In the apartment—
Kenta and Naoya stared blankly at the credits rolling on-screen, lost in thought.
"…Haruki, are you seriously not going to spoil what happens in Episode 11?" Kenta groaned.
"This is torture! I have to wait a whole week like this?"
The fireworks had exploded, but Meiko hadn't disappeared. Which could only mean—her final wish hadn't been fulfilled yet.
So what was her wish?
How could she move on peacefully?
The two were dying of curiosity.
"Just hang in there," Haruki said with a grin. "I promise the finale of Anohana will be worth it."
"You sure?" Naoya raised an eyebrow.
"You sound way too smug. Is this a trap?"
"A trap? Come on, what kind of trap can an anime even have?" Haruki shrugged.
"…Alright, I'll believe you. But I'm hoping for a happy ending," Naoya muttered, popping another chip into his mouth.
———
After the tenth episode aired, the reaction was overwhelming. It wasn't just Kenta and Naoya who were hooked—fans all over were buzzing with excitement.
On every anime forum and platform like MangaStream, threads about Anohana shot to the top.
People were asking the same thing: what just happened?
For months, discussions had been dominated by the action-packed Oathbound. So why was this slower, more sentimental series suddenly dominating the conversation?
Because despite its quiet pacing and deep character focus, Episode 10 had struck a nerve.
Meiko's presence had slowly, quietly imprinted itself on viewers' hearts. And when that firework scene hit—when the ED song started playing and her voice rang out—something cracked open in people.
For many, tears came out of nowhere.
It was raw, emotional storytelling.
That's what made Anohana so successful in this world, just as it had been in the parallel one.
At first glance, the early episodes might seem slow or uneventful. But without that careful buildup, the ending wouldn't hit nearly as hard.
You couldn't just skip to the last episode and expect to cry.
———
At Kazanami Animation Studio, producer Kazuya wasn't holding back anymore.
After Episode 10 aired and boosted the series to fourth place in weekly anime rankings, he posted boldly on his personal Line account:
"This next episode—you won't forget it even after ten years."
Episode 11 was everything. It was the climax that would decide how far this series would go.
Kazuya had seen it before—anime that maintained a steady pace until one pivotal episode catapulted them to legendary status.
He believed Anohana could be that kind of series.
And he was ready to bet big.
He'd allocated extra marketing budget specifically for the finale—an unusual move, especially since Oathbound was still dominating the charts with over 50 million views across platforms.
But to Kazuya, that wasn't a deterrent. It was a challenge.
He wanted this finale to mark the success of the project, and possibly—just possibly—outshine Oathbound itself.
———
Among the anime community, fans were both excited and puzzled.
"Kazuya said we won't forget this next episode for ten years? That's… a bold claim."
"Yeah, he must be really confident."
"Or maybe he's just trying to hype it up because the show's ending. A last-ditch PR move?"
"Still… Episode 10 was amazing. If Episode 11 sticks the landing, it could be something special."
While viewers debated, other producers weren't so amused.
In particular, Yuya Saito, the producer of Oathbound, didn't understand what Kazuya was doing.
He and Kazuya had competed before in Tokyo's animation industry. Each had their victories.
And this time, word had spread that Kazanami Studio had launched Anohana specifically to challenge Oathbound in its broadcast window.
At first, Yuya hadn't worried. The show's early reception had been good—but not threatening.
But now, just before the finale, Kazuya was suddenly pouring money into marketing?
That didn't make sense.
Unless… there was something big in the final episode.
Yuya frowned and made a mental note. Kazuya wasn't an idiot. If he was still doubling down, he must know something the rest of them didn't.
———
Across video platforms, promotional clips for Anohana appeared everywhere.
Even in pre-roll ads before other shows.
It felt strange, sure. But it worked. The buzz grew. More and more new fans began binging the earlier episodes just in time for the finale.
And so, the day came.
It was an ordinary day in Japan.
But for many anime fans… it wasn't.
People sat in front of their computers. Phones in hand. Snacks ready.
Waiting.
Waiting for that final episode.
Kazuya paced restlessly in his office, watching the seconds tick by.
Kenta and Naoya had bought a mountain of snacks. They were ready.
Haruki sat calmly beside them—but inwardly, he was just as tense.
Across the country, fans of Anohana braced themselves.
Because maybe—just maybe—only a handful of people in the whole country knew what was about to happen.
Haruki glanced at his two friends' relaxed faces and considered warning them.
He wanted to say: Brace yourselves.
But in the end, he kept it to himself.
Spoilers? Not today.
At exactly 8:00 p.m., the final episode began to stream—
"The Flower Blooming on That Summer."
(TL:- Just posted my first MHA fanfic—would love to hear what you think!)
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 50+ advanced chapters)