The broadcasts of 5 Centimeters per Second and Voices of a Distant Star had ended, and for once, Haruki felt like he could finally breathe.
Maybe even rest—mind and body.
But...
On the morning of January 20, his phone buzzed, jolting him awake. It was a call from Kazuya Mori.
Haruki blinked at the screen, groggy. Kazuya? At this hour?
Over the past two days, Kazuya had been glued to his computer, obsessively refreshing the view counts for both anime titles. He'd been distracted even during meetings. Haruki hadn't expected him to call so early.
He picked up, voice still hoarse from sleep. "Kazuya… it's early. What's going on?"
It was already late January, just a few days before the New Year. School had officially gone on winter break the day before, and Haruki had finished this week's manga drafts. He'd planned to catch up on sleep—but that dream was clearly over.
"Just listen…"
Kazuya's voice sounded a little too cheerful, almost nervous.
Five minutes later, Haruki hung up, rubbing his temples.
Kazuya wanted to know if Haruki was free the next evening to appear on a live talk show. Apparently, the producer of the show had reached out to Kazuya after a last-minute cancellation.
The show was hosted by Animeon.com a massively influential site in the anime scene. They had the most comprehensive anime library, the largest fan forums, and the most recognized rankings in the industry.
Naturally, they ran their own content too including a popular live program called Talk of the Nation, where notable creators were invited to discuss their work. Each episode easily pulled in millions of views. Some of the best episodes had even crossed into the tens of millions.
This week's guest had originally been set: Gori, the screenwriter behind the hit magical boy series Transform! Magical Hero!
But Gori had apparently slipped on a banana peel while crossing the street-yes, really and fractured his face. He couldn't make it to the studio.
The producer, who happened to know Kazuya personally, gave him a casual call to fill the slot. Kazuya, of course, said yes immediately.
It was perfect timing. 5 Centimeters per Second and Voices of a Distant Star were riding a massive wave online. The titles had spread like wildfire through fan communities despite initial complaints about the emotional gut punch of both endings, discussions had shifted. Many fans, after sitting with the stories, admitted they were powerful and beautifully made. Some even started calling them modern masterpieces.
With that kind of buzz, Kazuya saw the invitation as free publicity. And so he'd called Haruki.
"If you're free tomorrow night," Kazuya had said, "come with me. If not, I'll go alone."
Haruki sighed. "A live interview…"
Truth be told, he didn't love being in front of the camera. But Kazuya wasn't wrong it'd be good exposure. Just a short appearance to boost the project's visibility.
"Fine. I'll go."
Still tired, Haruki rolled back over and pulled the blanket over his head.
That evening, once Kazuya confirmed Haruki's participation, the show's official website updated its lineup.
Fans who had expected Gori were caught off guard by the sudden change. Instead of the magical-boy creator, the program would now feature Kazuya Mori producer of 5 Centimeters per Second and Mizushiro, the writer behind both 5 cm/s and Voices of a Distant Star.
The announcement caused an immediate stir.
Fans of the show were surprised but thrilled.
Sure, Gori was a fun guest, but given the choice between him and Mizushiro? Most fans agreed: they'd rather hear from the mind behind these emotionally devastating works.
Especially because... well, Mizushiro had been a ghost online. Despite the popularity of his stories, he hadn't said a word on social media. Not one interview. Not even a short blog post.
Now, finally, people would get a chance to ask him questions. Live.
Normally, Talk of the Nation announced its guests a full week in advance, letting anticipation build. But Gori's accident had come out of nowhere and so had Haruki and Kazuya's acceptance. That left just one day for the news to spread.
But even with that short notice, the response from fans was overwhelming.
Particularly from those who were still emotionally wrecked by 5 Centimeters per Second and Voices of a Distant Star. They'd been leaving desperate, pleading comments on Haruki's fend account for days—but he hadn't said a word.
Now? They had him cornered.
The show was interactive, with live audience questions and viewer polls. There'd be nowhere to hide.
"Everyone, stop flooding his Fend it's showtime. Let's gang up on him during the stream!"
"He's finally surfaced! If 5cm or Voices emotionally destroyed you, don't miss this. Let's see what this guy's really like."
"Spread the word if you're chosen for a live question, plan it out! Make it count."
"If I get picked, I'm asking him this: has he ever been ghosted so hard it broke his soul? Because seriously, why is there never a happy couple in his stories?"
"Wait wait this guy wrote Initial D, right? If I get to ask something, I'm begging him to take me in as a student. I only want half his driving skills. One-third, even."
—
As usual, Haruki's fan base rallied under his social media profile like moths to a flame. The news spread fast.
The next evening, Kazuya pulled up to Haruki's apartment.
He was waiting downstairs, ready to drive them both to the studio.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 60+ advanced chapters)