Chapter 149

As a native of osaka, Reina had been a loyal fan of Mizushiro ever since Rurouni Kenshin: Remembrance.

She'd followed his journey from an underrated mangaka to someone gradually gaining recognition in the manga world.

Even now, with Mizushiro's reputation steadily rising, there were still critics who doubted him. But not Reina. Her support had never wavered.

Now that she was working full time, she didn't really keep up with the kind of stories most women her age seemed to enjoy. Sure, she thought Natsume's Book of Friends were beautifully drawn, but it wasn't that blend of action and emotion in works like Remembrance that resonated with her most.

As for Initial D, she didn't know much about it yet. But judging from the poster, it clearly wasn't a sweet romance aimed at young girls.

It's not that Mizushiro's characters weren't attractive he just never glamorized them. Whether in action heavy series like Remembrance, or more emotional works like Anohana and The Garden of Words, his tone was always grounded and emotionally sharp. But this? This felt unmistakably shounen intense, fast, and raw.

Like past launches, the new issue of Shroud Line included a double length debut chapter. With four new serializations launching at once, the volume was noticeably thicker than usual.

Reina flipped through eagerly, looking for Initial D. Thankfully, the editorial team had placed it right next to Natsume's Book of Friends a clever move. Fans of one might stumble onto the other without needing to search.

The title of the first chapter stood out boldly: The Lonely Driver.

"Drift" a word with many meanings, but for anyone familiar with street racing, it said enough.

The moment the AE86 with Fujiwara Tofu Shop printed on the side appeared, Reina immediately understood what kind of story this would be.

It opened on a quiet mountain road late at night. Few cars passed, and then

An AE86 slid into view.

Reina had already looked up the AE86 online after fans began speculating about Mizushiro's new work. But seeing it in motion even through manga panels was something else. When the car drifted around the curve, she couldn't help whispering to herself:

"So cool..."

The next few panels showed the AE86 from multiple angles, with motion blur and dynamic paneling to convey speed. Even though the page was still, the momentum was palpable.

"It's just like before..." muttered a middle aged man as the AE86 passed him, clipping his side mirror.

Reina didn't yet know who he was, but she'd soon learn: Yuichi Tachibana, an old friend of Fujiwara Bunta and the owner of the gas station where Takumi worked part-time.

Yuichi had assumed it was Bunta behind the wheel and couldn't help but be impressed.

From there, the narrative shifted to the daily life of high schooler Takumi and his friend Itsuki Takeuchi. Takeuchi, obsessed with cars, was saving up through part-time jobs, hoping to buy an AE86 and race with Takumi as the fastest duo on Mount Akina.

But Takumi? He couldn't care less.

The pacing slowed as the story introduced the cast: Takumi, the quiet and aloof protagonist; Natsuki Mogi, a girl with the potential to be a romantic interest; Iketani, a senior at the gas station and racer; and the other members of the Akina Speedstars team.

At first, it all felt a little uneventful. Then came the invitation from Iketani he wanted Takumi and Takeuchi to watch a street race between local drivers and a visiting team: the Red Suns from Akagi.

Keisuke Takahashi, the Red Suns' No. 2 driver, challenged the locals, and Iketani, brimming with confidence, accepted on behalf of the Speedstars. A casual match first, then an official race set for the weekend.

By this point, the genre was clear this was a racing manga. And a promising one.

While hot-blooded action stories weren't uncommon in manga, ones focused solely on street racing were rare. Few had ever made it big. Mizushiro might be the only high-profile mangaka daring enough to take this genre seriously.

Whether this was a passion project he'd planned for years or a rush job after Ashes of Tomorrow ended wasn't clear. But everything would hinge on how well he could deliver the races.

One match. That's all it would take to prove whether Mizushiro could handle the tension, pacing, and atmosphere needed.

And yet... as the race began, Reina felt underwhelmed.

Iketani had talked a big game about the Speedstars' strength but they were completely outclassed by the Red Suns.

That's it?

Reina blinked. She had expected Iketani to put up a fight, or maybe for Takumi to be inspired, to start training seriously maybe even under Iketani or his father, the legendary driver Bunta Fujiwara.

But so far? Takumi had just watched silently, his expression unreadable, seemingly uninterested in speed, racing, or even driving. He didn't even own a car and had only recently gotten his license. Takeuchi was pure comic relief, and Iketani at least had a bit of a character arc through his defeat.

But the protagonist? Practically a background character.

Was he really the lead? Reina wondered. Or was it actually his father?

As the chapter neared its end, that was all readers got. If nothing changed soon, Reina knew she'd walk away disappointed.

She frowned, turned the page, and kept reading still hoping for a twist.

Shout out to Anthony Lofters, Spare, Eswar Bandla, shadow 76 for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me.

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