In the studio apartment. Akui and Yasuo are both at their workstations doing the set tasks fitted to their skills while Tamaki is reading through the manga script as she listened to the radio station broadcasting good morning manga.
"Jerus-san how does it feel that data redacted is getting an anime adaptation?" (The interviewer questioned)
"Well what can I say? I am truly the best at what I do, now aren't I? (Jerus expressed with pride)
Seagulls can be heard coming from outside of the studio apartment as the window next to Yasuo's work space has been left wide open.
"You've reached almost 2 million sold copies and won your first MOTY award, you have truly out done most beginning mangaka out there" (The interviewer shocked)
"Oh you flatter me too much Miyaki-chan all I did was put the vision I see of the world onto on my works" (Jerus pleased)
Next to the radio is the munchkin cat from before sleeping as the radio continued broadcasting the interview.
"Ugh, this guy never shuts up does he?" (Tamaki complained)
"It's Jerus the masochist after all he loves hearing his achievements being read out to him" (Yasuo replying to Tamaki)
Yasuo still proceeds to do more research on the edo period for the of sake the manga as Tamaki was fed up listening to Jerus's voice.
"It's time to play you have to answer! As the name suggests whatever the fans ask of you Jerus-san you have to give an answer" (The interviewer explained)
"Now we have fan on the line so let's begin!"
"Haha, bring many as you wish I can be here as long as you want" (Jerus stated)
"Hello caller! Please state your name and the question you would like to ask Jerus"
"JERUS! IT'S ME KIRA!" (The phone caller yelled)
"What the hell?" (Tamaki confused)
"Hm?" (Yasuo questioned)
Tamaki went over to the radio and turned up the volume to hear the fan that lightened up the mood of the interview clearly as both Tamaki and Yasuo listened in.
"WHERE IS YOUR PORN STASH AGAIN?!"
"I uh, forgot where you told me you left them" (Caller awkwardly said)
silence played out for a few seconds at that moment after the question was asked by a caller who Jerus definitely knew behind the scenes.
*sigh* (Jerus exhaled)
"It's inside the cereal boxes" (He bravely said)
"THANKS BYE!" (The caller yelled once more)
The caller ended the call and once again silence arose as nobody had said a word after that encounter
"Maybe we should take a break" (The interviewer suggested)
"Y-Yes let's do that" (Jerus embarrassed)
Oh no! Jerus-san please don't cry! (The interviewer pleaded)
"SHUT UP AND GO ON BRE-" (Jerus angered)
The radio broadcast transitioned to advertisement ending anymore secrets of Jerus to be leaked to the public
"PFF HAHAHAHAHA" (Tamaki laughed)
Tamaki couldn't control herself and kept kicking her legs in the air as she held onto her stomach crying of laughter
"Omg she ended his career right there" (Tamaki amused)
"Poor kid, had he not met that women his life would've been perfect" (Yasuo explained)
"Eh? So what if you hadn't met Akui?" (Tamaki said)
"Well take away her disorder, I would've probably been working with an artist who is quieter"
"Wait disorder?" (Tamaki asked)
Yasuo stopped researching and turned his attention to Tamaki behind him.
"Yea, didn't Sasho-Sensei tell you that in his notes?"
"Tamaki has a split personality disorder where she thinks she sees her lover cheating on her, you've seen it for yourself" (Yasuo explained)
"But why you specifically?" (Tamaki asked)
"Apparently I resemble her former lover who ran away with another women to somewhere in europe" (Yasuo explained)
"So even though she has a disorder I can't really blame her but, she's a good assistant and good person at heart" (Yasuo happily phrased)
"So you guys aren't a thing?" (Tamaki asked)
"Nah, she ain't really my type to be fair with you" (Yasuo whispered)
As the both of them were talking an eraser had dropped onto the floor interrupting their conversation.
"Hm?" (Tamaki & Yasuo confused)
"Oops! silly me I was erasing some lines way too fast" (Akui clumsily said)
Akui lowered herself to grab the eraser that landed next to her chair as Tamaki and Yasuo watched her before going back to work on panels.
"Welp back to work" (Yasuo casually says)
Yasuo turns himself back to his computer researching more into the Edo period of Japan as if nothing had happened, whilst Tamaki just watching the two communicating as she thought they would be.
"Split personality?" (Tamaki thought to herself)
"Gramps never mentioned that, he said they were both married and the issue was they weren't on agreement terms"
Tamaki turns to look at Akui casually drawing with earphones on also as if nothing had happened just now.
"And that act you just did Akui tells me that you definitely know something that grandpa didn't tell me in his notes" (Tamaki theorized)
"Just what is the history these two share together?" (Tamaki thought to herself)
Akui briefly stops drawing and thinks back onto the things said to her in the past.
"You stupid girl all you do is eat away my money!"
"Oh look it's Arima's kid looks like she's causing daddy more trouble again"
"Not only could you destroy Sasho-Sensei's reputation you could disgraced my mother's name and the manga company for what it stands for!"
Akui lays her pencil on the Nemu she was working on with her hand on top of it.
"I guess we are both the same father, we hurt every person we come across" (Akui thought to herself)
Location: Town Square, City Centre
Shigechi currently is walking within the city centre trying to look for prop shops that could help team get ideas for the manga project.
"Come on there's got to be a place here" (Shigechi muttered)
As he kept walking and looking around his surroundings it was just more food shops and people passing by in every direction until his eyes locked onto a sign that seemed to peak his interests
"Magical Journey?" (Shigechi confused)
Even though the name sounded sketchy it was likely the only shop to probably find what he needed to help out the team and for the manga.
"Might as well" (Shigechi thought to himself)
He made his way to the shop and entered inside with nobody insight at all not even at the counter. what he could see was many different types of costumes and props in every corner of the shop but the mood of the place was dark and giving Shigechi really bad anxiety.
"I already regret coming in here" (Shigechi muttered)
"But I can't leave now I gotta find what I need, purchase then I'll be on my way"
Shigechi began browsing through the rakes of costumes picking out some close enough to being Edo themed.
As he gathered the costumes and props he needed he went over to the cashier area placing them on top of the glass counter waiting to be served.
"Hello? Anyone here?" (Shigechi questioned)
No response to heed his calls so he stood around waiting for almost five minutes then started to get annoyed.
"Where the hell is the worker?" (Shigechi demanded)
With no other option he decided to go through the entrance that was behind the counter to find the owner or someone that worked in the shop.
"For crying out loud" (Shigechi moaned)
As he made his way through he looked to his right and could see stacked shelves of manga and decided to get closer and see what those mangas were about.
"Data Redacted by Jerus the masochist?"
"SIBILINGS by Ryoushi?"
"What?! The legend of the mountain spirit!" (Shigechi shocked)
Shigechi grabbed a copy of the mountain spirit and started reading through it like there was no tomorrow.
"No way! This was even signed by Cera Miaw herself; it doesn't look printed at all!" (Shigechi amazed)
"I see you have taken a liking to my collection"
Shigechi froze up on the spot as a voice of another person had sneaked up on him without realizing, he didn't even want to look back.
"Who is there?" (Shigechi asked)
"Why don't you turn around to find out?" (The mystery person replied)
With no other choice Shigechi turned around to see the mystery person, the mystery person turned out to be a girl around his age with curly purple pinkish hair wearing a tiger onesie.
"Woah" (Shigechi stunned)
"Can I ask what you are doing back here?" (The girl demanded)
"I was looking for a prop shop that could help me reference for a project I'm working on" (shigechi replied)
"Ah I see I'm so sorry I thought you were another petty thief"
"Another?" (Shigechi questioned)
"Hehe, yea the last thief I dislocated his shoulders then waited for police to arrive and arrest him" (She awkwardly bragged)
Shigechi just stood there shocked and confused not being able to process how a girl who looked so innocent possessed such skills.
"What?" (Shigechi thought to himself)
"Was Sensei right about women?"
"I'm sorry to tell you but this shop is shutting down however, since you waited for so long and didn't actually steal anything"
"I'll let you take what you need for free" (the girl showing gratitude)
"Woah really?" (Shigechi surprised)
"It would be my pleasure as you are our last ever customer"
"I'm guessing you also runned this shop with another?" (Shigechi asked)
"Yea it was just me and my mother" (The girl sadly replied)
"When my dad died we promised that we would keep this shop running for many generations to come"
"But she fell in the arms of a rich scumbag and abandoned everything"
"....even me" (She said)
The girl looks to her right and sees the photo of her when she was a kid with her mum and dad.
"But who am I to talk? I wanted to write manga but every company I turned to rejected me, all because I didn't have drawings but words on paper"
"But when dad died, I had no choice but to remain here and run the shop for the rest of my life" (She uttered)
Tears began to run down on the girls face but she quickly realized she was babbling out too much information to Shigechi and quickly tried to recover herself.
"I-I'm sorry for talking too much, just for-"
"Forget what you said?" (Shigechi guessed)
The girl wipes her tears away as she looks at Shigechi staring at her with a sympathetic expression on his face.
"I don't need to forget it when I've been through similar" (Shigechi explained)
"You as well?" (She asked)
"Yea" (He replied)
"My parents abandoned me because I wasn't doing well in school like my sister was and threw out of the house"
"But you're like the same age as me" (She sympathised)
"They didn't care, my parents were perfectionists so if nothing turned in their favour they will be forceful" (Shigechi explained)
"I was homeless for about three months, none of my other family members wanted to take me in but, then my uncle gave me a chance and told me to work hard on my dream of becoming a mangaka"
"So nine months passed and I had entered the Yakuzo contest where all the top mangakas and editors would be scouting out people"
Shigechi walked up to the girl and held onto her shoulders while looking at her with a sympathetic look on his face as well
"I didn't win of course since almost everyone nowadays wants to make manga but what I learned from it was it didn't matter who won but who had impressed most the scouts" (Shigechi explained)
"And that is when I met Yasuo-sensei, he can be an idiot at times but he's been through more than me and yet he was able to reach the starting point of his dream"
"That's why I look up to him and wish to work as hard as he does" (Shigechi proudly expressed)
"Heck even do better than him and prove a point to those who looked down on me, so you should do the same!"
The girl was surprised by how determined Shigechi was and began to realise that he has a point.
"Knowing this shop was important to your family however, knowing how much you care for your father he probably would care more that you follow your dreams and not carry on his" (Shigechi explained)
"I-I don't know where to start at all" (She uttered)
"You can start by joining my team and help us create a manga that we can all prove to the world that we made it! (Shigechi happily expressed)
Knowing that the shop was shutting down she took time to think about her future and that this is probably for the best that she moves on with her life and be proud of what she can achieve.
"I-I'll join you!" (She said with confidence)
"That's the spirit! (Shigechi yelled)
"But also" (She explained)
"Hm?" (Shigechi confused)
"Could you let go of me now please? You are kind of too close" (She awkwardly phrased)
Realising he was still holding onto her shoulders and that he showed too much of his passionate side for manga he quickly moved back and reverted to his passive and mature self.
"Yare yare, I shouldn't have done that she is the first person other than uncle that has seen this side of me" (Shigechi thought to himself)
"hehe, I guess you don't do that often as you like to" (She guessed)
"Please don't tell anyone what you just saw" (Shigechi pleaded)
"hehe, I promise!" (She happily phrased)
They both laughed together enjoying the moment.
"Oh I haven't given you my name have I?" (She realised)
She raises her arm out waiting to receive a hand shake.
"Haruka"
"Haruka Kaiba" (Haruka addressed herself)
Shigechi then brought out his arm and shook Haruka's hand as they both happily smiled at each other.
"Shigechi"
"Shigechi Tajima" (He replied)
They two both stopped shaking each other's hands then made their way back to the main area of the shop.
"Do you mind helping me pack all this stuff up?" (Haruka asked)
"Yea sure, afterwards I can take you to meet Yasuo-sensei and the others"
Haruka and Shigechi began packing up all the costumes and prop items that were getting sold into boxes as time passed from the afternoon to night time. Though it was late Shigechi and Haruka managed to still get everything packed up then arrived back at the studio apartment with the costumes and items Shigechi thought that could help the team get ideas on what the Edo period was like.
Haruka and Shigechi both came up to the front door of the studio apartment and opened it to enter and greet the team. Shigechi felt proud that not only did he return with loads of reference to help out but, also came back with a new addition to the team.
"Guys I'm back" (Shigechi announced)
As Shigechi and Haruka entered into the apartment they saw Akui sleeping on the couch, Tamaki sleeping on a chair with the munchkin cat resting on her lap and Yasuo just looking out of the window watching the stars glistening.
"Ah you're back?" (Yasuo asked)
"If you took this long then you definitely must have found somethi-"
As Yasuo turned around to see Shigechi he also caught eye that Haruka was next to him as well holding onto bags of costumes and prop items as well.
"Ahh now I understand" (Yasuo understood)
"You went out looking for women as well but, to be fair at least you succeeded"
Haruka began to blush up beet red as Shigechi was riled up by Yasuo's comments.
"Sensei that is so rude!" (Shigechi yelled)
"Jeez Shigechi no need to hide the truth" (Yasuo explained)
"You can trust me"
"We aren't dating enough with your shit!" (Shigechi defending himself)
As Shigechi kept arguing with Yasuo over the accusation Haruka looks behind her through the doorway to look at the moon emitting its light during the night.
"Looks like I've found people who I can look up to dad" (Haruka thought to herself)
"May Magical Journey live on with you in the afterlife as of today I begin my own journey to become"
"A Mangaka"
The End of Chapter 4
Hope you enjoyed :D