It was a quiet afternoon in the Horizon Press office. The sky outside glowed with the soft gold of late autumn, and the city below hummed faintly through the windows. Miyako sat across from Claire at a long wooden table, her sketchbook open beside a cup of green tea. The familiar nervous excitement fluttered in her chest — every meeting with Claire still felt surreal, like sitting across from someone who had helped her pull her dream out of the clouds.
Claire flipped through the printed chapters of The Eternal Queen of Althra, her sharp eyes glowing with approval. "Thirteen chapters, and you're still keeping your readers hooked. That's not easy, Miyako. You've done something really special."
Miyako smiled shyly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you, Claire. I still can't believe people are actually reading it. Every time I see it on a bookstore shelf, I almost cry."
Claire laughed softly. "You've earned it. But I was actually thinking… what if we try something a little different next?"
Miyako blinked. "Different?"
Claire leaned forward, her tone playful but serious. "A fanfic version of The Eternal Queen of Althra."
Miyako tilted her head. "A fanfic?"
"Yes," Claire said, her smile widening. "Something that brings in a bit of fun — something unexpected. You could take the world you've built and imagine what it would be like if the next hero the Priestess summons came from another anime or manga. It doesn't have to be canon, of course — just for fun, as a creative side project."
Miyako froze for a moment, her pencil hovering above the page. "Wait… you mean, like, the Priestess could summon someone from… another story?"
"Exactly."
Miyako blinked again. "Is that even allowed?"
Claire chuckled. "Of course. That's what makes it a fanfic. It's not official — it's your own playful interpretation. You can do crossovers, character experiments, whatever you want. Think of it as a creative playground. You've already built the world of Althra — why not invite someone unexpected into it?"
Miyako looked down thoughtfully at her sketchbook. "I… never thought about doing something like that before. It sounds fun but also… strange."
"Strange is good," Claire said. "Strange makes people curious."
---
Later that night, Miyako sat at her desk again, surrounded by her tools, her sketchbook open to a fresh page. The idea of making a fanfic version of her manga swirled in her mind like an unfamiliar melody.
She started listing names — characters she loved, heroes from different worlds.
Yuji Itadori. Megumi Fushiguro. Satoru Gojo. And then — Nobara Kugisaki.
Her pencil stopped moving.
Something about that name felt right.
Miyako remembered the first time she had watched Jujutsu Kaisen back in Tokyo. She had been sixteen, sketching while the anime played on her laptop. Nobara had appeared on screen — bold, stylish, unflinching — and something about her confidence struck a chord deep inside Miyako's heart.
Nobara wasn't perfect or idealized. She was loud, fierce, and stubborn — but also genuine. She reminded Miyako of the kind of person she wanted to become.
"Maybe…" Miyako whispered, smiling softly. "Maybe it should be her."
---
The next day, Miyako met Claire again in the same cozy meeting room. This time, she came prepared — her notes neatly written in her small notebook, though most of the pages were still blank.
"So," Claire said, smiling as she sipped her coffee, "did you think about it?"
Miyako nodded. "Yes. I did."
"And?"
"I think… if I were to make a fanfic version," Miyako said, her voice steady, "I'd want to bring in Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen."
Claire blinked in surprise, setting down her cup. "Nobara? Really? I thought you might go for Yuji Itadori or maybe even Gojo Satoru — they're far more recognizable. Nobara's great, but she's not as famous as the other three."
Miyako smiled a little, her fingers tracing the edge of her notebook. "I know. But that's why I want to choose her."
Claire tilted her head. "How so?"
Miyako took a breath. "Because she's my favorite character in Jujutsu Kaisen. She's not just strong — she's real. I love how she carries herself, how she refuses to hide who she is. She's brave, confident, and proud of being herself, even when people underestimate her."
She paused for a moment, her tone softening. "When I first watched the series, I was new to Tokyo's high school art club. I felt so invisible, so unsure of myself. But Nobara's energy… it inspired me. She reminded me that you can be both elegant and wild, that you don't have to fit into a mold to be strong."
Claire listened quietly, her eyes warm.
Miyako smiled faintly. "And now that I'm living here, in New York, trying to find my place again — she still feels like that spark I need. If the Priestess were to summon anyone into her world, I want it to be Nobara. Because she'd walk into that ancient kingdom and still be herself — confident, loud, unshakable. I love that about her."
For a moment, silence filled the room, heavy but comfortable.
Claire leaned back in her chair, smiling. "You really love that character, don't you?"
Miyako nodded. "I do."
---
Claire picked up one of the manga volumes from the table, running her fingers along the spine thoughtfully. "You know, Miyako, that's exactly what I wanted to hear."
Miyako blinked. "Really?"
"Absolutely," Claire said. "You're not choosing her because she's popular — you're choosing her because she means something to you. That's what good art always comes from: something genuine."
She smiled, her tone light again. "So yes — I think Nobara Kugisaki is perfect for your fanfic version of The Eternal Queen of Althra. I can already imagine the energy she'd bring to that world."
Miyako's eyes brightened. "You really think so?"
Claire nodded. "Completely. Just remember — this fanfic isn't about fame or numbers. It's about joy. Let it be fun. Let it remind you why you started drawing in the first place."
Miyako smiled softly, her heart full. "Thank you, Claire. I'll think carefully about how to do it."
"Good," Claire said with a grin. "And when you're ready to show me your ideas, I'll be here."
As Miyako left the office, the afternoon sunlight bathed the hallway in soft gold. She held her sketchbook tightly to her chest, her mind already alive with thoughts of Nobara — of how to bring her energy into a world she had built from her imagination.
For the first time in weeks, she felt that spark again — that familiar mix of excitement and fear that always came before something new.
And as she walked down the busy New York street, she whispered to herself, smiling,
"Let's make something special again."