Just from the first few pages of the manga's first chapter, Miyu and Misaki sensed something was off.
That familiar feeling of melancholy, the same one they'd experienced two months ago when reading the original manuscript of 5 Centimeters Per Second, resurfaced in their hearts.
Could this be another tragic manga?
Miyu glanced at Rei.
But her sister's fingers didn't pause; she continued flipping through the pages.
Soon, they discovered the unsettling truth within the story.
The first chapter introduced Hino Maori, the female protagonist, and revealed that only three people knew about her illness: her parents and her best friend, Izumi.
The narrative seemed to unfold in reverse.
As Maori sorted through her old diaries and notes, she stumbled upon a sketchbook—a collection of portraits she had drawn herself, all depicting the same boy.
When she asked Izumi why she hadn't recorded this in her diary, her friend brushed it off with vague excuses.
The perspective shifted to Izumi, Hino Maori's close friend.
That night, Izumi pulled a diary from her wardrobe.
Miyu, as a manga artist with keen intuition, immediately sensed something was off.
Something's wrong. If Hino Maori were truly keeping a diary, why would she use a notebook? Her diary is her life, and entrusting her life to an easily damaged electronic device makes no sense.
Could it be...?
This handwritten diary in Izumi's hands... could it be the diary Hino Maori personally wrote over the past few years?
And the entries on her laptop... they've been edited!
Hino Maori's memories, her very life, have been tampered with, and she's completely unaware.
Miyu clenched her fist.
This is outrageous.
But as Izumi, her face etched with sorrow, opened the first page of the handwritten diary that night, the bold words emblazoned across the most prominent spot on the page struck Miyu with an inexplicable pang of anguish.
Don't forget Kamiya Toru!
The notes were identical to the ones Hino Maori had left in her room earlier, unmistakably her handwritten diary.
And the first thing she had written on the most prominent page of this precious diary was: Don't forget Kamiya Toru.
Yet now, she had completely forgotten this person named Kamiya Toru.
Who was he?
Could he be the man Hino Maori had drawn herself in that sketchbook?
As Miyu read through the manga drafts, speculating about the plot, her mood grew heavy and sorrowful.
A skilled mangaka doesn't need to spoil the story with excessive exposition; the art style alone can convey the work's core emotional tone.
Sadness.
This was the underlying emotion that permeated the manga from the very first page, when it began telling the story of Hino Maori.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Misaki flipped through the drafts at an increasingly slow pace. Her expression remained flat and unreadable, but her true feelings remained a mystery.
Though Miyu was intelligent, her emotions were transparent when it came to manga.
From the first chapter to the second, and then the third, the manga's plot unfolded in reverse.
The Hino Maori in the first chapter was a Maori who had already forgotten the male lead, Kamiya Toru.
Subsequent chapters began to depict how Maori had first met and fallen in love with Toru.
How could a girl who forgot everything that happened the previous day fall in love with a boy who was a stranger to her every day, relying solely on diary entries from her past self?
And then...
Falling in love with him again and again, only to forget him each time.
Nearly an hour later, Misaki turned over the manuscript for the fifth chapter.
What lingered in their minds were the words recorded in Maori's diary on the final pages:
Toru told me, "I'll definitely make tomorrow a happy day for you." My heart fluttered at those words.
This feeling... it might be the first time. The despair I feel every morning feels like a lie!
Miyu, easily swayed by her emotions, already had tears welling in her eyes.
Seeing that the manga Rei had brought was already on the final page, her expression immediately turned sorrowful.
"So... what happens next?"
"It's definitely not drawn yet," Rei said.
"I've only drawn up to chapter five!"
"Then tell me directly: why did Hino Maori's friend Izumi take her diary? Why is everything else in Hino Maori's notebook normal, except for the diary entries about Kamiya Toru, which have been deleted and altered?"
"I won't spoil it. If this manga gets serialized, you'll find out then," Rei said.
To Rei, spoilers were the most unacceptable thing in the world. He would never do such a thing.
And now, the real question was...
Rei looked at Misaki.
"Editor Misaki, what do you think?"
"It's very compelling," Misaki said after a pause, her voice soft. She looked at Rei.
"This manga... it's the same type of work as 5 Centimeters Per Second, right?"
Rei smiled but remained silent.
"What's the length of this manga?" Misaki continued.
"About eleven or twelve chapters."
"Another short manga?" Misaki said.
"Still, it's much better than 5 Centimeters Per Second. At least it's over ten chapters."
Misaki was concerned about the length of the work because a manga's commercial value is closely tied to its length.
However, there were some romance manga in Japan that were only eleven or twelve chapters long. If the quality was high enough, even short series could become major hits.
"So," Rei asked, "does this mean I've passed the initial screening?"
"This manga has passed my evaluation," Misaki said. "But it still needs to pass the Serialization Meeting."
"Next Thursday is the Serialization Meeting for Fantasy Realm Weekly. The following Sunday, Sky Shadow Weekly will be canceling another manga. If you're not selected next Thursday, you'll have another submission opportunity the week after."
"I understand," Rei nodded, his expression slightly somber.
"Rei, don't worry too much," Misaki said. "Although Tonight is a slow-burn story, its artistic quality and plot are undeniable."
"Moreover, the single-volume sales of 5 Centimeters Per Second were excellent. This will significantly boost your chances of being selected at the Serialization Meeting."
"Rei, your last two manga have leaned toward melancholic themes. Your pen name account, Shirogane, is still being bombarded with angry comments by fans," Misaki said, looking at Rei.
"If this new work also ends on a sad note, you might face even greater backlash from fans."
"I don't care about that," Rei replied with a smile. "I'm not afraid of criticism."
Misaki remained silent.
Miyu also said nothing.
A new week began.
On Monday morning, Misaki submitted Rei's request form for his new manga, Tonight, to be considered for serialization in Fantasy Realm Weekly.
The company's higher-ups quickly reviewed Rei's past achievements and credentials, signed and stamped the approval, officially granting Tonight a spot in the Serialization Meeting.
Three days passed.
On Thursday morning, Misaki arrived at the office early, swiftly processed a stack of documents, and checked the time—it was time.
Taking a deep breath, she stood up and walked out of the office, soon reaching the vicinity of the conference room.
She had attended many Serialization Meetings for Sakura Weekly.
But this was her first time attending one for Fantasy Realm Weekly!