Chapter 161 - 159

After reading the fourth chapter, readers' anticipation had reached its breaking point. Mizushiro was simply too good at drawing out the suspense. A whole month had passed with the tension building, yet it was still unclear: was Takumi going to race? Could it be? Was his father, Bunta, going to drive instead? Takumi was already impressive. If his father was even more skilled...? And given the unwritten law in manga that old characters are secretly terrifying, Bunta's calm demeanor made readers all the more suspicious. Were they going to form a father-son tag team against Keisuke Takahashi? Speculation flooded every fan forum and manga community. Theories were flying all week long as anticipation reached a fever pitch. Then finally chapter five of Initial D dropped. Its title: "The Downhill Specialist Appears". The moment fans saw it, their excitement exploded. Was the long-awaited race finally about to begin? A new figure entered the story Shingo Shoji, leader of the NightKids, a racing team from Myogi. He was introduced as a local legend, undefeated in downhill battles. Across Japan, Initial D readers were fired up. A new contender had entered, and the tension was back on Akina Mountain. In the manga, the weekend night scene was drawn with cinematic flair—cars ascending Akina, the crowd gathering along the corners to catch a glimpse of Keisuke's match. The Akagi REDSUNS' convoy rolled in to roaring cheers. Meanwhile, the SpeedStars were in trouble their leader, Iketani, was still injured and unable to drive. Some fans wondered what if the AE86 never shows up? Then came Iketani's determined expression. Was he going to race while injured? He was just a supporting character, and clearly not the fastest, but readers couldn't help but feel a little moved... Until he turned to Kenji and said, "Kenji... you'll have to race for the honor of the team." Pfft! Readers burst out laughing at Kenji's panicked face his bitter expression was pure comedy gold. "Damn it, you ruined my emotional moment!" As time passed in the manga, the AE86 still hadn't arrived. Even with the Takahashi brothers showing off some impressive parallel drifts on Akina's curves, readers grew increasingly anxious. Where was the 86? Why hadn't it shown up? Finally, the scene shifted to the Fujiwara Tofu Shop. "Full tank of gas. Don't forget," Bunta reminded him. Takumi sat in the driver's seat of the AE86, looking calm. Then, without another word, he started the engine and drove off toward Akina. He's finally going? Readers all across the country let out a collective sigh of relief. Five weeks into the serialization and finally, Takumi was heading to the mountain. But just as fans scrolled down for more... That was it. The chapter ended. Done. Gone. Just like that. From every corner of Japan came the same reaction: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" "You held us off for a month and this is all we get?!" "Mizushiro, just draw two more pages! Let the 86 at least arrive!" "You end it there?! How are we supposed to survive another week?!" Fan frustration boiled over. Mizushiro's comment sections on Fend and the official Shroud Line accounts exploded. "We demand longer chapters or at least better cliffhangers!" "Please don't work on Natsume anymore just draw Initial D three times a week!" "Actually, four times a week. Who needs sleep anyway?" "That's it. I'm not voting this week! I'm boycotting until Mizushiro apologizes!" And yet... Despite the outcry, Initial D continued its steady rise. Reader votes for the chapter nearly caught up to Natsume. The difference between the two had narrowed to under 10,000 votes. Together, they were neck-and-neck for second place. dream world remained in first, with 1.1 million votes just 200,000 ahead. Haruki saw the online chaos and wisely chose silence. Normally he'd post a few casual updates on fend, but now... he went completely quiet. Of course, that didn't stop his follower count from rising. Thanks to Initial D, he had now reached over 1.6 million followers. --- At the same time, in the animation studio, Haruki was deep in conversation with director Masahiro Masaura about the visual tone for 5 Centimeters per Second and Voices of a Distant Star. "What kind of style are you aiming for?" asked Aoto Shibasaki, one of the assistant directors. Haruki leaned back, thoughtful. "Beautiful. But not flashy. Not loud. I want every frame to feel like it's quietly breathing like it has space to live." He paused, then added, "Like a memory. A dream you almost remember... but not quite." Aoto tilted his head. "So... painting each scene as a memory?" Haruki nodded. "Exactly. It's not just about beauty. It's about feeling." There was silence around the table. Haruki could tell his words weren't quite landing. He sighed. With deadlines looming forty to fifty pages a week this was the last thing he needed. But some things couldn't be explained with words alone. "Fine," he said quietly. "I'll show you." That night, he stayed late. By morning, he returned with three large A3 sheets rough, hand-drawn panels that looked like memories caught on paper. Light washes of color added mood, but the compositions carried the weight. The first: a deserted station platform at twilight, the sky ablaze in magentas and deep gold. A departing train cast reflections on the wet ground, the motion blurred just enough to feel fleeting. A girl stood silhouetted, the backlight tracing a soft halo around her. The second: a boy's face in profile, caught mid-thought, cherry blossoms drifting down like snow. Behind him, the city blurred into soft oranges and purples out of focus, yet warm. The third: an empty classroom at dusk, desks cast in long shadows, golden light pooling across the wooden floor. No figures. Just silence, frozen in amber. He laid the sheets on the table. The room fell silent. Masahiro leaned over, brow furrowed as he studied the images. "These are storyboards?" Aoto asked, eyes darting across the sheets. Haruki gave a slight shake of his head. "Not exactly. Just sketches. But this is the feeling I'm chasing. Not just light longing. Like the last frame of a dream you wake up wishing you could finish." Masahiro didn't say anything. He just stared down at the page, his brow slowly relaxing. "...I get it now." Kaito Nakahara leaned forward, his voice low. "I've worked on five shows, and I've never seen something like this in pre-production. It's like like the scene's already remembering itself." Saori Fujimoto studied the edges of the second panel, where the color bled into the white space. "The depth's subtle. Almost fragile. If we overpaint it, we'll kill it." Takeshi Morita stepped back, hands on hips, scanning the pieces as if seeing them for the first time. "This isn't layout. It's not key art either. What is this?" Aoto folded his arms, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "It's like frozen emotion. Like frames that don't move, but breathe. Where did this style even come from?" Haruki kept his eyes on the sketch. After a moment, he shrugged. "I just drew what I saw." Masahiro nodded slowly. "We need a name for it. It's not just a technique it's a way of thinking." Takeshi chuckled. "Silent moments, maybe. Like the frames are holding their breath." Saori tilted her head. "Nostalgia shots. There's something aching in them." Kaito offered, "Dreamscapes. Like memories that never fully happened." The room was quiet again. Then Haruki finally spoke. "Dreamscapes," he said, almost to himself. Then looked up. "Yeah... that fits." Everyone glanced down at the sketches again seeing them differently now. Saori brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "This changes how I think about backgrounds. They're not just behind the story anymore. They are the story." Kaito murmured, "Feels like we're inventing a new language." A subtle shift passed through the room. Just quiet, shared recognition. Takeshi let out a breath. "I don't even know how people will react to this." Saori smiled faintly. "They'll feel it. Even if they don't know why." Masahiro leaned back in his chair, eyes on the sketches, something bright flickering behind them. "Then let's make it count. Every frame. If we do this right... Japan won't just be watching another anime." He paused. "They'll be remembering something they never saw." Later that week, the background team began tests based on Haruki's layouts. Their first render of a lonely street under rainfall, streetlights flickering like fireflies sent a quiet shiver through the studio. The subtle motion of the falling rain, the gentle flicker of the streetlights... it wasn't just a setting. It was a mood, a feeling captured in every pixel. They weren't making just an adaptation anymore. They were making something that felt... timeless. Haruki sat down to review the first completed test shot. A train passed slowly through dusk-colored fog. The glow of sunset filtered through its windows, casting long streaks of orange across the frame. The smooth, almost tactile blending of colors, the delicate balance of light and shadow—it was exactly what he'd hoped for. He didn't say a word. He just smiled. (TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 55+ advanced chapters) [TL:- Hey guys! This is the first time I've written a new story part myself, so I was a bit nervous. Banana19 suggested a scene between the MC and the animation team about the art style and I gave it a shot!]