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I just want to quietly draw manga Chapter 81
🕑 Added 2025-04-25 16:40:42 +0000 UTCThe venue was packed, yet the focus of the entire hall had narrowed to the stage.
Kotone, Daichi, Airi, and Sora…
A ripple of confusion spread through the crowd. Why were Kotone and Daichi just standing there? More puzzling still—Haruki had called three names, yet four people were on stage.
Sora's heart pounded as she heard her name announced. Everything else seemed to blur—the lights, the whispers, even the flashes from cameras—until all that remained was Haruki’s calm figure waiting at the top of the stairs.
He reached down toward her.
Almost without thinking, Sora took his hand. Her fingers were cold—whether from the brisk February air or her nerves, she couldn’t tell—and her hand trembled slightly.
"Don’t worry... I’m here," Haruki murmured.
Sora, unsteady, let him lead her to center stage. The rows of black suits and lenses below seemed like a distant dream. Reporters, critics, editors—every eye followed them.
“Hello everyone,” she managed, her voice barely above a whisper, wavering with nerves.
Haruki stepped forward and raised her hand. “This is Sora Aizawa, editor of Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance.”
A beat of stunned silence, then applause erupted.
Sora’s mind began to clear. Haruki was holding her hand tightly—too tightly—but she didn’t pull away. She glanced at him, steady as ever. It grounded her.
From the crowd, Rika Hayashi sat frozen.
He hadn’t seen this coming.
Haruki stood there in his usual relaxed clothes, somehow still commanding the room. Sora, dressed in all black, looked more poised than ever—distant, almost regal.
But what cut deeper was the way she stood beside Haruki. Not as someone dragged into the spotlight—but as someone who belonged in it.
Rika felt something twist in his gut.
He remembered Haruki’s words during the contract signing—how he’d said he’d “answer him” after the awards. Now, it was all clicking into place. This wasn’t just about a manga series or a petty rivalry. He’d been outplayed.
His phone buzzed nonstop—messages from industry contacts, classmates, even staff at Red Lantern Publishing.
Then came the worst one—from his father.
“So this is what you meant by being the editor? You think no one at Red Lantern would notice?”
He stared blankly at the message, heart sinking. The mask he wore was cracking.
He forced himself to stay composed. If he lost control here, in front of all these cameras, he’d be finished.
From offstage, Daichi Torigoe watched everything unfold.
When Haruki raised Sora’s hand, Daichi finally understood the move. Smart. Risky, but smart.
By announcing Sora as the editor in public—on a live broadcast, no less—Haruki had effectively locked the decision in place. It was too late for Rika to fight back. Too many witnesses. Too many expectations.
And with Kotone beside them, there was no room for rebuttal.
Daichi wouldn’t interfere. Not now.
He turned his attention to Rika—still seated, still stunned—and walked calmly toward the stage.
Kotone joined him without a word, and together they ascended. Daichi’s steps were firm, unfazed by the whispers below.
The hostess, flustered by the deviation from the script, scrambled to confirm names with the list in her hand.
“Chief Editor of Kurokawa Publishing… Daichi Torigoe?”
Daichi gave her a short nod.
“Assistant… Kotone Shirasaka?” she continued, eyes flicking to the tall girl beside him.
Kotone nodded slightly, expression unreadable.
The audience murmured in confusion. The program listed Rika Hayashi as the editor, and the assistant as a man. Something clearly didn’t add up.
Haruki stepped forward once again, effortlessly taking control.
“Allow me to reintroduce everyone properly.”
He held up Sora’s hand again. “Sora Aizawa, editor of Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance.”
He gestured to Kotone. “Kotone Shirasaka, assistant.”
Then to Daichi. “And Daichi Torigoe, Chief Editor of Kurokawa Publishing.”
The hall broke into another round of applause—though behind the noise, murmurs buzzed like static.
Live commentators watching the stream were already asking questions.
“Where’s Rika?”
“Was there a last-minute change?”
“Is Haruki pulling some kind of power move?”
The tension backstage was thick enough to cut. But no one could stop what had already happened.
For Haruki, Kotone, and Sora, it was a quiet, hard-won victory.
When asked for comment, Kotone simply said, “I’m very excited.”
Then Sora stepped up. Her voice wavered, but her smile held firm.
“This is a huge moment for me. I’ve worked hard to get here… and I’ll keep working hard. Thank you to my family, my friends—and to Haruki. Without his support, I wouldn’t be standing here.”
She blinked away tears before they could fall.
Daichi stood back, silent.
He knew things were about to change at Kurokawa. They couldn’t afford to overlook talent like Sora anymore. Not after tonight.
And Haruki… he had taken a gamble—and won.
Daichi exhaled quietly.
The winds in the manga world were shifting. Haruki was no longer just a rising star—he was a force.
Daichi’s speech came last—measured, formal, and gracious. When he stepped back, the hostess returned to the mic, signaling the final announcement of the evening.
“And now… the award for Outstanding Manga Series goes to—Haruki Yuuki, author of Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance!”
The presenter? None other than Airi Tanaka.
Gasps and chatter filled the room.
“Wait, Airi Tanaka? From Dream World?”
“She’s a legend! That manga’s getting a TV adaptation!”
Airi stepped on stage in heels that didn’t quite cooperate with the flooring. She scanned the group before zeroing in on Haruki.
“You’re Mizushiro?” she asked, surprised. “I was expecting a brooding swordsman or something…”
The microphone, still on, caught the remark. Laughter rippled through the hall.
Haruki offered a sheepish smile. “Sorry to disappoint.”
Airi waved a hand. “Oh please. Better than some crusty old man.”
“Alright, let’s stay on schedule,” the hostess gently cut in, muting the mic.
Airi handed Haruki the gold medal—2020 etched into the polished surface. He held it for a moment, then passed it to the others to examine. His expression, however, suggested his thoughts were elsewhere.
Because for Haruki, this medal wasn’t the prize.
The real reward was still to come—the S-rank draw.
As the ceremony drew to a close, the group slipped offstage and into the backstage corridor.
Airi, still energized, turned to Haruki. “So when’s the next chapter of Remembrance starting up?”
Haruki shrugged. “Not anytime soon.”
She pouted, but before she could press further, her editor Haruka Sato appeared, handing Haruki a sleek business card.
“Echo Shroud Publishing,” she said with a polite smile. “If you’re ever looking to expand faster than Kurokawa allows… give us a call.”
Sora watched the exchange silently, feeling the subtle shift in the air.
Haruka was bold—and she knew exactly what kind of talent she was trying to poach.
As the conversation shifted back to business talk, Haruki remained quiet, turning the card over in his hand.
Outside, the night air was cool. Haruki, Sora, and Kotone stepped out into the quiet, leaving the flashing cameras behind.
The awards were over.
Now came the next chapter.
