After putting on her shoes at the entrance, Kotomi stood up, ready to leave.
"Wait a mont, Kotomi. You forgot the cake. Take it back for Aimi," gumi called out.
Earlier, gumi had returned to her room and repackaged the remaining half of the birthday cake into its box before bringing it downstairs for Kotomi.
"Alright, then I'll thank you on Aimi's behalf," Kotomi said as she accepted the box from gumi's hands. The cake was clearly bigger than needed; even with half already eaten, the remaining portion still felt heavy in her arms.
"Be careful on your way ho, okay? And call once you get there," gumi reminded her.
"Don't worry. It's such a short walk—what could happen? I'm off. See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow... It's beautiful," gumi suddenly murmured.
"What's beautiful?" Kotomi asked, puzzled.
"You haven't noticed the change in the moon?" gumi chuckled softly, pointing toward the sky.
Kotomi followed her gesture, and there it was—the crimson moon, just as the news had foretold.
September 23rd.
The moon in the night sky had turned a dark, eerie shade of red.
The sinister crimson hue coated the moon, exuding an otherworldly beauty that left one both awestruck and unsettled.
"Oh, right! Tonight's the night of the red moon. I hadn't even noticed until now…" Kotomi murmured to herself, staring at the celestial spectacle.
After a few minutes of gazing at the crimson moon, Kotomi finally shook herself out of her trance. She said her goodbyes to gumi and started her journey ho, the cake box securely in her arms.
gumi watched Kotomi disappear from view before turning back inside.
The blood-red moon hung high above the urban landscape, looming over the towering buildings that filled the city's skyline. Its ominous glow bathed the ground below in a surreal mix of harmony and dissonance, painting the towering skyscrapers and modest hos alike in the hue of spilled blood.
Kotomi stood still on the street, gazing up at the crimson moon, her hands clutching the cake box tightly. She felt strangely dazed, unable to tear her eyes away.
If she hadn't seen the news earlier, she might have reflexively asked herself why the moon was such an unnatural color.
The night air was laced with a faint chill, prompting Kotomi to quicken her steps. She glanced around as she walked, taking in the bizarre contrast between the vibrant neon lights of Chiba's nightlife and the crimson moon above. The fluorescent glow from the signs and buildings lent the bustling streets an oddly surreal vibe, heightened by the unsettling backdrop of the red-tinted sky.
Kotomi set the cake box down montarily and pulled out her phone, snapping a few pictures of the rare lunar event.
After reviewing her shots, she nodded to herself in approval. "These could serve as great references. A cyberpunk-thed world setting would work well… No, maybe a supernatural horror vibe would be better. If I turn these into illustrations and upload them to Pixiv, I might even make it to the rankings!"
Of course, by Pixiv, she ant the Japanese illustration-sharing platform, not the adult one.
As she looked up at the red moon again, her eyes involuntarily narrowed, and she instinctively closed them. She remained like that for a few monts, taking a deep breath before slowly reopening her eyes.
"How strange," Kotomi muttered to herself. "Just now, it felt like the moon was looking back at ."
The eerie sensation sent a chill down her spine. For a fleeting mont, it felt less like she was gazing at the moon and more like she was locking eyes with another person.
Shaking off the thought, Kotomi grabbed the cake box and broke into a run, her petite legs pumping as she dashed toward ho.
Her fear response wasn't uncommon; people's tolerance for such unease often boiled down to genetics—specifically, the length of their serotonin transporter genes. And unfortunately for Kotomi, hers were on the shorter side.
She sprinted all the way ho, her heart pounding. Once inside, she slamd the door shut and locked it before letting out a relieved sigh.
Hearing the commotion, Akina walked out of the living room and spotted her daughter removing her shoes, the cake box sitting nearby.
"Huh? Weren't you at gumi's place for her birthday? Why'd you bring the cake back with you?" Akina asked.
Kotomi shrugged. "I bought the cake for gumi, but I forgot to ask her beforehand if there was anything she couldn't eat. Turns out she can't handle kiwis—eating them makes her mouth feel weird. So, there was no way we could finish it. I figured I'd bring the rest back instead of wasting it."
"gumi can't eat kiwis? Got it. I was actually thinking of sending the Kato family a bag of kiwis as a gift, but I guess I'll switch to waterlon instead."
Akina nodded, making a ntal note to change her plans.
"Do we still have waterlons left?" Kotomi asked curiously. She distinctly rembered devouring the last batch of lons they'd received from her grandparents over the sumr.
"Your grandmother called earlier today. She said the last harvest of the season just ca in, so she's sending us two more boxes. While we should cherish the final batch of the year, there's no way we can finish two huge crates before they spoil. It'd be a waste not to share so."
"Yay!" Kotomi cheered at the prospect of more waterlon.
Unlike others who sliced the fruit into neat triangles, Kotomi preferred scooping the seedless center with a spoon straight from a halved lon—a thod her mother often lanted as the height of indulgence, given Japan's high waterlon prices.
Still, the Izumi family never had to worry about running out of waterlon, so Akina would always oblige, cutting one in half for Kotomi to enjoy. After all, her daughter deserved to be spoiled.
"The shipnt should arrive tomorrow. Before it gets here, make sure to decide who you want to share it with," Akina added as she returned to the living room to resu watching TV.
"Share the waterlon, huh? I should probably make a list of people to gift so to," Kotomi murmured, heading upstairs to change clothes.
On the stairs, she bumped into Aimi, who was on her way down for a glass of water.
"Onee-chan? Why are you ho so late?" Aimi asked, her eyebrows knitting together.
Kotomi chuckled nervously. Thank goodness she hadn't showered at gumi's house.
"I was celebrating gumi's birthday. It ran a bit late. Oh, by the way, want so cake? There's still half left!" Kotomi said, holding up the box.
"Cake this late at night? I'll pass—don't want to gain weight," Aimi replied with a shrug.
Minutes later, Kotomi left the box on Aimi's desk.
"It's a cream-filled fruit cake. Enjoy it! Just rember to put whatever's left in the fridge and brush your teeth afterward. I'm off to shower," Kotomi instructed.
"Thanks, Onee-chan," Aimi replied, opening the box.
As she prepared to dig in, her fork froze mid-air. Aimi's sharp eyes caught sothing unusual.
"Wait a sec… why is part of the frosting scraped off?"
Her finger pointed at an area where the top layer of cream looked like it had been scraped away with a knife.
Kotomi's mind instantly flashed back to two hours earlier—to what gumi had done. Her face flushed, and she stumbled over her response.
"Ah, about that… gumi loves cake frosting, and she couldn't resist taking a little extra. That's all."
"What is she, a child? Oh well. I'm not a fan of frosting anyway, so she actually did a favor," Aimi said with a casual flick of her hair.
"Alright then. Enjoy the cake. I'm off to shower," Kotomi said hurriedly before disappearing into her room to grab her pajamas and retreating to the bathroom.
After finishing her bath and drying her hair, Kotomi returned to her room feeling refreshed. She booted up her computer, intending to play a ga before bed.
It had been a while since she last sat down for so gaming, and tonight, for the first ti in ages, she was in the mood to really enjoy it.
"Not too late yet—just an hour or so should be fine," Kotomi muttered as she moved her mouse, preparing to open Steam.
However, just as she was about to click, a notification popped up in the bottom-right corner of her screen. It was an email, sent about ten hours earlier.
"That's when I was still in class. No wonder I didn't notice," Kotomi remarked. She recalled that her phone, which was synced to the sa email account, was on "Do Not Disturb" to avoid the constant pinging of notifications.
Curious, she clicked on her inbox instead of Steam and noticed the sender's na: Asuka Chizuru.
"It looks like Editor Asuka has already gone through the outline," Kotomi murmured with a slight smile as she scrolled down.
[Subject: Outline Feedback]
Izumi Kotomi-sensei,
I've finished reviewing the overall outline you sent for Chainsaw Man. Although it's expressed through simple text, every scene vividly ca to life in my mind as I read it. The visuals promise to be extraordinary—particularly the snowball fight between Denji and Aki.
I'm really looking forward to it.
Best regards,
Asuka Chizuru.
"She already finished reading it? I thought I'd have to wait a few more days," Kotomi mused aloud.
She considered drafting a reply through email but then decided it would be quicker to send a text ssage. Grabbing her phone, she typed:
[Izumi Kotomi → Asuka Chizuru]
Editor Asuka, thank you for reviewing the outline. Is there anything that needs adjustnt?
After sending the text, Kotomi shut down her computer and lay on her bed. She pulled a bag of tomato-flavored potato chips from her bedside drawer, snacking while leafing through a manga volu as she waited for a reply.
Roughly sixteen minutes later, her phone vibrated with a notification.
[Asuka Chizuru → Izumi Kotomi]
*It's perfect. I spent hours today scrutinizing it, trying to find sothing to tweak or give feedback on, but honestly, there was nothing for to nitpick. The storyline you've outlined is incredible, Izumi-sensei!
Especially the ending—Denji's reversal and triumph over Makima—is that a callback to the first chapter's magazine cover, where Makima's reflection is seen in the chainsaw?*
Kotomi replied imdiately:
[Izumi Kotomi → Asuka Chizuru]
Yes, that's exactly it.
[Asuka Chizuru → Izumi Kotomi]
I knew it! Honestly, Izumi-sensei, it's rare for to admire a mangaka so deeply, but your work has truly earned my respect. I'm thrilled to be your editor. The plot has completely reassured—now I'm just excited to see it all brought to life in your artwork.
Oh, by the way, have you seen this week's Weekly Shonen Jump? At the end of Chapter 2 of Chainsaw Man, the editorial notes officially announced the "new project." While they didn't elaborate, it's confird to be the tankobon (volu) release.
Kotomi's eyes widened in surprise. She grabbed her school bag and pulled out the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. She had planned to read it during lunch, but after being called away by Utaha Kasumigaoka, she'd completely forgotten.
Flipping to Chainsaw Man Chapter 2, she turned to the final page. Sure enough, the editorial notes at the bottom confird a "new project."
"Looks like my manga inco is about to increase," Kotomi chuckled to herself. The thought filled her with joy—not just because it brought her closer to her goal of starting a ga developnt company, but because of a personal dream.
She wanted to visit Gion and attend a traditional musical performance.
[Izumi Kotomi → Asuka Chizuru]
I saw it! I can't wait for Volu 1's release.
[Asuka Chizuru → Izumi Kotomi]
Sa here! Keep up the great work. Let's aim to finish the content for Volu 1 as soon as possible. Oh, and while it's a bit early to discuss, it's worth starting to think about what the cover art should look like.
[Izumi Kotomi → Asuka Chizuru]
Understood. I'll have a clear concept ready before the serialization catches up. Thank you for the reminder. Goodnight, Editor Asuka.
[Asuka Chizuru → Izumi Kotomi]
I won't keep you up then. Goodnight!
Placing her phone on the nightstand, Kotomi quickly drifted off to sleep, her earlier plans to play gas completely forgotten. After the day's exertions, she succumbed to exhaustion within seconds of lying down.
The next morning, her alarm jolted her awake, but she remained in bed for another fifteen minutes, relishing the warmth of her comforter. Although fully awake, she wrestled with her reluctance to leave the cozy cocoon—especially as the colder mornings made the thought of stepping out into the chill unbearable.
"Ugh, if only I could go to school wrapped in my blanket," she muttered, reluctantly throwing off the covers.
After her morning routine, Kotomi descended the stairs to join her family for breakfast.
"Onee-chan, did you see the red moon last night?" Aimi asked, her curiosity evident.
"Of course. I even took a few pictures," Kotomi replied, sipping her miso soup.
"You ca ho so late last night. I was hoping we could watch it together," Aimi said with a hint of disappointnt.
"What's the point of moon-gazing if there's no mooncake?" Kotomi teased.
"Mooncake?" Aimi tilted her head, the term vaguely familiar.
"In China, people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. It involves moon worship, moon-gazing, eating mooncakes, lighting lanterns, admiring osmanthus blossoms, and drinking osmanthus wine," Kotomi explained.
"Oh! Now I rember. Mooncakes are delicious! Too bad you ate most of them last ti. I really wanted another sweet bean paste one, but they were already gone," Aimi pouted.
Embarrassed, Kotomi's cheeks flushed. "Next ti I visit China, I'll bring back plenty for you."
Her casual remark imdiately caught the attention of both her mother and sister.
"Kotomi, are you planning to visit China? When?" Akina asked.
"I'm thinking of saving up and going after graduation. A solo trip," Kotomi replied.
"A solo trip? I want to co too!" Aimi chid in excitedly.
"No way. If you tag along, it won't be a solo trip anymore," Kotomi said, shaking her head.
Though she now lived in an alternate version of her previous world, Kotomi still felt an inexplicable pull to visit China, to reconnect with the land she once knew. However, this ti, she preferred to travel alone.
After breakfast, Kotomi grabbed her bag and headed out the door.
But sothing felt off.
Standing at the gate, she noticed the usual figure waiting under the streetlamp wasn't there. For the first ti, gumi wasn't waiting for her.
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