Jing paused and nodded.
"The male lead is also beautifully drawn, right? The female lead, in particular... she's quite adorable," Su Qingxiao said.
"That's... true," Xia Jing nodded.
"If that's the case, why can't we submit it to Sakura Weekly?"
Uh...
Xia Jing couldn't find a reason to refute.
"But most of the popular stories in Sakura Weekly are beautiful, gentle, and cheerful romances. As for 5 Centimeters per Second..." Xia Jing said with a strange look on his face.
"Does your 5 Centimeters per Second have one of the male and female protagonists die?" Su Qingxiao asked in surprise.
"No, it's just that the ending is quite sad."
"Then it's not a tragedy. What are you afraid of? Romance stories often have regrets. Can you find a completely happy story with no regrets?"
But I can't find a story that's full of regrets and completely devoid of joy! Xia Jing complained furiously in her heart.
"Besides, it's just a try. It might not be accepted. There's no need to worry too much," Su Qingxiao said.
Of course, her most direct motivation was simply that she thought it would be fun to submit her schoolmate's work to Sakura Weekly.
Xia Jing, don't you know my work?
If your work gets published in this magazine and gets serialization, you'll eventually follow Sakura Weekly, right? And you'll probably check out my work too...
Then every week you'll find yourself ranked below my "Lament," and you'll definitely realize how powerful I am.
Of course, if your submission doesn't get published, you'll appreciate my strength as a fellow manga artist even more.
After all this roundabout talk, Su Qingxiao is actually just a little bit vain, a manga artist's vanity, acting up in front of Xia Jing, her peer.
Xia Jing looked into Su Qingxiao's clear, bright, expectant eyes, thought for a moment, and nodded hesitantly.
Indeed, it wouldn't cost him anything.
Although he felt uncomfortable with this newly acquainted classmate suddenly offering to help him, Xia Jing wouldn't harbor any ill intentions towards a high school girl.
Maybe she just found someone at school who also loves drawing manga and is happy about it?
"Alright then, Su Qingxiao, could you please give me and your manga editor some pointers..."
"Of course, you're my classmate~ I'll definitely help you." Su Qingxiao's eyes immediately filled with laughter, curving like crescent moons.
"Then you'll need to speed up your drawing progress. As far as I know, several short manga series in Sakura Weekly will finish in the next two weeks, leaving several slots open. Good luck!" Su Qingxiao raised her fist and smiled at Xia Jing.
"Oh...oh!" Xia Jing quickly made the same gesture in response.
At this moment, the afternoon preparatory bell rang, and Su Qingxiao quickly packed her things and headed towards the classroom.
"It's settled then, I'll call my editor tonight and let them know!"
Xia Yan stood for a moment, thinking for a long time before packing up and preparing to return to the classroom.
He had difficulty making choices, and since Su Qingxiao had made the choice for him, he wouldn't dwell on it anymore.
"Sakura Weekly, right..." Xia Jing murmured softly.
In the afternoon, school was over quickly. Xia Jing returned home alone. Creating art during lunch break was just a way to save time; the real drawing was in the evening.
Tonight, Xia Jing felt exceptionally clear-headed and highly focused.
When he reached the final scene of his comic, "Five Centimeters Per Second," he completed it in one go.
When he came to his senses, all he saw was a man turning away, a smile playing on his lips, seemingly relieved, on the paper.
The lines weren't complex, but the character's emotions seemed to emanate from his smile and eyes.
At least, Xia Jing felt a pang of pain in his heart upon seeing it; the visual expression was too powerful.
"Did I draw this?" Xia Jing was stunned.
This drawing skill, this emotional depth—it was far superior to his previous life as a struggling comic artist.
Moreover, this page of the comic had been drawn at least twice as fast as usual.
Drawing quickly was understandable, but the expressive power of the story was beyond his control; that was a matter of talent.
Could it be that soul fusion granted him this kind of talent ?
...
-+Chapter Three Conversations Xia Jing looked at the newly drawn comic book manuscript in his hand, growing more and more fond of it.
Although it wasn't colored, and lacked the voice acting and background music of anime,
the simple black-and-white lines of comics often delivered a stronger emotional impact than animation, in Xia Jing's opinion. He
had felt this strongly when reading comics and watching their anime adaptations in his previous life.
He wondered if viewers in Xia's country would experience a stronger impact from this comic version of 5 Centimeters Per Second than when he watched the anime in his past life.
Thinking of this, Xia Jing couldn't help but smile. His past life's torment was certainly painful, but seeing others fall into the same traps he had fallen into was quite amusing.
Reborn as a comic book artist was certainly a return to his old profession, done to solve his financial crisis, but he genuinely enjoyed it.
...
The night passed, and in the morning, Xia Jing got up early to wash, prepare breakfast, and get ready.
The pressure of high school entrance exams in Great Xia is not as intense as in his previous life. The social industrial structure is relatively reasonable, and most people can find a job to support themselves regardless of whether they can go on to higher education. This is why Xia Jing's school is still a day school even though he is already in his first year of high school.
Entering the classroom, as usual, the students in the front row who are academically strong are discussing sports and academic topics, while the students in the back row are focusing on comics, anime, and games. Although the school prohibits it, many students still bring comics, novels, and magazines to the classroom to read.
This shows the current penetration of the animation industry in Great Xia.
The two math classes in the morning quickly ended. Although Xia Jing was a struggling comic artist and illustrator in his previous life, he actually graduated with a science and engineering degree. In his previous life, he was a graduate of a top-tier university. He hadn't taken these courses for several years after graduation, but his foundation was still there, and learning the first-year high school knowledge was a piece of cake.
In addition, high schools in this world are not as competitive, and the average academic level of students is not very high.
"If things continue like this, maybe I can get into a key university in this world?" Xia Jing thought to himself as the bell rang.
But Xia Jing's thoughts were quickly disrupted.
A lively and beautiful girl appeared at the classroom door, drawing the attention of the boys in the class.
Every school has one or two girls who are the focus of attention among the students.
Su Qingxiao was undoubtedly one of them.
Otherwise, Xia Jing wouldn't have recognized her immediately when he saw her on the rooftop yesterday.
"Xia Jing... yes, yes, it's me, come out for a moment."
Su Qingxiao smiled and waved to Xia Jing at the classroom door, her voice loud, clear, and pleasant.
At the same time, the attention of the class shifted from Su Qingxiao to Xia Jing, who was not very noticeable in the class.
Although Xia Jing was quite good-looking, his grades in the final exams last semester were average, and his personality was not very lively, so he was naturally not noticed in class.
Xia Jing looked up and saw that it was her, and he roughly knew what was going on. He got up and walked towards the classroom door.
"Last night, my sister and I..."
"Hmm, are you talking here?"
Su Qingxiao looked around, but only saw eyes full of gossip.
"Let's go to the rooftop!" Su Qingxiao chuckled.
She was willing to reveal her identity as a cartoonist to Xia Jing only because she'd met someone like-minded.
If she revealed it to just anyone, who knew when the homeroom teacher would come knocking on her parents' door—it was so annoying.
As the two figures disappeared, the students in Xia Jing's classroom buzzed with discussion.
...
On the rooftop.
"I spoke to my editor, and she said she could schedule a time to look at your submission, but she won't show any bias towards your work because of me." Su Qingxiao cut to the chase without a word of preamble.
"I can even tell you this: precisely because I introduced her, her review standards will be three times stricter than usual. If your comic's quality isn't significantly higher than a mailed submission, she most likely won't accept it."
"I have no objection." Xia Jing paused and nodded.
After all, it was "Five Centimeters Per Second." If a submission to a third-tier comic magazine in Xia Country couldn't be accepted by that unknown editor, then it could only mean that the editor had poor judgment; not cooperating might be the better choice.
Moreover, Xia Jing's purpose in submitting his work directly through Su Qingxiao's connection was to hope that the publisher would take his comic seriously, not to seek any special treatment.
China has over a billion people, and Shanghai alone has tens of millions. Countless aspiring comic artists are among them, and countless comic submissions are mailed to these magazines every day.
A responsible editor might carefully examine these submissions, trying to find a masterpiece among a mountain of amateur submissions.
But with an irresponsible editor who only cares about leaving work... well, that's another story.
It's common for them to glance at your work and then toss it into the storage room after one or two months of work.
China doesn't lack aspiring comic artists; it lacks geniuses.
"So, what's the schedule?" Xia Jing asked.
The comic magazines don't work on weekends, and Xia Jing has to go to school from Monday to Friday. He was already prepared to ask his homeroom teacher for a day off to submit his work.
"When will you finish your comic?" Su Qingxiao asked Xia Jing.
"Actually, it's already finished. All the manuscripts are in my bag in the classroom," Xia Jing replied.
Last night, Xia Jing inexplicably entered a state of focused work and worked incredibly fast, staying up until 2 AM to finish all the comic drafts that were expected to take more than two days to complete. She
might need to spend some time revising the details of some earlier sections to make them more polished, but in its current state, it would be perfectly fine to submit to an editor.
"So fast?" Su Qingxiao asked in surprise.
"Well then... how about this afternoon?"
"Eh? We get out of school at 5:30, and the headquarters of Huanmeng Group is in downtown Shanghai. We won't get there until at least 7 PM by bus. Having the editors wait for us there at that time..." Xia Jing hesitated.
"Of course not to the Huanmeng Group editorial office!" Su Qingxiao said with a smile.
"To my house."
Xia Jing looked up at Su Qingxiao, who quickly explained with a smile.
"The comic editor I was talking about is actually my sister. I can't get her to give you special treatment when it comes to approving your comics, but getting her to work overtime at night isn't a problem."
"Your sister?"
"Yes, that's right...didn't expect that, did you!" Su Qingxiao laughed.
"But don't get me wrong, as I said before, my sister is very strict with me. The reason I was able to serialize a comic under her is purely because my personal skills surpassed those of other comic artists submitting their work at the same time, and I won the serialization opportunity.
"It's settled then. I'll call my sister at noon to let her know. Wait for me in your classroom after school this afternoon!"
Su Qingxiao said with a smile, then walked towards the rooftop staircase.
The ten-minute break between classes was about to end.
Huh?
You've already decided?
Xia Jing hadn't finished speaking when she saw Su Qingxiao's figure disappear into the stairwell.
Walking down the stairs, Su Qingxiao's thoughts began to wander. (
Read Taiwanese novels at Taiwan Novel Network, ҉҉t҉҉k҉a҉҉n.҉҉c҉҉o҉m Hmm
, okay.)
Tonight I can see what level this alumna's comic work is at.
I remember the title, it's called 5 Centimeters Per Second, right?
Su Qingxiao walked down the stairs with anticipation, her single ponytail swaying gently as she descended.
...
When Xia Jing returned to class, all the students who wouldn't say a word to him for a week at a time crowded around him, gossiping
and asking all sorts of questions. "Don't misunderstand, she just came to ask me about one of my junior high classmates..."
Xia Jing managed to brush off the topic
after a long pause. The last two periods in the morning were physics.
During the lunch break, Xia Jing used the last bit of time to finalize some details and lines in his comic strip on the rooftop.
In the afternoon, he had foreign language and chemistry classes.
Soon, it was time to leave school.
Orange sunlight streamed into the classroom through the windows. A group of students packed their bags, some heading home for lunch, others heading to restaurants or bubble tea shops near the school to continue their class conversations.
However, as the students left the classroom, they often showed surprised expressions and quickly turned back to look at Xia Jing, who was still inside.
When Xia Jing finished packing and left the classroom, he spotted Su Qingxiao waiting for him at the classroom door with her bag.
The orange-red light bathed the corridor, and she stood there calmly, completely unconcerned about the stares from passing students. She
was used to it, having been there since elementary school.
"Your chemistry teacher really knows how to keep us late! He made me wait ten minutes longer," Su Qingxiao greeted Xia Jing with a smile.
"High school teachers are like that everywhere, but that just shows how dedicated they are."
"You talk like you've been to any other high school,"
Xia Jing said as she and Su Qingxiao walked, gradually becoming the center of attention among the students leaving school.
Xia Jing glanced at the girl beside her and noticed she didn't seem to care about the whispers.
She thought for a moment.
Even if the students at school were gossipy, they wouldn't spread rumors about something like this.
Reaching the school gate, Su Qingxiao hailed a taxi, got into the back seat first, and, seeing Xia Jing hadn't gotten in for a while, asked curiously,
"What's wrong?"
Su Qingxiao looked at the students watching behind Xia Jing with surprise, then secretly observed their gazes before smiling.
"Get in the car."
Xia Jing stopped hesitating and got into the back seat of the taxi.
"Are you more concerned about what others think?" Su Qingxiao asked.
"Are you afraid of attracting attention if you get too close to me?"
"No, I don't care about that. I'm worried that you care about those things, so I want to help you avoid some trouble..." Xia Jing paused for a moment before saying.
"After all, I'm just an ordinary student in a regular class. You're different, you're excellent in both character and academics. If bad rumors spread at school..."
Su Qingxiao looked at Xia Jing a few more times upon hearing this.
"You're quite meticulous."
"But didn't I tell you? I see myself as a professional cartoonist, part-time high school student." Su Qingxiao said.
"I care more about things in comics than school and studying.
What kind of friends I make and what I do are none of their business; I don't care what they think."
"That's something I'd like to ask. With your grades, Su Qingxiao, why do you want to become a comic artist? Is it just a hobby?"
Xia Jing changed the subject, looking at the scenery rushing past the car window. After all, continuing the conversation would be too intimate.
"My mother is a comic artist. So my sister and I have loved comics since we were little," Su Qingxiao said with a smile.
"I've always wanted to be a comic artist... a famous comic artist in Xia Country. This was my mother's dream, and it's also my own heartfelt dream."
Mother...
before she passed away...
Xia Jing automatically picked up on the key information and wisely didn't delve deeper into the topic.
The two chatted in the car for a while. Soon, the taxi arrived at the gate of a residential complex. After Su Qingxiao showed her ID card, the security guard let the taxi in. Soon, the taxi stopped in front of a four-story luxury villa in the complex.
Living in a villa doesn't necessarily mean you're rich; after all, villas in the countryside aren't that valuable.
But living in a luxury villa in the bustling area of Shanghai is a different story.
No wonder someone with such excellent grades wants to be a comic artist; not wanting to be bound by future career prospects, they must be wholeheartedly focused on their hobby and ideals.
Even though they've only known each other for a few days, he's willing to go to such lengths to help Xia Jing, even bringing her home.
Xia Jing roughly understands now; she really didn't intend to gain anything from it. She just met a like-minded classmate who also draws comics, and she's doing things out of genuine interest.
"The house might be a little messy, Xia Jing, please don't mind," Su Qingxiao said with a smile, then opened the front door.
"Not at all," Xia Jing replied, changing into guest slippers at the door before entering the villa with his backpack containing a hundred pages of his comic book manuscript.
Although Su Qingxiao said that, her house was impeccably clean and spotless. Xia Jing didn't pay attention to the house's grand decor, but immediately noticed the woman sitting in the living room on the first floor, sipping a steaming cup of coffee.
She was probably in her early twenties, with waist-length black hair, fair and delicate skin, and exquisite features, bearing a slight resemblance to Su Qingxiao. Unlike
Su Qingxiao's somewhat outgoing and energetic personality, this woman was noticeably more reserved.
"Qingxiao, you're late. I've been waiting for you at home for over fifteen minutes."
"I'm not the principal, with fixed dismissal times, fixed taxi journey times, and traffic jams on the road. I can't help it if I want to come back earlier!" Su Qingxiao laughed.
Of course, she didn't mention that it was because Xia Jing's teacher had kept the class late.
The woman didn't say much upon hearing this. She put down her coffee cup, turned to look at Su Qingxiao, and then at Xia Jing.
"Hello, you must be Qingxiao's best friend, right...? I'm Su Mingxi, an editor at the Huanmeng Group's editorial department." Su Mingxi said.
Best friend?
Xia Jing glanced at Su Qingxiao, who was winking at him, and quickly understood.
"Hello, I'm Xia Jing."
"I know." Su Mingxi extended her hand to Xia Jing.
"I'm not the kind of person who likes to be polite and talk nonsense. My sister said you really like the manga 'Ai Monogatari,' and you also really like the manga 'Rock Girl!' and 'Blowing the Horn at Dawn!' that I also discovered and serialized in 'Sakura Weekly.' You have a lot of respect and admiration for the editors of these three manga... That's why you wanted to submit your work to me."
Rock Girl?
Blowing the Horn at Dawn?
What the hell? I've never even heard of them, let alone read them.
Xia Jing looked at Su Qingxiao beside him with a bewildered expression, only to find her smiling at him as well, her eyes conveying a clear meaning.
[Don't give yourself away!]
"Oh, oh, that's right, that's right. I've long admired Editor Su." Xia Jing quickly replied.
Su Mingxi narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing Xia Jing.
"Since that's the case, you should know that I have very high standards for the artwork and story quality of submitted comics. Even if you're my sister's friend and a newcomer to the comics industry, it won't make me lower my standards for your work. If the comic you bring isn't good enough, I'll criticize it mercilessly... You should be prepared."
"Okay, sis, don't be so serious. I'm still a newbie comic artist, you're making Xia Jing very nervous!" Su Qingxiao quickly tried to ease the tension.
"I'm asking your friend, can you speak for your friend?" Su Mingxi asked.
Su Qingxiao glanced back at Xia Jing, finally letting out a long sigh, and said nothing.
"I understand," Xia Jing said at this moment.
"Just do it according to your standards, Miss Su."
Su Mingxi nodded, her gaze towards Xia Jing softening.
"Alright, now give me your submitted comic."
Xia Jing took a deep breath, placed the bag he was carrying on the chair beside him, and pulled out a thick stack of comic manuscripts in a file folder, handing it to Su Mingxi.
"5 centimeters per second?"
Su Mingxi took the file folder, unconsciously uttering the name.
Su Qingxiao also unconsciously walked behind Su Mingxi.
She had also been curious about Xia Jing's comic for a long time, and now was the perfect time to look at it together.
She had only randomly glanced at a few pages of the original manuscript Xia Jing was drawing over the past month, approving of the art style, but knowing nothing about the overall plot.
Su Mingxi opened the comic manuscript from the file folder, and the first line of dialogue on the first page slightly touched both her and Su Qingxiao.
[Hey, did you know? It's said to be five centimeters per second! The speed at which cherry blossoms fall!] Following this
was a black-and-white line drawing of a slope where cherry blossoms were falling in abundance.
Su Mingxi's expression turned serious.
Regardless of the plot, at least her drawing skills were up to par.
...-+Chapter Five: Time and Distance The room quickly fell silent as Su Mingxi sat on the sofa, flipping through the pages of the comic book in her hands.
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Su Qingxiao had appeared behind her at some point.
In the Chinese version of 5 Centimeters Per Second, the names of people and places were definitely changed, and the timeline was also adjusted according to the plot.
Since Xia Jing was from Shanghai, the background location was naturally moved to Shanghai more than ten years ago.
As for the cherry blossom-strewn streets and the railway tracks that ran through the city, even if they didn't exist in reality, it wouldn't have much of an impact. 90% of the schools, buildings, and streets appearing in comic works don't actually exist in reality.
However, because Shanghai is indeed very large, and the historical setting is suitable, Xia Jing actually found a similar sloping area in the library while researching. At the end of the sloping area was a railway track, only in reality there were no cherry blossoms on either side of the road.
Xia Jing recreated these scenes in the comic...
The comic begins with a scene of a boy and a girl chasing each other on a sloping area.
Their conversation unfolds.
[Did you know? It's said to be five centimeters per second.]
[What?]
[The speed at which cherry blossom petals fall is five centimeters per second.]
[Akari, you know so much.]The boy said.
Su Qingxiao turned to the next page of the comic.
Cherry blossom rain fell through the gaps between the girl's outstretched fingers. She turned to look at the boy and smiled softly.
"Hey, don't you think it's just like snow?"
Su Qingxiao was slightly...touched.
She was the kind of person who was very immersive, and coincidentally, because of the soul fusion, Xia Jing's comic style was also that kind of immersive style—beautiful, stylish, and the background illustrations were full of atmosphere.
So that's what the title of 5 Centimeters Per Second means?
His comic dialogue is really evocative.
Su Qingxiao glanced at Xia Jing, who was drinking coffee with his head down beside her, and thought to herself.
Next, the comic plot got to the point.
The boy and girl ran together to the end of the slope. The girl crossed the railway first, and then the railing beside the railway descended, separating the two on either side of the railing.
The girl raised her umbrella and turned to smile at the boy.
"[Akari...]" the boy called out . "
[Gu Shu...next year, wouldn't it be great to see the cherry blossoms together?]" The girl's face lit up with anticipation.
Then, a train passed by, blocking their view.
Su Mingxi had put her other leg down and sat up straight. She had been reading the manga quickly at first, but now she went back and reread the pages she had already skimmed. The manga
for *5 Centimeters Per Second* had over a hundred pages. The cherry blossom chapters and the astronaut chapters, according to the tradition of the Chinese manga industry, could be divided into chapters. The
final chapter, *5 Centimeters Per Second*, was a standalone chapter.
The entire manga consisted of five chapters.
There was no music, and no voice acting.
There was only the rustling of pages turning in the quiet villa hall, and the intermittent, sometimes heavy, sometimes light breathing of two women as the story progressed.
It was impossible for Xia Jing to reproduce all the visuals from the animated version of "5 Centimeters Per Second" in her previous life onto the black-and-white manga, but the pervasive loneliness, solitude, and sorrow of the original work accumulated page after page, eroding the hearts of the two sisters, Su Qingxiao and Su Mingxi.
Akari, a girl who became best friends at school because of their shared hobbies, and Gu Shu, a boy, thought they would go to school together and stay together forever.
Akari, who transferred schools due to family reasons, mustered the courage to call Gu Shu the night before leaving, only to receive a negative response from her friend in a state of emotional turmoil.
Gu Shu, after transferring schools, always remembered the hurt he had caused the girl when she needed comfort the most. A year later, through their exchange of letters, the boy and girl finally confirmed their desire to meet again...
and then put their idea into action.
The boy made meticulous plans, including the train route, transfer points, and arrival time, all agreed upon with the girl in the story.
However... the train was delayed due to a snowstorm.
In those days, communication wasn't so advanced; if the boy didn't arrive on time, Akari, waiting for him, would probably just assume she'd been stood up.
Especially in such cold weather...
When the train stopped in the heavy snow, Gu Shu, tormented and even crying because he had missed the appointed time, could only pray...
"Please, Akari, don't wait any longer."
The sadness in the story gradually built up until...
In the early hours of the morning, after being several hours late, Gu Shu finally arrived at the agreed station. Thinking that Akari must have already gone home in this sub-zero weather, Gu Shu pushed open the door of the waiting room...
Su Mingxi turned to the next page of the comic.
Under the black and white lines, the situation in the waiting room was not bright enough under the light of the kerosene lamp. However, in the early hours of the morning, in that empty waiting room, the figure of a girl with her head down and a lonely back caught her eyes at first glance.
An overwhelming feeling of emotion welled up within her.
Akari, she was still waiting!
Su Qingxiao was much worse than her sister. By this point, her nose was already red. She felt it was too embarrassing to be on the verge of tears while reading someone else's comics, so she pretended to be calm and cool.
She glanced at Xia Jing again, only to find him smiling back at her.
Xia Jing's smile eased Su Qingxiao's heart slightly.
Hmm, he seemed like a rather sunny boy. Although the story's plot and style were somewhat lonely and sad, the ending should be good.
As she continued reading the remaining comics, Mingli initially thought Gu Shu had stood her up, but she waited there until dawn with a sliver of hope. When the boy finally arrived...
Su Mingxi turned the page again, and as she looked at the next comic's original manuscript, her calm expression vanished, and a hint of heartache flashed in her eyes.
There wasn't a single line of dialogue in the comic. After noticing Gu Shu's arrival, Akari tightly gripped his sleeve, her head bowed so her face wasn't visible. No words were spoken to express the inner turmoil she had endured waiting since the agreed-upon 8 PM until the early hours of the morning, or why she couldn't bear to leave the waiting room and go home to rest.
But the few tears that dripped from the back of her hand spoke volumes.
Su Mingxi stared at this comic for a full two minutes, trying to calm her emotions.
The subsequent scenes showed the two strolling through the streets in the snow, sharing a gentle kiss under a cherry blossom tree, and chatting all night in an abandoned wooden house by the roadside.
And then, at dawn, Gu Shu and Akari parted ways in front of the station.
The two exchanged blessings in front of the train station.
Would they ever meet again? Could their
promise to see the cherry blossoms together next year still be fulfilled?
Su Mingxi continued turning the pages, only to find that the first chapter, "Cherry Blossom Chronicle," had already ended.
The second chapter was titled "Astronaut."
Astronaut?
Why this title?
Su Mingxi continued reading.
The story, told from the perspective of Chen Tian, a high school girl from a rural area by the sea, depicts the daily life of a boy named Gu Shu who transferred from the big city of Shanghai.
Her unrequited love, admiration, and secret crush on him.
Gu Shu was always gazing into the distance alone, seemingly missing someone.
Gu Shu was always texting someone on his old cell phone.
Was he contacting Akari?
Seeing this, Su Qingxiao thought to herself.
Wouldn't Chen Tian's unrequited love ultimately end in failure?
Because this chapter was told from Chen Tian's perspective, the initial atmosphere of loneliness and sorrow wasn't apparent.
But as the astronaut chapter progressed into its latter half...
the narrative perspective shifted to Gu Shu.
He and Mingli had long since lost contact. The text messages he seemed to send to someone were merely out of loneliness; in reality, none of the edited messages were sent, and he couldn't even find a recipient.
Gu Shu and Mingli were completely cut off from each other.
Seeing this, Su Qingxiao felt a jolt of shock. She then looked at Xia Jing, whose expression was calm. Xia Jing noticed her gaze and smiled at her.
Hey Xia Jing, what's going on here?
In the first story, Mingli and Gu Shu clearly liked each other so much, how could they have lost contact for just a few years?
Can a mere few hundred or a thousand kilometers really stop two people who truly love each other?
...-+Chapter Six: Looking Back and Emptiness Su Qingxiao felt a little uncomfortable.
But as her sister flipped through the comic book, the second chapter, about the astronauts, reached its climax. The scene where Chen Tian was about to confess her feelings to Gu Shu brought tears to her eyes.
[Please, don't be so gentle with me anymore.]
The girl, unable to hold back her tears, could only think this one thought in her heart as she faced the boy's concern .
Chen Tian learned surfing on the day before high school graduation, a day when her confidence was at its peak... and decided to confess.
But just as she was about to speak, she saw the boy's eyes.
His eyes held her... but his heart didn't.
The words of confession remained unspoken, transformed into the girl's uncontrollable tears of heartbreak.
When Su Mingxi saw this part, her fingers gripping the manga manuscript much tighter than before.
Strictly speaking, *5 Centimeters Per Second* is a manga aimed at young adults, and Su Qingxiao's feelings about this type of manga certainly didn't resonate as deeply as Su Mingxi's, who had experienced a complete school year.
While Su Qingxiao still thought the long-distance relationship and the loss of contact between the male and female leads was a plot hole, and still believed that true love could overcome all obstacles,
Su Mingxi, having witnessed the tragic breakups of her college roommates after graduation, could only sigh...
Was this really a romance manga drawn by a high school student?
Could a high school student really create a manga that left her feeling so upset, sad, and helpless?
The second part, about astronauts, was quickly skimmed.
Then came the third part, about 5 Centimeters Per Second.
The timeline jumped to the period after the male protagonist, Gu Shu, graduated from university.
In his youth, Gu Shu broke up with his girlfriend of several years. When she sent him her last text message:
"Even if we exchange a thousand text messages, the distance between our hearts can only be shortened by one centimeter,"
Su Mingxi fell silent.
Su Qingxiao was also silent.
Considering the title of this comic, "5 Centimeters Per Second,"
if cherry blossoms fall at five centimeters per second, what is the speed at which people's hearts draw closer?
Two people spent several years dating; compared to the beginning, had they shortened the distance by even one centimeter?
Truly excellent works don't simply tell you everything the author wants to express, but rather allow the reader to ponder and arrive at their own conclusions within a limited narrative.
When sisters Su Qingxiao and Su Mingxi had similar thoughts...
they were already hooked.
Just like Xia Jing in her past life and countless Makoto Shinkai anime fans,
they were drawn in by the story of Gu Shu and Akari .
And soon, the manga fulfilled their expectations.
The grown-up Akari also came to Shanghai, and sitting on the train, she recalled her thirteen-year-old self and that boy.
She recalled the feelings she had forgotten...
"So that's how it is..." Su Mingxi understood at this point.
No wonder the previous plot arrangement had caused Gu Shu's relationships with Chen Tian and his girlfriend after work to all end without fruition.
For Gu Shu, the person he truly loved was Mingli.
Even after more than a decade, when they had lost contact and almost forgotten each other's faces
, their most intense and sincere feelings would resurface whenever they met again.
True, passionate love doesn't fade with time and distance; it only settles, sprouts, and grows stronger without one realizing it. "
Xia Jing, is this the meaning you wanted to convey in your work?"
Su Mingxi's eyes flashed with approval.
The theme has been elevated now.
Impressive…
Su Qingxiao gradually understood this as well, and her expression towards Xia Jing changed.
At first, she just thought of him as an ordinary comic enthusiast. His drawing skills were decent, and his perseverance in drawing comics on the school rooftop in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius impressed her, so she wanted to help him.
Honestly, she didn't think Xia Jing could produce anything particularly impressive.
But this comic changed her perception of him.
Such a short storyline could so deeply move her, almost bringing her to tears several times.
The drawing skills, the plot, the theme—all of it was unlike what a newcomer comic artist should possess.
Su Mingxi began to flip through the comic manuscript faster, because she was filled with anticipation, wanting to see Akari and Gu Shu's reunion after more than ten years.
What would their first words be?
Finally, she and Su Qingxiao saw the scene in the comic strip: the slope under the cherry blossoms, the railway tracks in front of the slope, the countdown bells ringing on both sides of the tracks, and...
two people walking towards each other on either side of the tracks. In the instant their paths crossed, they seemed... to notice each other, to recognize each other.
But because the city train was about to pass the tracks, neither of them slowed down as they walked towards the other side.
[At this moment, if I turned around, I had a strong premonition that she would also turn around.] Gu Shu.
In the comic, Gu Shu turned around, and she could vaguely see the woman on the other side of the tracks also seemingly preparing to turn around.
Su Qingxiao's eyes widened.
The animation then features a long shot of a train passing by.
In the manga, Xia Jing inserts several dialogue-free scenes here, explaining why Gu Shu and Ming Li lost contact during high school and how they gradually drifted apart.
Finally, when Su Mingxi turned to the second-to-last page of the manga "5 Centimeters Per Second," she saw its contents:
"How wonderful it would be if we could see the cherry blossoms together next year."
The promise they made over a decade ago on the same railway track was finally about to be fulfilled.
The same cherry blossom season, the same people standing on opposite sides of the tracks, just like when they were children.
But as the train passed, cherry blossoms swirled through the air, and Gu Shu looked across the tracks, only to see petals slowly falling.
The other side of the railway was empty.
Just like the feelings in the hearts of the two sisters, Su Qingxiao and Su Mingxi.
A powerful surge of emotion began to overwhelm her.
It felt like something had been scooped away by a shovel, leaving an empty void.
Su Mingxi noticed her hands were trembling slightly.
It was too painful. She couldn't help but glance at Xia Jing, who sat idly on the sofa.
Then she turned to the last page of the 5 Centimeters Per Second manga.
Gu Shu, seeing no one opposite him, initially looked confused and bewildered.
But then a faint smile appeared on his lips, and without hesitation, he turned and left with a relieved expression.
Then came the words:
5 Centimeters Per Second. The End.
"How could this be…" Su Qingxiao's voice trembled slightly.
"Xia Jing..."
"How could this be?"
"Is this the ending? Is this the story of Akari and Gu Shu in your heart?"
"That's right." Xia Jing checked the time; more than an hour had passed since the two of them started looking at the first page of the comic.
"Editor Su, you've finished reading the comic." Xia Jing took a deep breath.
"Has this comic met your acceptance criteria?"
...-+Chapter Seven Cooperation Intent Su Mingxi put down her comic manuscript, her gaze towards Xia Jing now changed.
Initially, she had wanted to refuse when her younger sister mentioned a close friend in the comics field wanted to submit a piece. This reluctance
only intensified upon learning the friend was her sister's age.
While China's comics culture was vibrant, most comic artists were adults. How could a high school student balance academics and comic creation?
How many high school students with such obvious talent as her sister were there, especially not her friend?
This so-called submission was likely just the creator indulging in self-indulgence.
Therefore, Su Mingxi's initial domineering attitude towards Xia Jing was merely a guess that Xia Jing intended to use her sister's connections to take shortcuts, and she wanted to scare him away first.
However, now…
Su Mingxi stared intently at the comic manuscript on the table, her eyes darting back and forth between the manuscript and Xia Jing's face.
She had a premonition that once this work was published, it would definitely not go unnoticed.
"Teacher Xia Jing, right?" Su Mingxi stood up at this moment.
"I apologize for my previous attitude. I underestimated people and was too arrogant."
Teacher Xia Jing?
Xia Jing was stunned, and Su Qingxiao behind Su Mingxi also narrowed her eyes.
Both of them immediately realized what Su Mingxi's change of address to "teacher" meant.
"I received your submission. It is truly an exceptionally excellent comic." Su Mingxi.
"So, this means the comic has been accepted, right?" Xia Jing asked with a serious expression.
In fact, he probably knew before coming that it would develop in a similar way.
Even if 5 Centimeters Per Second isn't particularly outstanding among Makoto Shinkai's works, it's still comparable to works like Your Name and Weathering With You.
How could it possibly fail to get accepted by a third-tier comic magazine in China?
But after the results came out, he still unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
"Of course, from an editor's perspective, I really like this comic. It's the most impressive work I've worked on in my two years as a comic editor at Fantasy Dream Group. It's just..." Su Mingxi hesitated for a moment before saying,
"I think Xia Jing's work is very good, but whether it will ultimately get a serialization opportunity depends on the serialization meeting of our Fantasy Dream Group editorial department."
"Serialization meeting?"
Su Mingxi then explained to Xia Jing.
The Fantasy Dream Group owns several comic book serialization magazines. Whenever an older work in these magazines is about to end or be abruptly canceled,
the editorial department naturally holds a meeting to discuss the serialization of a new comic.
In short, it's a discussion where a group of industry editors collectively review the outstanding comics submitted to the editorial department during this period and vote to select the work that will ultimately get serialization opportunities.
Su Mingxi, as an ordinary editor, doesn't have that much authority to make the final decision on the serialization opportunity for a work in the Sakura Magazine.
For "5 Centimeters Per Second" to be included in the serialization meeting, it needs to gain the approval of the vast majority of the editors in the editorial department.
"When is this serialization meeting held?" Xia Jing asked.
He had previously heard Su Qingxiao mention that the Sakura Weekly he wanted to submit to seemed to have several works nearing completion.
"The day after tomorrow," Su Mingxi said, looking at Xia Jing.
The day after tomorrow?
Xia Jing looked at Su Qingxiao, who nodded slightly.
No wonder she rushed him to submit his work this afternoon; she must have known about this, hence her haste.
"In short, Professor Xia Jing, your work is excellent in my opinion, and..." Su Mingxi said.
"I think it has a very good chance of winning the serialization meeting and getting a serialization opportunity. Could I make a copy of your original manuscript? Although the serialization meeting is the day after tomorrow, the editors in the editorial department actually need to register and submit the submitted works of their respective comic artists tomorrow. If you have no objections, we can reach a preliminary cooperation agreement..."
"I..."
Xia Jing paused for a moment, then realized something and adjusted his slightly loose posture and the hem of his clothes.
"Of course, no objections, Editor Su. That's exactly why I'm here." Xia Jing extended his hand.
Su Mingxi smiled slightly and shook hands with Xia Jing.
...
At nine o'clock in the evening, Su Qingxiao personally escorted Xia Jing out of the villa and then to the entrance of the residential area.
However, Su Qingxiao seemed somewhat distracted throughout.
"Su... Su-kun, what's wrong?"
After all, she had helped him a great deal, and Xia Jing couldn't just dismiss her with a "none of my business" in his mind.
"I was still thinking about the ending of 5 Centimeters Per Second... Xia Jing, do you really think it's okay for Akari and Gu Shu to just pass each other by in the vast sea of people like this?" Su Qingxiao paused before speaking.
As a comic artist herself, she knew it was impolite to interfere with the plot of someone else's comic.
But she couldn't help it!
"Shouldn't comics be about showing readers beauty that doesn't exist in reality? Your ending is too tragic." Su Qingxiao's voice clearly betrayed her distress as she spoke.
"So think carefully about what beauty doesn't exist in reality," Xia Jing said after a moment's thought.
"A former couple who had almost forgotten each other, but still harbored a lingering attachment, rekindled their romance years later—is that the kind of beauty you imagine unique to anime?"
Su Qingxiao asked, taken aback.
"Or perhaps... like Gu Shu, who, many, many years later, found peace and could turn away with a smile, embracing a new life... that's the kind of beauty we, as creators, should be showing our readers in anime,"
Su Qingxiao replied.
"You make it sound like you've been in love. Aren't you just a fifteen-year-old high school freshman like me?"
Xia Jing smiled slightly, though she didn't voice her true thoughts.
Of course, in my past life, I had two relationships in college, though neither of them lasted.
"This is just my opinion on 5 Centimeters Per Second. Although I'm the one who brought it up, it's perfectly fine for you, Su, to have your own interpretation of the ending. But... I can't think of a better ending." Xia Jing said.
Like Hamlet, many authors struggle to provide a convincing final interpretation of the plot, let alone Xia Jing, who is merely a translator.
"Don't call me Su-tongxue anymore, just call me by my name." Su Qingxiao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, thought for a moment, and sighed.
"Xia Jing, just a heads up, many readers of Sakura Weekly are quite sensitive. If your work really gets serialized... you'll probably receive a lot of thank-you letters from fans."
Thank-you letters...
Xia Jing's expression turned strange
upon hearing this. Hmm, in that case, before the comic is serialized, I need to think of a pen name; I absolutely can't use my real name.