Great Mangaka

In Osaka, more and more people gathered in front of Hinotori Publishing. By noon, the crowd had doubled compared to the morning.

Fortunately, although these readers were agitated, they were well-behaved and did nothing dangerous. Apart from a few occasional shouts of protest, they sat on the ground and chatted with their companions. The plaza remained orderly, and vendors could still be seen among the crowd.

"Why haven't they reported yet?"

Kurosawa paced back and forth in the building. At first, he thought these readers would gradually disperse, but the situation was completely different. Although there was no danger, there were too many people, and they could cause problems without further provocation.

The reporters watched with excitement from the side. Kurosawa dared to swear that as soon as a single reader fainted, the company would immediately be accused of numerous crimes.

To prevent this, he had sent staff to pay attention to the situation on site, and even provided mineral water, fans, and other items. He also ordered people to take the microphone to calm the readers, hoping they would disperse.

A sweating man entered:

"Editor-in-chief, we have appeased the readers' unrest. It's your turn!"

Kurosawa breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

He was almost done. After sending someone to explain all morning, it was his turn to go out.

When Kurosawa came out, the readers who had attended the appreciation party immediately recognized him as the editor-in-chief of Weekly Shōnen and began discussing.

"It's Kurosawa-san..."

"He finally came out. He must know about Mirai-sensei."

The discussion spread and the crowd began to boil with excitement. Many loudly asked about Hinotori Publishing and Mirai-sensei, as well as the ending of Five Centimeters Per Second.

Kurosawa was a little overwhelmed. He took the microphone and shouted: "Please calm down, don't spread rumors! If you have something to say, speak slowly. I will answer them one by one!"

In fact, most of the questions had already been answered. The only thing left was a statement. As editor-in-chief of Weekly Shōnen, Kurosawa could represent Hinotori's stance by reaffirming his response.

The readers' questions were only three: the relationship between Hinotori and Mirai-sensei, why Mirai-sensei had not made any statement, and the ending of Five Centimeters Per Second.

Kurosawa denied the suspicion that Hinotori was making things difficult for Mirai-sensei. He explained that "Mirai-sensei's Guidance Room" was not forced labor. The theme of this column was indeed from Mirai-sensei, but the artists also had to pay him.

"We want to discover and train more successful artists, which also benefits Mirai-sensei. The two manga magazines Weekly Shōnen now rely solely on him, and sales are very limited. Only when other artists draw good manga and allow more people to buy them can magazine sales continue to increase!"

After this question, Kurosawa began to answer why Mirai-sensei did not express his opinion. "Mirai-sensei left Osaka early in the morning to conduct field research. He asked not to be disturbed for the time being. He is not yet aware of your opinions."

"When Mirai-sensei returns, we will ask him to respond, including the ending of Five Centimeters Per Second, which everyone is eagerly awaiting. This is Mirai-sensei's work. We will suggest that he change the ending, but the final decision is up to him."

Kurosawa addressed the readers in the plaza. His attitude was relatively gentle, and his answers were well-reasoned. After the readers calmed down in the morning, they gradually accepted it.

"That's right. These matters still depend on Mirai-sensei."

"Mirai-sensei might have gone to collect popular songs; otherwise, there's no reason for him to observe us like this without saying anything."

"Hinotori Publishing shouldn't lie. Let's wait two more days. If Mirai-sensei doesn't respond, then you can come."

"Yes, let's stop causing trouble. Everyone, please leave."

The readers began to disperse. The smooth development relieved Kurosawa, but at that moment, a woman stood up.

"Kurosawa-san, I have another question. I hope you can answer it honestly,"

she asked.

Kurosawa looked in the direction of the voice and felt a knot in his stomach. 'Isn't that Rina? She's the Osaka News anchor. Why is she here?'

"What's wrong? Please ask,"

Kurosawa cautiously asked. He dared not neglect this woman. 'Although Rina had no power or influence, she was the Osaka News anchor. Her words were more effective than many media outlets'. If she wasn't satisfied, she could completely discredit Hinotori on the program.'

"According to Kurosawa-san, there's no problem between Mirai-sensei and your company. Then why didn't Mirai-sensei sell Five Centimeters Per Second in magazines, but published it online, and in the middle of the night?"

"That's right."

The other readers who heard this question joined in, saying that it hadn't been clearly answered yet.

Kurosawa's heart was sweating. 'He didn't know the details of the matter, but fortunately, he had already anticipated the question and had a plan to address it.'

"Mirai-sensei published two serialized manga and a novel a while ago. Everyone can see that they are not easy." Kurosawa explained: "Mirai-sensei proposed publishing a new manga in the magazine, but the company considered that he couldn't work too much, so they refused and hoped he could take a break."

"But we didn't expect Mirai-sensei to be so passionate about manga that he secretly drew another one."

This explanation was perfect, almost the best of the two. It said nothing bad about Hinotori Publishing and, at the same time, demonstrated Mirai-sensei's passion for manga.

The readers nodded one after another.

"Mirai-sensei is really hardworking..."

They fully agreed. 'Other artists found it difficult to publish one series a week, but Mirai-sensei drew so many continuously. How much passion and work capacity are required!'

Thinking this way, Hinotori Publishing's approach was not only correct but also very kind, and many people deeply admired it.

But at that moment, another person stood up: "I also have a question!"

Kurosawa turned his head and looked, 'how was it possible that it was another celebrity?'

Ryohei, a famous commentator in Japan. Unlike many experts who were paid to lie, he was known for his objective comments and also for his great ability to guide classics.

"I am very interested in Rina-san's question, and Kurosawa-san's answer is also convincing. But if he is not lying and Five Centimeters Per Second is already finished, will we be able to see it for sale soon?" Ryohei's gaze was fierce and he asked: "I hope you can give a clear answer. Only then can we prove that the relationship between Hinotori and Mirai-sensei is still the same as before."

Kurosawa was stunned for a moment. 'How should he answer?' In the morning, Tsukimoto Genji had made it clear to him that Five Centimeters Per Second would not be published.

- - - -

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