Rei gazed at the newly completed manga draft in his hands, growing more pleased with each passing moment.
Though it lacked color, voice acting, and background music—elements that enhanced anime—Rei found that the simple black-and-white lines of manga often delivered a more profound emotional impact than its animated counterpart.
This realization had struck him deeply during his previous life, when he had experienced both the original manga and its anime adaptation.
I wonder if Japanese readers will feel an even stronger impact from this manga version of 5 Centimeters Per Second than I did from the anime in my past life.
A smile tugged at Rei's lips. While his past life's painful experiences still stung, there was a certain satisfaction in watching others stumble into the same pitfalls he had once fallen into.
Reborn as a manga artist, Rei was not only returning to his former profession to resolve his financial crisis but also genuinely enjoying the process.
As dawn broke, Rei rose early, washed up, and prepared breakfast.
In Japan, the pressure to advance to high school wasn't as intense as it had been in his previous life. The societal and industrial structure was relatively balanced, ensuring that most people could find a job to support themselves, regardless of their educational attainment. This was why Rei's school, even at the first-year high school level, remained a day school.
Entering the classroom, Rei found the usual scene: students in the front rows, known for their academic performance, were discussing sports and study-related topics, while those in the back focused on manga, anime, and games. Despite the school's ban, many students still brought manga novels and magazines to read during class.
This scene clearly illustrated the pervasive influence of the anime industry in modern Japan.
The two morning math classes passed quickly. Although Rei had been a struggling manga artist and illustrator in his previous life, he actually held a degree in engineering. As a graduate of a top-tier university in his past life, he hadn't touched these subjects for years, but the fundamentals remained. Mastering the first-year high school material felt effortless.
Moreover, high school education in this world wasn't as competitive, and the average academic level of students wasn't particularly high.
If things continue like this, maybe I could even get into a prestigious university in this world? Rei mused as the dismissal bell rang.
But his thoughts were soon interrupted.
A lively and beautiful girl appeared at the classroom door, drawing the gazes of all the boys in the class.
Every school has its one or two girls who become the center of attention among the student body.
Miyu was undoubtedly one of them.
Otherwise, Rei wouldn't have recognized her instantly when he saw her on the rooftop yesterday.
"Rei-kun, Rei-kun! It's me! Come out here for a minute!"
Miyu waved enthusiastically from the classroom doorway, her voice clear, crisp, and melodious.
Everyone's attention shifted from Miyu to Rei, a relatively inconspicuous figure in the class.
Though Rei was quite handsome, his grades on the previous semester's final exams were average, and his reserved personality kept him from standing out. Naturally, he didn't attract much attention in class.
Rei glanced up, recognized her, and, understanding the situation, rose from his seat and walked toward the door.
"Last night, my sister and I—"
"Hmm, should we talk here?"
Miyu glanced around, only to find herself surrounded by curious, gossipy eyes.
"Let's go to the rooftop!" she chuckled softly.
While she was willing to reveal her identity as a manga artist to Rei—a kindred spirit—exposing it to just anyone would inevitably lead to unwanted attention from the homeroom teacher and parental visits. How annoying!
As the two figures left, the students in Rei's classroom erupted into chatter.
On the rooftop.
"I spoke with my editor. She said she'd schedule a time to review your submission, but she won't show any favoritism toward your work just because I recommended you." Miyu cut straight to the point, wasting no time on pleasantries.
"In fact, I can tell you this: precisely because I'm the one who introduced you, her review standards will be even stricter than usual. If the quality of your manga manuscript isn't significantly higher than the average mailed submission, she's unlikely to accept it."
"I have no objections," Rei said after a brief pause, nodding.
After all, this was 5 Centimeters Per Second. If a submission aimed at a third-tier Japanese manga magazine couldn't pass the review of some unknown editor, then the editor's judgment was questionable, and not collaborating might be the better choice.
Moreover, Rei's purpose in submitting his manuscript through Miyu's connection was to ensure his work would be taken seriously, not to seek special treatment.
With over a billion people in Japan and tens of millions in Tokyo alone, countless aspiring manga artists vied for recognition. Every day, countless manga submissions flooded the editorial offices of these magazines.
A responsible editor might diligently review the mailed manga submissions, sifting through the mountain of amateurish works to find that one so-called "genius" piece.
But if the editor was irresponsible and only focused on clocking out, the outcome was far less predictable.
It was all too common for them to casually glance at a manga manuscript you'd spent a month or two creating before tossing it into the storage room.
Japan wasn't lacking in aspiring manga artists; what it lacked was true genius.
"So, how should we schedule this?" Rei Kirishima asked.
The manga magazine publisher didn't operate on weekends, and Rei had school from Monday to Friday. As he spoke, he was already mentally preparing to ask his homeroom teacher for a day off to submit his manuscript.
"When will your manga manuscript be finished?" Miyu asked, turning to Rei.
"Actually, it's already completed. The entire manuscript is in my backpack in the classroom," Rei replied.
After inexplicably entering a state of hyper-focus last night, Rei had worked with astonishing speed, staying up until 2 a.m. to finish the manuscript he'd estimated would take over two days to complete.
I might still need to find some time to refine a few details in the earlier chapters, aiming for perfection, but the current state is perfectly acceptable for submitting to the editor.
"Already?" Miyu asked, surprised.
"Then let's do it this afternoon."
"Eh? School ends at 5:30, and Hoshimori Publishing Group's headquarters are in central Tokyo. Even if we take the train, we won't get there until after 7. Asking an editor to wait for us until then..." Rei Kirishima hesitated.
"Of course we're not going to Hoshimori Publishing Group's editorial department!" Miyu said with a smile.
"We're going to my house."
Rei looked up at Miyu, who quickly explained with a smile:
"The manga editor I mentioned is actually my older sister. I can't get her to give you special treatment during the review process, but asking her to work a little overtime tonight shouldn't be a problem."
"Your sister?"
"Yep, you didn't expect that, did you?" Miyu laughed.
"But don't get the wrong idea. As I said before, my sister is very strict with me. The only reason I got my manga serialized under her supervision is because my skills surpassed those of other aspiring manga artists who submitted their work at the same time. I earned my serialization through sheer competitive merit."
She raised a finger, her face completely serious.
"In fact, because I'm her sister she's harsher on me compared to any other artist."
I see.
So the editor Miyu trusted most was also her older sister. This certainly explained her confidence in a direct submission.
And this also explained why she was sure he'd recieve no special treatment.