The third chapter of Tonight was incredibly sweet.
The two "pretend lovers" went on a warm weekend date, just like a real couple.
They sat together on the grass with their lunchboxes, quietly exchanged food, talked about their families…
And Hino simply listened, lying on the ground in the afternoon sun.
Little by little, a sense of calm and safety washed over her.And then, she fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on a bench in a park she didn't recognize.
And beside her sat a boy.
A boy who was looking at her with a worried, gentle smile.
"Are you awake?"
Hino bolted upright, panic instantly flooding her face.
The boy leaned forward slightly.
"Hino? Are you okay?"
She stumbled backward, eyes wide and terrified.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
And that line...that single line was enough to make every reader's toes curl in secondhand agony.
Painful. Cruel. Perfect.
Every fan who read Chapter 3 had the same reaction:
"Shirogane, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Why are you so good at cliffhangers? WHERE DID YOU LEARN THIS?"
The discussion on the Ametsukage forums exploded far harder than last week.
"I can't stand it, sisters, I'm so anxious I want to scream!"
"When Hino said 'Who are you?' MY SOUL LEFT MY BODY!"
"What do we do now?! I don't want Toru to look confused next chapter, I'll actually DIE!"
"My heart hurts… why is this so painful?"
"Painful? This is NOTHING compared to 5cm/s! This is just mild heartbreak."
"I get it now. THIS is why Izumi hid the real diary in Chapter 1.Toru must've panicked when he learned Hino's condition, and Hino must've been hurt by his reaction."
"That makes so much sense. Izumi probably deleted everything to protect Hino's future heart."
"I REALLY hope Shirogane-sensei doesn't go full tragedy route. PLEASE KEEP IT PURE LOVE."
"If next chapter is painful again, I swear, I'm dropping it! (I'm lying, I'll read it anyway.)"
"Y'all can cry but the next issue is already printed. It's sealed. The plot is unchangeable. It depends entirely on Shirogane-sensei's original outline…"
"The PTSD from 5cm/s is too strong. I just want ONE healthy relationship from Shirogane-sensei…"
The next day, Rei's phone rang.
Misaki's voice was short and to the point.
"Sixth place."
"I understand," Rei replied in the same calm tone.
No excitement. .
"Hey, aren't you happy? Why do you sound like that?" Misaki asked.
Rei chuckled softly.
"Of course I'm happy to climb another rank. But… I already expected it. I'm confident in this manga.
This result is exactly within my expectations."
Misaki paused.
Such confidence.
Even though he was serializing in Ametsukage, Rei carried the same unshakeable aura he had during the 5cm/s run.
But Misaki's concern lingered:
'Can the readers handle Chapter 8?'
She sighed after the call and went to her sister's room.
Miyu had originally wanted to rest for a few weeks after finishing Lament.
But watching Rei's new manga steadily rise, never once dropping out of the top 10 had ignited something borderline competitive in her chest.
What had started as a kind gesture to help Rei, had somehow created a monster rival right beside her.
Same school. Same class.
She debuted years earlier than him.
And yet there was such a gap?
Impossible.
Her pride refused to accept it.
There must still be untapped potential inside her work, she just hadn't pushed herself hard enough yet.
Misaki quietly opened the door.
Inside, Miyu sat at her desk, completely absorbed, carefully inking her character outlines on manga paper.
She didn't even notice her sister enter.
Misaki watched her for a moment, and a rare softness appeared in her eyes.
Their mother had once been a famous shōjo manga artist in Japan.But her marriage was unhappy, and after the divorce she raised the two sisters alone, leaving behind a large inheritance when she passed away.
Because of this, both sisters grew up idolizing their mother's career.They both loved manga deeply.
But only Miyu inherited their mother's artistic talent. Misaki, on the other hand, had absolutely none.
So Miyu chose the path of a manga artist, and Misaki chose the path of a manga editor, determined to support creators from the other side of the table.
Misaki had always believed that Miyu's talent was on par with their mother's.
After all, when their mother was Miyu's age, she had submitted to over a dozen magazines and every single one rejected her.
By comparison, Miyu was already years ahead.
But then, Rei Kirishima suddenly appeared.
A peer, same age, same school, same environment.
And he was outperforming Miyu.
Misaki felt a mix of frustration and relief.
"Though maybe this is a good thing."
She smiled faintly.
Because under this pressure, Miyu's motivation had skyrocketed.
Her draftsmanship was improving rapidly, and her determination grew stronger.
Rei wasn't just a rival, he had become Miyu's benchmark, her pursuer, and the flame pushing her forward.
Still, Misaki couldn't help thinking:
"This lead of his… it's only temporary. Miyu will definitely catch up. And surpass him."
She did like Rei as a person, he was disciplined, humble, earnest, but if she had to choose who to support, she would choose Miyu a thousand times over.
Monday- Back at School
Rei walked into class and immediately overheard Hana and Yui fangirling at the back.
"Ahhh! The art is too good!"
"Yes!! Shirogane-sensei is seriously a genius!"
"How can a high schooler draw romance this delicate?!"
"I bet she's super pretty. Like Hino!"
"Like Miyu?"
Rei, seated close enough to hear every word, wore a very complicated expression.
Having these two loyal fans in his class was great. But if his real identity were ever exposed, he feared they would treat him as a liar.
Friends were rare for him in this second life, and these two girls were half-friends who bonded with him through manga.
"I mean, did you ever consider Shirogane-sensei might be a guy?" Rei asked lightly.
"The official info never said she was a girl."
"Does that even need to be said?" Yui laughed.
"Look at how delicately the emotions are drawn in Tonight. No male manga artist can draw like that!"
Hana nodded. "Rei, are you trying the 'I'm actually Shirogane' joke again? At a time like this?"
Rei smiled.
"Then let me ask, what if I really am Shirogane? Would you two still support the manga?"
"Of course!" Hana said instantly.
"I'll always be Shirogane-sensei's fan!"
"Me too!" Yui added proudly.
Rei blinked.
"Wow…" he murmured, amused and touched.
Miyu, who had just entered the classroom, overheard them.Her expression turned a bit envious.
She had never heard a fan talk about her like that.
But then she straightened her back and fired herself up internally.
'Someday, I'll have a thousand fans like that. Ten thousand. A hundred thousand.'
As Ametsukage continued publishing new chapters, fans of Tonight began appearing not just in Rei's class but across multiple grades.
Most were girls, boys gravitated more toward battle and mystery manga, while girls loved youth romance.
But Shirogane's works were unique, not mainstream romantic comedy, not cookie-cutter fluff, yet irresistibly compelling.
When a manga's style is unique, fan loyalty becomes powerful.
Among the female students, the "newcomer genius Shirogane" had already become something of a minor campus celebrity.
Online, too, the numbers were rising.
Manga reviewers, magazines, and the Ametsukage editorial staff began mentioning Tonight more frequently.
Ratings on every major forum increased, the manga's word-of-mouth spread wider and faster.
Under this growing heat, another week passed.
And then, Friday arrived.
The new issue of Ametsukage hit the shelves.
...
Bonu @800
Read 30+ chapters @[email protected]/c/Ashnoir