Full-time comic artist

"What's wrong with you? Why are you contacting me now?" Higashino asked Nishimura.

Nishimura was taken aback, and a warm feeling welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"So Higashino really cares about our relationship."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interfere with your work."

“So,” Higashino Hibiki continued angrily, “you should have gone straight back to Sapporo and not bothered me.”

"???" Nishimura was filled with questions.

"Haha, just kidding." Higashino gave him a hug. "Long time no see, welcome back."

……

It had been a long time since they had returned to Yan Yan High School, so the three of them looked around the school.

A cloud happened to block out the sun, and a pleasant breeze began to blow. Apart from the occasional student asking for an autograph, it was quite peaceful and serene.

“This place! Yes! Yes!” Nishimura shouted excitedly, “It was on this bench that I caught a glimpse of Asahina sleeping with her eyes closed. Her hair was flowing in the wind, her expression was serene, and she had the charm of Sleeping Beauty. I fell in love with her! Ah, I miss it so much.”

To Higashino and Kitamoto, this was just an ordinary armchair, and the two couldn't help but look at Nishimura with the eyes of someone looking at a pervert.

Seeing that he even tried to touch the armchair, the two couldn't resist and pulled him away.

Afterwards, upon arriving at the playground and looking at the soccer field, Kitamoto remarked, "When I was in high school, I would often come to watch games when I was tired from studying."

The small Yan Yan High School is filled with memories of the past.

Only Hibiki Higashino had fewer memories; he spent most of his high school years in the dormitory.

After wandering around the school for more than an hour, just as we were about to leave, a student excitedly recognized Higashino Hibiki.

"Tori Akino-sensei! I really love Slam Dunk! I think your concept and plot are better than Osamu Tezuka's!"

Higashino Hibiki was both amused and exasperated. "Tell me, what did I do to offend you?"

After leaving school, the two from the Northwest even teased Higashino Hibiki about this incident.

"Thanks for the idea. Higashino, you should treat us to dinner today, or we'll tell everyone we meet this."

Hibiki Higashino: "..."

I was completely speechless.

However, he still treated him to a meal afterwards, since Nishimura had treated him to a meal in Sapporo before.

"Next time it will be Kitamoto's turn."

"At the conveyor belt sushi restaurant," Hibiki Higashino said.

"Of course, no problem, but it'll have to wait until after graduation," Kitamoto smiled happily. "I've already successfully proposed to my girlfriend, and we'll get married after graduation. You all have to come and attend!"

"Really!" Higashino Hibiki's eyes widened. How could they be so similar?

"Wow!" Nishimura gritted his teeth, so envious he wanted to turn his sushi plate upside down on the table!

“Of course it’s true,” Kitamoto said. “I’m really happy right now.”

“Congratulations,” Hibiki Higashino said.

The three talked for a long time, until the moon rose above the willow branches, before they said goodbye to each other.

"Wait a minute! Kitamoto University Law School, it'll be several years before he graduates!"

Higashino Hibiki then realized that he would have to wait a long time to eat Kitamoto's meal.

……

In the two years since graduating from high school to university, Hibiki Higashino has noticed that both of them have grown up a lot, become more like adults, and started to think about the future.

This filled him with mixed emotions.

September arrived quickly, and Musashino School started.

After a holiday apart, my classmates had all changed when I saw them again.

Some got tanned, while others underwent a dramatic style change, transforming from innocent girls into hot girls.

Some even inexplicably started dating.

For example, Tada Banri got together with Kaga Kaori, the school beauty and heiress of Musashino.

"Higashino-kun, do you have any activities you'd like to participate in for this year's school anniversary celebration?" The class monitor walked over and asked cautiously.

“Yes,” said Tada Banri, “My folk dance club organizes dances, so why don’t you join us, Tori Akino-sensei?”

“I’m sorry,” Higashino Hibiki declined, “I’m really busy and don’t have time.”

"I understand, sorry to bother you." The class monitor left.

Apart from the serialization of "Slam Dunk", Hibiki Higashino's life did not change.

He returned to his dormitory after class and began his work for the day.

Oda was very nervous, as the results of the third serialization meeting were about to be announced.

He feigned composure and continued working, but his eyes began to dart around.

Higashino Hibiki didn't pay any attention.

After working for half an hour, Oda answered the phone and cheered. He had finally passed the serialization meeting!

In other words, One Piece will begin serialization.

After venting his emotions, Oda immediately expressed his gratitude: "Thank you so much for the guidance from Toriaki-sensei!"

With the official serialization about to begin, he will also be leaving Hibiki Higashino Studio. He expressed his reluctance and sincere gratitude.

"Oda-san, I should also thank you for your dedication to the serialization of 'Slam Dunk' over the years."

Although there were four assistants, the workload of serializing "Slam Dunk" was huge, so each assistant worked very hard. Hibiki Higashino was very grateful that Oda and the others were able to persevere.

"My teacher taught me so much! I benefited immensely from everything, from story creation to the fundamentals of comics!"

Oda discovered that the characters in One Piece were becoming increasingly exaggerated, which was all thanks to the teachings of Akino Tori. By drawing characters in an exaggerated way, they could be differentiated.

I also learned a lot about perspective.

He pulled out his sketches from two years ago, and compared them to the current ones, they were completely different people.

"Good luck," Hibiki Higashino said. "We'll be competing against each other in Jump from now on."

"Yes!" Oda nodded.

the next day.

Today is Oda's last day at the Toriakino Studio.

He was unexpectedly calm.

After finishing his work, Oda looked at the "Straw Hat Pirates" pirate flag Easter egg left on the drawing and a smile appeared on his lips.

"I'll take my leave," he said, standing up.

"Goodbye." Higashino Hibiki stood up and waved goodbye to him.

Before leaving, Oda wanted to say something to thank Hibiki Higashino for what he said on the show.

His words greatly influenced Torishima Kazuhiko's judgment.

"But I'll keep it in my heart."

Oda glanced back at the studio before leaving.

With Oda gone, the studio immediately fell silent. Before, there was a lot of noise and people talking non-stop, but now the three assistants are all the quiet type.

Tanaka got up and left.

Yoshii Yamahisa stood up immediately and approached Hibiki Higashino: "Can we come out and talk?"

"of course can."

After a day's work, the moon rises.

The evening breeze was cool, blowing my hair around.

In the corridor, Higashino Hibiki remained silent, waiting quietly for Yoshii Yamahisa to organize his thoughts.

After a long pause, Yoshii Yamahisa finally spoke.

"Higashino-kun, I took everything you said about me on the TV show to heart. I've been thinking about what my dream is all summer long."

"I tried many sports, baseball, tennis, volleyball; I also tried some creative work, writing novels and screenplays. But I found that these were not what I wanted to do."

"I haven't found my dream yet."

He decided to continue his current life, saying, "I find it more interesting to be an assistant with everyone than those other things. So I'll leave the rest to you."

He spoke sincerely, and Higashino Hibiki knew he was serious, so he nodded.

“Hearing you say that makes me actually quite happy,” Hibiki Higashino said. “This studio still can’t do without you, hahaha.”

Sasaki once said that in order to cultivate new talent, the assistants in the studio are usually two experienced people paired with one newcomer, in a continuous cycle.

Yoshii Yamahisa's departure affected the progress of "Slam Dunk".

These are Higashino Hibiki's surface thoughts.

Actually, after spending so much time together, he will also feel sad when another friend leaves.

Watching Yoshii Yamahisa's departing figure, Higashino Hibiki stretched.

"Alright, let's get back to work."

……

Miyuki is a contributing writer for the Yomiuri Shimbun, and has been in that position for 10 years.

He was also a reader of the old era, and he always looked down on the new era.

He frowned as he flipped through Jump.

"Jump has declined. Compared to its platinum era, it only has 'Slam Dunk' to hold its own. It's really pathetic."

Speaking candidly to the newcomers around him, he said, "They're nowhere near as good as before. It would be more interesting if Dragon Ball, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Slam Dunk were all competing against each other."

Seeing that the newcomer was a bit unconvinced, he added, "Jump used to have a circulation of 650 million copies, but now it only has 500 million copies. You can tell it's declining. Tsk tsk tsk."