Mahiru blinked in confusion, looking at the girl who had spoken.
"Um... who are you?"
"Kato Megumi." She paused for a second before adding, "I'm Akifumi-kun's friend."
Mahiru felt relieved and smiled slightly.
"Thank you for telling me, Kato-san."
Before Mahiru could continue, the class's excited girls had already surrounded her, while the boys, who had been a step slower, looked at them with irritation.
Kato calmly shifted her gaze back to the textbook in her hands.
Arriving at the teacher's office, Akifumi, who had collected a bag of snacks from the other teachers, finally stood before Hiratsuka-sensei.
Hiratsuka-sensei silently observed the large bag Akifumi was holding and sighed, "You really are well-liked by everyone. Even I'm a little envious."
Akifumi, smiling, took a pack of chips from the bag and placed it on her desk.
"Guess that shows how successful your teaching is, right?"
"True!"
Hiratsuka-sensei nodded seriously and opened the chips, eating without hesitation.
"Do you know why I called you here today?"
Though Akifumi hated riddles, he did know the answer to this one. However
'I don't really want to know it!'
Despite his sigh, he couldn't help but feel a little pleased.
If he didn't care, why would he still remember these little things even half a month later?
"I know."
"So, what's the result? Did you pass the evaluation?"
Hiratsuka-sensei, who usually spoke calmly, now sounded unexpectedly nervous.
After their conversation, Shizuka had spent time studying the "Tezuka Award" online, and Shizuka now understood its importance.
It was an industry award given twice a year, the highest honor for new talent.
Many famous, established authors had won it at some point, and it was often the stepping stone for getting published.
The number of submissions for the award was counted in the tens of thousands. And the "newcomer" designation didn't just apply to those who had never drawn beforeanyone without a major representative work was considered new.
This meant there was a huge gap in talent among the contestants!
Even passing the evaluation once could open doors to serializing in smaller publishers!
The Tezuka Award was like the "entrance exam" for manga artists, similar to how Tokyo University was for regular students.
But, it was even more cutthroat!
Anyone could participate in studies and, through their efforts, find success.
But, no matter how hard a manga artist tried, without talent, they couldn't expect a satisfying result.
Naturally, Hiratsuka-sensei hoped for her students' success.
Sensing Hiratsuka-sensei's nervousness, Akifumi felt a mischievous impulse.
His smile faded, his tone lowered, and he said, feigning disappointment, "Of course"
"I passed~."
Hiratsuka-sensei patted Akifumi on the shoulder, comfortingly saying, "It's okay, it was your first time with the Tezuka Award. With effort, you should be able to pass!?"
The last two words were said louder, startling the other teachers chatting nearby.
Akifumi gave an apologetic smile while Hiratsuka-sensei shot him a scowl as she tried to suppress her laughter.
"Kid, do you know what happens when you mess with your teacher!?"
Wealth cannot corrupt, poverty cannot move, and power cannot bend!
You think a little fist can make me bow? Hah, fish lips!
"Sorry."
It wasn't the fist that made him bow, just his simple respect for his teacher.
"Tch."
Hiratsuka-sensei clicked her tongue, disappointed she missed another chance to punch him.
She quickly brushed it off, eagerly asking, "What's the name of your manga?"
Akifumi's gaze wandered. "Um Can I not say?"
"What do you think?"
Hiratsuka-sensei smiled sweetly, but there was a hint of danger behind it.
"Puella Magi Madoka Magica."
"Huh? What did you say?" Hiratsuka-sensei was puzzled.
Akifumi resignedly replied, "'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.'"
"Ahahahaha!"
Akifumi rolled his eyes, watching Hiratsuka-sensei, who had lost all composure, laughing so hard she was slapping the desk.
Yeah, I knew this would happen.
No need to think twiceshe's definitely thinking "A magical girl, hahaha, didn't realize you were such a girl at heart!"
"I can't wait for the serialization to start!"
Knowing Hiratsuka-sensei's personality, she'd definitely watch it, right?
When that day comes
Akifumi couldn't help but smile at the thought of her reaction.
One smile was exaggerated and carefree, while the other was more restrained and thoughtful.
[024] Routine Meeting
Encouraged by Hiratsuka's words to "keep it up and aim for the second round of evaluations," Akifumi left the teacher's office, carrying a bag of snacks.
As soon as he stepped back into the classroom, the bell signaling the start of class rang.
The boys and girls who had gathered around Shiina Mahiru immediately returned to their seats.
After class, the class monitor took a boy to pick up a new set of desks and chairs, so now, Mahiru's seat was no longer next to Akifumi. Instead...
"Why choose this one? Isn't the one in front better?" Akifumi asked, puzzled, as he glanced at the new addition to his seat.
Shiina Mahiru looked at him with her innocent, sad eyes.
"In this unfamiliar place, the only thing that feels familiar is Akifumi-kun, so..."
She didn't say it outright, but her meaning was clear.
Still, Akifumi couldn't help but think, But you've only met me yesterday, right?
Though he thought this in his heart, he didn't say it out loud, not wanting to be too insensitive.
"Being trusted like this... It really puts pressure on me!" he joked with a slight smile.
Mahiru's eyes lit up as she smiled back.
"I'm sorry for the trouble, Akifumi-kun."
At the same time, in Shueisha's routine meeting...
"... The Black Holy Flame Mage has been at the bottom of the ratings for four weeks in a row. It's suggested that the serialization be canceled."
"Seconded."
"Seconded."
"..."
The proposal was quickly passed with unanimous approval from all eight editors-in-chief.
"Since Kino-san is under Editor Kobayashi's department, after the meeting, we'll need you to notify him," said one of the editors.
Naturally, Shueisha would post an official announcement on their website after the meeting, but the tradition was for the editor-in-chief to personally inform the creator.
"Sure," the man nodded calmly.
At Shueisha, it was nothing unusual to cancel a serialization.
Even though the number of serialized works could affect year-end bonuses, it wasn't enough to move the man emotionally.
After all, there were always works going up and others going down. As long as something new came along, it would be fine.
The elderly man sitting at the head of the table, the editor-in-chief of Shueisha, Torishima Kazu, spoke in his usual calm tone, "Let's move on to the next topic."
""
Half an hour passed in silence.
Torishima Kazu finally spoke again: "Next, let's discuss the three awards for the Tezuka Award."
At the end of May, the list for the second-round evaluations would be announced, and seven days after that, the final rankings for the grand prize would be revealed.
Though there were still 20 or so days left, the spots for second-round evaluations had already been decided.
This time was Mihari's job for error corrections and to arrange meetings between the editors and the creators, like with Onizuka Shin, who had been scheduled to meet his author early.
"First, the 'Nominee Award'... If anyone has any suggestions, you can bring them up now."
There were three awards for the Tezuka Prize: the 'Nominee,' 'Pre-Nominee,' and 'Honorable Mention.'
The 'Nominee' was the most prestigious, with the highest evaluation standards. If there weren't any truly suitable works, the award would re-run vacant.
As Torishima Kazu spoke, the meeting room went quiet.
One minute later.
Torishima sighed. "Nothing again?"
When was the last time someone won the 'Nominee Award'? Five years ago? Six? Or maybe even longer?
"With time, my memory's failing," Torishima murmured, then continued,
"If there's no nominee, this year's award will re-run vacant too."
"After all, we can't just hand the 'Nominee' to any random work."
"The reason the Tezuka Prize has its current reputation is because it has retained high standards for decades."
"Seconded."
"Seconded."
""
All eight editors-in-chief unanimously agreed.
"Next, let's move on to the 'Pre-Nominee' evaluations."
With Torishima's words, the room quiet at first. Many people raised their hands, ready to speak.
Torishima looked around, his gaze falling on a woman in a white dress with green hair who looked almost like a young girl.
"Editor Minano, you're very eager today. Why don't you start?"
Some of the others looked slightly disappointed at this, but they still put their hands down and looked toward Minano with curiosity.
When it came to who had the best track record among the editors, there was no real debate. But if there was someone who was the most laid-back, it would definitely be Minano.
Seeing her so proactive was a rare sight, one that had never happened before.
"Looks like it's going to be a good work!" many thought to themselves.
The normally calm Minano had become so motivatedthere must have been a special reason for that.
Minano nodded at the others and spoke, "Actually, I'm not quite sure how to evaluate this work."
"Oh? Even Minano can't make up her mind?" Torishima was a little surprised.
Minano had reached her position as editor-in-chief by being calm and steady, without ever forcing things. So, her hesitation was notable.
"What kind of work could make her uncertain?" the other editors wondered.
"It's hard to describe with words, but how about we all take a look at the original manuscript first?" Minano suggested.
Torishima nodded in agreement, and Minano stood up. She handed a copy of the manuscript to Torishima and each editor-in-chief before sitting back down.
"Magical Girl Madoka"
Seeing the title, Torishima was slightly surprised. He definitely remembered this oneit was the only magical girl-themed work to have passed the first-round evaluations.
Since he remembered it, that was why he was surprised.
Even a newly hired editor could analyze a magical girl-themed story and give it a reasonable review.
But for a seasoned editor like him to be uncertain about its final rating?
"That means there must be something special about this work," he thought.
It wasn't just Torishima who realized this; the other editors knew it too.
"What's so special about this work that even a seasoned editor like Minano can't decide?" they wondered, as the sound of pages turning filled the quiet room.
[TL Note]
Hey there! If you're enjoying this, be sure to check out
p-atreon.com/InsomniaTL
And thank you for the support!
Please remove the hyphen to access page normally Just a heads-up, there will be advanced chapters available there. Thanks so much for reading!
[025] Strength is King!
"Even though I've seen it once, I can't help but be amazed by how gorgeous the artwork is!"
"The characters are so cute! With art like this, the plot doesn't even matter that much anymore. The interactions between the characters are enough to keep me hooked. I just want to keep reading forever."
"The author name it's 'Warrior of Love and Hope'? Are you sure this isn't just some old man using a new pen name?"
"Idiot, that's impossible! You can't hide a style like this; you can tell right away. Besides, we've already been told that he is a high school student, right?"
"Really? A high school student?"
"In this industry, isn't it common to see monsters him? What's there to be surprised about?"
"Editor-in-Chief Kobayashi, can you make your voice even more neutral? It'll sound more convincing when you say that."
The group kept flipping through the pages, chatting casually.
Their relaxed attitude was mostly due to the fact that, after reading several dozen pages, they didn't find anything particularly outstanding in the plot.
They were only continuing because of their trust in the editor-in-chief, Minano.
That is, until they turned to the forbidden page.
It was like everyone had their throats squeezed at the same timeno one could make a sound.
Their wide eyes were filled with confusion, and their slightly trembling bodies silently conveyed the complex feelings they were experiencing.
Even seasoned editors, who had seen all sorts of works, never expected to see something like this in a magical girl storya character death scene!
It's normal for one or two characters to die in manga.
In those mainstream, action-packed mangas, the enemies are often defeated offhandedly, or you just get the impression of death through destroyed buildings or broken bodies.
In detective stories, someone might die every episode. And in live-action superhero shows, mass deaths are common.
But this... this was different.
They'd never seen anything like it before! In fact, they hadn't even imagined something like this could happen in a magical girl story!
From the very start, the magical girl genre was aimed at children. Stories for kids are supposed to be fun and happy, with maybe a little lesson thrown in.
Killing off characters? No way! You'd be ruining the future of the country's youth!
So, if someone had told them before today that magical girls could die, they would've laughed it off. "No way! You'd lose your entire audience if you did that!"
But now, after seeing it, they began to seriously consider the possibility. None of them were immediately dismissing it.
After a brief moment of confusion, they put aside their casual attitudes, flipped back to the first page, and began reading the whole thing againthis time, with full attention.
After finishing the over 100 pages, a single thought couldn't be suppressedWho says the magical girl genre is just for kids? Did we ever really understand magical girls before!?
"We knew nothing about magical girls. The meaning of miracles and their cost..."
Wasn't the last line of the monologue just like their own realization? They had never truly thought about what magical girls even were!
This dark twist on the genre felt... strangely exciting! What direction would the story take from here? They were eager to find out.
Cough, cough.
At the sound of Editor-in-Chief Torishima's cough, the room snapped back to reality.
