What did she mean, “as much as I hate to admit it”?
Saito Ritsu didn’t quite follow, but seeing how Kousaka Kirino seemed unwilling to elaborate, he chose not to press further.
If she said it was her brother, then this CLAMP must be Kousaka Kyousuke.
Still, Saito harbored a lingering trace of doubt — was Kyousuke really Sigsawa Keiichi?
Based on Kirino’s answer, no, but his own instincts kept telling him that Hattori Takuya was hiding something.
Was that kid Hattori on guard against poaching, or was he just being cagey?
Either way, flipping through this manuscript ought to clear things up.
Saito opened the pages of “Cardcaptor Sakura” and began to read.
…
Magical girl stories had, by now, largely fallen into formula across the manga world, but as Saito Ritsu turned the pages of this work and reached the end of the third chapter, a faint thrill began to stir deep within him.
His hands moved faster and faster, each page receiving little more than a quick sweep of the eyes before he flipped to the next, and he finished the entire opening in five minutes.
The manuscript pages returned to the first sheet in his hands, and he tapped them against the tabletop to straighten the stack.
He finished it that fast?
Even faster than that guy read it.
Does that mean it’s not going to pass?
Kousaka Kirino tensed up immediately.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with Kyousuke’s story — she was certain of that.
As the first person to experience “Cardcaptor Sakura,” even just the Name alone had kept her reading nonstop, and by the end she’d been left genuinely wanting to know what happened next.
So if the plot wasn’t the problem, then didn’t that mean the art was to blame?
Kirino’s confidence wavered, especially since he’d just finished critiquing the flaws in her previous work.
“One moment, Kousaka-sensei.
Allow me to read through it again.”
Saito Ritsu’s voice betrayed no emotion, and without waiting for Kirino’s reply, he’d already opened the manuscript to the second page.
The girl found it somewhat baffling — why read through it a second time when he’d just gone over the whole thing?
Had a seasoned manga artist been present, they would have understood exactly what those words meant.
A managing editor had to read an enormous volume of submissions every day, and speed-reading was an essential skill, but when a work warranted a second read, it almost always meant the quality deserved a more careful, appreciative look.
Saito Ritsu immersed himself in the story, spending over ten minutes going through the manuscript again to confirm his eyes hadn’t deceived him.
“The pacing is immaculate!” he thought.
“Every chapter ends with a hook that makes you desperate to keep reading!” This was the fundamental requirement for a successful manga, yet most authors never grasped it.
“The setup is remarkably clever — it breathes new life into a genre that was already starting to feel stale.
The art style has completely changed too, and while traces of her previous work are still visible, the shift is entirely fitting for the tone of this series.” He could barely contain the delight welling up inside him.
Jackpot!
If he’d still held any prejudice against the magical girl genre before, by now it had been flung so far out the window he couldn’t even see it anymore.
At this moment, Saito Ritsu was absolutely certain: this CLAMP — no, Kousaka Kyousuke — was, in all likelihood, that very same Dengeki Bunko Newcomer Gold Prize winner.
Compared to Kirino’s previous work, this piece displayed an entirely different structure and narrative voice, one that couldn’t possibly come from a novice.
What he couldn’t quite figure out was why, having come all this way to submit, he’d chosen to use a different pen name.
A new work co-created by the Dengeki Bunko Newcomer Gold Prize-winning author “Sigsawa Keiichi” handling the script and the best-selling genius manga artist “Kousaka Rumiko” handling the art — a hook like that would be more than enough to draw in two dedicated fanbases in one fell swoop.
Saito glanced at Kirino, who was still sitting anxiously across the table, and a theory took shape in his mind.
It’s because he’s hiding it from her, isn’t it?
He could think of no other reason.
“To wield this level of craft and apply it so effectively to manga scriptwriting — your brother is quite an impressive person.”
Saito Ritsu set the manuscript back on the table and addressed Kirino with complete seriousness. New chapters come out on g.com first.
“Eh?”
Was that guy really that impressive?
Hearing the editor’s praise caught Kirino off guard, but more than that, she felt a surge of happiness.
And the way he’d said it — did that mean it had passed?
Just as she was about to offer some humble reply, a knock sounded against the frosted glass door of the conference room.
….
“Pardon the interruption, Editor Saito.”
A voice came from outside, and once permission was granted, the colleague handling reception pushed open the door.
Kousaka Kyousuke stepped into the conference room, his eyes meeting Kirino’s — and the sharp, tiger-cub ferocity of that glare looked ready to devour him alive.
“You!
What took you so long exchanging pleasantries with that woman?!
What’s your deal?!”
No sooner had Kyousuke settled into the seat beside his sister than the torture began.
Enduring the pain radiating from his thigh, he managed an awkward laugh.
It couldn’t be helped — after explaining his plans in detail to Hayakawa Rumi, he’d taken the opportunity to get the latest updates from her on the publication of “Kino’s Journey,” which had eaten up a bit of time.
“Sorry, sorry.”
With an outsider present, Kyousuke kept it brief, his gaze landing on the “Cardcaptor Sakura” manuscript resting beside the editor.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Editor Saito.
I’m one of the authors of this work.
You’ve already looked through the manuscript, I take it?”
“So you must be CLAMP-sensei.
A pleasure!”
Saito Ritsu studied the young man before him, now fully confirming his identity in his mind, though he chose not to reveal it openly.
At the same time, he couldn’t help marveling at the situation — one family producing two geniuses this young.
If he ever had children like this himself, he’d probably wake up laughing from his dreams.
“I’ve finished reviewing the manuscript, and the quality is undeniable.
I can directly approve it for submission to Kadokawa’s monthly magazine feature award.”
The so-called monthly award was a mechanism used by most manga publications.
Authors submitted to the magazine, editors performed an initial round of screening, and through personal recommendation, works were brought before a monthly meeting where editors voted on ten pieces to be published in the magazine.
After market testing and reader feedback, a final decision was made on whether a work qualified for serialization.
Each managing editor had a limited number of recommendations per month — no more than a handful.
The fact that Saito Ritsu had declared an immediate decision like this spoke volumes about how highly he regarded the work.
Faced with such unreserved praise, Kousaka Kyousuke showed no particular excitement, his expression barely shifting.
The merit of “Cardcaptor Sakura” spoke for itself — in this era, it was a rare and exceptional work.
“This won’t be another solicited manuscript contract, I trust?”
He posed the question casually, with an easy laugh.
“Regarding the contract, I can guarantee that an incident like what happened with ‘Lunar Witch Transformation’ will absolutely not recur.
You have my word on that.
I’m sure you’ve already heard about my reputation from Editor Hayakawa, haven’t you?”
Saito Ritsu answered immediately, at the same time pressing a hand down on the manuscript as if worried it might slip away.
In truth, his concern wasn’t unfounded — Kyousuke could easily submit to another publisher and secure a far higher long-term payout.
Kadokawa’s advantage over other publishers lay in its fully integrated industry chain, the most mature in the business when it came to manga, anime, and downstream IP development. The source of this chapter is novelping(.)com.
But if one were talking purely manga publications, Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump” was the undisputed king of the field.
Iori Setsuna, that woman is a complete idiot!
Saito Ritsu silently cursed Kirino’s former editor to hell and back.
He could clearly sense Kyousuke’s dissatisfaction — otherwise that question would never have been asked — and the reason, naturally, was the whole debacle surrounding “Lunar Witch Transformation.” What short-sightedness!
Tricking an author into signing a solicited manuscript contract despite clearly recognizing the work’s quality — once word of something like that spread through the industry, it would deal a devastating blow to the company’s manga division.
It was the kind of behavior that destroyed the very roots of the business.
If that were the case, which rookie manga artist would ever trust Kadokawa again?
Saito Ritsu refused to believe that Hayakawa Rumi hadn’t introduced him to Kyousuke properly, and despite that, Kyousuke still chose to say something that would put him on the spot — his aim couldn’t be clearer.
He wanted Saito to personally give his guarantee.
“Mr.
Kousaka, please rest assured and leave this to me.
With me handling this work, it will receive the treatment it deserves.”
Saito Ritsu’s face was utterly solemn.
“Then we’ll be counting on you, Editor Saito.”
…..
The contract process went far more smoothly than expected.
Kousaka Kirino emerged from the Kadokawa building still not entirely recovered from the experience.
The process with her previous work had also been quick, but this time felt completely different.
The contract Editor Saito had produced not only clearly stated the per-chapter manuscript rate but also included a generous copyright royalty split.
Still, before any of that could officially take effect, it had to pass the monthly award selection and then clear the serialization committee review.
The complexity of the clauses had made her head spin, so in the end, Kousaka Kyousuke had handled everything, leaving her with nothing to do but sign at the end.
“If there’s nothing else planned, shall we head home?”
A voice came from behind her, and Kousaka Kirino turned to find her cheap brother’s gaze fixed on the black tights covering her lower body, a satisfied smile on his face.
“So you finally understand the importance of staying warm.”
“What’s your problem?!
Stop looking, you creep!”
“Heh, fine, I won’t look.
So you aren’t immune to the cold after all.”
“Nobody asked you!”
Kousaka Kirino let out a huff and strode briskly toward the station, paying him no further mind.
The only reason I wore these is because I was worried my legs might actually get thicker, not because I was cold — I wasn’t cold at all!
And does this guy have some kind of weird fetish for legs or something?
The girl’s mind churned with preoccupations, and she couldn’t help thinking back to that female editor in the professional attire she’d seen earlier, her pencil skirt revealing long legs sheathed in sheer black stockings.
He really is a pervert!
That guy!
Kirino spun around and shot Kyousuke a vicious glare, then turned back and forged ahead in a fuming silence.
Kyousuke was completely bewildered.
He was pretty sure he had barely done anything to provoke her — she’d seemed perfectly cheerful when they’d first walked out.
Her mood had flipped alarmingly fast.
He shook his head in resignation.
Getting on good terms with his little sister, it seemed, was still a long and arduous road ahead.