Three days had passed since the premiere of Code Geass episodes three and four.
Haruki rose from bed, stretching with a slow yawn. He ran a hand through his hair and started getting ready to head to the studio. Before leaving, he reviewed the outlines he would give his assistants for the next chapter. The workflow had been running smoothly lately, like a well-oiled machine. Everything moved at a manageable pace. They didn't have to worry about deadlines; they never really did before. But now, considering the quality they were maintaining, there was no reason to rush anything.
After freshening up and having breakfast, he looked at the clock. Hayato would be the first to arrive, as usual. True to form, the door opened, and a polite "Good morning, Haruki-sensei" greeted him.
Haruki sighed, smiling faintly. "How many times have I told you not to be so formal? Look at Kenta and Noya. They've been calling me Haruki since day one. Just because I give you a few pointers for your manga doesn't mean you need to treat me like a teacher."
"I can't help it," Hayato said with a straight face, taking off his shoes and carefully placing them in the rack. "I'll try to keep that in mind."
Haruki watched him settle at the desk. Sometimes he marveled at Hayato. So serious, so methodical, yet working on a parody manga full of absurd gags and over-the-top comedy. The contrast was almost comical in itself. People online and in the industry liked to say that when an author is depressed, they create beautiful stories, and when they're happy, they write sad ones. Maybe that saying really was true.
A little later, Kenta and Noya arrived.
"Morning, Haruki. Morning, Hayato. Early as ever, huh?" Kenta said as they took their seats.
Since Hayato had joined the team, he had gradually taken on more responsibility than both of them combined. While Kenta and Noya mainly worked on Fullmetal Alchemist, Hayato managed JoJo almost on his own. Sometimes Haruki only gave him an outline, and Hayato would write an entire chapter by himself. Watching that, even Kenta and Noya's motivation had improved.
But they both knew they didn't have ideas for a long series. Between deadlines and the pressure of serialization, they had decided they would rather remain as Haruki's assistants. They focused on improving their art instead, knowing that good artwork alone could build a reputation. Seeing how every one of Haruki's works surpassed the last, they were confident his manga would reach world-class recognition. Many artists were famous solely for their art, so that became their path too.
Still, they had started taking things seriously. They no longer had ambitions of writing a long series like Hayato, but they had plans for a short one. Since both liked action, they were working on a short spy manga they hoped to publish together someday.
Kenta leaned toward Noya. "Hey, ever since Haruki broke up with Ryuko, he's been completely focused on work, and he hasn't taken any break from mentoring. So why the sudden break last week?"
It had been about six months since then. Haruki hadn't spent much time with Ryuko even before the breakup, but after it, he found himself with more free time. Around that period, Hayato started coming over often, asking for feedback on a manga idea he wanted to serialize. What began as occasional advice turned into a weekly routine. For Haruki, it was a good way to pass the time.
When Kenta and Noya found out, they also started visiting on weekends. Haruki began teaching them how to draw manga properly—how not to stick to one fixed style for every series or character. Adapting was part of the craft. His earlier work didn't differ much in style, but once JoJo began serialization, its art style was completely different. If Hayato hadn't been hired as a new assistant, they would have had a harder time adapting to it. It was especially challenging since JoJo's style differed completely from Initial D or Natsume. That made it tougher for them, but thanks to Hayato taking charge of JoJo, they could focus on Fullmetal, which didn't require as drastic an adjustment.
Those weekly sessions went on for months. Naturally, during that time, they learned about Haruki's breakup. Then, just last week, Haruki told them he would be taking a break from their mentorship sessions for this week.
Naoya leaned back in his chair. "He said he was going to meet an old friend."
Kenta frowned. "Old friend? Since when did Haruki have friends?"
"Maybe someone from when he was still in Osaka," Naoya guessed.
Kenta tilted his head. "Back then, he was way quieter than now. Introverted. Barely talked to anyone. If it's from that time, it's probably an old assistant or an editor."
As Haruki approached to check their progress before heading out, he caught the last part of their conversation.
Naoya noticed Haruki approaching them and a grin appeared on his face. "But you know, I think Haruki can make friends if he wants to! He just chooses not to. Wouldn't you agree, Haruki?"
Haruki stood right behind them.
Kenta blinked in confusion at the sudden shift in tone, realizing why Noya had started to praise Haruki. "When did you—!?"
"Just now," Haruki said, setting down his notes. "And yes, I have friends. Surprising, isn't it?"
Naoya gave a nervous laugh. "Only a little."
Kenta shot Naoya a sharp glare. "Hey, that's not what I meant! I was just curious since you canceled our weekly meet up last week, that's all."
Haruki stopped beside their desks and picked up Kenta's draft. His drawing had improved a lot over the past six months, but hearing that comment made Haruki pause.
"I think Naoya's been improving fast lately," Haruki said, flipping through the pages. "Maybe I should give you a bit more work, Kenta, so you don't fall behind."
Kenta froze. Naoya tried not to laugh.
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