Full-time comic artist

“Those seniors must be looking down on me,” Kubo said, wrapping his champagne glass in a tissue to keep his fingers dry from the condensation on the glass. He then took a sip. “But I’m not inferior to them, so why should I ask them for advice?”

……

At the New Year's party, Higashino met Torishima Kazuhiko.

“Akimiya-kun… oh no, I should say Akimiya-sensei now,” he said, laughing as he looked at Akimiya Akemi. “Congratulations on finally getting your wish and starting to serialize your manga.”

“It’s editor Torishima,” Akemi Akemi bowed and thanked him. “Thank you for your guidance all this time.”

When she submitted her work to Shueisha, the editor she contacted was Kazuhiko Torishima.

Novice comic artists always learn a lot from their first editor and usually maintain a good relationship with their first editor.

For example, Akira Toriyama, and Yoshihiro Togashi.

“I’ve wanted to hear you say that for a long time,” Torishima Kazuhiko said with a smile. “Saying those words will prove that you have become a manga artist.”

Akemi Akimiya's face showed a moved expression, as if she could see Kazuhiko Torishima, who had worked hard to wait for her to succeed.

Torishima Kazuhiko continued, "If someone as stupid as Akimiya-kun can become a manga artist, then it proves that this industry will never lack new talent."

"You're really going too far," Akemi Akimiya said angrily.

“Yes, Mr. Torishima, you misspoke,” Higashino Hibiki said.

“Yes,” Akemi Akemi nodded seriously.

"How can you compare the newcomers to Mingmei? You're underestimating them."

"What did you say?" Akemi Akemi stared at Higashino Hibiki, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Torishima Kazuhiko laughed heartily, "Hahahaha, that makes sense."

When Akemi Akemi's thumb and forefinger touched Higashino Hibiki's waist, Higashino apologized repeatedly to calm her down.

After the joke, looking at the lively crowd, Torishima Kazuhiko leaned close to Higashino Hibiki's ear and whispered, "I will resign from my position as editor-in-chief this July."

Higashino Hibiki was surprised, "So fast?"

"Yes." Kazuhiko Torishima nodded with his eyes closed. "I've already handed things over to Sasaki, so you don't need to worry."

"I'm sorry." Higashino Hibiki lowered his head.

Perhaps it has something to do with my decision to end "Slam Dunk".

"No, no, no," Torishima Kazuhiko shook his head, raising his index finger. "I can't do it anymore either."

Kazuhiko Torishima was born in 1952 and is just 49 years old.

As the editor-in-chief of a comic magazine, this age is a bit too old.

He should be responsible for more macro-level work.

Previous editors-in-chief of Jump also retired around this age.

Thinking about this made Hibiki Higashino feel a little better.

He thought about how, after Kazuhiko Torishima took office, he resolved the Jump sales crisis that had left Nobuhiko Horie helpless during his tenure.

It has unearthed Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, Takeshi Konomi, Hiroyuki Takei (who drew Shaman King), Kentaro Yabuki (who is currently serializing Black Cat), and Tite Kubo (the future pillar of the series and author of Bleach).

These people will be the pillars and backbone of Weekly Shonen Jump for the next ten years. In other words, during his five and a half years in office, Kazuhiko Torishima laid a solid foundation for Weekly Shonen Jump.

Even after the decline of print magazines in the new century, with Sunday and Magazine sales plummeting to less than a million and their future uncertain, Jump still maintained a dominant presence of over two million copies, which speaks volumes about Kazuhiko Torishima's achievements.

Higashino's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, was finally at ease, and he no longer worried about Torishima Kazuhiko.

“Moreover,” Torishima Kazuhiko winked one eye and said mysteriously, “maybe I’ve been promoted? Who knows?”

"Then I'll congratulate you in advance." Higashino Hibiki raised his champagne glass. "Cheers."

……

The New Year's party is over.

When Higashino Hibiki raised his champagne glass and teased Akemi Akemi, he said, "Cheers to your eyes."

Many people left in twos and threes.

“Tori Akino-kun,” Hiroshi Motomiya suddenly appeared, putting his arm around Hibiki Higashino’s shoulder and looking at Akemi Akimiya, whose cheeks were flushed, and teasing her with a smile. “You two are really sweet together.”

"Miya-sensei, is there something you need?" Higashino Hibiki asked shamelessly.

"Are you going to attend this year's second gathering like you have in previous years?" he asked seriously. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that Mrs. Higashino is also here."

Hibiki Higashino was both amused and exasperated. "You really are being reckless, saying all sorts of nonsense. Every year after I joined Shueisha, Akemi would wait for me to come home for the New Year's party."

This was true even before they officially became a couple.

“Mmm.” Akemi Akemi nodded.

Hiroshi Motomiya pouted, "Sigh, really, I wanted to punish you for not fitting in."

"I've already quit drinking, but I really can't help it, I'm sorry."

He indulges in both alcohol and women, which will damage his health.

Faced with the choice between the two, Higashino Hibiki had no choice but to give up drinking without hesitation.

"That's how it is." Akemi Akemi patted Hibiki Higashino on the shoulder, very satisfied.

Hibiki Higashino had heard that Japanese people often get together after get off work.

If a husband comes home early every day, his wife might say he's unambitious and doesn't fit in.

Thankfully, Akemi Akimiya isn't like that.

……

The two of them have decided to leave the New Year's party.

"Teacher Akimiya, you're still here."

It was her editor, Ms. Fukatsu.

"I suddenly have an idea about 'Sakura Quest' that I'd like to discuss with you."

That night, in a quiet bar near the New Year's Hotel, work and conversation resumed.

The communication did not end until after midnight.

It was already one o'clock when I got home.

"There's just no way to get rid of it."

Akemi Akimiya and Hibiki Higashino smiled bitterly.

……

The New Year holiday is over.

The assistants are back at work.

"Tori Akino-sensei, have you read the winter issue of Akamaru Jump? There's a really great short story in this issue," Tanaka said excitedly to Hibiki Higashino as soon as they entered the studio.

"The title is 'BLEACH,' and it tells the story of a battle between the Grim Reapers."

Hibiki Higashino nodded. "It's very interesting, but Kubo-sensei is still too inexperienced as a manga artist."

The story is good, but the scene composition is rather poor.

However, considering that he was still a newcomer, Higashino Hibiki was not so picky.

Yoshihiro Togashi's drawings were initially quite poor.

Let's look forward to Kubo's future.

Hibiki Higashino really wants to see the Soul Society arc, which is the pinnacle of Bleach, but we still have a long way to go.

"I feel fine, teacher, you're standing at too high a height," Tanakai complained.

"The main characters of BLEACH, Ichigo Kurosaki, are very handsome, and Rukia, although flat-chested, is also very cute," said Tanaka, an otaku with a somewhat decadent air, who loves Kubo's manga. "The lines are catchy, the clothes are fashionable... In short, BLEACH has too many advantages."

"Mmm." Higashino Hibiki nodded as he listened.

What Tanaka was referring to was precisely what made Bleach one of the three major shonen manga, surpassing One Piece and Naruto.

That's Kubo's talent.

……

Although Tanaka was always an assistant, the topics he discussed with Hibiki Higashino were more like what enthusiasts would say.

The other assistant, Omori, talked about industry matters today.

"In a little over two weeks, it'll be February," Omori mused, resting his chin on his pen. "The Shogakukan Manga Award winners will be announced this year. I wonder which works will be selected?"

"Tori Akino-sensei, did you know there would be a 'Slam Dunk' anime?"

Higashino Hibiki shook his head. "I don't know that yet."

"It would be too much if you weren't here this year."

He counted on his fingers, noting the outstanding achievements of young comics in the past two years.

"Naruto, One Piece, Inuyasha..."

"You should just focus on your work," Higashino Hibiki said, half-laughing and half-crying. "What's the point of thinking about these things?"

In fact, accomplished cartoonists don't value these awards.

Unlike actors and directors, they don't need fame; they let their work speak for itself.

Even for the renowned Akira Toriyama, if his manga readers don't like it, it's still a work that hasn't achieved success.

Whether or not they win an award, most of them maintain an indifferent attitude.

On the contrary, Omori, who didn't have a serialized work, focused on this aspect, which was somewhat reversed.

“Omori-san,” Hibiki Higashino said, “you should improve yourself if you have the time.”

"Yes." Omori nodded casually.

He had already experienced the frustration of trying in vain, so what he was thinking about more was not getting a chance.

Most of the manga serialized in Jump are not as good as his artwork.

Hibiki Higashino shook his head and started drawing manga.