My girlfriend is Saiki Kusunoki

When the results of the Tokyo Youth Awards were announced, a large number of reporters gathered at the venue.

There were even more people this time than last time.

After all, this competition brings together a large number of outstanding young talents. It's far more prestigious than the previous national high school competition.

With a top JUMP manga artist involved this time, how could it not attract attention?

Even excluding Naoto Yamashita, the others, such as Akira Nagumo and Kiyoko Sawano, are no pushovers, not to mention the other winners from the previous high school competition.

Its gold content is already at the maximum level.

Everyone is eagerly anticipating what kind of fierce competition this year's Youth Award will bring.

First, let's look at the junior group in this competition.

As mentioned before, the junior group really wasn't very good this time.

Because these participants are basically familiar faces from previous national high school art competitions.

Moreover, because none of the top five finishers participated in this competition, even the junior group was somewhat disappointing to watch.

High emotional intelligence: at the average level of high school students.

Low emotional intelligence: This is just an ordinary high school student's drawing, without any special features.

When the winners of the junior group were announced, the reporters were all a little sleepy.

Works of this caliber simply cannot interest them.

Finally, all the works from the junior group have been released.

At this moment, all the reporters became as energetic as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

After all, this is the main event!

Naoto and the others in the audience watched as the familiar Chairman Fujino stood up, and they too began to concentrate and listen.

"Ahem, everyone, after the current selection process, we have made our choices. Although there are many regrets, many of the participants this time were exceptionally talented, but only three people have won awards. Here, I would like to express my hope that those who did not win will not give up."

After President Fujino rambled on and on in a sleepy manner, the awards ceremony finally began.

"First of all, congratulations to the bronze prize winner, Ms. Kiyoko Sawano, for her book, 'Childhood, Memories'."

As soon as President Fujino finished speaking, Ms. Kiyoko's painting appeared on the big screen.

In the picture, the little girl is hiding in the corner of the room, secretly tasting a small piece of cake.

The room's colors were dreamlike and filled with a princess-like atmosphere.

They have all sorts of dolls and clothes, but they are so obsessed with a piece of cake.

One can't help but wonder, why is this painting called happiness?

When Kiyoko learned that she had only won the bronze medal, her expression changed slightly, but she quickly hid it behind her face.

If I only get a bronze medal, then what place did that annoying guy get? He couldn't possibly not have won anything, could he?! So what's the possibility?

At this moment, Qingzi glanced over and noticed that Nan Yunxiao was also looking at him with a smug look, as if to say that he had won.

This made Qingzi unable to hold back any longer; her delicate face twisted slightly.

This painting also records Kiyoko's childhood.

Unlike Naoto, this painting depicts Kiyoko's first taste of cake as a child.

Although Kiyoko's family was very wealthy, their upbringing was also very strict.

His own mother initially wanted him to learn dance, so she forbade him from eating any high-calorie foods.

That cake was made by the family's maid, who secretly slipped some pastries from her own home to her.

It was on that occasion that Kiyoko tasted sweetness for the first time.

That blissful feeling was the happiest time for Kiyoko.

However, this painting only won a bronze medal, which made Qingzi sigh and wonder if she was really inferior to others.

"Well then, let's continue talking about the Silver Award winners. Congratulations to Nan Yunxiao and his work."

When President Fujino said those words, Nagumo Akira, who had been looking smug, felt as if he had swallowed a piece of shit.

Upon hearing this, Kiyoko's expression also underwent a fascinating transformation.

From the initial awkwardness to the subsequent smile, it was as if he was saying, "You didn't get the gold medal either, did you?"

When the screen showed Naoto's work, Naoto was somewhat surprised.

Because the painting depicts a person practicing meditation.

That's right, they were actually practicing cultivation!

In a vast, lush bamboo grove, a young man sat in front of a temple, quietly absorbing everything around him.

This feeling seems completely out of character for Nan Yunxiao.

Based on Zhi Ren's first reaction to Nan Yunxiao, he probably thought this person was some rich young master.

I never expected that the painting would have such a Zen-like quality.

What Naoto didn't know was that although Nan Yunxiao could be called a young master, his family's property was actually a temple.

Yes, a temple.

Because temples can be privatized in Japan, they can be considered a type of industry.

Don't underestimate the temples in Japan; a large portion of them are owned by wealthy landowners.

Therefore, it is true that Nan Yunxiao can also be considered a young master.

However, unlike typical rich kids, he also had a deep understanding of what his family had learned.

You can tell from his paintings that his works have a unique charm.

It's like a traditional ink painting expressed in the style of oil painting.

Nan Yunxiao was once just like any other playboy, indulging in philandering and committing all sorts of evil deeds.

It wasn't until he began his spiritual practice that he finally found his own peace.

After his first meditation session in the woods, he found himself experiencing happiness and peace.

Although this statement may seem absurd to straight people, at least the other person's paintings do express this kind of charm.

Now that the bronze and silver medals have been awarded, who will win the gold medal?

Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but look at Naoto Yamashita, who was the only one among the three favorites to win the championship whose name had not yet been called.

If Naoto wins this award, it means that he will be someone who has won the Youth Gold Award at the young age of sixteen. Just think about it, that's absolutely terrifying.

What kind of painting did Naoto create that was able to defeat these two works and win first place?

With this in mind, everyone became even more curious about Naoto's works.

Amidst everyone's curious gazes, this time, President Fujino actually placed the two paintings directly on the screen.

Chapter 86: A Straight Man's Little Secret

When President Fujino released the two paintings, even the winner, Naoto, was surprised that this would happen.

What's the point of posting two paintings directly? Does it mean that Naoto's artwork can be ranked number one?

Everyone was staring intently at Naoto's painting, as if trying to glean something from it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Yamashita's work this time is the best piece we found in this competition. Although Mr. Yamashita created two works, we have placed them in the same position. In terms of creation, both paintings boldly use some of the techniques of comics, giving the picture more dynamism. With just one picture, the viewer feels as if they are watching an entire story, and this creative method is completely integrated into the painting without the slightest sense of disharmony. It is precisely for this reason that we unanimously believe that Mr. Yamashita is the gold medalist of this competition."

After President Fujino finished speaking, all the participants and reporters carefully examined the two paintings.

Just as Chairman Fujino said, both paintings are static, and there isn't even a single line of dialogue in them.

However, based on just one scene, people were able to imagine a series of events from it.

The children stayed in a warm room with their parents on a snowy night.

The family is happy and harmonious, warm and fulfilled.

The father looked at the newspaper, hoping to glean some new information.

The mother peeled an orange for her younger sister, while the older brother pestered his mother, saying he wanted to eat one too.

What a touching family scene!

Another work depicts a summer sky filled with stars and fireworks scattered across the sky.

The lights in the river seemed to illuminate the entire night sky.

His girlfriend and sister were by his side, as if they were praying for the deceased to be happy and fulfilled.

These two paintings are indeed top-notch works.

Especially its unique painting style.

Naoto's previous paintings also utilized this method.

However, it is not very obvious; only after careful study can one see that unique creative method.

This time, Naoto not only improved his drawing skills, but also incorporated his unique drawing techniques into his work, making it more mature.

"Tch, this guy is really strong!"

"Naoto Yamashita, just as rumored..."

At this moment, Kiyoko Sawano and Akira Nagumo looked at Naoto's drawing and their expressions became serious.

However, while they acknowledge that Naoto's words are strong, they are far from being convinced by his artwork.

After all, in their eyes, their work was no less impressive than Naoto's.

"Well, I'm sure everyone is wondering why we put both of these paintings here. Well, it's because Mr. Yamashita has a little surprise for us, and it's because of this surprise that we decided to award these two paintings the gold prize. As for what the surprise is, let Mr. Yamashita reveal it himself."

After President Fujino finished speaking, the lights in the venue immediately shone on Naoto.

Naoto never expected that this matter would involve his own experiences.

Those around him looked at Naoto Yamashita, all wanting to know what kind of surprise he had left behind.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Naoto found it difficult to refuse. After all, things had come to this point, and he couldn't easily decline such a warm invitation.