Yoshihisa had volunteered to work overtime even during Golden Week, as he really wanted to know the readers' opinions on Death Note as soon as possible.
Most of the short stories in Akamaru Jump were published to test whether their work had commercial value and was worth a serialization slot.
Therefore, if a reader really liked a manga, they would directly call the editorial department of Weekly Shonen Jump and request that the short manga be adapted into a long-running manga. This group of readers represented the potential hardcore fans of the manga.
Their number could roughly indicate the potential of the story.
Yoshihisa was waiting for the phone call, and it was definitely not an excuse for him to ask for a huge amount of overtime pay.
He didn't have to wait long before the phone rang.
"This one shot is so interesting; please make sure it's serialized! But Mr. Laugh Tale's drawing skills are a little bad; please work on him hard."
As expected, he was a reader of "Death Note."
Yoshihisa was secretly delighted, but he tried to remain calm: "That depends on the editorial department's decision; there's nothing I can do about it. But as for honing Mr. Laugh Tale's skills, that's no problem."
Before he could hang up the phone, another landline rang.
"This is truly an amazing comic."
"It's more interesting than many of the manga serialized in your Jump! Please, don't bury it."
The phone rang incessantly early in the morning and didn't stop for a long time.
The editors were almost troubled by the overwhelming popularity of Death Note among readers.
"It seems like Death Note is definitely going to be serialized."
Putting the landline aside, Yoshihisa leaned back in his chair and shook his head with a smile. Everything was moving in a positive direction.
"All that's left is making sure the quality didn't drop."
****
After eating their fill, Satoru took his sister home.
Maki froze for a moment, staring at the two-story building in front of her.
"…This place is yours?"
"Yeah."
Her eyes widened. "You're rich now?"
"Not even close. It's rented," Satoru said, unlocking the door. "Come in."
The interior was still sparse. A few boxes were stacked neatly against the wall, and aside from basic furniture, the house felt empty. Maki stepped inside cautiously, then looked around.
"It's quite empty!"
"I live alone, so there's no need to waste money," Satoru replied. "Though, I had to prepare you a new bed so you won't sleep on the floor here."
She shot him a suspicious look. "You better not."
Satoru carried her suitcase and showed her the room she'd be staying in.
"Make sure to call Mom and tell her that you arrived." He pointed toward the landline, but it suddenly rang before Maki could pick it up.
"Maybe it's her."
Satoru led his sister into the living room and picked up the landline phone from the table next to the sofa.
"Hey, Satoru, how was your holiday?" Yoshihisa's voice came through the microphone.
Satoru glanced down at Maki and pressed the speakerphone: "It's great; I haven't been this happy in a long time."
"That's good!" said Yoshihisa. "I have something even more exciting to tell you!"
Maki's ears twitched, full of curiosity.
"Please speak," Satoru said.
"Today, many readers called the editorial department to say they really like Death Note. In all my years as an editor, I have rarely seen such a frenzied scene. " Yoshihisa's voice sounded excited. "Death Note will definitely be serialized; it definitely will!"
Satoru's heart skipped a beat. Such an experienced editor dared to make such a definitive statement, so the possibility of "Death Note" being serialized was close to one hundred percent.
Maki jumped up and down joyfully.
"That's great! That's great!"
Yoshihisa heard the little girl's voice and guessed it was Satoru's family. He didn't ask any more questions and continued, "After Golden Week, I will get Death Note into the serialization meeting. You need to improve your drawing skills and not become the worst artist among the serialized mangaka."
Satoru clenched his fist: "I understand."
Maki stomped her foot: "This editor is an idiot."
"Don't say that." Satoru pinched her cheek and whispered, "Yoshihisa is a very responsible editor."
Maki shook her head and pouted, unconvinced.
"By the way, Satoru," Yoshihisa continued, "the Tezuka Award ceremony will be held on May 1st, and many manga artists will be there. You need to prepare in advance, like your acceptance speech and stuff. You're the only winner this year, so you'll definitely be the center of attention. Don't let nervousness leave a stain on your record, or you'll be the subject of endless teasing."
"Many manga artists?" Maki's eyes lit up. She stood on tiptoe and asked loudly, "Will Kazuki Takahashi, the author of Yu-Gi-Oh!, be there, Editor-san?"
Upon hearing the little girl's voice, Yoshihisa was taken aback for a moment, then smiled gently.
"I will let him come."
His words were full of confidence, because Takahashi Kazuki was able to create "Yu-Gi-Oh!" after years of being unable to serialize his own work largely due to him.
When Takahashi was still unknown, it was he who accompanied him and spent a year preparing for the future number one IP for Weekly Shonen Jump merchandise—Yu-Gi-Oh!
"Can I go too, Editor-san?" Maki asked eagerly upon learning that her idol would be attending the Tezuka Award ceremony.
"I can't make that decision."
"Then who can!?" Maki asked anxiously.
"Well..." Yoshihisa said, suppressing a laugh, "Of course it's Satoru."
"Hmm..." Maki immediately understood and puffed out her cheeks. "You're making fun of me."
"Haha, sorry."
The short story "Death Note" did very well, which put Yoshihisa in a good mood.
"Can family members come along?"
"Of course, but there should be a limit."
"I understand." Satoru nodded slightly, patted her sister's head, and said, "I will take you there."
The Tezuka Award ceremony wasn't held at Shueisha, but at a large hotel in the city center. On the evening of May 1st, Shueisha's driver would pick them up to take them to their destination.
"That's really outrageous."
Satoru clicked his tongue. With so many attendees, he wondered how many vehicles would have to be dispatched.
"Mangaka should just focus on drawing manga," Yoshihisa explained. "We don't want to waste artists' energy on mundane tasks."
Being able to complete a weekly serialization was a tiring feat. The only person who persisted in serializing a manga for decades was probably Osamu Akimoto, the author of Kochikame.
After ending the call, Maki called her mom and had a long talk with her.
Meanwhile, Satoru pulled his drawings and decided to add a scene from the Death Note anime where Light frantically wrote names in the Death Note.
He remembered being awestruck by the animation's expressive power, and it was one of the few wallpapers he saved on his phone.