Shidō actually found the manga quite interesting.
But the moment he discovered that the creator was Rei, his attitude changed instantly.
After all, he was the one who had personally overridden all objections in a previous serialization meeting and removed his manga Tonight from the candidate list for Mirage Weekly.
The aftermath was humiliating.
Tonight went to Ametsukage Weekly instead, and it became a hit.
Especially the issue that featured Tonight's final chapter: that issue of Ametsukage Weekly sold 2.38 million copies, surpassing Mirage Weekly's 2.32 million. Even now, the two magazines remained so close in sales that they constantly traded places for the company's "second-best-selling journal."
That incident shattered his confidence and caused no small amount of controversy in the editorial department. It also made Shidō form a lasting resentment toward Rei.
Even though he was the one who rejected Rei first…Rei, by succeeding elsewhere, ended up making him look worse. So no matter the reason, Shidō's dislike came first.
"That's true. A Go manga, how many readers could it possibly have?" someone muttered.
"I think it's excellent, but Go…" another sighed. "Why not choose shōgi or chess instead?"
A faint smile tugged at Shidō's lips. He was pleased that the room's atmosphere was shifting against the manga.
But then;
"I think Go is perfectly fine," said Moriyama Kaito, one of the editorial directors and the person who had previously selected Five Centimeters per Second.
"Every genre has to start somewhere. If we never give new genres a chance, how will we know whether the market can accept a Go manga?"
"Twenty years ago, mystery manga weren't popular at all. Publishers thought no one would read them. But now? Mystery manga are one of the biggest and most stable genres in the industry."
Ichinose Kei, the editor who had selected Tonight for serialization in Ametsukage Weekly, spoke up as well.
"Being unpopular isn't a flaw. A truly talented manga artist can forge a new path, turning a genre no one has touched before into a thriving, mainstream category."
Both directors had benefited immensely from Rei's previous works. Naturally, they wouldn't hesitate to speak in his defense.
Finally;
"Is there anything wrong with Go?"
Everyone turned to look at Han, the one who had spoken.
"I don't understand Go," he said quietly, "but I'm genuinely looking forward to reading the fourth chapter."
That single sentence made his stance completely clear.
As Editor-in-Chief of the Hoshimori Group Editorial Division, his words settled the uncertainty in the room. Many editors who liked Hikaru no Go but had hesitated because of the Go theme suddenly felt reassured.
"Begin voting," Han announced.
The voting process was quick, barely ten seconds.
Then the results appeared on the projection screen behind Han.
Hikaru no Go - 14 votes.
Temporarily ranked first in the entire serialization meeting.
Fourteen votes…
Everyone exchanged glances. They all knew who the one abstention belonged to.
But that single abstention no longer mattered.
After Hikaru no Go, there were still eight or nine remaining submissions to review, but everyone already understood that no other manga would stand a chance after a score like 14. The subsequent evaluations sped up noticeably.
At 1 PM, the conference room doors finally opened.
Thirteen people walked out into the work area. Editors from across the department stared curiously at the group of mid- and senior-level managers.
Especially editors like Misaki, who had submitted entries for this serialization meeting, their expressions were tense with anticipation.
But only a few minutes later, the results had spread across the office floor.
"Did you hear? The winning manga this round is…"
"A Go manga."
When she heard that, Misaki's legs turned to jelly and she collapsed back into her swivel chair.
Her rational mind told her to calm down, but she couldn't.
Hikaru no Go…It really defeated eighteen competitors and won the serialization slot?
Her heart pounded, excitement rising uncontrollably.
What she did not know was that in her previous life, Hikaru no Go had also survived the even harsher and more unforgiving editorial review of Weekly Shōnen Jump.
Rei, however, knew perfectly well:
As long as the Hoshimori Group's serialization meeting wasn't a mere formality or prearranged, Hikaru no Go's quality almost guaranteed that it would be selected.
And as for low-probability disasters, he chose to ignore them.He would only worry if they actually happen
Across the editorial department, eighteen defeated editors immediately called the manga artists they worked with, trying to comfort their partners. Several artists who had prepared for this opportunity for months choked up the moment they heard the results, unable to stop their tears.
Misaki took a deep breath. She didn't have the energy to worry about anyone else's emotions.
She dialed Rei's number.
At noon, on the school rooftop, Rei and Miyu had been anxiously waiting for the call. The moment they saw Misaki's name appear on the screen, they exchanged a tense look.
Even though Rei believed in the quality of Hikaru no Go, that didn't mean he wasn't nervous.
"H-Hello…" he started.
"Hikaru no Go has passed the serialization meeting and emerged as the final winner. It will officially begin publication on February 4th, in Issue 1013 of Dream Comic! Rei, get ready to draw the cover illustration for that issue!"
Misaki said, trying, and failing, to keep her voice steady.
It was Monday, January 12th.
While Shirogane's fan community was still busy waging online battles against supporters of other New Manga Artist of the Year candidates, the official website of Hoshimori Group suddenly released a short announcement:
"On Wednesday, February 4th, Shirogane's latest work Hikaru no Go will begin serialization in Issue 1013 of Dream Comic."
Not a single unnecessary word.
The announcement was concise, but its impact detonated instantly among Shirogane's fans.
Huh?
What are you doing, Shirogane-sensei!?
Last June, Five Centimeters per Second began serialization in Sakura-iro Weekly, which sold 700,000–800,000 copies per week.
Last September, Tonight began serialization in Ametsukage Weekly, which sold 2.3 million copies per week.
This February, Hikaru no Go was set to serialize in Dream Comic.
Three giant leaps. Three different magazines. All within half a year.
'Are you even human, Shirogane-sensei? Are you really just a high school student?'
Nothing like this had ever happened in the history of the Japanese manga industry.
Three manga in six months. It was absurd, unbelievable even.
The entire manga industry's media erupted with coverage.
The name Shirogane, once known only among Rei's own fans, was now spreading rapidly into the mainstream consciousness through countless news reports about this "genius high school manga artist."
Many casual readers found themselves thinking the same thing:
'Is this kid really that amazing?'
'Hikaru no Go? What kind of manga is that?'
'A manga… about fighting with a board game?'