"As long as manga can bring people joy, that's what matters. Everyone's under enormous pressure these days, and even kids have to worry about getting into the right school and landing a decent job. They're forced to grow up faster than ever. Cram schools. Dropping hobbies that won't look good on a resume. Weighing pros and cons instead of chasing dreams."
Kai said a lot, all of it sincere.
Because that was how he'd grown up. If he didn't study hard, there was no future.
But looking back, his first life hadn't been a happy one.
He'd never developed any real hobbies. His time had just evaporated into one dead-end job after another.
"That's how I see it, Honten-sensei. Children already get plenty of education. Happiness is the rare thing."
Death Note delivered that. When readers picked it up, they were fully absorbed and completely satisfied.
Their stress melted away. All that remained was the pulsing anticipation for the next chapter.
Even if the feeling was temporary, it did its job.
Honten gave a small nod. His views weren't easily moved. He simply couldn't be bothered to argue. The nod meant: sure, whatever you say.
He turned and walked toward another painting.
Kai frowned, stopped looking at Honten's work, and headed the opposite way.
...
It was a well-known cafe.
The decor was stylish but cozy, the coffee fragrant, the texture smooth, the flavor layered and rich.
That was why it was a favorite haunt of couples and office workers.
The steep prices weren't a drawback for them. If anything, they were a feature, part of the cafe's identity.
Among the clientele, Kai and Heishi stuck out.
They were dressed far too casually and carried none of the polished air the regulars liked to project.
It was like showing up to a fine dining restaurant in slippers and an undershirt. Jarring. The kind of thing that quietly irritated people who took pride in the atmosphere.
Kai rubbed his brow and ignored the sideways glances.
Ever since he'd started drawing manga, he'd gradually stopped caring about that kind of thing. He didn't have the bandwidth. The work consumed too much of his focus.
He wished he had some kind of automated system to help him draw.
Heishi was completely absorbed, going through the storyboard for Death Note, nodding approvingly every so often.
"A Second Kira, huh? Bold direction. Really interesting."
Always finding ways to keep things fresh for readers. That was Death Note.
"As your editor, Sensei, I'm starting to feel useless."
"So it passed?" Kai asked.
"Yeah, just draw it like this." Heishi sighed. "Back when your art still had rough edges, I could at least offer suggestions. Now there's nothing for me to contribute."
"Other editors spend an hour or two going back and forth on storyboards with their manga artists. All I can do is nod. I have zero sense of accomplishment."
Kai scooped a spoonful of sundae into his mouth. The sugar kicked his brain into gear.
"Heishi-san is getting greedy. Who else gives you this little to worry about?"
Heishi actually started counting on his fingers.
"Well, there's Akimoto Osamu-sensei. He's been serializing KochiKame since 1976, and he's never missed a single week."
"And Araki Hirohiko-sensei. Extremely disciplined. Doesn't need an editor breathing down his neck."
Kai nodded. Being mentioned alongside those two for work ethic was an honor.
"Hmm..." Heishi thought for a moment and raised one more finger. "After that, I suppose Togashi-sensei."
"What?!" Kai was horrified. "On what basis?"
"Togashi-sensei is the only person who does monthly updates in a weekly magazine. With that much lead time, there's absolutely no need for an editor to chase him for manuscripts." Heishi nodded at his own logic and gave himself a thumbs-up.
"Fair point, I guess." Kai accepted it reluctantly.
Though when Hunter x Hunter started serialization, Heishi would learn firsthand just how far a manga artist could push the concept of "delayed chapters."
"By the way," Kai shifted in his seat, uncomfortable, "why did we meet here?"
Every other table was occupied by couples being sweet with each other. Two men crammed in among them was awkward. Very awkward.
"Yahagi told me the food here was great," Heishi scratched his hair, "and I've been curious for ages. Bringing you along means I can expense it. Hahaha."
He leaned toward Kai and whispered, "The reimbursement limit for hosting you is very generous. If there's anywhere you want to eat or visit, just say the word. I'll arrange everything."
Kai took a sip of coffee. "The taste really is good."
"However..."
"Could you just transfer the money to me directly? Spare me from wandering around Tokyo with you, Heishi-san. I'd rather come to a place like this with a beautiful woman."
Heishi frowned. "That's cold."
"What's cold is that you're not a beautiful woman, Heishi-san!" Kai sighed. "If my editor were a beautiful woman, I'd work twice as hard."
"That's not impossible." Heishi batted his eyelashes.
"Ugh." Kai nearly threw up.
They left the cafe still bickering.
...
If a shonen manga editor were a beautiful woman, she'd be the most popular person in the office.
"Tsukasa, those earrings are lovely."
"They really suit you."
On the way to her desk, compliments from colleagues popped up one after another.
Rin stopped and touched her earrings. "Do they really suit me?"
Someone who normally kept to herself when it came to small talk was actually opening up.
So the editors piled on even harder.
"Absolutely."
"They're perfect."
"It's like Tsukasa coming to the magazine adds a little sparkle to this whole place."
Rin felt a warmth in her chest. She thought: these earrings really were something Fujin had put careful thought into choosing. That was why they suited her so well.
She pictured him setting down his manga, agonizing over which pair to pick with that serious expression of his.
She couldn't help but laugh.
The editors' eyes went wide. Making Rin laugh felt like a personal achievement.
"Her smile is incredible!"
"She's adorable, Tsukasa."
"My whole day just got better."
Their hearts were doing flips.
Until one voice cut through.
"She's smiling like she's in love. That flutter in the chest, with just a hint of shyness."
Everyone turned to glare, only to find it was the Editor-in-Chief.
He ignored the collective fury of the helpless editors and sighed to himself.
"Reminds me of my first love. Back then, we were just like that. Eyes only for each other."
"Tsukasa is finally going to be taken."
He shook his head with a small smile and walked toward his office.
The editors stood frozen.
They all looked at the earrings at the same time. The realization hit them in unison. Those were a gift from whoever held Rin's heart.
Nobody could find a single word to say.
______________________
Bonus chapter at 250 Power stones
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