Full-time comic artist

“Hmm,” Higashino Shio nodded, covering her cheek. She asked Mei, “So what about you? Don’t you have a boyfriend? You’re already twenty-one.”

"I..." Mei Higashino was on the verge of tears.

……

The next day, Ichiro Higashino gave the villa keys to Hibiki Higashino and told him to choose one himself.

"Is this alright?" Hibiki Higashino asked.

Thinking about Yoshino's world-weary appearance, and knowing that the other party would definitely not care, Higashino Ichiro nodded, "No problem."

And so, with a bunch of keys in hand, Hibiki Higashino returned to Musashino Art University.

He has already rested for a day, so he can only choose a wedding house with Akemi Akemi next week.

Chapter 208 A Series of Firsts

"Did Tori Akino get first place in the junior class again?"

Upon hearing the data edited, Yoshihiro Togashi's eyes widened.

He did the math and found that in September, Akino was in first place for the entire month.

Takahashi Toshimasa said, "Yes, and judging by this trend, Tori Akino's performance will continue to be like this."

“It’s terrifying,” Togashi exclaimed, “These young people nowadays are just incomprehensible.”

When he was serializing Yu Yu Hakusho, although his performance was not as good as Dragon Ball, he always managed to get first place in the best-of-the-years rankings.

It wouldn't have ended up like it is now, getting utterly crushed by Tori Akino.

"I used to be suppressed by Akira Toriyama, and now I'm behind Akino Toriyama. Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, is Akino Toriyama's disciple, right? I hope my future self won't be inferior to him either."

Thinking this, Yoshihiro Togashi felt a chill run down his spine. How could a genius like him possibly accept such a future?

He was immediately filled with enthusiasm!

"Mr. Takahashi, please inform Editor-in-Chief Torishima that I will be taking a week off from publication."

He said.

In short, let's avoid their sharp edge for now.

It has nothing to do with his preparations for marriage.

……

Since One Piece began serialization, Oda has never taken a break. More than a year has passed, and as a newcomer, he still hasn't adapted to the pace of weekly manga.

"You're truly amazing, Mr. Toriakino."

When Oda made Akino Mirai's assistant, he didn't pay attention to it.

Only after he started serializing his own work did he realize how difficult it was to be a Jump manga artist.

Every morning when I wake up, I think of comics, and before I close my eyes to sleep, I've just left the studio.

"Tori Akino-sensei, who was a high school student back then, was already much better than me now. I still have a lot to work hard on."

Just as he was reminiscing, the new assistant asked curiously, "Oda-san, do you know Tori Akino-sensei?"

“Of course, Shiratori-kun. I used to be an assistant at the Toriakino Studio, just like you are now,” Oda said with reminiscence. “My teacher taught me a lot. Apart from giving me work all the time, he was a really good person.”

“Oda-san is like that too,” another assistant complained. “He’s always busy. When I was working for a manga artist before, I had to work at an izakaya to make a living, but now I don’t have any free time at all.”

Oda shamelessly said, "That's how manga artists are; I just gave you more learning opportunities."

Realizing he had said the wrong thing, he stood up and took out a commemorative photo, a picture he had taken with Hibiki and the others before he left.

Each one also has a signature on the back.

"This young lady is really pretty," the other assistants remarked, looking at Akemi Akimiya.

Shiratori stared blankly at Higashino, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Oda asked, nudging him.

“It’s nothing,” Shiratori said, “but it was when I saw Akino-sensei’s work in junior high school that I had the dream of becoming a manga artist.”

"That was the fourth volume of the Hikaru no Go manga. In the manga, I saw Akira Touya and Hikaru Shindo chasing their dreams. I could no longer suppress the excitement in my heart. After that, my heart was filled with the thought, 'I want to convey my feelings to others.'"

"Yes, I knew it."

Everyone nodded in agreement; the assistants and Oda shared this sentiment.

"It was after reading the works of a certain cartoonist that I developed the dream of becoming a cartoonist."

Oda patted Shiratori on the shoulder and said, "Good luck."

……

Hibiki Higashino was watching TV; it was a live broadcast of the Yugen-no-ma Go tournament.

Professional chess players, besides those who have just passed the professional chess player exam, can only play chess in this chess room if they become the top players.

Today's match is the Honinbo title match, and Odagiri is among them. He's 18 years old this year, and it's been a long time since I've seen him. He looks much more composed on TV than before, displaying the demeanor of a peerless national hero.

Even though he was at a disadvantage, he remained calm and continued to ponder for a long time.

He wasn't constantly fidgeting with his hair; he was deep in thought.

"How did it go?" Akemi Akemi asked Hibiki Higashino.

"Not very optimistic," Higashino Hibiki shook his head. "We're already on the verge of defeat."

However, it is already a miracle that Odagiri's skill level was able to fight Cho Chikun 9-dan, the "Honinbo," to the fifth game.

In just five short years, he has grown to this point; this young man is terrifyingly powerful.

If Higashino were to play chess with him again, he would probably only have a chance of winning if he were given a three-stone handicap.

Another half hour passed, and Higashino sighed.

"Let's not watch anymore, let's go out."

"Is there no chance left?" Akemi Akemi asked.

“Hmm,” Higashino Hibiki put on his coat, “The player opposite him is Cho Chikun 9-dan, who has dominated the Honinbo title since 1989. Odagiri is still far behind.”

"What a pity."

"He's already very capable."

……

It's the weekend, and the two of them went out to take a look at the villa.

Fortunately, these villas are all located in Meguro Ward, so half a day is enough.

After driving to the first villa, Akemi Akemi shook her head: "There are no good elementary schools around."

She had a long-term vision, which Higashino admired.

Akemi Akemi's eyes lit up when she saw the third building.

There's a park nearby where, in autumn, the maple forest turns a melancholic red, making it exceptionally beautiful.

In the center of the park's lake, there is a pavilion nestled among the greenery, offering a wonderful view.

In Tokyo, it feels like being in another world, like stepping into nature.

Standing on the villa's balcony, you can see a maple forest and a pavilion in the distance.

"The autumn scenery is wonderful, but it won't look like this in other seasons."

Hibiki Higashino cautioned that the worst thing you can do is act on a whim, because if you think things through later, you might regret it. You should think things through carefully.

“I’ve made up my mind. If Higashino-kun has no objections, then this is the place,” Akemi Akemi said with a smile.

The villa area here is called Hanhai, and Dongye Xiang's villa is named Hongfeng.

It has three floors, with a total area of ​​about 600 square meters. It has been renovated and has a magnificent style, which is very out of place with the scenery outside. Higashino Hibiki doesn't like it either. He always feels like he has entered a hotel and it doesn't feel like home.

"Let's do it your way," Higashino nodded, and then they would have to redo the renovations.

However, everything else is indeed very good. The environment is beautiful, and there is a city library nearby, which makes it convenient for Higashino Hibiki to find information.

It's very close to the Higashino family home, only a 20-minute drive away. The villa area has a kindergarten and an elite primary school, and it's not far from the city center either.

It is a good choice.

After contacting Higashino Ichiro, Higashino Hibiki met Yoshino by the Arakawa River.

"Where is this house again?" Yoshino pondered, holding the keychain.

Listening to Higashino Hibiki's introduction, he took out a stack of property certificates and, after working for a while, finally found them.

"This is such a waste of time." Yoshino glanced at the fishing rod, too lazy to discuss it further.

"Two hundred million yen in total, that's it."

"Huh?" Higashino Hibiki was stunned.

Is it really that cheap?

Hibiki Higashino and Akemi Akemi each contributed half, and the formalities were completed quickly.

Hibiki Higashino hired a house designer and presented Akemi Akemi's and his requirements. The subsequent renovation process will not be described here.

After returning to the studio, the competition had just ended.

Odagiri lost in the fifth match.

Higashino Hibiki saw him with tears streaming down his face and was deeply moved.

"What are you thinking about? Why are you crying so sadly?" Higashino asked, puzzled.

He's only eighteen years old, yet he's already entered the challenge for the "Honinbo" title. He's incredibly talented and a top player in the Japanese Go world.

"why?"

……

With the house matter settled, the Shohoku-Ryonan match from "Slam Dunk" was also coming to an end.

With the final chapter finished, Hibiki Higashino finally had some free time.