Full-time comic artist

“I never expected this,” Minami Chiharu said, flipping the meat over the grill, “that Takagi-senpai, who’s always drunk and causing trouble, would end up at the same university as Aoki-senpai. The lofty status of Tokyo University in my mind has collapsed.”

"Chiharu~" Kiko Takagi said coquettishly, drawing out the tone, "You're so naughty."

This sent a chill down Minami Chiharu's spine.

"I'm already making you some barbecue." Nan Qianchun didn't look up. "Please don't make me throw up."

They started playfully bickering. Higashino Hibiki moved his arm and looked over. It was Akemi Akemi tugging at his sleeve and pointing to a secluded corner.

Hibiki Higashino followed her over and asked curiously, "Is there something you need?"

Akemi Akimiya asked, "Did you go to Shueisha today? How did it go?"

"Editor Sasaki said he'd submit it to the serialization conference," Hibiki Higashino said with a smile, "and then it's up to fate."

"Congratulations!" she exclaimed in surprise, but her first words of congratulations were nonetheless.

"I've never seen anyone start a serialized novel right after their debut. You're a genius, Higashino-kun."

"Everyone says that, but what Ms. Akimiya said makes me the happiest."

……

After Akemi Akimiya and Hibiki Higashino left, Kiko Takagi stopped what she was doing and whispered to Chiharu Minami, "What exactly is the relationship between Higashino and Akemi-sensei?"

Nan Qianqiu asked, puzzled, "Teacher and student? What other relationship could there be?"

“They don’t seem like teacher and student,” Kiko Takagi shook her head. “I often see Ms. Akimiya sneaking into Hibiki Higashino’s room, acting all sneaky.”

“He must be getting tutoring,” Yoshii Yamahisa stepped forward to explain. “Higashino-kun’s grades have improved a lot; he must be studying hard behind the scenes.”

"Tutoring?" Kiko Takagi shook her head. "You're such a virgin, you don't understand. The way they look doesn't seem like they're having tutoring."

“A virgin…” Yoshii Yamahisa’s face turned red, but he couldn’t refute it.

"It really is." Seeing his expression, Takagi Kiko was stunned for a moment, then smiled charmingly, "How cute, Yamahisa-kun."

"Takagi-senpai!" Yamahisa exclaimed angrily.

She didn't care at all, saying, "She's cute even when she's angry."

“Stop teasing Yoshii-kun,” Minami Chiharu turned around and glanced in the direction where Akemi Akemi and Hibiki Higashino had left. “It’s not good to talk about these things behind their backs. As for their relationship, we’ll find out when they decide to tell us.”

……

While Hibiki Higashino was celebrating Nozomi Takagi's admission to the University of Tokyo, many people were still playing Go at the Go club, even though it was already dark.

"Are you using the Shusaku style? The Shusaku style is outdated."

"What does it matter? It's quite interesting to try out a tactic that was invincible more than a hundred years ago."

"That's true."

Xiaochun came to the chess academy because she had to work during the day and only had time in the evenings.

Seeing that the people he usually played chess with had started to play, he watched for a while and then got a little bored. The opponents were too weak. It was like Shin Jinseo watching Zhan Ying play chess; his chess skills could easily be corrupted.

When I have nothing to do, I pick up Jump and start watching.

The receptionist saw this and leaned closer, saying curiously, "Hey? I've never seen you read this kind of book before."

Koharu replied, "That little guy named Hibiki Higashino said he'll be serializing it in this magazine. I want to see when it will be published."

“Actually, I’ve been reading it recently too,” said an elderly man named Kazuo, who was wearing reading glasses. “It’s quite cheap; such a thick book only costs a little over two hundred yen. It’s just that I can’t see what it’s about.”

"The print is very small, the paper is rough, and the printing is very poor," another old man nodded and complained, "After I bought it, my cat just tore it up like a newspaper."

Some people agreed, saying, "This magazine doesn't consider the elderly at all."

The little girl was extremely surprised; she had never imagined that Weekly Shonen Jump would be associated with the elderly.

"Did you all buy them?" she asked.

"Yes."

“My grandson watches it often, and then I watched it too.”

"Even without looking at the content, just looking at the pictures is quite interesting."

The little girl asked, puzzled, "Why? It's very difficult to get serialized in Jump. Only one in ten thousand people can succeed. That's probably the level of difficulty."

She sensed that in the hearts of these elderly people, Higashino Hibiki would definitely be serialized.

Yifu stood up, his expression serious. "All we people want is for Go to continue to be passed down. Such a wonderful culture cannot be lost in this materialistic age."

"It's not that high-class. I hope to have strangers come to play chess. I can't stand seeing these old people all the time."

"Perhaps it can spark my grandson's interest in Go. Aren't kids all about comics?"

"I'm just idling around anyway."

They explained.

“It definitely can,” Xiaochun stood up, “or rather, it has already begun!”

He stared intently at the page where "Hikaru no Go" was selected.

Chapter 32 Desolation

The next day, a weekend, Higashino Hibiki had just returned home when he received a call from Sasaki.

Luckily he was in the bedroom, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to explain it.

"A Mr. Shinoda, who claims to be a professional 4-dan player, called the editorial department to inquire about 'Hikaru no Go' and asked if you could contact him."

“Mr. Shinoda? Oh, I know him. I saw him at the Go club before.” Higashino Hibiki recalled the Go academy teacher with the folding fan. “But I don’t have his business card with me right now. I’ll have to trouble you, Mr. Sasaki.”

"Make a note of this."

Sasaki read out a string of numbers, and Higashino picked up a discarded piece of paper and wrote them down.

Hibiki Higashino: "Okay, all done."

Sasaki did not hang up the phone, but said, "Since 'Hikaru no Go' is mainly about Go, the knowledge about Go in it must be true and reliable. Shinoda, a 4-dan player, said that if I need any help, he can visit me anytime."

"I understand."

Higashino Hibiki naturally understood. He had originally planned to contact the Go Association after the serialization, but he didn't expect Shinoda to be so impatient.

This is actually something he doesn't understand.

Japanese Go was still very glorious in the 80s, boasting six top-tier players who were unparalleled in the world.

But by the 1990s, it had been surpassed by China and South Korea.

Even within its own territory, the status of Go is constantly being eroded by Shogi.

With the bursting of the economic bubble, the number of Go players has declined year after year, from a peak of 1200 million to the current 700 million.

The most serious problem is the loss of young people, with the majority of the population being middle-aged and elderly.

Moreover, this situation is constantly escalating and becoming increasingly severe.

Especially in the second Ing Cup final this year, Hideo Ohtake lost to Seo Bong-soo of South Korea, making it even harder to hide the disappointment.

After losing to South Korea, we lost to China, and now there's no one left to lose to.

……

Shinoda, a 4-dan professional, was at home looking at an old newspaper with a section about "Hikaru no Go".

Although it was only a small piece of paper, it described the process in detail and praised Higashino Hibiki highly, believing that he had the potential to become a popular manga artist.

Shinoda was surprised; he hadn't expected the young man he'd met just over two months ago to be so talented.

It will soon be serialized.

He had just spoken on the phone with Sasaki from the editorial department, who praised Hibiki Higashino highly, saying that it would be serialized someday.

This made him feel somewhat ashamed.

He was short-sighted back then.

"It would be better if they were a little more enthusiastic."

Higashino Hibiki hadn't contacted him, which made him a little anxious.

"Did he notice my disrespect?"

As a teacher, he could sense the decline in the skill level of the new students at the chess academy.

"I hope that 'Hikaru no Go' can be serialized and inspire some children to fall in love with Go. Even a few hundred thousand copies would be great."

"I really want to do my part, however small."

He recalled the hard days he spent learning chess at the chess academy when he was a child.

I memorize chess scores every day and play chess constantly.

Eating is like playing chess, and going to the toilet is also like playing chess.

The black and white pieces were locked in a fierce battle in his mind, almost to the point of obsession.

The capable rise, the mediocre fall.

They climb relentlessly amidst patience, effort, heartache, distress, and even despair, striving for a one-in-a-thousand chance.

Fortunately, after three disappointments, he finally passed the professional Go exam on his fourth attempt.

"That's why I love Go so much."

He looked at the cherry blossom trees outside the window; in the cold winter, the branches were bare, devoid of beauty, only appearing desolate and forlorn.

"Go should not be cherry blossoms; it should be pine and cypress."

Just as I was thinking this, the landline rang.

His eyes lit up, and he immediately stood up and walked over steadily.

……

On Monday at noon, Higashino Hibiki looked at Asahina Yuko, who was holding a bento box, and sighed.

"Asahina-san, just say what's on your mind. There's no need to go to such lengths."

"Am I bothering you?" she tilted her head and asked calmly.