Chapter 230: Chapter 229: 2nd Episode Reveals the Promise of a Flower That Blooms Once Every Seven Years
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Haruto sat in his office, reviewing the data for the premiere of 7 Years From Now. Beyond the raw viewership numbers, he was sifting through the approval ratings, the detailed reader feedback, and, of course, taking a look at what the haters were currently nitpicking.
"How’s it looking?" Yukino asked, setting a cup of coffee on his desk. She could not help but sound a little anxious.
Truth be told, a heavy sense of uncertainty hung over the entire company.
7 Years From Now carried the expectations of the millions of fans who had worshipped Madoka Magica. Its performance would directly dictate the Warrior of Love’s standing in the industry. It did not necessarily have to outperform Madoka, but at the very least, it had to secure the top spot for the spring season. Otherwise, the critics and anti-fans would surely swarm like vultures.
A 3.76% rating was a dream start for any normal production.
But for the Warrior of Love’s first follow-up to a phenomenon, no one was quite ready to call it a definitive victory.
"It’s good. Honestly, it exceeded my expectations," Haruto said, putting down the reports with a calm smile. He had learned that fame brought trouble, but it also provided a massive head start.
The first episode of 7 Years From Now was solid, but it was just that, solid. Because it required so much groundwork, the plot had not truly opened up yet. Despite that, its ratings had already surpassed high-budget rivals like Spirit Flame and Azure Sky. It was a testament to the loyalty of the Madoka fanbase.
"Really?"
"Really. This series is all about the gradual unveiling of the world. It’s not exactly a slow burn, but it’s certainly not a frantic action show either. Having this level of viewership for a premiere is an excellent sign," Haruto explained, pausing for a moment. "The numbers will climb as we go."
Haruto had not seen Steins;Gate in the memories of Shiori, but based on the comments from fans of the original game in that parallel world, the two works shared a certain DNA. Both dealt with the mechanics of leaping through time to alter the past. However, the pacing of 7 Years From Now was significantly tighter, avoiding the early-game slump that often plagued time-travel mysteries.
"You’re the backbone of this company," Yukino said, letting out a long sigh of relief. "If you’re confident, then I’m confident."
She paused for a moment, then shifted the topic. "By the way, when do you plan on heading to Fukushima?"
It was already April 5th.
The Ryugin Awards was scheduled for the night of April 15th in Fukushima, one of the prefectures of Japan.
"In a few days," Haruto replied.
He would be attending as a mangaka. He had already coordinated with the University; the administration was more than happy to let their star student take a leave of absence to go win national awards. Since he had four ceremonies to attend within three weeks, he would be taking nearly half a month off.
"A few days, huh..." Yukino murmured. She looked at him thoughtfully. "You’re going with Shizuru, right?"
"Yeah. She’s the co-author of Initial D, after all. It would not be right to go without her." As he spoke, Haruto noticed a look on Yukino’s face. "Wait... are you actually jealous?"
"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?" Yukino laughed, though a soft blush touched her cheeks. "We’re just friends right now. I don’t have the right to be jealous, do I?"
Ever since their trip to the amusement park, their relationship had shifted. On the surface, they were the same, working together at the office and living together at the villa. But once the unspoken feelings were brought into the light, everything changed.
Haruto and Yukino were now acutely aware of each other. Yukino was no longer as carefree and blunt as she used to be; she spoke with a gentler tone and spent significantly more time on her outfits and appearance every morning. Haruto was much the same.
They were not quite at the level of dating since Yukino had not officially accepted a proposal, but they had certainly moved far beyond the realm of simple friendship.
Haruto was smart enough not to push too hard. He knew that pushing for an answer too early could backfire, so he just smiled and looked at her.
"Well then, do you want to come with us? To Fukushima?" Haruto asked. "You told me once about a monk who’s a famous fortune teller. I remember promising I’d go there with you whenever we had the chance."
"Oh... that’s right." Yukino tilted her head, a playful smile dancing in her eyes. "But there’s so much to do at the company. If the Chairman and the Vice-Chairwoman both leave for half a month, can the studio survive?"
"We still have Reina," Haruto laughed.
"Are you playing dumb or do you really not know?" Yukino rolled her eyes. "Absolute Realm is in the top twenty for the Naoki Awards. Her ceremony is a week after the Ryugin Awards, so she’ll be heading to Fukushima herself in about two weeks. Plus, she spends all her time locked in her room thinking about her plot. Dumping the company’s daily chores on her would be cruel."
She paused, then a grin spread across her face. "But then again... it is only half a month. Letting the managers handle things on their own for a bit might be good for their growth."
"Besides," she added, finding more excuses for herself. "You and Shizuru are still young. Having someone with more life experience around to look after you isn’t a bad idea."
Having thoroughly justified her decision, Yukino happily agreed to join the trip. However, when she caught Haruto watching her with a knowing, amused smile, her face turned a deep shade of crimson and her heart fluttered.
Haruto did not tease her. He let her have her dignity and shifted the conversation toward the production of Finding Paradise, the sequel to To the Moon.
Now that 7 Years From Now was airing, the staff would gradually have more free time. Haruto was not about to let the momentum go to waste. He was not rich enough to ignore a guaranteed multi-billion yen opportunity.
The days flew by, and the first ten days of April came to an end. In the Sword Art Online, the honeymoon arc between Asuna and Kirito was nearing its conclusion. Once the domestic bliss ended, the story would hurtle toward the revelation of the SAO creator Akihiko Kayaba’s true identity, followed by the transition into the ALO arc.
Meanwhile, Initial D had finally reached the actual race between Takumi and Ryosuke Takahashi on Mt. Akina. This single showdown had been built up for over a month, and the payoff sent the manga’s popularity to new heights. Prime Manga had increased its marketing budget yet again. Just as SAO had lifted Kiyozawa’s circulation, Initial D was doing the same for Prime Manga. Both series were now undisputed titans of the current industry. While it was hard to compare them to historical legends of different eras, they were undeniably the top two most influential ongoing series today.
On April 11th, the second episode of 7 Years From Now aired.
This episode focused heavily on the relationships between Soraki and his childhood friends. Back when they were kids at the medical facility, there were five or six of them who were inseparable. Beyond Riku and his brother Kakeru, the group included three girls: Aoi, Saki, and Honoka.
Soraki and Saki were both heart patients. Aoi, Kakeru, and Honoka were all terminal LMD patients.
The episode depicted Soraki’s reunion with Honoka and Saki in the reset timeline of March 29th. Haruto added extra depth to Saki’s gentle, self-sacrificing personality and emphasized the bond between Honoka and Saki, a friendship so deep it was practically sisterhood.
He knew that if he did not establish this bond now, their willingness to give up their lives for one another later in the story would feel unearned.
The episode also featured more of Soraki’s fragmented childhood memories, specifically revealing the origin of his promise with Aoi.
A flower that blooms only once every seven years. Aoi wanted to see the flowers bloom with Soraki seven years in the future. That was the soul of the promise.
Finally, at the end of the second episode, the mystery of the time travel was unmasked.
It all traced back to the medicine Dr. Ichiki had given Soraki, the one with the pungent fragrance. Drinking that medicine at a specific time created a unique memory sector in the brain. Using a specialized machine at his clinic, someone could transmit memory fragments from a future self back to that specific sector in the past.
In other words, Soraki had not physically traveled through time. Instead, the memories of the Soraki from March 31st had been beamed back into the brain of the Soraki on March 29th. In the original Loop 1, Soraki had been knocked out by a mysterious figure in the hospital archives.
That person had then used the technology to send Soraki’s consciousness back two days. However, Dr. Ichiki claimed he was not the one who did it; it was someone else.
This meant there was another player in the game who possessed this memory-syncing technology. Even if it was just a mental projection rather than physical travel, the result was the same: someone with the memories of the future was now walking around in the past.
The moment this high-concept sci-fi twist was revealed, Haruto’s fanbase absolutely lost their minds.
