The next morning, Haruki was up early, already working on the name draft for Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

The moment his two assistants arrived at the studio, they could tell something was up. Haruki was clearly in one of his creative zones the same focused state he'd been in when Voices of a Distant Star and 5 Centimeters per Second were born.

What they hadn't expected back then was that both projects would become such massive hits.

But honestly, a lot had surprised them over the past year and a half working as Haruki's assistants.

For example, when Natsume's Friends and Initial D gained popularity, Haruki quietly bumped their pay to match the going rate for manga assistants working on hit series. It wasn't much compared to what he earned, but to them, it was generous and the experience they gained from working under him had already made their résumés shine in the industry. If they ever wanted to go solo and serialize their own manga, just being able to say they'd worked with "Mizushiro" would give them an edge with editors.

Not that either of them had plans to leave. Being a solo mangaka meant risking everything and likely scraping by. As Haruki's assistants, they could eat well, save money, and gain real industry insight without the constant pressure.

Even on rush jobs, Haruki always gave them bonuses for overtime.

"The boss is starting something new again," Naoya said under his breath. "His fans are doomed."

He chuckled, and Kenta added, "Yeah, probably another emotional gut punch. But what if this time he finally writes something funny?"

Naoya gave him a look. "You? Thinking optimistically? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm just saying it could happen…"

"Nope. Not possible. You and I both know what's coming. His fans are about to remember what despair feels like."

Haruki, naturally, had no idea his assistants were talking about him this way. He spent the whole day and a half finalizing the name draft for Madoka Magica, and even took time to carefully sketch the main character designs.

On the morning of their meeting, Haruki set out to meet Kazuya with the completed materials.

In a quiet café, Haruki and Kazuya sat across from each other. A thick stack of manuscript pages rested between them. The place smelled faintly of roasted beans, and soft piano music played in the background.

"So," Haruki asked, "what do you think, Kazuya-san? Does this one work?"

He sounded calm, but he was genuinely unsure. Madoka Magica was a shift in genre, and Haruki knew all too well that what worked in the parallel world might not necessarily resonate here. Kazuya's market instincts were sharp, so his input mattered.

Kazuya, meanwhile, had started flipping through the draft with a skeptical look.

He respected Haruki's talent, but the idea that something written in just two days could be ready for animation? That was a stretch.

So he started reading with a critical eye.

And… it felt underwhelming. At first.

An ordinary girl. A best friend. A mysterious upperclassman. A strange, cute creature offering magical powers. A contract. Transformation. Fighting a mysterious enemy.

The setup was textbook magical girl stuff. Harmless. Predictable.

Kazuya almost put the manuscript down right there.

But then… something shifted.

At the end of the third episode, the cheerful senpai Mami suddenly died. Not fainted. Not defeated. Just… gone.

Kazuya stared at the page.

"Wait, what?"

This wasn't the sweet adventure story he'd assumed it was. Something was off. Something darker.

He kept reading.

The truth about magical girls. Homura's time loop. Kyubey's manipulations. The cost of wishes. The nature of Witches. And finally, Kaname's decision—her sacrifice.

By the time he finished, Kazuya leaned back in his chair, quietly stunned.

All he could think was: You little liar, Haruki.

He said it wasn't melancholic. That it was an "adventure of love and magic." And technically, that wasn't false… but it was definitely misleading.

The so-called "Warrior of Love" had struck again.

"So," Haruki asked with a slight grin, "what do you think?"

Kazuya let out a long breath and looked up. "Yeah, this is definitely your style. You really had me for a moment there I thought you finally turned soft."

Haruki laughed. "So... you're satisfied?"

"Satisfied?" Kazuya rubbed his temple. "Let's put it this way. This is bold, even by your standards. But I think if we pull it off, it'll blow people away."

He paused. "Still, this isn't something we can rush like we did with Voices of a Distant Star. That was practically a passion project. This one… this is heavier. Bigger scale. Bigger risk."

Haruki nodded. "I understand. I don't plan to rush this."

"Good. Then we're on the same page." Kazuya glanced at the manuscripts. "We'll need to sit down and go through the production details properly. Budget, timeline, staff…"

"No problem," Haruki said. "Just let me know when."

He appreciated how straightforward Kazuya was. No games, no hesitation.

The two of them checked out and left the café.

They hadn't eaten a real meal just shared a pile of desserts while they worked through the draft but they were both too engrossed in the discussion to care.

Shout out to lazy_daoist99, Arctic foxes, TIMMY TURNER, Никита Апаткин, snow, InvisibleMan for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me.

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