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During the prime-time slot, the broadcast began. The marketing campaign launched by the station and the Ryugin Awards organizers over the past two weeks had clearly paid dividends.
Even before the live feed officially started, the ratings had already surged past 4%.
At the venue, Haruto's fans streamed in. Their presence throughout the hall was impossible to miss.
They were either hoisting neon LED placards clearly declaring their allegiance or were fully decked out in high-quality cosplay from Haruto's various works.
Truthfully, Haruto's popularity and cultural heat were significantly higher than the organizers had initially projected.
Because of his involvement, the audience for the Ryugin Awards ceremony extended far beyond traditional manga enthusiasts.
As the broadcast progressed, the ratings continued to climb. Meanwhile, the comment section on Haruto's creator account was full of activity.
"Where are Takahashi-sensei and Shizuru-sensei? I've been waiting so long I'm practically aging in real-time."
"Be patient. There are twenty nominated works. The organizers have to go through the details of every single one out of respect for the creators."
"But only three of them actually win prizes. The competition in this industry is brutal."
"That's just the way it is in every field, honestly."
"I just want to see them accept the award so I can go to sleep. There's zero chance of an upset this year."
"Exactly. If Initial D does not take the Gold, the Ryugin Awards will lose every ounce of credibility. No manga fan would ever take them seriously again."
"The only real suspense left for Sensei is the Seika Awards at the end of April. Seeing whether To the Moon or Winter Rage takes the best movie prize is the real mystery. Between the Naoki Awards for novels and the Ryugin Awards for manga, Initial D and Sword Art Online basically have no rivals."
While the fans debated online, the hosts on stage were navigating a somewhat awkward situation. In all the years the Ryugin Awards had been held, there had never been a year where the gap between the nominees was this astronomical. Initial D was only a year old, yet it averaged over ten million copies per volume. No other manga could even stand in its shadow.
After ninety minutes of introductory speeches and fluff, the hosts finally finished detailing all twenty nominated works. As the clock neared 10:00 PM, the viewers at home and the fans in the venue grew restless. Backstage, a makeup artist was putting the finishing touches on Haruto. Although he was naturally handsome, professional makeup was a requirement for such a historic moment in the industry.
In the dressing room next door, Shizuru took a deep breath. She was dressed in a stunning red evening gown. Her slender, fair legs peeked through the slit of the skirt, and her waist was accentuated by a delicate belt. Her hair had been dyed a soft chestnut and styled into an elegant updo, with two loose strands framing her fair, oval face. She looked exquisite.
Shizuru could not help but steal several glances at herself in the mirror. She was genuinely impressed by the makeup artist's skill; she could never achieve such a radiant look on her own.
When she stepped out of the room, she found Haruto waiting for her in the hallway. He looked exceptionally sharp and dashing. He had been leaning against the wall, but he turned and smiled the moment he saw her.
"You look beautiful," he said.
As her housemate and close friend, Haruto did not hesitate to offer a sincere compliment.
"You... you look very handsome too," Shizuru replied with a shy smile.
Standing in the wings, they listened to the host's voice alternating between passionate crescendos and solemn tones to build the atmosphere. Once the third-place winner, Phantom Kingdom, and the second-place winner, The Teacher Next Door, were announced, the identity of the Gold Award winner was no longer a mystery.
The thousands of fans in the audience who had bought tickets specifically for Haruto erupted. They waved their lightsticks in a frantic rhythm, their voices uniting under the direction of fan club leaders into a chant: "Initial D! Haruto! Shizuru!"
Shizuru felt a shiver of excitement travel from her toes to her brain. She had been telling herself to stay calm, but in the heat of the moment, her composure was failing. Unlike Haruto, who had been dealing with these kinds of public situations since high school, Shizuru was struggling with her nerves, terrified of making a mistake on stage.
"Don't worry," Haruto said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. He pointed toward the stage entrance. "The host is calling for us."
"And now, we present the Gold Award winner for this year's Ryugin Awards... Initial D! Please welcome the creator responsible for the story, Sensei Haruto, and the lead illustrator, Sensei Shizuru!" the host's voice boomed with infectious energy.
Haruto and Shizuru walked out side-by-side. Spotlights cut through the darkness, illuminating them as they moved into a circle of light on the stage, surrounded by a sea of glowing lightsticks in the audience.
"Hello everyone, I'm the author of Initial D, Haruto."
"He... hello, I'm Shizuru."
A thunderous wave of cheers crashed over them.
"Sensei Haruto, I love you!"
"Sensei Shizuru, you look stunning today!"
Haruto stared out at the crowd, feeling a surge of adrenaline. Even though he had been the one calming Shizuru down, standing on that stage was an undeniably moving experience. Confetti cannons situated around the stage exploded with a sharp whistle, sending shimmering paper into the air. In the sky above the open-air venue, fireworks blossomed, celebrating the undisputed number one new manga of the year.
Many of Haruto's fans watching at home found themselves getting emotional.
In the ACG world, top creators were treated with the same reverence as idols.
While Haruto did not actively play into that culture, his massive female following was a force of nature beyond his control. Groups of fans across the country were currently gathered to celebrate his victory.
After a minute of chaos, the crowd settled down for the formal interview.
This was standard procedure for these events, and since Haruto and Shizuru had rehearsed their responses, the dialogue flowed smoothly.
However, just as Haruto thought the ceremony was going to end on a predictable note, the host threw a curveball.
"It's well-known that Sensei Haruto is a creator who loves to give his fans the unexpected. Your previous works, like To the Moon and Anohana, have a habit of making people burst into tears when they least expect it. Does Initial D have any similar surprises in store?"
Haruto and Shizuru exchanged a knowing look.
"Actually... yes," Haruto said with a smile. "There is a certain character in Initial D for whom I've laid a very significant piece of foreshadowing. I wonder if anyone has noticed it yet? Her role will eventually lead to a complete transformation for our protagonist, Takumi. It will make him stronger."
The serialization of Initial D was nearing the point where the truth about Natsuki and her papa would be revealed. Haruto figured that dropping a hint at the Ryugin Awards was a good way to give the fans some mental preparation.
"Oh? There really is a secret?" The host's eyes lit up. "Friends at home and fans in the audience, you can thank me later for digging that out! Everyone should go back and re-read their Initial D volumes tonight to see if you can spot the clue Sensei is talking about."
Laughter rippled through the hall.
Finally, the host moved to the last question for the Gold Award winner. This question had been carefully coordinated between the organizers of the Ryugin, Naoki, and Seika Awards to build cross-promotional hype.
"Sensei, beyond your win tonight, you are also nominated for the Naoki Awards and the Seika Awards for Best Animated Film. Both of those ceremonies will be broadcast right here on this channel over the next two Wednesdays. How are you feeling about your chances for those two works?"
Haruto went silent for a moment. He looked directly into the camera lens, his expression turning serious.
"All I can say is this: in the month of April, the name Haruto is going to shine across the entire ACG industry. And before this month is over, I have one more surprise for everyone, one that no one will see coming."
This response was the result of an agreement between the various award committees and Haruto. While the Ryugin organizers did not know exactly what surprise he was planning, they were happy to give him a platform to build hype for the other events. Haruto was referring to his plan to reveal his identity as the Warrior of Love during the Seika Awards ceremony at the end of the month.
To his dedicated fans, these words were a source of immense pride and excitement. To the fans of the Warrior of Love, however, they sounded a bit arrogant.
Shine across the entire industry? they thought. Does he think the Warrior of Love does not exist?
Even if he won the top prizes for manga, novels, and animated films, that did not necessarily mean his influence was greater than that of Puella Magi Madoka Magica. The cultural phenomenon sparked by Madoka was on a level that Initial D and Sword Art Online had not quite reached yet.
Haruto's bold statement immediately polarized the two fanbases.
He's too cocky, the Madoka fans grumbled. Warrior of Love, when are you going to show up and put this Shiori Takahashi in his place?
