"I just wanted to say..." Shizuru paused, taking a breath. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"I want to thank you for choosing me to work with you, out of all the talented artists in Japan," she said. "The last month of serialization has felt like a dream. Even in my wildest fantasies, I never imagined I'd be working on a manga that could actually threaten the legend of The Forbidden Gate."
Shizuru wasn't a sentimental person, but working with Haruto had given her everything: fame, prestige, and a thriving career. While a simple thank you might not have a price tag, it was a sincere expression of gratitude that she didn't offer to just anyone.
"You don't need to thank me for that. You should thank your past self for all those years you spent practicing," Haruto replied with a grin. "If you hadn't put in the effort to master your craft, this partnership would never have happened in the first place, right?"
Shizuru knew he was being humble and protective of her pride.
She didn't push the point further. Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small charm, a pendant in the shape of a longsword.
"This is for you."
Haruto looked at the pendant. It was an exact replica of the sword he was carrying for his cosplay today.
"Is this...?"
"I bought it at the convention right after our stage event ended," Shizuru said, her eyes warm. "I bought two, so I wanted you to have one."
Haruto hesitated for a second. If Shizuru were a guy, he would have accepted it without a second thought. But receiving a gift from a girl even a small pendant carried a different weight.
"I'm giving this to you as a friend and a partner. Don't overthink it," Shizuru laughed. "Consider it a thank you for choosing me as your collaborator and letting me experience what it's like to be a top-tier mangaka. My childhood dreams have basically all come true this month."
Haruto felt a wave of relief and accepted the gift. Spending so much time immersed in anime, novels, and manga had made him hyper-sensitive to romantic subplots, and he found it hard not to read into things when a girl gave him a present out of the blue.
"Alright then. I'm actually planning to buy a car next month. When it arrives, I'll hang this inside as a lucky charm."
"Wait, really? I'm giving you a standard sword pendant and you're going to use it to guard your car?"
"Don't you know the lore of the game we're promoting? The protagonist is an exorcist. This sword is meant to slay demons and ward off evil. It's perfect," Haruto joked. "Since you're such a huge fan of Puella Magi Madoka Magica... I'll make sure to get you a return gift in a few days."
"A return gift? And wait, why are you suddenly bringing up Madoka?"
It was currently early August. In late August, the Madoka Magica Rebellion movie home video release was scheduled to hit the shelves. Since Haruto mentioned the series...
"Wait... Haruto, do you actually have a way to get in touch with the Warrior of Love?"
"You could say that," Haruto said, his expression turning quite complicated.
"No way! Are you serious?" Shizuru practically lunged across the table.
"I'm serious."
"Then... then could you please, please get me his autograph?" Shizuru's eyes were practically shimmering with excitement.
"Whoa, easy there. Why that face?" Haruto blinked. "Do you really respect the Warrior of Love that much?"
"Of course I do! Before this year, my favorite magical girl anime was Magical Girl Hazuki. After this year, it's Madoka Magica. No contest," Shizuru said, her voice rising in volume.
"I've been a die-hard fan of the magical girl genre for over a decade. Why are you looking at me like that? Is the author the type who doesn't like giving autographs?" Seeing Haruto lost in thought, she assumed she had asked for too much.
"An autograph? No, that's not a problem at all," Haruto laughed. "Actually, that's exactly what I was thinking of. In a few days, when the movie version is released, I can get you a signed Blu-ray from the Warrior of Love himself."
"Are you for real?"
"Totally."
"So... you really, truly know him?" Shizuru asked one more time.
To the otaku world, the Warrior of Love was a total enigma.
No one knew his identity. It was only natural for her to be skeptical when Haruto claimed to be on speaking terms with the man.
"I know him."
"Are you guys close?"
"I'd like to think so."
"So... what's he like? Is he handsome? Is he a kind, gentle person?" Shizuru asked, her curiosity now in overdrive.
"Oh, that much is beyond a doubt," Haruto replied.
This time, there wasn't a shred of hesitation in his voice. He wasn't the least bit embarrassed to say it.
Shizuru's eyes shone with even more intensity. Once she started on the topic of the Warrior of Love, there was no stopping her. She didn't doubt Haruto's words for a second; after all, it made perfect sense for a genius in the manga and novel world to be close friends with a legendary anime scriptwriter. They were like-minded souls.
Their short break didn't last long. Soon, their agent found them to signal that the afternoon's promotional activities were about to begin.