"What have you been thinking about all day? I asked you to keep an eye on Haruki, and this is what I get?"
Ryuko stared at Misaki, stunned, as her cousin recounted her unexpected conversation with Haruki.
"You never said a word about this. If I hadn't stumbled across it online, I wouldn't even know you two had any connection!"
"I just wanted to understand his relationship with you better," Misaki said flatly. "So I asked him myself."
"What kind of relationship could I possibly have with him? The only reason I got the role of Meiko was because he recommended me..." Ryuko sighed, already feeling the headache setting in. At least Haruki hadn't seemed upset—thank god for that.
"But the anime's over. So why do you still care what he's doing?" Misaki asked, eyeing her closely.
Haruki hadn't done anything suspicious. But now she was starting to wonder if Ryuko was the one acting strange.
"It's just curiosity!" Ryuko said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice faltering a little. "Besides, you've met him now. He's your classmate, he lives near my collage... feels like fate or something, right?"
She looked away, embarrassed. "If he comes up with another big project, I might have a shot at another major role."
"You're still getting offers after Anohana, though, right?" Misaki asked.
"Yeah, a bunch," Ryuko admitted. "But most of them are forgettable. Once I read the scripts, I can tell—none of them are going anywhere. Nothing close to Anohana."
She leaned in, voice dropping. "The voice acting world moves fast. I've only been in the spotlight for a couple months. If I don't climb higher now, I'll disappear by the end of the year."
"But if I can land more roles like Meiko—characters that really hit people—maybe I can make this a real career. Actually earn good money. Treat you to dinner sometimes."
Ryuko smiled, trying to sound light, but there was a quiet sincerity behind her words.
"That's why I wanted you to keep an eye on Haruki. If he comes up with something else big... maybe he'll think of me again."
"I see." Misaki finally relaxed. "I thought maybe you had... other reasons for being interested in him."
"Pfft—cough!" Ryuko choked on her Latte, barely managing not to spill it.
"Wait—what are you even saying?"
"I just thought maybe you were, I dunno... falling for him a little? Grateful enough to get swept up in it. Maybe even planning to, like, offer your body or something."
She said it teasingly now that her concerns were eased—but she paused when she noticed the color in Ryuko's ears.
"...Wait. Seriously?" Misaki leaned in. "Your face is all red."
"Probably just the weather," Ryuko said quickly, taking a long sip of Latte.
Misaki narrowed her eyes. Something was off again.
"Anyway, didn't you say he's taking driving lessons?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Yeah," Misaki replied.
"Do you know which school?"
"Why are you asking that?"
"No reason." Ryuko casually took a bite of cake, trying to play it cool.
"Oh—and that restaurant in the city you mentioned last time, the one with the seasonal menu—I've been meaning to try it. Want to go together sometime?"
"Really?" Misaki's eyes lit up.
She was a shameless foodie, but living on a student budget made it hard to splurge. Fancy places were a luxury—unless Ryuko was footing the bill.
She wasn't sure why her cousin suddenly offered, but who cared? Priorities: food.
"By the way, you're always teasing me for being chubby. I've actually been trying to lose weight lately," Misaki said with a pout.
"How are you going to lose weight if you're not eating properly?" Ryuko grinned. "You're going out with me—no calorie counting allowed."
"Heh, true!" Misaki laughed, satisfied. "Alright, I'll keep an eye on Haruki for you. I'll let you know if anything comes up."
It had been nearly three weeks since the finale of Anohana, and in that time, Kazuya had been enjoying a rare stretch of calm.
As a producer at Kazanami Animation, he wasn't just responsible for internal projects. And with Anohana's breakout success—nearing 80 million views across streaming platforms—he had every reason to take it easy.
TV stations were expressing interest in picking up the show for broadcast. Merchandise, Blu-ray preorders, and figurines were already leading the market for the season. International buyers were lining up as well.
It wasn't clear what would dominate the second half of the year, but for now, Anohana was the most talked-about title in the industry.
So who would question him for taking it slow?
Kazuya was lounging in his sunlit office when his phone rang. Seeing Haruki's name on the screen, he sat up.
Why was Haruki calling now?
Still, he picked up right away.
"Producer Mori?" Haruki's voice came through clearly.
"Ah, Mizushiro-sensei! What a surprise. Is this about Anohana? Sales reports, maybe?"
"No," Haruki replied, getting to the point. "I know there's a delay before the final settlements. I'm calling about something else."
"I've been working on a new idea—something that I think would work really well as an anime. I wanted to discuss it with you."
"A new concept?" Kazuya blinked.
He'd told Haruki before that if he had another strong project in mind, Kazanami would love to work with him again. As a manga creator, Haruki had already shown he could handle storyboarding, scriptwork, and story structure. In Kazuya's eyes, he had the potential to be a full-on animation writer.
It was one of the reasons he'd stayed in touch after Anohana wrapped.
It hadn't even been that long since the anime ended. And Haruki had been juggling another manga series in the meantime. How did he already have something new ready?
Questions buzzed in Kazuya's mind, but he responded without hesitation.
"Of course! I'd love to hear about it. Are you near Kazanami right now? If so, I can come meet you right away."
[TL:- Hey everyone! 😊
I'm getting close to finalizing the female lead for the story,
The poll is live now on (for members only)— you can head over there to cast your vote and help shape the direction moving forward]
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 50+ advanced chapters)