Chapter 7: Haruna’s Signature Color
Sakamoto Ken returned home.
There was no computer at home, so he could only open the video site’s App on his mobile phone and follow the JUMP CHANNEL account.
The live broadcast was about to start in ten minutes.
He had originally wanted to take out his own manuscript to look at it, but he had thrown it directly into the trash can at the time, and the trash bag had long since been taken away.
The cover image of the live broadcast was that poster, and the book title looked particularly glaring to Sakamoto Ken.
Finally, the live broadcast began.
First, the two hosts chatted and introduced a few things to the camera, talking about some recent Shueisha works’ news.
“Recently, the hot works《Assassination Classroom》 and《Tokyo Ghoul》’s second season have been airing for a month, with online popularity soaring. Everyone has watched them, right?”
“Animation fans can feast their eyes recently. In another two months,《Food Wars》 and《Nisekoi》’s second season will also meet everyone.”
“…”
Then it smoothly transitioned to the interview segment with the new writer.
“Next, please welcome the new beautiful girl writer, Miyuki Haru!”
The two hosts clapped, and at the same time the camera pulled back a bit. Sitting next to them was Mikazuki Haruna.
It really is her…
A head of smooth long hair, wearing a white hairband, dressed in a black-and-white gothic dress, with a lace choker around her neck.
Because she was sitting behind the desk, her legs couldn’t be seen, but Sakamoto Ken was certain she was wearing black stockings on her legs.
Black was Haruna’s standard outfit.
A normal girl’s sock drawer generally has all kinds of colors and styles, at least white socks.
But in Haruna’s wardrobe, there were pantyhose, fishnet stockings, thigh-high socks, mid-calf socks, knee-high socks, calf socks, short socks, ankle socks… different styles and fabrics, but without exception, all black.
Hmm… Now, Haruna’s wardrobe probably didn’t have fishnet stockings; that thing was something Sakamoto Ken bought for her later, mainly to experience that sensation…
And this setting was consistent with his previous life work《Young Lady, Sniper Rifle, and Pantyhose!》.
When he was designing the heroine in this manga back then, he didn’t even know Haruna at all; it was pure coincidence.
This was also one of the reasons why Haruna always felt that the heroine in the manga was modeled after her…
Although he had anticipated it early, when he actually saw this girl appear on the live broadcast screen, Sakamoto Ken’s heart still stirred up a storm.
His number one hater from his previous life, the one who locked him in the black room and urged him to submit manuscripts relentlessly, was now appearing on the screen, introducing his work…
The work he published in his previous life, how did it end up with her?
Moreover, why did Shueisha value this manga so much? Wasn’t it just a cliché edge romance manga? It had almost no attention at the time.
In the live broadcast, Miyuki Haru introduced the manga eloquently, and between her words, Sakamoto Ken could clearly feel some intense passion flickering in her.
Even in this round, did she like this work that much?
“Miyuki Haru Sensei, we have a few questions we want to ask. Are you ready?”
“Of course, ask away!”
“Miyuki Haru Sensei, how did you conceive this work?”
“Well…” Mikazuki Haruna smiled proudly at the camera and said, “This is the story that Lord Benzaiten sent me in a dream, telling me to draw it.”
It seemed they hadn’t reviewed the script before the interview. The host was slightly stunned hearing Mikazuki Haruna say this, then professionally chimed in: “Hahaha, then Miyuki Haru Sensei must have been divinely inspired when drawing?”
“Of course, here’s an announcement: JUMP+ serialized manga are generally one chapter per week, but I’ve specially agreed with the editor for two chapters per week. Everyone remember to download the JUMP+ App to support my work~” Mikazuki Haruna said.
Sakamoto Ken dragged the progress bar back to the moment earlier when Haruna mentioned Benzaiten.
“Receive a dream?”
Sakamoto Ken latched onto this keyword.
He suddenly felt a sense of crisis.
Could “receive a dream” be just her excuse?
Was it possible that she also had memories from his previous life?!
After all, two chapters per week wasn’t easy—conception, design, drawing. Even during the tightest period when she pushed him hardest in his previous life, completing one and a half chapters per week was already the limit.
And now she casually said two chapters per week, which meant she was fully confident she could complete the manuscript.
In other words—copying.
Fine, you’ve gone too far, copying me, huh.
If she had previous life memories too… then what about them!
Sakamoto Ken gripped his mobile phone tightly. There was no air conditioner in the rental room, only a fan whirring. Although it was still early spring, he was already drenched in sweat.
He spread out a sheet of manuscript paper on the desk and tried to write down his thoughts to sort them out.
Known: Mikazuki Haruna drew the manga he published in his previous life in this timeline, and she claimed it was Lord Benzaiten who sent her the dream.
Sakamoto Ken didn’t believe gods really existed, so “Benzaiten” was probably just her rhetoric.
After all, he didn’t want to reveal to others that he had memories of another spacetime in his mind either; Haruna might be for the same reason.
Sakamoto Ken even considered whether to renege with the editor, terminate the contract, and take《Chainsaw Man》 to another publishing house…
Serializing at the same publishing house as her always felt like there were unknown risks.
But after carefully reviewing the contract, Sakamoto Ken reluctantly dismissed the earlier idea.
The contract was already signed now, and his name and book title were already registered on the JUMP+ platform.
To back out, he’d have to pay the breach of contract fee.
Feeling a bit anxious, Sakamoto Ken rubbed his throbbing temple and seriously considered if he was overthinking it.
There was a psychological term called PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, referring to the mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing extremely tense or terrifying events.
Typical symptoms included flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, and uncontrollably recalling certain events.
Sakamoto Ken felt his symptoms were quite obvious. If he had money, he’d book a psychologist right now…
No choice: if you’re rich, you can hire someone to counsel you; if poor, you have to counsel yourself.
Now he was back before everything happened, with no relationship with them at all, so there was no reason for the yandere trope incident to happen again.
Sakamoto Ken wrote down the names of the other two girls.
Natsume Mio.
After rebirth, he had only seen her once outside the exam room. Even following the original world line, she had planned to confess back then, so him running and her chasing couldn’t prove she had previous life memories.
Hoshihara Ai.
After writing this name, Sakamoto Ken’s pen lightly tapped the paper, and the image of this big sister emerged in his mind…
Following normal development, his first meeting with her would still be months away.
The worst current assumption was that they all had previous life memories.
Then, the response strategy would be…
Pretend he was completely unaware of the “previous life” matter.
Insist he didn’t remember those things or have those strange memories.
You had spring dreams about me yourselves; what’s that got to do with me?
If he met them again in the future, except for Natsume Mio who was already entangled in karma, he should first insist it was their first meeting and he didn’t know them at all.
This way, he would stand in the absolutely safe position of “stranger.”
Don’t worry about whether I was a scumbag in the dream.
Just say, isn’t this time starting from zero for all of us?
Since it’s starting from zero, and he didn’t proactively seek them out.
What if—what if—he got caught in some love triangle again this time…
Just say, wasn’t it voluntary on your part?
