"Starting next Monday, October 9th, Inuyasha will officially begin serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump…"
Reading that text message felt like a final seal of approval—Inuyasha was now fully greenlit.
The long delay must've been due to editorial discussions over the best direction for the series. While the debut chapter had already dazzled them, it was Lin Yu's consistent follow-up content that truly began to showcase the brilliance of this once-phenomenal series from his previous life.
A fresh premise. Compelling characters. A gripping plot.
Everything combined to form a knockout blow that secured him a spot—an impossible peak for most rookie manga artists—in the pages of the legendary Weekly Shōnen Jump!
All his hard work had finally borne fruit. Without a doubt, this was the best news Lin Yu had received since arriving in this world.
"It's Friday today. Just two more days and your manga will be on store shelves!" Nanako said with a glowing smile. She was genuinely happy—not just for Lin Yu, but for herself as well.
As his assigned editor, her success was tied to his. If Lin Yu thrived, so did she.
"I'll head to the editorial office tomorrow and grab an advance copy. Excited?" she asked with a wink.
"After all this effort? Of course I am. Thanks for going out of your way."
"Oh, it's nothing—just part of the job," Nanako replied. "But now that you've got a buffer of finished drafts, you really need to rest properly…"
Nanako's expression turned serious. Over the past few weeks, she had seen firsthand just how tirelessly Lin Yu worked. If she didn't stop him now, she feared he'd burn out—or worse.
In Japan, the land of endless overtime, death from overwork wasn't uncommon. She didn't want to see a rising star, her friend, burn out like a shooting star that flares bright and vanishes too soon.
Lin Yu nodded, understanding her concern. He wanted to rest. Really. But that stubborn "7" on his system panel—the number representing his physical condition—hadn't budged no matter how hard he worked.
Still, once Inuyasha gained traction and he racked up enough reputation points, he could finally level up his skills—drawing speed, precision, everything. Then producing manga wouldn't be such a grind. He could knock out pages in one go, no problem. Maybe one day, he could even match legends like Osamu Tezuka and draw fifty pages in a single day.
...Well, okay, that dream was still far off. But he was getting there, step by step.
The good news lifted both their spirits. Even working their shifts at the sushi shop felt easier.
When Kanda Torinobu heard the news, she clapped him on the back and laughed heartily.
"Lin-kun! When your manga drops, I'm definitely buying a copy! We'll throw you a proper celebration!"
Her slap on the shoulder made Lin Yu wince, but the warmth behind her words made him smile.
"Sure! I'll treat you guys to dinner then…"
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
As the publication date drew near, Lin Yu felt excited but steady. Surprisingly, it was Nanako who seemed more nervous. She had flipped through the advance copy from the editorial department so many times in the last two days, she'd probably memorized every page.
Inuyasha's future now depended on how well this first issue performed.
Lin Yu couldn't help chuckling at her behavior. He was the author, yet she was more anxious than him! Their roles felt completely reversed.
Monday.
The day Inuyasha was set to debut.
Oddly enough, Lin Yu didn't see Nanako during his morning jog. She was usually the earliest to arrive at the sushi shop, often already cleaning up by the time he got there. But today—no sign of her.
"Torinobu, have you seen Nanako?" he asked, puzzled.
Torinobu shook her head. "Nope. She didn't say anything to me either."
It wasn't until nearly noon, just before they were about to open for lunch, that Nanako finally showed up—out of breath and clearly in a rush.
"Nanako, where've you been? You're cutting it close," Torinobu asked, handing her a cup of water.
Nanako took a quick sip, caught her breath, then pulled out a brightly colored magazine from her little shoulder bag and waved it with a triumphant smile.
"Today's Lin-kun's manga debut! I had to get my hands on a first-print issue!"
Beaming, she handed the Weekly Shōnen Jump to Lin Yu.
"This one's not an editorial sample—it's the real deal. Congratulations, Lin-kun. Your manga's officially live!"
"Consider it a keepsake for your first ever serialization."
Lin Yu accepted the magazine, his eyes catching the bold Inuyasha title on the cover. Paired with Nanako's blooming smile, the moment felt oddly surreal.
Even though the Jump editorial HQ in Tokyo was only an hour away from Kasukabe, the round trip took time. And yet, Nanako had gone all the way there just to bring him this first-edition copy before it hit the shelves.
The gesture wasn't flashy, but it hit him right in the heart.
"Not going to read it?" she teased, tilting her head.
"Of course I'll read it. But I'll also treasure this."
From the moment Inuyasha was published and hit store shelves, Lin Yu's world began to change.
All day long, he could hear the soft chime of his system—notification after notification announcing a surge in reputation points.
What might've been annoying in any other context now sounded like a symphony.
Weekly Shōnen Jump—no wonder it was every manga artist's dream. Its massive reach ensured that Inuyasha drew immediate attention the moment it launched.