After the character profiles and background introductions, the next section detailed the outlines of each Chapter.
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[Chapter 1]
On a spring day, as cherry blossoms drift through the air, delinquent high school student Tomoya Okazaki meets a girl named Nagisa Furukawa on his usual walk up the school hill.
As they talk, Tomoya gradually learns more about Nagisa—how she had to repeat a year due to illness and now feels uneasy about her new school environment.
Meanwhile, Nagisa, who dreams of joining the drama club, is devastated to find that the club had been disbanded long ago.
Seeing her disappointment, Tomoya decides to help her revive the drama club.
Accompanying the outline were a few black-and-white illustrations.
In the first image, a lone boy walked along an empty slope. Next to him, lines of monologue were written:
I hate this town. Because it holds nothing but memories I want to forget.
Every day, I go to school, chat idly with my friends, then return to a home I don't want to be in.
Day after day.
Will my life ever change?
When will something finally be different?"
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Just a few simple lines, yet they evoked a deep sense of melancholy.
Recalling the protagonist's backstory, Tanaka immediately understood why he would think this way.
The scene shifted.
"Do you like this school?"
"I love it very much."
"But nothing lasts forever."
A girl, wearing the same school uniform as Tomoya yet completely unfamiliar to him, stood still about 200 meters away from the school.
In the illustration, Tomoya looked at her in surprise, his thoughts written beside him.
"She's not talking to me."
In the next panel, the girl gazed at the sky, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.
"No matter how joyful or happy something is… it will never last forever."
"Even knowing that, do you still love this place?"
Tomoya knew she wasn't speaking to him.
But…
"Then just go and find more of it."
The words escaped his lips before he even realized it.
Startled by the sudden voice, the girl's eyes welled with tears. Her shoulder-length hair swayed gently in the wind as she turned to look at him in surprise.
Unfazed, Tomoya continued, "More happiness, more joy—just go and find them."
The girl remained frozen, as if she still hadn't processed this unexpected conversation.
"Come on, let's go."
With those words, Tomoya took the lead, walking ahead. The girl, still wearing that bewildered expression, hesitantly followed behind him.
The final caption read:
"Everyone has experienced those naive and clueless days. Together, we begin climbing this long… long hill."
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After reading this, Tanaka couldn't hold back his frustration.
"This outline is way too brief!!" Without the illustrations, the first chapter's summary wouldn't have captured even a fraction of the story's charm!
If someone had told him this was supposed to be a Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei type of story, he would have taken it as an insult.
But just from a few pages of artwork, Tanaka could already feel the depth of this tale.
So…
"Yeah, outlines are just references."
Seriously, who actually enjoys reading outlines?
"The preliminary round has plenty of time, so why not just write out the full chapter scripts?"
Even though the added manga panels were a plus, not including full chapter breakdowns was definitely a huge drawback!
And if other contestants were also relying solely on outlines…
Well, none of them were Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei!
As a well-known manga artist, light novel author, anime screenwriter, and game developer, this guy had higher expectations from his fans—wasn't that only natural?!
With those thoughts swirling in his mind, Tanaka continued reading.
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[Chapter 2]
Encouraged by Tomoya, Nagisa decides to rebuild the drama club. Meanwhile, Tomoya unexpectedly crosses paths with the genius girl Kotomi Ichinose in the library...
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This chapter was also illustrated with a few manga panels highlighting its core moments.
Then came Chapter 3, Chapter 4…
Despite being a mix of outlines and manga excerpts, Tanaka found himself utterly engrossed.
Unknowingly, tears welled up in his eyes.
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Kotomi: "This world is beautiful. Even if it's filled with sadness and tears, open your eyes. Do what you want to do. Become who you want to be. Love who you want to love. Find the friends you seek.
Don't rush, don't be lost. Take your time growing up. No matter what happens, never regret meeting this world."
Akio: "We never gave up on our dreams. A child's dream is also their parents' dream. Now, Nagisa, it's your turn to make our dream come true!"
"With the birth of a new life, another life comes to an end."
Ushio: "Sanae said you can't cry in front of others. The only places you can cry are in the bathroom or in Daddy's arms."
A dimly lit living room. A messy floor. A staticky radio playing incomprehensible sounds. A drunken Naoyuki Okazaki slumped over.
A series of hazy, yellow-tinted memories—blurry yet painfully real.
"Hey, Dad… you're tired, aren't you?"
"Maybe… it's time to rest."
"Have I… finally finished?"
"Has my mission… finally come to an end?"
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One scene after another unfolded before Tanaka's eyes, making his tears flow uncontrollably.
From Tomoya's high school days, to his graduation and work, to marriage and starting a family.
Nagisa died during childbirth, leaving behind their daughter, Ushio. Tomoya, drowning in grief, spent five years in despair before finally taking Ushio on a trip—just the two of them.
It was then he realized his mistakes, understood his father's struggles, and finally grasped the weight of being a parent.
Determined to raise Ushio properly, Tomoya made his resolve.
But then, he discovered Ushio was sick. Her condition deteriorated rapidly.
On one of her frequent requests for a trip, Tomoya finally agreed.
Yet, in that heavy snowfall, Ushio reached the end of her journey before they could even finish walking down that long, long road together...
Scene after scene played out, pulling at Tanaka's heartstrings until his tears wouldn't stop.
A person's life is a series of arrivals, encounters, companionships, and farewells.
"DAMN IT EVEN IF THIS IS JUST ROUGH SCRIPT WHY DID YOU END IT HERE!"