"Good morning, Kenji, Yasu, Kozue" Fumi always does greet us first hand and always the one who wakes up early.
"Ah, Good morning and Good work everyone!" I replied.
"I'm done with the revisions you asked me to do," Yasu reported.
"I'll get breakfast ready in five minutes." As usual, Kozue became our cook because she has inherited these skills from her mother who's an amazing chef.
"Eh, what is our breakfast?" Yasu asks,
"French Toast and eggs!" Kozue excitedly replied.
"Yay, I'll make some salad to make it even healthier." Fumi joined in the kitchen.
"The girls are sure lively today huh, Kenji." Yasu implored
"You can't blame them, I'm excited about our progress last night," I replied with a smile.
"Hey, Kenji I was thinking, I think Jade is the best choice if we wanted to be number one if it is not Shokunen Jade it doesn't matter what crap we present them right?"
"Yeah, but we are starting off with a doujinshi, I guess we should take it easy," I explained.
"We can just take it in and get an editor's opinion right.?"
"Yes but maybe not an editor to a publishing company, maybe a freelance editor will do.."
"Yeah, right. We just have to finish our one-shot and present it to them then get some opinion."
"Yes, you're right and you're smart. I believe this story can make it even to a professional editor and Shokunen Jade's expectations!" I excitedly replied.
"I know right, you're father even got its approval." Yasu implored
"It's not just for their expectations, and to COMIKET, I believe we can get it serialized as well." I mused.
"Serialize, what do you mean?" Yasu is confused.
"It means we will get published under a magazine, it could be on the weekly, monthly, or twice a month, one chapter of each manga comes out. After ten or so depending on the number of pages each chapter a whole volume of manga one manga is published. Usually, a weekly magazine has around twenty pages in each chapter and a manga has around forty to forty-five pages each chapter. So each volume of a twenty-page manga has around eight to ten chapters and a forty-five-page manga has four to five chapters each volume." I explained
"Oh, that's awesome!" Yasu understood it quickly.
"There is more to it but we will know about it sooner or later. This is just based on my knowledge and research." I mused.
"Breakfast is ready!" Kozue and Fumi placed the food on the table.
The dish looks perfectly delicious today.
"Thank you, Girls!" I sat down and grabbed a bite.
"So what are you guys talking about earlier?" Kozue asks.
"Just stuff and things, about our next plans," Yasu replied.
"Before everything else, I was about to ask why do we come here on weekends to your father's studio?" Kozue asks,
"We just came here to kind of feel the mangaka studio environment," I explained.
"OH NO!" Fumi's in shock as if she has forgotten something.
"What's wrong, Fumi?" I ask,
"I forgot to ask permission from my mother that I was going to stay over, all she knows is we are here to continue our activities.." Fumi explained as she shrinks down in embarrassment.
"WHAAAAAAAAAT?" we answered synchronically after we heard a critical situation we must fix or it will be added to our issue.
"I am going to make a call now, excuse me for a moment." Fumi went outside.
"As expected of our clumsy and shy, Fumi." Yasu implored.
"That's so mean of you to call her that, Yasuyuki!" Kozue pointed out.
We eat our breakfast and let Fumi fix her mistake.
"Uhm, mom I forgot to tell you about something."
"Yes, Fumi, what is it? Is this about you staying over at Kenji-kun's place?
"Yeah, I'm very sorry."
"It's okay, as long as you wear protection." Fumi's mom voiced out in a teasing voice.
"MOM! NOW IS NOT THE TIME."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA just kidding"
"I forgot to tell you that our club activities won't be at school on weekends and will be at Aki's fathers' studio. I hope it's okay?"
"I know about it. I heard from your uncle."
"Ah, thank you!"
"But, I can't believe it, you're too young to elope with Yoshikawa's son."
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT! BYE!"
that was loud enough for us to hear inside, we wonder what is going on.
"Jeez, why does she have to be such an idiot for a mother? It is impossible for Aki to fell in love with me you know."
Fumi went in annoyed but with a frown on her face, she's acting strange recently. It's not good to keep my nose on someone else's problem, however, it is our club member and a friend.
"So what did your mother said?" I ask,
"She doesn't have any problem with it," Fumi replied but she is still down.
"Then why with the shouting?' I ask another question.
"EEEK, um... it is nothing, you know mother-daughter talk.." Fumi replied frantically.
"I shouldn't have asked," I replied
"Yosh, thank you for the meal, I'm going back to work!" Kozue cleaned up her mess.
"I'm going to resupply our food and drinks, mail me what you want." Yasu leaves.
Saturday, we continued where we left off and fix some errors here and there, the club decided to finish the one-shot story by the weekend if we can, so we'll only do some minor fixtures on weekdays. I didn't mention to the girls about our next plan to get serialized because they might get too excited and too overconfident which is a bad practice for every rule of mangaka.
"I'm back, I also grab a weekly issue of Shokunen Jade and you guys need to see it." Yasu handed us the copy.
As I looked at the cover page it is the manga that Makaino Joji wrote as a one-shot and now a full series. I was shocked once again but this was anticipated as his story was amazing.
"Makaino Joji, you always surprise me! Everyone let's conquer COMIKET and show them our skills can be equal to what a professional can do." I started with full hype.
"Huh?" Yasu seems to be confused
"Our rival is getting ahead of us and I don't like losing to him, let's show them what an amateur can do. We will no longer be known as underground." I declared
"Yes!" Yasu excitedly approved.
"Wait, are you saying to get published in a magazine?" Kozue ask,
"Not yet, let's gather people in the doujinshi market, and then let's get published not just any magazine but to Shokunen Jade!"
"WHOA! Count me in, I will do my best!" Fumi jumped in excitement
"Me too, towards our dream!" Kozue agrees.
"Yeah, towards our dream!" I acknowledged.
"We will submit it first, let an editor check it, then give them a condition that if we gain popularity towards the doujinshi original category, we will present the full series version and ask them to get serialized. They can't disagree with that, I have confidence in this story!" I started my plan.
"Yes, I have confidence in this story." Yasu agrees.
"Yes, same. I love the story!" Fumi said the same.
With that, we decided to step it up and aim higher, I trust my members and I believe in their skills. We can make it happen. Become a professional mangaka!