"Just as expected, they were eliminated from the competition."
Looking at the manga in his hands, Hikari Nohara couldn't help but sigh.
If it had been any other sensei, at a time like this, there probably would've been a miraculous turnaround.
But with Warrior of Love and Hope-sensei, everything had a perfectly reasonable explanation.
An interrupted performance is just that—interrupted.
No surprises here. Being eliminated was the inevitable result.
However...
"At least Arima Kousei has already taken that first step!"
In a moment where time had otherwise stalled, he took that decisive step forward!
Though the girl he liked was one who had feelings for her friend, and he never expected much progress from it, he simply liked her as she was, without thinking about whether anything would develop afterward.
"Such a nice feeling…"
Yet, Hikari Nohara didn't feel all that envious now.
He set aside his thoughts and focused back on the manga.
........................
"It's as fragile as if it's about to disappear, yet it still shines desperately."
........................…
He could picture the calm expression on the girl's face as she looked at the fireflies in her palm.
........................…
"Twinkling, twinkling, like the beat of a heart."
"This is the light of life."
........................…
For some reason, Hikari Nohara felt a foreshadowing in this part of the manga.
But he didn't dwell on it.
Then the dialogue between the two characters caught his attention.
........................…
In an interview with Miyazono Kaori, Arima Kousei expressed his thoughts.
"Everyone has their own belief to rely on."
Miyazono Kaori: "And what about you? What belief lies within you?"
"What is supporting you?"
Arima Kousei: "Because of you."
Under the night sky, the fireflies—symbols of life's light—flickered, casting their final glow before fading.
The scene froze in that moment.
........................…
Hikari Nohara's heartbeat quickened slightly, involuntarily wondering how the girl would respond.
Then, he saw it.
"I can't always be there to help you." – Charlie Brown
It felt like a quote, or perhaps like she was saying she didn't love him back, so such things were impossible.
It could also be hinting at something deeper.
At the end, the fireflies in the dark night remained frozen.
"Phew."
Having finished reading three volumes in a row, Hikari Nohara let out a contented sigh, a smile on his face.
"Really great!"
Although Your Lie In April wasn't his favorite genre, he didn't dislike it either.
Plus, the satisfaction of reading three volumes at once made him feel incredibly content.
"Though it was a bold experiment, based on the experience, it seems like a successful one!"
He concluded, shaking his head.
"But this model only works for mangaka with fame."
If a completely unknown newcomer released a work like this, it would most likely go unnoticed.
Maybe a few hundred yen wasn't much, but no one would casually toss that money away.
"Come to think of it, the only real beneficiary of this approach is probably Warrior of Love and Hope!"
Hikari Nohara didn't think any other sensei could have such an exaggerated production speed!
Ten volumes, roughly 1800 pages—other sensei barely managed that in a year.
"Such a talented young person!" He couldn't help but feel a bit envious of sensei's talent.
Shaking off his scattered thoughts, Hikari Nohara checked the time on his phone.
"Eh?! It's already 1 PM?!"
"Oh no!!"
He might be late for his afternoon date!!
Because it was the weekend, and the first day of spring break, many people had already rushed home with their copies of the manga and quickly finished the three volumes.
———————————————————————
Soon, Akifumi's SNS account was flooded with comments.
———————————————————————
"As expected of sensei, it's amazing! The quality of the work is as great as always!!"
"There's passion, heartache, and inspiration... Your Lie In April is exactly what I imagined a healing work to be!!"
"Thank goodness sensei released three volumes at once, or I'd have been waiting forever for the results of this competition!"
"The final outcome was totally unexpected, and I give it a thumbs up!!"
"Eh? Why is an unexpected outcome getting a thumbs up?"
"Idiot! You know, at times like this, it usually means getting promoted for various reasons! I've had enough of those cheesy endings!"
"And doesn't this totally fit sensei's realistic style?!"
"Didn't you notice? Even though he was eliminated, Arima actually grew during this competition!"
"That's right! Maybe he hasn't completely overcome the shadows of his past, but this genius, once he starts moving forward, will definitely shine in the future!!"
"Because Arima has found his direction! Playing for just one person, how romantic!"
"By the way, I think Kaori likes Kousei, right? Why doesn't she respond to his feelings?"
"Maybe she used the excuse of liking Wataru to get close to Arima?"
"The story began in April, with a lie about liking Wataru to help Kousei start playing the piano again!"
"The plot probably follows their continuous performances, where they keep confirming each other's feelings, and eventually end up together."
"That's the trajectory, right?"
"I see! Is this the meaning behind the title Your Lie in April?"
"Damn! Even though I'm totally satisfied with the three volumes, just thinking about the next parts makes me itch for more!"
"Be patient! Sensei's pace is ridiculously fast compared to how long we usually have to wait for 20 pages!"
"My review is: even pigs don't produce as much as sensei!!"
"Just thinking about getting to read three volumes next month—what a treat!!"
"Wait, didn't they say three volumes? Maybe there'll be four?"
"Could it be only two volumes?"
"Shut up! It definitely won't just be two volumes!!"
"That's right! This spring break, with sensei's effort, don't expect him to just casually sketch a few hundred pages! There's no way it'll only be two volumes!!"
"You guys are really devils! Can't sensei get a break?!"
"My review: please keep it up, sensei! More effort!!"
"Exactly, my wallet is already thirsty for more!!"
"You guys... we already know it's wrapping up in April. What's the difference if it's a little longer or shorter in between?"
"..."
———————————————————————
The fan comments were endless.
But you could understand their excitement.
After finishing three volumes, it was like a mini climax, and it felt completely satisfying.
Compared to waiting a week just to get 20 pages, how could you not feel satisfied?
And of course, the quality hadn't dropped at all—everything was as amazing as always!
With the introduction of new characters, the plot was unfolding in exciting ways, and everyone was eager to see how the story would develop next.
Although they'd have to wait another month, the thought that they'd get a decent amount of new material soon made it bearable.
Still, aside from all the compliments, some people were discussing the plot.
For example, that line from Miyazono Kaori about the fireflies—there seemed to be some deeper meaning in it.
And that phrase "I can't always be there to help you" also seemed like a hint at something.
But these discussions were quickly interrupted by others who joked that it was just normal to speak from the heart, saying things like
"Don't worry, a romance-writing sensei isn't going to stab you in the back," and
"This work will definitely end with a happy ending!"
Akifumi didn't see these comments. Otherwise, he would surely nod and say, "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right!"
Thanks to all the praise from the fans, some of the initial skeptics who had decided to wait and see, also decided to make their purchase!
But, on the day Your Lie In April was released, almost every bookstore had sold out.
The ones who had waited couldn't buy any more copies, so they had no choice but to wait anxiously for reprints and new stock.
And of course, they regretted their initial hesitation and secretly vowed to buy the next one as soon as it came out!
One week after the release of Your Lie In April.
In a luxury hotel, Mihari sat opposite Akifumi.
"Akifumi-sensei's influence is really incredible!" Mihari exclaimed, her face filled with admiration.
Akifumi smiled, teasing, "It's been so long, I thought you'd already fully believed this by now."
"This time it's different!" Mihari said seriously.
"If the volumes were being released one by one normally, I wouldn't be surprised by these sales. But this time, three volumes released all at once!"
"It's unprecedented, and the sales are still this impressive, it's unbelievable!!"
It's a simple concept really.
It's like when a novel is first released and the sales are high, but with the second or third volume, the sales typically drop.
It's common because readers initially find the author's style fresh, but as the story progresses, repetition inevitably sets in, causing the novelty to fade and sales to drop.
Whether it's a manga artist or a light novel writer, if they can maintain their sales, they are already among the top tier!
Releasing three volumes at once is like opening a mystery box without knowing what's inside!
If it's something good, everyone is happy.
But if it's "garbage," the consequences are severe.
After all, it's not actually a mystery box.
Because of the previous reputation, people trust the creator.
If the work doesn't live up to expectations, it's a huge disappointment.
Just thinking about the online backlash makes me shudder.
Don't underestimate the fighting power of Japanese netizens, their level of savagery is not to be taken lightly.
Akifumi, of course, knows all the ins and outs of this.
Smiling at Mihari's astonishment, he simply said, "As long as we ensure quality, it'll be fine."
"Besides, you all are involved in the review process. If it wasn't up to par, there's no way it would have been handed to the fans like this, right?"
Mihari nodded, though her astonishment hadn't really faded.
On the release day, the sales of the three volumes were 48,000, 46,000, and 45,000! As the week went on, the sales had already doubled from the first day!
For an average manga artist, if nothing out of the ordinary happens, their first-day sales typically triple over time, and that's about their final total.
But Akifumi's work had doubled its sales within just a week!
By the time 30 days pass, it could even match the total sales of a normal artist's entire volume.
In summary, this person is rolling in money now!
'I wonder how much he has saved up by now...' Mihari couldn't help but think.
'Has it reached 10 digits already?'
Just thinking about that number made her tongue-tied. A sum like that would take her a lifetime to accumulate.
Akifumi had no idea what the editor was thinking. He took out some drafts from behind him and handed them over.
"These are the drafts for next month," he said.
"Got it." Mihari snapped back to attention and took the drafts, only to be surprised.
"What's wrong?"
"It feels... thinner than the last one," Mihari said, glancing at the thickness of the drafts.
The difference was noticeable even with a quick touch.
"Well, that's because this is just two volumes' worth," Akifumi said.
"Two volumes?" Mihari blinked in confusion.
"I thought you said we'd be releasing three volumes every month for the next three months?"
Akifumi understood the confusion and smiled.
"Well, after reviewing everything, I know the final page count will wrap up in the 11th volume."
"The 11th volume?" Mihari was taken aback. "So, why...?"
Akifumi explained, "Right now we're at the 5th volume, and with the next month having three volumes, that'll work out perfectly."
"The editor was wondering if that's what you meant, right?"
"Hmm."
"However, two volumes a month, or even four, would work too, right?"
Mihari was left speechless.
"Well, I suppose that does make sense," she admitted.
"It was just mentioned that the next volumes would likely be released in batches of three, but it seems two or four works too."
"Was this a sudden decision?" she asked.
"Not exactly." Akifumi shook his head seriously. "I just don't want the fans to suffer too much."
"Suffer too much?"
"If we release three volumes next month, the fans will be heartbroken waiting for the conclusion."
In the penultimate chapter of Volume 7, Arima Kousei and the others visit the hospitalized Miyazono Kaori.
That was when Your Lie in April began to truly unfold.
———————————————————————
Arima Kousei: "The Sadness of Love — this piece reminds me of my mom."
"The scent of laundry detergent, the piano sounds I could hear in my dream, the gentle lullaby hum..."
"The smell of disinfectant, footsteps echoing down the hall, the linen floor tainted white, and your figure overlapping with it."
"You're not going to be okay, right? You said it was just a check-up, didn't you?"
"You won't tell me you're never coming back to school, will you?"
"Can we see each other again?"
"You're not... You're not going to disappear like Mom did, right?"
———————————————————————
Fans may have held onto some hope when they saw this scene, but by the time they read Volume 8, all illusions would be shattered.
"Rather than cruelly forcing them to wait for April's final conclusion, it's better to leave them with a little hope before then," Akifumi said, sighing inwardly.
"I'm too soft-hearted, really."
If the fans had to witness Kaori lying in a hospital room, blood spilling on the floor, and the final line reading, "Will you die with me?" they would probably burst into tears.
"A little hope, huh..." Mihari muttered, sighing. "Speaking of which, why does your work always have so many 'knives'?"
As an editor, Mihari had already heard enough to know that the ending wouldn't be a happy one.
From that line — "It's as fragile as if it's about to disappear, but still struggling to shine." — one could already imagine the kind of emotional blow that would land on the characters.
"Well..." Akifumi didn't explain but responded seriously, "Just because there are knives doesn't mean it's all tragic."
At least in the fans' comments from his previous life, the debate between whether his works were more healing or heart-wrenching had ultimately tilted in favor of the former!
"So, does this mean four volumes will be released next?" Mihari sighed.
"Even before it starts, I can already imagine how brutal the next four will be."