I just want to quietly draw manga Chapter 291
Added 2025-09-06 21:36:46 +0000 UTCHaruki left the studio with Kazuya after finishing their discussion with Masafumi.
“I’ll be taking a break next week,” Haruki said.
Kazuya raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I’ve got everything covered. Where are you planning to go?”
Haruki shrugged. “Haven’t really decided yet. I’ve been in Tokyo for two years and barely explored. For this trip… thinking of heading abroad, maybe.”
They parted at the station. Haruki’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it out.
“Hey, Haruki! Are you free tomorrow? I thought we could hit the internet café. It’s been months since we last went,” Ryuko’s voice came through the phone.
Haruki hesitated for a moment, then nodded to himself. “Yeah, I’m free. Let’s go.”
After ending the call, Ryuko’s heart beat faster. She had already decided, tomorrow she’d bring up the trip, And once they were on that trip, she’d try again to ask him to be her boyfriend.
---
The next day, Haruki wore a simple hoodie and jeans. Ryuko met him outside the internet café, dressed in a cream sweater layered under a navy coat, scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. She waved as he approached.
They headed to an empty computer station.
“Alright, let’s do a team match,” Ryuko said. “You take top, I’ll support mid.”
Haruki nodded as the game loaded.
“Enemy jungler near top,” Ryuko pinged.
“Copy that,” Haruki said, moving cautiously.
A few minutes in, Ryuko’s mid stun caught the enemy ADC off guard. Haruki dove in simultaneously, taking down the top laner and turret.
“Top turret almost gone,” he called.
“I’m rotating,” she replied, pinging the path.
They synchronized seamlessly—Haruki splitting the lane, Ryuko coordinating vision and crowd control.
A dragon appeared. “Dragon spawning in 20 seconds,” Ryuko warned.
She moved her character into position. “I’ll zone their ADC. Watch for ganks.”
The dragon fight erupted. Haruki landed a root, but he missed the enemy jungler. An attack hit Ryuko’s character, and Haruki tried to peel the jungler off her, but the enemy team unleashed a combo on the dragon. It fell to their opponents, with simultaneous kills on both of them.
“Haruki, I told you to watch out for the jungler,” Ryuko said, keeping her voice even.
“Sorry. I noticed him, but he was too fast—I missed the chance to react. Next time I’ll pay more attention,” Haruki replied, adjusting his strategy.
In the next match, Ryuko baited the enemy top into turret range, dodging skill shots as Haruki swooped in for the finish. Later, when she chased an escaping ADC, he timed his approach perfectly, securing the kill so she didn’t have to overextend.
They coordinated well. Ryuko had been guiding him for over six months now—he’d gotten better, though he still made rookie mistakes.
As the next round began, Haruki asked, “Top turret’s almost down. Back me up?”
“On my way! Don’t die this time,” she replied, laughing.
After three rounds, Ryuko leaned back, catching her breath.
“Haruki… have you decided where you want to go for your trip?” she asked casually, still holding her controller but sneaking a glance at him.
Haruki shook his head. “Not yet. I’ve been thinking about it, but no plans.”
Ryuko tilted her head, steeling herself. “I was thinking… maybe we could go together?” Her voice was calm, almost hopeful.
Haruki paused. His first thought was that it sounded great—he wouldn’t have to travel alone. But when he looked away from the screen and noticed her expression, he realized: she’s asking me out.
“Do you want to take a break as well? Don’t you want to go home with New Year coming up?” Haruki asked carefully.
Ryuko froze, unable to come up with an answer. Seeing her like that, Haruki knew he was right—she was asking him out again.
“Ryuko… I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he said slowly. “I need to be honest. I like you as a friend. You’ve put a lot of effort into us… into me. I do feel something, but it’s not what you’re hoping for. And it wouldn’t be fair to you if I pretended otherwise. You deserve someone who can give you the same effort back.”
Ryuko’s voice cracked slightly. “But why? I thought you started to like me.”
“I did start to like you,” Haruki admitted. “But it was because of how much effort you put in. Anyone would feel something when someone’s chasing them like that. I’ve said no twice, but not directly enough, and that was my fault. You kept holding on to hope because I wasn’t clear. ”
Ryuko’s hands tightened around her controller, tears shimmering in her eyes.
Haruki’s tone softened. “If you don’t want to be friends after this, I’ll understand.”
Ryuko shook her head, forcing a small smile. “No. I think… we can still be friends.”
Haruki nodded. “And if you want some space, that’s fine too. I won’t take it personally.”
She laughed quietly through her sniffles. “Are you trying to push me out of your life? Even if you don’t feel the same way, I still want us to be friends.”
Haruki took a deep breath. “I know we can be friends… but maybe some space for a while would help. After that, we’ll be fine.”
“That’s it?” she asked quietly.
She stood and left. Haruki sat there, staring at the game lobby, the glow of the screens reflecting off the walls. He knew he’d let this drag on too long,a year of passive signals, letting her hope, and now this.
Heading home, he felt relieved. For once, he hadn’t just gone along—he’d actually said what he meant.
[Note: While writing this chapter, I had many doubts about continuing the story with Ryuko. So, moving forward with future chapters, I’ve decided to ask if any of you would be interested in being beta readers and giving me feedback. I’m looking for 2–3 people. I can’t offer money, but you’ll get to read 4–5 chapters in advance. I’ll also give a monthly shoutout to anyone who helps. If you’re interested, please send me a message.
Volume 2 ends.]
Comments
I get why you feel strongly about Ryuko—she put a lot in, and it’s natural to want that rewarded. She’s not being punished, though; she’s just going through something real. Loyalty doesn’t always get you what you want, and in her case, what she gets is a clean slate instead of years in a relationship that wasn’t truly mutual. That’s not a loss, it’s a way for her to move on without wasting more time. I wrote it this way because I didn’t want to drag their relationship out without direction. Ryuko’s arc was tied to supporting Haruki, and I couldn’t see a natural way to make her his equal in the same field, she’d always be in his shadow as a voice actor. I also wanted Haruki’s eventual partner to have her own lane and momentum, not someone whose world revolves around him. This story is a wish-fulfillment fantasy, but even wish-fulfillment needs ups and downs to stay interesting and believable. I agree that love grows over time, and in Haruki’s case, he starts to like Ryuko because of the effort she puts in. But he worries that if he doesn’t match that effort, it might feel like he owes her something. Since he’s usually dense and passive, this breakup becomes a turning point—for him to finally stop being passive and start taking action. I know it might feel bittersweet, especially if you were rooting for Ryuko, but this direction made the most sense for both of their arcs and for the story overall.
Dhvaj Patel
2025-09-07 07:42:13 +0000 UTCI don’t really understand why Haruki and Ryuko had to break up, especially after everything Ryuko did for him. She pursued him with genuine care, supported him without asking for anything in return, and gave him space when he needed it. To me, that feels like loyalty, not “chasing.” Loyalty, care, and shared values are the most important things in any relationship. Everything else—beauty, money, fame—is secondary and fades over time. But loyalty and care endure. Ryuko embodies those qualities. She genuinely likes Haruki and takes care of him in ways that most people would hope for in a partner. If she were real, I’d say she’s the kind of person you’d want to marry. That’s why it feels so strange to see her devotion dismissed or punished in the story. Loyalty is one of the greatest human qualities, yet here it isn’t valued. In real life, it isn’t always rewarded—but in fantasy, where we can shape outcomes, shouldn’t we give it the respect it deserves? This is a story about a character fulfilling his wishes through a system, a fantasy where he gets the power to live out his dreams. So why, in a world built on wish fulfillment, is loyalty—the most human and meaningful emotion—not rewarded? Even if this isn’t a harem, Haruki and Ryuko could have stayed together, at least for a while, or had their relationship end more naturally. Right now, the rejection feels harsh and unearned. I also don’t quite follow the “like vs. love” distinction here. To me, love is something that grows through care and effort, not just instant attraction or lust. That’s why Ryuko’s devotion carried so much weight, and why her ending feels unsatisfying. In the end, I just wish her character and her relationship with Haruki had been given more respect, because Ryuko is nothing short of stellar.
Hersh Jobanputra
2025-09-06 23:05:20 +0000 UTCThe original author had planned a harem setup, with each girl representing a different anime industry field. And I don’t want to write a harem story, and keeping Ryuko as a love interest would start to feel out of place with where the plot is going. The dynamic between Haruki and Ryuko was originally built around his passive, dense behavior, but I’ve started shifting his character to be more honest and direct. Ending their subplot here lets me show that growth, while also moving the story in a more focused direction. This felt like the cleanest way to close things out and keep the tone consistent going forward.
Dhvaj Patel
2025-09-06 22:10:44 +0000 UTCYeah you definitely need plot reading for your love story lines. There are couple of things that pops up. 1.) Why is MC so adamant about rejecting Ryoko. Like there is no hard reason that was shown. 2.) MC is acting too much like those dense Japanese MC. It works there because of Japanese audience but it doesn’t work here because of International audience. You probably need to re edit the ending paragraph because it came out as a di*ck move by MC.
Banana19
2025-09-06 21:49:19 +0000 UTC
