Akira turned her sharp gaze toward Yukino, waiting for a justification.
"Haruto has poured significantly more heart and soul into the creation of Anohana than he did for Blue Spring Ride. He actually began drafting this project well before his previous series concluded, and he frequently consulted me to discuss the plot beats and the intricate character settings," Yukino explained. She began to play up the immense effort Haruto had invested in his new work.
If she were dealing with a mediocre author, Yukino would have been strictly professional and honest with Akira. If she overpromised on behalf of a writer who failed to deliver, she would be the one forced to shoulder the consequences alone.
Although she did not rely on her editorial salary to survive, she took her career very seriously.
Furthermore, since Akira was her senior and mentor, Yukino had no desire to deceive her without a very good reason.
However, the track record of Blue Spring Ride was simply too dazzling to ignore. When Haruto had looked her in the eye and claimed that Anohana would eventually eclipse his first hit, she had voiced her doubts out of habit.
Deep down, she was consumed by a burning curiosity because she wanted to see exactly how he intended to prove such a bold claim.
Just as Haruto was gambling on the fact that Anohana had explosive potential in its later chapters, Yukino was now gambling on the idea that Haruto was a true genius rather than a one-hit wonder.
She was betting that the story was merely a slow starter rather than a fundamental bore.
"That is quite enough of the fluff. Please stop telling me about his work ethic and give me the cold facts regarding the strengths and weaknesses of his new work," Akira interrupted.
She could tell that Yukino was being uncharacteristically defensive.
Yukino tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and straightened her posture as her expression turned professional. "The characterization is superb, but I will not lie to you. It is a slow burn. According to Haruto, the first few chapters serve as a necessary foundation, and he promises a massive emotional payoff with a surge in narrative momentum further down the line."
Akira's brow furrowed at the mention of the pacing. "A slow burn? That is practically a death sentence for a weekly serialization in a flagship magazine like Crimson Maple. Our readers expect a hook on the very first page."
"Haruto is fully aware of that fact, yet he remains confident that the final results will surpass Blue Spring Ride across the board," Yukino added quickly.
"And I am confident that I could lead this publishing house to conquer the moon and open a branch office in a lunar crater fifty years from now," Akira replied dryly before taking a sip of her coffee.
Yukino felt a wave of awkwardness wash over her. She looked out the window behind Akira's desk and felt a bit helpless.
She had done everything she could to sell the idea. If Haruto insisted on bringing a slow-paced story to a high-stakes competition, there was only so much an editor could do to protect him.
Akira went silent as she considered her options.
As an Editor-in-Chief, she valued fairness above all else. If Haruto's work truly lacked quality, she would not force it through just because she liked him. Such a move would only damage her own authority if the series flopped.
However, she suddenly remembered a crucial detail. "Neither Shiori Takahashi nor Airi have signed exclusive long-term contracts with us, have they?"
"No," Yukino confirmed. "Both of them declined the offers by citing their desire to focus on their studies for the time being."
Akira's expression tightened. If the magazine rejected the work he was so confident in, what would he do?
Would he simply accept the rejection, or would he take his talents to a rival publisher to see if they were willing to take a chance on it? If he left, any hope of their house claiming the prestige of "The Ascent of New Gods" seed spot would vanish instantly.
"We shall settle this at the meeting on Monday," Akira decided as she dismissed Yukino. She needed to see the quality of the other competing manuscripts before she could make a final call.
When Monday arrived, the air in the conference room was thick with tension. Sixteen different novels were competing for only three available slots in the main magazine. The editors were at each other's throats as they ruthlessly picked apart the flaws in any manuscript that was not their own.
However, two works seemed to be largely immune to the bickering.
These were "Red Dragon's Azure Flame Tail and Airi's Star Sea. While a few editors tried to find minor faults, no one could deny their inherent quality.
Akira had a sharper eye than any of them, and trying to dismiss a clearly superior work would only make them look incompetent in front of their superior.
"Next up is the new work from Shiori Takahashi, which is titled Anohana," the moderator announced. The room suddenly went quiet as the editors reached for the manuscripts on their desks. Everyone was curious to see what the wunderkind who wrote Blue Spring Ride had come up with next. For a few minutes, the only sound was the rhythmic rustling of paper. This was the first time Akira had actually read the text herself.
A shut-in protagonist, a wasted life, and a complete lack of ambition.
She paused to reflect on these tropes. However, as the heroine appeared, the story began to find its rhythm. Menma's bright personality and her status as a ghost provided the necessary intrigue.
The bittersweet reunion with childhood friends, the cold reception from his former peers, and the heartbreaking scene where Menma stands invisible before her grieving family were all highlights.
The writing was evocative enough that Akira found herself slipping into the world of the story.
But as she read on, the plot settled back into a quiet and preparatory pace.
"The pacing feels sluggish," one editor remarked after finishing.
"I have finished the first chapter and I still do not see the primary conflict or the central goal," another added.
"The heroine is charming, but the protagonist, Jintan, is a bit of a bore. I do not exactly hate him, but he is not compelling enough to carry a lead role."
"I actually think the supporting cast is interesting, and the mystery of why she is a ghost is a decent hook," someone countered.
"The stakes are just too low! Other stories are about saving the world or intense romance, but this is just daily life with a ghost girl. It is not that the writing is bad, but it simply is not exciting enough for a flagship magazine."
The room was split. Many editors felt a sense of relief as they looked at Yukino.
With Star Sea already looking like a success, they had been terrified that Haruto would deliver another masterpiece and sweep the board. If he failed, it left more room for their own authors to claim a spot.
"We shall mark this one as pending for now," Akira announced.
An hour later, she delivered the final verdict for the day. "The first two slots go to Airi's Star Sea and Red Dragon's Azure Flame Tail. As for the third slot, it remains undecided. I will call a special session tomorrow afternoon to announce my final choice."
This was a highly unusual move.
Akira was known for being decisive and never dragging out the process.
The editors left the room whispering, and they wondered if the remaining candidates were really so close in quality that she needed a whole night to deliberate.
Yukino felt a wave of disappointment.
As she prepared to leave, Akira's secretary informed her that the Chief wanted to see her in her office immediately.
"I want you to talk to Haruto today," Akira said the moment Yukino sat down. "There is an opening at Fleeting Blossoms. I can guarantee him a serialization slot there for Anohana right now."
Yukino's heart sank.
She had hoped for something more dramatic, such as Akira deciding to take a leap of faith on the flagship magazine.
"However, there is another option," Akira continued as she noticed the look on the young editor's face.
Under normal circumstances, Akira would not make things this complicated.
Haruto was talented, but the magazine would not collapse without him. However, given his track record and the potential for "The Ascent of New Gods" seeds, she did not want to risk him jumping ship to a competitor.
"You told me that Haruto believes this work will surpass Blue Spring Ride. He claims the slow start is intentional and that the popularity will explode later," Akira said gravely. "There were three other stories in that meeting today that are better suited for the third slot than Anohana. However, their advantages are not insurmountable."
"While Anohana is not flashy, it also does not have any glaring flaws in the writing. I am willing to trust both of you this once. I will give him the third slot in the main magazine."
Yukino's eyes lit up with hope.
"But since I am making an exception for him, he has to give us something in return," Akira added.
That evening, Yukino met with Haruto at her apartment.
"A condition? What kind of condition?" Haruto asked as he leaned forward.
"The Chief said that if you are so confident that this is not a creative failure but a deliberate slow burn that will eclipse your previous work, then you have to prove it," Yukino explained. "She wants a guarantee. By the time the final chapter of this series is published, its reader ranking and overall rating must be in the top four for the entire magazine. If you can achieve that, it proves you were not just trying to trick her into giving you a slot. If you agree, she will override the committee's objections and sign the contract."
Haruto was stunned. "Can she really just do that?"
"Of course she can. She runs the department. But every move she makes has a cost. If she forces a series through and it fails to gain traction, it hurts her standing with the higher-ups and the other editors. She is putting her reputation on the line for you."
"So, what is the catch if I do not hit the target?" Haruto asked.
Yukino pulled a document from her bag. "The contract changes. If Anohana fails to reach the top four by its conclusion, you are required to sign an exclusive three-year partnership agreement with our publishing house as compensation."
Akira was playing a clever game. She was interested in Haruto's long-term potential.
By using a flagship slot as bait, she was setting up a win-win scenario for the company. If the story became a hit, she would look like a visionary. If it flopped, she would have one of the most promising young writers in the industry locked down for three years to recoup the losses with future projects.
"What do you decide?" Yukino asked with a voice tinged with nerves.
Haruto thought about it for thirty seconds before looking up. "If I were afraid of a little risk, I would not have asked for this in the first place. I could just take the safe route and go to the smaller magazine. Besides, even if I fail, it is not like I have to pay a fine. I just have to stay with the company for three years. Most authors would kill for that kind of security anyway."
He took a deep breath. "As long as I hit the top four by the end, the contract remains standard, right? Then I accept the terms."
He was not one to hesitate. He signed the paperwork then and there.
Yukino felt a sense of vertigo as she watched him.
In her time as an editor, she had never managed to get a single author into the flagship magazine.
Now, in a single day, two of her authors had secured slots simultaneously. It had been a chaotic road to get here, but it was the best possible outcome she could have imagined.
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