Chapter 196 - 194

Words : 1096 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

How could anyone not share a work like this? For those who felt broken after watching the ending of 5 Centimeters per Second, the pain somehow turned into reverence. They didn't just rate it a perfect 10—they felt an obligation to spread the word. A post on a popular anime blog read: "Hey, my sweet beans! ???? I know I've been MIA this week, but I'm back with your Monday anime dose! Today's pick is an absolute must-watch: a youthful romance masterpiece—5 Centimeters per Second! If you've already seen it, don't spoil it for others. Let them experience it fully." The comments underneath were filled with inside jokes and confused new fans trying to understand what was going on. One reply in particular shot to the top: "Romance masterpiece, huh? Sounds right up my alley. If this gets 1,000 likes, I'll watch it tonight." It hit 6,000 likes in under five hours. Meanwhile, somewhere else, a hardcore anime fan—only just waking up near sundown—started scrolling through his messages over breakfast. Everyone was talking about 5 Centimeters per Second. "Is it that good? I feel like I'm the only one who hasn't seen it yet... Guess I'll check it out. Otherwise I've got nothing to talk about with anyone lately." Even Haruki's private chat groups were flooded with recs and reactions. Just as he expected, the third episode had created a wildfire effect—but what surprised him was how fast it all happened. Within a single day, 5cm/s had swept across nearly every animation fan circle online. People were complaining about the heartbreak, swearing at the writer behind the scenes—and still calling it a masterpiece. Haruki sipped his tea and muttered to himself. "Anime fans... we're all just a bunch of masochists." His phone had barely stopped ringing all day. Kazuya had called him, rattling off streaming numbers and data spikes like a stockbroker on caffeine. Haruki only half-listened, until one line caught his attention: "Listen, if this keeps up... 5cm/s might reach the level Anohana did back in the day. I was there when that blew up—this feels the same." That got Haruki's attention. Anohana had averaged over 9 million views per episode and swept nearly every award that year. If 5cm/s could match that? It would be the clear frontrunner for the season. Assuming, of course, nothing massive aired in February or March. While Haruki pondered that, his phone buzzed again. It was Airi. As soon as he picked up, her voice came through—half-choked. "You're the worst, you know that?! I asked you what the ending was, and you and Ryuko didn't say a thing! I've been stuck drawing all day, powering through deadlines, and I finally thought I'd relax by watching Episode 3... ...and that's the ending I get?! How am I supposed to sleep tonight?! You better fix this, you jerk!" Haruki stared at his phone. "Return Akari to Takaki... what, like I'm her fiancé or something?" Unlike most fans, Airi didn't bother venting online—she just called him directly and let loose. He didn't even respond. Instead, he put on a monotone voice: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off... please try again later." He hung up and blacklisted her number, for three days, just enough to recover. "People really don't let you rest around here..." He poured himself more tea and rewatched the final episode alone, quietly proud of how beautifully it had turned out. But then— Another call. This time, the name on the screen made him pause. Ryuko. He answered with a much softer tone. "Hey. It's late—what's up?" Back in her dorm, Ryuko sat against the wall in her fluffy pajamas, heart pounding. Her roommates were out for dinner. She'd faked being unwell so she could call him. Even after a year of knowing him, she still felt nervous every time they talked. "N-no reason! I just... wanted to congratulate you," she said quickly. "Kazuya told me about the streaming numbers." "Thanks," Haruki replied. "I appreciate it." He was about to hang up when she suddenly spoke again. "Wait—um, one more thing." "Yeah?" "Remember what I said last week? About the League finals on Sunday? You're still coming, right?" There was a beat of hesitation on his end. "Of course. I wouldn't forget something like that." She let out a quiet sigh of relief. Ryuko had called partly to check in on the anime's momentum—but also to make sure Haruki wasn't going to bail on their plans. She knew how quickly his schedule could fill up when something exploded like this. At least for now, it seemed like Sunday was still open. "Okay then. See you Sunday." After they hung up, Haruki leaned back and stretched. Sleep tugged at him—but there was one more thing to do before bed. Because 5cm/s wasn't the only project he'd poured himself into lately. Voices of a Distant Star was about to drop. He unlocked his phone, opened Fend, and composed a post: "Hey everyone, this is Mizushiro. Thanks so much for the overwhelming support for 5 Centimeters per Second. Seeing the response to Episode 3 and the incredible viewer turnout has meant a lot. Though the story ends here, I hope you find closure in Takaki's smile and Akari's new beginning. That said... a new project of mine will premiere tomorrow, January 17th: Voices of a Distant Star. It's just over 20 minutes long, but personally, I consider it just as meaningful and powerful as 5cm/s. If you connected with one, I hope the other resonates too. ????" He hit post. Fans who had been refreshing his feed all day finally got what they were waiting for. And immediately, the replies rolled in: "Takaki got closure? Akari moved on? Perfect ending? You're really gonna lie like that with a straight face, huh?" "Yeah, yeah, Mizushiro. I'm happy for them. But what about us?! I've been in emotional freefall since last night." "Wait... I completely forgot about Voices of a Distant Star. You made two works in six months?!" "You're telling me there's another story that hurts just as much? Bruh..." Shout out to bsopnuke szafrykjr, Tjking177, BarbeRebelle 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 60+ advanced chapters)

Chapter 196 - 194

Comments (0)