Full-time comic artist

"Yes." Sasaki lowered his head slightly.

"Pity."

……

Higashino Hibiki was reluctant to part with Sasaki.

This editor is exceptionally capable and always considers the needs of the cartoonist. When discussing things with him, you always exchange knowing smiles, understanding each other without saying a word.

He will not insist on his own point of view; the decision rests with Higashino Hibiki.

He wouldn't ask Higashino Hibiki to add his own hobbies to the manga, resulting in a hodgepodge;

He doesn't work just for the sake of working. When Higashino Hibiki presented the perfect storyboard, Sasaki nodded and said, "That's good enough."

Working with Sasaki is really easy; there's no need for unnecessary chatter.

Moreover, not long after Hibiki Higashino traveled through time, he met Sasaki in the summer of 93, and they have been working together ever since, becoming friends.

……

At this moment, Hibiki Higashino and Sasaki understood each other's feelings. They tacitly refrained from saying anything sentimental and continued discussing the storyboards for "Slam Dunk".

It wasn't until the manager brought the coffee to the two of them that they finally understood.

"Thank you so much."

Higashino Hibiki took a sip of his white coffee, and it was indeed different from others, much sweeter and more mellow.

The aroma of the roasted coffee beans is just right.

“It’s delicious.” He gave a thumbs up.

The store manager's furrowed brows relaxed, and he said with a smile, "It's great that the customer is satisfied."

He explained that these were coffee beans he had specially selected from the production area, and that he had roasted them himself.

He takes every step very seriously, so he is very confident in his coffee.

"He's truly a coffee master," Higashino exclaimed.

"Huh?" The store manager didn't understand. "Thank you."

In any case, he still thanked them.

……

After the storyboard discussion, Sasaki and Hibiki Higashino talked about interesting things that happened at Shueisha.

"The editor-in-chief of Bird Island is a person who sets high standards for everyone."

Higashino nodded. Torishima Kazuhiko was indeed strict and would drive the manga artists under his supervision to the brink of death. When he became the editor-in-chief, the editors under him naturally didn't have it easy either.

"But recently, the editor-in-chief of Bird Island has been very amiable. When Bottle does something wrong, he just pats Bottle on the shoulder and tells Bottle to take a rest."

"The 'Bleach' short story that Asada was in charge of is a good work and has achieved good results. Editor-in-Chief Torishima specifically praised Asada, which made him feel flattered."

Everyone is wondering, what exactly happened to Mr. Torishima?

"Hahaha."

Sasaki spoke softly to Hibiki Higashino with a smile on his lips.

"Mr. Torishima is so easy to talk to, is it because of that?" Higashino Hibiki said thoughtfully.

“Of course it’s because of that,” Sasaki replied affirmatively.

Kazuhiko Torishima is leaving his post. Without the demands of work, his warm-hearted nature becomes apparent.

……

When Yamamura Morimichi received news that Torishima Kazuhiko was coming to visit him, he was somewhat surprised.

His most frequent contact with this editor-in-chief was in 93 when Kazuhiko Torishima suggested that he collaborate with Akino Torishima.

His youthful arrogance back then led to awkwardness whenever he saw Torishima Kazuhiko.

Now that "The Bizarre Detective Agency" has ended, there's even less contact between them.

To ask him to draw a manga? Jump is full of talented people these days, asking an unknown nobody like him for a new serialization is simply a pipe dream.

With some questions in mind, he and his wife, Kikuchi Hidemi, tidied up the room and waited for Torishima and Hiko to arrive.

Not long after, the doorbell rang.

Yamamura Morimichi invited Torishima Kazuhiko into the room. Coffee was on the table, and the three of them looked at each other.

"I'm being transferred to the position of editor-in-chief at Jump, so I'm informing Mr. Yamamura."

Kazuhiko Torishima is leaving Weekly Shonen Jump!

Upon hearing this news, Yamamura Morimichi was extremely surprised.

"Following editor-in-chief Horie, editor-in-chief Torishima is also leaving his post."

By my calculations, his career as a manga artist, which began with his collaborations with "Bungei Shunju" and "Weekly Shonen Jump," has already spanned seven years.

He started by chasing after Tori Akino Mirai, only to find that the harder he tried, the further away he got.

Now, Tori Akino has become an unreachable horizon.

It truly is a difficult journey with no future in sight.

"Have you always wanted to surpass Toriakino Mirai?" Torishima Kazuhiko asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Yamamura Morimichi's lost expression.

"It sounds unrealistic, but that's really what I think, and that's what I've been working towards!" Yamamura Morimichi nodded firmly.

“Very good!” Torishima Kazuhiko lowered his head, hiding his smile. “However, Torishino Mirai is a terrifying guy! He is a genius, incredibly hardworking, and has endless interesting ideas. He was born to draw manga. There is no better shonen manga artist in Japan right now than him.”

“I know,” Yamamura said, raising his head defiantly, “but that’s still how I think, and that’s how I do!”

"Mr. Yamamura, I knew you were a tenacious person. As long as you keep moving towards your goal, you will definitely make progress." Kazuhiko Torishima looked at Morimichi Yamamura with admiration, his tone rising and falling with emotion!

"In Jump right now, you're the person most likely to surpass Akino Mirai!"

Yamamura Morimichi trembled, staring at Torishima Kazuhiko in shock.

“No, perhaps it’s just my imagination. I value you too much,” Torishima Kazuhiko shook his head again under Yamamura’s burning gaze. “Don’t take it to heart.”

Yamamura shouted loudly, "Chief Editor-in-Chief Torishima, I will prove to you that I will surpass Torishino Mirai!"

After Torishima Kazuhiko left, Yamamura immediately sat down at his workstation and began brainstorming new manga storyboards.

"I will work hard! I will strive!"

……

At the door of the mountain village house, Torishima Kazuhiko rested his ear against the door, and as he heard the sounds inside, the corners of his mouth kept turning up.

After that, Eiichiro Oda's studio.

"Oda-kun, I misjudged you back then. One Piece is an extremely excellent work, and you are a genius. In Jump, you are the most likely person to surpass Akino Mirai!"

"Editor-in-Chief Bird Island... Waaah, I'm so sorry, I went too far back then! Thank you for your high regard!"

……

Masashi Kishimoto Studio.

"There's so much room for maneuver in Naruto, Kishimoto-kun. As the one who created Naruto, you truly are a genius. Become a pillar of Jump."

"Editor-in-Chief, Torishima Editor-in-Chief, I want to become the future of Jump!"

……

When Torishima Kazuhiko was mentioned, Hibiki Higashino and Sasaki drank coffee and looked at each other in silence.

Finally, Hibiki Higashino broke the silence, letting out a long sigh, "Mr. Torishima is truly a very responsible editor-in-chief."

“He has a heart full of sincerity.” Sasaki nodded in agreement.

……

With six months left before leaving Jump, Kazuhiko Torishima used this opportunity to continuously motivate manga artists.

The editor Asada, who followed him, held him in high esteem.

"Even at the very end, the editor-in-chief still cared about Weekly Shonen Jump."

Torishima Kazuhiko walked ahead, his nearly 50-year-old face showing a hint of smugness.

He was notified that he would be promoted to head of the third editorial department of Shueisha, overseeing Shueisha's weekly manga series.

So in the end, the works drawn by these cartoonists are still his achievement.

Hahaha.

……

In the coffee shop.

Hibiki Higashino and Sasaki have been there for 3 hours.

If the coffee shop hadn't been consistently less crowded, the two of them would have already felt embarrassed and asked for refills.

Fortunately, we've made it to the end of today's work.

"There's one more thing..." Sasaki flipped through his notebook, reading aloud, "...about the winner of the Shogakukan Manga Award."

"Congratulations, Mr. Tori Akino, you have won the Manga Award in the Shonen category."

Hibiki Higashino nodded slightly. "Thank you."

You won a prize! A million-dollar reward!

He was still very happy.

"That's all." Sasaki put away his notebook. "That's all for today."

"Well, hard work."

The two got up and walked towards the door. Just as they passed the front desk, the store manager suddenly spoke up.

"Are you... Toriakino Mirai-sensei?"

Higashino Hibiki was slightly surprised. He had been sitting in the coffee shop for so long and the manager hadn't mentioned it. He thought the manager didn't know about Akino Mirai.

"it's me."