Miyu felt a pang of discomfort.
But as her sister flipped through the manga pages, the second chapter—the Cosmonaut arc—reached its climax. The scene where Kanae prepares to confess to Takaki brought tears to Miyu's eyes.
Please, don't be so kind to me anymore.
The girl, unable to hold back her tears, could only voice this silent plea in her heart as the boy showed her his concern.
Kanae had learned to surf the day before her high school graduation, and on that day, when her confidence was at its peak, she resolved to confess her feelings.
Yet, just as she was about to speak the words, she saw the way the boy looked at her.
His gaze held her in his eyes, but not in his heart.
The confession remained unspoken, transforming into the girl's tear-streaked face, a portrait of heartbreak.
By this point, Misaki's fingers gripping the manga pages were clenching far tighter than before.
Strictly speaking, 5 Centimeters Per Second was aimed at a young adult audience. Miyu's emotional connection to this kind of manga couldn't possibly match the depth of Misaki's, who had experienced the full spectrum of school life.
Miyu still believed the long-distance relationship and time-induced disconnection between the male and female leads was a plot flaw, still clinging to the idea that true love could overcome all obstacles.
But Misaki, having witnessed the tragic breakups of her college roommates immediately after graduation, could only sigh.
Is this really a romance manga drawn by a high school student?
A manga that leaves you feeling so heavy, so sad, so helpless... could a high schooler truly create something like this?
The second story, "Cosmonaut," was quickly flipped through.
Then came the third story, "5 Centimeters Per Second."
The timeline jumped to Takaki's post-college graduation years.
As a young man, Takaki broke up with his girlfriend of several years. Her final text message to him read:
Even if we exchanged a thousand messages, the distance between our hearts would only close by one centimeter.
Misaki fell silent.
Miyu fell silent as well.
Combining this with the manga's title, 5 Centimeters Per Second!,
If cherry blossoms fall at a rate of 5 centimeters per second, then at what rate do human hearts draw closer?
After years of interaction, had the two grown even a centimeter closer than when they first met?
Truly exceptional works don't spoon-feed the author's message; instead, they use a limited narrative to prompt readers to reflect and arrive at their own conclusions.
When both Miyu and Misaki sisters found themselves thinking along similar lines, they were already hooked.
Just like Rei in their previous life, and countless other Makoto Shinkai anime fans, they were captivated by the story of Takaki and Akari.
Soon, the manga's narrative began to fulfill their expectations.
An adult Akari arrived in Tokyo, and as she sat on the train, she recalled her thirteen-year-old self and the boy from her past.
She remembered the feelings she had once forgotten.
"I see now," Misaki murmured, understanding dawning on her face.
No wonder the earlier plot developments had led to Takaki's relationships with Kanae and his later girlfriends all ending without resolution.
For Takaki, Akari was the one he truly loved.
Even after more than a decade of separation, with their contact severed and their memories of each other fading, the flame of their connection still burned.
But the moment they meet again, that once-intense and genuine affection will resurface.
True, burning love doesn't fade with time or distance; it merely settles, sprouts anew, and imperceptibly grows stronger.
Rei-kun, is this the message you're trying to convey in your work?
A flicker of approval flashed in Misaki's eyes.
Now the theme has been elevated.
Impressive.
Miyu gradually grasped this point as well, her expression toward Rei shifting.
Initially, she had simply seen him as an ordinary manga enthusiast with decent drawing skills. His tenacity in sketching manga on the school rooftop under sweltering heat had earned her respect, prompting her to offer assistance.
Truthfully, she hadn't expected Rei to produce anything truly remarkable.
But this manga had completely overturned her perception of him.
Such a concise narrative had stirred her emotions so deeply, bringing her to the verge of tears multiple times.
The artwork, plot, and underlying message all surpassed what one would expect from a novice manga artist.
Misaki began flipping through the manuscript pages more quickly, her anticipation growing. She eagerly wanted to witness Akari and Takaki's reunion after more than a decade apart.
What will their first words be to each other?
Finally, she and her younger sister, Miyu, reached the page dictating the unforgettable scene.
Miyu saw the comic panel shift to the slope beneath the cherry blossoms, the railway tracks before it, and the countdown bells ringing on either side.
Two figures were walking toward each other across the tracks. In the brief moment they crossed paths, they seemed to recognize each other.
But with the city train approaching, neither slowed their pace as they continued toward the opposite side of the tracks.
At that moment, I had a strong premonition that if I turned back, she would turn back too. — Takaki
In the comic, Takaki turned around, and he could vaguely see the woman on the other side of the tracks preparing to turn as well.
Miyu's eyes widened.
In the anime, the next scene was a long shot of the train speeding past.
In the comic, Rei inserted several silent panels depicting why Takaki and Akari had lost contact during high school and how they had gradually drifted apart.
Finally, when Misaki reached the second-to-last page of the 5 Centimeters Per Second comic, she stared at the panel before her.
It would be wonderful if we could watch the cherry blossoms together next year too.
The promise they had made on the same tracks over a decade ago was finally about to be fulfilled.
The same cherry blossom season, the same figures standing on opposite sides of the tracks, just like when they were children.
As the train sped past, cherry blossoms swirled in its wake, filling the sky. Takaki glanced across the tracks, but all that remained were petals drifting slowly to the ground.
The other side of the tracks was empty.
Just like the hearts of the Yukishiro sisters at that moment.
Intense emotions surged within them, leaving a gaping emptiness, as if something had been forcibly excavated.
Misaki noticed her hands trembling slightly.
The feeling was unbearable. She couldn't help but glance at Rei, who sat idly on the sofa.
Then she flipped to the final page of the 5 Centimeters Per Second manga.
Takaki's initial reaction to the empty space across the tracks was confusion and disbelief.
But a faint smile soon curved his lips. Without hesitation, he turned and walked away, his face carrying an expression of resignation.
Then came the bold words:
5 Centimeters Per Second: The End
"How could it end like this?" Miyu's voice trembled slightly.
"Rei..."
"How could it end like this?"
"Is this the ending? Is this how you truly see Akari and Takaki's story?"
"Yes," Rei replied, glancing at the time. Over an hour had passed since they began reading the first draft.
"Editor Misaki, you've finished the manga," Rei said, taking a deep breath.
"Does this manga meet your approval for publication?"