Full-time comic artist

"What about the first edition? How did it turn out?"

The first edition of "Hikaru no Go" sold 10 copies and was reprinted several times afterward.

Hibiki Higashino thinks that "Slam Dunk" will sell at least 30 copies.

The Jump editorial team wouldn't be so short-sighted.

“One million copies,” Sasaki said calmly, adjusting his glasses.

"what!"

Before Hibiki Higashino could react, he heard Oda shout.

"For a popular work, it usually takes a while after the anime adaptation and promotion to break the 100 million sales mark for a single volume," he said, being the most knowledgeable about manga and therefore the most excited. "It's very difficult to break the average 100 million sales mark with just the manga, let alone this is only the first edition. What were you thinking?"

As Tori Akino's assistant, Oda felt nothing but horror at this moment; his worldview had collapsed.

Tanaka nudged the speechless Yoshii and asked curiously, "Is it that incredible?"

Yoshii snapped out of his daze and said with a smile, "That's down to the level of a fairy tale."

He watched Hibiki Higashino's retreating figure and remarked, "You're getting more and more amazing, Higashino-kun."

Sasaki explained, "The initial print run of the first volume of Slam Dunk was 100 million copies. This is the result of Jump's research and data analysis, so it may sound hard to believe, but it's true. Slam Dunk is very popular with readers."

Listening to Sasaki's explanation, Oda muttered to himself, "100 million copies for the first edition..."

His heart was still churning with turmoil, and he was a little dazed.

"Jump is holding a signing event. I wonder if Tori Akino-kun can find the time?" Sasaki asked Hibiki Higashino.

Higashino Hibiki snapped back to reality.

"It took more than three months for the first edition of 'Hikaru no Go' to reach 1 million copies sold..."

He was still unsettled, but he nodded and said, "If it's just for one day, no problem."

"That would be perfect."

Sasaki revealed the tentative location for the autograph session.

At the Mandarake Ikebukuro branch, Hibiki Higashino will be informed if there are any changes.

Higashino looked up at Akemi Akemi's usual workspace, but it was empty; she was giving a lecture and wasn't there.

Sasaki asked, "Is there a problem?"

“No,” Higashino Hibiki shook his head, “It’s fine here.”

His reaction was because the location of the book signing was the same as the location where Mr. Shibamon Fumi had previously worked.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of profound change.

"Hmm." Sasaki looked at the notebook and nodded. "That's all for now."

……

September 16th, morning.

Still dissatisfied with the new work, Yamamura Morimichi bought Jump.

The cover features five players.

The players Yamamura knew, in order, were: Takenori Akagi (No. 4 jersey), Ryota Miyagi (No. 7 jersey), Hanamichi Sakuragi (No. 10 jersey), and Kaede Rukawa (No. 11 jersey).

As for the new player in the number 14 jersey, he looked very familiar, but couldn't quite place who it was.

"This issue of Jump features Slam Dunk on its cover page," he remarked.

The work's popularity skyrocketed, but after watching the friendly match between Meiji University and Tokai University, he was able to foresee the current situation.

"These five players should be the starting lineup for Shohoku in the basketball tournament."

Ryota Miyagi has shown a bit of his ability, and he is definitely at the level of a veteran player, at least not just some random nobody.

Add to that top center Takenori Akagi, genius Kaede Rukawa, and rapidly improving rookie Hanamichi Sakuragi...

The villagers were amazed. This team, which started out as a pushover, began to show its strength after the friendly match against Ryonan. Now, it is full of strong players, and all that's left is time for them to gel as a team before they soar to new heights.

"There's no time for sentimentality right now..." He slapped his forehead as he walked out of the convenience store, remembering something urgent.

"The previous sentence revealed the beginning and end of Mitsui Hisashi's downfall; this chapter should mark the end of his story. I wonder how Tori Akino will handle this character... Wait a minute!"

Covering the hair of player number fourteen, Yamamura Morimichi suddenly realized that it was Mitsui!

So it turns out the prodigal son has returned home.

Having understood this, the mountain village was no longer in a hurry.

He carried the Jump bag in his hand, bought breakfast, and leisurely went home.

……

Musashino Art University.

"Miyagi-kun is in the starting lineup!" Kazuya Takasugi looked at the cover of Jump and was very excited.

He had been speculating about it, but when he finally saw Miyagi's position, he couldn't help but be happy.

Kazuya Takasugi opened Jump and began reading it with great eagerness.

Because he missed the basketball preliminaries due to a broken bone, Mitsui began to decline.

But now he has fully recovered.

"Are you planning to come back to play ball?" Akagi asked.

Mitsui was speechless.

His delinquent friends learned about Mitsui Hisashi's past and encouraged him to continue playing basketball. In their daily interactions, they discovered that Mitsui hadn't given up basketball.

Kazuya Takasugi nodded repeatedly. Although Mitsui Hisashi's friends were all delinquents, they were very good to Mitsui.

He watched as Kogure stepped forward to persuade him, but was pushed down by Mitsui.

When Mitsui said basketball was a boring activity.

Kogure, usually such a kind-hearted person, unexpectedly became furious. He grabbed Mitsui's shirt from the chest, his whole body trembling with anger.

Kogure angrily rebuked Mitsui, saying that Mitsui, who once wanted to dominate the whole country, was a coward.

Mitsui recalled his past self, his expression softened, then froze, and he shouted in despair, "The past! It has nothing to do with me anymore!"

This statement made Kogure even angrier.

"You're not allowed to use the word 'irrelevant'! I'm not like Akagi. For someone of my caliber, dominating the entire nation is something I can't even dream of! I never imagined I'd have such an opportunity!"

"But when I saw you and Akagi practicing basketball, it was the first time since I started playing basketball that I had this thought that made me tremble."

Kiminobu Kogure gritted his teeth, his expression filled with anger!

"But then you left the basketball team, and my dream vanished too."

"Just when I had given up hope, Rukawa came, and Miyagi returned. We have another chance this year."

"Just when I started to think that I would definitely succeed this year, Mitsui, you reappeared after two years!"

"The culprit who stole my dream is now trying to force the basketball team to disband again!"

Suppressing his anger, Kogure poured out his heart, speaking to Mitsui Hisashi with complex emotions:

"Mitsui, how many more times do you want to take away my dreams before you're satisfied!"

……

Kogure's accusations were just as shocking as Mitsui Hisashi's past.

This ordinary bespectacled man resonated deeply with Kazuya Takasugi at that moment.

Kiminobu Kogure was just an ordinary person. He started playing basketball in junior high school and continued to practice consistently throughout his three years of high school.

But he's nowhere near as good as a genius like Mitsui Hisashi.

Even so, he did not give up on his dream. He strived to do his best.

Behind a talented player like Takenori Akagi, the Shohoku basketball team quietly worked together.

For Takasugi, he could better empathize with Kogure.

As an ordinary person, I yearn for an extraordinary feeling!

Just when hope seemed within reach, it was shattered once again by the person he once admired, Mitsui Hisashi.

Kazuya Takasugi can completely understand the mood of Mumu Gongren.

At this moment, the usually ordinary and unremarkable vice-captain of the Shohoku basketball team suddenly became outstanding in Takasugi's eyes.

……

Tunghai University, in the shade under the trees.

"Mu Mu..."

The former genius, Takehito Kanda, touched his jumpsuit, his heart filled with complex emotions.

By giving up basketball, did I also hurt those who were pursuing their dreams?

Kogure, despite lacking talent, is so tenacious and persistent in pursuing his dreams. Compared to him, my own heart is too fragile.

In October of his second year of high school, his school, Kitasato High School, lost to Hirata High School and failed to advance in the prefectural tournament, falling in the final match.

Two years of hard work and countless efforts were put in, but in the end, they still failed to enter the national competition.

Kanda Takehito became frustrated as a result and even gave up basketball.

"Did the team members in Kitazato... despise my cowardice?"

At this moment, his feelings were very complicated.

……

Yamamura Morimichi stared at the manga in awe.

This episode starts from the beginning and unleashes all the foreshadowing from the previous episodes.

It was filled with blood and tears, pushing the emotions to a climax.

How many more times do you want to take away my dreams before you're satisfied?!