Starting as a Manga Editor

Chapter 188: Taking Off

Rumi always believed she understood her mother.

Strong-willed, stubborn, and self-centered.

Shedding tears was out of the question - even showing the slightest vulnerability in front of others would be akin to death for her.

Yes, these "others" included Rumi, her own daughter.

She would never allow herself to appear weak in any way.

But now.

She was leaning against her daughter, quietly sobbing.

For the first time, Rumi noticed how thin and fragile her mother was.

As if a gentle breeze could knock her over.

Holding her mother, Rumi gently patted her frail back, feeling a complex mix of emotions.It was strange.

And heartbreaking.

But mostly, she was curious - what could have caused this?

Time passed slowly.

Eventually, Guan Fang seemed to regain her composure. She lightly pushed her daughter away and straightened up, returning to her usual stern demeanor.

Though her eyes remained red.

"I'm fine now."

Guan Fang's voice was still hoarse.

She cleared her throat, suppressing the remaining tremble in her voice.

Rumi looked at her mother cautiously. "So... what happened?"

"Nothing."

Guan Fang's expression was odd. "Just remembered some things. You can go now."

"But—"

"Go. I have work to do."

Guan Fang tried to regain her usual authoritative tone, but something made her voice soften.

Yet it still carried that unmistakable finality.

She didn't want her daughter seeing her like this.

The earlier moment had been unavoidable, unconscious.

Now she chose not to.

Rumi, sensing this, slowly stood up. "I'll call you for dinner later then."

Guan Fang didn't respond, staring blankly at the computer screen.

Rumi glanced at the screen too, memorizing the comic's title before turning to leave.

Just as she reached the door—

"Tell Avalon they can handle the promotion themselves. I won't interfere," Guan Fang suddenly said.

"Huh?"

Rumi was shocked by her mother's quick surrender.

She'd expected more resistance, more excuses to delay.

Not this straightforward agreement.

"What exactly happened to you?"

The question slipped out before Rumi could stop herself.

Guan Fang, back still turned, remained silent for a long moment before replying quietly:

"Nothing. Just that... while that third-rate artist can't compare to you, and many of her plots are messy... at least she understands reader emotions. At least she's familiar with different genres. At least her ideas aren't bad. Maybe... just maybe... she won't ruin Chainsaw Man in the short term."

"......"

Rumi's beautiful eyes widened.

What was she hearing?

Her mother... praising another manga artist?

The tone was awkward, filled with qualifiers.

But this was unprecedented.

What had her mother read to have such an epiphany?

Rumi burned with curiosity.

But she didn't press further, simply acknowledging before discreetly leaving.

She headed straight to her studio and searched for the comic title she'd seen.

It had been on ANF's manga platform.

Typing 'The Long Goodbye' into ANF's search bar—

The results appeared quickly.

Rumi froze when she saw the author name and upload time.

Huh?

Tang Yao?

Uploaded this morning?

Wasn't she supposed to be working on Chainsaw Man???

With a strange expression, Rumi clicked 'Read Now'.

Meanwhile—

Hearing the door close, Guan Fang finally relaxed her stiff posture.

She sniffled, scrolling back up the comic to read it again.

Truthfully,

The story had no dramatic climaxes.

Especially compared to the masterpiece that was Chainsaw Man, it seemed almost bland.

In text form, it might read like dry narration - no eye-catching developments or clever twists.

Even the female protagonist's death was heavily foreshadowed.

Yet despite this,

She could feel the profound weight of mortality and forgetting - how deep emotions carried by fragile lives ultimately lose to time despite reluctance.

The entire comic told a moving family story with this emotional tone, showing characters making different choices during their limited remaining time.

Some found peace, others sorrow, but all cherished their final moments in their own ways.

The story radiated familial love, its perfect ending leaving a warm aftertaste.

The protagonist Riko could be anyone before the screen.

Life builds from different phases -

One after another, people come and go. We leave our parents, embrace new lives, grow accustomed to new families. Strangers become most important.

And slowly,

We face more goodbyes and losses.

In reality without 'afterimages', how many chances to cherish loved ones do we miss? How many unspoken words and belated affections?

Guan Fang couldn't bear to think.

She couldn't understand why this simple story packed such a punch.

Maybe because...

That third-rate artist... wasn't completely terrible.

At the same time—

Being a short story,

Rumi finished The Long Goodbye quickly too.

Reaching the last page, she released her mouse, staring blankly before realizing her chest felt tight.

Honestly,

Seeing the opening and adjusted art style,

She'd immediately recalled Tang Yao's debut work The Human Balloons, fearing another bizarre tale.

But having finished it,

She realized how wrong she'd been.

Beneath the supernatural surface lay... a heartwarming story.

And executed so well.

Now she understood why her mother had cried.

Tang Yao...

This person...

Could handle any genre.

Rumi fell silent, staring at Tang Yao's profile picture.

......

Unlike the Guan mother-daughter pair,

Most readers hadn't noticed 'Third-rate Teacher's' new short story yet.

Currently,

The majority were still reeling from Chainsaw Man's latest explosive chapters.

Makima's resurrection and overwhelming presence, the sudden plot twists—

It was simply too shocking.

ANF's manga section overflowed with discussions:

"Holy shit holy shit holy shit! I thought she was really dead before New Year's! This twist is insane! Remote detonation?! What demon did Makima contract with?!"

"This is amazing! Makima's so cool! Next chapter now!"

"Something feels really off about Makima... but damn, the art's incredible!"

"Agreed about Makima being suspicious! But the story keeps getting better! Update faster!"

"Third-rate Teacher! I'm sorry!!! I thought you were messing up during New Year's!!! You planned this all along! What's Makima's deal? Update now!"

"......Did you guys read Third-rate Teacher's short story 'The Long Goodbye'?"

Amidst the Chainsaw Man hype, this odd comment appeared.

Many readers saw it but were confused.

Short story? What short story?

Among them was Su Deqiang.

Puzzled, he searched ANF's manga section...

Meanwhile—

At Season Technology:

"ANF still hasn't made any moves."

Ji Fuliang looked at his staff. "No FGO collaboration card pool promotion?"

"None."

The employee shook his head. "They seem focused on manga."

Ji Fuliang's expression remained neutral, but internally he rejoiced.

This reaction...

Could his guess be right?

Was their collaboration just a reskin of old card pools?

Then his plan to ride their coattails was perfect!

His game... was about to take off!!!