Chapter 69 - 68

Words : 1446 Updated : Sep 30th, 2025

Chapter 69 of "I just want to quietly draw manga" opens presenting twists: "Given your position at Kurokawa Publishing right now, this kind of request shouldn't be too... Keep following!

"Given your position at Kurokawa Publishing right now, this kind of request shouldn't be too difficult to approve. The only catch is that the next serialization would have to be more than three weeks from now—are you okay with that?" "I don't think an extra chapter alone will boost Rurouni Kenshin's numbers that dramatically..." Sora replied. Honestly, even though Haruki kept talking about aiming for first place, she had never tried to talk him out of it. But still... If Rurouni Kenshin really wanted to take home the Award, then its best shot was to make it into the top ten during the first round of selection and then build momentum from there. At the moment, the series was sitting in tenth place with over 170,000 followers. But based on how things usually went in the early rounds of the award's history... The final outcome for most titles was pretty much set by how well they did in the first week. Generally, you could estimate a manga's total fan value by multiplying the end-of-week-one numbers by two or three. The first week always saw a spike from curiosity—everyone wanted to see what the buzz was about, so the most dedicated readers jumped in early. After that, the growth usually slowed down significantly. Of course, how much higher a series could climb after that depended on how strong the content was. Take Blazing Feather, for example—the current front-runner. On day five of the competition, it had already broken 400,000 followers. Even though its rating was nearly a full point lower than Remembrance, sitting at 8.8, it was almost guaranteed that it would triple its fan count by the end of the round. On the other hand, Rurouni Kenshin only had around 170,000 followers. For Haruki to catch up, the series would have to gain another million in the next three weeks. In Sora's eyes, that felt close to impossible. She generously estimated that the current 9.8 rating, combined with the surge of word-of-mouth buzz, could help the series multiply its numbers by four or five times—maybe somewhere between 700,000 to 900,000 in total, if things went ideally. That should be more than enough to secure a top-five spot. But to climb any higher... that would be a stretch. "Actually, I think you're looking at it the wrong way, Sora." Haruki leaned forward. "It's not just about adding another chapter. The difference between releasing Chapter 14 alone and releasing both Chapters 14 and 15 together is huge." "Chapter 14 focuses on Tomoe's death, sure. But Chapter 15—" his tone lowered, eyes serious, "—it's about what that death means to Kenshin." Even though Tomoe leaves Kenshin behind, she gives him something far more lasting: the hope to go on. Haruki hadn't drawn the chapters yet, but he already had the scenes etched clearly in his mind. If they only released Chapter 14 three weeks from now—without the emotional payoff of Chapter 15—there wouldn't be any build-up in momentum. If anything, it might backfire. He could already imagine the backlash from Rurouni Kenshin's hundreds of thousands of fans. Why would you kill off such a beautifully developed heroine?! Did the author just go dark for drama's sake?! People would flip instantly. But if they paired the tragedy with its emotional resolution—the image of Kenshin finding hope again—the impact would be completely different. Yes, it was a tragedy, but not one that felt cruel or empty. It would carry weight. Meaning. "And besides, we've come this far. All we can do now is give it everything we've got," Haruki said firmly. He knew very well that it still might not be enough to take first place. But if they gave it everything and still lost, he'd be okay with that. "Alright," Sora finally relented. "Once I submit Chapter 13's manuscript on Monday, I'll forward your request to the editor-in-chief. Chances are, they'll greenlight it." "But if you're serious about this..." She turned to look at both Haruki and Kotone. "You'll need to finish both Chapters 14 and 15 by next Sunday at the latest. We'll need time for typesetting and printing. And even if Remembrance is a short series, it's our star title right now. The ending can't feel rushed." "Also, the company's going to announce the final chapter soon, so you might be asked to draw some color pages for the promo." "Got it," Haruki and Kotone said in unison. The two of them exchanged a glance. Without a word, they understood each other. They were ready. In good condition, the two of them could finish a full chapter in three days—so with nine days until next Sunday, the timeline wasn't a problem. "Looks like we're nearly at the end..." Sora murmured with a rare hint of sentimentality in her voice. "Thinking back... from the day you submitted your first manuscript to me, Haruki, to now—Rurouni Kenshin rising to the top, potentially even breaking into the second round of the Aurora Manga Award—that kind of accomplishment hasn't been seen in Osaka manga world in years. And it's only been what... six months?" "In half a year, you've gone from a total newcomer to one of the most talked-about names in the entire manga industry here—and now, with this week's buzz, you're known across the entire manga world." She glanced at Kotone, then back at Haruki. "I used to brush off words like 'genius' when people tossed them around. But after working with you two... I'm starting to understand what that really means." You've made the Meiji-era world feel immediate—the flash of Kenshin's blade under lantern-lit streets, Tomoe's quiet resolve in the snows of Echigo. It's not just another samurai romance. It's a story that lands straight in the heart of anyone who's known loss, yet still dared to hope." "..." Haruki didn't say anything. What could he say? He certainly couldn't explain to her that he was just adapting masterpieces from another dimension. So he just nodded, accepting the praise with a quiet, "Mm." "...Right." "Exactly." Sora blinked, then raised an eyebrow. She'd been feeling a little emotional, letting her thoughts wander as the series neared its conclusion—and decided to voice some heartfelt admiration for Haruki's work. But she hadn't expected such a flat, deadpan response. Most people, when praised as a 'genius,' would show at least a hint of modesty. But Haruki just accepted it like it was an obvious fact. That kind of reaction left her speechless. Kotone, meanwhile, couldn't help but giggle from the side. "Alright, alright. Enough chatter for today," Sora said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm exhausted. I'll head home and get some sleep." She had more on her mind—things she wanted to ask, things she wasn't sure she should say. For example... after Rurouni Kenshin wraps up, did Haruki already have plans for his next series? And... assuming his work really did push into the second round of the Award, would he still stay with Kurokawa Publishing? Back in September of last year, Haruki had signed just a one-year contract with them. It hadn't even been half that time, and he was already dominating the industry. Where would he go next? From an editor's point of view, Sora hoped she could continue working with him for many years to come—partnering on future series that might even surpass Rurouni Kenshin. But from a friend's perspective... she couldn't help but feel conflicted. She didn't want him to renew his contract. She didn't want him to be bound by Kurokawa Publishing's limits. Even if he had another brilliant idea ready to go, she secretly hoped he'd save it—just for a little while—and bring it somewhere bigger when the time was right. Even before Rurouni Kenshin had officially entered the Aurora Manga Award, voices in the manga world were already saying that the Kurokawa platform was too small for it. And after this week's award results? That sentiment was everywhere. So Sora kept those thoughts to herself. And she could tell... Kotone was thinking the same thing. Shout out to Santy Smahlij, Jarod Pike, Lucas Varnas, gsels, TSALyraen, Hersh Jobanputra, Atru 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 69 - 68

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