Full-time comic artist

"Due to the unreasonable violence of my parents, the secret base that had been unknown to anyone for three years has finally been dismantled."

Having read this far in the comic, Naoko Takeuchi felt a little worried.

Since the third grade, Xiao Liang's emotional haven has been destroyed by his parents. I don't know how sad he must be.

Hanging on a tree branch in the sealed-off secret base is a letter from Ayako to Ryo, about her current situation.

The letter explained that the earring was not a gift from Mr. Sasaki to her mother, but rather a gift for Ayako.

She has now pierced her ears and is wearing earrings, and they have agreed to meet at the next secret base.

To Xiao Liang.

Ayako was worried that her mother would be taken away by someone else, but she smiled happily in the photo of her wearing earrings.

Xiao Liang also smiled.

"What do you mean 'small good'? It means fertile land."

The comic ends here.

It's a very simple story.

The past story of Ryota Miyagi, who loves basketball.

Naoko Takeuchi seemed thoughtful as she compared Miyagi Ryota's past.

"I see."

When Miyagi Ryota was a first-year high school student, he was withdrawn and considered a delinquent or problem child.

When Mitsui and Sakuragi's gang caused him trouble, he stood his ground and confronted them head-on.

All of this is related to his childhood experiences.

The chapter "Earrings" fleshes out the character of Ryota Miyagi.

Ryota's ability to smile when his secret base is destroyed by his parents demonstrates his high tolerance and mature composure.

In "Slam Dunk", he was picked on by Mitsui several times. The first time, he was beaten and sent to the hospital. The second time, even after he humbled himself, he was still beaten up.

However, after Mitsui rejoined Shohoku, Ryota didn't hold it in at all and had a good relationship with Mitsui. The two were also one of the few partners in the Shohoku basketball team who could cooperate well in individual battles.

“Among the group of five, Ryota, who had always been the least prominent,” Naoko Takeuchi couldn’t help but conclude, “was actually a character with a rich backstory. It’s just that he had always been overshadowed by Sakuragi and the others.”

It's not that there's a problem with Ryota, but rather that there are just too many brilliant characters in Slam Dunk.

"Tori Akino's 'Earring' was written to fill in the gaps in Ryota's story in the side stories, and he succeeded," Naoko Takeuchi remarked.

Yoshihiro Togashi didn't respond; he massaged his aching lower back and groaned.

“Alright,” Naoko Takeuchi stood up and said to him, “There’s a One Piece stage play over there, let’s go check it out!”

"Eh!" Togashi was shocked.

……

The next day, "Jump Festa" came to a grand and successful close in front of the entire audience.

Hibiki Higashino returned to a normal life.

"Teacher Toriakino," Omori had gained a lot of weight, his chin was prominent, and his stubble hadn't been groomed in a long time, making him look much more颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of being listless, decadent, or dispirited).

Omori asked with concern, "How are the sales of 'Earrings'?"

Tanaka heard this and looked over with great interest.

He's afraid of going to crowded places, but he can still enjoy listening to the commotion.

Hibiki Higashino replied, "They sold out in two days; there were 50,000 copies."

"Earrings" was a huge success.

The "Jump Festa" event attracted a total of 18.3 attendees over two days.

Out of 18.3 people, 5 copies were sold, which shows Higashino Hibiki's appeal.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Omori exclaimed. "As expected of Tori Akino-sensei, he easily accomplished what we couldn't. It's so captivating and admirable!"

“Over there,” Higashino snapped his finger, “don’t recite lines from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood! If you like it so much, why don’t you go to Jump Festa?”

Omori said, "No need, I'm past the age of enjoying attending anime conventions."

He's actually in his thirties.

“That’s not a good idea,” Hibiki Higashino said, shaking his head. “Only by keeping a youthful mindset can you create manga that teenagers like.”

Omori fell silent.

After a long pause, he asked with a complicated expression, "Teacher, do you really think I can serialize this?"

Higashino paused, licked his lips, and understood Omori's thoughts.

Omori has been striving to become a manga artist for over a decade, but now he's exhausted and doesn't want to continue.

So it is true, "I'm not young anymore."

Tanaka cleared his throat twice. "Sure, Mr. Omori's drawing skills are very strong, much stronger than mine. As long as you draw content that readers like, you can continue the series."

“I used to think the same way,” Omori said. “But I kept trying and never let up, but I still couldn’t get a serialization.”

"Now that I've come to Tori Akino's studio, compared with Tori Akino's manga, I understand my own weakness even more."

"Perhaps the path of drawing comics is not suitable for me."

He put on a relaxed expression, but his fingers were trembling.

Higashino Hibiki was speechless.

Akemi Akemi listened quietly without saying a word.

After a day's work, Akemi Akimiya did not rest, but worked even harder to draw "Cherry Blossom Mission".

When it was time to sleep, she lost interest. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she became drowsy and quickly drifted off to sleep.

……

Yan Yan High School.

"It turns out that Miyagi Ryota was a child who grew up by the sea."

"He's a big fan of Jordan, so he wore an earring."

Several students who participated in "Jump Festa" were discussing it with great interest.

They instantly became the center of attention in the class, and amidst calls of "Big Brother" from classmates and friends, they began to tell the story of "The Earring".

"Oh, I see!"

"I regret it so much! I really regret not going to Chiba to see 'Jump Festa'!"

"Father, may I take a look at the earrings you bought?"

"I'll provide a week's worth of potato chips!"

The mere 50,000 copies of the "Earring" single volume spread rapidly among the readers of "Slam Dunk" through word of mouth.

……

It's Sunday now.

Sasaki came to visit, carrying a sample copy of the latest issue of Weekly Shonen Jump.

This is also the last issue of Jump this year.

The next issue will be on hiatus due to the New Year.

Hibiki Higashino flipped through Jump and saw that there were no errors or omissions in Slam Dunk.

He then flipped through the entire page and stopped on one page.

"This is?"

“Your conversation with Mr. Toriyama,” Sasaki explained.

On this page, the entire dialogue between Hibiki Higashino and Akira Toriyama is recorded in written form.

Hibiki Higashino scratched his cheek. "It feels so embarrassing."

Sasaki chuckled. "You'll get used to it."

"Uh..." Higashino Hibiki was speechless.

He put the jump down. "There's no problem with the sample copy."

Then he talked to Sasaki about the plot of "Slam Dunk" after the New Year.

Slam Dunk will end in a little over a year, and the Sannoh match is the final episode. Sasaki is being very strict with his demands.

"Can we give Ryota Miyagi a better performance? Let's strike while the iron is hot after the release of 'Earring'."

Sasaki explained that the editorial department decided that "Earring" would be published in Jump three months later, and during that time, it would correspond to the plot of "Slam Dunk".

“I’ll consider it,” Hibiki Higashino replied.

It won't affect the rhythm, no problem at all, but he couldn't guarantee it.

“Yes,” Sasaki agreed, “Maintaining a clear mind is the most important thing.”

They chatted for a while longer, then gradually finished their work, and Sasaki prepared to leave.

“Mr. Sasaki,” Akemi Akemi stopped him, and asked apologetically and very seriously, “Would it be possible to meet here on Tuesday?”

“Okay.” Sasaki agreed without question.

"Thank you very much." Akemi Akimiya bowed deeply.

"Mrs. Higashino, you're too kind." Sasaki waved his hand.

He recalled, "We've known each other for so long, this is just a small thing."

Sasaki and Akemi Akemi knew each other before Sasaki met Hibiki Higashino.

Akemi Akemi's submissions were previously submitted to Kazuhiko Torishima.

After Kazuhiko Torishima left Jump to found V-Jump, she submitted her work to Sasaki, the editor whom Torishima had recommended to her.

Sasaki was deeply impressed by Akemi Akemi, who fought and failed repeatedly but never gave up.