"Mugi," Mashiro looked at Akifumi for help.
Akifumi sighed, asking, "Eriri, do you know what you look like right now?"
"A stalker chasing after a beautiful girl."
"I'm not a stalker!!"
Eriri's face turned red, realizing she had been too overzealous and had scared Mashiro.
She immediately apologized.
"I'm sorry."
Mashiro shook her head, stood up, and walked to where her luggage was.
"Why is Shiina Mashiro here?"
"And... why did she call you Mugi?"
Eriri's face shifted to one of curiosity and suspicion.
"She's a relative of Mahiru's, here to learn to draw manga."
"Draw manga!?" Eriri was shocked, clearly unable to comprehend why a world-class oil painter would suddenly switch to drawing manga.
In every field, there are certain biases.
Manga artists often look down on others, and artists who focus on oil or traditional art tend to dismiss manga as something lesser.
Akifumi shrugged. "What people want to do is their choice. We outsiders don't have much say in it."
"Right." Eriri nodded, still somewhat puzzled, before her face shifted to a more serious expression.
"You still haven't explained why she called you Mugi!"
"Well, Mashiro's from here, but she's lived in the UK. Do you think she knows all the local customs?"
"Ehh"
Eriri reluctantly accepted the explanation but was still a bit dissatisfied.
Just then, Mashiro, holding a sketchpad, walked over to Eriri and handed it to her.
"Here."
"Eh? This is... an autograph!?" Eriri, who had been upset earlier, now had a face full of joy.
"Yes." Mashiro nodded. "You said you wanted one."
"Thank you, Mashiro-chan!" Eriri beamed, hugging Mashiro tightly, barely able to contain her excitement.
"By the way, I'm Sawamura Spencer Eriri, but you can just call me Eriri."
"Okay, Eriri."
"Time to eat~!" Mahiru's voice came from the kitchen.
"Yum!" Mashiro's eyes lit up.
"Mahiru's cooking is amazing!"
"Thanks." Mahiru smiled shyly.
Eriri, sitting next to Akifumi, didn't hurry to start eating.
"So, does this mean Mashiro will be staying with Mahiru?"
Mashiro looked at Mahiru and said calmly, "If it's inconvenient for Mahiru, I can stay with Mugi."
?? x3
'Stay with me!?'
'Are you seriously that clueless about politeness?'
Akifumi pulled a small smile but stayed silent, knowing someone else would handle the rejection for him.
"No!"
All eyes immediately turned to Eriri, who had been so excited moments ago but now seemed to shrink into herself, blushing and murmuring:
"I mean, you know, there could be issues with a guy and a girl living together"
"Why?" Mashiro asked, completely confused.
Mahiru sighed, not bothering to explain why, but simply said, "It's not inconvenient."
"I'm happy to have Mashiro stay with me~."
At this point, Mahiru was thinking about how to manage the living costs, but... why hadn't anyone told her about this?
Was it because they didn't want to see her? Even a phone call would've been nice
The sparkle in her eyes dimmed slightly, and the smile on her face seemed a bit forced.
..................
[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 day in there! And thank you so much for reading!
[115] "Madoka Magica" Anime Premiere! "WorldEnd" on Sale!
At 9 PM, the once lively house grew quiet.
"To think that Akifumi-sensei would actually call me, that's quite a rare occurrence!" Mihari said in disbelief.
"I've found you a genius, are you interested?" Akifumi's voice was calm.
Mihari's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she replied, "Where are we going for dinner, sensei?"
"Glad you're interested. Do you know Shiina Mashiro?"
"That world-renowned genius oil painter?" Mihari said in surprise.
"You're not suggesting you want to introduce her to me, are you?"
At this point, it was clear that Mihari was becoming more perceptive.
Akifumi chuckled.
"Exactly."
"!!" Mihari exclaimed in disbelief. "Why would such a great artist want to draw comics?"
"Well, why don't you ask her yourself?" Akifumi suggested lightly.
"Ugh, never mind," Mihari said with a defeated gesture, clearly feeling a bit pressured by the idea of talking to such a genius about something so personal.
"But be prepared," Akifumi added.
"Mashiro's art is unquestionable, but the story... well..."
Mihari waved him off, "It's okay. A potential newcomer like her is something you can't even get with a plea! If she truly wants to draw comics, I'll definitely help her to the best of my ability!"
"Thanks for that," Akifumi said, hanging up the phone.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
'I just hope she won't regret today's decision.'
Mashiro's arrival hadn't caused much of a stir for Akifumi.
The one most affected by it was really Mahiru.
And the reason for that, only the girl herself knew.
.................
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the 6ththe day of the premiere of Madoka Magica.
"Trust me, this is going to be a masterpiece!" Tanaka said, patting his chest confidently in front of the classmates.
"Is this the one that caused all that buzz recently?" one of the students asked.
"I'm not really into manga, but I heard the sales were pretty good. It's worth looking forward to."
"Being worth looking forward to is one thing, but being a masterpiece is another. There's a saying in the industry that an animation adaptation might ruin a story and I'm not sure if it's just gossip or not."
"But really, does Magical Girl Madoka have anything to be excited about?"
Tanaka didn't mind their reactions.
After all, his goal from the beginning had been simple: to get them to watch the first three episodes.
"Tadakuni, Tabata, you've both seen it, right? Say something about it!"
Tadakuni looked uninterested.
"I like Madoka Magica, but I don't want to casually recommend it to others."
Tabata patted Tadakuni's shoulder reassuringly before addressing the classmates, "Well, I feel the same way as Tadakuni, but you know there's this 'three-episode rule' when it comes to anime, right?"
"Once you get through the first three episodes, you pretty much know what to expect."
His statement quickly garnered approval from the group.
"That's true," they all agreed.
"Well, let's just watch the first three episodes before we make our judgments," one student suggested.
"Yeah, with so few interesting things to look forward to this Friday, it seems like the only thing worth watching."
Tanaka, Tadakuni, and Tabata exchanged knowing glances, their smiles saying it all.
That evening, Akifumi, Mihari, Mashiro, and Mahiru gathered together for a viewing party.
Akifumi sighed, "Haven't we already seen it once? Do we really need to gather just to watch it again?"
"This is your first animated work, Mugiho-kun! You can't miss out on the ceremony!" Mahiru replied with a smile.
Mugiho raised an eyebrow. "You always ignore the little details."
Mashiro, on the other hand, looked somewhat confused and asked, "What exactly are we watching?"
She looked distracted, clearly wanting to return to her art.
Mihari and Mashiro had already met, and now they just needed the girl to present her completed work for the next step.
"It's the first episode of Madoka Magica," Mahiru explained.
"Madoka got an anime adaptation?" Mashiro asked, surprised.
"You're following Madoka too?" Mihari asked, surprised.
"I love that series, along with Anohana," Mashiro replied.
Mihari and Mahiru exchanged a glance, the meaning clear: another one of Mugiho's little fans.
Mashiro, still confused, said, "I never heard of the Madoka anime adaptation."
"Well, it's understandable," Mugiho said.
"News travels slowly from Japan to UK."
Mashiro nodded and sat upright on the couch, her serious expression contrasting with her earlier distracted demeanor.
Twenty minutes later, the episode ended.
"This is really good! Everyone is so cute!" Mihari exclaimed, giving a satisfied nod.
Akifumi reminded her, "The next parts are going to be hard to watch."
"What?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Are you trying to ruin my fun?"
Mihari gave him a fierce look, but Mahiru only smiled warmly at them both.
Suddenly, Mashiro stood up.
Without much expression on her face, but with unwavering determination in her eyes, she declared, 'I'm going to make sure my own manga appears on the screen too!'
"Go for it, Mashiro!" Mahiru said encouragingly. "You've got this!"
.................
The next day, news about Madoka Magica's premiere filled the internet with praise:
"Madoka Magica has earned rave reviews for its animation!"
"Director Akiyuki Shinbo didn't disappoint!"
"Looking forward to the rest of the series!"
Fans of Madoka were buzzing with excitement after the first episode.
However, that same day, WorldEnd was released!
Although no one had high expectations for the newcomer, Shadow, the book still managed to sell decently due to its association with Love and Hope's Warriors.
Despite being a newcomer and not receiving the best placement in bookstores, The WorldEnd still managed to sell decently, thanks to the fame of Warior of Love and Hope's.
Even though many of the buyers were not expecting much from Shadow, they still supported the work because of their loyalty to the idol-like group.
They were like other fans who bought works that came with extra perks, like posters or limited editionsnothing that would change their dedication to their fandom.
In the end, the book's modest sales proved that despite being a new author, Shadow was still able to ride on the coattails of their association with Love and Hope's Warriors.
[116] An Indescribable Sadness! The Second Volume of WorldEnd!!
Hikari Nohara was an ordinary office worker.
Like every other day, he dragged his weary body home after work.
The only thing that made him happy today was that his boss, who was as fat as a pig, didn't force him to stay for overtime.
It was rare for him to finish an early shift, but as a single guy, he had no idea how to spend this rare free time.
'Such a shit life.'
Although he used to finish work after 9 PM most days, he always had colleagues around to spend time with. They'd go to a pub, grab a few drinks, and vent about work.
But today, it was barely 5 PM, and the pub wasn't even open yet.
That's when three young boys passing by caught his attention.
"Of course, it's the mangaka! The artwork is amazing!!"
"It was worth the money to buy a copy and keep it as a collector's item!"
"If only the story was a little better..."
"No chance, no chance. A completely unheard-of new authorwhat good story can they write?"
""
As the boys walked away, their voices faded.
"Light novels, huh?" Hikari thought, watching their retreating figures.
He sighed, feeling nostalgic. "It must be nice to casually discuss these things out in the open."
Back in his day, even if he was interested in these things, he could only enjoy them alone in silence. He could only imagine discussing them with friends on the street.
"Speaking of which, I don't have time to read after work."
With that thought, he walked into a nearby bookstore.
Hikari wasn't interested in books with names like "Volume 3" or "Volume 4" of series he'd never heard of.
He wasn't the type to skip ahead to later volumes without reading the first ones.
Instead, he went straight to the new release section.
Soon, a particular book caught his eye. It wasn't the title that stood out, but the vibrant, detailed cover art.
It depicted a mature-looking man in what appeared to be a German-style military uniform, exuding a tough vibe.
But his dark, lifeless eyes added a melancholic touch, making him appear more somber.
Next to him stood the female protagonist.
She wore a large cloak, reminiscent of a fairy or mysterious traveler from European folklore.
Her bright eyes were filled with fragility and strength, and her delicate face conveyed both tension and unease.
It immediately made him want to know more about the story between these two.
'What are you doing at the end of the world? Are you free? Can you come and save us?'
These light novel titles are getting longer and longer!"
Hikari chuckled to himself. Back when he read light novels, titles were never that long.
Still, he picked up the book and began reading the blurb.
"It's a story set at the end of the world?" he muttered as he opened the first page.
The "Beasts" had wiped out humanity.
A young man named William awoke from centuries of sleep to become the last human alive.
Various races now lived in the skies, using human technology and power.
They fought the Beasts with the help of "Holy Swords" and fairy soldiers who wielded them.
After each battle, the exhausted fairy soldiers would fall, but the "Holy Sword" could be used again.
"At least, I hope I don't disappear. I want to be remembered. I want to leave behind a connection."
This was a story about fairy soldiers destined to die, sharing fleeting but brilliant days with their young commander.
Reading the summary, Hikari felt a pang in his heart.
"The end of the world..."
At first, the mere mention of these words made him feel an unexplainable sadness. But now, it stirred a deeper, more painful sensation.
The weight of these words hit him hard.
It was a concept so distant and abstract, yet somehow, it made him long for the "brief but brilliant days" the story promised.
He flipped through a few pages, and a sorrowful atmosphere swept over him, confirming what he had suspectedthis story was bound to end in tragedy.
"But... because it's destined to wither, it's the beauty before that decay that makes us yearn for it so much. We want to grab hold of it with all our might!"
After reading more than 10 pages, Hikari was sure this was the kind of story he wanted to experience.
He closed the book and returned it to the shelf, only to pull out a brand-new, sealed copy.
He went to the counter.
"Hello, I'd like to pay for this."
For someone who had been working for a while now, a few hundred yen was nothing.
Back in his younger days, he might have hesitated, but not anymore.
Cradling the book, Hikari felt a wave of nostalgia for his younger years, when simple pleasures like this brought him joy.
