"Aoyama-sensei, you finally made it."
The voice belonged to Hiroshi Oumi, the Editor-in-Chief of Manjie, who had been holding court with several legendary artists. He moved toward the newcomer with a broad, welcoming smile.
As soon as he uttered the pen name "Aoyama," the room underwent a subtle shift. The veterans paused their conversations to glance over, their eyes filled with curiosity. The animation studio heads, meanwhile, looked as if they'd just spotted a briefcase full of money.
Aoyama was the industry's "golden boy" of the moment.
As the pioneer of the Cyberpunk genre in the Federation, and with Edgerunners causing waves both inside and outside the manga community, he was in a league of his own. He was far beyond the level of a typical "Rookie King."
But the most tantalizing thing for the executives was the international appeal. Edgerunners had a massive following in Europe and the United States. Rumor had it that the "Big Five" Hollywood studios were already knocking on Manjie's door, looking to acquire the live-action rights.
A story about an American cyberpunk future, written with such raw intensity, was the perfect candidate for a global crossover. An anime adaptation, if handled correctly, would be a guaranteed blockbuster.
Suddenly, Aoyama was the center of the room's gravity.
"Wait... who are you again?"
Aoyama blinked, his expression one of genuine confusion. He honestly didn't recognize the man. Up until now, his only contact with the magazine had been through Ayumi.
Ayumi hurriedly stepped forward. "Sensei, this is our Editor-in-Chief, Hiroshi Oumi-san."
"Ah! My apologies, Chief!" Aoyama said, his tone shifting to one of polite warmth. He wasn't a social pariah; he knew how to act in public when he had to.
"No, no! Don't worry about it," Hiroshi Oumi said, though he did glance at Aoyama's jeans with a hint of amusement. "But I must ask... what happened to the 'formal' attire?"
Virtually everyone else was in a tuxedo. Aoyama looked like a student who had wandered into the wrong party.
But Hiroshi Oumi didn't press the issue. He laughed it off. "Never mind. The most important thing is that you're here. Come, let me introduce you to some of your seniors."
"This is Kiyoshi-sensei. I'm sure you're familiar with his 'True Dragon' series..."
"Ah, nice to meet you, Kiyoshi-sensei," Aoyama said, bowing slightly.
The veterans were surprisingly gracious, returning his greetings with polite smiles.
"And this is Sensei Ryunosuke..."
"Sensei Hayato..."
"Sensei Junichi..."
Aoyama moved through the introductions like a whirlwind. All the while, the studio heads lingered on the periphery, waiting for their chance to pounce.
The contrast between Aoyama's treatment and that of the other rookies was staggering. Tsuruki Junsei watched from the sidelines, a mix of envy and respect burning in his chest.
Hiroshi Oumi, for his part, made a point of looking after Aoyama. He'd personally become a fan of the depth and grit of Edgerunners, and he wanted to make sure the young talent felt valued.
After the round of introductions, the Chief patted Aoyama on the shoulder. "Alright, Sensei. I won't monopolize your time. Enjoy the gala!"
"Thanks, Chief! I will!" Aoyama replied with a grin.
But as soon as Hiroshi Oumi stepped away, the sharks circled.
"Sensei Aoyama! I'm the director of Blue Shadow Anime. Have you considered an adaptation for 'Edgerunners'?"
"Sensei! I'm from Wangquan Animation..."
"Skeleton Studios would be honored to..."
Aoyama was buried in business cards. He spent the next twenty minutes giving the standard "I need to discuss that with the magazine" response until he finally managed to slip away from the crowd.
"You really are the star today, Sensei," Ayumi teased, watching him breathe a sigh of relief.
"I'd rather not be the star, honestly," Aoyama muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
He looked around, hoping the worst was over. The actual ceremony for the previous year's winners was about to begin.
But then, another voice cut through the noise.
"Aoyama-sensei. Hello."
Aoyama jumped, fearing another crowd. But turning around, he saw only two men. One was his age, wearing glasses and a nervous but determined smile; the other was a slightly older man, likely his editor.
"Uh... hi. And you are?" Aoyama asked politely.
The younger man introduced himself with a proud, slightly theatrical flourish. "My pen name is 'Itchy Mouse'."
"Itchy Mouse?"
Aoyama blinked. He felt a bit lost.
In the year since he'd arrived in this world, he'd only read the most famous works. He recognized the legends like Kiyoshi and Ryunosuke, but he hadn't spent much time keeping track of the other rookies.
Seeing that Aoyama genuinely didn't know who he was, Tsuruki Junsei's expression briefly turned to stone.
"Oh! Right! Of course!"
Aoyama realized he'd made a social blunder and tried to recover with some standard flattery. "I've heard so much about you! Your work is great! Very impressive!"
Tsuruki Junsei's lip twitched. He knew a hollow compliment when he heard one. But his gaze didn't waver.
"Aoyama-sensei is truly at the top right now... but I won't lose!" he declared, his eyes burning with intensity.
"I'll admit defeat for this year's Grand Prix, but for the next project, I won't back down."
Tsuruki Junsei was practically vibrating with Shonen-protagonist energy. "I'll be challenging you with my new masterpiece: 'The God Race'!"
"Eh? Oh... right."
Aoyama was bewildered. Why was this guy telling him this? Was he supposed to challenge him back?
"Well... I'll look forward to reading it then," Aoyama said awkwardly.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]