Shueisha, Weekly Shonen Jump Editorial Department.
Today, Editor Oonishi was flipping page by page through the backlog of manga submissions that had accumulated over the past few days.
Just as he began to feel weary and reached into his pocket to pull out a cigarette, the landline on the desk beside him rang. Editor Oonishi had no choice but to withdraw his hand from his pocket and reach out to pick up the phone.
"Hello, this is the Weekly Shonen Jump Editorial Department."
"Ah, is that Oda-sensei?"
Upon hearing that the caller was Oda-sensei, Editor Oonishi's expression turned serious.
"If possible, I hope the first bad news I hear this morning isn't that you're delaying your manuscript again."
"Ah, it's not?"
"What? You say it's already finished, and you want me to come pick it up?"
Editor Oonishi looked at the desk calendar in disbelief. Oda-sensei, who had always loved dragging things out until the deadline, was actually three days early today.
"Alright, alright. I'll head over in a bit."
After speaking, Editor Oonishi put down the phone.
He finished the hot tea on his desk, then picked up his coat and briefcase, preparing to head to Oda-sensei's house to collect the manuscript.
Just then, a young editor walked in from the entrance of the editorial department, carrying a backpack. Seeing Editor Oonishi standing up and seemingly preparing to leave, he smiled.
"Editor Oonishi, the new issue of Comic Kairakuten has been bought. Here's your copy."
"Thank you, Editor Sasaki."
With that, Editor Oonishi smiled and accepted the Comic Kairakuten, placing it into his briefcase.
Ever since Xuanyayi-sensei debuted in Comic Kairakuten, whenever a new issue was released, someone at Shueisha would be responsible for buying copies for all the colleagues who wanted one—including even the Editor-in-Chief's copy. So, this time, Editor Oonishi had also entrusted the task to Editor Sasaki.
When Editor Oonishi arrived at Oda's home and turned the doorknob, he found it unlocked, just like last time. So, Editor Oonishi opened the door directly and walked in.
"Editor Oonishi, you're here. I'm already drawing the plot for the next chapter. Wait a moment; please make yourself at home."
Oda spoke without turning his head, immersing himself once again in his manuscript creation.
Editor Oonishi, acting as if he were back in his own home, didn't stand on ceremony. He walked directly to the side, boiled some water, and leisurely began to brew tea.
After Editor Oonishi put the very last bit of tea leaves Oda-sensei had for guests into the pot and brewed it, he carried a teacup over to Oda-sensei. Placing a cup beside him, he then sat down with his own.
"Thanks."
Oda-sensei stopped his work, took the teacup, and took a small sip. Then, he handed a stack of manuscripts from his side to Editor Oonishi.
Editor Oonishi accepted the manga and began checking it page by page.
Finally, Editor Oonishi smiled with relief, but then looked at Oda-sensei with a worried expression.
"Oda-sensei, are you feeling unwell recently?"
Oda-sensei was stunned for a moment.
"No? Why do you ask that, Editor Oonishi?"
Editor Oonishi scratched his face awkwardly.
"Aren't you usually a 'Deadline Warrior'? Today, you're suddenly three days ahead of the deadline, so I was a little worried about your physical condition."
"Is that so? I'm in great health. It's just that I don't know why, but inspiration has been gushing out lately, so I drew faster this time."
Oda explained with a smile.
"Then I'm relieved."
"Well, I've had my tea and received the manuscript, so I won't disturb your work any longer, Oda-sensei. I'll be heading back."
Editor Oonishi put the manuscript away securely and stood up, preparing to leave.
"Don't go yet."
Oda-sensei hurriedly grabbed Editor Oonishi.
"You brought that, right?"
"Which one?"
Editor Oonishi asked Oda-sensei in confusion.
"Oh come on, Comic Kairakuten."
"You definitely have it with you. After all, you brought it with you the last few times you came to see me."
"Let me finish reading Xuanyayi-sensei's second part before you go back."
Editor Oonishi looked at Oda-sensei, a bit speechless.
"Can't you just go buy a copy yourself?"
"Aiyaya, I have to draw manga every day; where would I find the time? Besides, I hear Comic Kairakuten has been very hard to buy these last few issues. You wouldn't want to see me drag out my draft because I wasted a whole day outside trying to buy Comic Kairakuten, would you?"
Editor Oonishi slapped his forehead helplessly.
"Fine. I'll go back after we finish reading Xuanyayi-sensei's second part. I still have a lot of newcomer submissions waiting for me to review."
Having said that, Editor Oonishi opened his briefcase and took out the Comic Kairakuten that Editor Sasaki had bought for him that morning. He then sat down beside Oda-sensei and spread the book open.
"There are actually battle scenes this time!"
"I thought Xuanyayi-sensei was planning to stick to general-audience styling forever. Although the art style has changed, the tension during the battles hasn't diminished a bit."
"I've learned a lot again; I can definitely put this to use next time!"
Oda-sensei praised the manga ceaselessly, and Editor Oonishi nodded with a smile.
They read until the plot gradually deepened. The heroine was constantly struggling with the moral and emotional conflict between her husband and the male protagonist.
Editor Oonishi and Oda-sensei furrowed their brows tighter and tighter, both wearing expressions of heartache.
They watched the husband's subsequent monologue, the heroine's guilt and struggle, and the male protagonist's solitary conflict: Should I obtain her even if I have to use despicable means because I love her, or should I let her be happy?
In the middle, Tsushima Kagami also constantly interspersed the inner monologues from the 'Madam's Diary,' which could only be seen after clearing the game. Scene after scene played out like a cinematic montage, clutching at the reader's heart.
Finally, the male protagonist chose to let her be happy. Some time after moving out of the apartment, the two encountered each other by chance on the street. After glancing back, they passed each other with tacit understanding. Finally, a large 'END' appeared in the bottom right corner.
Oda-sensei looked at the storyboard on that final page and muttered, "Can NTR be this beautiful too?"
Inside the Shueisha Editorial Department, the editors on their lunch break sighed with emotion in unison.
The Editor-in-Chief also nodded, rubbing the space between his eyebrows.
"Truly... it makes me remember my own first love from when I was young."
Hearing the Editor-in-Chief voluntarily expose gossip about his youthful first love, a few of the bolder editors asked cautiously, "May I ask, Editor-in-Chief, what kind of woman was she?"
The Editor-in-Chief recalled for a moment and spoke with a smile.
"That was back when I was in university. To save money, I boarded in a shared apartment house. The landlady of that apartment was a beautiful and gentle woman who was divorced and raising a child."
"Thinking about it now, I really received a lot of care from her back then."
"Did you confess to her?"
Someone suddenly popped the question. The other editors nodded secretly in their hearts after hearing it—good question.
The Editor-in-Chief leaned back in his boss chair, squinting his eyes as if savoring aged wine.
"Of course I confessed."
"And? What did she say?"
"The Madam rejected me."
"She said I shouldn't waste my youth on an Obasan with a child like her. Instead, I should go and have a romance with no regrets, with a girl as young as myself."
Although everyone knew the ending, hearing the Editor-in-Chief say it still inevitably made them feel a sense of loss.
"Th... Then what happened?"
Another editor asked curiously.
"Later? Later, she also obtained the happiness she deserved. He was a very good gentleman who was worthy of her."
The Editor-in-Chief said with a smile. There was no regret in his eyes, only the relief of 'It's truly great that she could find her own happiness.'
"As for me, because of the Madam's encouragement, I met my current wife."
After he finished speaking, a round of applause instantly rang out within the editorial department.
____
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