In frustration, she punched a defenseless tree, trying to distract herself from her pain.
The victim, the tree, bent with the force of her blow, and for a moment, a faint sigh, a soft cry, and pure frustration filled the air. It... probably died.
Then his mind shifted to a much younger, livelier version of Hiratsuka-sensei, sitting quietly on a bench under falling cherry blossoms.
Her black hair gently brushed her ear, exposing a beautiful profile as she gazed focusedly at a piece of white paper.
The autumn breeze, soft and yellow, made notes dance across the papermelodies as beautiful as the falling leaves.
"Hard to believe they're the same person..."
Maybe it's been too long since she was single, so she didn't notice how much she's changed.
Akifumi sighed, muttering, "Seems like it's been a while since you last saw Hiratsuka-sensei, huh?"
Otherwise, there's no way you'd say something like that!
I even wonder if my memories of her have been a bit off!
Ijichi Seika paused, then nodded.
"Well, we haven't seen each other since the band disbanded."
"We only talk through Line now."
It's not how I imagined it at all.
She hasn't even explained things to me over all these years... Was she trying to be considerate?
'Am I that stupid!'
'I'll have to make time to meet with her soon.'
Feeling a little melancholic, Seika continued from the previous topic.
"Back then, Shizuka's arrangements were still quite rough, but if she'd kept at it, I bet she'd be on par with some of those second-tier arrangers by now."
Second-tier?
So she really had some talent!
No wonder she'd want to ask Hiratsuka-sensei for help.
But considering Hiratsuka-sensei's background, she probably isn't concerned about it.
Clearly, it's not the arrangements, but the teaching job that Hiratsuka-sensei prefers.
Shaking his head, Akifumi responded, "Well, I'm just offering you a backup plan."
"If you've got other ideas, I won't insist."
"Sorry" Ijichi Seika apologized somewhat sheepishly.
Akifumi didn't mind.
After all, collaboration is all about mutual willingness.
At his young age, it's completely normal for her to think he can't come up with good arrangements.
And even if she knew he had connections, she probably wouldn't trust them either.
Besides, his suggestion was made with the thought of helping out someone close to Hiratsuka-sensei.
If Seika wasn't interested, that's perfectly fine.
Now that the matter with Hiratsuka-sensei seemed to settled, it was time for Akifumi to focus on his own business.
"Ijichi-san, actually, aside from helping Hiratsuka-sensei, there's something I need your help with."
Seika raised an eyebrow, surprised, but still smiled and nodded. "Go ahead."
"You've probably worked with a lot of bands, right?"
Seika chuckled.
"Well, this is a Live House, after all. It's all part of the job."
"I was hoping you could help me find a band to record a song."
Seika raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Is it the one you mentioned earlier?"
She wasn't new to this business and had dealt with these kinds of requests before.
If it was something simple, a band could make some extra cash, so she didn't mind doing a favor.
"Well..."
Akifumi shrugged, "Although I think it sounds good, I'd like to have professionals give it a try and see how it turns out."
"Do you have a demo I can listen to?"
Akifumi scratched his nose. "I've got the melody and lyrics. Is that okay?"
Since he'd already registered the copyright, he wasn't concerned about others seeing it.
[TL Note What the fu-ck? Is registering copyright is that easy?]
Seika was surprised, but nodded.
"No demo? That's fine."
Akifumi handed over a USB.
"The lyrics and arrangement are on here."
Seika nodded, plugging the USB into her laptop.
There were two files: one with lyrics and one with the music.
She opened the lyrics and started playing the track.
A gentle melody filled the air, evoking a summer-like atmosphere while a subtle sadness lingered in the background.
"Meeting you at the end of summer, dreaming of the future
With grand hopes, don't forget...
In August, ten years later, I believe we will meet again
Creating the most beautiful memories"
Even without a singer, Akifumi could almost hear a soft, feminine voice in his mind.
Her gentle tone unfolded a beautiful summer scene before his eyes.
Seika, who had been relaxed, now looked more serious as she listened carefully.
She continued,
"Our first meeting was so casual, at the intersection on my way home
I heard your voicelet's go home together
Ah, fireworks shining bright in the night sky, a little bittersweet
Ah, the wind and time float by together, fading"
Despite the simplicity of the tune and lyrics, the music touched something deep inside.
It painted a picture of a bittersweet summertwo children, forced to part ways, but promising to meet again in ten years.
"Thank you, I know you always said it
It's so hard, holding back tears as we say goodbye
That most beautiful memory"
Seika couldn't help but rub her eyes, feeling a sudden rush of emotion.
She hadn't expected the song to affect her so much.
Tears she hadn't expected to fall started to well up.
After a few minutes, as the song finished, the room fell into silence.
Akifumi waited quietly, letting the moment pass.
After a brief pause, Seika took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions.
Despite almost forgetting what she was like as a child, why could she still vividly remember those childhood friends?
She gave a soft, almost rueful smile. "I'm sorry."
"Huh? Why are you apologizing?" Akifumi asked, puzzled.
"Because... I was being dumb," Seika sighed.
"Because of your age, I underestimated you, thinking it was just some playful, casual thing."
"But this song... it really good!"
.........
[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 new advanced chapters every week in there! And thank you so much for reading!
[078] Madoka Magica 2nd Volume
Akifumi was speechless for a moment before shaking his head.
"Ijichi-san, you're exaggerating."
"Writing lyrics and composing music is never a simple task. Given my age, it's understandable not to be trusted."
"This song, I only got by because of some talent, but if I had to produce another one, I'd just be left staring in silence."
Ijichi Seika couldn't help but chuckle.
"If you really had another song at the same level, I'd probably want to check out your brain in a research lab."
"Please spare me," Akifumi smiled bitterly, raising his hands in surrender.
With the joke over, Ijichi Seika spoke seriously, "I'll help you find a suitable band for the song."
"You can negotiate the price yourselves."
Her response took Akifumi by surprise.
"I thought Ijichi-san would buy the rights to the song."
"Looks like you've completely underestimated me, Akifumi," she sighed, not really angry, though there was a hint of resignation.
"For a song like this, I don't think you'd want to sell the rights."
"Ah, am I that obvious?"
"It's not about how you acted. A piece of work this good would only be handed over under very strict conditions. Anyone would be hesitant to part with it."
It was easier to talk with someone smart.
Akifumi nodded, smiling. "Well, I'll leave this matter to you, Ijichi-san."
"Don't worry about it."
After a brief farewell, Akifumi left. He was curious about the band "Little Bocchi's Band," but it was only around 4 PM.
According to Ijichi Seika, the ticket sales wouldn't start until 5 PM, and the performance wouldn't begin for a while after that.
Plus, there might not even be a show today.
Rather than sitting around, he figured he'd head home to play some games.
As he stepped out of the "STARRY" shop and looked up at the glaring sun, Akifumi furrowed his brows. "Uh-oh."
He had been so focused on getting home early that he forgot that it was still hot outside.
'What should I do?'
'Should I go back inside and wait for the sun to cool down?'
But what excuse would he have for doing that? "Afraid of the heat?" That would definitely get him get laughed at.
Caught between his pride and the scorching sun, he hesitated for a moment. In the end, he chose his pride.
"I wish we had a driver app like Didi here in Japan," he sighed, realizing how much he missed the convenience of such apps from his past life.
.....
Time flew by quickly. A week had passed before he realized it.
"Ugh! It feels like I haven't done anything, and yet July is almost over!" Akifumi complained.
Ijichi Seika pointed out, "Akifumi, before you say that, maybe you should think about how the rest of us feel. We're all adults here, with no holidays to look forward to."
Akifumi awkwardly smiled at the group and said, "Thanks, everyone, for your hard work. I really appreciate it."
"It's just business for us."
"We're the ones who should thank you for letting us perform such a wonderful song."
"Next time, be sure to think of us for any great songs!" the girls in rock attire laughed as they bid him farewell.
"With professional singers, the song can really make people heart moving," Ijichi Seika remarked.
"When can we hear it online?"
"Well, it's not the right time yet. We'll have to wait a little longer."
While the song was moving in the anime, it's not the same as when you're dealing with an actual song.
Anime and manga are completely different mediums.
To achieve the intended effect, this song can only be used once in the entire series release.
Whether it's the 8th episode with the diary or the 10 episode with the fireworks, none of those scene can do the song justice.
"So... in the final scene," Akifumi smiled to himself as the image of that moment appeared in his mind.
"That scene would really bring tears to everyone's eyes," he thought, grinning.
"I see," Ijichi Seika said, looking a little down but trying to hide it.
"Well, when the song is released, you'd better let me know."
"Don't worry, Ijichi-san, I won't forget."
"But don't make me wait too long!"
"I'll do my best," Akifumi nodded awkwardly.
"Shouldn't be too long, right? The final episode, episode 22, will probably be out by the end of November."
"Only about four months away. Shouldn't be too bad..." he muttered.
"Anyway, thank you again today, and I'm glad I didn't take up too much of your time."
"It's no problem. I got a lot in return myself."
Ijichi Seika waved him off.
"If it weren't for taking on this commission, I wouldn't have had the chance to hear such beautiful music. So don't worry about it."
After a few more casual exchanges, they parted ways.
Akifumi took a taxi and left the area.
Glancing at his watch, it was 4:53 PM.
It was a busy day.
"I have to say, professionals really know how to get things done," Akifumi mused.
Just three days after his request, he received a reply, and after some discussion, they set the recording time for today.
"Recording isn't easy work," he thought, having been busy all day.
Though the band wasn't very famous, Akifumi was very satisfied with their performance.
The lead singer's voice was perfect for what he remembered, and though there was only one lead singer, the other members were also talented.
Initially, he planned for a solo version but changed it to a group performance after realizing everyone could sing well.
This last-minute change caused the song to take longer than expected.
"Ah, I still have the remaining payment to pay," he remembered, pulling out his phone to take care of it.
"Now that the music's ready, I can focus on the artwork."
....
That night:
"Editor Otosuna, is there something you need?"
They had kept in touch, so answering the phone was casual.
Mihari's voice came through the phone, slightly frustrated.
"Akifumi-sensei, the anime adaptation is almost ready."
[TL Note I though creating an anime need at least a year for it to be completed?? What kind of magic studio they are working with?]
"The director wants to meet with you soon to discuss more details about 'Madoka Magica.'"
Another meeting?
"I understand. I'll make some time to meet her."
"Anything else?"
"Also, the feedback from fans on the third chapter of 'Anohana' has been really positive. They hope you can keep it up."
Mihari quickly continued, "And finally!!"
Her voice suddenly became excited: "Thanks to the efforts of Editor Minano, the second volume of 'Madoka Magica' is confirmed! It will be released on August 1st! Big news!"
[079] Another Storm is Coming!!
"Really?"
Did the second volume of Madoka Magica finally get a release date?!
Akifumi's eyes lit up.
And it's set for August 1stsuch a perfect day!
Given that Madoka Magica was a latecomer to the scene, Akifumi had expected to wait a little longer.
But he never expected that Editor-in-Chief Minano would be so supportive.
Even though Akifumi didn't experience the intense battles of July and August firsthand, the discussions among the authors were enough to show just how fierce the competition was.
During these months, releasing a new volume wasn't just about the authorit was also about the editor's bonus!
Everyone comes from similar backgrounds, so of course, no one is willing to back down.
Typically, works released during these two months would need to be booked two months in advance, and even then, only those with the best results would make the cut.
But Madoka Magica had a strong enough fan base and quality that it was able to jump ahead form the pack.
Without that kind of influence, there's no way this could've happened.
The timing of the release really matters for author.
If a work drops at the beginning of the month, it's often more successful than a mid-month release. Not to mention the "Summer CM" is a major event for otakuhappening in August.
Plus, with everyone spending money and hanging out with friends during the summer, by the middle of the month, their wallets will be empty, and sales tend to dip.
For regular fans who don't have side jobs, this month is a bittersweet experience.
The excitement comes from knowing a ton of sequels will drop, and there's the Summer CM event to look forward to.
