Aoki's hand moved before she could think. The pen was smooth, weighty, and humming with something ancient that guided her fingers across the page like it had a will of its own. Ink flowed exactly where she needed it to go, lines forming with clarity she'd never achieved before. The strokes were clean. The panels were balanced. Her characters felt alive, as if they'd existed long before she gave them form.
She didn't stop to sketch a name. She didn't pause to outline dialogue. It all just… came. Like the story had already been drawn in her head, waiting for this exact pen to unlock it.
Hours passed. The glow of her desk lamp mixed with the faint morning light peeking through the curtains. Her back ached and her eyes stung but she didn't care. By the time she placed her pen down, it was nearly 5 a.m.
She stared at it in disbelief. Not because she doubted its quality but somehow, she did because for the first time in years, it felt like hers. The raw excitement she once had as a teenager sketching fan manga in the back of her literature notes… it was back.
"Why do you always draw that girl with the giant sword?" someone once asked her when she was much younger.
"Because she looks cool," she answered simply, smudging a line with her sleeve. "And because no one at her school messes with her."
She remembered her first panel clearly. It was crooked, the inking too heavy, but the thrill it gave her—the idea that something she'd imagined could live on paper was unmatched. That one panel had led her down this path.
She jolted awake to the blaring ringtone on her phone.
10:26 A.M.
Her heart skipped.
"I should probably submit this as a one-shot to Matsumoto-senpai."
Aoki scrambled off the bed, nearly tripping over her blanket. She had drawn until dawn and passed out without setting an alarm. The Shonēn Black editorial office opened by 9 a.m.—and she was supposed to be in the next week with Chapter 22 of Saint ♰ Rewind. But after what she'd drawn last night… there was no going back.
She took a quick shower. Pulled on jeans, a hoodie, grabbed the finished manuscript pages from her desk, and bolted out the door.
At Shonēn Black HQ, Takeru Matsumoto adjusted his tie while sipping his coffee. His morning was routine so far. He skimmed through a few names on his desk and sighed. Another week of average submissions.
Just as he leaned back, the door slammed open.
Aoki stood there, panting, cheeks flushed from the July heat. Her hair was still messy from sleep, and her hands clutched a thick envelope.
"You're not due until next week," Takeru said cautiously, lowering his mug.
"I know," she said, breathing hard. "But I need you to look at this."
"Is this the name for Saint ♰ Rewind Chapter 22?"
"No. It's… something else. A complete manuscript"
There was a moment of silence. Takeru glanced down at the envelope, then back at her. He motioned for her to come in.
They sat down at a table in the shared editor workspace. Another senior editor, Kana Ishida, a sharp-eyed woman who usually worked with gag manga artists, peered over with interest.
Behind her stood a junior mangaka, Hikaru Nitta, nineteen, in his second year of serialization of his manga, Quest for Gold that sat comfortably at #5. He looked at Aoki with curiosity.
"She's turning something new? Could it be a one-shot?" he whispered.
Takeru carefully slid the manuscript out of the envelope. His eyes scanned the title:
"Margaria no Hana"
(The Flower of Margaria)
He raised a brow. "This isn't your usual style. Is this a one-shot?"
"Yes, it is." Aoki said.
Kana leaned closer. "Wait… you skipped the name?"
Takeru was already on the third page, flipping slower now. His eyes sharpened with each turn. By page seven, he was quiet. By page eleven, he leaned in.
"Who inked this?" he asked.
"I did," she replied.
"Bullshit." Hikaru snorted. Kana smacked his arm.
Aoki didn't look in his direction. "I'm serious."
Takeru continued reading, without making any comments. He read it to the last panel, stared at it for another ten seconds, then exhaled deeply.
"You wrote, storyboarded, sketched, inked, and lettered this in one night?"
She nodded.
Kana pulled it toward her. "Let me see." She read fast as always, her expressions shifting from mild interest to genuine surprise.
Hikaru whispered, "Can I—"
"Wait your turn," Kana said, eyes glued to the page.
And then came the voice Aoki hoped wouldn't show up.
"Trying out one-shots now, Aoki?"
She turned. Satoshi Morita, tall, stylish as ever, with a calm smirk that somehow always made her want to punch something.
He looked at the manuscript and scanned a few pages. He was silent longer than usual. Then finally, he said, "It's… not bad."
"That's all?" Kana shot back.
Satoshi handed it back carefully. "It's too clean to be hers."
"Watch it," Takeru warned.
But Satoshi didn't push. Instead, he gave Aoki a strange look. "We both know you didn't make this. But It doesn't matter, it doesn't par with mine."
Aoki raised a brow. "You're so full of yourself"
He didn't answer. Just gave a half-smile and walked off.
Later, in Takeru's private office, Aoki finally exhaled. He placed the manuscript on the table between them.
"Okay," he said. "Talk to me. What's Flower of Margaria about?"
Aoki leaned forward. "It's set in a crumbling world where people forget their loved ones every time they speak a lie. The main character is a florist who starts keeping silent after losing too many memories. She meets someone who challenges her silence with honesty."
Takeru stared at her. "You had this in your head the whole time?"
"No, not exactly," she said honestly. "It came to me last night."
"Okay, I'll try to get the other editors' comments on it before submitting to the board."
"Thank you sir."
"I'm glad you haven't lost your mark, Aoki," he said smiling from ear to ear.
Outside the office, Kana passed Satoshi in the hallway.
"Looks like you'll start dealing with the real Aoki," Kana muttered.
Satoshi didn't reply. He stared out the window at the Tokyo skyline, jaw tight.
"They keep hyping her like she's something special."
He slipped his hands into his pockets, gaze steady on the skyline.
"I'll show them what a real manga looks like."