"Not at all, Ms. Mangetsu, please don't worry about it," Lin Yu said, his voice gentle and reassuring. His calm, melodious tone made Miyoko unconsciously lift her gaze, and their eyes met.
His dark, neatly cut hair shifted slightly across his forehead. He had a straight, well-defined nose, strikingly handsome features, and a pair of captivating eyes. It's said that eyes are the windows to the soul, and looking into his, one could see an intense 'seriousness.' When he looked at someone, it felt as if his entire attention was focused solely on them – a gaze that carried a subtle pressure, yet his overall expression was calm, betraying no specific agenda. In short, the young man before her possessed a very unique aura. To put it more poetically, he had the legendary air of a refined gentleman – gentle and polished as jade on the surface, yet with a keen blade hidden within its sheath.
Though they had only just met, Miyoko found herself already forming a favorable impression. It was a strange sensation; he was clearly just a teenager, yet he carried himself with a maturity and composure that many adults lacked. This unusual blend of youth and poise was intriguing, making her curious to learn more about him. And there was something else... a peculiar sense of familiarity about him, as if this wasn't their first meeting, as if she'd seen him somewhere before.
"Ms. Mangetsu? Ms. Mangetsu?" Lin Yu's gentle voice broke through her reverie. Realizing she'd been staring, a rather impolite act, Miyoko quickly flushed and stammered an apology. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I... I was just..."
"You must be tired from work, Ms. Mangetsu," Lin Yu said smoothly, deflecting her embarrassment. "Please, don't feel you need to be so formal. Try the coffee." Just then, the waiter arrived with her cappuccino. Lin Yu took it and gently placed it in front of her.
Miyoko looked at the beautiful latte art on the cappuccino and inhaled its rich, curling aroma. Get a grip, Miyoko, she mentally chided herself. This is work... She took a small, delicate sip. The smooth, rich taste of the milk combined with the slightly bitter fragrance of the coffee seemed to calm the scattered thoughts racing through her mind.
"I do apologize again, Mr. Lin Yu," she said, feeling more composed. "You must think me rather unprofessional."
"Not at all, Ms. Mangetsu. It just shows you're a very dedicated person," Lin Yu replied with a smile. "But please, don't call me 'Mr. Lin Yu.' We seem to be around the same age, and it makes me feel like some old office worker." Hearing his lighthearted teasing, Miyoko couldn't help but let out a small laugh, and the earlier tension and formality seemed to ease a bit.
"In that case, I'd be happy to oblige, Lin-kun," Miyoko replied, adopting the more casual suffix. As they chatted, the atmosphere quickly relaxed, and they began to feel more comfortable with each other.
"Speaking of which," Lin Yu said, deciding to get to the point, "I really appreciate you taking the time to meet me like this, Ms. Mangetsu. This is my work." He slid the folder across the table. "While I have some confidence in it myself, I was hoping to get a professional opinion. And, of course, if it could lead to a successful submission, that would be ideal."
"Oh, I'm hardly a top professional," Miyoko said with a modest smile, taking the folder. "I'm just an assistant editor." (In truth, an assistant editor's job often involved a lot of miscellaneous tasks, primarily assisting the main editors and doing the initial, rough filtering of submitted manuscripts to reduce their workload.)
"Regardless," Lin Yu said gently, "I'm already very grateful for the opportunity to meet with you. So, no matter the outcome, please don't feel any pressure. I'll accept your judgment readily." His considerate words further increased Miyoko's favorable impression of him.
She opened the folder. The first thing that caught her eye was the cover page – the very one that had given Lin Yu so much trouble to perfect. A beautifully drawn, full-color illustration of Sakura Kinomoto, with her charming and playful expression, smiled up at Miyoko.
"Oh, she's adorable!" Miyoko couldn't help but exclaim softly. Faced with an art style brimming with such pure shojo appeal, she was instantly drawn in. (Cardcaptor Sakura, after all, was primarily aimed at a female audience.)
(Gian and the boys had been captivated by the magical Clow Cards and the exciting powers they represented. But for girls, the appeal often lay more in the beautiful artwork, the pretty outfits, the cute mascots, and the handsome older brother figures. What girl wouldn't dream of being like Sakura – having a gentle father, a cool older brother, a supportive best friend, an adorable magical companion, and a life filled with thrilling adventures?)
The two chapters Lin Yu had brought with him quickly drew Miyoko deep into Sakura's world. It was safe to say that Cardcaptor Sakura hit almost every single point that appealed to a young female audience. The appearance of characters like Yukito and Touya – the epitome of handsome, dream-prince figures – made even Miyoko sigh with wistful appreciation. Compared to so many other works that skewed towards a much younger audience, Lin Yu's manga was leagues ahead.
Lin Yu, sitting opposite her, sipped his coffee calmly, a faint smile on his lips as he watched her become completely absorbed in his work. He knew, barring any unforeseen issues, that he would likely have her verdict by the end of their meeting today.
Her slender, fair fingers carefully turned another page... and then she reached the end of the manuscript inside the blue folder. She blinked. There was no more. The second chapter concluded with Sakura successfully capturing the "Fly" card. The image of her Sealing Wand transforming, sprouting huge, pure white wings, was stunningly beautiful and unforgettable.
It took Miyoko a long moment to pull herself out of the lingering enchantment of Sakura's world. As she finally looked up, she saw Lin Yu watching her with an expectant smile. Slightly embarrassed at how engrossed she'd become, Miyoko carefully closed the folder and looked at him, her expression now serious and professional.
"So, Ms. Mangetsu," Lin Yu prompted gently, "what are your thoughts on my work?"
Hearing his question, Miyoko placed the folder on the table and slowly pushed it back towards him.