Chapter Text
2010
Tenma leaned back in bed after another defeat to Akiteru and Saeko in Mario Party on the Wii. “You suck at this Tenma.” Saeko commented, after he came in last for the past four rounds of play.
Tenma jabbed at Saeko’s sides, “No need to point out the obvious, you act like I haven’t played a video game sense I was eight years old and that the game wasn’t Pokemon where I would run around because I was too scared to battle people because I cried when my Pokemon fainted.”
“You’re really bringing the mood down man.” Akiteru sighed.
“You guys act like you didn’t know that I was like this, I’m literally the worst.” Tenma threw his upper part of his body up.
“I mean you haven't murdered anybody so you can't be atrocious.” Saeko smiled up at him.
“That cannot be where the bar is,” Akiteru mumbled under his breath, “So what are you guys doing after highschool?”
“I don’t know college, probably while watching my brother.” Saeko responded.
“I just can’t imagine having a little sibling to watch.”
Both Saeko and Akiteru bonked Tenma on the head, “Hey!” They announced in unison.
“Hey, I’m joking.”
“Anyways what are you going to do?” Akiteru directed the question towards the tiny giant.
“Hm, well I guess volleyball’s off the table,” He pointed to his newly cripled leg, “I think I’m gonna go to major in writing and storytelling then minor in art, and start up that manga.”
“Ah yes I’m so excited to make fun of you and call you Tenma Sensei constantly.” Saeko looked incredibly proud of herself.
Tenma grabbed a pillow, chucking it at her, “If you do I will murder you.”
Saeko threw the pillow back, “You know for being such a scary person you seem to have calmed down a lot.”
Akiteru shrugged in agreeance, “Actually you seem pretty calm about the whole situation. I thought you’d be pretty pissed about your career ending.”
“I mean it’s not like I died or anything, life can still be lived.” Tenma took the ball on top of his nightstand, throwing it up and down to himself.
“What a wonderfully happy approach to life.” Saeko smirked at Tenma.
2018
Zombie Knight Zom’bish was finally coming to an end. Tenma Udai’s first manga, the first thing that happened after his life changed, maybe for the better or maybe for the worst.
But whatever the connotation of the situation was that didn’t matter, all that mattered was these last few chapters, pages, panels, every single small stroke that made up the entirety of Zom’bish.
The former tiny giant practically lived in his office, being there day in and day out, several pages behind schedule that desperately needed to be finished. He sat down at his desk, checking the manuscript as he made the text bubbles, adding the sketches in each box.
“Morning Sensei.” One of his assistants announced, Yumi, like she did everyday, having a bright glowing smile on her face as always.
“Morning.” His other assistant, Kido, dropped a cup of coffee at Tenma’s desk.
“Morning guys,” Tenma looked up from his work, “Were you guys able to finish up the work I gave you the other day?”
“Yup,” Kido announced, throwing the finished works on his desk, “Ready to publish when you give it the ok.”
Tenma threw himself back into his work, “Sure it’s great, send it off to publishing.”
“I know the due date is soon but we can help out more Sensei, you should take a break. Just fill out where the text bubbles should be and we can handle it, I’m sure.” Yumi mentioned.
“While I appreciate the offer I think I can handle it, plus I already put a new pile of panels on your guys desks.”
“Whatever you say.” Both of them said in unison, going to their own individual desks.
The day continued, Tenma never once looking away from his work. Ultimately forgetting to take a break or lunch. Until there was a styrofoam container slammed onto his desk, “Eat, I know you haven’t.”
Tenma looked up, seeing Akaashi’s smirk above him, “You’re disappointing glare is enough to fill my stomach.”
Akaashi sighed, “I know you didn’t take your meds either.”
Tenma took the food, pushing his food aside making sure nothing got onto his work, “Deadlines are deadlines. I didn’t know you were in office today.”
“I know but knowing you you’re overworking yourself, plus I still have things to do,” Akaashi pulled a seat for themselves, in front of Tenma’s desk, “But taking time for lunch is always a good thing.”
“Seriously dude you don’t need to be so proper all of the time.”
“You’re my boss and I do not wish to receive the pink slip.”
“Please you keep my life together half of the time, I can’t fire you.”
“You are my boss on a technicality basis, you have the power to fire me.”
Tenma pulled his hair back into a messy bun, grabbing a hair tie, “I guess you have a point. Do you know when we’re planning on finishing Zom’bish, and when the next series is starting?”
“Well regarding Zom’bish with no interruptions the deadline we’re aiming for December 15th, with three chapters left plus you need two bonus stories for the volume releases. As for your next series quite frankly you haven’t submitted it so it hasn’t been greenlit,” Akaashi pulled out their planner, displaying the week, “And quite frankly if you start working on a new series right after Zom’bish I might just have to quit, that’s’ a lot of work and I want to spend time with my boyfriend.”
“Bokuto hasn’t proposed yet?”
“Not the point.” Akaashi began to slurp up the noodles they got themselves for lunch.
“I don’t have time for the side stories.” Tenma began to start tapping his stylist on the desk, looking at the amount of work he had left for the time being.
“That’s why you have assistants.”
“Ugh fine can you tell them to do it I would but I don’t have the time.”
Akaashi stood up, picking up the trash from lunch, “I’ll inform them,” They dumbed the garbage in the garbage, stopping at the door frame, turning their head back to look at Tenma, “Don’t work too hard now.” The editor closed the door behind them.
“Whatever you say, Keiji.” Tenma watched Akaashi walk out, once they left he took out a pill box, swallowing down a pile of pills.
The mangaka repositioned himself, throwing himself back into the world of Zom’bish. Hours passed when there was a knock on the door, “Come in!” Tenma announced, the door opened revealing his assistant, Kido.
“Finished those side stories you wanted, we ran them by Keiji already. Anything else we can do for you?” He placed the papers in the “in” bin.
Tenma took a look up for the first time in a while, revealing his face to be a deeper set, especially his eye bags, “Thank you, and I don’t think I need you guys to do anything else, besides what I sent you guys,” He went to sit at the seat that sat in the back of Tenma’s desk, forcing the mangaka to look up and away from his work that he oh so desperately wanted to finish, “Can I help you with something?”
“You look tired, you can take a break Sensei.”
“I know and I will once Zom’bish is done I’ll sleep for a week but until then I have work.”
“I hate how stubborn you are sometimes. Seriously we can handle this, we already have the manuscript and already draw in the style that you normally do. C’mon we got it and we have Keiji to help us through everything,” Kido never received an answer, neither did he notice that Tenma went back to his work, “Hey is something wrong, you look constipated?”
Tenma didn’t say anything, he just sat gripping his wrist, biting his lip dropping his bed, letting out a small groan of pain, “Fuck!”
Akaashi heard the noise from outside the hallway, they bursted into the door, “What happened?” They observed, looking around for the cause of noise, “Is something wrong, Sensei?” They walked forward to the desk, grabbing Tenma’s hand, noticing a visible face change, “Does that hurt?”
Tenma slightly nodded his head, dropping his head to the desk, “What should we do?” Kido looked around, having a sense of panic in his voice.
“Go get me some ice and the first aid kit, I'm gonna take Sensei to the hospital. Do you think you and Yumi can hold the fort down, metaphorically.” Akaashi directed, slightly holding Tenma’s hand in his own.
“Of course.” Kido ran out, looking around the office.
“Is something wrong, Kido-kun?” Yumi appeared behind him.
“Can you get me an ice pact and the first aid kit, Yumi-kun?”
Yumi ran off to the back office, opening the freezer to cran an ice pack, then going to the wall pulling the first aid kit off of the wall. She ran through the hall, throwing the things at Kido, while he ran into Tenma’s office. A few minutes later Tenma walked out, having the ice pact held in with a bandage, having Akaashi following behind.
“What’s happening Kido-kun.” Yumi touched his shoulder, shaking slightly.
Kido hugged Yumi from the back, “Don’t worry too much Yumi-kun, it’ll be alright. Well now we have the fort to hold down, let’s do it.”
Akaashi threw Tenma into the passenger seat, once they were both safely in the car, the editor began to drive off to the nearest emergency room, “Hey I know you’re probably freaking out right now but you need to calm down.”
“You’re not helping.”
“You didn’t hire me to sugarcoat things quite frankly.” Akaashi made a sharp left turn.
“I forget how bad of a driver you are.” Tenma leaned over the side of the car window.
“Be happy I’m the one driving here, plus you don’t seem to be thrown out of the car currently so it can’t be atrocious,” Akaashi parked, “Let’s go.”
Tenma watched in with Akaashi leading in the front. He went to sit in the waiting room, while they went to go sign him in.
Luckily the ER was mostly empty so after just a few minutes Tenma was pulled to a room.
The next couple of minutes were pretty much a blur, there was a sort of x-ray or maybe an MRI scan, he didn’t really remember. He only remembered sitting in a room with Akaashi in a chair and the doctor rambling on about something, while Tenma started to shake, sitting with a bandage immobilizing his wrist along with his ring and pinky finger.
The doctor left while Akaashi stood up, noticing Tenma sitting spaced out, “Hey Sensei, are you alright?” They tapped him on the shoulder while questioning him.
“Huh,” Tenma’s daze broke, “Yeah I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You didn’t seem to be listening.”
“Well I wasn’t,” Tenma could feel Akaashi’s glare without even looking at them, “Ugh listen I tried and I wanted to but all I could really hear is my work yelling at me to finish it and I can’t right now.”
“And that is why you hire people, listen to me when I say, I can do it with Kido and Yumi. You just need to trust us with this. Honestly by the time your wrist is healed Zom’bish is over and I doubt that I can get six to eight week extension, for one chapter, and if I could you would need to slam for the last couple.”
“Thanks for being the voice of reason here.” Tenma sighed, leaning over his left hand.
“Anyways we should get going, I’m going to stop by the office so you can get your stuff and I’m taking you home.” Akaashi opened the door allowing Tenma to leave.
“That’s great because I’m tired and I want to sleep.” Tenma commented while they walked out to the car.
“Hello,” Akaashi waved their hand over Tenma’s face, “Are you really my boss? Because he would never say that he didn’t want to work.”
“Shut up Keiji, it may be out of character but I want to go home and sleep.”
“What a fantastic day isn’t it.” Akaashi commented right before they got into the car.
Akaashi drove back to the office, allowing Tenma to grab his backpack, along with anything else that he may need for the day. Also allowing the mangaka to instruct his assistants, “I have the text bubbles ready, then there’s a certain panel goal, and I have the way I want the scenes to be planned out written in my notes that I already sent to everyone. Call me if you need anything, I’m never more than a twenty minute drive away.”
“Yeah we get it.” Kido commented, leaning over a desk, taking a sip of his tea cup.
“Of course Sensei, we got this.” Yumi gave one of her normal glowing smiles.
“Just leave.” Akaashi pushed Tenma out of the office, watching him walk into the car, making sure he completely left.
“Is there anything you need Keiji-san, before we really dig deep into our work?” Yumi asked, continuing to smile at them.
“I’m all good, really if you guys need anything you can come to me. I have to go argue with the publishing company, and if I’m not enraged by the end of the day then I consider that an accomplishment,” Akaashi took off their glasses for a moment, rubbing his face, “Kido, would you mind making me some tea?”
Kido shrugged, “Whatever you say. Yumi you want one?”
“Sure, but do we still have hot chocolate?” She pondered.
“I don’t understand how you're so happy all the time, it makes no sense.” Kido walked away into the back room firing up the kettle.
Tenma drove off to his home, just wanting to sleep for the day. He parked, going up to the door, initially trying to turn the knob with his right hand. He switched over to his left hand grabbing his keys, going in. Limping into his bedroom, throwing himself onto the large bed.
Right after knocking out, tenma woke up to something protting at his face. He awoke from the pitter pattering, he opened his eyes awakening seeing his cat, Milo.
Tenma opened up his side, allowing him to snuggle up to him, “Well it’s good to see you too Milo.” He allowed the feline to sit in his arms, while he looked through his phone. When he first unlocked his phone he immediately noticed a notification from Saeko.
“Hey! Akaashi told me about what happened, if you want I can get some fast food, a bag of wine and a box of beer, along with The Voting Game along with Akiteru and Miwa.”
Tenma laid for a minute thinking of a response, “Sure, but I’m going to be in pajama pants, and have my hair in a messy bun.”
“And we won’t look too hot either, see you soon.”
The mangaka laid for a minute, getting up to take a shower. Getting out, throwing his hair up allowing it to air dry. Going into his closet, putting on a pair of striped pajama pants and a plain black t-shirt.
Tenma waited on the couch for around twenty minutes when there was a knock on the door, allowing Akiteru, Saeko, along with Miwa to go into their kitchen. They placed the food, drinks, and game onto the coffee table, while Tobio’s elder sister passed the things out.
They all sat around the table, eating, drinking, and discussing life. Akiteru took out the trash while Saeko set up the game, “Ok so Miwa’s number one, Akiteru’s number two, Tenma’s number three, and I’m four.”
Akiteru came back to the couch, while Miwa picked up a card, “Who would have the hardest time getting out of an insane asylum?” She collected the votes, giving a slight chuckle at the results, “One for me, one for Saeko, and two for Tenma. Everybody loves Akiteru.”
“Who in the hell,” Tenma looked around in confusion, “First of y’all wrong, and second of all Akiteru and Saeko.”
“I mean probably,” Saeko commented, looking around the room trying to assign her card to somebody, “I’m gonna go with Tenma.”
“Hm, well I didn’t vote for myself so I’m gonna go with Akiteru,” Miwa threw the card on the table, “Reveal who you voted for.”
Tenma raised his hand, “I voted for you.’’ He looked at Miwa.
“Wait, you didn’t vote for me?” Saeko brushed him off, “Uh well I’m wrong. But I voted for Tenma.”
“I also voted for Tenma.” Akiteru raised his hand.
“Sorry girl,” Miwa took the card back, “So Tenma get’s two points and that’s it.”
Akiteru picked up the next black card, “Who’s first in line for hell?” Akiteru grabbed the vote cards, “One for me, two for Saeko, one for Tenma.”
“Well goddamn,” Saeko took the cards, “Akiteru and Miwa, final answer.”
“Um so I’m gonna go with Saeko, I think she knows I’ve done some shit.” Tenma responded.
“I don’t know, Tenma? Sure that’s my answer,” Akiteru guessed, “Ok who had who?”
“Oh I voted for you.” Tenma pointed at Akiteru.
“I knew it. Anyways I voted for Saeko.” Akiteru handed the cards around.
“I also voted for Saeko.” Miwa took the card back.
“And that’s a four for four.” Saeko announced.
Several rounds ensued, ending the night with Saeko reining victorious, ending the ranking with Akiteru. Everybody grabbed their items, and said their goodbyes. Allowing Tenma to go up to his room, falling asleep with a small grin.
The next morning, Tenma beared a sleeker bun, still allowing some strands to be out of place, along with a hoodie and very casual sweatpants. He ate some breakfast, swallowing down his meds for the day, also feeding Milo. Afterwards he walked out of his home, throwing on a coat, walking out with his cat following behind. Walking in the cloud like fluffy snow, even if the air was cold, there was still a feeling of the sun hugging them like a warm weighted blanket. The day was practically perfect, the mangaka couldn’t help but have a smile on his face during the walk.
Temna arrived at his office, not being able to get thirty feet in the door before being stopped by Akaashi, “Hey, how are you feeling?” They pondered.
“Really, really good.” Tenma responded, walking in a little more.
“Well someone looks happy.” Kido commented, taking a sip from a mug.
“Morning Sensei!” Yumi grinned at him, handing him a file folder to her boss, she squatted down to meet the kitty too, “And a good morning to you too, Milo.”
“That’s the chapter, honestly because you set it up so much,” Kido commented, flipping through what they did previously, “Akaashi just needs to approve it then send it in.”
“You guys know I’m not the only editor right?” Everyone gave them a blank stare, “I hate you all.”
Tenma chuckled, “We know Keiji. Anyways do you personally have anything for me?”
“Well as you know I’m incredible at arguing so I managed to either get a two week hiatus after we get this chapter out, or you can delay this chapter by a few days, or they offered to send in another assistant to help out with the workload.”
“If this chapter’s already done then I don’t want to delay it, plus we already announced it if we did it would be unprofessional, but if we need it I can handle a hiatus to push it to the new year.” Tenma directed his employees.
“Yes sir.” Both of the assistants announced in unison.
“Alright. What are you donna do here today?” Akaashi asked, looking up from his calendar.
“I was just gonna do the setup, I’ll be out by lunchtime.”
Akaashi looked up at the clock, “I can live with that. If you need me I’m gonna go sleep in the back, I did a lot of arguing, but for some reason I need to be here.”
“Night,” Kido waved, turning to Tenma when they left, “It was a little amazing how much arguing they did last night.”
“Knowing Keiji I can imagine it. Anyways thank you guys for all that you do, Zom’bish wound’nt be a thing without y’all.”
“Thank you Sensei.” Yumi smiled.
“Yup.” Kido added onto her.