Full-time comic artist

"Talking to your brother like that! You've really grown up."

"That's right!" Mei Higashino huffed. "My brother's current mood is less than half as angry as mine, and less than a hundredth as angry as Sayaka's!"

Hibiki Higashino had never seen such a strong-willed Mei before, and he was at a loss for words.

"What did I do to deserve this? I just drew a comic..." Higashino Hibiki sighed.

At five o'clock in the afternoon, the Higashino couple returned home from their walk. Mei stopped throwing a tantrum because of Higashino Ichiro's strong presence.

Even the usually well-behaved younger sister had an outburst, and Hibiki Higashino, who had been so confident, suddenly panicked.

This autograph session is going to be very unfavorable.

He looked up at the sky, wondering if his omen of death was twinkling.

……

"Teacher Toriakino, the car is ready."

As July drew to a close, Hibiki Higashino bid farewell to Akemi Akimiya, and Koji Yoshida urged him on.

"Please be careful." Akemi Akemi straightened Higashino Hibiki's clothes.

"Ah." Higashino Hibiki nodded and walked out of the room.

Koji Yoshida walked side by side with Hibiki Higashino. He said, "It feels so quiet. There aren't many people on the streets today."

Hibiki Higashino replied, "Because it's the middle of summer, the temperature is too high, so everyone is staying at home."

“I see,” Yoshida Koji said with a broad smile and excitement, “but it’s not important to talk about that now.”

Hibiki Higashino glanced at him. "You seem to be in a good mood."

“Of course,” Yoshida Koji said, walking briskly beside Hibiki Higashino. “The release of the collected volumes of ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ and the increasingly good performance of ‘D.Gray-man’ have all yielded excellent results. My work and efforts have paid off.”

He was filled with a sense of accomplishment and didn't want to wait any longer, so he urged Higashino Hibiki to set off.

"Puella Magi Madoka Magica will do very well, it's such a wonderful work. I'll become the group leader, and maybe even the deputy editor-in-chief... editor-in-chief! Leading Jump forward."

Wow, that's fantastic!

"Teacher," Yoshida said to Hibiki Higashino after sharing his thoughts, "I need to work harder too!"

"Yes, that's true. Our efforts haven't been in vain. And in the future, as long as we keep moving forward, the road will continue to extend..."

Inspired by Yoshida, Higashino Hibiki put aside his worries and, full of energy, got into the starting car and headed towards Shinjuku.

……

Shinjuku is a relatively bustling commercial district in Tokyo.

Many foreigners go shopping in Shinjuku after coming to Japan.

"There are so many people, and their expressions are so serious."

"That's strange."

During summer vacation, the subway is packed with people.

Tourists noticed that a large portion of the people had little in common, ranging from teenagers to young women to working adults.

But they all shared the same temperament, a solemnity and gravity before setting out on a campaign, as if there was an urgency to fulfill a destiny that was about to be completed.

"It's so weird."

Is there some kind of war?

At the south exit of Shinjuku Station, all these people got off the subway.

They whispered to each other, saying things like "It's finally here" and "I need to vent," as they arrived in front of the Kinokuniya Bookstore main store.

"This is the location for the autograph session of the first volume of the manga 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' by manga artist Mirai Toriakino."

The event was supposed to start at 10 o'clock, but it's 8 o'clock now and the bookstore entrance is already packed with people.

"Dark clouds loom over the city, threatening to crush it..."

"It looks like dark clouds are gathering overhead..."

The staff at Jump were trembling with fear.

The gazes of those readers were terrifying; their eyes held the power of lions.

Teacher Tori Akino is in trouble.

……

"The road keeps extending..."

Koji Yoshida muttered to himself, "That's so well said. I'll write it down and use it in my manga later."

No matter whose work it is, there will always be a suitable one.

"We've arrived." The driver stopped and turned around to say, "We've reached the end."

Hibiki Higashino and Yoshida got out of the car, and staff members were waiting to lead them into the bookstore through the back door.

"It is an honor to be able to work with Mr. Tori Akino."

"Oh, you're too kind. I'm extremely honored to have a book signing event at Kinokuniya."

Hibiki Higashino and the store manager were praising each other.

"Teacher, please take a rest. I will notify you at 9:40." The store manager left Higashino Hibiki with some space.

There were too many readers at the entrance, and he needed to maintain order.

Because the security manager said the situation was getting out of control.

"You're utterly useless!" the shop manager snapped, then saw a sea of ​​fiery stares.

Chapter 341 A Mastermind, Bird Autumn Field

A comic artist's autograph session is usually a gathering place for like-minded people. Everyone loves his work and is obsessed with the characters, so when they have the rare opportunity to get together, they will chat quietly.

When these sounds come together, they create a great deal of noise.

However, the store manager noticed that at Tori Akino Mirai's autograph session, his fans were completely silent, their eyes burning with passion.

There is a force brewing, which will erupt at a certain moment.

Like a volcanic eruption or a massive earthquake caused by a stampede of mammoths.

"This is no joke..." The security manager wiped away cold sweat. "I think it's better to cancel the book signing event... otherwise... there will be casualties."

This person must be Tori Akino Mirai.

The store manager hesitated.

The timer on his cell phone rang.

"Time is up."

The store manager looked at the security manager.

……

"Yoshida-kun, do you have a girlfriend?"

In the lounge, Hibiki Higashino, bored, asked Koji Yoshida a question.

Yoshida blushed slightly, "Because I've devoted my whole being to my work..."

“Oh, so there isn’t one then,” Higashino Hibiki said in the tone of a relative or elder. “Then you’d better hurry up, you can’t wait at your age.”

"Teacher, you're being so long-winded today," Yoshida said helplessly.

"Is that so?" Higashino Hibiki asked absentmindedly. "I feel like I should explain something..."

Would you like to become someone like me in the future?

Will he become a cartoonist? Or just an ordinary office worker?

Higashino's thoughts were wandering, his mind racing with random ideas.

“Perhaps,” Yoshida looked at Hibiki Higashino and pointed to himself, “that Mirai might become a Jump editor under my influence.”

“Jump editor…” Hibiki Higashino shook his head, very resistant, “Then let’s forget about it.”

In the future, editors will have no right to demand anything from cartoonists, and they will also be held responsible if there are problems with the work. It will be a tragic industry.

"Huh?" Yoshida was taken aback. 'So you're that resistant to editing? That's my dream!'

He became depressed.

……

Not long after, when it was time, the store manager came to inform Higashino Hibiki to prepare to enter.

His expression was hesitant, as if he had something to say.

Koji Yoshida strode out first.

The store manager's words caught in his throat.

"Teacher Toriakino, you've worked hard." He said this with genuine emotion.

"It's just a book signing event," Hibiki Higashino said with a smile. "I'm very experienced."

“This time is different from before.”

"There's no difference..."

Higashino Hibiki stepped outside and saw the readers in the audience, and paused for a moment.

He broke out in a cold sweat, wanting to retreat, but there was nowhere to retreat.

……

"That must be Tori Akino."

"He looks quite young."

"After all, he's a comic artist who started creating comics in high school."

"Does that mean we can proceed with confidence?" someone asked.