Full-time comic artist

……

"Become a panda?" Higashino Hibiki stared dumbfounded at Yoshihiro Togashi, who was looking very serious.

Today, Osamu Akimoto hosted a manga artist salon and invited many people to participate.

Almost all the manga artists, big and small, from Tokyo were featured in Weekly Shonen Jump.

Hibiki Higashino couldn't resist the temptation; in fact, he was incredibly excited.

Under Akemi Akimiya's pressure, he has been working very hard lately. After finishing "Hanzawa Naoki", he has to write the storyboard for "Bakuman". It feels like he has returned to the time when he was in high school, drawing "Hikaru no Go" and "The Garden of Words" at the same time, and was about to collapse from exhaustion.

Looking at Higashino Hibiki's deep dark circles, Yoshihiro Togashi, who was talking to him, blurted out a few words of emotion.

“Yes,” Togashi nodded, “Hanzawa Naoki painstakingly investigated Higashida’s 5000 million yen villa overseas and was also responsible for preparing the meeting investigation report. He took the blame but still had to carry out his daily work.”

He became increasingly agitated as he spoke, spreading his arms wide and shouting, "This job is just too hard! There's pressure from every angle. I'd rather be a panda and enjoy the care of humans!"

"Being a corporate slave is worse than being a panda!"

He was spouting outrageous nonsense!

"Oh! That's a really good sentence!"

"As expected of Togashi-sensei!"

Applause erupted around them as people gathered around Hibiki Higashino and Yoshihiro Togashi, expressing their support.

"Togashi-sensei is quick-witted."

"It would look great in a comic book."

Hibiya Higashino said, "Togashi-sensei, I'm borrowing that line."

Yoshihiro Togashi was both amused and exasperated.

He was telling the truth.

Hibiki Higashino offered some insight: "There are many people who want to be reincarnated as pandas, so Mr. Togashi can take his time and wait in line."

Many Chinese people have similar ideas, let alone the Japanese.

There are only so many newborn pandas each year, the competition is too fierce.

……

"Tori Akino-sensei, it's been a long time." Hoshino Katsura greeted Higashino Hibiki very politely.

Hibiki Higashino looked at her rosy complexion and nodded, "So Hoshino-sensei also has time to attend salons."

Katsura Hoshino smiled shyly, "Because of Akino-sensei's 'Bakuman,' readers are forcing me to rest more. Honestly, I'm making readers worry about me."

“That’s good,” Hibiki Higashino said.

At least it won't leave any lasting problems that would prevent it from being able to continue serializing in Jump.

"I heard that the average sales per volume of the 'D.Gray-man' manga has reached 56 copies. Congratulations!"

Katsura Hoshino clenched her fist. "I'm still a long way from being as good as you, teacher. I'll do my best."

……

"Tori Akino-kun".

After separating from Hoshino Katsura, someone called out to Higashino Hibiki; it was Motomiya Hiroshi.

"Teacher Hibiki." Higashino bowed slightly.

The two of them walked to a corner and sat down.

"I've been reading 'Hanzawa Naoki' and the manga is getting more and more exciting, exceeding my expectations," Hiroshi Motomiya said with emotion. "Because 'Hanzawa Naoki' has a very tight plot and the events are so numerous, I was worried that it would only have three main plots and then become boring. Fortunately, I was just overthinking it."

"Ah~" Hibiki Higashino lay on the sofa and groaned comfortably. He lazily opened one eye and replied, "Hanzawa Naoki has only been serialized for six chapters. Who knows what will happen after that?"

“It’s already more interesting than my masterpiece, ‘Salaryman Kintaro’.” Hiroshi Motomiya shook his head.

When he was looking at the storyboards for "Hanzawa Naoki", he was thinking that he could compete with Akino Mirai.

As a result, this guy gradually improved, and his art style became more suitable for serious workplace comics. The plot was also frighteningly interesting, reaching the peak level. He had to admit defeat.

"A genius is a genius, I can't compare to you."

"The Nation Is Burning" is being forced to end, and he's preparing for the second part of "Salaryman Kintaro." But even with his painstakingly crafted storyboards, it still falls far short of "Hanzawa Naoki."

Upon hearing this, Higashino Hibiki quickly sat up. "Teacher is joking."

“No, don’t be modest,” Hiroshi Motomiya said, glaring at him. “Just say what you have to say.”

“Okay, okay,” Hibiki Higashino raised his hands in surrender. “I think Hanzawa Naoki is the strongest workplace manga of the Heisei era, is that alright?”

Hiroshi Motomiya pointed and said, "Well, you've finally told the truth. But you're so arrogant. You should try to surpass Gantz in Weekly Shonen Jump first."

Higashino Hibiki sighed, "You have a problem with everything I say. Fine, I won't say anything more!"

He leaned back, lay casually on the sofa, and soon started snoring.

The people around him were talking quite loudly, and Hiroshi Motomiya smiled slightly as he looked at Hibiki Higashino sleeping peacefully.

"You must be exhausted, Tori Akino-kun. Get some rest."

He instructed the others not to disturb Higashino Hibiki, and the conversation in the room quieted down considerably.

……

An hour later, Higashino smacked his lips and woke up, and everyone resumed normal conversation.

A young man darted up to Higashino Hibiki, sat down, and said casually, "Teacher Akino, you're finally awake! I couldn't stand it any longer!"

Higashino Hibiki was wide awake after being yelled at like that.

"you are?"

"I am Yashiro Narishige."

“Yashiro Naruto…” Hibiki Higashino thought for a moment, “…a runner-up for the Tezuka Award.”

"Great! Great!" The young man with the watermelon-shaped haircut nodded vigorously. "It was Yoshida-san who said that, right? I'm the new recruit he's in charge of."

“Yoshida?” Hibiki Higashino shook his head. “He never mentioned you. I saw it on Jump.”

"That uncle is really unreliable!"

"Uncle?"

Hibiki Higashino touched his face. Koji Yoshida, who was a few years younger than him, was already an uncle. The generational change in this industry is really fast.

"I'm an uncle now."

The former child prodigy, Akino Mirai, is now approaching middle age.

"Tori Akino-sensei will always be young and radiant! Because she's someone who pursues her dreams. Just like in 'Millennium Actress,' 'To chase after a man, you'll always be so young!'"

Eight generations of men were shouting and gesticulating wildly.

Hibiki Higashino asked in surprise, "Eh? You've seen 'Millennium Actress'?"

This manga is Higashino Hibiki's least popular work.

Most readers have not seen it.

Yashiro said, "I've read all of Sensei's manga!"

"I love the teacher's work to the point of obsession. I will happily read anything drawn by the teacher."

"A while ago, I heard that my teacher was going to stop writing, and I was so sad that I had the idea of ​​drawing comics. Fortunately, it was just a rumor. The fact that my teacher can draw comics is the happiest thing for me."

Upon hearing this, Higashino Hibiki's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.

"Since you have talent, keep it up."

"Yes!"

……

It's mid-June now, and the weather is getting hotter and hotter.

The lively and energetic Higashino Mirai doesn't really want to go to kindergarten anymore.

Akemi Akemi advised him, "Kaoru is waiting for you. A grown man can't be inferior to a young girl."

Having prepared himself mentally, Higashino Mirai nodded slightly, "Okay... alright, I'm a man."

As Hibiki Higashino was leaving, he said, "That's amazing! Dad will bring you back a 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' DVD as a reward."

"Puella Magi Madoka Magica... let's just forget about Puella Magi Madoka Magica..."

Higashino Mirai had a bitter face.

He watched "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" while crying, experiencing both pain and pleasure.

I don't want to go through that feeling again.

……

There are only two more chapters of "Puella Magi Madoka Magica" to air, which are the most exciting part of the manga and also the most surprising twist. Viewers are waiting patiently.

"It's a good thing it's an anime adapted from Akino Toriyama's manga; otherwise, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' wouldn't have been able to air in prime time," Yoshii Akihisa thought.

"Little Circle" airs at 7 o'clock, and students can control the TV channel time after the family dinner.

He can see the plot points that used to leave him speechless at any time.

If it's a late-night program, he has to record it and watch it the next day.

"Hurry up, hurry up until next Tuesday!"

Biting his lip, Yoshii Akihisa felt itchy.

"Never mind, the fourth volume of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' is on DVD, I'll go and buy it first."

He left the room and went to a nearby music and video store.

……

Tetsuro Araki led Hibiki Higashino in market research.

He was beaming with pride, "The sales of the 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' DVDs were unexpectedly good, with an astonishing 65341 copies sold!"

Blue light technology already exists, but it will take another year before it can be fully rolled out.