'Join the Manga Research Club? Is Haruto actually interested in manga?' Reina stood frozen for a moment as she processed the suggestion.
However, logic quickly reasserted itself. It seemed highly improbable. Among the various pillars of the otaku subculture, light novels, anime, games, and manga, the barrier to entry for light novels was undeniably the lowest; essentially, anyone literate could attempt to write one.
Manga, on the other hand, was not a craft that could be mastered in a month or two. Every elite manga artist in the industry had spent at least four or five years, if not much longer, honing their technical skills, mastering complex compositions, and studying cinematic storyboarding before their work could even be considered professional.
Then she recalled Haruto's words from the previous night. He intended to produce an anime and wanted a foundational understanding of illustration and music theory to better handle storyboarding and scriptwriting. While manga and anime were distinct mediums, their DNA was shared. In his previous life, for instance, the Dragon Ball anime frequently lifted its visual framing directly from the original manga panels. This was because the author was a renowned master of spatial awareness and dynamic flow.
Reina was sharp. One look at Haruto's face told her exactly where his thoughts were heading. Had they not spoken the night before, Haruto likely wouldn't have given Shizuru a second thought; he wasn't the type to actively seek out new social circles.
But now, joining the Manga Research Club and apprenticing under the president, Shizuru, seemed like the perfect shortcut to acquiring the artistic and musical foundations he lacked.
"Are you serious?" Shizuru asked, her face lighting up with delight.
While she was a devoted fan of Haruto's novels, her creative heart belonged to the visual arts.
To her, manga and anime were the superior mediums.
"Of course," Haruto said with a smile. "You were so enthusiastic when you invited me at the café that I could not possibly forget."
"In that case, let us not waste another second. Come with me to the clubroom and fill out the registration forms right now," Shizuru said, her eyes twinkling as she realized she had successfully reeled him in.
Haruto hesitated for only a moment before deciding it was a low-risk move. University clubs were notoriously laid-back; participation was entirely voluntary, and no one would force him to attend if he grew bored. If the situation turned out to be a waste of time, he could simply resign.
He gave Reina a quick, meaningful glance and then followed Shizuru toward the club's activity room. As they walked across the campus, Haruto struck up a conversation to get a better sense of the group he was joining.
Until last year, the Minazuki University Manga Research Club had four members. However, as the new semester began, two seniors and one graduate student had all moved on to the professional world. This left Shizuru as the club's sole remaining member and, by default, its president.
Haruto stopped in his tracks, looking completely stunned. "Wait, according to the university administration rules, isn't a club required to have at least five members to remain officially recognized? If there is only one of you, how does the club still exist?"
"The administration also states that if a club shows exceptional activity or achieves significant results, they are granted a grace period to recruit new members," Shizuru explained. "Last year, one of our former members had a short story serialized in a local Tokyo magazine. That achievement counted as a club success, so the school let us stay. But this year... if I do not find enough people and I fail to get my own work published, the club is finished."
She produced an application form and looked at him with an expression of desperate hope.
'So that is why you were so aggressive in recruiting me,' Haruto realized.
"The freshmen this year have zero ambition," she complained. "I have had posters up for over a month and not a single soul has walked through the door. Meanwhile, the Light Novel Club has over a hundred members."
"This is Minazuki," Haruto pointed out. "Most people who manage to get in here use light novels as a temporary escape. Very few have the drive to actually master the grueling techniques required for professional manga. Without an artistic background, people hear 'Manga Club' and turn away. No one wants to join a club just to be the amateur who gets lectured by veterans."
Furthermore, those with genuine artistic talent usually gravitated toward the formal Fine Arts or the prestigious Illustration Club. The Manga Research Club occupied an awkward, shrinking middle ground.
Shizuru fell silent, forced to admit that he was right. The barrier to entry for manga was simply too high for the average student, making recruitment a nightmare.
"But I am different," Haruto added with a chuckle. "I actually want to learn these things from the ground up. I have a genuine interest in illustration and music theory. As long as you do not find my constant questions too annoying, I am happy to join."
Haruto's induction was seamless. Even though the club consisted of only two people, he made a point of messaging Shizuru frequently on LINE to pick her brain about technical details regarding art and music.
Behind the scenes, the revitalization of Yukino's studio was also in full swing.
Haruto spent his nights balancing the manuscript for the Parasyte novel while simultaneously drafting the screenplay for Madoka Magica. His days were spent juggling lectures and club activities. His university life had become a whirlwind of productivity.
By late October, Kiyozawa Library officially announced on their website that Haruto's new work, Parasyte, would begin serialization in the November 1st issue of Azure Kiyozawa.
The news hit the internet like a tidal wave. Haruto's fanbase, which had been starved of updates for several months, erupted into a frenzy of activity.
"Did you hear? Shiori-sensei is back!"
"Is it true? Is the new series a sequel to To the Moon?"
"It has been six months since To the Moon ended and I still cannot sleep. I need that sequel."
"I do not care what it is. If Shiori wrote it, I am buying it."
"He is serializing with Kiyozawa? I would have thought Seisawa or Hoshizora would have fought harder to sign him."
"What genre do you think he is tackling this time?"
"Do not bother guessing. The guy changes his style like he changes his clothes. No one can predict what goes on in that head of his."
Leading up to the launch, Kiyozawa Library had done very little formal marketing for the series. However, the news didn't need a corporate budget to spread. It moved through fan groups and hobbyist forums across all prefectures. While Haruto's total follower count was respectable, his fan retention and loyalty were terrifying.
Thousands of readers were already promoting the work without having seen a single sentence of the first chapter. This was the raw power of the brand he had built with Blue Spring Ride, Anohana, and To the Moon. The public now possessed a blind faith in his storytelling.
As October drew to a close, the news reached his classmates at Minazuki. Many were stunned, while others felt a twinge of envy. It was a stark reminder of the massive gap between them and the boy who shared their lectures. The level of attention focused on Haruto spiked once again. Some were genuinely excited, but others were secretly hoping that his new series would be a total failure, turning the campus celebrity into a laughingstock.
By the end of the month, Haruto had finally cleared his plate of administrative chores. The investment into Yukino's studio was finalized, and the restructuring was complete. The tiny team of several dozen animators at the studio had already laid out a rigorous production schedule for Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
October faded into memory. On the first day of November, the latest issue of Azure Kiyozawa, featuring the debut of Parasyte, was released simultaneously across every prefecture in Japan.
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