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On the official website of Prime Manga...
At this very moment, a massive crowd of Haruto's fans has gathered in the official live-streaming room, eagerly awaiting the signing ceremony between Prime Manga and the author known as Shiori Takahashi.
While many were shocked that Haruto had seemingly out of nowhere decided to create a manga, they ultimately didn't mind. As long as the work is compelling, whether it is a manga or a light novel, the fans are more than happy to consume it.
The comment section of the live stream was already a whirlpool of activity
"Seriously though, it's been half a year since Shiori-sensei finished Parasyte. Is he really just going to put out a manga? Is there no news on a new light novel?"
"No idea. I feel like subculture works depend entirely on the creator. Even though there are people out there with more fame than Shiori-sensei who have been around longer, their works just don't have that specific flavor that he does."
"Wait, you feel it too? I thought it was just me. Shiori-sensei's works have a unique soul to them. The character designs, their drive, and the way they make decisions at critical moments are all so different from traditional tropes. That's the biggest reason I'm a fan."
"It's just a perfect match for our tastes. Maybe his works aren't objectively the best, but they are the ones that hit us the hardest."
"Exactly, that's exactly it."
"Then there's that Warrior of Love. I feel like his works are interesting too, but that guy is far too mysterious. He still hasn't revealed his real identity."
"He's probably just a big shot from the anime industry using an alias. I refuse to believe the script for Madoka Magica was written by some rookie."
"But did you guys notice something? Shiori-sensei did a lot of the music for Anohana alongside Reina, who is currently serializing Blade of the Other Side in Azure Kiyozawa. Now the Warrior of Love is also heavily involved in the music for his show. Both of them do scriptwriting and music... it's a bit suspicious, isn't it?"
"Hahaha, that's quite a leap. Are you trying to say Shiori-sensei is the Warrior of Love? If that's true, I'll literally do a 360-degree headstand while drinking a bottle of hot sauce."
"Here we go again, another person looking for a free show. Remember when Madoka Magica was airing? Some fan said something similar, and now his comment has over a hundred thousand people visiting it to laugh at him."
"Your imaginations are just too wild. Shiori-sensei doing manga is one thing, but doing anime too? Do you really think he's some kind of All-Powerful Superhero?"
"Maybe he is?"
As the clock ticked toward 8:30 AM, the debate among Haruto's fans in the comments grew increasingly heated. Meanwhile, the regular readers of Prime's magazines sat by in silence, simply enjoying the drama. The fact that Prime Manga was going to such great lengths to sign such a young creator had certainly piqued the curiosity of many.
When the scheduled time arrived, a visual suddenly flickered to life in the Prime live streaming room. The first thing that caught the audience's eyes was a massive, color-spread manga poster, at least four meters high and nearly eight meters wide.
It depicted a mountain road at night.
A white-and-black car, looking somewhat vintage, was drifting sideways across the asphalt, its four wheels sliding and leaving long, dark skid marks on the concrete. The sight of this vivid color page immediately drew the viewers in. They looked at the text on the giant poster, slowly reading the title aloud:
"Initial D?"
What is this?
Soon, their questions were answered.
A charming, well-dressed female host stepped onto the stage. She smiled at the camera and began introducing the basic profiles of Haruto and Shizuru, as well as the genre and style of Initial D.
A racing manga?
Upon hearing this, many of Haruto's fans felt a sense of clarity. No wonder Shiori-sensei had chosen to adapt this story into a manga. In truth, no matter how well you use words, you can never truly capture the feeling of a high-speed race through text alone.
However, many other fans were simply stunned.
"Shiori-sensei has changed genres again... I'm literally crying at how bold he is."
"Among all the light novel writers in Japan, his ability to switch styles is the most insane. Since his debut, not a single one of his works has been similar to the last."
"But I've only ever played with remote-control cars! I don't know the first thing about actual racing. Shiori-sensei is filtering me out of his reader base! I'm devastated."
"A racing manga... I have to say, my mind is blank. I never expected his thoughts to drift this far. I don't even like watching real-life racing. Is a manga about cars actually going to be interesting?"
In the event hall, the host addressed the gathered reporters and attendees, introducing the details of Haruto, Shizuru, and Initial D. Shortly after, a staff member signaled that it was time for the creators to take the stage.
Haruto didn't hesitate.
Guided by the staff, he reached a set of doors. He pushed them open and walked into the signing ceremony venue alongside Shizuru.
The moment they entered, the room erupted into thunderous applause. The female host, who had been explaining the project for ten minutes, spoke with a warm, welcoming tone.
"Please join me in welcoming Takahashi-sensei and Shizuru-sensei to the stage!"
Haruto was dressed in a sharp black suit. He had been dragged into hair and makeup by the Prime staff early that morning, and now he looked incredibly handsome and dashing.
Shizuru followed beside him in a flowing emerald-green skirt, her long black hair cascading down her back. Her delicate, beautiful face was accented with light makeup, and she was clearly trying her best to suppress her nervousness, her clear black eyes darting around the room.
She was just a bit shorter than Haruto, her head reaching slightly above his shoulder. As the two of them appeared, the reporters, manga critics, and industry professionals in the room all felt their eyes light up.
This Shiori was already a very handsome young man, but his partner, Shizuru, possessed an equally stunning beauty. These two didn't just look like a mangaka duo; they looked like they could be the romantic leads in a high-budget film.
In the live-streaming room, the fans were going wild.
"???"
"What the hell? Who is that cute girl next to Shiori-sensei? Is she his new partner?"
"Damn, where did Sensei find another cute girl?"
"Why did you say another?"
"Because for us fans, Shiori-sensei and Reina Fujimoto-sensei have always been the ultimate pairing! Seeing him collaborate with a different girl... it feels weird. I'm not used to this."
"One of them writes the story and the other draws the manga. What on earth are you people even thinking about?"
Haruto and Shizuru reached the front of the hall and took their seats on the left side of a long banquet table. The Prime staff, including Deputy Editor-in-Chief Katashi, sat on the right.
While it was called a signing ceremony, the actual act of signing a contract was a simple task that could be finished in a minute with two pens. The reason for all this fanfare was simple.
Promotion.
It was a promotion for Prime Manga. A promotion for the partnership of Haruto and Shizuru. And a promotion for the manga Initial D. Haruto was no longer the unknown author he once was; for a creator of his stature, any partner company was more than willing to pour promotional resources into a project even before it began serialization.
The host began a Q&A session, covering various topics.
What inspired Shiori-sensei to create Initial D?
How did Shiori-sensei and Shizuru-sensei first meet?
Why did Shiori-sensei decide to expand into the manga industry?
What are Shiori-sensei's expectations for Initial D?
Why did Shiori-sensei choose Prime Manga as a partner?
When did Shizuru-sensei start learning to draw manga?
What are the key selling points of Initial D?
Facing the cameras and the sea of reporters, Haruto answered every question. Finally, he gave the fans in the live stream a boost of confidence with a bold, self-assured declaration.
"Initial D is the most interesting work I have created since my debut. Even for those who know absolutely nothing about cars, I guarantee this will be a thrilling and engaging manga."
"I'm actually starting to get interested now," a fan commented. "It starts in mid-July, right? I don't usually read manga, but I might pick up the magazine for this."
"Man, that girl working with Sensei is so cute. Did you see her blush when she was talking?"
"I'm actually a car enthusiast myself, but I can't really imagine how Sensei is going to make racing in a manga interesting."
"Well, Sensei promised that even people who don't know cars will enjoy it. I don't know a thing about engines, but I'm planning to follow it."
"Seeing this ceremony today makes me feel quite emotional. Back in the day, Sensei was just an unknown writer from a small prefecture. Now, he's crossing over into manga, and even a giant like Prime has to throw a massive event just for him."
"I hope this manga is a hit. I'm definitely going to support him."
"I haven't read Shiori's stuff before, but a Beautiful Boy and Beautiful Girl mangaka duo? I'm intrigued."
The various factions in the live-streaming room continued their passionate debate. The ceremony lasted over an hour, and while it didn't reveal too many specific plot details, its promotional goal was undoubtedly achieved.
Haruto stood up.
"I look forward to a successful partnership," Katashi said. He looked intently at Haruto and Shizuru as he stood and extended his hand.
Haruto and Shizuru shook his hand in turn and received their respective copies of the signed contract. Haruto looked down at the thick document in his hand and took a deep breath. He turned to the girl beside him and spoke with a smile.
"We need to give it our all, Shizuru. In about half a month, you and I will face our first real test from the readers of Weekly Prime."
"This isn't just a few dozen people. This is a premier manga magazine with a weekly circulation of eleven million and only twenty-two slots. If everything goes smoothly, we will make a name for ourselves in the manga world overnight."
"And if it doesn't go smoothly?" Shizuru asked, her voice faltering slightly.
"Then we'll probably become the biggest joke in the industry this year," Haruto laughed. "People will laugh at Shiori, the sixth-place Naoki winner, for failing his crossover. While they wonder if my creative skill has declined, they'll also question the quality of my partner and ask if you were the one dragging me down."
Upon hearing this, Shizuru's face immediately tightened with nerves once again.