"Impressive! Your new manga series climbed to sixth place in popularity rankings in just its second week of serialization."
Miyu's expression was complex as she spoke.
Despite her nonchalant demeanor, as if she were saying, "I'm number one, you're number six," her own debut manga series had languished at the bottom of the magazine's rankings. By its second week, it had even plummeted to second-to-last place. Only after several months of serialization did it finally break into the top ten.
Yet Rei's 5 Centimeters Per Second had already reached sixth place in just two weeks. It wasn't quite jealousy, but envy was definitely present.
A simmering sense of competitiveness also began to brew within her.
After all, she had been a manga artist for several years longer than Rei. There was no way 5 Centimeters Per Second could truly catch up to her, right?
"Thank you," Rei replied, carefully examining the magazine's rankings for the week.
"Speaking of which, you should buy a phone once your royalties come in. It would make it easier to stay in touch with my sister."
"Mm, naturally. I've been meaning to do that for a while now."
Rei and Miyu were chatting on the rooftop, watching the students eating lunch on the school grounds below. A gentle breeze carried the students' laughter and chatter up to them, causing Rei to drift into a daze, a sense of unreality washing over him.
In his previous life, when he had struggled alone in the adult world, he had often fantasized about returning to high school. Now that dream had come true, and he was even a high school manga artist.
"What's so interesting about watching students eat?" Miyu asked. "Every time we meet on the rooftop at lunchtime, you always stare at the school grounds below. Are you plotting your manga stories during these moments?"
"After you graduate, you'll miss these school days more than you think," Rei replied.
"You talk like you're some seasoned adult who's been out of school for years," Miyu said with a smile.
"But seriously, about your new manga—how far along are you with it?"
"Hmm, I've finished the first chapter and I'm almost done with the second."
"Really? You don't have any assistants? How did you finish so quickly?" Miyu asked, her expression skeptical.
"Drawing manga requires natural talent, especially when it comes to drawing both well and quickly," Rei replied with a faint smile.
Miyu's eyebrows twitched at his words, and a surge of competitive spirit rose within her.
Though she dedicated every spare moment to creating her own manga, she knew she couldn't possibly manage it all alone.
Her two assistants lived in the same residential complex near her villa. Every day, she would hand over her rough drafts for them to refine and finalize. Even with their help, Miyu felt she couldn't match Rei's speed.
The lunch break passed quickly. As afternoon classes approached, Rei returned to the classroom and immediately overheard familiar keywords:
Akari
Takaki
5 Centimeters
Shirogane
It wasn't just Hana Fujimoto and Yui Nakamura who were fans of the manga in Sakura Weekly. Several other students had gathered around them, discussing the latest chapter from yesterday's issue.
They seemed to be arguing about something.
In Japan's romance manga market, saturated with formulaic stories, 5 Centimeters Per Second might not be the best or most commercially viable work.
But among the sea of romance-themed manga, it stood out as a truly unique work.
This was true in Rei's previous life, and it remained true in this world as well.
"Here comes our great manga artist!"
Ever since Hana Fujimoto discovered that Rei also bought Sakura Weekly, she greeted him every time she saw him that week.
Of course, "great manga artist" was her playful nickname for Rei, a reference to his earlier claim that he was the author of 5 Centimeters Per Second.
It was just a lighthearted, teasing remark.
The tendency for anime and manga fans to gravitate toward each other remained the same across worlds.
Once fans confirmed that someone in real life shared their interests, the floodgates of conversation would burst open like a dam releasing its waters, flowing endlessly.
Hana Fujimoto was actually being quite restrained in showing this camaraderie.
"Speaking of which, did you see yesterday's 5 Centimeters Per Second?" Hana asked.
The members of their small circle of shōjo manga enthusiasts all turned curious glances toward Rei. They had heard Hana mention that Rei, a male classmate, also read Sakura Weekly.
"Yeah, I saw it," Rei nodded.
"Perfect!" Hana grinned. "We were just discussing what might happen next in 5 Centimeters Per Second."
"Based on the recent developments, Yui Nakamura and I think this manga is definitely going down the long-distance relationship route. But Touma and Yuki believe the story will suddenly have both sets of parents move back to Tokyo, allowing the two leads to openly date. Rei, what do you think?"
"Out of the eighteen manga in Sakura Weekly, why are you all so focused on this one?" Rei asked, pausing before responding with genuine curiosity.
"High Score Romance and Tale of Sorrow are already nearing their conclusions. The main couples have confessed their feelings and started dating, so there's not much left to discuss. The plots of the other manga are also pretty predictable. Only 5 Centimeters Per Second is truly hard to guess!" Hana said softly.
Rei blinked in surprise, then chuckled in agreement.
"Well, I'm here to tell you both sides are wrong. You've all guessed incorrectly. But since spoilers are the most detestable thing in the world, I won't be the villain who reveals them. However, the answers you're seeking will be revealed within a few weeks."
Pfft!
The manga discussion group erupted in laughter, smiles spreading across their faces.
Spoilers!
He's really channeling Shirogane Sensei, the author. His acting is so convincing—he makes it sound like it's actually happening, even though we'll find out the truth in just a few weeks.
The girls didn't read too much into it, assuming Rei was just joking around to tease them.
"I remember when you recommended 5 Centimeters Per Second to me," Hana said with a smile. "You said it was a really sweet manga, right?"
"So, if we reverse-engineer your earlier statement, you're implying that the manga will take a dark turn within the next few weeks, right?"
"Eh?" Rei's expression froze.
Huh? How did she figure that out?
"If the plot really goes that way," Hana continued, "I might have to seriously reconsider Shirogane Sensei's true identity."
"Don't let your imagination run wild," Rei coughed, trying to sound nonchalant.
He felt a twinge of guilt. He didn't want his identity exposed.
After all, both 5 Centimeters and his upcoming serialized work, Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears from the World, were romance stories with deeply unsettling endings. At least during the manga's serialization, he couldn't risk his pen name being unmasked.
Otherwise, some overly invested fans might actually confront him in person.
Just consider this: even in his own class, there were four girls who were manga enthusiasts and read Sakura Weekly. How many students in the entire school had seen 5 Centimeters Per Second?
Out of Sakura Weekly's weekly sales of 800,000 copies, how many were purchased by students from this high school?
Rei shuddered at the thought. No wonder Miyu was so fiercely protective of her true identity.
"What's with the panic? Afraid the plot won't follow your script and you won't be able to keep up the act of being a famous manga artist?" Yui Nakamura teased.
"Exactly, exactly!" Touma and Yuki chimed in, laughing.
Rei's expression was speechless. He knew they were still joking about him being the "author," but then he thought:
These girls were just teasing. Most people couldn't even remember what they ate yesterday, let alone a joke from weeks ago.
Alright, case closed. No need to worry.