Satoru walked out of Shueisha, the afternoon sun brushing against his face.
When he returned next time, he wasn't sure what it would be for. It might be to submit the storyboards for the first three chapters of Death Note, or it could be to attend the Tezuka Award ceremony itself.
After boarding the subway, he leaned against the handrail, eyes unfocused as his thoughts drifted.
Now that he had already won the Tezuka Award, continuing to spend most of his time working at the restaurant would be pointless. Improving his drawing skills and completing the Death Note storyboards were far more important.
He still had around one hundred thousand yen in savings, enough to last until the Tezuka Award money was transferred.
"I'll tell the manager I'm quitting," Satoru thought. "Then I'll move somewhere else and buy the essentials. A proper drawing table, a computer, a printer, maybe even a fax machine."
He mentally listed his next steps, just as the train brought him back near his apartment.
Instead of going home, Satoru headed straight to the apartment manager's office and requested to terminate his lease.
"Make sure you take all your belongings," the administrator said without looking up. "Clean the room thoroughly, and report any damage immediately so I can assess it."
He rattled off the requirements mechanically. This was nothing new to him.
In his eyes, Satoru was just another young man who failed to adapt to Tokyo and was preparing to leave in defeat.
In a city like Tokyo, those who struggled the hardest were often the first to give up.
"I'll be staying for a while longer," Satoru said. "Until I find another place to live."
"Oh?"
Hearing that Satoru still intended to rent, the apartment manager finally looked up, his previously indifferent expression shifting.
"What kind of place are you looking for?"
Satoru explained his requirements without hesitation.
"A detached house is fine. It doesn't need to be in a good location. Somewhere more remote is okay. Around eighty thousand yen per month."
He wouldn't need to commute every day, which would save a considerable amount of money.
"A location in Chiyoda Ward would be ideal."
That was where Shueisha was located.
"Alright," the administrator said with a smile, seeing that Satoru was serious. "Those are fairly broad requirements. I'll keep them in mind."
"Thank you," Satoru replied with a nod.
He didn't express excessive gratitude. If the deal went through, he would still have to pay commission anyway.
After leaving the office, Satoru returned to his apartment. The moment he stepped inside, the landline began to ring.
He hurriedly kicked off his shoes and rushed over, picking up the receiver.
"Hello, this is Satoru speaking."
"Satoru, how are you doing?"
"…Mom?"
He immediately recognized the voice as Amayaki Sayako, the mother of this body.
"I'm doing fine," Satoru replied. "I just got back home actually. I was about to call you."
Over the past three months, he had exchanged calls with his new family often enough to grow familiar with them. Despite the original Satoru having fallen out with them, they never treated him coldly and occasionally sent money to support him.
"Is something wrong?" Sayako asked anxiously. "Do you need more money? Did something happen?"
"No, nothing like that." Satoru smiled wryly at her concern. "Mom… I finally made it. The manga I told you about. I won a prize, and the editor said I can start working with them."
"Really? You won?!"
Her voice sounded even more excited than his.
What followed was a nearly half-hour-long conversation, during which Satoru explained everything he had been through.
"Oh, right," Sayako added near the end. "Maki wants to spend Golden Week with you, so remember to pick up your sister on time."
After hanging up, Satoru collapsed onto his bed, mentally exhausted.
Women really did talk too much on the phone. Still, he couldn't stop himself from smiling.
It was reassuring to have a family. Being reborn without one would have been far lonelier. At the very least, there were people who cared about him.
"There's no time to rest," he muttered.
He got up again and began working on the storyboards for the second and third chapters.
***
As soon as the weekend ended, the apartment manager contacted Satoru.
Several properties had already been found. All that remained was for Satoru to choose.
The man must have worked through the weekend without rest.
Satoru wasn't picky. He only viewed two houses before making his decision.
The property was located in Onocho, Chiyoda Ward. It was somewhat remote, but only a fifteen-minute train ride from Shueisha. The surrounding facilities were well-developed, with a nearby park, a clinic, and a small shopping district.
Dealing with an easygoing tenant was pleasant, so the manager didn't overcharge and even proactively lowered the rent.
The house was a two-story detached building, only six or seven years old, with a total area of about one hundred square meters and a small front yard of thirty square meters. The monthly rent was ninety thousand yen.
Fortunately, the Tezuka Prize money had already arrived. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to afford it.
Satoru opened the door, sat down in the clean corridor, and let the breeze wash over him. While feeling a pang of pain at spending too much money at once, he also felt an unfamiliar sense of peace.
After a long struggle, his life had finally begun to settle back on track.