[Anime Crossover] Becoming Mangaka in Anime World

Cough, cough.

Hearing the sound, Mihari Otosuna finally snapped back to reality. However, when she met Akifumi Mugiho's curious gaze, even as a seasoned professional, her face instantly turned red.

"Stupid, stupid," she scolded herself inwardly.

"The deal isn't even set yet, and I'm already over the moon—what's wrong with me?"

She took a deep breath to steady her swirling emotions, then forced a cheerful smile onto her face.

"Um... Akifumi-sensei, would you like something to drink? Coffee, barley tea, cola, or maybe some other soda?"

She added with enthusiasm, "Personally, I recommend a coffee with 30% sugar—it's just right! But if you have a sweet tooth, 70% sugar is perfect!"

Akifumi Mugiho blinked. What a clumsy attempt to change the subject.

He had a sudden sinking feeling. Is this scatterbrained woman really fit to be my editor?

Pushing aside that concern for now, he answered thoughtfully, "Then I'll go for a 70% sugar coffee."

A few moments later, Mihari returned with two cups of coffee and carefully placed Akifumi Mugiho's cup in front of him.

With her composure back, she got straight to business.

"Since you're here today, I assume you're interested in working with us," she began earnestly. "But before we proceed, I just have to ask... Akifumi-sensei, would you like to serialize your work in Weekly Shonen Jump?"

Akifumi Mugiho smiled. "As the undisputed king of the industry, who could possibly refuse such an opportunity?"

He paused, then added casually, "But before we move forward, I do have a question for you, Mihari-san."

Her heart skipped a beat at the unexpected pivot.

"Please go ahead," she urged.

"If my work gets serialized in the magazine, what happens with the Tezuka Award?"

Mihari's face relaxed into a smile. "You don't need to worry about that, Akifumi-sensei. The serialization will only begin after the award results are announced, so it won't affect the evaluation at all."

"I see." Akifumi Mugiho's lips curled into a knowing smile. "That puts my mind at ease."

"Do you have any other concerns, Akifumi-sensei?"

"None," he replied with a shake of his head. 

Mihari let out a breath of relief, her tense nerves finally relaxing.

"In that case, let me explain the benefits of serialization," she said enthusiastically.

Her voice carried a cheerful lilt. "Since you're a new artist, you'll start with the standard page rate of 15,000 yen per page. If reader feedback is strong, your rate can increase—even for newcomers!"

She continued, "But on the flip side, if your work consistently ranks at the bottom of the reader surveys, it could face cancellation."

Akifumi Mugiho quickly did the math. At 20 pages per chapter, that meant a weekly income of 300,000 yen—a monthly total of over a million yen!

No wonder Weekly Shonen Jump was filled with long-running series. The money was simply irresistible!

However, Akifumi Mugiho was no starry-eyed novice. As someone with extensive industry experience in his past life, he knew the harsh realities all too well.

"Maintaining a high output week after week is almost impossible for a single artist," he thought grimly.

 "You'd have to hire multiple assistants and set up a dedicated studio."

The expenses would eat up a huge portion of the earnings. Not to mention the creative risks—burnout and plot derailment were all too common, leading many promising series to crash and burn.

"Getting a serialization is just the beginning," he mused.

If someone had cheat powers to make it easy... well, that was a different story.

"Any other questions, Akifumi-sensei?" Mihari clapped her hands together as though she'd just remembered something.

"Oh right! Given your situation, I can help you apply for a special 'contract bonus'—though you'd need to sign an additional agreement."

Akifumi Mugiho waved her off. "No need for the contract bonus."

Such bonuses typically came with restrictive clauses, and Akifumi Mugiho wasn't interested in being shackled.

Mihari wasn't surprised by his refusal. "Once you have a serialization deal, who cares about that little bonus?"

"So, would you like to review the contract now?"

"Sure." Akifumi Mugiho nodded, then added in an offhand manner, "By the way, arranging a serialization in advance like this... is it because of some mistake on your part, Mihari-san?"

Caught up in her joy, Mihari laughed. "Ahaha, I can't believe you figured that out—"

The last syllable caught in her throat as realization dawned.

"You... you... heard that?"

"Yup." Akifumi Mugiho grinned mischievously and casually waved his phone. "Not only did I hear it, but I recorded it too. Want me to play it back?"

Mihari stared blankly at the handsome teenager in front of her.

The initial excitement drained from her face, replaced by sheer panic.

Two words echoed endlessly in her mind:

"I'm doomed."

 ....

[TL Note]

Hey there! If you're enjoying this, be sure to check out [patreon.com/InsomniaTL]. Just a heads-up, there will be advanced chapters (20-40) available there. Thanks so much for reading!