The part about knowing my address isn't strange.
I did take her to my place during that rainy Golden Week, so with a little attention, she could easily figure out what floor I'm on and find my place.
Of course, she could've also gotten my address from Hiratsuka-sensei directly!
No doubt about it. With Hiratsuka-sensei's personality, if there's fun to be had, she'd definitely plan this!
Returning his thoughts to the present, Akifumi spoke up, "I understand your reason, but you don't need to worry about taking care of me. I'm pretty much better now."
If it were another time, Akifumi might have been interested in her offer, but not now.
He was seriously too tired; all he wanted was to sleep.
No one was going to stop him!
Pale-faced, unsteady on his feet, and his voice weak... he was obviously putting on a brave face.
'The kindness must be repaid; that's the Shiina family creed!'
'Let me help you this time, Akifumi-kun!'
Shiina Mahiru clenched her tiny fist with determination, but then...
"By the way, is this a gift for me?"
Following Akifumi's gaze, she noticed the bag of leftover pastries she was holding.
Those were the sweets from yesterday, reheated before she brought them over because she was worried about Akifumi's condition.
Shiina Mahiru nodded honestly. "Yes."
"Thanks, Shiina-san, this really helps a lot!"
He'd just had a few rice balls yesterday and hadn't eaten much since, so he was starving.
"By the way, these desserts look really delicate. I wonder how they taste."
Taking the sweets from Shiina Mahiru, Akifumi smiled and nodded at her, "I'll take them. See you tomorrow, Shiina-san."
"Bang."
Staring at the closed door, Shiina's head slowly filled with question marks.
From the confused expression on her face, it was easy to tell that her soul was asking the three questions: "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
A moment later, a cry of frustration echoed from outside the door.
"Akifumi-kun you're an idiot!!"
The next day.
Already at the classroom, Akifumi's eyes lit up when he saw Shiina Mahiru walk in.
"Shiina-san, by the way, where did you get those desserts from yesterday? Could you give me the address?"
Even now, those cakes were incredibly delicious!
If he hadn't been so tired back then, he probably would've messaged her right away to ask.
However, the response he got from Shiina was a look full of resentment.
[TL Note]
Hey there! If you're enjoying this, be sure to check out
p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL
Please remove the hyphen to access the page normally , just a heads-up, there will be advanced chapters available there! and Thanks so much for reading!
Announcement !!
I just received feedback from the comments on the web novel Becoming a Mangaka in the Anime World. Some of the names and grammar were a bit off, but I'm currently in the process of fixing them. I'll also be reviewing Marvel Cybernetic Girl!
I sincerely apologize for this mistake! I'll inform you once everything is done!
2nd Announcement!!
I've finally finished checking and fixing some mistakes in Becoming a Mangaka in the Anime World to the best of my ability. If you spot any errors or think something is missing, please feel free to let me know!
As for P-atreon, new advanced chapter updates for Becoming a Mangaka in the Anime World and Marvel Cybernetic Girl will be available this Sunday between 3 to 9 PM Pacific Time. Thank you for reading this! And thank you your support!
[035] I Can't Wait!
Time flies, like a fleeting like the wind, vanishing in an instant.
Seven days are but a short, and insignificant moment in the grand scheme of the years.
Last Monday's sick leave was hardly worth noticing.
At least for the students at Toyogasaki High, with thousands student in the school, there are always at least ten to twenty students taking a sick day, and probably hundreds on any given day.
In the wider world of Japanor even the world in generalthe number of people calling in sick expands exponentially.
Aside from a few familiar faces who might chat about the student who was absent, no one else really cares.
But for the manga industry, those seven days would be anything but calm.
And the cause of this storm? A simple sick day, which is as common as can be, not only in Japan but around the globe.
...
Under the morning sun, Akifumi Mugiho walked down the school path, surrounded by other students in the same school uniform.
Boys and girls were gathered in small groups, chatting about their weekend, TV shows, gossip, or the latest anime, all smiles and carefree.
Even though Akifumi walked alone and had no one to share the little details of his life with, his smile was just as bright as the others around him.
In fact, he'd been smiling since he woke up this morning.
Why?
'By noon today, I'll be getting my royalty payments for the manga volumes, my prize money from the Tezuka Award, and the fees from the first chapter of 'Madoka Magica' being serialized! Everything will be in my account!'
Akifumi had learned all of this from Otosuna Mihari last night.
At first, he was calm about it, but then he did the math.
The price for the first volume of "Madoka Magica" was set at 740 yen, based on the number of pages and production costs.
With a 12% royalty rate, Akifumi would earn 88.8 yen per copy sold.
After meetings and discussions, the initial print run was set at 30,000 copies! Whether the sales are a hit or miss, that print run would guarantee Akifumi 2.664 million yen in royalties!
Add in the Tezuka Award prize money, and Akifumi's total earnings would reach 3.664 million yen!!
[TL Note 3.6 million yen is about 23 thousand dollars]
And then, there were the payments for his serialized manga in Shonen Jump.
With 30,000 yen per original page, 20 pages would earn him 600,000 yen!
Even the smallest earnings matter nowespecially when the rate has increased significantly from before.
"3.664 million yen!"
Of course, after taxes, this would drop to around 3 million yen, but even then, it's an enormous sum of money, especially in his current situation.
And if the manga goes for more print runs, the money will just keep coming in.
Earning more money than 3 million yen isn't a distant dreamit's becoming a reality!
Akifumi couldn't help but get more and more excited.
Even now, he was feeling pumped!
As for what to do with all that money, Akifumi hadn't really thought that far ahead.
The idea of simply earning it was enough to send his spirits soaring.
"Wait, speaking of which, I've been hearing a lot about that magical girl manga, Mahou Shoujo Madoka... is it really releasing its first volume today?!"
The voices of three younger students caught Akifumi's attention as they passed by, each wearing the Toyogasaki uniform.
It was no surprise to see other Toyogasaki students around here; it was the usual thing.
One of the boys, who was in the middle, turned to answer with confidence:
"Seriously? Who would joke about something like this? You think they'd announce something this big if it wasn't true?"
"The promotional costs alone are massive, and if they didn't have something to release, imagine the backlash."
The boy who had been silent shivered in fear, realizing what the consequences would be.
The other two exchanged knowing smiles.
"The power of the online community is seriously off the charts now!"
"Right, that Magical Girl manga"
"Ah! Mahou Shoujo Madoka."
"Yes, that's it! So the first volume is really coming out today, right? Are you guys buying it?"
"Ugh, I don't have money for that," one of them said, shaking his head.
"I've got several other series I want to get, and my allowance is already tight this month. No extra for that one."
"No way, no way. You can't be serious, right? Who's actually interested in magical girl stuff? Tell me it's not you, Tanaka?"
"Idiot! We're in high school now, we're guys! Who'd care about that kind of thing?"
"So why did you ask us about buying it?"
"Well, it's a Tezuka Award winner, so I thought you guys might be curious."
"Who wouldn't be interested in a manga that just won an award, and only to release the volume barely a week later? There's got to be something fishy about it!"
"Yeah, think about it. Normally, it takes about two months of weekly releases to put together a volume, and they're releasing one volume after just a week? Something's up!"
Akifumi didn't stick around to hear more.
By this time, he was already at the school building, heading in the opposite direction.
'People aren't holding back their opinions, huh?'
He mused, but it didn't bother him in the slightest.
For the past week, Madoka Magica had been trending online with predictions, discussions, and more.
In today's world, news usually doesn't stick around for long, but the momentum of Madoka Magica had been relentless.
Every time it seemed like it might die down, there was a new announcement to keep it going.
"Strongest rookie in the history of Shueisha!"
"100% talent, 200% hard work, the strongest debut ever!"
"Madoka Magica Volume 1 releasing Monday!"
With so many bombshells from Shueisha, Madoka Magica had stayed on top, and the discussions around it never stopped.
If anyone in the online community heard those students' comments, they would probably call them out as "outsiders" or "haters."
As for Akifumi, if he bothered with such trivial things, he'd probably be in a counseling room right now, not heading to school.
'I wonder when I'll get the first reprint...'
Every time there's a new reprint, more money rolls in...
"I can't wait!"
[036] I Declare, "Madoka Magica" is a Masterpiece!!
Afternoon. After school.
'Damn it! Didn't they say that no one buys these? So why are they sold out again?!'
Tanaka walked out of the bookstore, his face twisted in frustration, his mood foul.
For the Madoka Magica manga, he had bolted out of class even before the bell rang.
Maybe he'd be called to the office tomorrow for leaving early today.
He had even turned down his two closest friends' invitation to sing karaoke after school! and they said, the girls would be there this afternoon too!?
If he just go the karaoke and things went well with him, maybe he'd even get a girlfriend out of it?!
But even knowing that, Tanaka had set his sights on another goal: getting Madoka Magica manga.
However...
'Damn it! After all this effort, is it still not enough?!'
Tanaka was heartbroken.
Now, you might not be familiar with Tanaka, but you probably remember the three younger students Akifumi ran into on his way to school this morning.
Tanaka had just entered his first year of high school, which meant he was officially growing up!
He had to leave behind all the things that made him seem immature.
All the childhood toys he packed away? That was Tanaka's way of severing ties with his past!
Growing up always comes with sacrifices, after all.
And out of all the things considered 'immature,' a magical girl themes were the most stereotypical.
'That's something only girls like.'
In reality, by the time girls hit 5th or 6th grade or middle school, they're likely over the 'magical girl' phase. and started to get into liking celebrities, makeup, clothes, and handbags.
That's why magical girl stories have such an awkward reputation.
Tanaka had never liked them, thinking they were childish.
The world would be peaceful already if it were as perfect as those stories, right?
"They're just for kids."
So then, why was Tanaka spending his time, money, and energy hunting for one?
"Damn it! The art's so gorgeous, but why did they have to make it about magical girls?!"
And of course, the beauty of it all struck a nerve with him!
Even though he hated the magical girl genre, he couldn't resist buying a copy for his collection.
Tanaka passed by the subway station and saw the promotional posters, grumbling to himself.
Then, he focused on the map on his phone, rushing off to the next bookstore.
This time, he made sure to call ahead since the shop's phone number was listed online.
After getting a clear answer, he headed straight there.
This was his chance, and he wasn't going to miss it.
At the bookstore.
Tanaka stepped inside, quickly scanning the shelves. There it was, right at the center: Madoka Magica!
After all, it was a winner of the Tezuka Prize from Shueisha.
Despite the negative reviews online, the publisher's reputation and past success were enough for people to still buy the book, even securing a prominent spot.
Small publishers would have folded under the weight of such bad publicity, but that's the difference between the big players and the small ones!
"Yes!" Tanaka clenched his fist, elated. He took a couple of steps forward, reaching out to grab the book...
"Eh!?" came three confused voices, almost in unison.
Tanaka froze, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Tabata-kun... and Tadakuni-kun? What are you two doing here?!"
Damn it! To avoid running into people he knew, he'd deliberately picked a bookstore that took half an hour to reach by subway! And yet, here they are!
Tanaka's new friends from high school, the very same two he'd seen with Akifumi this morning.
"Why are you two here?" Tanaka asked, raising an eyebrow.
The two, who had been caught off guard, quickly averted their gazes.
"I... I live nearby," Tabata muttered.
"I... I'm just visiting my little sister," Tadakuni explained.
Tanaka blinked in surprise, "A little sister? You bastard why did you never mentioned that before! After all this time, and you never told us?"
Tabata shot back, annoyed.
"What, you don't think I trust you guys as friends and told you guys I have a little sister? You never asked, either!"
Tanaka sighed.
"I didn't ask because I didn't want to be nosy! But seriously, you have a sister? That's news to me! How old is she!? Is she one year younger then you?"
"If that the case please introduce me to her!"
"You bastard what do you want with my little sister!"
Just as the three were getting into a heated discussion, the bookstore's manager, with a polite but fake smile, interjected.
"Excuse me, could you lower your voices, please?"
"And if you're not buying anything, could you please not block the shelves?" she added.
"Sorry! Sorry!"
The three quickly apologized and noticed a small crowd gathering behind them, eyeing the remaining three copies of Madoka Magica on display.
