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"Essentially, the editorial department has finalized the decision. The publishing house will be officially submitting Parasyte for the Naoki Awards. Because of this, you will likely need to cooperate with us over the next few weeks for promotional photo shoots, posters, and perhaps a few video interviews for the press."
Ms. Hime rarely disturbed him unless it was absolutely necessary. He had proven himself to be an exceptionally reliable author, never once missing a deadline since Parasyte began its serialization.
However, now that the fourteenth chapter had come within a few thousand votes of taking the second-place spot in the Azure Kiyozawa magazine, the company had to act.
They had formally submitted the nomination paperwork three days prior.
"The Naoki Awards, huh?" Haruto nodded as the news sank in. Having spent two years navigating the professional writing world, he was well aware of what that meant. It was effectively the "Best Novel of the Year" award. The prospect of his work being in the running sharpened his focus. "What does the actual judging process look like for a prize like this?"
"The process?" Hime paused, her face tightening slightly as she organized her thoughts to give him a clear explanation.
"Basically, any new novel serialized within the current year that manages average sales of over one million copies per volume is eligible for nomination. The final rankings are decided by a committee."
"They take a comprehensive look at the work's popularity, plot integrity, artistic quality, and overall reader sentiment."
"So, it is not like the Ascent of New Gods where everything is determined purely by raw reader votes?" Haruto asked.
"Certainly not. Although, a work's popularity in the market naturally carries a massive amount of weight in the committee's final deliberations. Regarding Parasyte, I think we should focus on the merit of being nominated and participating." Hime looked at him with an honest expression.
"After all, the three new works launched in the flagship Kiyozawa magazine last year have all been nominated. Hoshizora and Seisawa have another seven works in the running between them. If our novel can break into the top fifteen, that would be a fantastic result."
"Top fifteen?" Haruto fell silent for a moment.
Japan was a massive market with a flourishing light novel industry, and the creative strength of the local talent was formidable. While Parasyte was a masterpiece in its own right, it would be arrogant to assume it could simply steamroll over the combined efforts of the country's best writers. Furthermore, Parasyte was the kind of story that required time for its reputation to ferment. The longer it sat with a reader, the better it became, which was a natural disadvantage in a year-end awards cycle.
Even so, Haruto felt that despite the platform not being a top-tier flagship magazine, the quality of the story deserved a spot in the top ten, or perhaps even the top five.
"There is still some time before the final selection in April. By then, Parasyte will be nearing its conclusion. If the quality of the latter half remains as high as it has been so far, it is not impossible for us to climb a few more spots," Hime said, seemingly sensing his ambition.
"Do not feel that the top fifteen is somehow a disappointment. You know Aika, right? She was the runner-up for the Ascent of New Gods last year. In the three years before that, she had three different novels nominated for the Naoki Awards. Her results were seventy-second, sixty-fourth, and thirty-second."
"The light novel world is full of incredible talent. In the last twenty years alone, there have been ten geniuses who, like you, took first place in the Ascent of New Gods. On top of that, many authors are late bloomers who only found their stride and fame in middle age, and they are all still active in the industry."
She continued, "With all those people working at their peak, the sheer volume of excellent work that Japan can produce in a single year is staggering. In such a fiercely competitive industry, for a new novel to be considered a lock for the top fifteen before the judging has even begun is truly a remarkable achievement."
"I suppose you are right," Haruto admitted, nodding as he considered her words.
It was similar to the industry in his previous world.
Being in the top ten or twenty of the year was a mark of a massive hit. While such works might not reach the legendary "monster" status of series that ran for decades, they were at least significant enough to lead the industry trends for a time.
However, the part of Parasyte that truly elevated the story into something transcendent was still waiting in the second half.
"I have absolute confidence in the upcoming chapters. We will just have to see how much of an impact this work can make on the industry before it finishes its run," Haruto said with a smile.
The greater the impact Parasyte made by its finale, the better its chances would be for the Naoki Awards.
"I certainly hope so," Hime replied, a small smile playing on her lips.
---
The first semester of Haruto's university life came to an end.
The break started.
Reina headed home to spend the holidays with her family. Yukino and Haruto spent the days hoistered up inside the Animation studio. They, along with a few employees worked themselves to the bone to polish the finer details of the Madoka Magica animation.
Under the efficiency of the animation industry, a standard project could go from its initial proposal to the broadcast of the first episode in as little as three months. The subsequent episodes could then be finished while the series was already airing. However, Haruto's standards for Madoka Magica were exceptionally high, so he had allocated a relatively long production cycle for the project.
"By the way, has the broadcast schedule for Madoka been finalized yet?" Haruto asked Yukino while they were in the office. Within the company, Haruto handled the communication with the production team regarding creative details, while Yukino managed the external affairs.
"Yes. We have a preliminary cooperation agreement with Tokyo TV's Channel 1. It is set to air every Thursday at 9:00 PM starting April 3rd. It really cost forty million yen just to secure that slot," Yukino said, a look of genuine pain crossing her face. "Those television stations are absolute vultures."
Thursday wasn't exactly a prime-time slot, and 9:00 PM was hardly ideal either, yet it still commanded a price tag of forty million yen.
"Don't let it get to you. It is Tokyo TV's flagship channel, after all. It has a slightly better reach than Channel 2. Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for," Haruto comforted her.
Of course, while he said that, his own heart was aching.
The production budget for the entire show was three hundred million yen, but the broadcasting fee alone was forty million.
"The three of us have basically bet our entire life savings on this one show," Yukino said, taking a deep breath. "If anything goes wrong with the broadcast, we are going to be penniless overnight. We won't even be able to afford a meal."
"Haha, you don't need to worry about that. At the very least, I am still getting substantial royalties every month from Kiyozawa Library. If this anime really does bankrupt the two of you, you can just come live at my place. I will take care of your food, clothes, and housing," Haruto joked.
"That makes it sound like we are being kept as mistresses..." Yukino teased with a smirk.
Haruto's expression stiffened as he laughed awkwardly. He realized his wording had been a bit inappropriate.
"Speaking of which, you are rich, talented, and famous. Yet a whole semester has passed and you are still single. Is there really not a single girl at the prestigious Minazuki University that interests you?" Yukino asked, shifting the topic.
"Well, I have made some new female friends..." Haruto thought of Shizuru, the senior student he had met after entering university.
Come to think of it, the manga she was working on with a girl from the Light Novel Club should have started its run by now. He made a mental note to buy a copy and vote for her.
"But as for a romantic relationship, I haven't found anyone who gives me that kind of feeling yet."
"That is a dangerous mindset, Haruto. Being in a place like Minazuki University, which is crawling with beautiful girls, and still feeling that way? Maybe girls aren't actually what you are into!"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Maybe you should try hanging out with some guys and see if that sparks anything," Yukino said, struggling to keep a straight face.
"What about you then? You have been out of university for three or four years and you are still single. Does that mean you like girls too?" Haruto was never one to take a hit without swinging back.
Yukino's expression immediately became dangerous.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Haruto realized he had stepped on a landmine and quickly shut his mouth.
With Haruto having more free time during the winter break, the two of them were often at the office, and this kind of bickering had become a daily routine. As time passed, the production of Madoka Magica moved into full swing after the preliminary preparations were completed, progressing at a rapid pace.
While managing the serialization of the novel and the scripts for the anime, Haruto was also busy reconstructing the classic musical tracks of Madoka Magica from his previous world.
The time he had spent learning from Shizuru during club activities proved to be incredibly useful. Though the progress was slow, Haruto was now capable of using staff notation and instruments to recreate the melodies on his own.
Meanwhile, the popularity of the Parasyte light novel continued its steady climb. By the fifteenth chapter, its ranking in the magazine officially hit second place.
By the sixteenth chapter, the gap between it and the top-ranked Azure Sigil had narrowed to a mere twenty thousand votes. Haruto's fanbase had become fiercely united, actively campaigning and drumming up votes for the work across various forums, websites, and fan groups.