It wasn't just Tanaka who thought the girl was being reckless.
Arima Kousei had similar complaints.
'But...'
'The things you say and do, everything shines so brightly.'
'For me, it's so blinding, I have to close my eyes.'
'—But, it also makes me want to reach for it.'
'How could I forget?'
'The moment when applause thunders, when the atmosphere is electrified, and your music fills everyone's heart—how could I possibly forget that?'
The boy climbs over the guardrail, mimicking the girl's posture, and jumps into the stream below.
Their joyful laughter fills the air.
'How could I ever forget?'
'Because, like you, I'm a performer too!'
With the sound of their laughter, the second volume of the story comes to a close.
———————————————————————
"Phew."
Tanaka lets out a satisfied sigh.
Though he feels some regret that there's no continuation, the story reaching its first peak and concluding here wasn't so bad.
After all, the first major climax has already been resolved.
If he hadn't seen the duet today, then that would have been the real disappointment.
"The next part of the story will probably have Arima start participating in piano competitions, right?!"
The former genius boy reappears in front of the audience and the judges.
"I wonder what kind of story will unfold next!"
Tanaka can't help but feel excited about what's to come.
But…
"Honestly, it still bothers me!"
That scene in the hospital, with the word "again."
"Is this really a healing manga?"
While it seems like it from what he's seen, thinking back to the mangaka's previous works,
Tanaka shivers, his face stiffening with an awkward smile.
"Shouldn't be, right?"
"I guess I should ask others online for their thoughts."
With that, Tanaka pulls out his phone and opens his chat.
Inside, there's a small group dedicated to discussing the works of the "Warriors of Love and Hope" series.
———————————————————————
"Hey, has anyone seen volumes one and two of Your Lie In April?"
———————————————————————
As soon as Tanaka asks, the previously quiet group suddenly comes alive.
———————————————————————
"Why are these people so crazy!? I was just a bit late, and didn't manage to grab a copy!!"
"Same here! I have no idea when another copies will be available, it's killing me!!"
"You're asking about it—did you already read it? How's the rest of the story?"
"Absolutely amazing!"
———————————————————————
Tanaka answers without hesitation, though he can't help but feel a little disappointed.
———————————————————————
"Seriously, no one got it?"
———————————————————————
How are they supposed to discuss the plot if no one's seen it yet!?
"Forget it."
Tanaka is about to put his phone away when he notices an @ message.
———————————————————————
"Did you finish reading it? I know you're in Tokyo, right? Can you sell it to me? I'll pay the full price!!"
———————————————————————
Wait.
Is this really happening?
Tanaka's a bit tempted.
But after thinking it through, he realizes he's been working recently and isn't exactly short on money.
———————————————————————
"Your Lie In April is a piece worth keeping—it doesn't need to be sold."
———————————————————————
Just as he's about to decline, another message pops up.
———————————————————————
"Wait, I'll pay a premium—1500 yen, how's that?"
"So shameless! I was the one who offered first!!"
"The highest bidder wins, huh? Everyone wants to read it so badly!"
"Alright then, I'll offer 2000 yen!"
———————————————————————
?? Can this really escalate!?
———————————————————————
"You said, highest bidder wins. Then I'll offer 3000 yen!"
———————————————————————
Tanaka blinks.
'This is really happening!?'
'So, I spent money on it, and now I can make a profit by selling it?'
'I've already finished reading it, so I could always buy it again later when they reprint it!' With that thought, Tanaka quickly agrees.
———————————————————————
"Alright!"
———————————————————————
.....................................................
"Your Lie In April is really good!" Eriri exclaims in admiration.
"Yeah, it's amazing!"
Mashiro nods in agreement, her eyes shining. "Mugi, what do you think if I start learning the violin?"
Mugi can't hold back a roll of her eyes, responding helplessly,
"Then, Mashiro, will you still draw?" Mashiro hesitates, then her face falls in disappointment.
Still, she struggles to speak: "Can't I do both?"
"Do you really think you can?"
Mashiro sighs, falling silent.
Akifumi turns to Eriri. "You promised to support me, but you're not buying a copy. You're just freeloading?"
"Well, your fans are too many, and a crowd had already gathered in front of the bookstore early in the morning. I couldn't get a copy!" Eriri grumbles, but then flashes a smile, patting Akifumi on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll buy a copy when they reprint it."
"You're so smart." Teasing Eriri, Akifumi walks towards the room, ready to begin his work.
Now that there are more people at home, two people are drawing instead of just one.
There's not enough room inside, so Akifumi has started working in the room while the three girls are outside.
Just as Akifumi takes a few steps, Eriri calls out to him.
"By the way, what's the deal with that hospital scene?"
"Wasn't it mentioned earlier that performers like Miyazono Kaori never had any past performance cases?"
Eriri nods thoughtfully. "I see."
"So, she's never performed because of her health problems, huh?"
"Well, that explains the earlier setup!"
"Exactly!" Akifumi nods in satisfaction. "Eriri, you're getting smarter."
"Of course!"
Eriri proudly raises her chin.
After all, she's drawn quite a bit herself, so she can see through the basic plotline easily!
Akifumi smiles but doesn't say anything else, walking into the room.
Just then, the quiet Mashiro speaks up.
"By the way, everyone's discussing that scene."
"Hmm? Let me see."Eriri, curious, leans over to look at Mashiro's phone screen, where the latest comments on Akifumi's SNS account are displayed.
———————————————————————
"Your Lie In April Volumes 1 and 2 are amazing! Especially the way the climax was portrayed—it was perfection!!"
"I agree! Even someone like me, who isn't too into music, got goosebumps when I saw that part!"
"The mangaka's ability to convey emotion is incredible! I'd call that climax an absolute masterpiece!!"
"But why did Kaori suddenly collapse? When I saw the hospital scene, I thought the mangaka was about to hit us with a plot twist!"
"Same here, could this be the PTSD from 'Warriors of Love and Hope'?"
"Given the mangaka's past works, I'm pretty sure there's more plot twists coming!"
"Wait, really? Don't scare me!"
"Ahem, just joking! Some difficulties in a healing manga are pretty normal, right?"
"Though, the mangaka never claimed Your Lie In April is a healing manga, right?"
"Eh? You're doubting that, even though it's so obvious?"
"No, no, no, I'm fine with others thinking that, but the mangaka's style has been clear from the start!"
"If it wasn't for the word 'again' in that hospital scene, I'd be fine with this. Now I have to stay cautious!"
"I think you're all overthinking it! The mangaka already gave us a clear answer with the New Year's gift?"
"Isn't it normal for a healing story to have some setbacks along the way? I think it's pretty typical."
"Well, until the outcome is clear, I think all guesses are valid! After all, it's up to the mangaka how they choose to write the story."
"I don't care whether it's a healing story or a depressing one, as long as the manga is good, I'll keep reading it!"
"Exactly! I'm definitely sticking with Your Lie In April for the long haul!"
"I didn't manage to buy the book, so I'm just here, reading your discussions, and shedding tears of envy."
"Tears of envy +1"
"…"
———————————————————————
In disbelief, Eriri couldn't help but exclaim, "Your works are always like this!"
"As soon as they're released, there's so much discussion about them!"
The envy of those who couldn't get the book was clearly written on Eriri's face.
"I believe you'll be able to do the same, Eriri," Mashiro said with a small smile, offering some encouragement.
Eriri blushed, the normally proud girl feeling a rare moment of shyness.
She scratched her cheek, then shyly said, "Well, who knows about the future?"
But, honestly, catching up to this person seemed impossible.
Thinking about it, Eriri couldn't help but sigh inwardly, her thoughts scattering.
"When did it become such an effort just to watch Mugi's back?" The girl's eyes seemed filled with confusion.
Just a day after the release, the first and second volumes of Your Lie In April had been getting rave reviews.
The pacing of a healing story is crucial, and the slow, steady storytelling style had made the readers feel completely at ease.
And even though it was a healing story, it wasn't without its intense moments.
The scene of the two playing together on stage was truly shocking.
Just through the visuals, they could feel the kind of beauty and impact that was supposed to be conveyed through music!
All of this made the fans praise the work nonstop.
Akifumi looked at the incoming call from Mihari and couldn't help but sigh.
He picked up the phone and said first, "Is this about Your Lie In April' sales again?"
Mihari was momentarily stunned. Her excitement got caught in her throat, almost causing her to choke on it.
Then, with a hint of grievance, she said, "Next time, can you let me speak first?"
"Well, after all these times, I thought you'd be used to it by now," Akifumi said nonchalantly.
Mihari, unwilling to back down, replied, "Such good news, no matter how many times it happens, it still excites me!"
"Or maybe, you'd rather hear bad news than good news?" she teased.
"That's not it," Akifumi said with a slight pause. "But if there's a sudden drop in sales one day, I might get a bit emotional."
"Tsk," Mihari muttered.
Was he implying his works would never fail?
But, on second thought, from the very beginning of his career, every one of his works had been a huge success!
It had been almost half a year, and Madoka Magica's two volumes had already reached nearly a million copies sold!
For a single short story, that was an impressive number...
Just thinking about it made Mihari dizzy, as if she were seeing a pile of small bills flying around in front of her.
She cleared her throat. "You've made me all worked up now."
Akifumi chuckled. "So, what were the first-day sales of Your Lie In April?"
"Volume 1: 28,000 copies, Volume 2: 33,000," Mihari replied.
She paused before adding, "Although it's still quite a bit lower than Madoka Magica, the main reason is that our production capacity couldn't keep up."
"Also, releasing it on January 20th wasn't the best timing."
Akifumi shook his head with a smile. "No need to explain. I'm very satisfied with these numbers."
Having been in the industry for almost a year now, Akifumi had gained more understanding of the business.
For any new release, breaking 10,000 copies in the first day was already a hit.
For his works, it was always several tens of thousands right from the start.
What was there to be dissatisfied about?
Moreover, he often chose to release his works at the end of the month, while others usually went for the beginning.
Even so, his first-day sales were sometimes even higher than those of books released 10 or 20 days earlier.
With this comparison, the difference was clear.
At this point, Akifumi's name alone could guarantee sales!
On the other end, Mihari continued, "Besides informing you about the sales, I also wanted to ask when the third volume of Your Lie In April will be released."
"Eh?" Akifumi was surprised. "That's not usually your style."
"We've been working together long enough that we know your habits by now," Mihari said with a tired tone.
"As long as the first few volumes are released, the rest will follow soon enough, right?"
"Rather than wait for you to bring it up, we figured we should be proactive."
Akifumi chuckled. "Otosuna-san."
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember the title of this manga?"
Although confused, Mihari replied, "It's Your Lie In April."
Akifumi smiled slightly as he reminded the editor to always remember the title.
Even when she was still a rookie, she never made such mistakes, and now, with the experience she had gained, it was second nature.
"So, if I were to finish this work in April, that would make for a great symbolic ending, wouldn't it?"
Mihari froze, her smile freezing as she heard this.
Finish 'Your Lie In April' in April?
But the manga was barely even starting its serialization!
Why would he be talking about finishing it already?!
But...
'Finishing it on 'April is Your Lie' in April?' It had a very fitting ring to it.
It almost felt perfect!
But...
"Let me ask, how many volumes are you planning to release to finish Your Lie In April?"
Mihari had already seen volumes 1 and 2 before they were published, and from her professional perspective, there was no sign that the story was wrapping up anytime soon.
This was clearly a long series.
"I'm thinking around 9 to 13 volumes," Akifumi said, purposely vague.
"..." Mihari paused before she couldn't help but analyze further.
"Even with the minimum of 9 volumes, that means there are 7 left to be released! And it's only 3 months until April!"
"So, you're planning to release 2 to 3 volumes a month?"
She was able to stay calm and analyze this because of Akifumi's past speed in creating works.
It seemed possible. If it were anyone else, she would have dismissed it as crazy.
Akifumi responded calmly, "I don't think releasing 2 to 3 volumes is feasible. Let's go with 3 volumes per month."
"Three volumes a month??"
"Heh heh heh."
"I must still be half-asleep today," Mihari muttered.
"Otherwise, how could I be hearing such crazy things?"