Morning Light
Sunlight streamed through the apartment's windows, casting a warm glow across the living room.
Su Yu slowly opened his eyes.
A blanket covered him, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance.
Sitting up, he glanced out the window, then picked up his phone.
A message from Yui Yuigahama, sent at 8 AM.
She had gone shopping with Yumiko Miura and Hina Ebina.
The current time: 9 AM.
Su Yu put away his phone and neatly folded the blanket.
Just then, a soft voice came from behind him.
Turning around, he saw Yukino Yukinoshita standing there—wearing an apron.
"You woke up just in time. Breakfast is ready."
She smiled at him.
"…I thought you'd already left for work," Su Yu said, slightly surprised.
"I sent the script you dictated last night to Shi Miyazumi's email. There's no need to go in right away," Yukino replied.
"I see. So, once I'm fully awake, we'll head out together?"
"I bought new toiletries. They're in the bathroom. Go freshen up," Yukino said simply before turning away.
After washing up, Su Yu walked into the dining area.
The breakfast was already set.
Yukino sat at the table, waiting for him.
Su Yu took his seat and smirked.
"Yukino, you'd make a wonderful wife—so gentle and caring."
Yukino shot him a glance.
"While I would like to thank you for the compliment, I can't help but notice the arrogance in your tone."
Su Yu laughed. "I admit it. If I could have a wife like you, I would feel quite proud."
Ignoring his teasing, Yukino changed the subject.
"After breakfast, are we heading to Future Comics or back to Sakura Dormitory? Yui messaged me earlier—she's out shopping with Yumiko and Hina today."
"She sent me the same message," Su Yu said after a short pause.
"…She's giving us space," Yukino realized.
Su Yu nodded.
Yukino sighed, lowering her gaze.
Signing the Manga Contract
After breakfast, the two left the apartment.
Yukino's driver was already waiting downstairs.
Seeing them, she promptly opened the car door.
Once inside, Yukino spoke in a cool tone.
"To Future Comics."
Su Yu naturally reached for her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.
The driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror but said nothing as she started the car.
By the time they arrived, Su Yu was about to make a call—
When he spotted her standing outside the building.
Tamura Nanako.
Beside her stood a middle-aged woman.
The moment Nanako saw him, she whispered something to the woman, who then smiled and approached.
Su Yu put away his phone.
Meeting the Chief Editor
"You must be Su Yu-sama?"
The woman extended her hand.
"Miss Haruno Yukinoshita already called ahead. She requested that your contract be drafted in accordance with those of our top manga artists. I'm Yumiko Sato, the chief editor of Future Comics."
Su Yu shook her hand.
"Pleasure to meet you."
Sato then turned to Yukino, giving her a knowing smile.
Yukino remained silent.
She understood.
If Haruno had called ahead, everything had already been arranged.
Meanwhile, Nanako discreetly sized Yukino up.
Seeing her up close, she felt an undeniable gap between them.
"Please, follow me," Sato said, leading the way.
Su Yu and Yukino stepped inside the building.
Inside Future Comics
As soon as they entered, they were greeted by walls adorned with anime and manga characters.
Su Yu glanced around—
And didn't recognize a single one.
Sato walked ahead, giving them a brief history of Future Comics.
Something about an idealistic first-generation president who built the company from scratch.
Su Yu only half-listened.
Upon reaching the editorial department, they saw editors on calls, others conversing with authors, and some sorting through documents.
Once inside Sato's office, the atmosphere quieted.
She handed Su Yu a contract.
In return, he handed her the manuscript.
Sato carefully unsealed the file and began reading through Leisure Days.
Meanwhile, Su Yu meticulously examined the contract.
The Contract Terms
Thirty minutes later, Su Yu finished reading.
This contract was extremely favorable.
He retained full anime adaptation rights.
His payment structure included a fixed rate per page,profit-sharing bonuses, and royalties from collected volumes.
At a minimum—his annual earnings would be in the tens of millions of yen.
But Su Yu wasn't too concerned about that.
No matter how much he made, he'd just reinvest it into anime production.
Across from him, Sato had finished reading his manga.
She looked thrilled.
"Su Yu-sensei, your manga's quality has far exceeded my expectations! If nothing unexpected happens, your work will definitely be a best-seller. Once your collected volumes release—"
Sato's voice was filled with excitement.
Initially, she had some doubts about Su Yu.
She had only agreed to this meeting because of Nanako's strong recommendation.
But after reading Leisure Days, she could already see it climbing the rankings.
If it reached the top five, Su Yu would become the most terrifying rookie mangaka of the year.
Su Yu simply smiled.
"Thank you for your kind words."
Then, he signed his name.
Sato beamed.
"Su Yu-sensei, Nanako will be your dedicated editor from now on. You can contact her anytime. As for your deadlines, you can submit weekly or monthly."
"I'll be submitting my work to Flash Animation Studio at a weekly pace."
Sato's eyes lit up.
"A weekly release? Then we can start preparing collected volumes right away!"
"I'll do my best to maintain the pace," Su Yu nodded. "But Leisure Days isn't structured like a long-running story. It's a series of small, standalone chapters."
"That's exactly what makes it charming!" Sato was already anticipating the anime adaptation.
After all—
For Su Yu to secure full anime rights, he must have Haruno Yukinoshita's backing.
If not for that, Future Comics wouldn't have agreed to such terms.
One Hour Later
Su Yu finalized the contract.
Key points:
He didn't need an assistant, so Future Comics wouldn't assign him one.Payments were monthly and included fixed fees, profit-sharing, and royalties.Anime adaptation rights were entirely his.
To Su Yu, the entire contract felt custom-made.
He didn't even need to think hard to know—
This was Haruno's doing.
But he didn't bother asking.
For her, securing these terms was nothing more than a small favor.
"Congratulations, Su Yu-sensei."
As they exited the building, Yukino glanced at him.
"Congratulations, manga artist Su Yu-kun."
Su Yu turned to her and smiled.
Then—
Without hesitation—
He took her hand.
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X