Full-time comic artist

"I'll be relying on you for the next few days, Professor Amano." Hibiki Higashino bowed slightly.

"Thank you, teacher!" Amano Akira was overjoyed and at a loss for words. "I'm so surprised and delighted to be able to work with you on this manga project!"

"Give all the income from this period to the teacher."

Higashino waved his hand, "Since it's a collaboration, let's split the profits 50/50, excluding the assistant's salary."

"That won't do!"

"That's the decision."

Sasaki said, "Each page of the original manuscript for 'Katekyo Hitman Reborn!' earns 9000 yen. 19 pages a week isn't much, so you don't need to argue with Akino about such a small matter."

Amano Akira nodded vigorously. "Editor-in-chief, I understand. I can only accept your thanks."

"9000 yen?" Hibiki Higashino looked at Sasaki. "One original manuscript of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' is worth 50,000 yen. Editor-in-chief, you'll make up for this gap, right?"

Sasaki almost laughed in exasperation.

He stared at Higashino Hibiki, "You wish."

Higashino leaned back and yawned, "How stingy."

Amano Akira watched this scene unfold, finding it hard to believe that her usually stern editor-in-chief would joke with Tori Akino-sensei.

So this is the status of a teacher?

……

After both parties reached an agreement, Amano Akira left.

Sasaki stopped Hibiki Higashino.

"You said you became an assistant to gather material, so do you have any ideas for a new work yet?"

This is what he values ​​most.

Sasaki has come to terms with it.

Although Tori Akino likes to draw short stories, he often finishes his promising manga.

However, both Death Note and Puella Magi Madoka Magica are works of great value.

The Death Note movie was a box office hit, and Madoka Magica is a rare example of a manga that sells well and is popular.

In recent days, large shopping malls in Ginza have been purchasing the copyright, hoping to attract tourists by using Madoka Magica cosplayers.

There are also shops where people kneel in the shop window to solicit customers.

In every aspect and every industry, "Little Circle" is everywhere.

Recently, politicians in Tokyo have been using "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" to garner votes.

As Paprika says, politicians will stop at nothing to climb the ladder.

They've started using anime/manga identities to attract otaku.

The amount of money that Tori Akino will earn in the next year and a half is equivalent to what others earn for Jump in a lifetime.

There's nothing wrong with letting him continue like this.

“Ah, you mean that?” Higashino Hibiki sat opposite Sasaki. Without Amano Akira around, he was more relaxed.

Wearing a suit today made him feel too constrained.

He loosened his tie, sighed deeply, and said, "That won't work. There's no future in it. I've decided to give up."

“Oh,” Sasaki said, slightly surprised, “this is the first time I’ve seen you put down a work.”

In the past, Akino could draw whenever he wanted.

Could you briefly tell me your thoughts?

Sasaki leaned forward, listening intently to the stories of the boys becoming manga artists.

……

"This is Mr. Tori Akino."

"Of course I know him!"

"Really?! It's Teacher Tori Akino! Oh no, I didn't put on makeup today!"

"Oh! Me too."

Before Higashino Hibiki could even say hello, the two assistants rushed into the restroom.

Akira Amano's two assistants, one of whom was named Kenji Sakaki.

A man named Lan Bensong will draw "The Grim Reaper of the Health Room" in the future.

Now, they are Higashino Hibiki's colleagues.

Akira Amano's home has many dolls and small ornaments, making it look very cozy.

There is also a very cute kitten.

Hello, teacher.

Amano Akira, holding the cat's paw, greeted Higashino Hibiki.

"Amano-sensei has such a girlish heart."

"Because I really like cute things."

"Amano-sensei and I would be a good choice."

"I'm so happy, Akino-sensei." Amano Akira covered his face.

Twenty minutes later, the assistants came out of the restroom one after another. They encouraged each other and pushed and pulled each other to Higashino Hibiki.

"Teacher, what's your name today?" Lan Bensong mustered his courage and asked.

This is like an idol coming to visit, and the little fan is too shy to handle it.

Hibiki Higashino smiled and said, "For the foreseeable future, I will be collaborating with Mr. Amano on the creation of 'Katekyo Hitman Reborn!'"

"Really?" Kenji Sakaki asked incredulously.

“Really.” Hibiki Higashino nodded confidently.

"Does that mean we'll be seeing each other from now on?" Lan Bensong's mouth dropped open.

"Yes."

The two girls held hands and jumped around excitedly.

In the following period, after Higashino Hibiki became familiar with his work, his assistants sat next to him and asked him many questions.

Akira Toriyama, Yoshihiro Togashi, and Hirohiko Araki are three master manga artists who are also their idols.

Unable to get close to him, she excitedly asked Higashino Hibiki, wanting to get closer to her idol.

"Akira Toriyama is actually very shy, Togashi is eccentric, and Araki is a very serious senior."

Hibiki Higashino gently told them about the daily lives of the three manga artists.

Hibiki Higashino didn't finish his scheduled work until 8 p.m.

"I'm so sorry, my assistants kept interrupting the teacher's creative process."

"It's okay, I haven't been in contact with young people for a long time either. Being around them makes me feel younger too, hahaha."

……

a.

"Has the number of copies of 'Katekyo Hitman Reborn!' surpassed 30?"

“Yes, that’s right.” Aida Satoshi nodded, his mouth almost reaching his ears. “Tori Akino-sensei’s influence is too strong. Just a little rumor has increased the sales of the ‘Katekyo Hitman Reborn!’ manga by 10 copies.”

If Tori Akino joins the team in the future, we'll definitely have to wait and see.

This little-known comic book prompted readers to first learn what it was about.

So he bought the individual volumes one by one and began to study them in advance.

"That's terrifying, the effect of Tori Akino."

Just a name, even before the work has been published, can bring huge profits. This powerful fame is what Soichi Aida calls the "Tori Akino Effect".

This reputation is built up from a series of excellent works, an achievement that even Akira Toriyama could not reach.

"Hmm." Sasaki nodded calmly.

Soichi Aida said admiringly, "The editor-in-chief's decision to reprint the 'Katekyo Hitman Reborn!' manga was absolutely the right one."

……

"Katekyo Hitman Reborn!" is actually quite interesting.

At school, many students were interacting with each other.

"The Italian Mafia, the 10th Vongola, this setting is quite good."

"Gokudera Hayato always gets the short end of the stick, yet he remains proud and arrogant. But when facing Sawada Tsunayoshi, the Tenth Vongola Boss, he is so full of admiration, like a loyal dog."

"Is Yamamoto Takeshi a natural airhead? This guy is so interesting."

"However... the plot is a bit boring."

"Yeah, I didn't want to watch anymore after I got halfway through."

"It's just a comic that uses the mafia as a gimmick to depict everyday life. The main problem is that the everyday life scenes are too scattered and lack coherence."

"The protagonist is always a loser, like a punching bag. Despite being a mafia boss, he's always being bullied..."

"This protagonist is truly speechless."

"Sensitive, lonely, and insecure, even if he becomes capable, he'll still be the same pathetic kid he used to be."

They discussed it, and finally someone said:

"Is this the kind of manga that Tori Akino-sensei is going to draw?"

"I'd rather draw 'D.Gray-man'!"

"Hunter x Hunter is also good."