After the weekly vote count for Rurouni Kenshin came in, even Kurokawa Publishing—and honestly, the entire manga industry in Osaka—didn't know how to categorize this work anymore.
Although the news that Mizushiro was actually a teenage boy hadn't completely gone public yet, insiders across the industry had already caught wind of it.
A debut creator. A high school student. A genius. Those were the phrases people were starting to throw around when talking about Mizushiro—real name Haruki Yuuki—someone considered by many to be the most promising talent Osaka had seen in decades.
And once again, he was proving them right.
Over 60,000 votes. Not only did that break all previous popularity records at Kurokawa, it also marked a new high across the entire Osaka manga scene.
People were starting to refer to Mizushiro as "Osaka's No.1 Mangaka"—half in jest, but half with real awe.
That weekend, the whole Osaka was caught up in the joy of New Year's Eve, especially since it fell on a Sunday this year.
Compared to the liveliness of Saturday, Sunday in Osaka felt a bit quiet and empty.
Most people stayed indoors, spending the holiday with family.
Even though Haruki was alone, he still made himself a full New Year's Eve dinner. After offering incense at his family altar in memory of his parents, he sat down, feeling a quiet kind of peace.
Messages came flooding in on Line—well wishes from Kotone and Sora, greetings from Kurokawa, and even some New Year messages from other mangaka he'd met at the company's year-end party.
It felt... almost like he was really part of adult society now.
Though he was technically still a high school student, it was clear that his work as a mangaka had started to shape his life far more than school ever did.
Over at Kotone's place, she watched TV with her grandmother after dinner, flipping through channels until they landed on the New Year variety show.
She felt it had been getting more boring every year—and to be honest, she would've rather been working on Haruki's manuscript—but she still smiled and chatted with her grandmother all evening, keeping her company.
Sora's holiday looked very different.
She wasn't alone like Haruki, or with just one relative like Kotone. She was back in her hometown—more than 100 kilometers from Osaka—for the full family gathering.
Parents, uncles, aunts, cousins, nieces, nephews, even grandnieces and nephews... nearly forty people crowded around multiple tables, all centered around her grandfather.
"Sora, back again for the New Year, huh?" her grandfather started.
"And where's your boyfriend this time?" he asked with a grin.
"Didn't you say last year you'd bring him home? Still no sign of him..."
"It's not like we haven't tried," one of the uncles chimed in. "Remember that guy from the Amami family? Good family, great career. Ever since he saw your photo, he's been smitten. But you refused to even meet him!"
"I say, now that you're here for the holidays, why not meet him the day after tomorrow?" someone suggested. "If it goes well, you wouldn't need to go back to Osaka and deal with all those manga and kids."
And just like that, the mood changed.
Sora's smile vanished. Her shoulders tensed.
Every year. Every. Single. Year.
Could they just give it a rest?
As the clock struck midnight, a new day — and a new year — quietly arrived. Everyone had their own thoughts, their own feelings. For most, it was a night of reflection or quiet celebration.
Unnoticed by most, the official website for the Aurora Manga Awards — hosted by the seven major publishing groups — quietly updated just before midnight.
A total of 167 manga titles had gone live.
By this hour, even Haruki, Kotone, and Sora had already fallen asleep. After six intense weeks of voting, there was little reason for even the most dedicated among them to stay up and refresh the page.
But of course, there are always exceptions. Not everyone watches the New Year's Eve variety shows with their family. Not everyone celebrates in the same way.
For manga fans across the country, the launch of the Awards was just as exciting as the New Year itself — if not more so.
To both readers and industry professionals, the Awards weren't just a showcase of elite titles. They were a celebration — a rare moment when fans could explore the best of manga from all across the nation.
In an era where everything felt increasingly connected, it had always struck readers as strange that the manga industry still remained so regionally fragmented. Each region had its own publishing houses, local circulations, and preferred styles. A manga that became a smash hit in one area might be completely unknown in another.
In theory, digital platforms should have bridged that gap.
But in practice, online serialization came with risks. Publishers that ventured into nationwide digital distribution often found themselves losing local readers — who chose to read online instead of buying physical copies — without gaining much from other regions. Revenue fell, and many companies quietly shelved their digital expansion plans, doubling down on their print roots.
That divide left a strange kind of isolation between different areas — and for fans, very few legal or official channels to explore what was trending outside their home region.
That's what made the Aurora Manga Awards so important.
It was one of the few times readers could legally, officially, and in high quality, sample the top-ranking manga from across the country. These weren't obscure indies — they were each region's most popular, most acclaimed titles. Readers could browse, comment, and rate in real time.
As always, traffic on the Awards website surged the moment the titles were published.
At 2:00 a.m., the site's leaderboard updated.
Akira, one of many manga fans who had stayed up late, clicked eagerly into the rankings.
The list was based on the number of paid readers — specifically, how many had gone beyond the free chapters and purchased additional content.
Ranked first was a breakout title from the Kiyosu region — Blazing Feather.
Even though it had only gone live two hours ago, it had already surpassed 90,000 paid readers. Every time Akira refreshed the page, the number kept rising.
Second place was also from Kiyosu, with over 80,000 readers. Third was The Secret Between My Teacher and I — another Kiyosu title, currently sitting above 60,000.
From fourth through seventh, the leaderboard was still dominated by Kiyosu works.
Then, at eighth place, something finally broke the streak — Summer's Dream, a title from the Kansai region.
It was only the initial ranking, but Akira was surprised. Was this really the highest-ranked entry from Kansai?
He narrowed his eyes and scribbled the name down in his notebook. He hadn't heard of it before — which, for someone like him, made it all the more intriguing.
"I'll definitely come back and read this one," he thought.
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