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I just want to quietly draw manga Chapter 48
🕑 Added 2025-04-18 16:00:47 +0000 UTC---
After the winter break, Haruki finally understood what it meant to feel truly relaxed.
He no longer had to stay up late every night creating manga.
The work that could usually be finished in a week, when Haruki and Kotone worked together, was completed by Wednesday that week. Even sora was impressed when he found out.
Originally, Yuna was already among the fastest manga artists.
But compared to Haruki, her speed still paled in comparison.
After all, when he was bound to the system, his drawing skills and speed were significantly enhanced.
So, it took only five days for the two of them to finish the manuscript of the new story, without having to work overtime at night.
sora looked at the manuscript for Chapter 11 of Rurouni Kenshin that Haruki had just submitted to her, and she suddenly felt that her role as an editor was quite unnecessary.
She couldn't even discuss the plot; the work didn’t need her to push for drafts. The deadline for the Manga submission was Sunday, and Haruki had already finished it by Friday.
Now, with the two of them finishing the manuscript by Wednesday before the holiday, things had changed entirely.
sora had been in the industry for many years, and while she had seen some prolific manga creators, none reached the level of Haruki and Kotone’s combination.
If they didn’t have their studies to deal with, worked during the day, and added a few extra hours at night, creating two comics a week would not be impossible!
Of course, the premise was that Haruki could handle such an intense creation pace. After all, the Rurouni Kenshin plot hadn’t collapsed yet. In fact, it had only grown stronger with each chapter, tying everything together in intricate ways. Achieving this effect meant the entire work had to be conceived and completed in its entirety before the first stroke of the pen.
sora didn’t know how long it took Haruki to refine the plot of this work in his mind, but she guessed that it certainly wasn't a short amount of time.
“Hah!” Haruki let out a sigh of relief. He, too, was enjoying the break. After finishing this week’s task, he could finally rest.
It was a holiday!
The idea of working nonstop on manga seemed irrelevant at the moment.
Rurouni Kenshin had already reached Chapter 8 in serialization, and what he had just handed over to sora today was the manuscript for Chapter 11.
At this rate, there were only four more chapters to go, and the story would be finished. It would only be less than two months until it ended.
In comparison, Haruki didn’t feel any nervousness.
"Then, I don’t need to come over for the next few days?" Kotone asked after learning about Haruki's schedule.
"Well, for the remaining days of this week, let’s just rest before the new year!" Haruki nodded.
"It’s winter vacation, so I wouldn’t want to keep you working at my place. After all, the New Year is just around the corner."
"Of course, we could work harder during this period. At the pace we’ve been going, maybe we can finish the four-part plot of the cross wound in the fourth section of Rurouni Kenshin before the end of the year. That way, we can wrap it up, and everyone can enjoy the holidays during the Spring Festival..."
"End... End...?"
As soon as Haruki said this, both sora and Kotone froze.
They had both been following the progress of the story closely, and they realized that when Haruki first brought it up, the end was already in sight.
It turns out that this work had already reached a critical point.
Even if Haruki and Kotone weren't on vacation and had more time to work, based on the pace they had kept, the story would have been finished in a month and published in two months.
"Time... flies so fast..." Kotone whispered.
"Then after this work is over... what will you do, Haruki? The title Rurouni Kenshin implies there are other chapters, right? Are you planning to serialize the rest of it?" Kotone looked at Haruki, curiosity in her eyes.
sora, too, wanted to know the answer.
Other chapters?
"Other chapters... To be honest, I have no idea right now," Haruki said helplessly.
Of course, he knew that the Rurouni Kenshin Remembrance only covered a small part of Rurouni Kenshin. The full original work had been rated as an A-level work by the system. Even if he tried his luck, he didn’t have a good chance of getting the B-level lottery.
But relying on world points to redeem the rest, Haruki realized that he was still far from accumulating enough points to redeem all the chapters of Rurouni Kenshin.
"And next semester is my last in high school, and the college entrance exams are coming up in June. My grades aren't as good as Kotone's, so if I don’t work hard, I’ll probably have a hard time getting into a decent university."
"How can I even think about the future right now? The work isn’t even over yet, and if the popular vote is still number one this week, isn’t there the Aurora manga Award during the New Year?"
"I can only take it one step at a time."
Haruki’s words were ambiguous, and both sora and Kotone lowered their heads, each lost in their thoughts.
"Hey, hey, why aren’t you two saying anything anymore?" Haruki asked, noticing their silence.
The two remained quiet.
"It’s fine, I won’t bring it up again!" Haruki shook his head.
"Sister sora, didn’t you mention before that this Saturday, our manga house will have its annual meeting? Kotone and I were asked to buy suits and dresses for the event. Anyway, since this week’s work is done, the three of us are free. I think... we should go now!"
Haruki’s suggestion immediately caught the attention of sora and Kotone.
Shopping—especially when it came to dresses—was something that easily piqued the interest of the girls, and even Kotone was intrigued.
"Then, shall we go now?" Kotone asked.
"Yes!" Haruki replied with a smile.
---
*In a commercial building in the center of Osaka.*
"Hello, sir, are you satisfied with this suit?"
The shopping assistant approached Haruki as he walked out of the fitting room, smiling.
"That's acceptable."
Haruki glanced at himself in the mirror. The leather shoes added a certain mature charm to his appearance, but the suit felt a bit strange. After all, he had never worn anything like it before.
In the ladies' fitting room nearby, Kotone and Sora emerged together.
Kotone was wearing a red skirt, her shoulders and arms exposed, with a pair of moderately high heels. Her hair cascaded down, and her eyes seemed a little flustered, her cheeks faintly flushed—she looked somewhat embarrassed.
Though she hadn't thought much of seeing similar outfits on TV hosts, wearing them herself made her feel awkward. She wasn't used to the heels, and the exposed areas of the skirt made her uncomfortable, especially compared to her usual casual clothes or ankle-length skirts.
Sora, on the other hand, was wearing a sleek black dress that hugged her slender waist. Her white calves looked elegant, exuding beauty and confidence. Having worked in the industry for several years, Sora had a different aura from Kanna.
The two women attracted the attention of several shoppers around them.
It was the end of the year, and many companies were holding their annual events, including Kurokawa Publishing. The store was crowded, especially with men who frequently glanced at Kotone and Sora.
This only made Kanna feel more uncomfortable.
"Yo! Haruki, not bad!"
Sora noticed Haruki in his suit, her eyes lighting up.
"You used to wear jeans, T-shirts, or school uniforms, so it wasn't very noticeable. But now, you look a little handsome."
Her comment snapped Haruki out of his daze.
He had been slightly distracted by the outfits of Kotone and Sora, but now he responded, "I already know that kind of thing without you pointing it out. And next time, just say 'handsome,' okay?"
Sora rolled her eyes, amused.
"How do you think it looks?" Haruki asked, looking at the two women.
"It’s fine, I guess," Sora replied.
Although Sora had several dresses for events at home, she was still planning to buy a new one for the annual meeting. Women’s wardrobes always seem to lack that one perfect piece.
"It feels a little... too revealing," Kotone murmured, her voice quieter than usual.
"That's just how these outfits are, but you're not used to it. After you see everyone at the event, you'll realize how conservative your style is in comparison," Sora said, shaking her head.
"Then... okay," Kotone replied softly.
Since entering the world of mangas, Kotone had only heard about the Kurokawa publishing's annual meeting and had never attended. The excitement and anticipation of going were one thing, but wearing such an unfamiliar outfit made her feel a bit uneasy.
Both women decided to return to the fitting room to change clothes.
Outside the store, the snow was falling heavily, and it was impossible to go out wearing such a skirt.
Meanwhile, Haruki approached the cashier.
"How much do their shoes, skirts, and my suit and shoes cost?"
"Would you like to check out together, sir?" the cashier asked with a smile.
"Yes."
The cashier quickly rang up the items, and the final total made Haruki's heart race.
So expensive...
It was almost the same amount as... no, it was more than the manuscript fee for more than half a week.
Haruki's first instinct was to calculate his living expenses from the previous month, but then he felt uncomfortable. He recalculated using his weekly manuscript fee instead.
That felt better.
If Haruki had stayed at home today to work on his manga, the cost of the clothes would be equivalent to two weeks' worth of his manuscript fee.
He immediately adjusted his mindset.
Once Kotone and Sora emerged from the fitting room, Haruki had already paid and was putting on his thick down jacket to head home.
"Did you settle the bill?" Sora and Kotone asked, exchanging a glance.
They both knew Haruki had a high income now, but neither was ready to let him pay for everything.
"I'll transfer the money to you..." Kotone said, pulling out her phone.
"Forget it," Haruki waved his hand. "After all, we all worked together to make Rurouni Kenshin such a success. I’ve been wanting to find a way to thank you."
"The gift I gave you last Christmas Eve was part of that, but it seems like Sora didn’t like the scale much. This time, you chose the clothes yourselves. Consider them my gift to you again... no need to transfer the money, I won’t accept it."
"But I really liked the manga tools you gave me... and I’ll pay for Sora’s," Kotone said.
"Alright, alright, let's just go with that," Haruki said, clearly understanding Kotone's reasoning, though he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.
He walked toward the store entrance with the shopping bag in hand, feeling relieved that Kotone had not insisted on accepting the gift.
Sora stopped Kotone, who seemed ready to argue, and shook her head.
"Forget it, Haruki gave the gift because we helped him with his work. Don’t make a big deal out of it."
"Yes, don’t worry about it," Sora added. "Just focus on working on Rurouni Kenshin without leaving any regrets."
For Sora, when she felt a connection to someone, accepting their gift was never an issue. Kotone, on the other hand, was still navigating the social complexities of gift-giving.
"What’s the matter? Why are you still stuck on that?" Haruki called out from the door, looking at them with a bemused expression.
"Okay, we’re coming," Sora said quickly, stepping forward.
Kotone hesitated for a moment but followed.
---
Two days later...
Neither Sora nor Kotone visited Haruki’s place in the following days.
Though Haruki had submitted this week’s manuscript, and despite asking Kotone if she wanted to stay late to finish her work, she had explained that the approaching New Year made things busy. She could easily handle her assistant duties with one word a week, but two words a week would be more difficult...
Since Kotone had said so, Haruki didn’t press the matter.
For him, it didn’t matter whether the manga was completed in two weeks or one month.
---
*New Year’s Eve*
The chill of winter in Osaka couldn’t extinguish the excitement that filled the streets. Children and elderly people alike were out and about in the snow, enjoying the festivities.
Food stalls were allowed to set up in the city, and many schoolchildren with New Year's money eagerly spent it on their favorite manga periodicals and merchandise.
The three major publishing house in Osaka— Hoshikawa , Kurokawa, and Tatsuryu —saw an increase in orders.
Though Kurokawa was surprised by the 30,000 additional orders from their major distributor, they attributed the increase to the New Year season. Still, the number was a bit staggering.
And Friday arrived, marking the release of Rurouni Kenshin’s ninth chapter.
In major bookstores, the sales of Rurouni Kenshin Remembrance were outpacing those of Hoshikawa and Tatsuryu, the other two top periodicals in Osaka.
Haruki’s manga had now become the most talked-about work among fans in the Osaka manga scene.
Although Hoshikawa and Tatsuryu’s works were still popular, Rurouni Kenshin had surged to the top.
The manga had carved out a dominant position in the industry.
Despite the fact that the manga was still a work by a newcomer, it had managed to surpass even established stars. , the mysterious artist behind the work, was rumored to attend the upcoming annual meeting of Kurokawa publishing .
This sparked anticipation within the industry for the upcoming Kurokawa Annual Meeting.
