Black Mangaka 015: A Friend's Request
"Today is such a lucky day~"
What? Being threatened and played with by Nakahara Hiroshi!?
What does the emotional exchange between an author and an editor have to do with threats?!
PS: One episode of the manga Madoka magical is 37 pages, with a total of 12 episodes. Magazine serialization splits each episode into two parts, making each around 20 pages. Don't pay too much attention to these small details.
May 2nd
To put it simply, it's the fourth day of Golden Week.
Japan's Golden Week spans from late April to early May, offering 10 days of holidays. It consists of several smaller holidays strung together.
With such a long vacation, many people travel.
But Eriri isn't one of them.
Though most people at school consider her to be a popular, high-tier socialite, the truth is...
She's a homebody with over a decade of experience!
Traveling?
What could possibly be more fun than staying at home, sipping cola, eating snacks, reading comics, and gaming in the comfort of air conditioning?
For the past three days, this has been Eriri's routine.
But today is different.
At 10 a.m., Eriri put on a sun hat and a green tracksuit and headed out.
11:45 a.m.
"Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!"
The doorbell's frantic ringing reflected the owner's urgency.
Standing in front of a familiar house, Eriri wore an angry expression.
"This guy... it's so late, and he still hasn't gotten up!!"
Living alone may give you freedom during the holidays, but this level of laziness? It's excessive!
"If I had known, I would've just taken the spare key from Mom."
Leaving a spare key with someone you trust is just common sense.
Considering their parents' long-standing friendship, it made sense for Sayuri to hold onto it.
"No way, no! If Mom finds out, she'll start teasing me with weird jokes!"
Her fair cheeks flushed slightly.
No, absolutely not!
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, her hand moved faster.
Then…
"Eriri?"
The familiar voice carried a hint of surprise.
"Eh? You were not home!?"
Nakahara Hiroshi smiled. "Not everyone spends their holidays sleeping until 10 a.m., you know."
"Nu... nuh-uh!"
Eriri's pretty face turned red as she glared at him.
"Who would do that on a holiday?!"
"Right, right," Nakahara Hiroshi responded, clearly unconvinced. Noticing the sweat on her forehead, he asked, "How long have you been standing out here?"
Although the May weather wasn't unbearable, it was warm enough to make someone sweat.
Transferring the food in his right hand to his left, Hiroshi took out his keys.
"Well, do you want to come in and sit for a bit?"
Eriri hesitated for a moment before responding reluctantly, "Since you're offering, I'll come in for a while."
As Hiroshi opened the door, he handed her a pair of indoor shoes.
"Those two haven't been back in a while, so these are just some spares I never use. Make do with them."
Eriri took the shoes without complaint, slipping them on while glancing around the house.
"Nothing's changed at all!"
When was the last time she had been here? Two years ago? Three?
It had been so long that she couldn't remember.
"Leaving suddenly, coming back suddenly… it's always like this!"
Her mind was filled with inexplicable grievances, and a sense of bitterness arose.
Thinking about what had happened last month in the multipurpose classroom, her heart skipped a beat and began racing uncontrollably.
Her fair skin turned a rosy hue, like the warm glow of the setting sun.
"Why did this guy do something like that?!"
"That can only mean one thing!!"
"H-happy…"
The word lingered in her mind but refused to leave her lips.
"Still, it's natural for a cute girl like me to be liked by him!"
"But what do I do if he confesses? Should I accept it… or should I accept it…"
"Guhehe~"
Her thoughts wandered off as she imagined an entire scenario.
In just seconds, she went from sulking to envisioning a self-made romance.
Eriri, truly one of a kind.
Nakahara Hiroshi noticed her sudden goofy smile and looked at her strangely.
If only he knew that, in the span of a few seconds, she had mentally planned out their future together, including their children's names.
"Here."
He handed her a bottle of Coca-Cola.
Coming back to her senses, Eriri glanced at the bottle and complained, "No Pepsi?"
Pepsi? She was obviously a Pepsi fan.
"Coca-Cola's all I have. Want some water instead?"
"Tsk."
She rolled her eyes but unscrewed the cap, taking a sip.
"Hah~"
She let out a satisfied sigh.
"So, why did you come over?" Hiroshi asked as he grabbed his own bottle of Coke.
She had been losing sleep over the events of last month.
But when the moment came, Eriri couldn't find the courage to bring it up.
"It's almost August, right?"
That sudden change in topic would've thrown off most people.
But Hiroshi wasn't most people.
He sighed. "Three months is plenty of time, don't you think?"
He hadn't forgotten.
His lips curved into a faint smile as he added, "Creating something worthwhile isn't easy, you know."
"How much effort do you think it takes to craft a perfect 20-page story that leaves readers wanting more?"
"Perfect story?"
This guy really dared to say that!
Eriri puffed up her chest with pride, clearly satisfied with her own work.
Hiroshi hesitated, tempted to correct her inflated confidence.
But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to deflate her enthusiasm.
"Is that so…" he replied with a forced smile.
****