Full-time comic artist

This is the school's dormitory area, but there are very few students living here; it's quite empty and not many people are around.

Under the moonlight, Higashino Hibiki's eyes sparkled as he looked at Akemi Akemi. "Ms. Akemi, we really should thank you for winning the Tezuka Award."

“I’ve only done the work of an assistant,” Akemi Akemi said, lowering her head to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Since my freshman year of college, I’ve been submitting articles to Weekly Shonen Jump. But I’ve never even won a monthly award. How can someone like me help you?”

Seeing how successful her juniors have become, and reflecting on her own efforts, she became somewhat depressed.

Higashino looked at her, his mind unusually calm in the cool breeze of the November night.

"Here, take this." He pushed the Tezuka Trophy into Akemi Akimiya's arms.

Akemi Akemi hugged the trophy to her chest, puzzled. "Huh?"

"We drew 'Hikaru no Go' together," Higashino looked up at Langxing, "I can't bear to part with the prize money, so all I have is this useless honor."

“I, I won’t accept it!” Akemi Akemi shook her head. “This is a major award for your manga, you should take it back.”

“I will have so many trophies in the future, so many that I can’t hold them all,” Hibiki Higashino said. “I’m entrusting the Tezuka Award trophy to you.”

Ignoring Akemi Akemi's reply, he looked straight ahead and said, "I think Ms. Akemi is the kind of person who will overcome all difficulties and persevere until she draws manga."

"One day, Miss Akimiya will also receive honor. When that day comes, please remember me under the night sky tonight."

Chapter 29 After Winning the Award

Monday morning, in a supermarket.

A fair-skinned, handsome high school boy is reading Weekly Shonen Jump.

"As expected, Akira Toriyama's manga is still so moving! It's amazing!"

"The Tezuka Award results should be out by now, right?"

Turning to the announcement page, his eyes widened. "What! A 17-year-old's work was selected!"

"I only had excellent works last year!"

When he was 17, he also submitted a work to the Tezuka Prize under the pen name Tsukihimizukikintosu and won an honorable mention.

That was the most praiseworthy moment of his life.

He is still working in the comics field and recently won the Hot Step Award.

However, these awards are merely consolation prizes for newcomers; the serialization is still a long way off.

"Great artwork, excellent plot—all positive reviews!" He flipped through the pages in disbelief, muttering to himself, "My reviews last year were all negative: 'Terrible plot, no perspective, characters are not well-defined!'"

He couldn't believe it; they were both seventeen, how could there be such a big difference?

When I was four years old, I saw Osamu Tezuka's manga and fell in love with it. When I was ten, Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball became available to the public.

He loves Dragon Ball in every aspect.

So his dream was to become a cartoonist, and he had been studying how to draw comics in private.

"Tori Akino Mirai..." she muttered the author's name silently, "This guy is really annoying."

Looking at his acceptance speech, he said, "While everyone was playing video games, I tried my best to restrain myself, and now it has finally paid off. I will continue to work hard to be active in Jump magazine in the future."

"Who is this guy mocking?" Moon, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter roared angrily. "Watch me surpass you soon!"

……

During the lunch break, Higashino Hibiki was chatting with Nishimura, Kitamoto, and Yoshii next to his seat.

He suddenly felt like he was Saiki Kusuo, wanting to study during his lunch break and push the competition to its limits, but his friends kept talking to him, nagging and bothering him.

"Tori Akino Mirai is amazing!" Nishimura exclaimed, looking at Jump magazine. "She actually got selected! 100 million yen!"

“I saw the name of Tori Akino Mirai in the newspaper this morning,” Yoshii nodded and spoke with admiration. “There was a press release written by a critic saying that Tori Akino Mirai will soon have the ability to serialize, and may become the first high school student to be serialized in Jump.”

He saw the original manuscript of *Hikaru no Go* at the Tezuka Prize banquet. He claimed it was already very mature and could be considered a normal serialized work.

Nishimura remarked, "I really envy him; he's incredibly talented."

“We shouldn’t think like that,” Kitamoto said seriously. “He said he’s been drawing since he was a child, giving up playing. If we used the energy we spend on video games and snacks to draw comics, we should also…”

“That definitely won’t work,” Nishimura interrupted him.

Why do you think it won't work?

“Look at Higashino, he’s been learning to draw since he was little and he’s worked really hard,” Nishimura pouted and gestured towards Higashino Hibiki. “Do you think Higashino could be nominated for the Tezuka Award?”

Higashino Hibiki was reading "Young Runtu" in his Chinese textbook when he was suddenly caught in the crossfire.

I really want to tell him that I am Torino Mirai.

But he decided to hold back, because if it were revealed, something unexpected might happen. That's why he chose a pen name.

There are envious people, or people who are self-righteous.

It will also delay my time for drawing comics.

It doesn't matter once you get to university. Musashino Art University is full of talented people, so they probably won't think of themselves as some rare celebrity.

He blinked and looked at Nishimura until he felt embarrassed and put his hands together in apology: "Sorry, Higashino, I wasn't talking about you, I just think that normal people and geniuses are different."

Hibiki Higashino shook his head as he saw Yuko Asahina get up and walk toward him.

"Don't ignore me, Higashino," Nishimura continued to apologize.

Yuko Asahina, carrying her bento box, approached Hibiki Higashino's table without changing her expression.

"Please make way," she said calmly.

"Oh, sorry." Nishimura subconsciously stood up and stood to the side. He had never spoken to Asahina Yuko before, and he didn't even recognize her voice.

Asahina walked straight in front of Higashino Hibiki, and before Higashino could figure it out, she placed the bento box in his hand.

"Here, eat."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Only when his long, black hair swung around did Nishimura realize what was happening.

"Higashi... Higashino! What's going on between you and Asahina-san?!"

Higashino Hibiki glanced at the bento box with a puzzled look, completely confused.

"Yes? What happened?" he asked Nishimura.

“How would I have known…” Nishimura sat down, looked at the bento box, then looked up, “Higashino, you’re so handsome, it’s normal for Asahina to like you. Damn it! Why wasn’t it me!”

Kitamoto patted him on the shoulder, offering silent comfort.

"Higashino, you eat," Nishimura said generously. "Asahina's happiness is in your hands. If it's Higashino, I think it's fine."

Higashino felt even more pressured, staring intently into the eyes of the three people in front of him. His previously hungry stomach suddenly lost its appetite.

There were other students in Class 2A, making Higashino feel even more uneasy.

He picked up his lunchbox and walked outside, saying, "I'll eat out."

When I got to the door, I saw a person.

She is Akemi Akimiya.

I didn't have class until tomorrow, but I came to school today with my lunchbox.

Higashino Hibiki twitched his nose and smelled the aroma of fried fish.

Immediately, a guess came to mind.

Akemi Akemi's smile was initially radiant when she saw Hibiki Higashino. However, her smile turned cold when she saw the lunchbox in his hand.

"Ms. Akimiya, is this my lunch?"

“Yes,” Akemi Akemi nodded, “You gave me the precious Tezuka Trophy, so thank you for the fried fish. It’s a pity you already have a bento box.”

"I've been using my brain a lot lately, and my appetite has increased so much that I can eat a lot."

"Watch you eat your way into a pig!"

The two walked toward the school lawn.

Higashino stopped under a big tree, sat down on the ground, and opened his lunchbox and bento box.

Steaming hot fried fish, and already cold rice, sausage, and egg rolls.

A heart shape was made of seaweed in the center of the rice. By the time Higashino Hibiki tried to put the lid back on, it was too late.

He looked up nervously and finally understood what it meant to be cold and aloof.

"Wow, that's amazing, Higashino-kun. You already have admirers."

Even idiots get jealous with sarcastic remarks.

“This is Yuko Asahina’s bento,” Hibiki Higashino shook his head. “That child is a bit strange, and I don’t know what’s going on.”

"It definitely isn't love."

Hibiki Higashino was quite perceptive about this: "Perhaps she misunderstood something."

"Yuko Asahina?" Akemi Akimiya nodded. "Wait! What does this have to do with me?"

She was stunned; her brain couldn't process what was happening.

Chapter 30 Review Comments Form

Akemi Akemi's food was as delicious as ever. Hibiki Higashino finished his meal with satisfaction.

Asahina Yuko's bento box was just average, but thankfully it was generously filled with meat.

Japanese meals are typically small, so Hibiki Higashino was just full after eating these two bento boxes.

Akemi Akemi took the lunchbox and went home.

Higashino Hibiki cleaned the bento box and returned it to Asahina Yuko.

At 3:40 p.m., after school, Hibiki Higashino said goodbye to his three friends and, carrying the manuscript of the first three chapters of "Hikaru no Go", took the subway to Shueisha.

It was Sasaki, the editor, who needed to talk to him, but it just so happened that they met by chance. He had only just finished drawing the original manuscripts for the first three chapters of "Hikaru no Go" a few days ago.

Before going to Shueisha, he went to a nearby shopping mall and spent a lot of money to buy a mobile phone.