Full-time comic artist

The air fell silent for a moment.

Sendoh and Uozumi could hardly believe it when they saw Sakuragi Hanamichi holding the basketball in his arms!

When Hana saw the scene freeze at that moment in the comic, she felt her blood boil. This scene was the perfect finishing touch, bringing everything that had been laid out before to life.

At the crucial moment, Sakuragi Hanamichi stepped in and turned the tide!

There's still a fight going between Shohoku and Ryonan.

Rukawa was exhausted after the entire game. He could only jump a head lower than Uozumi, so he couldn't get the rebound.

At this moment, there is only Sakuragi Hanamichi!

"That jump was absolutely amazing!"

"What incredible jumping ability!"

The substitutes from Ryonan couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

Sakuragi Hanamichi's true talent and ability were finally revealed in their entirety.

He's the kind of man who could become the rebounding king.

However, Coach Taoka noticed his problem: he lacked experience.

Taoka asked Uozumi to teach Sakuragi a lesson so he would know what it meant to play basketball.

Relying solely on physical talent is a gross underestimation of basketball.

Sakuragi has amazing speed and jumping ability; he has a very good foundation.

Sakuragi only relies on his jumping ability to grab rebounds; he doesn't even know the basic moves.

As expected, in the battle inside, Uozumi positioned himself firmly, securing a favorable position as the basketball fell and keeping Sakuragi on the outside.

Sakuragi could only watch helplessly as Uozumi snatched the basketball from his hands, his heart filled with desire but powerless to help.

Sakuragi, on whom high hopes were placed, lost to Uozumi twice, widening the score gap again and making the situation critical once more.

With only 4 minutes left, Shohoku is down by 7 points!

……

The Slam Dunk manga's plot is getting increasingly intense. Countless fans are eagerly anticipating what will happen next.

There are 4 minutes left in the friendly match between Ryonan and Shohoku. I wonder how many more episodes it will take to end?

At this very moment, Ozawa Hibiki of Musashino Animation Department had his animation project rejected by the Japan Agricultural Cooperative.

"I'm sorry, the board believes there's still room for improvement. I'm really sorry."

The agricultural cooperative's employees said to Ozawa Hibiki.

"No, it's okay," Xiaoze said, bowing his head and clenching his fists.

He is in fourth grade and will be graduating soon.

Ozawa poured all his energy into the production of the agricultural cooperative project, hoping to generate output and remind himself that maintaining the status quo was enough to support himself and his companions.

Even after graduation, they can still earn money by making animations with the members of the animation department.

but……

Xiaoze walked out of the agricultural cooperative building, looked up at the clouds in the sky, and breathed a long sigh of relief.

"It's over."

By June, the remaining time had to be given to the fourth-year students to pursue graduate studies; they no longer had the opportunity to produce animation.

Moreover, he didn't know what he should do.

"After graduation, I'll work at Studio Ghibli first."

Thinking this, he passed by the park and discovered that several high school students were playing basketball there.

In June, the air in Tokyo is always hot and humid.

The rain had just stopped, and then the sun came out brightly, making it feel like stepping into a steamer.

Ozawa Hibiki felt his back was completely soaked with sweat.

But these students continued to play basketball with great enthusiasm, completely unconcerned about the weather, and laughed happily.

These high school students weren't very good at basketball; they just dribbled the ball around and couldn't make any shots—they were complete beginners. Yet, they were experiencing the joy of basketball.

"High school was definitely the most carefree time."

He is now full of worries. In high school, as long as he studied well, he could play with a stick for a long time without having to think about the future or his future.

Recalling the daily life of male high school students in his memories, he stopped and watched with envy.

"Want to play ball together? We're just short one person."

A high school student beckoned to Ozawa Hibiki and said something.

Hibiki Ozawa shook his head.

"Never mind then." The high school student didn't seem to care.

"Watch my gorilla dunk!"

He grabbed the basketball, jumped up, but was still several centimeters away from the basket, so he had no choice but to shoot.

It didn't even hit the rim.

"Pfft." Ozawa Hibiki laughed, feeling much more relaxed.

……

A year later, a large amount of mold appeared again.

Hibiki Higashino used a dehumidifier for a while, but then another problem arose.

The noise is really too loud.

It felt like there was an Ellen in my ear, always talking about Tataka.

It's so annoying I can't stand it.

However, in order to preserve the precious original manuscript, Higashino Hibiki had no choice but to make the difficult decision for himself and his assistant to wear earplugs.

So when Tanaka spoke in his ear after work today, Higashino couldn't hear him.

He was engrossed in reading the manga "Touch" when Yoshii Yamahisa nudged him, and Hibiki Higashino looked up to see the uneasy Tanaka.

"Is there a problem?"

"I...I drew a manga...no, I don't know if it can even be called a manga...I'd like to trouble Mr. Tori Akino to take a look at it."

Hibiki Higashino raised his hand and, amidst Tanaka's words, "If it's too much trouble, then forget it...", asked him, "What about the work?"

Tanaka breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully handed the 40-page manuscript he had written to Higashino with both hands.

Seeing that he was standing quietly in place, Higashino said, "Please wait for me for a while. Tanaka-san, please sit down and rest for a bit."

"Yes." Tanaka nodded, walked to the side, and nervously watched Higashino Hibiki's expression.

Tanaka worked as an assistant in his studio during the early stages of the Slam Dunk manga serialization, which was more than four months ago.

I didn't expect him to produce a work so quickly.

Even veteran Oda is still laying the groundwork and preparing for his new work.

As for Yoshii Akihisa, Hibiki Higashino felt that his goal was not to draw manga at all.

Hibiki Higashino started reading Tanaka's manga, titled "The Lodger," a rather eerie name.

The female protagonist wakes up in the morning as usual, cooks as usual, and goes to work as usual. After leaving the house, the camera focuses on men's slippers.

A rather bland beginning.

However, as the comic progresses, readers notice changes in the room's layout, the strangely added men's toothbrush, and the occasional appearance of men's clothing on the balcony, all before the protagonist even realizes it.

There seems to be another person in this room.

Beneath the calm surface of the lake lie turbulent currents.

The female protagonist, however, was unaware that the crisis was drawing ever closer.

Tanaka's dark and gloomy art style gives the manga an eerie feel, elevating the reader's sense of worry and tension to a new level.

I've finished reading this short story. The ending is simple: the female protagonist lives alone and is afraid of being robbed, so the story shows that there is a male homeowner in the house.

It gave Higashino Hibiki a feeling that was both funny and absurd.

Not bad, Higashino nodded.

However, the story's pacing and the manga's execution are somewhat problematic, making it difficult to immerse oneself in the story. Furthermore, it's not suitable for the Jump platform, and serialization is still a long way off.

"You have great potential, keep up the good work."

"Yes!"

Tanaka nodded excitedly!

Such praise alone was enough to make him happy.

Hibiki Higashino continued, "When Mr. Sasaki comes, you can let him take a look and decide whether I can participate in the manga award."

"The Manga Grand Prize!" Tanaka stood up in disbelief. "I can win too?"

He simply had nothing to do after get off work, so he went back to his place and continued drawing comics. He never dared to hope that he could win a comic book award.

"Maybe." Higashino Hibiki shrugged.

"That's great! I have to tell my mom!"

Tanaka excitedly went out to report the good news.

He desperately needs recognition from others.

After reading Tanaka's manga, Hibiki Higashino quickly put on his earplugs. He walked to the dehumidifier, took out a water container from the bottom, and poured the 5 liters of water that had condensed into the kitchen drain.

"So much water in just three hours..." Higashino Hibiki gasped.

He had always lived in the north, and now he finally understood how terrible the rainy season in the south could be.

He felt like water was seeping into his bones.