Time flies, and before anyone realizes it, a week has already passed.
Akifumi leans back in his chair, phone pressed to his ear as he chats with Mihari.
"The first-week sales of Akame ga Kill hit 84,000 copies?"
A small, satisfied smile tugs at his lips.
That was a solid number, far beyond what most single-volume direct releases could hope for.
If not for the goodwill he had built from his previous works, this kind of gamble could have ended in disaster.
Yet here they were, on the verge of hitting 100,000 in just the first week. Calling it a miracle wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"So, what's happening on May 31st?" Mihari probes, her voice laced with curiosity.
Akifumi chuckles, the amusement clear in his tone. "Well, well… when the time comes, you'll find out."
'This guy is keeping secrets again!' Mihari clicks her tongue in frustration.
She knows him too well—if he doesn't want to spill, no amount of prying will make him talk.
Realizing it's a lost cause, she shifts the conversation.
"Anyway, have you decided on the second volume of Akame ga Kill yet? When are you planning to release it? We need to make preparations on our side too."
Akifumi taps his fingers on the desk, thinking for a moment. "For Akame ga Kill, I'm planning to release a volume every month. What do you think?"
Mihari exhales sharply. "That's an insane pace. Can you really keep that up?"
He chuckles, voice brimming with confidence. "Come on, you know me. I wouldn't joke around with my health, right?"
She isn't entirely convinced but lets it slide. "Alright. How about we aim for mid-month for the next one?"
"Sounds good to me. I'll send you the manuscript in a few days."
"Thanks for your hard work, Akifumi-sensei," Mihari says before the call ends.
Akifumi barely has time to set his phone down before it starts buzzing again.
Seeing the caller ID, a look of confusion crossed his face, but he answered the call immediately.
"Machida-san, is there something urgent?"
Machida Sonoko's voice came through with a hint of bitterness:
"Akifumi-sensei, WorldEnd has finished."
Ah, so it's this.
Akifumi, acting as if he didn't quite understand, replied, "Yes, it's finished."
"You've really put us through a lot these past months!"
"You should've made it harder for me!" Machida Sonoko screamed internally.
Some things, you only realize how precious they were once they're gone.
When WorldEnd project was confirmed and the first few volumes were being released, she had been working non-stop, often losing track of time.
Night and day blurred together, and she would constantly think:
Why is there so much to manage and coordinate?!
Akifumi-sensei, could you slow down just a little?
How about easing up on the writing speed?
And this wish was granted after the release of the third volume.
The first few days were a breeze, but after a month passed, Machida Sonoko started to realize something was wrong.
Sure, things were relaxed, but the pay was visibly shrinking!
Even though she had other authors to manage, those guys could barely meet deadlines!
Early submissions? In their dreams!!
One volume per month? Those lazy ones would never achieve that!
And it didn't help that the sales weren't even in the same league!
In just a short amount of time, WorldEnd had sold over a million copies across four volumes!
Meanwhile, those other authors, if they hit 50,000 copies per volume, they'd be popping champagne and celebrating their "successful" careers!
The more she compared, the more her frustration grew.
She couldn't help but envy Mihari, the editor.
Sure, the royalties between a chief editor and a regular editor differed, but the volume of work was what mattered!
Madoka Magica had two volumes, Anohana two volumes, and Your Lie In April had eleven volumes!
Not to mention the recently launched Akame ga Kill!
Just imagining it made her envious.
'Damn it!' she cursed internally.
'Why can't this kid just focus on writing light novels?!'
Here she was, the chief editor, envying a regular editor.
If she ever admitted this, she'd be laughed at for sure!
Of course, Machida wasn't the only one who envied Mihari.
If WorldEnd only had a two-month gap between the fourth and fifth volumes, she might have been able to endure it.
But when the fifth volume took three months to come out, especially since it was the final volume, she was deeply pained.
After enduring all this time, Machida Sonoko finally couldn't hold back anymore.
How could they waste such a perfect writing machine?!
"Akifumi-sensei, there's something I wanted to ask," she began.
"I saw you mentioned a new project coming on May 31st. Could you tell me more about it?"
"Sorry to disappoint, Machida-editor, but the new project isn't a light novel," Akifumi replied.
"As for the details, you'll just have to wait until then to find out."
"If you're wondering whether I'm planning to write another light novel, I can give you a definite answer."
Now, just give me the answer already!
Machida was close to losing it, but she still asked, "So, what's your answer?"
"If I come up with a suitable topic, I'll definitely reach out to you, Machida-sensei."
With that clear answer, Machida finally relaxed.
The anxiety that had built up over the past few days melted away, and even her body felt lighter.
"I'll wait for your good news then, Akifumi-sensei."
Before hanging up, she added, "By the way, do you have any ideas for an extra volume for WorldEnd or any related merchandise?"
Comics and animations were the most popular forms of spinoffs, but other things like OSTs and stage plays were also part of the package.
Their purpose, of course, was to help promote the work and increase its popularity.
Akifumi didn't have any particular thoughts on this and simply replied, "You can arrange it however you like, Machida-san."
"As for an extra volume, there's one more I could write, but I'm too busy at the moment."
"I understand," Machida smiled brightly.
"After all, with the speed you're releasing volumes—one every six months—it's already impressive. Even if the extra comes out a year later, fans will definitely understand."
Tch.
No wonder these people can be so carefree.
With such patient fans, if a Chinese web novel author were to come into the industry, they'd create a storm of competition and force lazy writers out of the market!
After chatting for a bit more, Akifumi hung up the phone.
On his computer screen, his SNS account was open, and the latest post had completely exploded in the comments section overnight.
Last night, Steins;Gate episode 22 had aired as scheduled.
In this episode, the usually brilliant assistant had lost all hope and told Rintarou to give up on her.
Rintarou, however, expressed his feelings for Kurisu, and the girl kissed him in return, silently accepting his emotions.
Then...
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Without any surprises, Rintarou sent the assistant off and, at 1ab, successfully infiltrated SERN, finding the original message.
With excitement, Okabe declared, "The battle for the goddess of the present is entering its final stage!"
"Thanks to my comrades who fought by my side for this victory!"
"To all the memories lost... Thank you!"
The clueless characters in the scene just thought Okabe was going off on another of his delusions, but the viewers watching knew exactly what this moment meant.
They knew just how hard it had been to reach this point, and the sacrifices that had been made.
There was no doubt about it: after everything Okabe had been through, he had completely outgrown his "chuunibyou" phase.
Looking back, both the person he was and the person he had become were symbols of his growth.
And just as Rintarou pressed the confirmation button, the assistant appeared and made her final confession.
"I... I love you too!"
Her confession was the final straw that broke the camel's back!
The comments section proved it, with fans pouring out their feelings of grief and pain.
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