A few days passed, and the sales of WorldEnd skyrocketed, reaching a remarkable 60,000 copies.
If this number were made public, both industry professionals and the general public would be stunned, calling it a "monster" achievement.
Despite this success, the online rumors still hadn't stopped.
No matter how much the fans tried to defend it, the haters continued claiming, "This success is faked."
Without any official statement from the publisher or the author, the fans felt frustrated and helpless.
They couldn't outright oppose the haters, but they were still worried.
———————————————————————
"If this is really all fake from the beginning... what do we do then?"
———————————————————————
"Shadow-sensei, it's almost time," Machida said, sounding a little irritated. "We've waited long enough, it's about to backfire."
Akifumi smiled. "Don't worry. I'm about to make a little mistake."
"A mistake?" Machida's curiosity piqued.
Akifumi took out his phone, logged into his SNS account, and posted two updates.
The first one read:
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"About the rumors online, I've asked a friend to gather relevant information. I'll be suing them soon to protect my rights and reputation! I'll show them that the internet isn't a lawless place!"
———————————————————————
The second update was:
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"Hey, everyone! The manga adaptation of 'WorldEnd' is now published in Weekly Shonen Jump! Hope you all like it! Also, my next new work will start serialization in two weeks... I'm sure you're all used to me releasing two series at once, right?"
———————————————————————
At first glance, everything seemed fine, but the names of the senders were completely opposite.
"That should do it."
Looking at his handiwork, Akifumi nodded in satisfaction.
Instead of explaining things outright, he preferred to guide his fans toward discovering the truth themselves.
If he explained things directly, fans might wonder if it was a trick, if there was some hidden agenda.
But if they uncovered the truth on their own, they would never doubt it.
Instead, they would be thrilled at the moment of realization!
"Now, let's just sit back and let things unfold."
He turned his attention away from the computer screen and got back to work—his top priority being the script for Steins;Gate.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, the internet was abuzz due to the two recent posts Akifumi had just made.
One was posted under the account Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei, and the other under Shadow-sensei.
The discrepancy made both posts seem oddly misplaced. The content itself wasn't strange, but the context felt completely off, making them look hilariously out of place.
Some fans were instantly confused.
Comments under Warrior of Love and Hope's post:
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"?? Can someone explain what the heck does sensei means by this post?"
"I understand every word individually, but put after putting it up together, I have no idea what's going on!"
"Confused +1! Has someone been slandering sensei online?"
"No clue. Haven't heard a thing about it!"
"Is there any context to this? If sensei is preparing to sue someone, shouldn't we have at least heard a rumor or two?"
"Sure, sensei often breaks our hearts with tragic storylines, but that's just for the plot! If someone is actually slandering him, I won't stand for it!"
"Agreed! We support sensei taking legal action to defend his rights!"
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, under Shadow's post, a different discussion was taking place:
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"So WorldEnd is now serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump? That I knew—it was mentioned in Volume 3's afterword. But the real question is… since when that this author have double serialization!?"
"And hold up—another new manga series is starting? Isn't sensei a light novel author?"
"Has dealing with internet drama finally made him lose it?!"
"This post's tone feels completely different than usual. Could it be…?"
"I don't care about any of that—I just want to ask: Is Shadow a real person and not just some pseudonym cooked up by Fujimi Publishing? Please, sensei, give us a clear answer!"
"We all want to believe in sensei, but we also need him to address these rumors directly so we can have confidence in him!"
———————————————————————
As time passed, fans who followed both accounts started putting the pieces together.
———————————————————————
"Wait a minute… doesn't this post sound just like something Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei would write? And sensei often juggles multiple projects. If he's launching a new series in Jump, that's not out of character at all."
"Speaking of online drama, Shadow-sensei has been caught in a lot of controversy lately, right?"
"Now look at Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei post—it totally matches Shadow-sensei usual writing style, doesn't it?!"
"No way—?!"
"Could it be—?!"
"This is insane!"
"But given how sensei always works on multiple projects at once, maybe it's not impossible?!"
"No, no, no—double serialization is one thing. This is on a whole other level! Maybe they just accidentally swapped phones?"
"Honestly, I'd rather believe that it's the same person."
"Wait, what are you guys even talking about? I don't get it at all!"
"Go check out Warrior of Love and Hope's recent post. The timestamps on both posts are less than two minutes apart."
"This is crazy! Could someone actually be this talented at everything?!"
"Just gonna say—I'm a former classmate of sensei. He was always the top student in our grade. Even if he had aimed for the University of Tokyo's hardest science programs, he would've had no trouble getting in."
"The University of Tokyo's science department?! Are you serious?!"
"Stop it! How does someone like this even exist?!"
"This is too insane! I need to take a cold shower to process this!"
———————————————————————
At first, it was just a handful of fans discussing things. But as more people joined in, the realization spread like wildfire.
The two posts, once stripped of their mismatched usernames, made perfect sense.
And the mention of a new series in Jump? It was too much of a coincidence to ignore.
Then there was the line: 'I'm sure you're all used to me releasing two series at once, right?'
That was practically a dead giveaway.
Sharp-eyed fans pieced everything together and came to an inevitable conclusion.
Within just an hour of the posts going live, the comments section of both accounts was flooded with identical reactions:
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"Sensei, next time, double-check which account you're posting from! 😂"
"I didn't expect you to be this adorable! My respect for you just skyrocketed!"
"Having multiple accounts really is a hassle. I once accidentally texted my girlfriend using my alt account."
"Sensei, why did you try to hide this from us? Even if you told us you were writing a light novel, the worst we'd do is complain a little!"
"Warrior of Love and Hope: If each of you complains just a little, that still adds up to a lot."
"Sensei, you really have no sense of priority!"
"Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei: There are too many manga serialized in magazines already. If I want to write, light novels are my best bet."
"Now that I think about it, sensei is probably the only one who keeps serializing manga even after the tankobon (collected volume) is finished!"
"I never expected him to be this good at writing light novels! The tragic atmosphere in WorldEnd is absolutely gripping!"
"Now that I think about it, Shadow-sensei was probably meant to represent sensei's own 'shadow' all along!"
"I wonder what the editor's reaction was when he first said he wanted to write light novels!"
"Wait, if sensei is now serializing two new series in Jump, what's gonna happen to WorldEnd?! Will the light novel be put on hold?!"
"Nooooo!! I'll die without it! That series is my lifeline!"
"Everyone, have a little faith in sensei's speed. Maybe he won't be able to release a new volume every month anymore, but every two or three months should be doable, right?"
"Exactly! Plus, one of the new manga is literally WorldEnd. How's he supposed to draw it without writing the novel?! 😆"
"Good point. But seriously, how is he managing to ace his studies while creating all these masterpieces?!"
"Because… he's a monster?"
"A genius's world is beyond our comprehension!"
"Faced with a talent like this, the only logical response is to give up and accept our own mediocrity!"
"Everyone, I have a question—how is it possible to serialize two manga series while also writing a light novel? No matter how you look at it, that's just insane!
"Most manga artists are already exhausted just keeping up with a weekly serialization. But when people found out that it was Love and Hope Warrior behind it all, not only were they not surprised, but they actually found it completely natural. Why is that?"
"Anyone asking that question clearly hasn't read sensei's works."
"Whether it's Madoka Magica or Anohana, these top-tier works—do you really think anyone would just sell them off?"
"If you could create even one of these, the benefits would far outweigh selling the rights to someone else."
"I can't believe there are still people who don't understand something this simple..."
"I can't wait to see sensei's reaction when he realizes his secret identity has been exposed tomorrow!"
"If it weren't for sensei's own slip-up, we probably wouldn't have found out the truth for a long time!"
———————————————————————
The discussion quickly took social media by storm, trending at the top spot almost instantly.
Even those who personally knew Akifumi caught wind of the news right away.
"This guy… he's really hopeless," Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed, half amused, as she looked at the trending post on her phone.
"I never expected that not only could he draw such amazing manga, but his writing skills were also top-notch enough to produce something like this."
She still vividly remembered the first time she read his work—
The overwhelming sorrow in its storytelling had moved even her to tears.
"How many times has this kid tricked me into crying?"
After a brief moment of thought, she gave up on counting.
"Well, I should probably give him a heads-up."
She dialed Akifumi's number.
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'The number you are calling is currently unavailable...'
———————————————————————
Shizuka was stunned for a second before shaking her head. "Well, that's not my fault, then."
———————————————————————
"Love and Hope Warrior is actually Shadow?!" Kasumigaoka Utaha was speechless.
Then, a bitter smile spread across her face. "I can't believe the two authors I admire most are actually the same person."
Thinking about Akifumi's face, she gently ran her fingers over the signed cover of one of his books.
Her usually composed heart suddenly felt unsettled.
———————————————————————
"That bastard! He kept something like this from me again!" Lying in her bed, Eriri gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Tomorrow, he's gonna pay for this!"
For some reason, though, her mind flashed back to a certain kiss they had shared months ago.
Her cheeks flushed red.
She had been drawing doujinshi for years, yet deep down, she was still just a hopeless romantic.
"Now that I think about it, with Mashiro and Mahiru around, it's been a long time since..."
"Wait, no! What am I even thinking?! Eriri, get it together! It's not like we're dating, so why does it matter?!"
"Argh, so annoying! I'm not thinking about that guy anymore—sleep, sleep!"
She reached out and turned off the lights.
———————————————————————
"Ugh, I don't feel great… Am I catching a cold?"
"Whatever. I should give myself a massage."
After drawing manga nonstop every day, exhaustion was inevitable. If he didn't take care of himself, he'd really get sick.
After a short massage, he took a shower, the sound of water echoing through the room.
———————————————————————
"Mugiho-kun…"
Mahiru stared blankly at her phone screen.
Then, she let out a small, bittersweet smile. "He's just too amazing."
"Someone like me, just an ordinary girl…"
Looking back at everything about herself, she shook her head.
Gazing at the ceiling, lost in thought, her mind was flooded with too many emotions.
———————————————————————
Mashiro's room was illuminated only by the glow of her computer screen.
She was focused on her drawing, occasionally furrowing her brows as she struggled to make sense of the complex plot she was illustrating.
She paid no attention to the chaos unfolding online.
———————————————————————
"As expected of Shadow—no, I suppose I should call him Akifumi-sensei now." Machida Sonoko couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
She had initially been worried about how he would clear up this misunderstanding—
How could he do it without angering his fans while still making them believe him?
But now, she realized her concern had been completely unnecessary.
If she hadn't been in on it beforehand, she might've thought this whole situation was just an accidental slip-up.
The fans were all thrilled by what they thought was the "truth."
Little did they know, what they had discovered was just the "truth" Akifumi had chosen to reveal.
"Sales are probably going to skyrocket after this, huh?"
For hardcore fans, just seeing their idol's name was reason enough to spend money—
Let alone when the work itself was of such high quality!
Thinking about it, Machida Sonoko couldn't help but smile.
———————————————————————
"Tsk, tsk." Wearing a bathrobe, revealing just enough skin, Otosuna Mihari casually sipped her milk while glancing at her phone.
"I never thought that bastard with his twisted sense of humor would actually have a day where he screws up like this."
"I should find a chance to tease him properly later~"
Just imagining his flustered reaction filled her with joy.
———————————————————————
The night passed.
The next morning, when Akifumi turned on his phone, he was greeted by countless missed calls.
He chuckled but didn't bother responding right away.
Instead, he logged into both of his accounts and quickly deleted two specific posts.
Then, he went silent.
Playing dead seemed like the best option for now.
But his ever-watchful fans noticed the change immediately.
Flooding the comments section, they wrote:
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"Lmao, he finally realized it! That's why he deleted the posts!"
"Sensei, you're already exposed! Trying to play dumb won't work!"
"Come on, guys, have some tact! If sensei wants to play dumb, let's just roll with it."
"What posts? There were no posts. We didn't see anything, right?"
"Oh no, what happened last night? I think I lost my memory!"
"Exactly! Nothing happened last night—I can vouch for that!"
"We totally don't know that sensei is actually Shadow-sensei too, and that he wrote WorldEnd. Right, everyone?"
"Absolutely! No worries, sensei—we'll keep it a secret!"
"Ahhh! Why is sensei so cute?! I love him so much!!"
———————————————————————
Reading through the comments, Akifumi couldn't help but mutter: "Are these guys online 24/7 or something?!"
It had barely been a minute since he deleted the posts, and already the comment section was overflowing.
He sighed.
"Should I just come clean, or try to cover it up?"
Then, he had an idea.
———————————————————————
Love and Hope Warrior: "Damn it! I've been hiding for so long, but I guess I can't keep it up anymore. Fine, I give up! I'm Shadow-sensei! I wrote WorldEnd! Laugh all you want!"
———————————————————————
Shadow: "Ahem, last night, while discussing the Volume 4 illustrations with Love and Hope Warrior-sensei, I accidentally used the wrong phone. I never expected it to cause such a misunderstanding. My apologies!"
———————————————————————
Fans, seeing the two posts appear within a minute of each other, left their verdict:
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"Sure, sure, we totally believe you!"
"That was some terrible coordination—we're giving you zero points!"