After putting away his laptop and briefcase, Kamiyā Yuu prepared, as usual, to head to Uehara Etsuki's office to submit his key animation assignment. These assignments were different from the corrected drawings he normally copied. Copying only required refined drawing skills, whereas assignments demanded that Kamiyā Yuu personally think through and construct every element of the key animation.
One was merely a process that didn't even count as correcting mistakes; the other required creating a work from scratch. The difference in difficulty was like heaven and earth—and it was also the fundamental distinction between a key animator and an animator.
"Knock, knock~!" Holding his assignment drawings in one hand, Kamiyā Yuu tapped on the wooden door of the Key Animation Department's private office. This time, instead of the usual brief response, he heard Morishita Aoi's questioning voice from inside: "Who is it?"
Kamiyā Yuu hesitated slightly before replying, "Kamiyā."
The door opened. As he stepped inside, he saw a surprising scene—also the reason for Morishita Aoi's cautious inquiry. In addition to them, there were two unexpected visitors in Uehara Etsuki's office.
Fujiawara Tora, the head of the Production Department, and Kimura Jirō, the Production Assistant who had come up with him earlier. Fujiawara Tora was kneeling on both knees, his body deeply bowed in a formal Japanese samurai-style apology. Beside him, Kimura Jirō knelt as well, though his gaze wandered.
At the desk, Uehara Etsuki sat upright, her brows slightly furrowed. Her calm, composed face showed clear displeasure. The heavy atmosphere seemed to freeze the air itself, making it feel hard to breathe.
"Kamiyā-kun, you came at the right time. We'll need your opinion on this matter as well," Morishita Aoi said, adjusting her black-framed glasses and closing the door neatly behind him, her tone carrying a hint of exasperation.
Kamiyā Yuu glanced at the strange duo and nodded subtly.
"Please! Right now, the only ones who can save us are the Key Animation Department! If you agree to our request, we'll do anything!" Fujiawara Tora pleaded sincerely, still bowing deeply.
"Please." Kimura Jirō echoed like a broken record, though his yawning, lazy demeanor showed little sincerity.
Kamiyā Yuu wisely remained silent, standing to the side and waiting for things to unfold.
After a long moment of thought, Uehara Etsuki opened her eyes and replied calmly, "It would be difficult for our department to reorganize on such short notice. And this situation arose because you pushed Hongō-sensei too hard, didn't it? You should know he's already over seventy—he can't devote all his energy to key animation like before."
"Yes, we understand! We're very sorry!" Fujiawara Tora apologized earnestly without lifting his head.
"Very sorry!" Kimura Jirō repeated.
Morishita Aoi glanced at Kamiyā Yuu before asking, "What exactly is the situation?"
"Yes. At present, Hongō-sensei has completed about half of the key animation cuts for Episode 12. However, due to his sudden hospitalization, he couldn't finish the remaining half. After receiving the news, I contacted every freelance key animator I could, but all of them refused for various reasons," Fujiawara Tora explained gravely.
"Why did you dump all the accumulated drafts onto Hongō-sensei in the first place?" Morishita Aoi asked sharply.
"What choice did we have? He was the only one capable of handling Episode 12's key animation. Even the director said so," Kimura Jirō shrugged, answering carelessly.
"Shut up! This is our Production Department's failure," Fujiawara Tora snapped, glaring at him.
"All the freelancers refused—is it because of the pay?" Morishita Aoi ignored Kimura Jirō's excuse and folded her arms thoughtfully.
"No. It's because the requirements for Episode 12 are too complex, and the deadline is too tight! Even experienced key animators can't guarantee they can complete it in time."
Morishita Aoi looked at the kneeling pair and sneered. "So that's why you came to the Key Animation Department? Always dumping your problems on us. Last time, your mess already caused Kamiyā-kun to collapse from overwork, and now you're here begging again. Your skin is thick enough to build a city wall."
Kamiyā Yuu touched his cheek but still didn't speak.
"We deeply apologize. This was an unforeseen emergency!" Fujiawara Tora said solemnly, maintaining his bow.
"Deeply apologize," Kimura Jirō echoed again—only for Fujiawara Tora to suddenly press his head down to the floor with his hand.
"Ah… boss!"
Fujiawara Tora turned slightly, glaring at him with fiery eyes and gritting his teeth. "This is your fault. Now behave and apologize properly."
"Y-Yes!" Kimura Jirō obediently lowered himself and stayed silent.
Morishita Aoi rubbed her forehead helplessly. "Honestly… what a pair. Etsuki, what should we do?"
"How many unfinished cuts remain?" Uehara Etsuki asked calmly.
"About 40 cuts."
"That's roughly half a month's workload. What about the deadline?"
"Please… try to complete them within one week," Fujiawara Tora replied, clearly lacking confidence.
Uehara Etsuki lifted her teacup and took a slow sip before saying lightly, "I'm afraid I must refuse. Even if the workload were evenly distributed among all members of the Key Animation Department, it would still be a considerable burden. They don't have extra time to take on additional work."
"Please! This concerns whether Episode 12 will be delayed! If it is, the popularity of 'Mr. Onigiri Man' will drop significantly. After that, we won't even have the face to remain in this company!"
A trace of coldness touched Uehara Etsuki's lips. "After making such repeated major mistakes, you're already unqualified to remain in the Production Department. What more is there to say?"
"Yes… But this isn't just about us anymore. Please, no matter what, consider it carefully. If the Key Animation Department is willing to help, Kimura and I are willing to offer our salaries for this month as additional bonuses for completing the work."
"Wha—my salary too!?" Kimura Jirō raised his head in protest, only to be forcefully shoved back down by Fujiawara Tora.
"Kimura! Shut up!" he barked.
Uehara Etsuki shook her head and sighed softly. "Come back during the lunch break. I'll ask the members of the Key Animation Department for their opinions. But remember this, Fujiawara-kun—this is not something I will help you with a third time. And whether the members are willing to take it on is up to them. If they refuse, you'll have to take these storyboard drafts back."
"Yes! Thank you very much!" Fujiawara Tora finally lifted his head. His square face was drenched in sweat, and even the floor beneath him showed visible damp marks—it was clear how much pressure he had been under.
He pulled Kimura Jirō up and backed out of the office. Before leaving, he bowed deeply once more toward Uehara Etsuki.
"Thank you for your trouble."