"A Go manga?"
Misaki's mind buzzed.
She genuinely wondered if she had misheard him.
Sure, Japanhad plenty of works that blended romance with sports or competitions. Romance plus baseball, romance plus shogi, romance plus music, those had broad audiences.
Guys and girls could both enjoy them.
But romance plus… Go?
Running, tennis, basketball, soccer, everyone understood them. Even casual readers could relate.
Go, on the other hand, immediately filtered out 95% of people.
Of the remaining 5%, how many even read manga?
Of course, Misaki knew exceptions existed, truly great works could pull total beginners into a niche world.
But could Rei guarantee his Go manga would be that strong? Strong enough to make Go-illiterate readers fall in love with it?
If not… the theme itself was a massive filter.
Rei clearly sensed what she was thinking. He spoke before she could.
"Editor Misaki, do you remember the rule I told you before?"
Misaki's eyes flickered, then she understood.
Comic Artist status.
If Rei's work didn't violate national laws or morality, no one at Hoshimori Group had the authority to force plot changes.
Not even for a Go manga.
Rei's voice remained calm:
"Trust me. I know the weaknesses of a Go series. But this manga will be a hit. Even readers who know nothing about Go will fall for it."
Misaki inhaled sharply.
"Rei, think this through. Your new work already passed Chief Editor Han's approval. You can directly enter the Dream serialization meeting. But that does not guarantee selection. If you choose a practical, grounded theme, your chances of passing will be much higher."
Misaki didn't doubt Rei's talent, she doubted the genre.
Even geniuses had flops. Even top-tier creators had new works canceled.
Fame didn't guarantee survival.
Rei didn't argue market logic.
"Editor Misaki… my new manga is Hikaru no Go. And it won't change."
Yes, it was niche. Yes, it filtered readers. Yes, it broke every marketing rule.
But Rei knew what Misaki didn't:
Hikaru no Go was a miracle.
In his past life, it sparked millions of people worldwide to pick up Go. Even total beginners could read it effortlessly.
It changed an entire generation.
Silence filled the call.
Just when Rei thought the signal had dropped, Misaki finally spoke.
"Rei… opportunities in life aren't unlimited. Sometimes the chance you casually bet on might be the last chance you'll ever have. Most people only understand this after youth has faded and regret becomes permanent."
Her voice trembled slightly, but her tone was firm.
"You've chosen to stake this hard-earned opportunity on a Go manga. Then I'll respect that. I'll believe you aren't blindly arrogant from a little success."
A pause.
Then: "You want a professional Go consultant, someone extremely skilled, with free time, who can advise your matches, right?"
Another breath.
"Don't underestimate me. I'm not just a manga editor. I have connections in industries far outside manga."
"I'll find someone for you. No later than two weeks."
Rei went silent for a moment. Then, quietly: "Thank you."
The call with Misaki ended quickly.
Rei's fans, of course, had no idea he was already preparing a new manga.
They were still basking in the emotional afterglow of Tonight, obsessing over tankōbon sales and rereading the finale.
But certain organizations in Japan had already placed Shirogane on their radar.
This year, japan's manga scene had seen plenty of new creators debut, just like every year. But among all these newcomers, only three had tankōbon sales that broke the one-million mark.
And one of them in Shirogane, the monster who appeared out of nowhere in the second half of the year.
And the ridiculous part?
Shirogane didn't just have one million-seller. She had two.
Five Centimeters per Second only needed a little more time before crossing the mark.
And Tonight?
With a first-week 560,000 blast, it was obviously going to break a million within two months.
The annual New Manga Artist Award nominates ten people, but everyone knows only the top three matter.
The other seven are decorations.
And this year's top three candidates were already obvious. The only real suspense was: Who gets the gold?
Once competition appears, everything changes.
Rei's fans originally just loved his work in peace. But now that Shirogane was in direct conflict with two other rising stars, the fanbases collided like firecrackers.
Ren vs Minami had already been at each other's throats for months. Add Shirogane into the mix, and suddenly the entire internet became a three-way war zone.
"What genius high-school girl? Shirogane is probably so ugly she doesn't dare show her face."
"Just wait. When they nominate her and she comes on stage, if an ugly girl appears, all you Shirogane fans will die of embarrassment."
"Manga artists are judged on their work, not their looks. If I cared about faces, I'd stan idols. And what if she really is a pretty genius girl? Then what will your fandom do? You already lose in achievements, and then you lose in appearance too? And the funniest part is your artist is twenty years older than her."
"Female fans are so shallow. Always talking about looks. Ren's work is better."
"Please. Ren's style is so niche it smells like his famous manga-artist dad ghostwrote half the plot. If he wins the Newcomer Award, I'm done with Japna's entire award system."
"You three fanbases are hilarious, talking as if the winner is guaranteed to be one of you. Did it never cross your mind that maybe none of your favorites will win?"
"None of them? Are you delusional? The next best newcomer has an average 520,000 sales. If THAT wins over three million-selling monsters, Japan's manga industry should close shop immediately."