Chapter 148(2 in 1)

With the Tokyo manga scene buzzing over the upcoming serialization of Initial D, Haruki had been uncharacteristically disciplined. No skipping class, no showing up late he was almost behaving like a model student.

Echo Shroud Publishing was clearly banking hard on Initial D. Promotional posters had even popped up around Haruki's school. But despite the growing buzz, no one in his class had connected the dots. only misaki knew the truth had kept it to herself. That alone was a relief.

She was proving to be more reliable than he expected.

Since their last conversation, misaki hadn't approached him again. So when Haruki slid into his usual back-corner window seat one morning, he was surprised to see her casually sit down beside him.

"What's up?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral.

"This," she said, holding out her phone. On the screen was a digital poster for Initial D. "This is the one you're serializing, right?"

Haruki blinked. "…Yeah."

"You follow my work?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"Of course. Kind of hard not to when there's a manga artist in class." She gave a small smile. "I actually really liked Natsume. It made me cry a few times. But Rurouni Kenshin ? Way too intense. I couldn't even finish it."

"You're a fan…?"

"A fan of your work. Not of you," she shot back. "Don't get full of yourself. You think you're some big shot?"

"Is there really a difference?"

"There definitely is. It's like liking a dish at a restaurant versus liking the chef. Totally different."

…Fair enough.

A short silence fell between them before misaki clapped her hands once. "Anyway. Down to business."

"You said you were planning to get your driver's license, right?"

"Yeah…" Haruki nodded, unsure where this was headed.

"Have a school in mind yet?"

"Not really. Someone suggested one, but I haven't decided."

"In that case, consider this." She handed him a business card.

Haruki glanced at it.

Tsuyoshi Driving School – VIP Course

Instructor: Takahara Tsuyoshi

He looked up, puzzled. "What's this about?"

Why were people suddenly so invested in his driving school plans? First Haruka, now misaki and both recommending the same instructor?

"He's a friend of a friend," she said casually. "I'm just helping out. Don't overthink it. Coach Takahara's solid. Efficient, discreet."

Haruki studied her for a moment. Something felt... off. But he couldn't quite place it.

Still, with both Haruka and misaki pointing him to the same school, maybe it was the most convenient choice.

And if the fees were steep? He could earn it back with one extra manuscript draft.

"Alright," he said. "I'll go with Coach Takahara."

"Perfect." misaki nodded, satisfied, and returned to her seat without another word.

What Haruki didn't know was that she barely sat down before firing off a message on Line to her cousin, Ryuko.

misaki:

Got the info! He's going with Coach Takahara at Tsuyoshi. You owe me that big dinner, remember? 😏

Originally, she had planned to play it slow, maybe tease the info out of Haruki over time. But once she found out he was juggling two serializations, she realized she had to move fast. If he got too busy and dropped his driving plans, Ryuko's setup would fall apart and misaki would miss her reward.

So, she improvised.

What she didn't know was that Ryuko had told her to handle this discreetly. And subtlety… wasn't exactly misaki's strength.

Ryuko:

You're sure?

misaki:

Totally. But hey what are you even trying to get out of Haruki? You just want to get close to him, right? Then what's the point of asking all this stuff?

Ryuko:

Ugh, no way. If I bugged him every day, he'd just get annoyed. But since he's going to driving school... perfect timing. I'll sign up too. Send me Coach Takahara's contact!

misaki:

…You want to sign up too?

misaki stared at her screen. Something about this whole situation felt increasingly strange.

Was she overthinking it? No way Ryuko cool, poised, effortlessly composed was interested in someone like Haruki… right?

Sure, his manga were good, but him? The guy was practically a walking cardboard cutout. No charm, no jokes. What could she possibly see in him?

Ryuko sighed and flopped back onto her dorm bed.

a faint smile tugged at her lips as she reread the messages.

She wasn't the type to grin for no reason, so her roommates noticed immediately.

"Ryuko, what are you smiling about? Did you land a new voice acting role or something?" one of them asked.

"If you've got a connection, hook us up too!" another chimed in.

Ryuko, still tapping at her phone, gave a small laugh. "Nothing like that. I'm still a rookie."

"Then what's with the smile?"

She set her phone down and leaned back.

"I just might be seeing someone interesting more often soon. That's all."

She said it with her usual calm, unreadable tone—but it was enough to set her roommates whispering behind her.

And maybe… that was exactly what she wanted.

---

"You called him interesting?" one of Ryuko's roommates blurted. "That's a first. You usually act like every guy on campus is made of cardboard!"

"Yeah, wait a sec," another chimed in, narrowing her eyes. "You've shut down every guy who's tried anything for two years straight. Not a single compliment. But now you're going out of your way to say this guy's interesting?"

All three girls turned toward her, curiosity sharpening.

Ryuko felt cornered.

"What are you even talking about?" she said, trying to keep her tone steady. "He just helped me out when I needed it. Maybe I don't mean anything to him, but to me, that meant something. Of course I'd consider him a friend. Is it that weird to be happy to see a friend again? Seriously, you guys need to get your minds out of the gutter."

But the more she tried to explain, the more entertained her roommates looked.

Because if nothing was going on, why was she explaining so much?

"Is he good-looking?" one of them asked, eyes glinting.

Ryuko hesitated. "I wouldn't say that exactly… but he's not bad."

The room erupted.

"A guy confirmed!"

"And one Ryuko personally calls a 'good friend.' How rare~"

"Oh yeah. Friend. Totally believable."

All three of them grinned like cats that had cornered a mouse, clearly enjoying themselves far too much.

Dorm life was like this. Whether the guess was right or not didn't matter—once someone reacted, it was open season.

Ryuko realized too late that she'd walked right into their trap. Her smile froze.

No point in arguing. Saying anything else would only make it worse.

Over the next few days, with misaki's help, Haruki managed to register at the driving school and attend a brief orientation. The instructor told him to study for the written theory exam on his own.

To be honest, it wasn't quite what Haruki had imagined.

Now, between drafting storyboards for Initial D and polishing pages for Natsume, he added a new daily task: reviewing traffic laws and memorizing test questions.

Most people in his position wouldn't bother with driving lessons during such a hectic period. But Haruki was different. He wasn't just drawing a manga he wanted to understand the world he was depicting.

Even with the manga system giving him the entire story, Haruki believed it wasn't enough to just replicate the work. If Initial D took off and fans or interviewers started asking technical questions, it'd be embarrassing if he couldn't answer any of them.

Once Initial D was approved for serialization, Echo Shroud Publishing scheduled it for the next issue of Shroud Line, just over two weeks away.

Because the timeline was tight, early promotion was kept low-key. But as launch week approached, the marketing team kicked into high gear.

The latest Shroud Line issue featured a splash page previewing upcoming serials. At the center was Takumi Fujiwara, Initial D's protagonist, front and center.

Echo Shroud rolled out TV spots, online banners, and eye-catching ads across major platforms. Buzz spread quickly. Mizushiro's fans were already excited, but even readers who hadn't followed Natsume were starting to pay attention.

Some longtime readers who had only stuck with Shroud Line for Ashes of Tomorrow considered skipping the next issue—but out of habit or collector's instinct, many decided to stay. For them, Initial D became the most intriguing new prospect.

That's exactly why serialization meetings at Shroud Line were so competitive.

And from the way Echo Shroud handled promotions, it was clear which series they were betting on.

Initial D received top billing. Xtreme Boys, a new series from veteran mangaka Rindou, was promoted just behind it. The other two newcomers didn't even have their characters featured in the spread.

Industry insiders took note. If even Xtreme Boys, backed by a seasoned creator, was being overshadowed, then what made Initial D so special?

Rindou had a long-standing reputation. Mizushiro, despite his breakout success this year, was still new. Objectively, Rindou carried more weight.

But Echo Shroud had made their choice. They pushed all their chips behind Initial D.

That alone was enough to stir curiosity across the manga industry.

Of course, not everyone was excited. Some, like the creator from the Kiyosu region, barely hid their skepticism, quietly hoping the series would crash and burn. Others, like Kiyoshi, paid closer attention. He often downplayed Mizushiro's work in public but privately, he knew better. The momentum behind Mizushiro was real.

At Haruki's age, Kiyoshi had been nowhere near as accomplished.

From the outside, Echo Shroud's strategy seemed obvious.

Were they just filling the void left by Ashes of Tomorrow, or did they genuinely believe Mizushiro could be the next industry giant someone on par with Jin Takami?

Speculation ran rampant.

Then, the new issue of Shroud Line finally hit shelves.

Thanks to Echo Shroud's marketing blitz, anticipation was sky-high. No one knew exactly what to expect but that only fueled the excitement.

Even with Ashes of Tomorrow concluded, sales didn't drop at all.

This was Mizushiro's new work. A fresh series, timed for a major release window. Manga fans both die-hard and casual couldn't resist the hype.

Bookstores across the country saw stacks of Shroud Line vanish fast.

And finally, after two weeks of anticipation—

The world got its first look at Initial D.

[TL:-Tried a different style in these chapters kept the main story but rewrote most of it to remove the Chinese elements. It's my first time writing like this, so how did it come across? Let me know in the comments!]

(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 50+ advanced chapters)