Full-time comic artist

"I really like the teacher's comics."

"I've worked hard every day and trained without interruption, and finally this moment has arrived. I'm so happy, Mr. Tori Akino!"

They shared their feelings one after another, talking about training, their faces showing a childlike innocence that was quite endearing.

Higashino Hibiki couldn't help but reveal a genuine smile.

He applauded the champion.

"I have learned a lot from you all, thank you."

……

After the game, the Donghai basketball team never appeared in front of Higashino Hibiki again. It's unclear whether they gave up or were cheering themselves on for the next national tournament!

Higashino Hibiki didn't have time to look for them; he was about to pee himself.

After a thoroughly enjoyable experience, he was driven back to his studio by the organizers.

Oda is still around, and as punishment, he was put in charge of posting screen dots for "Slam Dunk" for a month.

This is the job Oda hates the most. It lacks creativity, you can't learn anything, and even a layman can do it very well.

But since he made a mistake, he had no choice but to admit it and take the beating.

"Teacher, how did the competition go? Did your favorite Donghai basketball team win the championship?"

Seeing that Hibiki Higashino seemed to be in a good mood, Oda mustered up his courage and asked.

"No, they lost, and they lost badly," Higashino Hibiki replied.

"Huh?" This answer surprised Oda. "Then why aren't you sad?"

"The outcome of a match is beyond human control. The sweat and toil shed during the hard work for this match is also a precious treasure," Higashino Hibiki replied with a smile.

"The thought that both sides in the game love basketball and like Slam Dunk makes me feel indifferent."

Chapter 165 Shohoku's Comeback and New Year's Party

Thanks to the height advantage of Shohoku's players, coupled with the orchestration of top center Hanagata, Shohoku led Shohoku by 11 points.

Shohoku's coach and star player, Kenji Fujima, was very satisfied.

On the other hand, due to their mentality and the pressure of facing the height of the Shohoku players, they were unable to perform to their full potential.

Even with the additions of Mitsui Hisashi and Miyagi Ryota, Shohoku's strength was still not as good as it was during their friendly match against Ryonan.

Miyagi, at 168cm, was severely hampered by Shohoku's height; Mitsui, while tightly guarded, was focused on shooting three-pointers to defuse the situation, resulting in missed opportunities; Akagi was too nervous and repeatedly fell behind against Hanagata.

As for Sakuragi Hanamichi, he is not worth expecting anything from.

As Yamamura Morimichi watched "Slam Dunk," he nodded silently. Shohoku hadn't gelled well yet and had very little experience in matches. It was conceivable that they wouldn't be able to perform to their full potential against the formidable Shoyo.

Hanagata approached the basket again, bending his body to jump and shoot. Akagi stiffened and jumped up as well, reaching out his large hand.

He didn't expect it to be a feint; Hanagata suddenly turned his body, preparing to break through Akagi.

Shohoku was already leading by eleven points, and the entire basketball arena was filled with cheers of "Hanagata!" and "Shohoku!"

The supporters of Shohoku were completely silent, watching this scene with tension.

Just then, someone appeared behind Hanagata and flicked the basketball away!

The attack by Hanagata was stopped; the person who did it was Rukawa Kaede!

Whenever Shohoku is at a disadvantage, the first person to step up is always Rukawa Kaede!

He launched a counterattack, ignoring Sakuragi Hanamichi and the others, and Rukawa Kaede bypassed Shoyo's defense alone, reaching the basket.

However, when he reached the basket, two players from Shohoku who were over 190cm tall jumped up, blocking all of Rukawa's attack paths!

He felt incredibly small, as if he were facing a wall.

Sakuragi Hanamichi and Mitsui Hisashi were both having Rukawa pass the ball to them.

Ignoring the wall of defense, Rukawa Kaede changed his movements several times in mid-air, and finally managed to shoot the ball into the basket from under the armpit of the Shohoku player!

Goal!

"Amazing!"

Shohoku finally broke through from zero to two, changing the situation where they were suppressed by Shoyo!

At this moment, Rukawa's cheerleaders also cheered!

"Rukawa Kaede!"

"Rukawa Kaede!"

"LOVE!"

"Rukawa Kaede!"

Rukawa Kaede, who joined Shohoku because he lived close to home, is currently the most stable and reliable member of the team.

Yamamura Shoudo nodded.

When Sakuragi and the others questioned Rukawa about why he didn't pass the ball, Rukawa replied, "You guys are as stiff as rocks, of course I can't pass it to you."

This sentence made everyone else's anger level explode!

Sakuragi Hanamichi is one thing, but even they aren't trusted!

Because of this, Akagi and the others finally recovered their composure!

Facing Hanagata, Akagi unleashed his full potential, using the Fly Swatter Ball to block Hanagata's shot for the first time.

Sakuragi Hanamichi followed closely behind, swatting the ball like a fly and successfully intercepting it.

He broke through to the basket of Shoyo, ready to make a good showing, but his shot missed and Rukawa Kaede scored on the rebound, allowing the opponent to show off once again.

After reading today's manga, Yamamura Morimichi felt even more excited. At the beginning of New Year's Day in early 1997, he still loved "Slam Dunk."

"Rukawa's performance became the driving force for the counterattack. The stiff feeling disappeared, and Shohoku's morale rose accordingly. And facing Shoyo's tall players, Miyagi's fighting spirit was also ignited."

Yamamura muttered to himself, "The next chapter will definitely be about a counterattack! I really can't wait to see it!"

He glanced at the time; it was seven o'clock in the afternoon. He muttered to himself, "It's time."

Sure enough, he heard the phone ring shortly afterward.

"Hello, is this Mr. Yamamura Morimichi? I'm Tomoda from Shueisha, here to pick you up. I'm downstairs at your house now."

"Please wait a moment, I'll be right there."

Shan Cun hurriedly put on his coat and ran downstairs.

Shueisha's New Year's meeting has arrived again. On Christmas Day in December, Yamamura's new manga passed the serialization meeting and will be published on January 20th.

Forty minutes later, the mountain villager arrived at the hotel entrance without delay.

The area retains its original style, with a street lined with black Toyota Crowns and many industry elites in suits chatting.

Wearing a gray down jacket, Shan Cun walked in with an air of nonchalance.

"Hey, long time no see."

As soon as he entered the gate, he saw Mr. Arai, who was holding a glass of champagne and chatting with others.

Arai waves and greets Yamamura Morimichi.

The mountain villager's face fell, and he couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.

Continuing to walk inside, in the main hall, he saw Yoshihiro Togashi smiling strangely.

"Togashi-sensei." Yamamura approached and greeted him respectfully.

Although Yoshihiro Togashi's "Level E" was an experimental work, it showcased his talent to the fullest.

The plot is unpredictable yet coherent, and each new development leaves the mountain villager thoroughly entertained.

This kind of work, which disregards the rules of comics and is full of wild imagination, is something that the mountain village particularly admires.

"You... oh, it's Mr. Yamamura, hello." Yoshihiro Togashi's smile faded, his eyes blinking. His introverted nature kicked in again; he didn't know what to say.

He looked to the side where a group of people were huddled together, and Togashi quickly pointed and said, "Mr. Yamamura, the one in the center there is Mr. Tori Akino."

"Tori Akino?" Yamamura asked in surprise. What were all these people doing surrounding him?

Togashi explained, "There are music CD distribution companies, art book publishers, animation production companies, film companies, game companies, employees of Bandai, DVD distribution companies... In short, they are all capitalists looking for profits."

The mountain village was shocked. It turned out that Tori Akino had unknowingly become the focus of the New Year's party.

The profits generated by his work have made everyone in the industry drool, hoping to get a piece of the pie.

“He’s really amazing,” he exclaimed. “I watched Tori Akino grow up, but in an instant, he became someone who shines brightly.”

"Mhm," Togashi nodded.

Kazuki Takahashi, the author of Yu-Gi-Oh!, watched this scene from the side. Facing these big shots, he shrank into a corner, looked at Hibiki Higashino who was being bothered by countless people, and closed his eyes.

This scene was so annoying to him.

He really didn't want to face it.

……

Higashino Hibiki tucked the business card into his pocket and answered the questions from others, one by one.

"Tori Akino-sensei, Slam Dunk has been serialized for a year now, when will it be adapted into an anime?"

Hibiki Higashino didn't answer, and the others smiled silently. The animation company executive immediately realized that, without his knowledge, the animation company for "Slam Dunk" had already been chosen.

His face immediately turned bright red, but luckily he was holding a champagne glass, which provided some cover.

“Please let me know if you need any sponsorship,” the other person said. “I will do my best.”

"That's right! Let's form an animation production committee! Like Evangelion!"

"Everyone pooled their wisdom and efforts."

Everyone watched Higashino Hibiki with great interest.

“I don’t care about that,” Higashino Hibiki replied.

Although EVA had poor viewership ratings, its merchandise and DVD sales were phenomenal.