Rei woke up early on a summer morning.
Of course, this wasn't due to any good habits; he wouldn't normally be up so early on a Saturday.
Instead, he was roused by a text message alert on his phone. After a quick glance, he saw that the single-volume edition of 5 Centimeters Per Second had been on sale for over two months, with total sales now reaching 850,000 copies. Sales were expected to continue rising.
In Rei's previous life on Sakurajima, any manga series achieving an average volume sale of 850,000 copies would have been considered a massive hit, instantly elevating its creator to the ranks of top-tier manga artists.
However, in Japan, where the market was ten times larger, this performance would only qualify as low-end second-tier or high-end third-tier manga artist status.
While that might not sound impressive, the income was very real.
The royalties from the single-volume sales of 5 Centimeters alone had already deposited over 500,000 yen (after taxes) into his bank account.
Combined with his manuscript fees for 5 Centimeters and Tonight, Rei, a first-year high school student, now had a total net worth exceeding 600,000 yen.
Unfortunately, 5 Centimeters was only a single-volume story. Despite its strong sales, its brevity meant the profits wouldn't be astronomical.
Still, Rei was satisfied.
After all, in just two weeks, the single-volume edition of Tonight would also be released.
Two months later, when the royalties from Tonight's manga sales were deposited, Rei's net worth was estimated to double or triple.
"Japanese mangaka really rake it in," Rei mused, his math skills allowing him to quickly grasp the industry's ecosystem.
Third-tier mangaka could earn millions annually solely from manga sales.
Second-tier mangaka earned tens of millions annually.
First-tier mangaka earned hundreds of millions annually.
These figures only accounted for manga sales; adaptations and merchandise royalties added significantly to their income.
Yet the average Japanese citizen earned only three to four thousand per month, and the cost of living was relatively low.
"Too bad both dream memories were short stories. When will I recall something longer? Not too long, just something around six or seven volumes..."
Rei's fingers twitched as he began calculating mentally, lost in a mathematical problem he couldn't escape.
He was a practical man. In Japan, he chose to become a mangaka partly for his passion, but undoubtedly also for the money.
He understood that in the anime industry, the story was the soul, while elements like art style and details were merely flesh and blood.
No matter how beautiful a creation or how rich its soul, money is the key to promoting it worldwide.
If Dragon Ball had been born in a pre-modern African nation, it would never have achieved global fame. Africa simply lacked the cultural companies capable of developing and strengthening such an IP.
Becoming a manga artist was just the beginning for Rei. From the start, his ambition was to become a titan in Japan's animation industry, a major investor who could remake the excellent works from his past life—those that had been butchered by misguided adaptations into anime and live-action films—and ensure his favorite stories would permeate every corner of Japan's animation scene.
What will I do when I've earned enough money?
The answer came to him instantly.
Tonight, works like 5 Centimeters Per Second—both the live-action and animated versions from his past life—were enjoying considerable commercial success and widespread recognition.
However, given Rei's current status as a rising manga artist, it was unlikely any investors would approach Hoshimori Publishing Group to acquire the rights for adaptation into film or anime.
But if he had enough money, he could invest in his own projects.
Moreover, many of the works he remembered weren't suitable for manga adaptations. What would he do with those memories? Just leave them to rot?
Once desire takes root, a flood of thoughts inevitably follows. Lost in these considerations, Rei realized it was already eleven in the morning.
Misaki's call came precisely on time.
After all, the Hoshimori Publishing Group's statisticians sent her the popularity rankings at this hour.
"Third place, Rei. Tonight's seventh chapter received a total of 9,253 votes, surpassing The Headless Ghost and securing the third position for this week."
Misaki's voice trembled as she spoke.
Not from nervousness, but from pure exhilaration.
Breaking into the top three in Ametsukage Weekly essentially guaranteed eligibility to submit work to Hoshimori Publishing, the group's most prestigious magazine.
While Hoshimori Publishing Group had never explicitly stated that only seasoned, successful manga artists could get published in Hoshimori Publishing, the unspoken truth remained: any newcomer who genuinely believed they could submit to that magazine was a fool.
It was like Rei's college entrance exams in his previous life. Theoretically, scoring above the minimum threshold meant you could apply to top universities like Tokyo University or Kyoto University. But actually applying to those institutions with just a few points above the minimum score would be laughable.
Ultimately, everything depended on whether Rei's manga could maintain its position within the top three rankings. If it was just a one-week wonder, all the effort would be for naught.
Thinking this, Misaki's mind drifted to the eighth chapter, scheduled for release next week.
She sighed inwardly.
She deeply admired Rei's manga, especially its emotionally resonant and tear-jerking conclusion.
But whether readers would ultimately accept the manga's ending remained to be seen, a matter left entirely to the market's judgment.
The following week, Rei noticed a marked increase in discussions about his manga among the students at school.
Hana and Yui Nakamura practically dragged Miyu into daily debates about "Tonight."
Hana, in particular, would light up whenever she mentioned Shirogane, her eyes sparkling with admiration and longing.
Miyu often glanced back at Rei during these moments.
This was no longer mere fandom; it was clear they had evolved from fans of the manga to fans of its creator.
Their interest had shifted from the work itself to the author behind it.
This kind of thing is common, like watching a movie. If you like a character, you'll start following the actor who plays them and become a fan.
There are plenty of manga fanatics like this in Japan, but...
If you knew that the "genius high school girl manga artist" you admire is actually Rei, who sits less than three meters away from you and sleeps through lunch every day because he stays up all night drawing manga, would you still be a fan of Shirogane?
As Miyu thought this, she remembered Hana's words: I'll always love Shirogane.
Miyu's expression turned strange.
Come to think of it, if Rei's work is nominated for the Annual Newcomer Manga Artist Award and actually wins a top-three spot, forcing him to accept the award on stage...
Then Rei's identity as Shirogane will be exposed, right?
Given Hana's obsession with Shirogane, she'd definitely be glued to Tokyo TV Station, watching the award ceremony live.
Pfft. Miyu couldn't help but burst out laughing at the thought.
"Miyu, what are you laughing about?" Hana asked curiously.
"I'm just wondering what sweet scenarios Shirogane Sensei will create for us in the eighth chapter of Tonight, which will be serialized in a few days!" Miyu said with a smile.
Before long, another Friday arrived.
After another week of buzz and media promotion, the popularity of Tonight had surged even higher than the previous week.
Ranking in the top five of the magazine's popularity charts was entirely different from being in the top three.
This was evident from the fact that Kamiya Toru, the male lead of Tonight, now occupied the central position on the left side of this week's Ametsukage Weekly cover.
The placement and prominence of characters on the manga cover generally reflect the series' popularity.
Kana hurried into the bookstore early that morning, grabbed the latest issue of Ametsukage Weekly as quickly as possible, and didn't even leave the store. After paying, she found a nearby stool, tore open the plastic wrap, and immediately sat down.
She flipped to the serialized pages of Tonight, her anticipation reaching a fever pitch after a week of suspense surrounding the leads' budding romance and the truth behind the first chapter's events.
The title of this chapter, Life's Unexpected Turns, made Kana blink in surprise.
Why would it have such a title?