Chapter 203 - 201

Words : 1020 Updated : Oct 12th, 2025

Asamiya leaned forward, eyes bright with curiosity. "Then... what does five centimeters per second really mean?" She had originally asked to put Haruki on the spot. But now even she was genuinely curious. Haruki paused, then took a deep breath. His thoughts drifted back to the months when he first came across the work. When 5 Centimeters per Second had unlocked in the system, Haruki had gained access not only to the scripts and storyboards, but also to adaptations and commentary from a parallel world anime, manga, novels, even online discussions. Among all of that, one particular explanation had caught his eye. Maybe Shinkai Makoto hadn't intended such layered symbolism, but somehow, everything in that version aligned in a way that made the number five centimeters per second feel quietly profound. So, in his own version, Haruki had leaned into that. He structured the story carefully, making the timeline of Akari and Takaki's slow drifting apart feel deliberate. And now that Asamiya had asked... he was ready to share. Meanwhile, back in her dorm, Ryuko stared at the screen, brows furrowed in curiosity. What could it mean? Unfortunately, the stream's chat was doing its usual thing. "Five centimeters per second? Sounds suspiciously like someone's flexing." "Are we really gonna pretend he didn't pick that just because it sounded poetic?" "Why not six? Or ten? Or ninety nine?!" "Oh no. This is turning into that kind of live show..." Ryuko cringed, turned off the comments, and focused on Haruki's expression. On the stream, Haruki's tone was calm as he began to speak. "There's a line early in the film," he said. "'The speed at which cherry blossoms fall is five centimeters per second. So... what speed should I move at, to reach you?'" "Oh! I remember that!" Asamiya said with a smile. "It's such a beautiful line. One of my favorites." Kazuya sat quietly, listening with interest. Even he hadn't heard this story before. Haruki glanced at Asamiya. "Since you remembered the line, let me ask you something in return." "In the story—from the last time Akari and Takaki saw each other, to the moment they pass each other at the train crossing—how much time passed between them?" Asamiya blinked. "Ah..." She vaguely remembered that each chapter had time markers—postcards, backgrounds, little hints—but it wasn't something she'd paid attention to closely. "I... actually don't remember. But how does that connect to the title?" "It's important," Haruki said. "Because the time that passes between their last meeting and that silent moment at the train crossing... is thirteen years." "Thirteen?" Asamiya echoed, surprised. Haruki nodded. "Now, if something or someone were to move at a speed of five centimeters per second... for thirteen years without stopping..." He looked at her calmly. "Do you know how far that would be?" Asamiya froze. She hadn't expected math. And neither had the viewers—until someone in the stream chat did the calculation and dropped the answer: 20,548 kilometers. Haruki continued without missing a beat. "That distance," he said, "is roughly the span from the North Pole to the South Pole. The longest possible distance between two points on Earth." "In 5 Centimeters per Second, that's what happens. Akari and Takaki, once inseparable, begin to drift. Not suddenly—but gradually. Constantly. And by the end... their hearts are farther apart than two people could possibly be on this planet." "That," Haruki said quietly, "is what the title means." The studio fell silent. Asamiya sat back, stunned. Even if she hadn't quite followed the math, the emotional weight behind it landed hard. So that's what it meant. In her dorm room, Ryuko stared at the screen in awe. He never told anyone that, she thought. The stream chat exploded after a long pause. "Holy crap... I'll never see that title the same way again." "From love to the poles. I'm crying." "It's not just a title—it's the whole story." "Now it makes sense why Akari didn't wait for Takaki at the end. It's not distance that separates people it's time, and the silence in between." "Too cruel, Mizushiro-sensei. You didn't just write heartbreak you calculated it!" Kazuya, listening off to the side, exhaled softly. This guy even makes math poetic, he thought. Asamiya composed herself quickly and smiled again. "That's... honestly incredible, Mizushiro-sensei. I think a lot of us watching are feeling that same weight right now." "But," she added, switching gears, "let's move on to your other recent work. In Voices of a Distant Star, Mikako drifts deeper into space, sending messages to Noboru across the years. Some fans want to know—did she ever make it back to Earth? Did they ever reunite?" Haruki shook his head slightly. "I can't answer that." "Oh?" "That was how I wrote it. I left the ending open on purpose. If you want to believe Mikako made it home, that's valid. If you think she didn't... that's valid too." Asamiya gave a half-laugh. "So... you're saying, it's up to us?" Haruki nodded. "Some stories don't need answers. Just questions that linger." (Just like they linger in each other's messages, Ryuko thought, her expression softening.) Asamiya moved to the next segment with practiced ease. They discussed lighter questions whether Natsume's Book of friends would eventually have a heroine (Haruki confirmed Reiko was the closest the story would come to that), and how powerful Takumi's father really was in Initial Drift compared to Takumi. The audience stayed glued to the stream some still stunned by the earlier revelation, others furiously speculating in the comments. But one thing was clear: the man behind Mizushiro's stories wasn't just creating drama for effect. He was building quiet heartbreaks with precision. Shout out to The pot Man, bo fundo 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 203 - 201

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