Although social media hadn't exactly exploded in Japan yet, it wasn't uncommon to see teens messing around on Twitter, Instagram, and a few forums. Most people still preferred traditional media, but there was a noticeable shift in younger circles — those seeking something fresh, something more than the usual, recycled entertainment.
"Thanks for the meal," muttered a boy around 15, stuffing the last bit of rice into his mouth before making his way to his room. His mother barely acknowledged him — the usual routine. His name was Akio Yoshida
Akio plopped onto his bed and fired up his laptop with practiced speed. League of Legends — it was one of the few games worth playing these days, and even then, it was starting to feel stale. He had a ranked match in mind.
"What? An update? Now?!" he groaned, slamming the table. "You've gotta be kidding me…"
With an exasperated sigh, he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling for a moment before muttering, "Tsk, whatever. Let's just hop on Twitter or something."
He'd made the account recently, mostly because his classmates kept talking about funny memes or cool fanarts of Astroboy they'd seen there. He hadn't been impressed so far — just weird trends and boring posts.
"Boring, boring… ha… this is trash." He kept scrolling, lazily swiping past political rants and low-effort art dumps.
But then — something hit him.
"Uwohhh… what the hell? That drawing's insane!"
He sat up, eyes glued to the screen. The artwork showed a sharp-looking teenage boy with slicked-back hair. But what really drew him in was the grotesque, yet fascinating, creature attached to the character's right arm — detailed like something from a nightmare. It looked like an eye merged with teeth and tentacles, like it could move, think, devour.
"Manga? Since when do they advertise this kinda stuff here? And who even reads manga nowadays?" he muttered, but his curiosity won out.
He clicked on the post.
It wasn't just art — it was an announcement. A teaser. Below the image was a short, cryptic blurb:
Above Earth, someone was thinking: if half of mankind disappeared, how many forests would be saved?
Above Earth, someone was thinking: if 99% of mankind vanished, would pollution drop by 99%?
Someone was thinking… if we protected life, would it be okay to destroy humanity?
They arrive in silence and darkness. They descend from the skies. They hunger for human flesh. They are everywhere. They are parasites — alien creatures who must invade and take control of a human host to survive.
He stared at the screen, eyes wide. His heart thudded once — hard.
"What the hell… this is… kinda awesome."
He scrolled down to read more. It was a preview of a new one-shot manga releasing in Weekly Shonen Jump next Monday. The tweet had a few hundred likes and retweets already, climbing fast. The account that posted it belonged to an editor at Shueisha — @Kakeru_Sato, according to the tag.
The comments were buzzing:
"Holy hell, this concept is wild. I'm buying next week's Jump just for this."
"This art is clean. Who's the artist???"
"Alien horror in Jump? Yoooo what is going on???"
"Finally something NEW."
For the first time in ages, the boy felt hyped about something he hadn't even read yet.
"Hah… this better be as cool as it looks."
He followed the editor's account, saved the post, and even screen-capped the art to show his friends. He didn't know it yet, but this random, frustrated scroll session would be the moment everything started to change — not just for him, but for manga as a whole.
Across the internet, others were having the same experience. Curious eyes drawn in by the sharp art, the eerie vibe, and something entirely different and new for the Japanese comics.
The next day, at school…
"Yo, guys! I've got something crazy to show you. Quick!" Akio burst into the classroom, eyes wide with excitement as he made a beeline for his friends near the back.
"Huh? What the hell, man? The teacher's still here," one of them muttered, glancing toward the front of the room.
"Who cares?" Akio grinned, already unlocking his phone. "Look at this!"
"I care," another whispered with a smirk, nodding toward the teacher at the podium. "Look at her — she's fine as hell."
"Oh please," a girl nearby rolled her eyes. "Forget him, Akio-kun, show me instead."
Akio hesitated, a little caught off guard. "Ah-uh, okay… but I don't know if it'll interest you that much."
"Just show it already," she said, leaning closer.
He turned the screen toward her — the striking art from the Twitter post filled the screen. The dark, mysterious boy. The monstrous creature fused with his arm, its tendrils snaking and shifting in a disturbing yet beautiful design.
"Whoa… this is cool," the girl whispered, eyes wide. "What is this drawing? Though… it looks kind of scary. What's that thing on his hand?"
"Some kind of alien, I think," Akio replied. "It's part of a new manga — I just found out about it last night on Twitter. It's called Parasyte. Looks like it's dropping next Monday in Jump."
"Manga? Isn't this for kids, you read them ?" another classmate chimed in, now leaning over the desk to get a better look.
"I don't. But this… this looks different, y'know? Not the usual stuff."
"Yo, lemme see!" a few more students gathered, trying to crowd around Akio's phone.
They kept chatting, the buzz growing, voices overlapping — until a loud ahem cut through the noise like a knife.
"Ahem. Akio-san." The teacher's voice rang from the front.
The room froze. Every head turned.
Their homeroom teacher stood with her arms crossed, her sharp gaze fixed on Akio like a hawk spotting prey. She was young, probably in her twenties, and far too pretty for half the boys to concentrate properly during her class. Her long dark hair fell neatly past her shoulders, and her thin-framed glasses only seemed to add to the allure.
"You do know that cell phones are banned during school hours, don't you?" she said, slowly walking toward him.
Akio gulped. "Y-Yes, Ma'am…"
"Then I'm sure you also know what comes next." She stopped right in front of him and held out her hand.
Akio hesitated, then reluctantly handed over his phone.
"Thank you," she said coolly, slipping the device into her coat pocket. "Come see me after classes — we'll discuss your 'new manga' then."
A few snickers broke out around the class. Akio slumped back into his seat.
"Damn… she's scary when she's serious," one of his friends whispered.
"Shut up, you were drooling over her five minutes ago," Akio muttered.
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Author's note: Comments, Power stones and reviews, next chapter coming later.