Full-time comic artist

"Because editor Yoshida said that this is how I can thank you."

"Yoshida? Yoshida Koji."

"Well, it's him."

Higashino Hibiki clenched his fist and glared angrily at the crowd. Yoshida, who was watching closely, saw Higashino Hibiki's gaze and his heart stopped.

"Then why are you thanking me?" Higashino forced a smile, as if he had just eaten a stuffed sausage. He could only smile back at the bewildered Hoshino Katsura.

"Everyone thinks 'Zone' is the teacher's work, that's why...that's why they pay attention to me," Hoshino Katsura said, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes. "If it weren't for the teacher, I wouldn't have been selected for the 'Golden Future Cup'."

"I see."

Hibiki Higashino understood.

There's really no need to thank yourself.

He said, "Everyone thinks you are my alternate account, which is why they watched 'Zone'."

"Uh-huh."

Doesn't this prove that Zone is fun?

"What?" Hoshino Katsura pricked up her ears.

"Because my work must be interesting, that's what everyone thinks. That's why 'Zone' was accepted by them."

"Yes...that's how it is." Hoshino Katsura nodded in realization.

The fact that "Zone" was published under the name of Mirai Toriyama's work without being criticized is proof enough, and proof that "Zone" is excellent.

“So my manga…” Hoshino Katsura’s eyes sparkled, and she suddenly felt very confident, “was also very interesting.”

She loves Akino Mirai's works and has always regarded "Hikaru no Go" and "Slam Dunk" as unattainable goals.

Now she realizes that she might actually be able to create works that rival these comics.

"Phew, thank you, Mr. Toriakino."

For the first time, Hoshino Katsura possessed such strong self-confidence.

These were all given to her by Tori Akino Mirai.

"Yes, it's good that you understand." Higashino nodded, his face darkening. "Don't act so recklessly in the future! It's easy to cause trouble for others."

Katsura Hoshino understood. She lowered her head and said, "I was so excited when I saw you, teacher, that I couldn't help but do those things..."

"I...I like the teacher!"

"Huh?!" Hibiki Higashino exclaimed in shock.

"The teacher's work."

"Oh." Higashino Hibiki breathed a sigh of relief.

“I won’t do that again,” she said, rummaging through her backpack and pulling out thick envelopes.

Higashino Hibiki was startled.

"Oh, I took the wrong one, hey hey."

She stuffed the envelope back in, took out the official autograph board, and handed it to Higashino Hibiki with both hands, saying respectfully, "Teacher, please sign this for me. This is one of the reasons I started drawing manga. During junior high school, 'Hikaru no Go' accompanied me for a very long time."

Hibiki Higashino took the autograph board, picked up a pen, and asked, "Which character from 'Hikaru no Go' is your favorite?"

"Of course it's Sai! He's so handsome, and his love for Go makes me admire him so much."

"so."

Higashino drew a simple sketch of Fujiwara Sai, and then wrote, "Wishing you good health - Tori Akino Mirai".

Hoshino happily accepted it and looked at it excitedly.

She looked at her backpack again, worried that putting Akino Mirai's autograph inside would damage it. After thinking for a moment, she hugged the autograph to her chest and carefully kept it.

"Why physical health?" she couldn't help but ask.

“I think that with Hoshino-kun’s talent, there’s no need to write about his career going smoothly. D.Gray-man will naturally become a hit.” Hibiki Higashino was full of confidence in her. “More important than anything else is your health. Yoshihiro Togashi ruined his health because of drawing manga. I hope you can have a healthy body to face the huge workload of weekly serialization.”

“Teacher…” Higashino Hibiki’s earnest words moved Hoshino Katsura deeply, her eyes reddening. “I understand.”

……

The New Year celebrations will be over soon.

Compared to previous years, the newcomers who joined this year left a deep impression on Hibiki Higashino.

In the context of manga, this year marks the golden generation of Jump.

Katsura Hoshino, Hideaki Sorachi, and Akira Amano are all future famous manga artists.

“Oda,” he patted Eiichiro Oda on the shoulder, filled with emotion, “we’re all from the old guard now.”

“Sensei,” Oda couldn’t bear to look at him, “you’re only about 28 years old this year, the age when most people are just starting to serialize, but you look like you’re about to retire. It’s really strange.”

"And I'm going to keep drawing for a long time, I'll keep drawing, and twenty years from now, readers will be able to see my name shining in Jump."

Eiichiro Oda has always loved manga. While others suffer because of serialization, he finds joy in drawing and hopes that this will continue.

"You're a real pervert."

"Ha, teacher, you're scolding me."

"I'm just opening my heart."

"Isn't that insulting me too!"

Oda finally stopped pressing the issue and asked, "So, how long until you draw a new work?"

“Emm,” Higashino Hibiki looked up, “about two months from now.”

……

Two months later.

Both Omori and Tanaka passed the serialization meeting.

"The Code" and "The Diary of Despair" were published one after the other.

Two more of the worst-performing comics have been cancelled.

D.Gray-man has achieved impressive results and is very popular with readers. Currently, its ranking in the minor rankings is between 6th and 9th, which is a very good position.

After all, it's a newly serialized comic, and we still need to see how it develops.

When "Gintoki" was officially serialized, it was named "Gintama," which is pronounced "dandan" in Japanese.

Onishi accepted.

Other editors thought it was too vulgar.

But when it came to Sasaki's turn to vote, he actually approved the name.

Hibiki Higashino: I never expected you to be like this, Sasaki.

Because of its title, Gintama, a show that deals with male genitalia, did not perform well.

After all, readers would be too embarrassed to bring up this shy topic in the streets and alleys.

Gintama is currently ranked 14th.

Hideaki Sorachi began to worry that his work would be canceled.

Gintama's performance is still declining, and the newbie protection period will end soon. If it can't stabilize by then, it's all over.

Akemi Akimiya doesn't understand this at all. Is it really irrational to bury the future of the work on a pun? Hideaki Sorachi's mental state is worrying.

"That's the real Hideaki Sorachi," Hibiki Higashino remarked.

Only Sorachi could draw a manga like Gintama that has no morals; his unconventional personality has opened up a new path.

"Katekyo Hitman Reborn!", which was serialized around the same time as "Gintama", was a little better.

However, the work was lukewarm, ranking around 10th, and seemed to have little potential.

Akira Amano draws comedic slice-of-life stories, but the main plot is never revealed, and the humor isn't particularly interesting.

In short, the current version of "Katekyo Hitman Reborn!" is not attractive enough.

……

Hibiki Higashino handed the storyboards for the first three episodes to Koji Yoshida.

It includes the plot of the first two episodes of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica".

Koji Yoshida frowned deeply as he looked at it.

Madoka Kaname is an ordinary second-year junior high school girl who lives a simple and happy life.

The arrival of the mysterious transfer student Homura Akemi begins to drastically change Madoka's fate. One day, a mysterious creature named Kyubey hopes that Madoka and her friend Sayaka will sign a magical contract with it to become "magical girls" and fight against evil witches to protect the world.

"I hope you will make a contract with me and become magical girls!"

Seeing this, Koji Yoshida flipped through the storyboards faster and faster.

Aside from the cute female characters, Puella Magi Madoka Magica is just a very ordinary magical girl manga.

If Akino Mirai hadn't said it was his work, Yoshida Koji really wouldn't have believed that his teacher would draw such a bland manga.

So far, only Homura Akemi is a somewhat interesting character.

The next part of the storyboard expands on the worldview.

Kyubey makes a contract with a magical girl and will grant her one wish first.

After the contract is successful, the magical girl will have a Soul Gem, which will become cloudy during battles and daily use.

The magical girl's opponent is a witch, an alien creature that hides within a barrier, spreading despair and corrupting hearts.

The battles between magical girls and witches are fraught with danger; one wrong move and you could lose your life.

The witch also possesses a Seed of Sorrow, a gem that can purify a turbid soul.

and many more……

After reading the storyboard for "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", Yoshida hesitated, unsure how to persuade Akino Tori.

Given Akino Tori's artistic talent, it's certainly possible to serialize it.