"Alright, it's settled then. I'll call my sister at noon to let her know. After school this afternoon, wait for me in your classroom!"
Miyu smiled as she spoke, then headed toward the rooftop staircase.
The ten-minute break was about to end.
Huh?
You've already decided?
Rei Kirishima was left speechless as Miyu's figure disappeared into the stairwell, her back view the last thing he saw.
As Miyu descended the stairs, her thoughts began to wander.
Hmm, that's settled.
Tonight, she'd finally get to see the manga created by a fellow alumnus from their school. She wondered what the quality would be.
If I remember correctly, the title was "5 Centimeters Per Second," right?
With anticipation in her heart, Miyu continued down the stairs, her single ponytail swaying gently with each step.
Back in the classroom, Rei was immediately surrounded by classmates who usually wouldn't speak to him for an entire week. They bombarded him with gossip and questions.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Rei said after a long pause, finally managing to brush off the topic. "She just came to ask about a middle school classmate of mine."
The last two periods of the morning were physics.
During the lunch break, Rei Kirishima used the remaining time on the rooftop to finalize some details and lines in his manga draft.
The afternoon consisted of foreign language and chemistry classes.
Before long, it was time for school to end.
Orange sunlight streamed through the classroom windows as students packed their bags, some heading home for dinner while others planned to continue their classroom discussions at nearby restaurants or bubble tea shops with friends.
As the students filed out of the classroom, they often paused with surprised expressions before glancing back at Rei, who was still inside.
By the time Rei had gathered his belongings and stepped out of the classroom, he noticed Miyu waiting for him by the door, her backpack slung over her shoulder.
The orange light painted the corridor as she stood there calmly, completely unfazed by the stares of passing students.
After all, she was used to it, ever since elementary school.
"Your chemistry teacher really knows how to run overtime! I had to wait an extra ten minutes," Miyu greeted Rei with a smile.
"High school teachers are the same everywhere. It just shows how dedicated they are."
"You say that like you've been to other high schools."
As Rei Kirishima and Miyu walked and talked, they gradually became the center of attention among the students leaving school.
Rei glanced at the girl beside him and noticed she didn't seem to mind the whispers.
Come to think of it, he thought, even if the students gossip, they wouldn't spread rumors about something like this.
At the school gate, Miyu hailed a taxi and got into the back seat first. When she saw Rei hesitating to get in, she asked, "What's wrong?"
Miyu glanced at the group of students watching them from behind, their eyes darting between the two of them, and chuckled. "Get in."
Hearing this, Rei stopped hesitating and climbed into the back seat.
"Do you care about what others think?" Miyu asked.
"Are you worried about being noticed because you're seen with me?"
"No, I don't care about that. I'm worried about you caring about those things. I just want to help you avoid any trouble," Rei said after a pause.
"After all, I'm just an ordinary student in an ordinary class. You're different—academically gifted and well-behaved. If rumors start spreading about you at school..."
Miyu glanced at Rei Kirishima, her gaze lingering.
"You're quite perceptive."
"But didn't I tell you? I see myself as a professional manga artist who happens to be a high school student on the side," Miyu said.
"I care more about my manga than school or studying. Who I choose to befriend and what I choose to do is none of their business. I don't care what they think."
"Speaking of which, I've been wondering... with your grades, why pursue a career as a manga artist? Is it purely passion driving you?" Rei asked, shifting the conversation as he gazed out the window at the blurring scenery. The previous topic was getting too personal too quickly.
"My mother was a manga artist. My sister and I have loved manga since we were little," Miyu replied with a smile.
"Ever since I was a child, I've dreamed of becoming a manga artist—a famous one, known throughout Japan. It was my mother's lifelong dream, and it's become my own heartfelt ambition."
He automatically grasped the key information.
Rei wisely refrained from pressing further on the topic.
The two chatted idly in the taxi for a while. Soon, the taxi arrived at the gate of a residential complex. After Miyu showed her identification card, the security guard waved the taxi through. Moments later, the taxi pulled up in front of a luxurious four-story villa within the complex.
Owning a villa doesn't necessarily mean someone is wealthy; after all, rural villas often have modest values.
But owning a luxurious villa in Tokyo's bustling heart is a different story altogether.
No wonder she wanted to be a manga artist despite her outstanding academic record. Free from the constraints of future career prospects, she could wholeheartedly pursue her passions and ideals.
This explained why she was so willing to help Rei Kirishima, whom she had only met a few days ago, even bringing him home.
Rei Kirishima now understood: she wasn't expecting anything in return. She had simply met a like-minded classmate who shared her passion for manga, and her enthusiasm had driven her actions.
"The house might be a bit messy, Kirishima-kun. Please don't mind," Miyu said with a smile as she opened the front door.
"Not at all," Rei Kirishima replied, slipping into guest slippers at the entrance. Carrying his backpack containing the hundred-page manga manuscript, he stepped into the villa.
Despite Miyu's words, her home was impeccably clean, not a speck of dust in sight. Rei Kirishima paid no attention to the mansion's extravagant decor; his gaze immediately fell upon the woman sitting in the living room on the first floor, gently sipping from a steaming cup of coffee.
She appeared to be in her early twenties, with waist-length, jet-black hair, fair and delicate skin, and refined, beautiful features that bore a striking resemblance to Miyu's.
Unlike Miyu's outgoing and energetic personality, this woman exuded a quiet, refined air.
"Miyu, you're late. I've been waiting here for over fifteen minutes," she said.
"I'm not the principal, you know! School ends at a fixed time, the taxi ride takes a fixed amount of time, and there was traffic on the way. I couldn't have gotten back any sooner!" Miyu replied with a laugh.
Of course, she didn't mention that her teacher had kept the class late.
The woman said nothing more, setting down her coffee cup and turning to look at Miyu, then at Rei.
"Hello, you must be Miyu's close friend. I'm Misaki Yukishiro, an editor at Hoshimori Publishing Group's Editorial Department," Misaki said.
Close friend?
Rei glanced at Miyu, who was subtly winking at him, and quickly caught on.
"Hello, I'm Rei Kirishima."
"I know," Misaki replied, extending her hand to Rei.
"I'm not one for polite formalities or empty talk. My sister tells me you're a big fan of Tale of Sorrow and also love Rock 'n' Roll Girl! and Sound the Horn at Dawn!, both of which I discovered and serialized in Sakura Weekly. She says you deeply admire and aspire to work with the editor behind these three series. That's why you submitted your work to me."
Rock 'n' Roll Girl!?
Sound the Horn at Dawn!?
What the hell? I've never even heard of these titles, let alone read them.
Rei Kirishima glanced at Miyu beside him, his expression blank. She was smiling warmly at him, her eyes conveying a clear message: Don't blow our cover!
"Oh, oh, right! I've always admired Editor Misaki's work," Rei stammered.
Misaki narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Rei.
"In that case, you should know I have extremely high standards for the artwork and story quality of submissions. Even though you're my sister's friend and a newcomer to the manga world, I won't lower my standards for your work. If the manga you've brought isn't up to par, I'll criticize it mercilessly. Be prepared."
"Come on, Sis, don't be so serious! He's just a rookie mangaka. You're making Rei nervous!" Miyu quickly interjected, trying to ease the tension.
"I'm asking your friend," Misaki said. "Can you speak for them?"
Miyu glanced back at Rei Kirishima, then sighed deeply and remained silent.
"I understand," Rei said. "Just follow Miss Yukishiro's standards."
Misaki nodded, her gaze softening slightly. "Very well. Now, hand over your submitted manga."
Rei took a deep breath, placed his backpack on the adjacent chair, and pulled out a thick stack of manga pages, neatly organized in a document folder, handing it to Misaki.
"5 Centimeters Per Second?" Misaki murmured, unconsciously reading the title aloud as she accepted the folder.
Miyu instinctively moved behind Misaki, eager to see Rei's manga for herself. She had been curious about it for a long time, and this was the perfect opportunity to finally read it.
Over the past month, she had only glimpsed a few random pages of Rei's original artwork, impressed by his art style but completely unaware of the overall story.
Misaki opened the document folder and began reviewing the manga pages. The first line of dialogue on the first page immediately struck a chord with both her and Miyu:
Hey, did you know? They say cherry blossoms fall at 5 centimeters per second!
Next came a black-and-white line drawing of cherry blossoms falling like snow on a sloping path.
Misaki's expression turned serious.
Setting aside the plot for now, at least the artwork passed her standards.