Chapter 14: The Volume Release [2]
8:00 Am
In the morning he had Signed Eighty and Seventy in the afternoon.
By the afternoon of the third day, he signed the 500th book.
On the last one, he added a small note: "Thank you."
He closed it.
He repacked the books and taped the box shut. The courier came to pick it up an hour later.
"Heavy," the driver grunted. "What's in here? Bricks?"
"Books."
"You selling them?"
"Something like that."
The driver didn't ask more. Alex watched the truck drive away, feeling the room suddenly empty.
He went back to his desk and opened the storyboard for Chapter 15.
[New Semester.]
Hachiken returns to school. Alex needed to convey the shift in mindset. The way the environment hadn't changed, but the boy had.
{The bus rattled to a halt in front of the familiar, weathered gate of Ooezo Agricultural High. Hachiken stepped off, lugging his heavy bag.
The spring wind hit him immediately, carrying the distinct, earthy cocktail of manure, feed, and wet grass. A few months ago, this smell had made him cover his nose and gag. It had been the scent of a prison.
Now?
Hachiken took a deep breath, filling his lungs. It didn't smell like perfume, but it smelled like life.
He walked down the long gravel path. The dormitories loomed ahead, not as ominous fortresses, but as the place where his friends were waiting. He saw students running toward the stables, heard the distant lowing of cattle.
"Hey! Hachiken!"
He looked up to see Komaba jogging toward him, looking as stoic and muscular as ever.
"You actually came back," Komaba said, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Thought the city would swallow you up."
Hachiken adjusted his glasses, a small, genuine smile breaking through his usual anxiety. "And miss potato planting season? Not a chance."
He was back. And for the first time, he realized he wasn't just escaping to here. He was returning home.}
Alex drew Hachiken walking down the familiar hallway, greeting classmates, looking out the window at the fields. The landscape that once felt alien was now his daily life.
The phone rang again.
Unknown number. Alex ignored it.
It rang again. And a third time.
Alex picked up. "Hello?"
"Is this Mr. Alex Walker?" A middle-aged man's voice. Smooth, professional.
"Speaking."
"Hello, Mr. Walker. I'm Mr. Zhou, Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Manga Weekly."
Alex didn't speak.
"I know you are under contract with NextGen," Zhou said quickly. "I'm not calling to poach you. I just wanted to express our admiration. Everyone here at Manga Weekly loves Silver Spoon. It's the kind of warm, authentic storytelling the market is missing."
"Thank you," Alex said, guarding his tone.
"We're launching a new column next month called 'New Generation Voices.' We'd love to invite you as our first guest," Zhou continued. "No face-to-face needed. Email interview or phone. We respect your privacy. We'll send the questions for approval first."
"I'll have to clear it with my editor."
"Of course, of course," Zhou said. "Take your time. And... frankly speaking, if there is ever an opportunity in the future—not now, but down the road—we would love to work with you. Our magazine has significant resources in the seinen and slice-of-life genres. We might be a better fit for a mature work like Silver Spoon."
The subtext was loud and clear. We won't steal you today, but the door is open. We have more money and more prestige.
"I'll keep that in mind," Alex said.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Walker."
Alex hung up.
Manga Weekly. One of the "Big Three." Their circulation dwarfed NextGen. And the Deputy Chief called personally.
Sue was right. Everyone was watching.
His phone buzzed. A text from Sue.
"Did Manga Weekly call you?"
Alex replied: "Yeah."
"Ignore them. They do this to every rookie who gets hot. Just focus on the manuscript. We'll handle the politics."
"Got it."
Alex put the phone down and picked up his pen. He pushed the corporate maneuvering out of his mind.
He needed to finish Chapter 15. The ending needed to be visceral. It was Hachiken's first time assisting with a birth.
{
The barn was hot, humid, and smelled of iron and amniotic fluid. The cow groaned, a low, guttural sound of distress that vibrated in Hachiken's chest.
"Don't just stand there, idiot!" Komaba barked, his arms slick up to the elbows. "Grab the towel! Wipe the mucus!"
Hachiken froze. The calf was halfway out, a wet, slimy bundle of life. It looked fragile. Too fragile. His hands were shaking so violently he could barely hold the cloth. What if he hurt it? What if he messed up?
"Hachiken!" Komaba's voice cut through the panic. "Do it now, or it can't breathe!"
Hachiken gritted his teeth. He forced his body to move. He lunged forward, grabbing the calf's head. It was warm. Shockingly warm. He wiped the nostrils, his fingers trembling against the wet snout.
The calf twitched. Then, it let out a wet sneeze and took its first, ragged breath.
Hachiken fell back onto the straw, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his nose. He looked at his hands, covered in slime and blood. It was disgusting. It was terrifying.
And it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.}
Alex finished the last panel late at night.
He saved the file and sent it to Sue.
He stood up and looked out the window.
The ranch was silent. Distant lights from neighboring farms twinkled like stars on the ground.
On the official release day of Volume 1, Alex went into town.
He didn't go into the bookstore. He just rode past.
In the window, a display of Silver Spoon was prominent. A sign read: LIMITED SIGNED EDITION - IN STOCK.
The store was busy. Students were lined up at the counter, holding copies. Mr. Henderson was ringing them up, head down, working fast.
Alex lingered for a moment, then pedaled away.
On the way home, he passed the elementary school. On the community bulletin board, someone had stapled a poster for Silver Spoon. Next to it, handwritten in marker: "Local Author! Support Our Own!"
The town was pushing him. Or rather, pushing "Alex Walker," the local boy done good.
He sped up, leaving the poster behind.
Back home, he checked his email.
Sue had sent a sales update.
Day 1 Flash Report:
Signed Editions sold out in 3 hours online and in-store.
Standard Edition Day 1 Sales estimated at 20,000 copies.
Congratulations.
20,000 copies in one day.
Alex stared at the screen.
20,000 copies.
Signed editions gone in hours.
A call from the Deputy Chief of the biggest magazine in the country.
It was all good news.
It was all terrifying.
( To be Continued)
Read more Chapters in Patreon
Patreon.com/Otaku_Reader