Episode 3 was incredibly sweet.
The fake couple went on a weekend date just like a real couple.
They opened their packed lunches on the grass, exchanged dishes, and discussed their respective family backgrounds.
Hino Maori quietly listened to Kamiya Toru's stories, lying on the ground and basking in the sun.
A sense of peace gradually settled over her, and she drifted off to sleep.
Then, she woke up.
She found herself in an unfamiliar park, with a strange man watching her, a gentle smile on his face.
"Are you awake?"
Hino Maori sat up in a panic, a wary expression on her face, and asked the stranger the question:
"Excuse me, who are you?"
Spicy.
That was the only thought on fans' minds after reading tonight's third episode of Tonight.
Spicy, so spicy!
Kamiya Toru had discovered her secret.
If the male lead found out about Hino Maori's condition, how could he possibly continue acting like this with her?
Shirogane Sensei, what are you up to?
And where did you learn this cliffhanger technique?
Why are you so skilled at it?
On forums and in fan groups, the discussion about Tonight was noticeably more heated than the previous week.
"I can't take it anymore, sisters! I'm so anxious."
"When Hino Maori said 'Who are you?' on the last page of the manga, my toes curled up and my heart sank into despair."
"What do we do?! I don't want to see Kamiya Toru give Hino Maori a disgusted look in the next chapter!"
"I'm about to cry. Why is this plot so heartbreaking?"
"Is this really that heartbreaking? It's nowhere near as bad as 5 Centimeters Per Second. I think it's fine, just a bit nerve-wracking."
"I get it now! That's why Izumi hid Kamiya Toru's diary entry in the first chapter. Kamiya Toru must have panicked when he discovered Hino Maori's condition and reacted poorly, hurting her deeply. So Izumi, trying to protect Hino Maori from future pain, took it upon herself to delete that diary entry?"
"That makes sense. If Kamiya Toru reacted badly to her condition, Hino Maori would easily be hurt and might end their fake relationship. Ugh..."
"I hope Shirogane-sensei doesn't lean into this kind of plot! I just want pure romance, not pure angst!"
"Shirogane Sensei, can't you give the world a little more love? We're all girls here—can't you empathize with your female lead? Can't you have a little pity on her? Don't let Kamiya Toru break up with her."
"This cliffhanger is killing me. It's so frustrating!"
"If the next chapter is still this angsty, I'm dropping the series. Shirogane Sensei, you better think this through!"
"It's pointless complaining now. The next issue of Sky Shadow Weekly is already printed and probably being distributed to retailers across the provinces. The plot is set in stone—all that's left is to see what Shirogane Sensei originally intended!"
"Sigh... If this were any other manga artist's romance series, I wouldn't be worried. But Shirogane Sensei's 5 Centimeters left me traumatized. I just hope this manga doesn't end up with that same bittersweet, regretful vibe."
The next morning, Rei Kirishima received another call from Misaki Yukishiro.
Her message was brief: "Sixth place."
"Got it," Rei replied, equally concise.
There was no excitement or any other emotion in his voice—only calm and steadiness.
"You... aren't you happy? Why do you sound so indifferent?" Misaki asked from the other end of the line.
"No, of course I'm happy to have climbed another rank since last week," Rei Kirishima said.
"It's just that I've been expecting the rankings to improve. I have a lot of confidence in this manga, and the current results are within my initial projections," Rei added with a smile.
Misaki Yukishiro raised an eyebrow at this.
So confident! Even though this serialization is in Sky Shadow Weekly, Rei's confidence seems undiminished compared to when 5 Centimeters was serialized.
But the crucial question was: Would readers accept the eighth chapter of this manga?
After hanging up, Misaki sighed softly and went to her younger sister's room.
Miyu Yukishiro had originally planned to rest for a week or two after finishing the serialization of Tale of Sorrow. However, seeing Rei Kirishima's new manga thriving in Sky Shadow Weekly—consistently staying within the top ten since its debut—had deeply motivated her.
What started as a simple act of kindness to help Rei had inadvertently created a formidable rival.
Though Rei Kirishima had never considered her a rival, she couldn't shake the feeling of inadequacy.
We're in the same school, the same class, and I even debuted a few years before him. There's no way he should be so far ahead. My manga potential and talent must not have been fully unleashed yet.
Pushing open her younger sister's door, Misaki Yukishiro walked up behind Miyu Yukishiro and watched her meticulously sketch character outlines on the manga paper, completely unaware of her presence. A soft tenderness flickered in Misaki's eyes.
Their mother had been a renowned manga artist in Japan. After a failed marriage, she raised them single-handedly, leaving behind a substantial inheritance upon her death.
This upbringing instilled in both sisters a deep admiration for their mother's profession.
Miyu possessed natural talent for manga, while Misaki had none. Yet both loved the medium. So Miyu became a manga artist, while Misaki found work as a manga editor.
Misaki had always believed Miyu's talent rivaled their mother's. After all, when their mother was Miyu's age, she had submitted dozens of manga proposals to various publishers, only to be rejected every time.
Who could have imagined that even Miyu Yukishiro, whom Misaki considered so exceptionally talented, would be overshadowed by Rei Kirishima, a peer of her own age?
"But this is a good thing too," Misaki Yukishiro said with a faint smile.
At least the pressure had spurred Miyu Yukishiro to become more proactive in drawing manga, and her artistic skills were improving noticeably!
It seemed Rei Kirishima had become both a rival and a benchmark for her younger sister's path as a manga artist.
Deep down, Misaki felt a twinge of resentment.
"This is just a temporary lead, Rei. It won't be long before she catches up and surpasses you."
Though she admired Rei Kirishima as a shōnen manga artist, if forced to choose between them, she would support Miyu Yukishiro a million times over.
Monday
Rei Kirishima entered the classroom and immediately spotted Hana and Yui Nakamura sitting in the back row.
"Ah, this art is amazing!"
"Yeah, Shirogane Sensei is a true genius!"
"How can a high school student depict such nuanced details of love?"
"What do you think Shirogane Sensei looks like? Could he be a high school beauty like Hino Maori?"
"Maybe like Miyu Yukishiro?"
Sitting nearby, Rei Kirishima overheard their conversation, his expression growing increasingly peculiar.
Having two loyal fans in his class felt pretty good, but Rei Kirishima couldn't shake the worry that one day his identity as the manga artist Shirogane would be exposed, and they'd see him as a fraud.
Since transmigrating, Rei hadn't made many friends. These two, thanks to their shared love of manga, were practically his only friends.
"Hey, have you guys ever considered that Shirogane Sensei might be a guy?"
"The official profile never said he was a girl, right?"
"Does it even need to be said? Forget 5 Centimeters Per Second for a moment—could a male manga artist really capture the delicate nuances of the characters in Tonight?" Yui Nakamura chuckled.
"Rei, you're not going to play the 'pretend to be Shirogane' game with us again, are you?"
"Well, what if—just hypothetically—I were Shirogane? What would you do?" Rei grinned.
"Would you still support Shirogane's manga?"
"Of course!" Hana declared. "I'll always be a fan of Shirogane Sensei's manga!"
"Me too!" Yui chimed in eagerly.
As for Rei's hypothetical scenario, she dismissed it entirely.
"That's quite a firm stance."
"Absolutely."
Rei's expression turned thoughtful.
Miyu Yukishiro, who had just entered the classroom, overheard their conversation and gazed at Rei with envy.
She had never encountered a Saki fan who would say such a thing, even online.
But then she reassured herself, a surge of determination rising within her.
Someday, I'll have a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand die-hard manga fans like that.
As Ametsukage Weekly continued its publication, fans of Tonight began to appear not only in Rei Kirishima's class but also in other classes and grade levels throughout the school.
Naturally, these fans were predominantly female. While male readers favored action-packed battle manga or intellectual thrillers, the female audience gravitated toward youth romance manga.
Shirogane's manga style stood out as unique in the current Japanese manga scene, completely distinct from the mainstream romantic comedy style, yet undeniably captivating.
A distinctive artistic style fosters strong fan loyalty. Among female manga enthusiasts at Rei Kirishima's school, Shirogane, the newcomer manga artist, had already gained considerable recognition.
The number of online manga fans supporting Shirogane also continued to grow steadily. Many manga critics and magazines, as well as Ametsukage Weekly itself, began to mention and promote Shirogane's debut work, Tonight.
The manga received overwhelmingly positive reviews on major websites and forums.
Its influence continued to spread as word-of-mouth among manga readers grew.
Under these circumstances, a week passed quickly, and Friday arrived once again, the publication day for Sky Shadow Weekly.