Shizuharu's Mad Genius Formula
A massive hit on the walk-home path: the romcom manga Spring in Shizuoka is with You, shortened to Shizuharu. It wasn't like it just happened to snag the #1 spot in "This Manga is Amazing!" that year by pure luck. There was a very clear—and utterly insane—reason behind it.
You could glimpse the origins of that madness in a short author-editor chat published as a bonus at the end of one of the tankobon volumes.
Before serialization was greenlit, in a meeting room with author A and their editor:
"Author, why make it complicated? Just go full beautiful girl zoo romcom. Sure, you'll get some flak for it being pandering fanservice, but no otaku turns down a manga stuffed with cute girls. You'll hit average sales no problem. Why risk the rough road?"
Cuteness plus cuteness equaled the ultimate absolute. The editor's words were industry gospel, the royal road to success.
But author A, a hot-blooded newbie, wouldn't back down.
"N-no way!"
"...Pardon?"
"I don't want to draw some generic time-killer romcom! I want to create a true manga that defines an era! One where the characters' sweat, tears, and bittersweet youth feel alive and breathing—a masterpiece!"
"Hmm."
The editor was a seasoned, wise pro. No need to waste breath arguing with a passionate fool like this. Give it one flop, one brutal ranking drop and cancellation, and they'd come crawling back, sobbing praises for the beauty and profitability of the beautiful girl zoo. No desire to play the dream-crushing villain either.
So the editor shrugged it off casually.
"If that's how you feel, I can't stop you. But then you'll need to make your heroines very special."
"Special how?"
"Yeah. If you're blazing a new trail off the beaten path, you need something that sears into readers' brains, something that floods them with dopamine. Like... a foreign heroine, maybe? Or crossing that forbidden line with incest vibes."
It wasn't serious advice—just mockery. Incest in a mainstream romcom? Absurd.
Author A looked flustered too.
"W-wait a sec, Editor! The foreign girl thing, fine, but incest in a romcom? That's way too niche! A little sister subplot, maybe, but pushing the main heroine as incest? That's crossing the line by a mile..."
"You said you wanted a manga for the ages, right? Can't stick to the safe, ordinary path everyone else walks. Isn't that so?"
"B-but still, mass appeal..."
The editor cut them off sharply.
"One Piece. Dragon Ball. Nisekoi."
"Urk!"
"Masterpieces that shaped eras all shatter common sense. Rubber humans as pirates? Aliens wrecking Earth? Yakuza and mafia faking a romance? What's incest compared to that? Was your 'true manga' vision really that small?"
The editor drove in the final dagger.
And yet...
"...!!"
A spark of madness flickered in author A's eyes at those words.
Exactly one month later.
The editor received the Shizuharu story outline and character sheets from author A—and their hands trembled like aspen leaves.
"Th-this...!?"
In trendy AI-speak, it wasn't mere *shock*.
It was pure *thrill*.
Second Cousins + Legal Incest + Korean Exchange Student = Main Heroine
Under Japanese civil law, marriage between second cousins is legal. So you get all the taboo thrill of "incest" without the regulatory hammer.
And a "foreign exchange student." Honestly, the foreigner trope feels a bit stale these days. Blushing silver-haired blue-eyed Russian dere-dere girls? That's old news—too many clones flooding the market, normalized into the beautiful girl zoo.
That's what made a Korean heroine so fresh. The unique love-hate tension of Japan-Korea relations. Even with all the online hate speech noise, it just proves how close and obsessed the two nations are.
Of course, dragging such a sensitive topic into romcom prime time wasn't for the faint-hearted.
The editor's hands shook as they immediately called the author.
"Author! I get you're a total lunatic, but there's a fatal flaw in this setup!"
"Hm? Flaw?"
"How the hell do 'second cousins' and 'Korean exchange student' coexist?! Different nationalities from the start!"
A perfectly logical jab.
But author A's voice from the receiver was eerily calm. No—over that month, it seemed tinged with subtle madness.
"What's the problem?"
"...Huh? What do you—"
Exactly as they said. No problem at all.
"If the protagonist's parent's sibling—like an aunt—marries a Korean man and settles in Korea, doesn't that solve everything?"
"Wh-what?!"
"Then their daughter hits high school and comes to Japan for her parents' work. Ah... now that's a delicious death-flag setup, right?"
Forced? It felt contrived somewhere!
But the editor couldn't counter it!
Because it was—irresistibly tasty!
To the speechless editor, the author whispered the clincher.
"Editor... curious now, aren't you?"
"...!"
"Heh heh... Bet you can't wait for the next manuscript."
"Guh... grraaaah!!"
Click. The call ended.
Those mismatched, nightmarish keywords blended in author A's insane storytelling like Euclid's golden ratio.
And somehow, after a month of shut-in training on frozen dumplings in some basement, they even included a jaw-droppingly high-quality lead heroine illustration.
The editor gripped the manuscript, face full of awe.
"Damn...! Is this the glimpse of genius?!"
A talent that mocked their own shallow commercial pitches for beautiful girl zoos. A wondrous trajectory no mere mortal could dream of chasing.
...And now, that wondrous, incomprehensible trajectory's runaway snowball was barreling toward me in reality, right before my eyes.
"Raon-yang, heading home?"
"Ah... Ueda-kun."
"Which way you going? If it's toward the station, wanna walk together? I'm your official helper, after all—gotta at least show you around on day one."
What a wretched state of mind.
Ding-dong-dang-dong—
"Alright, that's class dismissed for today. Everyone, get home safe."
The classroom ignited with after-school energy at the teacher's words.
But Ueda Shun stayed seated, chin propped like Rodin's Thinker, staring blankly into space.
...Huh?
A hollow chuckle escaped Shun's lips. It felt like a chunk of time had been erased.
What even happened at school today?
Break after first period. Girls and guys like Suzuki swarmed Raon-yang, prying about siblings, makeup, whatever. Her slightly downcast side profile in distress was beautiful.
Lunchtime. Nibbling a sandwich in tiny bites by the window—beautiful.
Last break. Idly propping her chin, gazing at the sea outside— just beautiful.
...No, no, damn it! That's not it!
Shun raked his face with both hands, screaming internally.
Soccer in PE? What'd he grab from the vending machine? Normally he'd banter with the guys and hit the arcade on the way home, but today, all routine memories were gone.
One cause: the insanely beautiful Raon-yang in the seat next to him.
Shun scratched his head, lost in brief deliberation.
Half because Ayane-sensei half-assigned him as homeroom rep/helper, half because he genuinely wanted to get closer to Raon-yang.
But casually tossing out "Where's home? Let's go together!" felt... off. Some brake engaging.
The reasons:
Pushing too close on day one might overwhelm her?
Everyone has their comfort zone. No lecherous intent, swear—but risk getting labeled a creepy pushy type from the jump.
Plus, fresh Korean exchange student. Cultural gaps, manners—he didn't want to blunder in ignorance. Not his style.
Sigh, knowing less just makes me overcautious.
But the hesitation was short. Shun shrugged, opting for simplicity.
Ask if unsure, approach kindly if awkward. Classic Ueda Shun.
Decision made, he turned to the seat beside him.
"......"
Orange sunset light spilled through the window, softly dyeing Raon's jet-black hair. Her sidelong view, fingers brushing her locks, eyes demurely lowered—unreal, breathtaking, like a painting.
Every time... she's so stunning it never sinks in.
Shun swallowed dryly, then approached naturally.
"Raon-yang, heading home?"
As casual and breezy as possible, zero pressure.
Raon blinked her big eyes up at his call.
"Ah... Ueda-kun."
"Which way you going? If it's toward the station, wanna walk together? I'm your official helper, after all—gotta at least show you around on day one."
Is this distance okay? God, please be.
Guts churning inside, but Shun played it cool on the surface.
Raon widened her eyes briefly, then smiled faintly and nodded.
"Yes, sure. I'm heading to Shizuoka Station."
"Nice, same as my place. Perfect—let's go."
And so the walk home began.
They boarded the train, crossed a rickety level crossing where the single-car local line rattled past, strolled the coastal road with its salty sea breeze.
Shun kept things light and lively, steering easy topics. The initial awkwardness melted away quickly.
But...
...Hm?
Something felt off.
Passing the station intersection, the little shrine at the neighborhood entrance. Even entering the quiet residential alley toward Shun's house.
Raon's path matched his perfectly, without a single deviation.