Full-time comic artist

He really wanted to lie down like this to conserve energy.

After more than twenty minutes of waiting, the speech finally ended, and everyone toasted.

Afterwards, Higashino Hibiki didn't participate in the raffle, socialize, or play any games. He turned and stumbled towards the dining table.

"As long as we get there, as long as we get there..."

His eyes grew brighter and brighter, filled with the light of hope.

"President, this is Mr. Tori Akino."

Before anyone knew it, Sasaki and Wakana had arrived in front of Higashino, and Sasaki respectfully introduced them.

"Hello, Mr. Toriakino." Wakana extended her hand with a smile on her face.

Hibiki Higashino was in despair.

He stood there, stunned, listening to Wakana speak.

“Teacher Toriakino, thanks to you,” he said humbly, “I’ve always wanted to thank you in person.”

"Oh." Hibiki Higashino nodded, then came to his senses and realized, "I should also thank Editor Torishima and Mr. Sasaki for their help. The editorial department and I complement each other, so there's no need for them to thank me."

“Actually, it’s not just like that,” Wakana glanced at Sasaki, who remained silent with his eyes lowered, his expression unchanged.

“Torijima is my junior,” he said, trying to establish a closer relationship, which softened Higashino Hibiki’s expression.

Wakana was very kind. He patted Hibiki Higashino on the shoulder, appearing friendly. "Not only that, but I've been arguing with several previous editors-in-chief of Jump about the issue of the company's internal lines."

Wakana was still at a disadvantage, and Nishimura Shigeo and his group won over Horie Nobuhiko to the leadership, rejecting Torishima Kazuhiko, who wanted to bring about change.

"Nobuhiko Horie couldn't solve the problems after Dragon Ball ended, so he stepped down. Torishima was able to overcome all difficulties and start a new era for Jump, thanks to you."

In other words, Higashino Hibiki provided crucial support to Jump at its most critical juncture.

Therefore, Wakana frankly told him that Higashino Hibiki was very important and a great contributor.

This gives Higashino Hibiki the feeling that he is a member of a major faction within Shueisha.

This kind of open and honest behavior is not annoying.

Higashino Hibiki smiled at him, but in his heart he was wondering when they could eat.

Being serialized in one magazine doesn't mean you can't be serialized in other magazines. Higashino Hibiki doesn't feel like he'd die for someone who understands him just because of Wakana Masaru's attitude.

He is currently serialized in Jump because his collaboration with Kazuhiko Torishima and Takashi Sasaki is very harmonious, so this has not changed.

It's not because I was flattered.

Another ten minutes or so passed. Wakana was talking unilaterally when she finally patted Hibiki Higashino on the shoulder and left.

Sasaki stayed.

"Phew," Higashino Hibiki let out a long sigh of relief and quickly walked to the dining table.

“Wait a minute,” Sasaki said, “I want to discuss with you the recent plot of Slam Dunk.”

Higashino Hibiki waved his hand dismissively, "Please let me eat my fill first."

Sasaki and Hibiki were very close, and when they got married, Higashino planned to have him be the witness, so there was no need for him to be so reserved.

I picked up the spoon and dug a deep scoop into the cake, revealing the pale yellow pastry inside.

"Mmm!" Higashino Hibiki covered his cheek and sighed contentedly, "So sweet and cloying!"

Sasaki couldn't help but laugh as he watched this scene.

He turned and left, and about fifteen minutes later he reappeared in front of the satisfied Higashino Hibiki.

After finishing dinner, Higashino wiped his mouth clean. The barbecue in winter was quite good; no wonder it was a high-class hotel.

It's only slightly inferior to Nishimura's "Napoleon".

Sasaki started talking about "Slam Dunk," saying, "After Shohoku entered the national tournament in 'Slam Dunk,' you haven't drawn any matches for more than two months."

"How could that be?" Hibiki Higashino rubbed his stomach and blinked. "Didn't Meihou Industrial and Aiwa Academy draw a chapter about a competition?"

Sasaki's expression darkened. "Is this even considered a formal match?"

Putting aside his teasing of Sasaki, Hibiki Higashino said, "Got it, got it. Next up is the preliminary rounds. Shohoku and Josei High School are set as the top eight teams in the national tournament."

In the past two months, Hibiki Higashino has mainly been drawing about Coach Anzai.

He used to be known as the White-Haired Ghost because he was very strict with his players.

But things are different now. It's a style of basketball that makes Akagi and the others more happy, and they won't be forced to train.

This inevitably brings to mind his experience as a vocational college teacher.

In college, there was a basketball player named Ryuji Tanizawa.

He has a bright future and is very talented.

So Anzai wanted to train him to become Japan's number one student.

Unable to endure Coach Anzai's rigorous training, Tani Sawa fled to the United States, where he eventually died far from home.

This led Coach Anzai to take a position at a high school, where his personality changed drastically, and he became the white-haired Buddha he is today.

Rukawa, who had previously planned to play basketball in the United States, decided to stay and help Coach Anzai overcome his fears, so he devoted himself to preparing for the national tournament.

Rukawa Kaede's heart is only for basketball, which makes Akagi Haruko realize that a relationship between her and Rukawa Kaede is impossible.

After shedding tears, Haruko Akagi reconciled with her unrequited love.

She let go of her unrequited love for Rukawa Kaede.

Now, Rukawa Kaede has become Shohoku's ace. He had a 1v1 match with Mitsui. Although Mitsui cheated and won, everyone knew that Rukawa Kaede was still the better player.

Sakuragi later realized how formidable Rukawa was.

The Shohoku basketball team went through another crisis of having to retake the exam, and Sakuragi was taught shooting techniques by Coach Anzai, which transformed him and gave him the basic skills to shoot.

……

Sasaki nodded, and he and Hibiki Higashino began discussing the details of the manga, including the dialogue and panel layout, all of which required constant discussion.

Time passed by, and after more than an hour, halfway through, Sasaki suddenly said, "Let's call it a day."

The New Year's party is over, and people are already leaving in twos and threes.

All the large appliances on the podium were moved away.

Hibiki Higashino then paused, "Mr. Sasaki, actually I've been drawing short comics lately."

"Is it finished?" Sasaki asked.

Sasaki already had a good idea of ​​what Akino would do in the future.

Both "The Garden of Words" and "5 Centimeters Per Second" were serialized as long-running series.

For such a long time, Hibiki Higashino has been drawing everyday content. He must have been bored and wanted to start drawing short comics.

So Sasaki wasn't surprised.

“It will take some more time,” Hibiki Higashino said. “The original manuscript should be finished by this summer vacation.”

"Does it really take that long?" Sasaki was surprised. "It's been almost a year."

“About 10 months,” Hibiki Higashino said, “because it’s a short story that was very difficult to draw.”

The animated film "Millennium Actress" is philosophical, full of details, with echoes and twists, and the plot is both real and fictional. Hibiki Higashino still needs to polish it.

Sasaki understood; this would be a very powerful short story.

Perhaps it's more interesting than "The Garden of Words" and "5 Centimeters Per Second," which is why Akino Mirai is so serious about it.

"After you finish drawing the storyboard, please let me see it. I'm really looking forward to it," he said seriously.

“Of course,” Higashino Hibiki gave a thumbs up.

……

Hibiki Higashino declined the invitation to a second gathering, saying he had given up drinking, and the others did not press him.

Sitting in the Toyota Crown, Hibiki Higashino was driven back to Musashino by his driver.

As soon as I entered the dormitory room, Akemi Akimiya was there.

She would wait for Higashino Hibiki at the New Year's party every year.

On the table is the Tezuka Award trophy, and Akemi Akimiya is drawing manga.

“I’m back,” Hibiki Higashino said.

"Do you want to eat first or take a shower first?" Akemi Akemi asked, looking up.

It was very dry in the winter, and she had applied lipstick to her lips, which reflected a rosy and charming glow under the light.

She looks somewhat sexy.

“I’ve already eaten,” Higashino Hibiki said with a smile. “I’m going to take a shower. Wait for me.”

“Okay,” Akemi Akemi nodded. She had her hair tied in a single ponytail and wore glasses, giving her an intellectual air.

At that moment, everyone's attention was focused on the manga, and no one paid attention to what Higashino Hibiki was saying.

He simply responded with a sound of agreement.

Five minutes later, Higashino Hibiki came out of the bathroom. He had finished washing up, and his hair was still wet.

Be careful not to catch a cold.

Akemi Akemi brought a hairdryer and had Higashino Hibiki sit on the sofa. She crouched down, leaning against the back of the sofa, and was a head taller than Higashino Hibiki. She turned on the hairdryer and started to move Higashino Hibiki's hair.

Higashino felt the softness of Akemi Akemi's body and wondered if she wasn't wearing a bra. His mind began to wander.

He caught a whiff of a delicate fragrance and couldn't help but ask, "It smells wonderful. Is that Miss Akimiya's scent?"

"Huh?" Akemi Akemi was puzzled. "Isn't that the smell of your shampoo?"

Higashino carefully examined it and indeed it smelled like the shampoo he had just used.

He then turned and argued, "The wind blows and the flag moves, is it the wind that moves? Or the flag? Actually, it is my heart that moves."

"Tch," Akemi Akemi curled her lip, her knuckles pointing as she pinched Higashino Hibiki's skull, "Don't move, you're splashing water all over me."

“Oh,” Higashino Hibiki obediently replied.