Chapter 1

* Chapter Cover
* Color Page

**Jump Through Weekly Time!** (週 (しゅう) 刊 (かん) 時 (じ) 空 (くう) をジャンプ！, *Shūkan Jikū o Janpu!*?) is the first chapter of the Time Paradox Ghostwriter manga series. It was published on May 18, 2020 in Weekly Shonen Jump's 24th issue.

## Short Summary

A failed mangaka is given a gift from the heavens when his microwave begins producing Shonen Jump volumes from ten years in the future.

## Long Summary

### Prologue

On a stormy night, a trembling man stares at his broken microwave as it sounds. He tentatively opens it and discovers a Weekly Shonen Jump issue from ten years in the future.

· · ·
A bandaged hand reaches for a star-shaped balloon. Grasping onto the string, Teppei excitedly tells a mother and her child that he successfully caught the balloon, however, he suddenly loses his footing and falls from the tree. The mother quickly moves to check on him but he pops up from the bushes and cheerfully declares that the balloon is alright, handing it back to the child. They express their gratitude and Teppei denies the mother's request to repay him, stating that the situation would work well in a manga.

Teppei hurries off to the Weekly Shonen Jump Editorial Department in Shueisha to participate in a meeting with his editor, Kikuse. As Kikuse quickly goes through the storyboards, Teppei nervously watches his speed and internally comments on the process to get a manga published: receive a rookie artist award, successfully publish a one-shot, and finally have a manga become serialized in the magazine. Teppei thinks back to his time in art school, where, despite accomplishing a runner-up position for the rookie contest at age twenty, he is still unable to get a one-shot published. He focuses on the task at hand, which is to have Kikuse accept his storyboards to bring to the editors' selection meeting. Albeit tense from his previous rejections, Teppei holds confidence that his two-months worth of work will be approved by Kikuse.

Kikuse finishes browsing the storyboards and immediately tells Teppei that they are terrible, noting that his work is too normal and not unique enough to be an effective series. Distraught at another rejection, Teppei begs him to look over a new set of storyboards which he will complete by the next day. Although he is doubtful, Kikuse relents and schedules the time. Thanking his editor, Teppei rushes back home and fiercely works on his new storyboards. He pushes himself to make the right adjustments in time for the selection in two days, which is, coincidentally, also the day before his 25th birthday. As he continues drafting, Teppei thinks about how his friends likely have stable careers unlike him and wonders how long he will be able to chase his dream.

After working through the night, Teppei reads through his draft and happily tells himself that it is good enough for Kikuse to accept. He barely makes it on time to the office and waits hours before his editor finally shows up. Kikuse reads through the storyboards and, once again, tells Teppei that it is too normal, criticizing his characters and work as something anyone could draw.

When questioned about the message he was hoping to convey, Teppei desperately replies that he merely wants his work to be something that could be enjoyed by everybody. Kikuse doesn't buy his answer and tells him "everybody" wouldn't hold interest in a bland story and he should instead strive for something unique that would attract a specific audience. Teppei continues to push for his aspiration, but Kikuse shuts him down by telling him he can get the acknowledgement he desires by going back home to his family, asserting that he would not submit his new storyboards.

Crestfallen, Teppei glumly heads to his apartment as it rains, unable to afford an umbrella. After reaching his residence, Teppei falls on the ground and wistfully remembers his younger self's previous determination to become a successful mangaka. He recalls one of his friends gifting him a robot figure named "Mirai" and his mother seeing him off, later reassuring him that he could always come back home if things didn't work out. Still lying on the ground, Teppei thinks to himself that if he says out loud he will quit, then he will formally quit his dream.

As he opens his mouth to begin saying the words, a lightning bolt strikes the roof of his house and suddenly interrupts him. Startled, Teppei glances over to see his microwave on fire and puts it out with a bucket of water. Much to his dismay, he is too late to stop his fridge and Mirai from partially melting. As Teppei ponders the situation, the Microwave suddenly sounds and surprises him, given how he hadn't placed anything inside it previously.

Teppei decides to open it and is shocked to discover an issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. Initially believing he had accidentally placed it in out of exhaustion from the previous night, he turns it and notices that the publication year is written as 2030, ten years in the future. Dropping it out of bewilderment, Teppei tries to convince himself that the cover is either a trick or fake. However, after skimming through, he realizes that none of the series are familiar to him. Looking back at the cover page, Teppei notices the announcement of a new one-shot titled *White Knight* by Itsuki Aino, a mangaka unfamiliar to him.

Teppei reads through the one-shot, finishes, and walks onto his balcony to yell out how incredible it was. He quickly analyzes the storyline and exclaims how much of a genius the author is, rushing to reread it. After unsuccessfully searching for the magazine, Teppei realizes that he was likely hallucinating.

He suddenly realizes that even if he was hallucinating about the story, *White Knight* was still an incredible work. Teppei immediately starts drafting, believing his subconscious had helped him think of this story. In order to make it suitable for a one-shot, Teppei works through the night again to cut down on the cast and story.

The next day, Teppei finds himself in front of the Shueisha building but realizes he hadn't made an appointment with Kikuse. He tries to convince him over the phone to take a look before the selection meeting but Kikuse refuses, telling Teppei it wasn't his problem whether or not it would work out for him.

Not accepting his answer, Teppei forces himself through security and barges into the office, presenting his storyboards and begging Kikuse to look over them. Kikuse tries to question him but Teppei interrupts, saying his new work is a miracle. Aggravated, Kikuse denies and tells Teppei that he had no hope as a mangaka without talent and that he needs to take the manga business seriously.

The argument is interrupted by the editor-in-chief picking up the scattered papers. After the chief remarks about Kikuse's supposed ability to identify those with talent, he apologizes for his careless words. The chief goes on to reprove Teppei for trespassing and asks him why he decided to do so instead of waiting. Tearful, Teppei responds that he already waited for so long and there wouldn't be a reason to continue trying if he keeps on being unsuccessful.

After listening to his words, the chief decides to give his storyboards a read and comments on how he enjoyed Teppei's runner-up submission from four years earlier, surprising Teppei. He reads through and finally exclaims that the work is too good to not be published immediately into Shonen Jump.

Hearing this, the other editors excitedly go to read through Teppei's work and offer similar praise. A stunned Kikuse questions him if the work is truly own, and Teppei's responds that it is. The office decides to post the story as the next one-shot and Teppei collapses on the floor in relief, delighted to finally make his debut.

The next following days, Teppei returns to his hometown to complete the story with the aid of his friends. As he celebrates alongside them over the success of his one-shot, he wonders about his dream. Unbeknownst to him, his unattended microwave continues to deliver Weekly Shonen Jump issues in the future.

In a house at Kochi Prefecture, a resident delivers a young girl her meal and the latest Weekly Shonen Jump issue. The issue is immediately snatched into a room filled with Jump magazines and drafts. As Itsuki Aino reads through, she questions why her *White Knight* was in the issue and sees Teppei as the author of the series, furiously exclaiming his name.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Teppei Sasaki
* Kikuse
* Okano
* Mirai
* Teppei's mother
* Editor-in-chief
* Itsuki Aino

## Events

* Teppei is rejected twice by Kikuse, nearly forcing him to give up his dream.
* Teppei's microwave is struck by lightning and suddenly delivers a Weekly Shonen Jump issue from the future, containing the story *White Knight*.
* After reading *White Knight*, Teppei works off it as his own story, successfully gaining a publication slot in Shonen Jump.
* Itsuki sees her story in a Jump issue, claimed by Teppei.