"Can't say I didn't care, I did spare a little time to check on my computer."
"I knew it."
Hiratsuka smiled knowingly. Even as an adult, she couldn't stay calm when such an important event happened.
How could a student under twenty be so composed about it?
"Anyway, congratulations."
"Didn't expect one of my students to turn out to be such a monster."
God only knew how she felt when she saw "Magic Girl Madoka" win the 'Selected Works' award online.
Even after seeing the second-round results, she never expected it.
Getting past the first round was impressive, but getting it to the top tierthat was a whole different level.
It was like the difference between reaching the finals of the Olympics and winning a medal. Anyone who's seen both knows the difference.
Some people burn out just getting it to the finals. Others still have more to give.
In that kind of competition, to take first place... well, Hiratsuka never imagined it.
"Monster, huh... Is that a compliment, sensei?"
"Be confident, just take the '?' off that sentence."
"In that case, thanks for the congratulations, sensei."
[028] Turmoil
After hanging up the congratulatory call from Hiratsuka-sensei, Akifumi casually mentioned at the end that once the prize money came in, he will take Hiratsuka-sensei out for a meal to show his gratitude for her care.
She didn't hesitate and agreed right away.
After all, she was a secretly rich womananything that could be solved with money wasn't a problem for her.
A couple of meals here and there didn't matter. What she valued more was the gesture from her student.
Back in his room, Akifumi pulled out the drafts he'd been working on. Since Eriri often came over, he usually made sure to keep his work well hidden.
If she saw it, explaining would be a hassle.
"Last night, I finished the ninth chapter," Akifumi muttered to himself.
The original work consisted of 12 chapters, with about 35 pages per chapter.
When serialized in a magazine, it was equivalent to 24 chapters.
Just a month ago, when Akifumi met with Otosuna Mihari, he was still wrapping up the third chapter.
That meant in just over a month, he had drawn nearly 210 pages!
Actually, it was 234 pages!
With a clear memory of how it all went, Akifumi didn't just copy everything.
He added and fine-tuned details here and there to make it more suitable for serialization.
The fact that he was able to get this far was partly because Eriri was slacking off.
If she had started working and Akifumi were actually helping her, he wouldn't have had this much time to work.
"So, there are only about 100 pages left!" Akifumi exclaimed.
"Plus the ten or so color pages for the cover"
"The serialization is almost over!"
He couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental.
Who else but Akifumi would almost finish everything before it was even serialized?
And of course, after getting the serialization opportunity, who else would choose to end it this quickly?
Serialization had its benefits, but Akifumi wasn't going to drag it out. There was no need for that.
"Keep going! I'll finish everything this month!" he declared.
Then he'd finally get some rest.
"24 chapters, with four chapters a week, I could serialize for half a year!"
[TL Note — Again how???]
That meant Akifumi could rest for six months afterward!
Not bad at all!
With renewed motivation, he threw himself back into work.
What Akifumi didn't know was that after the final list for the Tezuka Award was announced, everyone following the eventfrom readers to fellow manga artists and other industry insiderswas in shock over the selection of an entry after eight years.
"WTF!! Someone actually got the Selection Award this time!?"
"There's still a Selection Award for the Tezuka Prize? It's been so long, I thought Shueisha had canceled it internally. laughs"
"Seriously? Someone really got the Selection Award this time? What's the author's name? What's the genre?"
"The author's name is 'Warrior of Love and Hope.' I checked online, but there's no information. If it's not an old author using a pen name, it must be a completely new writer."
"Nice try, but the Selection Award is for a total newbie. Do you believe that yourself?"
"Ahem, even though the probability is small, shouldn't we still consider that possibility? As for the genre of the work it's magical girl?"
"?? Magical girl!? No way!!"
"The full title of the work is 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.' What kind of story do you think that name implies!?"
"No way! A magical girl story actually got the Selection Award!? This is crazy!"
"Are you sure it's crazy, or did Shueisha's top brass lose their minds?!"
"Even if they've lost their minds, they wouldn't make such an absurd decision! I really don't understand how a magical girl genre could be worthy of the Tezuka Prize Selection Award."
"Even if it were just an 'Honorary Mention,' I could accept that, but this 'Selection Award,' what's that about?"
"Last time, 'Crimson Sea' was so good, and it only got an Honorary Mention. I just want to askcan 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' actually outdo 'Crimson Sea' in terms of plot?"
"Everyone, calm down. Shueisha has been a big name for years. I don't think they'd joke around with their reputation. Maybe 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' is actually really good?"
"It'd be better if you didn't add that question mark. laughs"
"Forgive me, my imagination isn't that good. I just can't picture how such a trope-heavy magical girl story could get an award that prioritizes storytelling like the Tezuka Award."
"Guessing around won't help. We'll find out when the work is revealed."
"Until I see the work, I'm just staying neutral."
"Clearly, there's something going on behind the scenes. Why else would they be promoting this 'Love Warrior' person? No need to wait and see."
"Shueisha is the leader in the manga industry. I don't think they need to use such underhanded methods to promote a newbie. Why not just do it through other means?"
"That's a good point. Maybe this work really has something to it?"
...
These kinds of discussions were everywhere. On all the manga forums, the topic was the same'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.'
Some doubted, some believed, and some chose to wait and see. But the majority were skeptical.
The bigger the tree, the more it attracted attention.
Shueisha, being the leader in the industry, was always under scrutiny by many others.
So when such a big event happened, people saw an opportunity to stir things up.
Soon, the debate shifted toward skepticism, with more and more questioning voices.
Shueisha's PR team quickly stepped in, and with both sides fueling the fire, the situation escalated.
The influence grew stronger by the hour.
In just one day, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' spread like wildfire among manga fans and casual internet users alike.
Later, the marketing department did a review and was shocked to find that even though they spent little money, the publicity effect was several times better than when they had spent millions on promotion in the past.
But that was all in the aftermath.
At that moment, Akifumi, the center of all this chaos, was completely oblivious.
He was still focused on his work, blissfully unaware of what was happening around him.
Even if he had known, it wouldn't have mattered to him. He wouldn't have let it bother him.
After all, Shueisha knew how to handle things like this. Akifumi, as an outsider, didn't need to get involved.
What they really needed from him, from the very beginning, was one thingcreate great work.
[029] Special Treatment! A Single Volume!?
"Sorry, Akifumi-san."
Upon hearing Mihari's apologetic tone, Akifumi Mugiho waved it off dismissively. It was nothing to be concerned about.
Mihari quickly stood up and walked briskly outside the dining area.
Holding a spoon in her hand, Akifumi Mugiho stared absentmindedly at the orange-yellow liquid in his cup.
It was the third day since the Tezuka Award was announced, a Sunday morning.
By now, Akifumi Mugiho was fully aware of the storm brewing online over Madoka Magica.
Such a huge event was impossible to miss, especially with a quick scroll through the web.
He couldn't help but notice the intense discussions that had erupted in various forums.
After reading some of the heated debates, he found himself quietly admiring the boldness of Shueisha's editor-in-chief.
After all, many of the posts had made valid points.
Setting aside the fact that Akifumi already knew how the story would unfold, anyone else would be hard-pressed to guess what kind of story Madoka Magica was going to be.
Given the circumstances, it was understandable that some were skeptical.
The editor-in-chief's decision to award the selection prize to Madoka Magica was a rare display of courage.
Considering how little they knew about himjust a high school studentit would have been difficult for Akifumi himself to have that kind of trust in a complete newcomer.
Awarding the entry prize was the most cautious approach, based on the limited information they had.
Later in the day, they were meeting again, this time to discuss the upcoming awards ceremony and the details of the serialization.
In the afternoon, at 3 PM, the awards would be presented at Shueisha, and all the other winners would be attending.
As the entry prize winner, Akifumi couldn't afford to miss it, so Mihari suggested he prepare well.
The monetary award would be credited to his account in fourteen working days after taxes were deducted.
As for the serialization details, they hadn't discussed much yet, as for Mihari was called away by a phone call before they could get into it.
By the time Mihari returned to the dining area, Akifumi had been lost in thought about the whole thing.
"Sorry about that," Mihari said again, apologizing as they sat back down.
Akifumi raised an eyebrow, noticing a slightly... odd look in Mihari's eyes compared to before.
"What was that phone call about?" Akifumi asked.
It wasn't anything secret, so Mihari replied easily, "It was my editor-in-chief."
"Is it related to me?"
"Yep."
Mihari nodded, a slight look of awe crossing their face.
"I guess it's not surprising... but the treatment you're getting, even I'm a little envious!"
"Can I ask for more details?" Akifumi asked.
Mihari didn't directly answer.
Instead, she changed the subject, "You've been working on the manga, right? How many chapters are you at now?"
Akifumi, confused, glanced at Mihari before answering, "About ten chapters."
Ten chapters already!? Considering he had only completed about six chapters previouslyhalf of which were from earlier draftsthis was way beyond the expected pace.
"That's beyond the one-chapter-a-week speed! Without any assistants and balancing schoolwork... Is this what a true monster's work ethic looks like!?" Mihari thought to herself, a bit stunned.
She previously been a bit envious, but now, she realized that this was no ordinary talentthis was a true powerhouse, someone who deserved success.
If it were other mangaka, she knew they would've slacked off once the serialization started, but Akifumi was different. His drive was on another level.
"You're really something else," Mihari finally said, impressed.
Then, Mihari finally stopped holding back. "Akifumi, how would you feel about releasing a single-volume book?"
"Wait, 'Akifumi'? Just moments ago, it was 'Akifumi-san'!" Akifumi shot Mihari an amused look, ignoring the question for a moment.
"Otosuna-san, I've got a friend who wants to see that email you sent me earlier. What do you think I should do?"
"Should I send it to her or not?"
"!!" Otosuna Mihari immediately sank into a deep apology.
"I'm so sorry, Akifumi-san! It's all my fault! I shouldn't have been so disrespectful!"
Akifumi gave a satisfied nod. Now that Mihari had acknowledged their mistake, he returned to the main topic.
"A single volume? Isn't that usually something you need to wait for the serialization to hit a certain number of chapters before it's possible?"
In reality, not all serialized manga are eligible for single-volume releases. It required not only popularity, but also a certain number of chapters and a market survey.
After all, serialized works were already available in the weekly magazine, and only devoted fans were likely to buy a single-volume book, especially when the content was mostly the same.
Those who weren't interested in the other magazine works but loved one particular series were the ones who bought single volumes.
But this was all under the assumption that the series had no prior recognition, which wasn't the case for Madoka Magica.
Mihari nodded, continuing, "It's true, Madoka Magica is still in its early stages. The feedback online has been... less than friendly. People don't realize that once they see the later chapters, it's going to be a completely different story than just a magical girl show. It'll introduce a whole new angle on the genre."
"But the truth is, it's rare for a weekly series to get a single-volume release unless it's got a lot of popularity. And the fans are growing impatient with the pacing, so we've been discussing the possibility of releasing a volume based on what's already been drawn."
"Are you okay with this idea?"
Akifumi looked at Mihari, realizing the proposal was genuine. Normally, no one would consider releasing a single volume before the official serialization.
But given the current buzz around Madoka Magica, Akifumi couldn't deny that there was something to this plan.
"This is a really good opportunity. I can't find any reason to say no."
Mihari wasn't surprised by the responsethis was essentially an offer to make money. Who would turn that down?
But before they could finalize things, there was one last important point to confirm.
"Even though you mentioned you've completed over ten chapters, I need to double-check: do you have enough material for a full single volume?"
Akifumi grinned. "Don't worry, I've got it covered. I'll have more than enough to fill that first volume."
[030] Dont Leech!
At 2:50 PM, Akifumi arrived on the fifth floor of the Shueisha building, right on time.
Fifth's floor was visibly set up for the Tezuka Award ceremony.
With the decorations in place, it almost looked like a small banquet hall.
Since Akifumi had only received the notice this morning, he hadn't had time to prepare much, so he just went with a simple, casual look: a white T-shirt and black pants.
