Chapter 155 - 153

Words : 1034 Updated : Oct 8th, 2025

"No license? Right..." Airi Tanaka nodded, putting on her usual half-serious, half-joking expression. She automatically filtered out most of Haruka's warnings after all, she was used to it by now. "Then I'll go for the license test this afternoon! How long does it take to get one? A week maybe?" "..." Haruka had no words. She wanted to say something, but Airi quickly cut her off. "Don't try to stop me. I've already made up my mind. I promise this won't interfere with my manga work. And per our agreement, you can't overrule my personal decisions." What kind of promise is that? Of course this is going to interfere with your manga. Haruka knew Airi well enough to understand once this girl got fixated on something, there was no talking her out of it. She might be easygoing on the surface, but once she locked in on an idea, she was impossible to redirect. "Finish this week's manuscript first," Haruka said, calmly changing the subject. Whatever got Airi distracted, it was usually short-lived anyway. Maybe she'd forget this whole 'racing dream' in a few days. At least... she should forget it. Haruka frowned, a vague unease settling in her chest. Something felt off. No time to dwell on that now. First priority: get Airi to finish her pages before she started dreaming about drift tracks. "I'm staying here tonight. Airi, hand over your phone. nana, cut the Wi-Fi. And don't even think about watching videos in front of me. You're both staying in this room until the pages are done. I'll be right here except when I sleep, I won't let you zone out for a second." "Haruka, come on... I'm really not feeling it today. Too much pressure, no inspiration. How about this I'll send you the manuscript in three days, deal?" Airi looked half-hearted as she tried to bargain. "Phone," Haruka said flatly. No room for negotiation. —— In a quiet apartment, a young girl was currently complaining to her assistant about her editor's inhumane methods... —— Back in the classroom, Haruki noticed something unusual several classmates had gathered, enthusiastically talking about Initial D. Many of them were studying animation, so it wasn't surprising to see them so excited about a new manga series. Still, Haruki was caught off guard by how quickly Initial D had spread through his class. He was pleased. Most of his classmates didn't even know he was the one behind it as Mizushiro. Sure, they were vaguely aware he was active in the manga world, but hearing it and experiencing it were two very different things. misaki, especially, had seen Initial D posters all over campus and the subway recently. After the first chapter dropped, it exploded. And yet... Haruki, quiet and low-key in class, was Mizushiro? It still didn't quite feel real to her. But regardless, she had a job to do—courtesy of Ryuko. Figure out Haruki's driving schedule. So when misaki approached him again about it, Haruki got suspicious. Why was she so fixated on his driving? Still, she had kept his secret until now, so he answered. "I'm heading to the driving school next week. Practice sessions are usually around 2 p.m. on weekends." misaki nodded and walked off, heading back to her seat. Just then, Haruki's phone rang. He checked the screen Kazuya. He answered immediately. "Hello, Producer Kazuya." Producer Kazuya? Misaki froze. She knew that name. Ryuko always called him "Mori-san," but Haruki addressed him as "Kazuya." Her hunch was confirmed. This "Producer Kazuya" Haruki just casually answered was none other than Kazuya Mori. "Oh, come on. What 'producer'? Just call me Mori-san or Kazuya. I'll call you Haruki. We're partners now no need for formalities." His cheerful voice came through the phone. Haruki smiled faintly. "Alright, Kazuya." "So, how's the animation team coming along? Any updates?" Haruki waited for a moment. Misaki, standing nearby, listened quietly. Animation production team? So it was true. They were already planning another anime adaptation maybe Initial D, natsume, or even both. Ryuko had guessed right: get close to Haruki now, and you might land a major role. Misaki casually stepped closer to Haruki's desk, pretending not to listen but soaking up every detail. "That's right," Kazuya said, still upbeat. "We've locked down most of the core staff industry veterans. Some had even quit animation for convenience stores or farming, but I brought them back." He went on for a few minutes, mostly praising himself. Haruki listened patiently before cutting in. "So... what's the real reason for the call?" "Oh, right the business side!" Kazuya cleared his throat. "Since we're producing both Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters per Second, we need to set up a company. It's more efficient. But before that, I want to organize a meet-and-greet. Everyone should meet you the boss." Haruki nodded. "Sure. When?" "In three days. Nothing fancy. No formal restaurants. I know a great yakiniku place. I'll send the address. Just be there on time." "Three days is fine. I'll be there." Haruki ended the call after some light talk. Misaki slipped back to her seat, playing it cool as she rejoined her classmate. "Misaki, why are you always hanging around Haruki lately?" her classmate teased. "He skips class and games all day. You'll slack off too." "It's work-related," Misaki said vaguely. Skipping class? Playing games? She nearly laughed. Haruki was the hardest worker in their class two manga running, and now an anime in the works. While others were still learning animation basics, Haruki had already produced a hit series. But she'd promised to keep quiet, so she said nothing. Even if her classmate was shallow, it wasn't her place to judge. Shrugging, Misaki pulled out her phone and opened her Line chat with Ryuko. Shout out to jose torres for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me. (TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 50+ advanced chapters)

Chapter 155 - 153

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