11:00 AMInside Anamika's Cabin...
Anamika sat hunched over her desk, sketching out rough scripts for her manga chapters — her pencil moving with practiced precision, even as her eyes carried the weight of a thousand unwritten emotions.
Meanwhile, a curious little hurricane disguised as a human-cat was exploring the room like it was uncharted territory.
That hurricane had a name: Ira.And for her, this cabin was a wonderland.
She ran her fingers along the shelf, picked up a manga, and exclaimed, “Hey… Dedicated Flower! Are you making something like this ?!”
Anamika turned her head, glanced at the book in her hand, and replied, “Hmm… not quite. That’s a Shōnen manga.”
Ira squinted at the cover and made a face. “What’s that supposed to mean? Ugh—never mind! Just tell me your story instead!”
At this, Anamika took out a book from her drawer and handed it to her. “You can look through this! It has the full plot and character designs of my story. If you want to know more, I can even give you my storyboarding notebook.”
Wide-eyed, Ira took the notebook like it was treasure. “By the way, how far along are you? When are you planning to finish this?!”
Anamika leaned back and let out a deep sigh. “Honestly… I haven’t even finished half. The first volume is going to have around 50 to 60 chapters, and I’ve only managed to complete clean drafts of 5 so far. Inking, shading, dialogue placement—everything’s still pending.”
Ira blinked. She didn’t understand half of what was just said. It all went whoosh right over her head.
When Anamika finally paused, Ira puffed her cheeks and said, “Yeahhh… I don’t need to know all that technical stuff. I’ll just read the plot and be happy!”
With that, she sat cross-legged on the floor like a kid ready for story time. Watching her, Anamika chuckled softly and got back to work.
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Twenty minutes later…
Ira stormed up to Anamika like a cranky child and cried out, “ This is nonsense! That ending makes no sense! What kind of love story ends like that?! It’s awful!”
Startled but amused, Anamika took the book from her hands and placed it back in her drawer. “It’s not just a love story, Ira.
It’s a Josei manga — more grounded, more emotional.
It mixes romance with psychological realism. This story focuses more on trauma than just love.
I wanted to show two contrasting forms of love — one that cages you, and one that sets you free.”
Ira frowned again and argued, “But you made the main lead’s mother’s love look like a prison! A mother’s love is never a cage! And that guy — the one whose love you called ‘freedom’ — he ends up running away from her! Can that even be called love?!”
She glanced down at a sketch she’d drawn — her heroine, standing tall in front of the boy she had rejected time and again.
Her fingers brushed over the pencil lines as she whispered, “Maybe her mother’s love wasn’t the prison… But her mother’s expectations and her fears definitely were.
As for that boy… his love gave her the courage to breathe. To feel. To trust.
If he hadn’t shown her what love could be… she would’ve kept running from the word itself.”
Ira crossed her arms, refusing to be convinced. “Then why did he run away at the end?!”
Her voice was high-pitched, childlike — like someone whose surprise gift had turned out to be socks.
And just then… laughter echoed through the room.
someone else had been silently watching this entire scene — unable to hold back their laughter.
Ira turned sharply towards the open door and saw Aditya standing there, grinning.
Anamika immediately went back to her drawing, pretending not to notice him.
Ira scowled and said, “What’s so funny, huh?! Laughing like a madman! Has your mental balance gone off? Oh wait — I forgot. My brother’s always been crazy!”
Aditya walked in with a dramatic sigh, folding his arms as he leaned slightly toward her. “When will you learn to respect your elder brother?”
Ira scoffed and turned away, giving him the coldest side-eye she could muster.
Ignoring her antics, Aditya walked over to Anamika’s desk and peeked at the sketches.
Then, turning back to Ira, his voice turned soft — thoughtful. “You know… you’re twenty now.
You really should learn that sometimes, even incomplete stories feel complete.
And for the record — this story doesn’t have a sad ending. It has a beautiful one.”
Ira squinted at him suspiciously. “Define ‘beautiful.’”
Aditya smiled, that rare kind of smile that hides pain and hope in equal measure. “Because in the end… that girl finds freedom.
She finally learns how to love others — and more importantly, how to let herself be loved.
And that boy? He kept coming back to her… even after she pushed him away again and again. Even when he thought he was dying… she was the only one on his mind.
But when he saw a side of her love that terrified him… he broke. He believed all those beautiful memories were lies. That she had only been pretending.
So he ran. But one day, when he learns the truth — That all those memories were real, And that the one moment that broke him was the only lie — He’ll come running back to her.”
There was a silence. Ira slowly reached out and tugged at Anamika’s sleeve like a child seeking reassurance.
“When will he learn the truth?”
Anamika looked at her and smiled, her eyes full of something unspoken. “Honestly… I haven’t decided yet.
Once I finish this volume, I’ll start the next one. And I promise — its ending will be exactly the way you want it to be.
They’ll find their way back to each other.
No fear. No guilt. No past holding them back. Just… love.”
Ira grinned. “I’m going to wait for that ending.”
