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"Well, naturally… Madoka Magica is the absolute pinnacle of our company so far. From the moment we established this studio a year ago, every single one of our activities has revolved around this work. And now..." Yukino rested her chin on her slender fingers, a trace of bewilderment flickering across her beautiful profile.
Before she and Haruto had embarked on the production of this series, she had never dared to imagine it would become such an explosive phenomenon.
The three of them poured their money into the production.
But now, that investment was set to return to them ten times, twenty times, or perhaps even more over the coming months. It truly felt like a dream.
"I feel the same way."
"When Haruto first approached me to borrow money, I never expected the series to reach this level. Honestly, I feel like I'm the one who got the better end of the deal," Reina added, sitting by the opposite window in the back seat of the taxi.
"Don't overthink it," Haruto said with a light chuckle.
"Tomorrow, I'll have the company accountant arrange a dividend payout for us shareholders. Once the money hits, everyone should go out and treat themselves. Then, after a few days of rest, we're going into full gear for the production of 7 Years From Now and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners."
"Dividends?" Yukino's interest was instantly piqued. "Not bad, Chairman Haruto. You certainly know how to lead. So, tell us, what are you planning to do with your share?"
Reina also turned her gaze toward him.
"First, I'm buying a car," Haruto said, taking a deep breath to clear the alcoholic haze from his mind. "My manga Initial D is currently the talk of the industry, yet the creator doesn't even own a car. It's a bit embarrassing, don't you think?"
Haruto gave a self-deprecating smile. Reina and Yukino exchanged a look, their eyes sparkling with amusement.
"And another thing... I'm going to buy a house. I'm not used to living in the high-rise apartments near the university. The privacy is terrible; I keep catching people trying to take secret photos of me in the complex." As Haruto continued to plan his future expenditures from the Madoka revenue, drowsiness finally overtook him, and he drifted off to sleep against the car window.
In his half-conscious state, he felt a gentle hand steadying his shoulder as they eventually reached his home.
---
Over the next few days, the sales for the Madoka Magica theatrical Blu-rays finally began to stabilize across the country. After over a week of continuous restocks, the frantic crisis of missing stock had finally abated as most of the hardcore fanbase secured their copies.
Haruto utilized the staggering sales data of both the TV series and the movie as leverage to negotiate better terms and revenue-sharing percentages with several major merchandise distributors. The deals for international distribution were also finalized in short order.
Simultaneously, the machinery for the franchise's expansion began to turn. Licensing for high-end figurines, plushies, character branding, and adaptations into manga and light novels moved into full swing.
For at least the next six months to a year, the company would maintain a dedicated Madoka Operations Department to handle the long-term management of the IP. However, even as the Madoka fever reached its zenith, a question continued to haunt the animation industry.
Who is the Warrior of Love really?
The show was a legend, yet the creator and scriptwriter remained a ghost. In reality, a small circle of industry insiders already knew the truth. As the Chairman of Haru-Yuki Animation, Haruto had personally met with dozens of domestic and international corporate heads and television executives to negotiate partnerships.
These people knew exactly who he was. They were well aware of the shockwaves that would shatter the otaku world if it were revealed that the Warrior of Love was actually Haruto, a 19 year old light novelist and mangaka.
But the more explosive the secret, the tighter they kept their lips sealed. Haruto's refusal to go public was a clear sign of his personal stance. Those representing major corporations weren't about to sabotage a multi-billion yen partnership just to gossip. If they offended Haruto and the deal fell through, they would be the ones facing the consequences.
Still, the entire industry understood one thing: his identity couldn't stay hidden forever. Given the unprecedented impact of Puella Magi Madoka Magica, he was a lock for the Scriptwriter of the Year award at the upcoming television honors. He could hardly skip the ceremony for an award of that magnitude, could he?
---
By mid-September, Haruto's second year of university had moved into a steady rhythm. The curriculum grew more demanding, and the specialized courses increased in difficulty.
Consequently, Haruto had to dedicate more time to his studies. This was a prestigious university, after all; the professors didn't care if he was a famous novelist or a chart-topping mangaka. If his grades weren't up to par, he wouldn't graduate.
Meanwhile, the plot of Initial D had just concluded the intense battle between Takumi and Takeshi Nakazato. This arc, which had spanned a full month of serialization, had been a vital factor in stabilizing the manga's massive popularity.
The climax of the battle, where Nakazato's R32 lost its balance during an accelerated turn and clipped the guardrail, allowing the 86 to perform a clean overtake, followed by Ryosuke Takahashi's stylish drift to avoid the wreckage, had completely won over the readers.
In that very issue, the reader rankings for Initial D officially surpassed the reigning champion, The Forbidden Gate. With a total of 1,874,523 votes and a lead of just over two thousand, Initial D had claimed the number one spot in Weekly Prime for the first time.
It had taken only two months since its debut.
The duo of Haruto and Shizuru had made history.
They were the youngest creators and the fastest to reach the summit with a debut work in a magazine of that caliber.
Even while the subculture world was still reeling from the aftershocks of Madoka Magica, Initial D had ignored the noise and carved out its own legend.
While Prime Manga was busy broadcasting this triumph to the world, someone else was losing her patience. Haruto's literary agent, Ms. Hime had reached her breaking point.
On the day after Initial D took the top spot, she arrived at Haruto's apartment.
"So, what about the promise you made to me? Where is the new light novel? Have you forgotten it entirely?"
Dressed in a white skirt that accentuated her slender figure, with her long legs clad in black stockings and high heels, Ms. Hime was a striking presence. However, the sheer intensity radiating from her face made Haruto feel a sudden spike of anxiety.
She had expected Haruto to just dip his toes into the manga world. She hadn't expected him to conquer the nation's premier manga magazine in under eight weeks. Even with all her industry experience, she was stunned. But that shock was quickly replaced by a sense of jealousy.
'Why him?' she wondered. 'We started working together first! You haven't written a single hit like that for our magazine recently, yet you go to Weekly Prime and take the throne on your first try? How am I supposed to accept this?'
Haruto's involvement in manga, anime, and novels was driven by his knowledge of the vast library of memories. He knew that different stories were best suited for different mediums. For the past six months, his soul had been consumed by the production of Madoka Magica, followed by the launch of Initial D.
On the light novel side, he had remained stagnant.
It wasn't that he lacked brilliant stories to tell; he simply had to manage his energy. He had put his novel career on a temporary hiatus.
However, Ms. Hime had done a great deal for him. She had found his apartment when he first moved to the city, and she had been instrumental in securing the Initial D deal. Most importantly, he had given her his word that he would release a new novel this year. Now, the bill has come due.
"The new novel... it's coming. Really! Don't panic," Haruto said with a nervous laugh.
"I am not panicking," Ms. Hime said as she sat on his sofa, crossing her legs with a look of utter seriousness. "In fact, hounding my authors to remain diligent and productive is a core part of my job description as an agent."
She looked him dead in the eye. "You clearly have time for manga. There is no logical reason you don't have time for a novel. I need a definitive answer from you."
A deadline.
For the first time in his two-year career, Haruto was facing a genuine case of being hounded by an editor. The pressure was instantaneous and crushing. He took a deep breath, wanting to argue, but after catching the look in Ms. Hime's eyes, he simply let out a long sigh.
"I've been swamped this month."
"I was planning to bring up the new project in October or November."
He knew he could try to stall further, but he respected Ms. Hime. She had checked in on him dozens of times over the last six months, and her personal visit today proved she was at her limit. He didn't want to brush her off anymore. He genuinely liked her as a partner.
"Come back here in one week, Ms. Hime."
"One week?" Ms. Hime's dark pupils flickered with surprise. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I already have the concept for the new series. I've just been too busy to put it on paper," Haruto said, being blunt about his situation.
Between the weekly Initial D storyboards and the production of two anime series, he was worried about his own stamina.
But then, he thought of the legendary creators. Those people worked from dawn until dusk, year after year, to achieve greatness. Even the most famous authors only stopped when their physical health gave out. Compared to that, Haruto's current workload was manageable. He had the stories already in his head; all he had to do was translate them.
He decided it was time to stop being lazy.
"Are you being serious?" Ms. Hime asked.
"Completely."
"Is one week really enough?" Now she was the one hesitating, worried that she was pushing him too hard and that he might turn in something rushed or low-quality.
"Well, put it this way," Haruto said with a confident grin. "Based on my own judgment, once this novel starts serializing, its popularity in the subculture community will not lose to Initial D."