Shinjuku-sanchome Station.
Today, Sawamura Sayuri, Kosaka Akane, and Machida Sonoko, all dressed in casual clothes, were sitting on a nearby bench waiting for Tsushima Kagami.
"Why is Kagami-kun so slow?"
Sayuri complained while looking at the countless flyers she had accepted earlier.
"The station announcement just now seemed to mention an accident on one of the lines. It couldn't be the line Junior Kagami is taking to get here, right?" Kosaka Akane added at this moment.
"Ah, then when will Kagami-kun be able to arrive?"
Just as Sayuri finished speaking, she saw Machida Sonoko walking over from a distance.
"I've already contacted Uncle Watanabe. He said we just need to tell the front desk when we arrive, and they will notify him." Machida Sonoko looked at Sawamura Sayuri and Kosaka Akane, then pointed to the coffee shop nearby. "How about we go sit in there? We can see Kagami-kun from there, too."
Just as the two were about to agree and move, they heard a roar. All three followed the sound of the engine.
They saw a long-haired woman dressed in a dashing black outfit, riding a motorcycle—brand and model unknown but looking incredibly cool—come to a steady stop at the station exit opposite them.
The woman tossed her long hair, which had been messed up by the wind, and looked at the boy who had already dismounted behind her.
After taking off the helmet, the boy's face was pale.
"Kagami-kun!"
Seeing that the person getting off the motorcycle was Tsushima Kagami, Sayuri and the others immediately trotted over.
At this moment, Tsushima Kagami had just returned the helmet to Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"T... Thank you very much."
"Ahahaha, we're all bros here. It was on the way, what's there to thank me for?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka patted Tsushima Kagami on the back. After putting the helmet back on, she twisted the throttle again.
"Those guys from the MPD are still chasing me, so I'll head back first. You should leave here quickly."
"Okay."
"See you at school."
Fighting the urge to vomit, Tsushima Kagami thanked her again. He watched Hiratsuka Shizuka wave at his reflection in the rearview mirror before speeding away amidst a roar of the engine and exhaust fumes.
Tsushima Kagami saw Sayuri and the others trotting over, so he walked forward to meet them.
"Sorry, I'm late."
"It's fine, we already gave them a heads-up," Machida Sonoko said with a smile.
"Kagami-kun, who was that girl just now?"
"Ah, also a student from Private Ousai. A friend, I guess."
"Thanks to her, otherwise I would have arrived even later."
"Oh, oh. Then let's go quickly."
As she spoke, Sawamura Sayuri prepared to pull Tsushima Kagami's arm to leave.
" wouldn't it be better for Junior Kagami to rest a bit?" Kosaka Akane asked with concern, noticing Tsushima Kagami's bloodless face.
"No, no, no, we have to go immediately."
Amidst the trio's confusion, it was Tsushima Kagami who pushed them to leave the area in a hurry.
Tokyo, Shinjuku Ward, Naitomachi, Block 1. The company headquarters of Comic Kairakuten, WANI Magazine (Wani Magajin-sha), was located here.
Because WANI Magazine used a crocodile as its logo, it was also referred to by everyone as the "Crocodile Company."
In addition to Comic Kairakuten, its portfolio included various periodicals such as Comic Kairakuten BEAST and Comic Shitsurakuten. Besides these, they also had serialized periodicals for general audiences.
Many famous artists who eventually "went legit" made their debut here.
Today, the editorial department of WANI Magazine happened to be in a meeting.
"So, are you saying the King Award is going to be vacant again this time?"
A man who appeared to be the Editor-in-Chief looked at the others in the conference room.
"Many people are now saying that our adult manga award is harder to get than Shueisha's Newcomer Award. They say we intentionally leave the King Award vacant every year just as a gimmick."
"There are also people saying that WANI Magazine is stingy, that we purely can't bear to part with the 500,000 yen prize money for the King Award."
"If this goes on, our Newcomer Award will be looked down upon by people!"
In the world before Tsushima Kagami transmigrated, Comic Kairakuten officially launched its biannual Manga Newcomer King Award in 1997.
A total of four levels of awards were established: the King Award with 500,000 yen, the Prince Award with 300,000 yen, the Princess Award with 100,000 yen, and the Encouragement Award with 50,000 yen.
In the results of the first competition, OKAMA took the Prince Award, and female artist Natsumikan won the Princess Award.
Among them, OKAMA would later be responsible for the mechanical designs in many well-known anime works such as the Evangelion New Theatrical Editions: Jo, Ha, Genesis of Aquarion, and Symphogear.
However, this crossover world was slightly different. Tsushima Kagami understood that the magazine was also founded in '94, but the Newcomer Award had existed since the magazine's inception.
"Um, Editor-in-Chief, although it is true that our company has always had high requirements, even if we lowered the standards for the submissions this time, it is indeed difficult to select a convincing work."
Chief Editor Watanabe, sitting to the side, spoke up somewhat awkwardly to explain.
Just then, a secretary walked in.
She bowed slightly apologetically to the Editor-in-Chief, then walked over to Chief Editor Watanabe and whispered a few words in his ear.
Chief Editor Watanabe nodded, then stood up. "Apologies. A teacher I previously commissioned has finished his manuscript and is waiting for me downstairs today. I'll go receive him first."
After the Editor-in-Chief nodded, the two walked out together.
In the reception hall of WANI Magazine, Sayuri and the others were looking at the displayed merchandise—unsuitable for children—with surprise, pointing and commenting from time to time.
"Senior Akane, look at this tongue sticking out and the heart eyes. What do you think if I draw this into a BL doujin for the summer doujin fair?"
Kosaka Akane actually thought about it seriously, then shook her head. "I feel like two men doing that would be too weird."
Machida Sonoko was also sitting to the side, constantly flipping through back issues of magazines provided free for guests.
"Kagami-kun, look quickly. Is it really this big?"
Tsushima Kagami leaned over to take a glance.
"How is that possible? It's drawn exaggeratedly on purpose."
Just as the group was discussing ceaselessly, the door opened, and Chief Editor Watanabe walked in.
"Uncle Watanabe (Watanabe-san)."
It turned out this Chief Editor Watanabe was Machida Sonoko's uncle.
"Sonoko-chan, I've finally been waiting for you all."
"Which one is Xuanyayi-sensei? I want to see the teacher's completed artwork!"
Tsushima Kagami stepped forward and handed over the document bag.
"Watanabe-san, please take a look."
"You must be Xuanyayi-sensei. Ever since Sonoko, that child, showed me one page of your draft last time, she kept refusing to give me the rest."
"It has made me constantly think about your art style and technique from back then."
After speaking, Chief Editor Watanabe dispensed with further pleasantries. He took the document bag with both hands and took out the manga manuscript from inside.
Then, he began to examine it carefully, page by page.
The group also curiously observed Chief Editor Watanabe, who was quietly looking at the manuscript.
They saw that Chief Editor Watanabe's hands holding the manuscript began to tremble slightly, and he kept muttering under his breath.
"Lines... this art style... this storyboard... the lighting... the expressions... the poses... the anatomy... the perspective... the tension... and this skilled use of heavy hatching."
"This is art!"
...
When Chief Editor Watanabe returned to the conference hall, he did not go directly back to his seat. Instead, he went to the side of the Editor-in-Chief and took out Tsushima Kagami's manuscript from earlier.
"Your Excellency Editor-in-Chief, we have a winner for the Newcomer King Award this time!"
____
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