Under the high school student's explanation, Kai began to piece together what had happened.
The author of the upcoming book, Ichiro Fujima, was a former criminal. After the passing of his beloved grandmother, he became obsessed with death.
"Fujima started with frogs, kittens, and puppies. But under the influence of some cult members, things escalated fast."
Kai understood. Tokyo was a place where cults could be found around every corner.
The high school student continued. "A figure of a god started appearing in Fujima's mind, and he brutally murdered two girls, claiming it was divine guidance."
Rika covered her mouth, too scared to speak.
Kai rubbed her back, giving her strength.
"After he was arrested, the media went crazy covering it. The Fujima case was a massive sensation. But he wasn't sent to prison. He was sent to a juvenile reformatory for rehabilitation."
"Five years later, he's officially been released. And even though the system showed him leniency, he hasn't shown a shred of remorse. Instead, he turned his past into a book and is getting it published, without caring at all about what the victims' families are going through."
"Damn it!"
"The publisher is just as shameless. They're backing him just because Fujima has name recognition."
"How did this country end up like this?"
The high school student spat the words out.
Having heard the full story, Kai understood the kid's anger completely.
He wanted to curse too.
But what could an ordinary person actually do?
After learning about Fujima, Rika lost all her energy for shopping. She went quiet and listless, so Kai took her home to rest.
Yuta bought groceries and put Kai's brand-new kitchen to use for the first time.
"Everything in here is new," he called out from the kitchen, sounding surprised.
Rika was draped over the low table in the living room, her lips pressed together, her round cheeks trembling softly with each breath. She looked impossibly cute.
Yuta called out several times before Kai finally reacted.
"Yeah, I just moved in, so most things haven't been touched yet." He walked into the kitchen. "By the way, did you bring bedding? I only have two sets."
"I brought my own," Yuta said while stir-frying chicken. "Don't worry about it."
Kai leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, and nodded.
Yuta was quiet for a long time. Then, out of nowhere, he said, "You've had it rough, haven't you, Kai."
"What?"
"The fridge, the computer, all of it is brand new," Yuta said. "You've been in Tokyo for years, but you never had any of this stuff. You only just got on your feet, right?"
There were plenty of people who moved to the big city chasing a better life and spent their first years crammed into a tiny room that barely fit a bed and a closet. No fridge, no TV, nothing extra.
It wasn't until their income finally caught up with the cost of living that they could afford anything resembling a normal life.
"It wasn't that bad," Kai said. "And it's all in the past now."
"Oh," Yuta replied quietly.
A small hand grabbed the hem of Kai's shirt. Rika was standing there, staring up at him with watery eyes, looking like her heart was breaking for her brother.
She'd appeared without making a sound.
Kai quickly crouched down to wipe her tears away.
"Your big brother is about to become a manga artist. So don't cry."
"Mm...!" Rika nodded, her voice hitching with a small sob.
Kai scratched his hair in frustration. He had zero experience comforting a little sister.
But before he could figure it out, the telephone rang, cutting through the warm moment between them.
"Hang on a second," Kai said.
Rika slipped her small hand into his palm. She wanted to come with him.
Faced with his clingy little sister, Kai naturally agreed.
He took her to the living room and picked up the receiver from the landline on the side table next to the sofa.
"Hello, Fujin. How's the holiday going?"
Heishi's voice came through the line.
Kai looked down at Rika and pressed the speakerphone button. "Really good, actually. I haven't been this happy in a long time."
"That's great!" Heishi said. "Because I've got something that'll make you even happier."
Rika's ears perked up, full of curiosity.
"Let's hear it," Kai said.
"The response to Death Note has been way beyond expectations!" Heishi's voice was practically electric. "Today alone, tons of readers called the editorial department to say how much they loved it."
"In all my years as an editor, I've rarely seen this kind of fanatical reaction."
"Death Note is getting serialized. No question about it."
Even he, the editor, was willing to say it that definitively.
Which meant the odds of Death Note being serialized weren't just eight or nine out of ten. They were practically a hundred percent.
Kai's heart skipped a beat.
Rika jumped up, beaming.
"Yes! That's amazing!"
Heishi heard the little girl's voice and guessed it was someone from Kai's family. He didn't pry and kept going. "After Golden Week, I'm pushing Death Note into the serialization meeting. In the meantime, you need to improve your drawing as much as humanly possible. Don't become the worst artist among the serialized manga artists."
Kai clenched his fists. "I understand."
Rika stamped her foot. "That editor talks so mean."
"Don't say that," Kai pinched her nose and whispered. "Editor Heishi is a really good editor."
Rika didn't look convinced.
"One more thing, Fujin," Heishi continued. "The Tezuka Award ceremony is on May 1st. A lot of manga artists will be attending. You'll need to prepare in advance, especially your acceptance speech. You're the only winner who received the Selected award this time. Nobody even got a Runner-up. You're going to be the center of attention, so don't freeze up on stage and leave a bad impression. You'll never hear the end of it."
"Awards ceremony." Kai blinked.
"A lot of manga artists?" Rika's eyes were sparkling. She stood on her tiptoes and called out toward the phone. "Will the creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, Kazuki Takahashi, be there? Editor-san!"
Hearing the little girl's voice, Heishi paused for a moment, then chuckled warmly.
"I'll make sure he's there."
The words came out with a quiet authority.
And he had the standing to back them up. The reason Kazuki Takahashi, who had struggled for years without landing a serialization, was able to create Yu-Gi-Oh! in the first place was largely thanks to Heishi.
Back when Takahashi was still unknown, it was Heishi who stuck with him and spent an entire year helping him develop what would eventually become Weekly Shonen Jump's biggest IP.
He was, in every sense of the word, Takahashi's mentor.
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