Full-time comic artist

……

While Higashino's place was peaceful and serene in summer, Sorachi Hideaki was already restless and uneasy.

The editor said that based on the standards of "Gintoki the Yorozuya," it would definitely pass. Don't focus on being shortlisted; consider your only goal of being selected.

He had unwavering faith in Hideaki Sorachi.

Even after all that, Sorachi was still worried. His colleagues and assistants were all participating in the "Golden Future Cup," competing for 4th or 5th place among hundreds of participants—it was incredibly competitive.

"That senior artist named Amano Akira has been immersed in painting for many years, hasn't she? Her skills must be better than mine..." Sorachi gritted his teeth, extremely uneasy.

"The time is almost up," he thought. "It's time to face the consequences."

I've compromised and worked incredibly hard for the "Golden Future Cup." Whether it was all worth it is time to find out.

The phone rang at just the right moment. Sorachi took a deep breath and answered the call.

"Hello, I am Hideaki Sorachi, I am..."

His voice trembled more and more, and finally he cheered loudly.

"We've been shortlisted for the Golden Future Cup!"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!"

Hideaki Sorachi started jumping around like a gorilla.

……

"If we don't make it into the 'Golden Future Cup,' the serialization will be over..."

Katsura Hoshino hugged herself, feeling uneasy.

"My dream is..."

"Is 'Zone' any good or not...? We should have drawn 'Continue' instead..."

She started to feel conflicted.

Thankfully, the phone rang, interrupting Hoshino Katsura's thoughts; otherwise, she might have suffered a cardiac arrest under immense pressure.

“Hoshino-kun…” Yoshida Koji’s voice rang out, tinged with a hint of heaviness, “Regarding the ‘Golden Future Cup’… I… congratulate you!”

"Huh?" Hoshino Katsura thought he had been eliminated and became disheartened.

Yoshida Koji's tone suddenly reversed, making Hoshino Katsura realize that he had been deceived.

“That’s…that’s too much…” Hoshino Katsura choked up, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. “Editor Yoshida, you’re terrible.”

"I'm...I'm sorry!" Yoshida realized he had gone too far and apologized loudly.

"I forgive you!" Hoshino Katsura shouted excitedly.

"We've been shortlisted!"

She cheered with joy.

……

Seeing his two happy colleagues, Aida Soichi quietly went to the window and called Amano Akira.

"Mr. Amano, you've been shortlisted for the 'Golden Future Cup'! Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Editor Aida."

Akira Amano answered calmly.

This puzzled Soichi Aida. His colleagues were celebrating wildly while the authors they were responsible for were doing so. Why was his side so different? He felt no sense of accomplishment as an editor.

But this also shows how skillfully Amano Akira handled the situation.

Aida comforted himself, "The manga artist who gets selected must be a veteran like Amano-sensei."

After putting down his phone, Amano Akira let out a long sigh.

She won the Chiba Tetsuya Award for Best Newcomer in 1998, a year after she entered the industry, but she did not win any awards in the following years.

It wasn't until 2002 that a short manga was finally published in Akamaru Jump.

The current "Golden Future Cup" is her most important opportunity, and she must seize it!

Akira Amano walked to his desk and started reading "Katekyo Hitman Reborn!", thinking about whether there were any parts that could be revised.

……

Omori stared blankly at his phone. The time had come for the "Golden Future Cup" shortlist results, but Yoshida Koji hadn't informed him for a long time.

He couldn't accept it for a while.

Is it because you weren't shortlisted that you're embarrassed to say it?

Just then, his phone rang twice; it was an email.

"Congratulations on being shortlisted."

The message Yoshida sent contained only five simple words, yet it made Omori extremely excited.

He was also a little puzzled, "Why didn't Editor Yoshida call to inform me?"

……

Hibiki Higashino lay on the sofa, Akemi Akemi fed him grapes, and he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

"Tanaka, how's the 'Golden Future Cup' going?"

"You've made it to the shortlist, teacher."

"I think so too, Tanaka, let's move on to serialization!"

"Ok!"

After the phone call ended, Higashino Hibiki opened his mouth wide and waited quietly for Akemi Akemi to feed him.

Akemi Akemi smiled and popped the peeled grapes into his mouth, filling Higashino Hibiki's mouth with a sweet taste.

"Tanaka-kun's work has been shortlisted."

"Yes, I knew he would pass. After all, he's been my assistant for over six years, and I know him well. He's talented."

"The 'Golden Future Cup' only has 4-5 qualifying spots, Tanaka-kun is truly amazing."

"Hmm, ah~" Higashino Hibiki opened his mouth wide, indicating that it was time to feed him grapes.

"Hibiki, what other works do you think could be nominated?" Akemi Akemi, engrossed in the Golden Future Cup, didn't notice Hibiki Higashino's actions and asked curiously.

Higashino smacked his lips. "Amano Akira, Omori, Sorachi Hideaki, they're all terrifying newcomers, oh, except for Omori."

“Akira Amano, Hideaki Sorachi… these are names I’ve never heard of. As expected,” Akemi Akimiya remarked, “there will always be a shortage of talented newcomers.”

Which work will be number one?

"Amano Akira or Sorachi Hideaki, I guess..." Hibiki Higashino said, somewhat unsure of what to say.

……

The list of shortlisted works for the "Golden Future Cup" was announced a long time ago.

"All Things House A Gin" by Hideaki Sorachi;

Akira Amano's *Katekyo Hitman Reborn!*

Katsura Hoshino's "Zone";

Hiroura Omori's "Diary of Despair";

Tanakai's "Secret Language".

These short comics will be published one by one in Jump starting in September.

"In Jump? Isn't it the supplement of Akamaru Jump?"

Soma Satoru stared wide-eyed, filled with envy.

Weekly Shonen Jump is a sacred publication; just being able to publish manga in it is enough to excite newcomers.

This is a very rare opportunity.

The location of the serialization of Jump is like land in Hong Kong, where every inch of land is extremely valuable.

Even seasoned writers mostly publish their exploratory short comics in Akamaru.

"I wonder when I'll be able to participate in the 'Golden Future Cup'..."

He just started junior high school this year, and is still far from the age to draw comics.

The youngest of the shortlisted authors has already graduated from university.

"1, 2, 3... We still have many years to wait!"

……

On September 1, 2003, Hibiki Higashino was looking at Jump and unexpectedly saw a name: Katsura Hoshino.

"Is it Katsura Hoshino, the artist of 'D.Gray-man'? Is she also participating in the 'Golden Future Cup'?"

Hibiki Higashino really doesn't understand this.

With questions in mind, he began reading the short comic book titled "Zone".

Robin is an exorcist who meets a lovely girl named Lenalee.

Lenalee had a fiancé whom she believed had died in a shipwreck, but he hadn't; it turned out to be the Earl of the Millennium's conspiracy.

The young count intends to exploit the bond between Lenalee and her fiancé to transform the recovered soul into a demon.

Robin, determined to stop it all, begins her battle against the Millennium Earl.

……

Hibiki Higashino felt a little strange after finishing the book. It wasn't because of the story, although apart from the exorcist and the Millennium Earl, "Zone" didn't have many similarities to "D.Gray-man".

But this is actually quite normal. Short comics exist to test market feedback. If the response is very good, then they will consider long-form serialization.

When a cartoonist is working on a long-running series, they have more ideas.

This is actually a stage in a work's continuous efforts to mature.

Therefore, the creation of a serialized comic is extremely difficult and arduous.