Full-time comic artist

In retrospect, he was just being delusional.

So it turns out that Higashino is just like me; no wonder we became friends.

"I am not alone on this path," Kitamoto sighed.

Nishimura exclaimed excitedly, "How romantic! Higashino, who usually seems so serious, is actually quite sentimental!"

Kitamoto glanced at his 32-year-old girlfriend beside him and asked, "If it's true, don't you think a thirteen-year age gap is a problem?"

“How could that be?” Nishimura blurted out. “If you’re truly in love, age doesn’t matter. If you’re too fixated on that, you’ll regret it in the future.”

"Yes." Kitamoto nodded and hung up the phone.

He then knelt down on one knee, took out a diamond ring from his pocket, and held it out: "Ms. Matsuzaki, please marry me."

……

Hibiki Higashino sat in the classroom with a stern face.

He never imagined that he, like Inoue-sensei, would be the subject of countless rumors.

Just because of a little Easter egg from the assistant, readers have created countless love stories.

With this ability, why don't you draw comics and write novels yourself?

Hibiki Higashino himself was the last to know that he was dating Naoko Takeuchi.

On his way to school that morning, he was pointed at and talked about by many people, and he could vaguely hear them.

"it's him."

"How romantic."

"Waaaaah, my Naoko-hime."

This made Higashino Hibiki feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

He looked himself up and down and found nothing wrong; he was still dressed the same as before.

Just when he was completely baffled, a cute girl ran up to Higashino Hibiki and handed him a pack of origami cranes.

"Keep going, I'll support you!"

"Huh? You like Slam Dunk too?"

"What 'Slam Dunk'... I meant your love story with Naoko Takeuchi." She blinked, her eyes sparkling. "Don't let public opinion defeat you. I haven't heard of such a touching love story in a long time!"

Thinking of this, Higashino Hibiki shook his head in distress. Really, even people who haven't read "Slam Dunk" already know this.

It's easy to imagine how many people knew about this rumor and chose to believe it.

In Japan in 1996, rumors spread so quickly!

He lacked the courage to bravely face the rumors and gossip.

"Oda!" Hibiki Higashino gritted his teeth. "That bastard!"

After a quick glance around among his assistants, Higashino Hibiki apprehended the suspect in less than a second.

Only Oda has a reason to do this.

Hibiki Higashino is troubled; what is Oda doing, thinking he's so clever?

Just then, his phone rang.

Higashino Hibiki's heart stopped when he saw the caller ID; it was Higashino Ichiro calling.

Sure enough, as a taxi driver, he soon learned about "his love story with Naoko Takeuchi".

Hibiki Higashino looked up at his classmates, who were eager to learn but pretended not to care, and walked out of the classroom.

A regretful look swept across Higashino Hibiki's back.

"Is that Naoko Hime on the phone?"

"Hmm, that's possible, considering how big of a fuss it has become!"

"I just don't know when they'll make an official announcement!"

Amidst the whispers of her classmates, Higashino walked out of the classroom, through the crowd of onlookers, and made his way to the rooftop, where he closed the door.

Only then did he answer the phone.

"Why are you so late?" Higashino Ichiro asked, frowning.

“Class is about to start,” Hibiki Higashino replied. “I’m worried about disturbing others.”

“Hmm,” Higashino Ichiro pondered for a moment.

"You... um..." His tone betrayed his embarrassment, "I really don't want to discuss this with you, sigh."

Hibiki Higashino felt the same way.

"Let me be blunt," Higashino Ichiro stamped his foot, "I absolutely disagree with your relationship with Ms. Takeuchi!"

"I didn't..."

Hibiki Higashino wanted to deny it and explain.

"Don't try to deny it. Everyone says it's true, so it can't be fake."

As the saying goes, "three men can make a tiger," and Higashino Hibiki is dirtier than anyone who came out of the Ganges.

"You have to believe me," Hibiki Higashino insisted.

“I don’t mind having an older girlfriend,” Higashino Ichiro said without responding, “I think it would be great for a creator like you, a great writer, to have a sensible and considerate girlfriend who can take good care of you.”

Higashino was taken aback; there was an unexpected bonus.

Graduation was approaching, and he wanted to marry Akemi Akemi, but he was worried that his family would not agree, so he tried to find out what they wanted.

"But a thirteen-year age gap is too big. You should think it over carefully."

After saying all this, Higashino Ichiro breathed a sigh of relief.

He finally said it, fulfilled his responsibility as a father, and could end this awkward conversation.

"Then how many years do you think is appropriate?" Higashino Hibiki's mind worked quickly, and he pressed on, "Ten years?"

"No."

Nine years old?

"……no……"

Eight years old?

Higashino Ichiro fell silent, sensing that the other party was testing his bottom line.

Things he once thought were impossible, he is now actually prepared to accept.

The great Chinese writer Lu Xun was right after all. People always like to compromise and find a middle ground. After hearing that his daughter-in-law was thirteen years old, he felt comforted by the seven or eight-year age gap.

"You should handle your own affairs."

Higashino Ichiro hung up the phone.

Hibiki Higashino looked at his phone and smiled; a bad thing had turned into a good thing.

Just then, the door to the rooftop was opened.

Akemi Akemi came out: "Class is about to start... Wait... What's with that expression? Is it really true?"

She was initially full of confidence, but now she's hesitant.

Higashino Hibiki's smiling expression was so blissful, like someone in a sweet romance.

"Others might overthink things? You might overthink things too?" Hibiki Higashino said irritably. "Who exactly is it that I drew 'The Garden of Words' for?"

“I don’t know,” Akemi Akemi lowered her head, kicking at the pebbles at her feet. “It could also be a double kill.”

"Why are you acting like a little girl?" Higashino Hibiki was speechless. He took out his phone and made a call.

……

Naoko Takeuchi had just finished dealing with the editor and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw an unknown number calling.

This was her private number, only known to her friends, which piqued her curiosity, prompting her to answer the call.

"Mr. Takeuchi, I'm sorry."

"you are?"

“I am Toriaki Mirai,” Hibiki Higashino said calmly.

Then I heard the other person breathing rapidly, "You've really done something amazing."

Naoko Takeuchi exclaimed in frustration, "Don't you know your own reputation? Why did you have to include Sailor Moon as an Easter egg?"

Her family all thought she was dating a much younger man.

Higashino Hibiki was speechless. What kind of reputation did he have? Why was Naoko Takeuchi so disdainful?

He glanced at Akemi Akimiya, who was listening quietly, and said to Naoko Takeuchi, "I've made you misunderstand. I'll clarify things through the editorial department."

Akemi Akemi touched her chest and nodded silently.

Judging from this, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong.

She recalled carefully that the background was not drawn by Higashino Hibiki, but was the work of an assistant.

"Yes, hurry up, hurry up," Naoko Takeuchi urged.

After apologizing again, Higashino prepared to hang up the phone.

Naoko Takeuchi pressed, "Wait! How did you get my phone number?"

Akemi Akimiya's gaze also sharpened.

"Didn't you give me your phone number through Professor Tsubasa last time?"

Naoko Takeuchi suddenly realized that her initial desire to understand Yukino and Takao's fate stemmed from a desire to speak with Hibiki Higashino.

He didn't give permission, but instead passed on the Easter eggs in the artwork to himself.

Yukino put on the shoes made by Takao, symbolizing that the two of them finally came together.

With this thought in mind, Naoko Takeuchi calmed down.