The day he was treated to a meal by his editor came to an end just like that.
Afterward, all that remained was the waiting.
Waiting was always the hardest part—but Akiyama had long grown used to it. Before he'd ever submitted a manuscript, his days had been nothing more than grinding his drawing skills at work and jotting down fragments of inspiration whenever he woke up early.
Monday arrived.
Akiyama went to Uesugi Yudai's studio as usual to work as an assistant.
Strangely enough, ever since last Friday—ever since Akiyama had looked at him that way—Uesugi's behavior had subtly changed.
Sure, the man was still loud, still liked barking orders around the studio, still pointed fingers and complained nonstop.
But…
The personal attacks had noticeably decreased.
No more of the endless verbal abuse. No more rap-like tirades.
For the first time in over a year, the studio was almost… quiet.
It was as if Uesugi had become wary, afraid that Akiyama might actually be going through something—mentally or physically—and didn't dare push him too far anymore.
Which, honestly, was pretty funny.
Because Akiyama wasn't sick at all.
He'd just died once, that was all.
---
By the time the sun began to set, Uesugi Akina returned from school, as usual.
That meant Akiyama gained an extra pair of hands in the studio.
The girl quietly sat in her usual corner, carefully filling blacks, applying screen tones, and drawing effect lines with practiced precision.
Akiyama glanced at her, memories from the weekend resurfacing.
"I'll become a professional voice actress one day…
And when your manga gets animated, I'll voice a character in it."
He could still clearly remember the way she had clutched her chest when she said it, her expression serious and earnest.
Yet now, she acted as though nothing had ever happened.
From the moment she entered the studio, she didn't even glance in his direction—completely focused on her work.
Weird.
If this weren't such an awkward place, Akiyama might've been tempted to check her leg under that school skirt, just to confirm whether the girl he'd run into that day really was Uesugi Akina.
Or maybe…
She had a second personality, just like Mima Kirigoe.
He shook his head.
High school girls were difficult to understand. That much was normal.
As long as she didn't tell Uesugi about his manga, everything was fine. It wasn't time to reveal anything yet.
With that thought, Akiyama lowered his head and continued working.
...
That night, back in his apartment, his phone rang.
It was Kurokawa Aoi.
"Akiyama-san… the results are in."
His breath hitched.
"How did it go?"
There was a pause on the other end. A long inhale.
"…The recommendation was approved. You made it into the final selection."
"The next stage is the judges' final review."
"Good."
Akiyama let out a quiet breath of relief, though he made sure not to sound too excited.
After all, this result came at a cost—one that Kurokawa had personally borne.
"Thank you, Kurokawa-san."
"Don't thank me," she replied with a faint laugh. "I'm betting on this for my own career too."
"…I see."
---
Wednesday Morning – Kodansha Editorial Department
"What did you say?"
"She actually used her recommendation slot?"
Matsuda Yuki stared in disbelief at the assistant next to her.
"Yeah. It's confirmed."
"Pfft—HAHAHA! Is she trying to get herself fired faster?!"
Matsuda covered her mouth, barely holding back her laughter.
Her gaze drifted toward a desk in the corner.
There sat Kurokawa, calmly proofreading a manuscript that Editor Nagashima had just handed her.
Those manuscripts?
All of them had been deliberately redirected to her.
Matsuda had made sure of it.
By subtly spreading word among the editors that "Kurokawa has plenty of free time," she ensured that more and more busywork found its way onto her desk.
Everyone trusted the information—after all, Matsuda had close ties to Deputy Editor-in-Chief Yano.
Very close ties.
And now?
Kurokawa had used her internal recommendation slot.
Matsuda almost burst out laughing.
This year, with Shueisha's rising star Wakatsuki exploding onto the scene, the pressure on Weekly Young Magazine was immense.
Out of seventeen full editors, only four dared to use their recommendation privilege.
Even Matsuda herself—who had been grooming a promising rookie—didn't attempt ask Yano to approve one.
And yet…
Kurokawa actually did it.
Was she trying to go down in flames?
Pathetic.
"So who did she recommend?" Matsuda asked.
The assistant flipped through the files.
"Akiyama Satoru."
"…Akiyama?"
Matsuda's smile froze.
She snatched the document.
There it was.
Akiyama Satoru.
Her face drained of color.
She had seen him last week at Kodansha.
That guy… made it to the finals?!
What kind of ridiculous luck was this?!
Her chest tightened with fury.
This wasn't some monthly rookie award.
This was the Manga Grand Prize.
Even making it into the final round was enough to brag about for life.
That bastard.
That shameless man who climbed up using a woman!
How could he?!
Matsuda's nails dug into her palm.
She forced herself to calm down.
Fine.
Let him have it.
Kurokawa had just signed her own death warrant anyway.
Once she crashed and burned, Matsuda would naturally take her place.
That idiot man could have his moment of glory.
It would be the last thing he ever got from her.
A strange smile crept onto her face.
She stood up and walked straight toward Kurokawa's desk.
"Good morning, Kurokawa-san~"
Kurokawa looked up.
"…Yes?"
"I just wanted to apologize for what happened before."
"Apologize?"
"Yes. If I hadn't reported Bird in a Cage to Deputy Editor Yano, it wouldn't have been canceled so quickly… and you wouldn't have ended up with zero serializations."
"It's fine," Kurokawa replied calmly. "The series was underperforming anyway."
Matsuda bit her lip.
That was the worst part.
No matter what she did, Kurokawa never seemed to care.
Never complained.
Never fought back.
As if everything that happened to her was simply… her own choice.
Infuriating.
Still, Matsuda forced a smile.
"By the way… may I ask something?"
Kurokawa paused.
"That Akiyama Satoru… what exactly is your relationship with him?"
"…?"
"You must be very close, right? Friends? Or maybe something more?"
She laughed lightly. "I mean, you wouldn't use such a valuable recommendation slot otherwise, right?"
Say it.
Admit it.
Admit you're sleeping with him.
Matsuda's thoughts churned darkly.
Kurokawa stood up, picked up her file folder, and prepared to leave.
"Hey—say something!" Matsuda snapped.
"Oh. Sorry."
Kurokawa glanced at her watch.
"The judges' meeting is about to start. I need to go."
She turned to leave.
Then, after taking a few steps, she paused and looked back.
"Ah, right."
Matsuda looked up.
"You might be misunderstanding something," Kurokawa said calmly.
She tapped the file in her hand and smiled faintly.
"Akiyama-sensei and I… are just using each other."
"Nothing more."