The semester finals finally concluded along with the exams, and the summer vacation was just around the corner.
Tsushima Kagami headed to the Manga Research Club after school, just as usual.
Looking at Sayuri, who was already seated and drawing her manuscript for the doujinshi fair, Tsushima Kagami greeted her.
"Sayuri, how did you do on the exams?"
Sayuri lifted her head to look at Tsushima Kagami.
"Don't ask that the moment you arrive."
"I should pass, so I won't need to attend summer remedial classes, at least."
After saying this, Sayuri lowered her head again and continued drawing her draft.
At this moment, Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko also walked in.
"Kagami-kun, how were your exams?"
"They were alright."
After replying to the two seniors, Tsushima Kagami sat down as well. He took out the second part of his The Housewife Next Door and prepared to finish the final work.
After Machida Sonoko and Kosaka Akane sat down, they suddenly asked Tsushima Kagami, "Kagami-kun, are you returning to Chiba Prefecture for the break?"
"Yes, I have to go back to Chiba first."
"Do you have any plans, Akane-senpai, Sonoko-senpai?"
"We don't really have any plans."
"We were just thinking that if Kagami-kun could return to Tokyo early, we could finish the manuscripts together and send them off for printing," Kosaka Akane said with a smile.
Tsushima Kagami smiled and nodded. "I'll try to come back early."
Machida Sonoko then suddenly spoke up. "By the way, Uncle told me yesterday that your manga is being prepared for an anime adaptation?"
Sayuri suddenly jerked her head up.
Kosaka Akane was also stunned. "?"
Tsushima Kagami hadn't expected that the doujinshi he drew would suddenly be adapted into an anime one day.
Has it evolved from a doujinshi to adult animation?
"Did he say which one?"
Whether it would boost manga sales was one thing; it was quite possible the manga would have to boost the anime's sales instead.
As for the original work usage fee, it wouldn't be much money anyway.
"Ah, I forgot to ask at the time."
Hearing Tsushima Kagami ask her, Machida Sonoko tapped her own head, realizing her oversight.
"Forget it. Anyway, the second part of my The Housewife Next Door is about to be finished. I have to send it to Watanabe-san later, so I'll just ask him directly then."
After he spoke, Sayuri, Machida Sonoko, and Kosaka Akane all looked at Tsushima Kagami.
"So fast?"
Tsushima Kagami smiled. "I had some free time recently, so I drew a bit more."
"Don't worry, it won't delay our work for the doujinshi fair."
"Let me see, let me see."
Sayuri tried to snatch Tsushima Kagami's manuscript as she spoke.
However, it was taken by Kosaka Akane, so Sayuri and Machida Sonoko could only lean their heads over to look.
Kosaka Akane slowly flipped through the manuscript pages one by one.
The three of them read on, gradually feeling that the direction of the manga was becoming not quite right.
Their brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
It continued until the very end, where the male lead suddenly had an epiphany and chose to let go.
And the day before the Housewife decided to move away from this sad place, she secretly made cookies one last time and left them at the male lead's door. After ringing the doorbell, when the male lead opened the door, he saw only the cookies left on the ground. It left one's heart feeling utterly empty.
Until the final chance encounter, where they exchanged a single glance in the crowd, then passed each other by like strangers.
"Kagami... Kagami-kun."
Sayuri called Tsushima Kagami's name, unable to come up with words for a long time.
Kosaka Akane, meanwhile, stroked the final few pages of the manuscript.
"What beautiful storyboarding."
"I feel such a sense of loss after reading it."
Machida Sonoko nodded as well.
"As expected of the Kagami-kun who wrote The Setting Sun."
"This kind of story—beautiful yet illusory and hazy, only to completely destroy all fantasies in people's hearts at the very end—is indeed something you would write."
"So, let's finish up quickly and go to WANI Magazine."
With that, the four of them took out their manuscripts again—inking lines, applying screen tones.
By the time the bell signaling the end of club activities rang, Tsushima Kagami had also completed all the final work.
Then, he went to WANI Magazine together with Machida Sonoko and the others.
WANI Magazine, still in that same reception hall.
"Kagami-kun, you are simply a genius!"
"As expected of the genius author who wrote The Setting Sun!"
"I can already imagine the wailing scenes of readers unable to stop themselves when they see this manga."
Editor Watanabe looked at the manuscript on the table, praising Tsushima Kagami while gesturing wildly to show his current state of excitement.
Once he finally calmed down, sat back in his chair, and took a sip of hot tea, he smiled and spoke.
"Kagami-kun, you heard about the anime adaptation from Sonoko-chan, right?"
Tsushima Kagami, sitting to the side, smiled and nodded.
"I heard. But Watanabe-san, which manga was chosen?"
"Of course, they had their eyes on both."
"Oh, but actually, it's not that great of a thing."
"I hope you don't get your hopes up too high, Kagami-kun."
"This time, they are mainly using a newcomer director."
"So, everyone isn't particularly optimistic."
"But for adult animation, everyone is pretty much the same."
"Could it possibly be more popular than your original work, Kagami-kun?"
"So there's nothing really to be sad about."
Tsushima Kagami became interested upon hearing this.
"A newcomer director?"
"Do you know the director's name or alias?"
Tsushima Kagami recalled how Akiyuki Shinbo, after a string of flops, threw himself directly into adult animation and achieved enlightenment in that 'dragon field.'
And back then, there were only a few directors going back and forth in the adult industry, so Tsushima Kagami was curious if he would recognize the director this time.
At this moment, Editor Watanabe took out a STAFF list from the side and handed it to Tsushima Kagami.
Tsushima Kagami took it, scanned it roughly, and saw the director's name—Murakami Teruaki?
"Murakami Teruaki..."
Tsushima Kagami read the name over and over.
Sayuri and the others also gathered around curiously, looking at the STAFF list and asking, "What's wrong with this director, Murakami Teruaki?"
"Nothing, it just feels a bit familiar."
Editor Watanabe laughed from the side. How could you know a newcomer director?
Tsushima Kagami just paced around the reception room.
Thinking hard. Pondering deeply.
Finally, he suddenly slapped the table.
He startled Sayuri and the others.
Editor Watanabe, on the contrary, was very calm. He felt that for a genius like this, being a little neurotic was normal!
"Are you alright?"
Machida Sonoko and the others looked at Tsushima Kagami with concern.
"I remember now!"
Murakami Teruaki! — The Shaky Director!
Great, it's the Shaky Director. We're done for!
____
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