The cheerful plot of the trio previously searching for opponents in Go clubs was completely swept away.
"There are only thirty professional Go player spots in total. There can't be a dream-shattering plot, right?"
"Exactly. Isumi and Hikaru are two of the strongest players in the dojo. And besides that unsociable guy Ochi, there's no reason either of them should fail, right?"
"But the manga isn't only about their dojo! There are other dojos, and even self-taught amateur masters. In a professional qualification tournament like this, anything can happen."
"In these two chapters, Shirogane-sensei has been intensely depicting Isumi's psychology after seeing Hikaru's growth. He's happy for Hikaru, but also a little regretful about helping him overcome his psychological barrier, basically nurturing a terrifying opponent for himself."
"If you tell me this isn't foreshadowing, I won't believe you."
"There are only two days left until the hikaru no go TV series airs, and this week's plot stops here? This is torture."
"Shirogane-sensei is still the king of cliffhangers."
"Alright, that's it for this week's serialization."
"When will the professional qualification tournament end? It feels like it's been going on forever."
"One month in the manga, two months in real life. Absolute agony."
"Don't even mention it. One game in the manga means another whole week of waiting."
"That's all for today. Two days from now, everyone gather at Capital Television Station at 9 PM and see what the live-action hikaru no go is like."
"Let me say this first: no matter how bad the other actors are, I'll give Shirogane-sensei face and keep quiet. But if Sai's acting is bad, I'm going berserk on the spot."
"Same. Other characters I can tolerate, but Sai is non-negotiable."
"The day after tomorrow at 9 PM, remember to support the ratings. Don't let fans of other TV series mock us hikaru no go fans."
"Support! No matter what, we need a top-three rating this quarter."
Late at night, Rei was still scrolling through the comments under his account.
Most of them were messages of support, encouragement, and complaints about his merciless cliffhangers.
These people were the manga's earliest readers, the core fanbase that had followed hikaru no go from the very beginning, week after week, voting almost without fail.
Rei exhaled slowly.
After this week's serialization ended, his attention could no longer stay on the manga alone.
Whether he liked it or not, his thoughts kept drifting toward the TV series.
His confidence in hikaru no go had never wavered. But confidence didn't mean immunity to anxiety.
Once the drama aired, praise and criticism alike would come crashing down all at once.
That night, Rei barely slept.
The next morning, as soon as he arrived at school, people began greeting him from all directions.
Some were classmates. Some were acquaintances.
Some were complete strangers.
All of them wore similar expressions, excitement mixed with curiosity, as they congratulated him on the hikaru no go TV series' soaring attention and early buzz.
Rei responded politely, but mechanically.
As for Miyu, his closest friend, she didn't bother with empty congratulations.
At noon, the two stood on the rooftop. Rei leaned against the railing, phone in hand, waiting for Misaki's call about her results.
Miyu glanced at him and smiled.
"Come to my house tomorrow night."
Rei blinked.
"To your house? Why?"
"Isn't my deadline on Tuesday?" she said lightly.
"My sister asked me to tell you. The hikaru no go TV series airs tomorrow."
She paused, then added,
"She set up a huge projector and screen at home. It's the first time a project she's responsible for is going on TV."
"She wants to watch it together with you. The original author."
Rei thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
"Editor Misaki is more ceremonial than I expected," he said. "Alright. I understand."
Miyu's lips curved upward.
"Then it's settled."
October 2nd. Thursday night.
Before going to bed, Rei posted the same short message across all his creator accounts.
The content was simple, cooperating with the production team for the final broadcast announcement of hikaru no go.
Almost at the same time, the official hikaru no go production account posted it.
The main cast reposted it.
Hoshimori Group's official site followed suit.
Rika's personal account shared it as well.
Even the official account of the Japan's Go Association joined in.
And Saki.
A fellow manga artist, once publicly acknowledged by Shirogane, yet still shrouded in mystery, she, too, urged her followers to tune in to Capital Television Station at 9 PM the next night.
Within hours, the news spread through the country entertainment industry like wildfire.
Active fans saw it immediately. Casual viewers learned of it passively.
Either way, the message reached them.
Midnight passed quietly.
October 3rd, Friday arrived.
At school, Rei couldn't focus on a single lecture.
Time crawled.
When the final bell finally rang in the afternoon, he felt as if he had survived an ordeal.
Without wasting a moment, he and Miyu got into a taxi and headed straight for her home.
Misaki had already ordered a large table of sumptuous dishes for dinner.
But in reality, the three of them ate absent-mindedly.
From time to time, all three glanced down at the clocks on their phones.
7:00 PM…
7:42 PM…
8:36 PM…
As time quietly passed, the ratings of Capital Television Station continued to rise.
Hikaru no go fans from every province across Japan were switching on their televisions and tuning in.
Viewers drawn in by the online promotional trailers.
Regular audiences loyal to Capital Television Station.
These different groups gradually converged, and finally, at 8:52 PM, confirmed by the station's backend staff, the real-time ratings surpassed 3.5%, ranking second among all TV stations in the same time slot.
Rei, Miyu, and Misaki knew none of this.
The three of them sat quietly in the living room, saying nothing, subconsciously counting down the seconds on their fingers.
Then;
The clock struck 9:00 PM exactly.
The screen of Capital Television Station suddenly froze.
In the next instant, a bright and passionate youthful chorus rang out.
Rei recognized it immediately.
This was the Japan's rearranged version of the original hikaru no go opening theme.
The moment the singer opened his mouth, the passionate, spirited feeling of the original song burst forth without restraint.
Misaki and Miyu both turned to look at Rei.
Others might not have known.
But how could the two of them not?
The opening theme of hikaru no go had been composed by Rei himself, with lyrics and arrangement handled by the renowned musician Jia.
Lyrics could be changed. Arrangement could be rewritten.
But melody never lied.
After only a few seconds, both of them could already tell, this song was high quality.
Miyu and Misaki stared straight at Rei.
"No way," Miyu said instinctively.
"You actually understand music too? This was really composed by you?"
"It's genuine," Rei coughed lightly, then added,
"Keep watching. In the first episode, besides the opening and ending themes, there are also two insert songs I submitted. I'll let you know when they come on."
He shifted his gaze back to the screen.
"For now…"
"Let's watch the show."
...
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