Full-time comic artist

The more highly educated a woman is, the more admired she becomes by other housewives, who also hope to learn from her experience and raise their own high achievers.

Higashino felt like she was bathed in a spring breeze, her mood had become younger, and her life was getting happier every day.

She was in the middle of her daily recreational activities when she saw Higashino Hibiki with sweat dripping from his forehead. She waved her hand and stopped talking, then took small steps to Higashino Hibiki's side.

Mrs. Haruno was very envious when she saw Higashino Hibiki return. Although her son had become successful, the law firm was so busy that he had no time to rest, let alone come home.

She tactfully said goodbye and went home.

Higashino complained with a smile, "Honestly, you didn't even tell me you were coming back, so I could have prepared some chilled mung bean porridge for you."

"What's there to prepare? I bought a watermelon." Higashino held up the watermelon in his net bag. He bought it from a nearby supermarket after getting off the bus. The watermelon, which weighed less than ten pounds, cost him more than ten thousand yen, which was ridiculously expensive.

Higashino shook her head. "Why buy this? We might as well just buy it from a farmer in the countryside."

Because of agricultural cooperatives, the prices of both vegetables and fruits are very high in Japan.

Farmers can only use the agricultural cooperative's channels and cannot freely sell their own goods.

Some farmers will defy the farmers' association and set up stalls to sell their produce, but this is rare.

Buying directly from the fields in the countryside is a good option.

"It's also a good way to escape the summer heat." Higashino Shio looked at Higashino Hibiki expectantly.

Higashino Hibiki remained silent, then said to Higashino Shio in her dim gaze, "I still have to work."

"Yes, that makes sense."

Hibiki Higashino went into the kitchen first, cut the watermelon in half, and put it in the refrigerator.

After taking a shower and changing my clothes, I felt refreshed and finally revived.

Chapter 139 Publication Suspension

In the afternoon, Mei Higashino also went home.

She changed her clothes and went downstairs. She saw Higashino Hibiki and Higashino Shio reading "Rurouni Kenshin" and lowered her head guiltily.

Just as "Rurouni Kenshin" ended with its ending theme, Higashino Shio looked at the voice actor list, squinting her eyes, "Eh? Higashino Mei? This staff member's name is the same as Mei's."

Higashino Hibiki looked at Higashino Mei and was practically laughing to death inside.

To hide her job, she didn't even come up with a stage name. What a silly girl!

"Um..." Mei Higashino covered her mouth, speechless.

Fortunately, Higashino Shio didn't pursue the matter. She just sighed and got up to cook.

Mei Higashino was about to go help when Hibiki Higashino grabbed her hand, saying, "Let's talk."

"Yes, big brother," Higashino Mei said guiltily.

Her voice acting career has been going very well lately, and she has unexpectedly found a lot of production projects. Even the hugely popular series "Rurouni Kenshin" produced by Pierrot invited her to voice Tae Sekigahara.

Higashino Hibiki knew perfectly well that Endo Tetsuya must have played a part in this.

Keeping this favor in mind, Higashino looked at her somewhat spirited younger sister and said, "It's time to tell your family about what happened to you."

……

Higashino Ichiro received the last two guests, who appeared to be the president and an employee of a nearby company, judging from their attire.

The president, with his potbelly and air of an upper-class man, took out a cigar shortly after getting into the car. An employee next to him took out scissors, preparing to cut open the seal.

Higashino Ichiro had just started driving when he saw this and frowned. He said, "Excuse me, sir, please do not smoke in the car."

Before the president could speak, an employee angrily retorted, "This is a high-end Cuban cigar, rolled on a young girl's snow-white thigh, not some cigarette you smoke."

Higashino Ichiro glanced at the rearview mirror, pulled the car over to the side of the road, and turned around to say, "To me, it's all the same."

"you!"

The employee wanted to say something, but the president waved him off, put the cigar back in his jacket pocket, and said to Higashino Ichiro, "Excuse me, please continue."

"Hmm." Higashino Ichiro nodded and started walking towards Ginza.

There was a moment of silence inside the car.

The employee said, "President, I recently rewatched 'Evangelion' and gained new insights."

"Hmm? Tell me about it." The club president became interested.

Higashino Ichiro was surprised. Both of them were in their 30s and 40s. Did they watch cartoons?

However, since the beginning of this year, his passengers have always discussed this work, whether it is praise or criticism, it all sounds very sophisticated.

The concepts of science fiction, stream of consciousness, and AT stance left him feeling both confused and impressed.

Previously, in taxis, apart from teenagers, no one discussed cartoons.

But even newspapers are buzzing with discussion about EVA.

The two groups of people were arguing back and forth, constantly deconstructing the work.

Afterwards, due to the last two episodes of the story, the discussion became even more heated, and director Hideaki Anno himself was so criticized that he wanted to commit suicide to apologize.

Higashino Ichiro couldn't understand it at all.

He simply realized that times had truly changed, the status of animation had risen, and people had suddenly come to understand that animation could also be a vehicle for art.

Higashino Ichiro was pleased with this, since his son Hibiki Higashino's works could be adapted into anime and generate revenue.

The more lively this industry is, the better.

Ideally, animation production companies would all fight each other to buy IPs.

"From 1993 to 1994, I was unemployed. I was only able to continue living a life of aimless drifting thanks to the company president," the employee said with a fawning smile.

"Hmm." The president nodded with his eyes closed in satisfaction. "This is because I value your grateful nature, so what?"

“I was really lost during that period, hiding in my room, panicking about communicating with the outside world,” the employee blinked. “Evangelion is an analysis of my inner self. I am indeed very vulnerable, but I have to keep going, break down the walls in my heart, and recognize my own value.”

"Oh! That's well said." The president clapped his hands together in approval.

Higashino Ichiro was startled and almost dropped the steering wheel.

He listened quietly the whole time, never expecting the animation to have such an effect.

Although Higashino Ichiro looked down on the employee, he thought that in this day and age, unless one had a good son like him, it would be very difficult to survive.

One can only sigh. A grain of sand in the era becomes a mountain on an individual, let alone in this era of economic collapse.

Higashino Ichiro thought, "Anime like Evangelion that allows us to think is really great."

……

Higashino Ichiro didn't get home until 7 p.m., and if it weren't summer, the food would have been cold.

"Your whole family is waiting for you, why are you so late?" Dongye tide handed over a wet towel, complaining.

After wiping his hands and face with the towel, Higashino Ichiro explained, "The last guest is quite far away."

Mei greeted him cheerfully, "Dad, you're back!"

"I'm back." Higashino Ichiro nodded and sat down in the main seat.

"You must be hungry, let's eat."

With hands clasped together and a "Let's eat!" the Higashino family began their dinner.

After dinner, Ichiro Higashino watched a soccer match. Ushio Higashino and Mei Higashino washed the dishes, and Hibiki Higashino stood up from the table.

“Let’s have a family meeting,” he said.

Higashino wiped her hands on her apron and asked curiously, "What's wrong all of a sudden?"

Higashino Ichiro stood up and sat down at the table, offering the head seat to Higashino Hibiki.

“Let’s begin,” he said in a deep voice.

“Okay,” Higashino Hibiki nodded, “then let’s begin.”

"The first thing is that my work, 'Slam Dunk,' has been adapted into a radio drama, so Dad, you can listen to it while you're driving your taxi."

Higashino Ichiro nodded. "This is good news."

He's almost memorized the entire Hikaru no Go manga.

"The second thing..."

"Huh? That's it?" Higashino Mei interrupted Higashino Hibiki, saying in surprise, "This is a radio drama! Why are you making it sound so easy!"

Many serialized comics do not have radio dramas.

Releasing a radio drama before adapting it into an anime is a good idea, and if it's successful, it can be adapted into an anime. This is great news for other manga artists.

“Yes, it is very important,” Higashino Hibiki nodded. “As for the second thing…”

Mei Higashino closed her eyes.

Hibiki Higashino looked at Mei and said, "My sister found a job, and she found a job a long time ago."

"You found a job?" Dongye tide asked with concern, "Why didn't you tell us? You've kept such a big thing from your family."

Mei Higashino nervously poked her hand.

"What kind of job is it?" Higashino Ichiro asked.

“It’s…it’s a voice actress…” Mei Higashino whispered.

Higashino Shio didn't understand, "What is this job?"

“Voice actors for TV dramas and animations,” Ichiro Higashino explained.

He then nodded, "Hmm, not bad."

That's the end of that.

Ugh! Mei Higashino's heart was in turmoil. She thought she was going to be scolded to death, but it just passed by so easily.

What has she been afraid of all along?

Mei Higashino suddenly felt stupid.

Higashino Ichiro waited quietly, and when he noticed that Higashino Hibiki hadn't spoken for a while, he frowned and asked, "Is it over?"