At 9 PM, the once lively house grew quiet.
"To think that Akifumi-sensei would actually call me, that's quite a rare occurrence!" Mihari said in disbelief.
"I've found you a genius, are you interested?" Akifumi's voice was calm.
Mihari's eyes lit up, and without hesitation, she replied, "Where are we going for dinner, sensei?"
"Glad you're interested. Do you know Shiina Mashiro?"
"That world-renowned genius oil painter?" Mihari said in surprise.
"You're not suggesting you want to introduce her to me, are you?"
At this point, it was clear that Mihari was becoming more perceptive.
Akifumi chuckled.
"Exactly."
"!!" Mihari exclaimed in disbelief. "Why would such a great artist want to draw comics?"
"Well, why don't you ask her yourself?" Akifumi suggested lightly.
"Ugh, never mind," Mihari said with a defeated gesture, clearly feeling a bit pressured by the idea of talking to such a genius about something so personal.
"But be prepared," Akifumi added.
"Mashiro's art is unquestionable, but the story... well..."
Mihari waved him off, "It's okay. A potential newcomer like her is something you can't even get with a plea! If she truly wants to draw comics, I'll definitely help her to the best of my ability!"
"Thanks for that," Akifumi said, hanging up the phone.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
'I just hope she won't regret today's decision.'
Mashiro's arrival hadn't caused much of a stir for Akifumi.
The one most affected by it was really Mahiru.
And the reason for that, only the girl herself knew.
.................
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the 6th—the day of the premiere of Madoka Magica.
"Trust me, this is going to be a masterpiece!" Tanaka said, patting his chest confidently in front of the classmates.
"Is this the one that caused all that buzz recently?" one of the students asked.
"I'm not really into manga, but I heard the sales were pretty good. It's worth looking forward to."
"Being worth looking forward to is one thing, but being a masterpiece is another. There's a saying in the industry that an animation adaptation might ruin a story— and I'm not sure if it's just gossip or not."
"But really, does Magical Girl Madoka have anything to be excited about?"
Tanaka didn't mind their reactions.
After all, his goal from the beginning had been simple: to get them to watch the first three episodes.
"Tadakuni, Tabata, you've both seen it, right? Say something about it!"
Tadakuni looked uninterested.
"I like Madoka Magica, but I don't want to casually recommend it to others."
Tabata patted Tadakuni's shoulder reassuringly before addressing the classmates, "Well, I feel the same way as Tadakuni, but you know there's this 'three-episode rule' when it comes to anime, right?"
"Once you get through the first three episodes, you pretty much know what to expect."
His statement quickly garnered approval from the group.
"That's true," they all agreed.
"Well, let's just watch the first three episodes before we make our judgments," one student suggested.
"Yeah, with so few interesting things to look forward to this Friday, it seems like the only thing worth watching."
Tanaka, Tadakuni, and Tabata exchanged knowing glances, their smiles saying it all.
That evening, Akifumi, Mihari, Mashiro, and Mahiru gathered together for a viewing party.
Akifumi sighed, "Haven't we already seen it once? Do we really need to gather just to watch it again?"
"This is your first animated work, Mugiho-kun! You can't miss out on the ceremony!" Mahiru replied with a smile.
Mugiho raised an eyebrow. "You always ignore the little details."
Mashiro, on the other hand, looked somewhat confused and asked, "What exactly are we watching?"
She looked distracted, clearly wanting to return to her art.
Mihari and Mashiro had already met, and now they just needed the girl to present her completed work for the next step.
"It's the first episode of Madoka Magica," Mahiru explained.
"Madoka got an anime adaptation?" Mashiro asked, surprised.
"You're following Madoka too?" Mihari asked, surprised.
"I love that series, along with Anohana," Mashiro replied.
Mihari and Mahiru exchanged a glance, the meaning clear: another one of Mugiho's little fans.
Mashiro, still confused, said, "I never heard of the Madoka anime adaptation."
"Well, it's understandable," Mugiho said.
"News travels slowly from Japan to UK."
Mashiro nodded and sat upright on the couch, her serious expression contrasting with her earlier distracted demeanor.
Twenty minutes later, the episode ended.
"This is really good! Everyone is so cute!" Mihari exclaimed, giving a satisfied nod.
Akifumi reminded her, "The next parts are going to be hard to watch."
"What?" she asked, her eyes wide. "Are you trying to ruin my fun?"
Mihari gave him a fierce look, but Mahiru only smiled warmly at them both.
Suddenly, Mashiro stood up.
Without much expression on her face, but with unwavering determination in her eyes, she declared, 'I'm going to make sure my own manga appears on the screen too!'
"Go for it, Mashiro!" Mahiru said encouragingly. "You've got this!"
.................
The next day, news about Madoka Magica's premiere filled the internet with praise:
"Madoka Magica has earned rave reviews for its animation!"
"Director Akiyuki Shinbo didn't disappoint!"
"Looking forward to the rest of the series!"
Fans of Madoka were buzzing with excitement after the first episode.
However, that same day, WorldEnd was released!
Although no one had high expectations for the newcomer, Shadow, the book still managed to sell decently due to its association with Love and Hope's Warriors.
Despite being a newcomer and not receiving the best placement in bookstores, The WorldEnd still managed to sell decently, thanks to the fame of Warior of Love and Hope's.
Even though many of the buyers were not expecting much from Shadow, they still supported the work because of their loyalty to the idol-like group.
They were like other fans who bought works that came with extra perks, like posters or limited editions—nothing that would change their dedication to their fandom.
In the end, the book's modest sales proved that despite being a new author, Shadow was still able to ride on the coattails of their association with Love and Hope's Warriors.