Full-time comic artist

“Wow,” Higashino exclaimed, this man in his thirties was shining brightly, and looked a little… a little… disgusting.

"So you returned to Tokyo after successfully losing weight."

"Yes."

"Here he comes to be my assistant again?"

"Yes."

"Welcome." Hibiki Higashino extended his right hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Toriakino." The two clasped hands tightly.

“And teacher,” Omori said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, “I said some presumptuous things to you during the time when I had no hope for life. Please forgive me.”

Hibiki Higashino laughed and said, "I've already forgotten. Let's get to work now."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the main seat. He had already made a significant progress.

Now that we finally have an assistant we can squeeze out, we need to catch up on the progress quickly.

“There’s one more thing,” Omori said, and Higashino stopped in his tracks.

"Is there anything else?"

"Tori Akino-sensei, you're too cruel." Omori said angrily, "I was heartbroken watching chapter 14 of Death Note. The scene of Naomi Minami's empty expression and hunched body as she passed away was so painful."

This is also the feeling of most readers who watched episode fourteen.

The past was full of hope and vitality, but after Light Yagami wrote her name in the notebook, it became an empty shell.

The reader directly felt the weight of life.

Some different opinions began to emerge regarding Light Yagami.

If someone like Light Yagami were to change the world, and after countless sacrifices were made, would the world ultimately be better than it is now?

Higashino Hibiki turned around, looked up at him, and said with a smile, "Omori-san, you really are a hypocrite."

Why didn't you say anything when you were struck dead?

"But I'm the same way."

……

"Teacher Akino! Look at the TV!"

Higashino and Omori laughed heartily, as if they were bosom friends, when Tanaka rushed in.

"Ah, Mr. Omori, you're back." He was somewhat surprised.

“Yes,” Omori nodded, opening his arms to await the reunion and embrace with his friend Tanaka.

Unexpectedly, Tanaka ignored him completely, ran to the living room, turned on the TV, and exclaimed, "Teacher, come and see!"

"Huh?" Omori froze on the spot, turning his head to look at Tanaka in disbelief.

Hibiki Higashino walked over and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Big news!" He turned his voice up to the maximum, and the reporter's voice echoed throughout the room.

……

"According to sources, Professor Hiroyuki Oyama, a political expert, has a grandson named Ai Oyama who is receiving treatment in the psychology department of Aiko Mental Hospital in Tokyo, Japan..."

Higashino Hibiki's eyes widened. "This is definitely big news."

"Teacher!" Tanaka said to Hibiki Higashino, "This is really good news. Death Note is alright."

The words slipped out, and then he realized that it was really wrong of him to be so happy because a child had a mental illness.

“It’s alright…” Tanaka repeated, bowing his head.

"Yes." Higashino nodded, looking at the timid Ooyama Ai on TV, and sighed softly in his heart, "It's over."

……

Parents and teachers watched the news report with anxiety upon hearing that Hiroshi Oyama's grandson had been diagnosed with a mental illness.

As the reporter delved deeper, it turned out exactly as Mr. Akimiya had said.

Hiroyuki Oyama is a person with a strong desire for control. He restricts his grandson in every aspect of his life. His grandson also needs to attend tutoring classes in piano, ballroom dancing, art, and math olympiad. Even his last hobby was taken away by Hiroyuki Oyama.

Over time, the children who lost their desires developed depression, and were only sent to the hospital for treatment after the school discovered it.

"We don't know if Professor Dashan was aware of Dashan Ai's condition. If he was, why didn't he treat her? Was he worried about damaging his reputation?"

"If he doesn't know, does that prove he doesn't understand his grandson?"

"We urge parents not to place excessive pressure on their children. According to data from the University of Tokyo, the number of children with depression has risen rapidly in the past five years..."

Higashino Shio watched the reporter nervously as she spoke, "We used to... have the same thing with Hibiki..."

Higashino Ichiro pursed his lips and nodded; he was an eagle father.

When Hibiki Higashino was a child, he would scold me if I didn't draw properly. Thinking about it now, it was really dangerous.

"During high school, Hibiki became a biker gang member out of despair, perhaps venting his frustrations during that period."

They looked at each other, a hint of relief in their eyes.

Thankfully, my child has grown up normally and has achieved some success. Everything is wonderful except for not having children yet.

……

Higashino Hibiki's eyes widened. "Really?"

“Yes,” Akemi Akemi nodded gently, “Because it’s been a long time since my period started, I tested it… and it’s true.”

She shyly held up the pregnancy test, on which two lines were clearly visible.

"Positive?" Higashino Hibiki exclaimed in surprise.

"Ok?"

"No...no!" Higashino Hibiki exclaimed with delight, his mouth practically babbling out, "That's amazing!"

For some reason, Higashino Hibiki was trembling all over. He paced back and forth, looking at Akemi Akemi and then at his own hands, his whole being caught in a state of mixed surprise and fear.

Seeing Akemi Akemi's smile, he finally calmed down. "Thank you, Akemi."

"Let's go to the hospital first." Akemi Akemi held Higashino Hibiki's hand.

"Oh! The hospital! Yes, yes!"

……

After following up on Hiroyuki Oyama's news, Koji Yoshida discovered through data analysis from Shueisha that no parents are now so fixated on "Death Note."

It seems that Hiroyuki Oyama's experience has made the parents uneasy.

They used to believe so much in Hiroyuki Oyama's words, and now they are so terrified.

Parents, reflecting on their own mistakes, discovered many of them matched the way Hiroyuki Oyama educated his grandson in the news, and immediately changed their approach.

"Congratulations, Mr. Torino Akino!"

At the hospital, Akemi Akemi went in for a blood test. While Hibiki Higashino was feeling anxious, Yoshida called and immediately congratulated him.

"Huh?" Higashino Hibiki looked around the hospital but didn't see Yoshida. He asked in confusion, "You already know?"

"Of course!" Yoshida beamed. "It's caused such a big stir, everyone knows about it now."

"I haven't revealed it yet," Higashino Hibiki muttered, "Never mind!"

He didn't have time to think about these things. Hibiki Higashino continued, "Yoshida, this call came at just the right time. I'm informing you that Death Note will be taking a week off."

He wasn't in the mood to draw comics, but he still needed to set aside time for preparation.

"Huh? Shouldn't we be striking while the iron is hot? Why are we taking a break?"

Yoshida wanted to ask more questions, but the phone went dead.

"Why?" He stared at his phone, completely bewildered.

"I went to great lengths to find him a second assistant, and the experts who were hindering the serialization of 'Death Note' were too busy to deal with their own problems. The best time had come, but now they're going to suspend the series?"

"I was indeed too naive to understand the teacher's feelings."

……

Akemi Akimiya is indeed pregnant, and she's already more than 20 days along.

Hibiki Higashino nervously asked the doctor about precautions and carefully wrote them down.

On his way home, he called Tanaka to inform him that they were taking a break this week.

When he arrived home, only Akemi Akemi and he were there.

Higashino and she calculated the time and found that it was the result of Christmas Eve.

“It’s a gift from God,” Akemi Akemi exclaimed.

"Nonsense!" Higashino Hibiki said angrily, "It was clearly our joint effort, what does it have to do with God?"

"Haha." Akemi Akemi laughed and patted Hibiki Higashino's arm.

"Be careful." Higashino helped her up. "The doctor said that you shouldn't do strenuous exercise during the first three months of pregnancy, as it can easily lead to miscarriage."

He held Akemi Akemi in such tender care, as if she were as fragile as porcelain.

Akemi Akemi didn't know whether she should be happy about Higashino Hibiki's attention or frustrated by his overreaction.

"Sigh." She sighed.

Chapter 286: Still on hiatus after the hiatus

Hibiki Higashino has taken a break, which is really strange. He continued drawing manga as usual when under pressure, and his quality didn't decline. But now that the public outcry has subsided, he's preparing to take a break.

Yoshida didn't have time to think much and reported it to Sasaki.

"We'll be taking a break because of the manga artist's issues. That's all we'll tell the readers," Sasaki said, looking up.

In his view, this was a good thing; after suppressing his emotions for so long, Tori Akino could relax and adjust himself.

"Yoshida-kun, please keep an eye out for the first volume of Death Note. It should be available in bookstores by the end of February."