July brought scorching heat.
But even with the summer sun beating down, it wasn't enough to keep fans from lining up outside bookstores, waiting to grab the latest manga issue.
The anime adaptation of Natsume's Friends had just concluded its first season in June, averaging 7.3 million views per episode—ranking third in seasonal viewership. A second season had already been greenlit by Kazanami Animation Studio, and manga volume sales were soaring. Eight volumes had crossed two million copies sold, while the first three volumes of Initial D had already surpassed 1.3 million.
So why on earth would Mizushiro, the creator behind both series, end them now?
Fans dismissed the rumor as baseless—until it was shared by a respected veteran in the manga industry. This wasn't someone known for stirring drama. He'd never posted false information before.
Panic rippled through the fandom.
Comments flooded Mizushiro's official feed account and social media. Everyone wanted answers.
But as usual, Haruki stayed silent.
That left fans turning their attention to Echo Shroud Publishing's official website, posting questions, demanding clarification.
Internally, Echo Shroud's editorial team was already in crisis. They'd been trying to talk Haruki out of ending the series, hoping to buy time. But with the news spreading fast, they were forced to post a vague statement, calling the rumor false and claiming there were "no current plans" to end either series.
It wasn't a lie—but it wasn't the truth either.
Commentators across the manga community began discussing it subtly in podcasts and livestreams. Within days, the rumor had gone from whisper to wildfire.
Echo Shroud's new editor-in-chief, Amane Yuzuki, had a headache that wouldn't go away.
She hadn't wanted the news to go public yet. If the ending became official, it would be hard to walk back. But Haruki kept pressing her to announce it so fans could mentally prepare. He wasn't interested in stalling just for the sake of numbers.
She assumed it was just a phase—a moment of artistic burnout, or some emotional whim. Maybe he'd reconsider after cooling off. After all, both series were making real money. Walking away now seemed irrational.
But then, that afternoon, something she hadn't expected happened.
Haruki, frustrated with the delays, posted a message on his official Mizushiro account:
"The rumor that Natsume's Friends and Initial D will be completed within six months—is true."
And with that, the fandom exploded.
"Wait, WHAT?! everyone said the 86 would take on the world! It's ending already?"
"No way. I need my weekly Natsume fix. Please reconsider!"
"Is this some kind of joke? Both stories still have so much potential!"
"Mizushiro-sensei, I take back everything I said about your pacing. Please don't do this!"
Heartbroken fans poured their emotions into replies, begging him to reconsider.
And naturally, critics jumped in too—accusing him of rushing both stories and abandoning them without proper closure. But those comments were quickly drowned out by angry fans pushing back hard.
Back at Echo Shroud's office, Amane nearly choked on her tea when she saw the post.
She immediately had her assistant call Haruki.
"Hello?"
"It's me. Amane," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "Delete the post. Right now. Tell the fans it was a joke or something—we haven't even finalized this internally."
Haruki exhaled. "I don't think there's anything left to finalize. My decision's made."
"Haruki-kun, come on. The company hasn't approved this. You can't just announce an ending like that on your own."
"I've always been respectful toward you, Editor Amane," he said, voice still composed. "But I'm not changing my mind. Please don't waste my time trying."
Her tone sharpened. "You know how much damage this causes, right? You think this is just about you?"
"Don't try to guilt me. If every manga artist had to run their series into the ground just because they're profitable, we'd all burn out."
And with that, Haruki hung up and turned off his phone.
He was tired of arguing.
He wasn't ending these series out of spite. He just knew it was time. Initial D and Natsume had both reached natural conclusions in his mind. Clinging to them would only dilute their core.
And as for the company? A temporary dip in numbers was inevitable. But if Echo Shroud couldn't weather that, they weren't prepared for the long game anyway.
Meanwhile, Amane stood frozen in her office, phone in hand, anger simmering under the surface.
She called again. Straight to voicemail.
She knew now—Haruki wasn't going to back down.
[Note:- I gave you the wrong chapter number earlier. I actually started writing after Chapter 248, I had mixed up the chapter numbers.]
Shout out to Snippy for joining my p-atreon! your support means everything to me.
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