Full-time comic artist

The countless messages revealed feelings of nostalgia and sadness, which deeply moved Hibiki Higashino.

If he didn't know that Ichiro Soma was still alive.

"What's going on?" he asked, puzzled.

Koji Yoshida took out a newspaper and handed it to Hibiki Higashino, saying, "Teacher, look here."

Higashino glanced at it and almost laughed out of anger.

"As expected of entertainment news, it's no different from self-media. They really have no integrity."

This report became an absolute sensation. The death of a cartoonist was incredibly eye-catching, especially since it was linked to a comic book that was currently being serialized.

If you don't know about this, you're out of touch.

The fake news was spreading like wildfire, so Koji Yoshida rushed to find Hibiki Higashino.

Actually, Yoshida Koji could handle this himself. But he thoroughly enjoyed relying on Tori Akino Mirai.

This is probably Yoshida's awkward psychology; he wanted to show his weak and helpless side to Tori Akino.

“This should be easy to handle,” Hibiki Higashino said. “Just print the truth and debunk the rumors in the next batch of Jump.”

In other words, Ichiro Soma did not die. A manga artist who is not serializing is no different from an otaku, and no one will pay special attention to him.

……

Soma Ichiro looked at the website commemorating him and fell silent for a moment.

He didn't know if what he was doing was appropriate, but he was genuinely moved.

"So many people actually like my comics."

He was a failure in life, constantly striving to publish a serialized work, but never succeeding.

In the eyes of his neighbors, he was just an unambitious and gloomy person.

In the eyes of these readers, they are people they miss and are moved by.

"I read 'Space Railroad Heroes' when I was a child, and I have always believed in the ideals in the comic: to fight evil and help the weak. This comic shaped the righteous person I am today."

"I am very grateful to Soma-sensei for giving me a happy childhood... When I heard the news of his passing, I was truly moved to tears..."

"If it weren't for 'Bakuman,' we would still be in the dark. It turns out that even Soma-sensei once had unrequited love."

Except for the last one, all of them made Soma Ichiro burst into tears.

……

In the editorial department of Weekly Shonen Jump, Sasaki refreshed the computer screen, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"Soma-sensei's sacrifice was very meaningful, and more and more people are discussing 'Bakuman'..."

He pursed his lips, trying not to laugh.

……

At school, listening to his classmates' conversation, Soma Satoru was completely baffled.

My uncle... is dead?

There's no problem with Chapter 373 continuing its hiatus.

The death of ordinary professionals rarely receives public attention.

Every year, people die in accidents in industries such as coal, steel, construction, and electricity. These deaths are reported but people don't usually pay attention unless it's a very serious accident.

But it's different with manga artists. Rumors about Ichiro Soma's passing kept circulating, and people loved to discuss it and reminisce about their childhood memories.

This gave "Bakuman" a boost and made it widely known.

This advertising was far more effective than any promotional campaign by Weekly Shonen Jump in the newspaper.

"Manga artists really have a tough job. Many artists suffer from long-term health problems. Even Oda-sensei said he can't sleep more than three hours a day. No wonder Soma Ichiro-sensei was exhausted."

"Katsura Hoshino, the teacher of 'D.Gray-man,' has taken leave, saying that she is not feeling well and needs to go to the hospital for a check-up. She should rest for a while longer."

"Fujiko F. Fujio passed away at the age of 63 due to liver failure. He was overworked."

"It makes perfect sense for Mr. Tori Akino to take leave. He is drawing 'Hanzawa Naoki' and also has to work on the storyboards for 'Bakuman'."

For a time, the death of manga artist Ichiro Soma even made the front page of the news.

And how much time has passed? Only three days have gone by.

Over the course of three days, the scandal grew bigger and bigger, and even Shueisha couldn't sit still anymore.

Sasaki was originally planning to refute the rumors in the next issue of Jump, but now he realizes it's a bit too late.

It's only Friday, and it's already on the front page. If this continues, won't the whole country be in mourning?

"That's outrageous."

Because of Ichiro Soma, readers empathized with all manga artists, and even extended this empathy to masters such as Fujiko F. Fujio and Osamu Tezuka, who died of stomach cancer.

The public said: If Japanese publishers don't come out and reflect on their actions, they'll be letting down the late Ichiro Soma.

Shueisha issued an urgent statement confirming that Ichiro Soma is still alive and that the series of rumors were deceptions perpetrated by individuals seeking personal gain.

The next day, major newspapers made room to reprint Shueisha's announcement.

This huge blunder has finally been resolved.

Now, even readers of shoujo manga are interested in Bakuman.

Hibiki Higashino became the biggest beneficiary of the incident.

Readers had no objections to his leave of absence; on the contrary, they comforted him, saying he could rest more. His work had become known to many people, which was no less effective than advertising on the Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle).

The other beneficiary, Ichiro Soma, fared much worse.

He hasn't dared to go out for the past two days, worried that he might run into kind-hearted people on the roadside holding candles and chrysanthemums to mourn him.

It's one thing to feel embarrassed myself, but it's another to scare those people.

Several thousand more origami cranes were sent to Ichiro Soma's studio by Shueisha, leaving him unsure of what to do with them.

“It’s finally over,” Soma Ichiro breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the news anchor debunk the rumors on TV. “I was really worried that I would have to die.”

One who doesn't die doesn't fit in.

He now deeply regrets agreeing to Torino Mirai's request for a source material for his manga.

I thought it was a small thing, a way to commemorate my comic book journey.

The result was a complete mess.

This morning, even his father found out about it.

"If I hadn't seen you, I would have thought my son was dead."

"Dad, you're not joking, are you!"

He was truly devastated.

"Haha."

……

The creation of a comic book requires several months of effort.

It takes more than a month to draw the storyboard. If the editor rejects it, you have to start all over again. If the editor approves it, it takes more than a month to discuss the storyboard with the editor and make revisions.

The editor submits the storyboard draft to the serialization meeting, where it will be screened again.

Jump's serialization meetings aren't frequent, and after a while, you have to wait anxiously to see if it will pass, and you might even have to revise the plot.

Even if the serialization meeting is approved, it will still take one or two months before it is published in Weekly Shonen Jump.

All things considered, it would take at least six months to pass.

Therefore, it's difficult to ride the wave of popularity.

Soma Ichiro was familiar with the process and never intended to profit from this farce.

Unexpectedly, Sasaki came looking for him.

Sasaki is Soma Ichiro's longtime partner and has a deep bond with him.

It is a very sad thing for a cartoonist to be presumed dead because he hasn't produced any new work in a long time.

"Soma-sensei," Sasaki asked him directly, "do you have an ideal storyboard?"

Soma Ichiro spent 11 years honing his skills; in such a long time, there must have been suitable storyboards.

“I drew a lot,” Ichiro Soma scratched his cheek, “more than Taro Kawaguchi drew in the manga.”

The cabinets in the studio were so full that they took up a bedroom.

"But those weren't interesting enough, or they were outdated."

He submitted all his proud storyboards to Jump, but none of them were approved, let alone the rest.

“Sasaki, I know you’re worried about me,” Soma Ichiro said. “Please be patient, I’ll be able to draw the storyboards that you’ll find interesting soon.”

“Then it’s settled,” Sasaki stood up and walked towards the door. “I will always look forward to it.”

……

Higashino's house.

He was both amused and exasperated. This was truly bizarre, even more so than Sailor Moon in "Slam Dunk" believing he had a crush on Naoko Takeuchi.

But it's a good thing overall.

I imagine that Ichiro Soma, who has returned to the public eye, must be feeling quite pleased with himself.

“Editor Hibiki Higashino handed the manuscript to the editor of Young Jump and said with a smile, “If the manuscript hadn’t been completed, I feel that even if we took another week off, the readers wouldn’t have any objections.”

The villager said helplessly, "Teacher, you'd better stop playing around like this, it's going too far."

The chapter of "Hanzawa Naoki" that was completed last week was absolutely brilliant, arguably the best chapter so far. If it's published next week and then goes on hiatus again, the readers will go crazy.

"I know, it's just a joke, haha."

Xiang shook his head; cartoonists are just naturally imaginative.