At that moment, Mihari, who had just put down the script, overheard their conversation.
With a puzzled expression, she blurted out, "Wait, isn't Akifumi-sensei supposed to be bad at studying?"
???
'Bad at studying? Me?'
"Since when did I ever say that?!" Akifumi's head was full of question marks.
"Well, you never said it outright," Mihari scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"But you spend so much time drawing mangathere's no way you have time to study, right?"
Her implication was clear: if he was this dedicated to manga, surely, he had no time for academics!
Akifumi rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Have you ever considered that I already finished learning all the high school material?"
"Huh?"
Mihari was stunned.
Minano chuckled, "Oh, Mihari, didn't you know? Fans have already exposed the truth."
"Even I know that Akifumi-sensei has been ranked first in his grade since middle school."
"!!!"
Mihari gaped. "He's been first place the whole time?!"
"Of course."
"And that's not even the most impressive part."
"Word has it that, with his skills, he could easily pass the entrance exam for the University of Tokyo's Science Division II."
"???"
'Science Division II?!'
'Was this guy even human?!'
Mihari stared at Akifumi like she was looking at some kind of alien lifeform.
"Is that for real?!"
Akifumi smirked. "Of course not."
"Phew"
Mihari let out a sigh of relief.
She knew it! If he were really that much of a genius, why waste time drawing manga?
If he studied politics, wouldn't he have a much brighter future?
Sure, manga artists could earn good money, but in terms of social status that was a different story.
In front of powerful figures, a manga artist was just a passing entertainment.
If they were in a good mood, they'd call you "Sensei." If not, you were nothing.
"Well, don't worry," Mihari patted Akifumi's shoulder encouragingly.
"Even if you can't get into Science Division II, with your track record, you'll definitely make it into Tokyo University!"
Akifumi sighed, looking exasperated.
"Mihari, did you misunderstand something?"
"Huh?"
"I meant that Science Division II is too easy. Science Division III is more my level."
???
Mihari's brain short-circuited.
'Did I hear that right?'
'Was he saying the fans had actually underestimated him?!'
Even she knew how impossibly difficult Science Division III was.
Tokyo University's Science Division IIIits medical schoolwas nicknamed the "Alien's Playground" because it was so absurdly competitive.
The entire university admitted 3,000 students per year, but the medical school took only 100.
Because of its insane difficulty, even top-tier students with no interest in medicine would challenge it just for the bragging rights.
It was the single hardest academic challenge in the country.
No contest.
If Science Division II was considered hell mode, then Science Division III was the kind of difficulty that made 99% of students break down in tears just from glancing at the exam paper.
Mihari was still reeling when Akifumi casually dropped another bombshell.
"Last year, Science Division II had a deviation score of 75.6, right? I only scored 82."
Even Akifumi himself felt nostalgic recalling it.
Looking back, he had no idea what had possessed him to take Tokyo University's self-study entrance exam in high school.
Maybe his school's exams were just too easy?
"Then why didn't you just go for Science Division III?!" Mihari exclaimed.
Wouldn't it be a waste not to try the highest difficulty?!
"Let's not talk about this anymore."
Mihari suddenly felt the crushing weight of her own mediocrity.
The struggles of an average studentcould a genius like him even comprehend them?!
Her eyes welled up with tears.
Even Minano twitched slightly at this revelation.
This kid passed the Science Division II exam while still in his first year of high school?!
If he had taken the Science Division III exam instead did that mean he actually had a chance of passing?!
Wait was pursuing a career in manga actually holding him back?!
Minano found herself seriously contemplating this.
"Weren't we supposed to be discussing the script?"
Akifumi finally brought everyone back to reality.
"How did we even start talking about my grades?"
'You tell us!' Mihari averted her gaze awkwardly, almost whistling in an attempt to play it cool.
"Anyway, Minano-san, you still haven't given your final verdict on the script."
"Does it meet the requirements for approval?"
Minano sighed, shaking her head.
"If this script doesn't pass, I'd have to assume there's a traitor in the animation department."
"It's phenomenal. Absolutely incredible."
"In fact, I'd say it's on the same level as Madoka Magicaa true masterpiece."
Akifumi smiled. "Then I can rest easy."
Not that he had ever been worried, but heyformalities mattered.
"As for the character designs, I'll bring them in soon. I should have them ready in a few days after New Year's."
Minano's eyes lit up.
"If you're personally handling the designs, Akifumi-sensei, then that's even better."
Minano grinned. "I was just thinking about how to ask you for help."
"You bringing it up yourself really saves me a lot of trouble."
"After all, this anime is on a tight schedule, right?"
Akifumi chuckled. "When I was writing the script, the character designs were already forming in my mind."
"It's just a matter of putting them down on paper."
If someone else handled the designs and they ended up different from what he envisioned, it would completely ruin the experience.
Not to mention, as the scriptwriter for Steins;Gate, discussing character designs was inevitable.
It was just easier to take full responsibility for it himself.
"Well then, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Thank you for your hard work, Akifumi-sensei."
Just as he reached the door, Akifumi paused.
"By the way, if the goal is to win awards, I don't think we should release this series in the usual way."
A weekly episode release wouldn't do Steins;Gate any favors.
Even if word-of-mouth could boost its popularity later, too many viewers would drop out in the beginning due to its slow start.
And if it took too long to gain traction, it might even affect its chances at awards.
Hearing this, Minano froze for a moment before musing, "Akifumi-sensei, are you suggesting...?"
"How about releasing the first 12 episodes all at once?"
"That way, even if some viewers find the beginning slow, the binge-watch factor will draw in more people."
"And those who finish all 12 episodes will likely go online to discuss it, sharing their excitement."
"With that kind of buzz, the viewers who initially dropped it might be curious enough to come back."
As Akifumi explained, Minano's eyes grew brighter, and she nodded firmly.
"Got it. I'll bring up your suggestion to the team."
"Since this is my first project as a screenwriter, I really want it to start strong."
Akifumi smiled. "I'll leave it in your hands then."
"Don't worry, Akifumi-sensei!"
Waving goodbye, Akifumi left.
Time flew by.
Holidays always seemed to pass faster than regular days.
Before he knew it, it was the last day of the year.
Eriri's father had left in a hurry, as usual.
And, as expected, the girl had come over to draw and mooch some food.
However, today, she left earlier than usual, around 5 PM.
"If I don't go home now, mam-mom will be all alone," she explained. "That would be way too sad." Even with Eriri gone, there were still four people left in the house.
Yor hesitated before speaking. "I'm sorry to intrude on such an important day."
"You don't have any relatives in Tokyo, right?" Mahiru said with a gentle smile.
"Celebrating the new year together makes it more fun."
"Want some baumkuchen?"
Mashiro held out a piece of her precious cake to Yor, her eyes sparkling.
"Thank you, Mashiro." As Yor unwrapped it and took a huge bite, Mashiro remained frozen in place, still holding out her hand.
It was as if she'd turned to stone.
Clearly, in her mind, Yor was supposed to politely decline, and she would have just been making a token offer.
Then, the cake would have ended up back in her own stomach.
But reality had betrayed her expectations.
Akifumi chuckled and ruffled the girl's hair.
Mashiro, who had been staring blankly at the spot where her cake used to be, suddenly looked up at him with tearful eyes, pitifully.
"Alright, alright, here's another one."
The moment she received the replacement cake, her expression brightened as if a storm had passed.
"You guys go ahead and enjoy yourselves. I need to do some work."
"Okay, okay!"
Back in his room, Akifumi booted up his computer and logged into SNS.
He began drafting a posta New Year's gift for his fans.
After setting it to be published at a scheduled time, he left the room.
The hours passed quickly.
At exactly 8 PM, fans who had sworn they wouldn't care couldn't help but unlock their phones and check SNS.
They found The Warrior of Love and Hope in their following list, clicked, and checked for the latest post.
"How has everyone's holiday been? Having fun?"
"Only four hours left until the new year! Are there any regrets from this past year?"
"Well, regrets are inevitable!"
"But as long as we work hard in the new year, we can always improve ourselves!"
"I firmly believe that!"
"So, I wish you all a wonderful new year, filled with happiness and no regrets!"
"That's it for my message."
"Now, here's a special gift I've prepared for you."
"Hope it makes you smile."
[Link (Click to View)]
[Image (Click to Enlarge)]
But instead of clicking the link, fans first tapped on the image.
Their eyes widened in delight.
The illustration was predominantly red and white, divided into three sections.
At the top, the characters from Anohana stood in a circle, dressed in festive red outfits, peering down into a well.
Below them, Menma, in a red dress, beamed up at them with a joyful, celebratory expression.
In the middle section, the four magical girls from Madoka Magica stood together, all except Madoka dressed in elegant white kimono, hands clasped in prayer, eyes closed.
Above them, Madoka's signature ribbon glowed with a radiant light.
At the bottom, Willem and Chtholly from WorldEnd wore traditional red attire, standing hand in hand with other fairies, gazing at the sky.
The entire background was enveloped by Madoka's ethereal silhouette.
Fans flooded the comments:
"This is amazing!!"
"I'm tearing up seeing such a heartwarming scene!"
"Sensei, you didn't have to include a link. This illustration alone is the perfect New Year's gift!"
"This artwork fulfills all my dreams for these three series!!"
"Sadly, dreams are all they'll ever be..."
"The new outfits are adorable! I'm losing my mind over the cuteness!"
"I NEED figures of them in these outfits next year!!"
"Wait why only these three series?"
Your Lie In April: "Excuse me, am I a joke to you?"
Your Lie In April: "Guess I really was the odd one out, huh?"
"Looking at these three series, it's obvious they share a theme. The absence of Your Lie In April speaks volumes."
"My verdict: Subarashii!"
"Sensei, will this be available as a poster? I NEED IT!"
"Is nobody curious about the link?"
"Curiosity killed the cat. This illustration alone makes my day!"
"Same here. I'll check the link later. I don't want to cry on such a happy day."
Despite these words, many couldn't resist clicking the link...
[146] The sweet was sent, but still couldn't escape the fate of being "slashed"!
In fact, before opening the post, these fans had already prepared themselves for a good cry tonight.
Hikari Nohara, for example.
Yes, that's the guy who loves WorldEnd, and even wrote a long review about it.
Just a little over a week ago, he had successfully started dating a girl. But on Christmas Eve, she broke up with him.
As for the reason...
"I thought you'd be a fun person, but I didn't expect your daily life to be so dull and boring."
"This isn't the life I imagined, so... sorry."
[TL Note F.]
Those were pretty much her exact words. He couldn't really remember the rest.
Although it was pretty obvious she wasn't a great girl, and breaking up should be a blessing in disguise, still...
"This was my first relationship since starting work," Hikari sighed with a bit of sadness.
Because of this, his mood had been pretty low for the past few days.
So, when he saw that "The Warrior of Love and Hope" sensei was going to release a New Year's gift tonight, he didn't hesitate to tune in and made sure to be at his computer on time.
After the identity of sensei was revealed, not long after, the verified account was canceled.
Instead, there was a new note added below sensei's name: "Fujimi Light Novel Author, author of WorldEnd."
This was undoubtedly a victory for the fans.
Although Hikari initially found sensei because of WorldEnd, after reading those comics, he quickly became a big fan of theirs.
He was also very familiar with the recurring gift jokes sensei used.
'Though it's a little strange for New Year's, I really feel like crying right now!' he thought.
It was the perfect time to say goodbye to the old version of himself and welcome a brand-new self starting tomorrow!
With that thought in mind, at exactly 8:00 PM, Hikari refreshed the page he had already opened.
Just like other fans, he clicked on the illustration first.
Looking at the masterpiece before his eyes, he couldn't help but sigh:
"Of course it's a great pieceit's sensei, after all!"
The quality of this artwork was as high as always!
What amazed him the most was that, unlike usual, there was no sadnessthis entire piece radiated joy.
Even the little pain in his heart seemed to be healing just by looking at it.
Well, almost healing.
That faint, lingering pain could only truly heal by confronting deeper suffering.
Only then would the pain in his heart be eased!
"I really wish I could get this piece once it's available. I'd love to buy a print and keep it!"
he murmured, feeling moved. He saved the image to his desktop.
Without hesitation, he clicked on the link.
"Eh?"
