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I just want to quietly draw manga Chapter 51
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 16:26:08 +0000 UTCAs soon as the line entered the venue, a heatwave hit.
At first, it was quite comfortable, but after half a minute, Haruki felt it was too hot.
The indoor temperature was somewhere between twenty-seven and thirty degrees.
He removed his down jacket and the second layer of trousers, revealing his suit, and headed toward the clothing storage area.
There, Kotone had already stored her coat.
Wearing a red dress, her youthful figure caught the attention of several passing attendees.
She stood alone, waiting for Haruki.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"Everyone got an autograph. What else could I do? It’s not like I’m going to treat them to a huge meal just for attending the annual meeting!" Haruki replied with a grin.
"But if they really think I’m not Mizushiro, I can’t help that," he added.
While speaking, Haruki also stored his jacket in the box.
"Well then, let's go..." Haruki said, glancing toward the hallway ahead.
There was music playing, the sounds of a bustling crowd, and the enticing aroma of delicious food.
This made Haruki lose his appetite, especially after having eaten two packs of potato chips at lunch.
"Huh, Kotone..."
"Kotone!"
A familiar voice called out from behind.
Haruki and Kotone turned around to see a woman, a little overweight and about twenty years old, looking at Kotone with surprise.
"Rin Hoshizora?" Kotone's eyes lit up with a rare look of happiness.
"Why are you here at the Kurokawa Annual Meeting?" Rin asked, walking over with a look of delight.
"Could it be that you’re involved in a manga here, too?" she asked eagerly.
"No." Kotone shook her head.
"I wasn’t invited as a manga artist. I’m actually Haruki’s assistant now. He was invited to attend the annual meeting, and I got in thanks to him," Kotone explained, glancing at Haruki.
"Hello!" Rin greeted, looking at Haruki.
"My name is Rin Hoshizora. I’m a friend of Kotone."
"Oh... hello! My name is Haruki Yuuki!" Haruki replied, surprised that Kotone, who usually seemed distant, had friends attending the event.
Kotone looked at Rin curiously. "What about you? Which manga are you working on?"
"No!" Rin smiled helplessly.
"My situation is the same as yours. I don’t have a work to my name either. My boss didn’t think it was a waste, so he gave me a spot to attend as well."
While chatting, Rin glanced at the man standing next to her.
He looked to be in his twenties, with a build similar to Rin's—on the heavier side. His round face and cheerful expression gave off a warm, almost comical vibe. He didn’t quite have the look of a typical manga artist; instead, he seemed more suited for a comedy show.
"Hey there, I’m Riku Maeda," the man said with a booming voice when he noticed Kotone and Haruki looking his way.
"Kotone Shirasaka."
"Haruki Yuuki."
With that, Kotone and Rin immediately slipped into a lively conversation.
Haruki and Riku, now the quiet ones, exchanged a glance.
"You look pretty young, Haruki! What are you, not even twenty yet?" Riku asked casually.
"Ah, I just turned eighteen a few months ago," Haruki replied.
From Riku's tone, it was clear he was the kind of guy who treated strangers like old friends. Despite just meeting, he spoke with ease and openness that made Haruki instantly feel more at ease.
To be honest, Haruki found his personality rather likable.
"Impressive, man. When I was your age, I was still goofing off in the countryside. Didn't expect to see someone your age at a Kurokawa annual event!"
"Well... yeah, I guess," Haruki said, a bit sheepishly.
"So you're a new artist under Kurokawa, right? I don't think I've heard of your name before."
"Yeah, you could say that," Haruki replied after thinking about it. Technically, even though he had become a breakout star with just a few months under his belt, he was still a new face in the industry.
"Got it. You’ve got a bright future ahead!" Riku said with a laugh.
Kurakawa invited a number of up-and-coming talents each year to the event.
With its flagship magazine Sora, alongside the Inkbolt Series for short-format and experimental works, Kurokawa Publishing made sure every part of its creative lineup was well represented.
To Riku, Haruki probably belonged to one of those “promising newcomer” categories.
He didn’t press further—after all, it wasn’t polite to interrogate someone like you were doing a background check.
As the group moved down the corridor into the main venue, their eyes lit up the moment they entered.
A grand stage had been set up at the center, with a live band playing soft, melodic music that filled the room.
Around the stage were clusters of tables and chairs where guests could sit and relax. Staff pushed around food carts laden with dishes and drinks. All one had to do was call over a server to get something.
Haruki’s eyes lit up when he saw the spread. As two carts rolled by, he grabbed a plate of pastries and a drink to quiet his growling stomach.
All around the venue, people gathered in small groups, catching up and chatting, the atmosphere cheerful and warm.
But after lingering for a while, Haruki began to feel bored.
The music and performances didn’t interest him much. He glanced around but didn’t spot Sora anywhere.
Kotone and Rin were still deep in conversation, so Haruki and Riku found a place to sit together.
"I didn’t know you had other friends at Kurokawa besides Sora," Haruki said to Kotone when she finally joined them, taking a sip of wine as she sat down beside him.
"Well, we used to be assistants for the same manga artist. That’s when I met her," Kotone explained. "But something happened, and we ended up parting ways. It’s actually been over a year since we last saw each other."
"Something happened?" Haruki asked. "You didn’t just stop working together because the series ended?"
"No..." Kotone hesitated for a moment, then continued.
"There were actually three of us assisting that artist. But during the deadline for the first chapter... the original manuscript got ruined by spilled ink."
"...After that, for various reasons, Rin and I were both fired from the assistant positions."
"Hmm..." Haruki thought for a moment.
"I’m guessing it wasn’t your fault or Rin’s."
He knew Kotone’s work ethic. It was hard to imagine her being careless enough to cause something like that.
Besides, he could sense a lingering bitterness in her tone—not toward Rin, though. That meant there had been someone else involved.
"So the manuscript got ruined by the third assistant, but you two took the fall and got pushed out?" Haruki guessed.
Kotone glanced at him, silent, but she didn’t deny it.
Haruki could tell from her expression—he’d hit the mark.
No wonder they seemed so close now. They’d been through something rough together. They were comrades who’d once taken the blame side by side.
