I just want to quietly draw manga Chapter 58

A week ago, the entire country was alive with the festive spirit of the New Year. Food stalls lined the streets, children set off small fireworks that startled passing pedestrians, and the air was filled with warmth and cheer.

For many—government workers, students, teachers, office employees—it was a rare break.

But in the manga industry, there was no such thing as a true holiday. Manga artists had flexible hours and workspaces, but in the end, the unrelenting deadline was their real boss.

As the saying goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. For a manga artist, unless a series is finished, the wheels of publishing never stop—not even for New Year’s.

Fortunately, Haruki and Kotone had been working as a team for a while now, and their rhythm was efficient. Within just a few days, they had wrapped up the twelfth chapter of Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance.

“So, got any plans for New Year’s?” Sora asked casually. It was Friday, just two days before the New Year. Kurokawa Publishing wasn’t closed yet, and she was still hard at work at her desk.

“Tomorrow’s a day off. What else would I do? Just heading home,” she replied, though there was a slight unease in her expression.

“What? You don’t want to go home?” Haruki teased.

“No, that’s not it…” Sora looked away, clearly dodging the question.

“I can guess,” Haruki said with a grin. “You’re heading home for a blind date, aren’t you? We’ve known each other long enough—I can read you pretty well.”

“Blind date?” Sora’s eye twitched.

“What do you know, kid?” she scoffed. “I’m 24—perfectly in my prime. And for your information, I’ve got plenty of people interested. Meanwhile, you’ve got Kotone next to you every day, and you haven’t made a move. Starting to wonder if you're even interested in girls.”

“Plenty of people chasing you? Doesn’t mean much if you turn them all down,” Haruki said with a smirk. “You’re calm, experienced. I don’t think you’re the type to rush into anything.”

“Oh please,” she rolled her eyes. “I’ve had plenty of experience. My exes could fill two mahjong tables.”

Haruki raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “In my experience, people who seem pure and innocent usually aren’t. And the ones who brag about being love experts? They usually don’t have much to show for it.”

Sora calmly took a sip of tea, not responding.

“And the guiltier they feel, the more they try to act relaxed…” Haruki added, watching her closely. “Don’t tell me I hit the nail on the head.”

“You’ve got way too much free time, kid!” she finally snapped, breaking her calm front.

Haruki laughed nervously. “Alright, alright. Back before I got into manga, I had a lot of friends in different creative circles. You hear things… never mind, I’ll drop it.”

He figured if he kept going, she might actually blow a fuse—and he wasn’t confident he could stop her.

They both let the topic go.

“So, what about you? How are you spending the New Year?” Sora asked. She knew about Haruki’s family situation. She and Kotone had been to his place a few times for work—it was always quiet. Even the neighbors rarely dropped by.

“It’s fine,” Haruki said with a faint smile. “I’ve gotten used to it. Don’t worry about me.”

“Alright,” she nodded.

As an editor, Sora saw it as part of her job to not just oversee the work but also keep an eye on the emotional health of the artists. But Haruki wasn’t the type to ask for support. If he said he was okay, she trusted that he meant it.

Over time, she’d come to understand—Haruki didn’t pretend to be strong. If he showed emotion, it was real.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“That’ll be Kotone,” Haruki said, standing up.

Even though he’d told her they weren’t working today, Kotone always came over on Fridays to wait for the weekly rankings to be released.

When he opened the door, she stepped inside, carrying two large bags. Her face was flushed from the cold, little ice crystals clinging to her eyelashes. A white mist escaped her lips with every breath.

“Haruki, Sora—these are for you,” she said, setting down the bags before walking straight toward the stove to warm up.

“What’s this?” Haruki glanced inside.

“New Year’s gifts,” Kotone replied with a soft smile. “Since the holiday’s almost here, I wanted to give my greetings in advance.”

“Aw, thank you!” Sora beamed. She wasn’t the type to be shy about receiving gifts—she looked genuinely excited.

Haruki, on the other hand, kept his expression neutral, but inside, he felt a quiet warmth. It was the first time someone had given him New Year’s gifts.

He still had a few distant relatives in the city, but ever since his parents passed, they rarely kept in touch. They didn’t even exchange greetings anymore.

This meant something.

But Haruki wasn’t one to show too much emotion. Instead, he just quietly took note of the gesture.

“By the way, I’m a bit late today—have the rankings come out yet?” Kotone asked, taking off her coat.

“Not yet,” Haruki replied, checking the time. “But it should be any minute now. They usually post between six and seven.”

The three of them sat down together, chatting casually while they waited.

Then, a message notification popped up.

Sora checked her phone, froze, then stared at the screen again as if in disbelief.

“What’s wrong? Is it bad?” Haruki asked.

“Did the numbers drop?”

“No…” Sora looked up slowly. “It went up. And the increase is… kind of crazy.”

Years ago, things were always hectic, but even during the busiest times, Kentarou—just your average office worker—never forgot to pick up the latest manga issue alongside the weight of his daily responsibilities.

He’d been a loyal reader of one of the big three manga magazines for years and had his favorites firmly in place. But not long ago, he noticed a shift. A few of his manga-loving friends had started talking about a title he’d never heard of before—Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance.

At first, he brushed it off. A story about a wandering swordsman from a distant past? It didn’t seem like his kind of thing. Sounded more like some niche historical drama—nothing with the sharp twists or punchy emotion he usually craved.

He figured it was just a phase his friends were going through. But then, something changed.

He started hearing it everywhere. Conversations in cafés, chatter in the breakroom, even murmurs in train stations. And the online forums he browsed after work? Suddenly filled with threads dissecting the latest chapters.

Curiosity got the better of him.

He finally borrowed a few issues from a friend one weekend. Just to see what the fuss was about.

An hour later, he had torn through everything that had been published so far.

Then he went back and read them again—more slowly this time.

Alright... maybe this was something special.

From that point on, Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance joined his weekly rotation. Every Friday evening, he looked forward to it. It wasn’t just the swordplay or the quiet melancholy—it was the way the story lingered after you put it down.

That night, after spending the day visiting family for the New Year, Kentarou sat alone in his room. He reached for the latest issue on his desk. The cover immediately stood out: no over-the-top comedy character or action hero—just a boy with dark hair kneeling in the rain, a katana clenched in his hand. Beside him, a woman in a white kimono, her face streaked with blood, gazed ahead in silence.

It was unmistakable. The scene from the end of Chapter 2—Kenshin and Tomoe's first meeting.

The illustration was in full color, haunting and beautiful, featured as this issue’s front-page highlight.

As he flipped through the pages, a folded poster slipped out from the center. Curious, he opened it. A snowy landscape spread across the page—Tomoe sitting beneath a bare tree, gazing quietly at Kenshin, who was offering his hand. His expression was gentle, the kind that lingered even after you turned the page.

At the top of the poster, a bold line of text read:

“Congratulations to Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance—nominated for this year’s Aurora Manga Awards!”