Chapter 29: Risk Prevention Consciousness
The Editorial Department here, because of the piles of manga books and hand-drawn manuscripts, was filled with the special aroma of paper and ink mixed together in the air.
Mikazuki Haruna didn’t react at the instant she saw that profile, only realizing after a few seconds that the face was particularly familiar!
A person from the dream?!
This thought flashed through her mind like lightning, and she immediately stopped in her tracks, turning around.
Almost instinctively, she started walking, chasing after that figure.
However, just those few seconds of delay meant she only saw a back view quickly disappearing around the corner at the end of the corridor.
Mikazuki Haruna stopped, her gaze searching around, but the person’s figure was already nowhere to be seen.
“Miyuki Haru Sensei?” Ono Tomohiro’s voice came from behind, snapping her out of her daze.
Haruna came back to her senses and said, “I think I just saw an acquaintance.”
“An acquaintance?”
Haruna thought about how she had lost composure earlier and quickly explained, “It’s nothing, I might have just seen wrong…”
Ono Tomohiro didn’t think much of it and gestured invitingly forward with a smile.
“You can look around the company’s public areas, but let’s discuss the main matter first. Let’s go in and talk.”
“Okay.”
Mikazuki Haruna nodded and followed behind.
……
In the meeting room.
Haruna hadn’t planned to bring it up originally, but seeing Ono Tomohiro take out the 《Young Lady》 manuscript, she couldn’t help but say, “Chief Editor, earlier I saw a female editor with an author, and that author was…”
“Mm, what a coincidence you ran into him.” Ono Tomohiro said, “He’s the author of 《Chainsaw Man》, serializing at the same time as you on JUMP+.”
“So he’s the one with 6700 votes…”
It was just a fleeting glimpse earlier, eye contact for an instant, but the image seen in that moment matched exactly with the one in her memory.
Plus, the Chief Editor said he was the author of 《Chainsaw Man》, Sakamoto Ken…
It couldn’t be that the name was a coincidence, the appearance a coincidence, and even drawing manga was a coincidence, right?
“Do you know him?” Ono Tomohiro asked casually.
“No no…” Mikazuki Haruna waved her hand and said, “First time meeting, um… I just think his work is pretty good.”
“Actually, you two could get to know each other, exchange more ideas. I can ask his editor for his contact info to help you out.” Ono Tomohiro said.
“Eh… this…” Mikazuki Haruna hesitated for two seconds and said, “Sure, thanks Ono-san.”
“Then let’s get to the main topic, Miyuki Haru Sensei. I’ll be direct.”
Ono Tomohiro said, “Your 《Young Lady》 is undoubtedly an excellent newcomer work, with an interesting story, beautiful art style, and huge commercial potential. Everyone in the Editorial Department acknowledges this.”
He changed the subject.
“But… as you’ve seen, your competition is the current number one in reader voting, 《Chainsaw Man》.”
“Although within my authority, I could force you through the review and give you this serialization opportunity, but…”
“Our reader survey results are published every issue.” He deliberately paused his tone before continuing, “This could cause quite a backlash among readers, which would be very unfavorable for your work’s initial reputation.”
“Of course, the final decision is yours.”
Mikazuki Haruna fell silent.
She thought of that figure from earlier.
That face was exactly the same as the man from the dream who was very intimate with her!
After all, they had shared a bed, she had urged him to work faster in all sorts of ways, and occasionally he would turn the tables, launching unbearable attacks on her…
Whenever he wasn’t rushing manuscripts, she was almost always clinging to him, wanting to do all sorts of things with him…
Many plot inspirations in the mid-to-late parts of this 《Young Lady》 manga came from their real-life fieldwork together.
Come to think of it, this manga was actually completed together, right?
“Chief Editor, I actually made up my mind at home already.” A few seconds later, Haruna looked up at Ono Tomohiro and said, “I want to fully optimize the drawing of 《Young Lady》. The current quality still can’t compete with him… with 《Chainsaw Man》.”
“Oh?” Ono Tomohiro hadn’t expected Mikazuki Haruna to voluntarily withdraw from the JUMP serialization competition; the expression on his face relaxed a lot. “Tell me, how do you plan to optimize it?”
“Illustration details, character movements, etc. I feel like the drawing workload is too much for me alone.” Mikazuki Haruna said, “I already posted an assistant recruitment ad online last night. I wonder if the Chief Editor has any suitable candidates to recommend.”
The corner of Ono Tomohiro’s mouth subtly curved upward in a small arc, and he immediately agreed: “Of course, no problem! Helping find assistants is within our editors’ responsibilities.”
This connected Young Lady optimizing the illustrations would take quite some time. As the directly responsible editor, if he was a bit stricter and nitpicked the illustrations more, making her revise…
That way, the recent vacancy in JUMP magazine would undoubtedly go to 《Chainsaw Man》.
As a manga editor, Ono Tomohiro fundamentally didn’t want to handle someone like Miyuki Haru.
Though her drawing skills were excellent, with her connections to group executives, the invisible pressure was too great; he always felt like one slip could cost him his job…
He was the Chief Editor, responsible for the entire Editorial Department’s performance, not just a responsibility editor who only needed their own works to succeed.
After discussing with Mikazuki Haruna, Ono Tomohiro immediately informed Kaji Keiko of the result that 《Young Lady》 wouldn’t compete for the JUMP slot.
Kaji Keiko was a bit surprised, but mostly delighted.
She immediately sent an email to Sakamoto Ken.
Kaji Keiko: 「Sakamoto Sensei, good news from the Chief Editor! The author of 《Young Lady》 wants to revise the work before serialization! It’ll take quite some time, so this serialization slot should be no issue for your 《Chainsaw Man》!」
……
The train clattered along.
Sakamoto Ken looked at the text on his mobile phone screen, but felt no joy of victory in his heart.
He simply replied with “Got it.”
Then he locked his phone screen and gazed at the streetscape rapidly receding outside the window.
He had met her again…
And compared to the Previous Life timeline, it was much earlier.
Earlier, he hadn’t greeted Haruna; he had just glanced at her and quickly slipped away.
With 《Young Lady》 this manga existing, it already proved she had memories from the Previous Life.
Before figuring out if her emotions were stable, basic risk prevention was necessary.
Maintain a certain distance, prolong any explosive emotions, and it would be easier to handle.
What slightly reassured him was that at least they hadn’t met and gotten to know each other yet, so he could still deal with them one by one.
The tragedy at the end of the Previous Life wasn’t caused by dating both of them and getting found out.
The key was that they had somehow formed an alliance, their emotions amplifying in mutual accounting, and then…
A lesson in blood and tears…
