For the next several days, although Rei continued attending school as usual, his attention had already shifted almost entirely to the upcoming serialization of 5 Centimeters per Second in Sakura-iro Weekly.
With the release date already locked in, and the printing schedule extremely tight, Rei had less than a week to finish coloring the five required full-color pages for chapter one.
On top of that, there were countless small manuscript adjustments. The workload wasn't huge, but the tedious repetition drained him, keeping him up late each night.
Realistically, this pace would crush an ordinary manga artist. Weekly serialization usually requires several assistants to handle inking, tones, backgrounds, and cleanup.
But unlike most artists, Rei didn't need to spend time figuring out storyboards or refining plot beats. Every panel and emotional shift already existed in his mind. All his time could go straight into drawing.
And ever since merging with this body, his drawing speed had become unbelievably fast. Hiring assistants would only distract him and make the artwork inconsistent.
So when Misaki suggested he find helpers, Rei politely declined.
June 1st - Misaki's Villa
Rei returned once again to the upscale villa complex where Misaki lived.
When Misaki was at work, Rei was in class. When Rei had weekends free, she just happened to be off from the company. Their schedules miraculously aligned.
The school obviously wouldn't allow him to skip classes repeatedly for manga work, but fortunately Misaki didn't mind squeezing Rei's deadlines into her own off-hours.
Inside the living room.
"Better than I expected," Misaki said as she organized the completed manuscript.
"It doesn't look like the work of a newcomer at all."
Miyu, sitting beside her, nearly burst with jealousy.
Her sister had never praised her this openly.
Rei accepted the compliment humbly. After all, he wasn't truly a beginner, just a failed artist reincarnated with a second chance.
"In that case," Misaki continued, closing the folder, "the final draft of 5 Centimeters per Second is approved. I'll submit everything to the company tomorrow."
"Thank you for your help these past few days," Rei said politely.
He hesitated, then asked:
"I wanted to confirm… 5 Centimeters per Second will only run for five weeks, right?"
"That's correct," Misaki nodded.
"Then… once it ends, if a serialization slot opens up, can I submit a new manga to compete for it?"
That question froze the room.
"A new slot?" Misaki raised her brows.
"You already have another manga idea?" Miyu asked, surprised.
"Yes," Rei replied. "I came up with it around the same time as 5 Centimeters per Second. And in my own opinion… it's not inferior. Since 5 Centimeters made it into the magazine, I'd hate for this one to be buried."
Misaki's eyes brightened.
If Rei could produce something on par with 5 Centimeters, then this was a serious opportunity.
But the brightness faded as she shook her head.
"Rei… your idea is a little too idealistic."
"What do you mean?"
"There isn't enough time," Misaki said.
Rei blinked.
"Not enough time?"
Misaki sighed lightly.
"Even though 5 Centimeters starts serialization in two weeks and ends seven weeks later, the slot after yours has already been assigned. Several excellent entries appeared at the serialization meeting. And because 5 Centimeters per Second is a short five-chapter series, the editorial department already designated its successor."
She looked at him sympathetically.
"There won't be another internal meeting for that slot."
Miyu added softly, "If you'd submitted that new idea during the serialization meeting, both of your manga might've been serialized together…"
"It's a shame we didn't know earlier," Misaki finished.
"I see…" Rei lowered his eyes, disappointment slipping into his voice.
But there was no helping it. Great manga didn't enter serialization just by existing. They needed timing, magazine vacancies, editorial votes, and luck.
"But it's hard to say for sure. The lower-ranked series in Sakura-iro Weekly haven't been doing well lately… The sixth volume of The Sound of the Clouds only sold twenty thousand copies in its first week. That's practically a disaster. If this keeps up, the magazine will probably axe it in a few weeks," Miyu said, her eyes shifting thoughtfully.
"Rei, you should focus on finishing your new manga first."
"It'll be best if I can look over it early, spot any flaws, help you fix pacing issues. That way you won't miss the next opportunity when it comes."
Miyu grinned brightly as she said this, clearly still under the emotional influence of 5 Centimeters per Second.
Just like in his past life, after watching 5 Centimeters, he immediately looked up all of Makoto Shinkai's other films, The Garden of Words, Your Name, Weathering With You. Once someone gains confidence in a creator through a single work, that trust tends to solidify… at least until the creator releases something truly awful.
Miyu had said 5 Centimeters was painful, too sad, too heavy, but without realizing it, she had already become a fan. Now she was eagerly anticipating Rei's next project.
"I understand…" Rei nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to Editor Misaki to keep an eye out for any serialization openings in the group."
Misaki's expression softened. "Of course. But let me ask, you know Sakura-iro Weekly only serializes romance manga. If your new work isn't in that category…"
"Don't worry," Rei replied with a small laugh. "It's pure romance. No third wheels, no long-distance separation."
"Then… is it another story with a regretful ending like 5 Centimeters per Second?" Miyu asked carefully.
"Regretful…" Rei paused, then shook his head with a gentle smile.
"For the two leads, there are no regrets between them."
He didn't mention that the readers might not feel the same way.
Rei hated spoiling stories. If Misaki and Miyu were curious, they would just have to read it themselves.
Miyu let out a soft sigh, half relieved, half disappointed.
She said she disliked tragic stories… yet in some quiet corner of her heart, she still anticipated that beautiful, painful feeling.
...
It was nearly nine o'clock by the time Rei finally got home after taking the bus.
He pushed open the worn wooden door, switched on the light, and saw the living room table covered in sheets of character design sketches.
In his previous life, Tonight, Even If This Love Disappears Tomorrow had existed only as a novel and a live-action film, there was no manga adaptation.
Creating a manga version would be far more work than 5 Centimeters per Second.
He would need: new character designs, new scene layouts, new environmental backgrounds, fresh paneling decisions
Of course, many emotional keyframes could be referenced from the film, guaranteeing a certain minimum quality.
Rei sat down, exhaled, and looked at the scattered sheets.
"Alright…" he murmured.
He picked up his pen.
"Let's begin."