Full-time comic artist

Higashino Hibiki certainly has his haters, and there are many people who can't stand him, but unfortunately, Higashino Hibiki doesn't have any scandals, so they haven't come forward.

When Kazuhiko Torishima revealed that Akino Miki had requested to finish a manga, they immediately seized the opportunity to make malicious speculations and launch a massive smear campaign against Hibiki Higashino.

That was one of their rare moments of revelry, with chaos and debauchery taking place online.

In the shadows, the voices of Hibiki Higashino's fans were suppressed.

However, Weekly Shonen Jump quickly issued a statement clearing Higashino Hibiki's name, and since no ordinary readers responded, they were left to make a fuss like clowns and had no choice but to back down.

Occasionally, they will emerge and launch an attack.

"It's you guys again, how boring."

"How can you guys like someone like Akino Mirai? It's laughable, she's adorably idiotic. She resorts to underhanded tactics just because she's worried about being surpassed by her juniors. How shameful."

"The one that's finished is 'Slam Dunk,' you bastard."

"That's just an excuse to save face for him, and you actually believe that?"

The more anxious the readers were, the more excited they became.

Japanese forums are always like this: when someone is unhappy with their life, they provoke others to vent their frustrations.

Of course, the most comments were discussions about the plot.

“I think Sasaki’s choice was correct. A high school student who is not yet an adult, and the news that he was seriously ill and hospitalized because of his serialization in Jump would definitely cause a huge negative public opinion. Sasaki is worthy of his position as editor-in-chief.”

"Mashiro Moritaka is so obsessive, saying he'd rather draw manga than get treatment. You can only give someone strong medicine for that."

"Sasaki attended Kawaguchi Taro's memorial service and felt ashamed and uneasy in the face of Kawaguchi Taro's weeping family. Mashiro Moritaka is Kawaguchi Taro's nephew, so it's inevitable that Sasaki would be biased."

Sasaki looked at these comments, his eyes remaining calm and unmoved.

He wasn't the editor-in-chief in "Bakuman," so he didn't care.

"Hmph, I think he's too cold-blooded. The editor-in-chief has forgotten the hardships of cartoonists, destroying other people's hard work for profit. What a wicked guy."

I don't care...

"Tori Akino-sensei edited both 'Hikaru no Go' and 'Slam Dunk' with Sasaki Takashi. He used the storyline of Mashiro Moritaka's illness to satirize Sasaki. There must be some unknown conflict between them."

I don't care!

"Editors can't stand with cartoonists, so the head editor is naturally the most ruthless one."

Koji Yoshida was working diligently when he suddenly heard a deafening "Bang!"

He shuddered and turned to look at Sasaki, whose expression was grim and uncertain.

He clenched his right fist and placed it on the table. The sound was Sasaki slamming his fist on the table.

"Work hard." Sasaki said coldly.

"Yes." The editors hurriedly bowed their heads.

……

"Hahahaha." Hibiki Higashino laughed nonstop as he looked at the letters sent by readers.

He showed Akemi Akemi, "It's funny that someone actually thinks I'm dissatisfied with Sasaki-san."

"I owe the serialization of Hikaru no Go to Sasaki-san when I was in high school. If it weren't for him, Nobuhiko Horie, he wouldn't have agreed to let a high school student be serialized in Jump."

There was no precedent for serializing a story in high school, making it difficult for the editor-in-chief to make a decision that broke with convention.

Akemi Akemi nodded.

She had accompanied Hibiki Higashino all the way, so of course she knew about the friendship between Hibiki Higashino and Sasaki.

That went beyond the relationship between editor and cartoonist; it reached the level of close friends.

The friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water; they rarely communicate, but they both understand each other's feelings.

Therefore, in this part of the Bakuman storyline, Sasaki did not question Hibiki Higashino.

“Of course I know that,” Akemi Akimiya asked doubtfully, “but I was also shocked when I first saw the plot of ‘Bakuman.’ Is Editor-in-Chief Sasaki such a cold-hearted person in your mind?”

Sasaki was expressionless, always with a blank face, so people didn't dare to talk to him.

A person who doesn't show their emotions will naturally be considered cold-hearted.

"Isn't this a sign of Sasaki's kindness?" Hibiki Higashino looked at Akemi Akemi with surprise.

"Sasaki was worried that Mashiro Moritaka would follow in his uncle Kawaguchi Taro's footsteps and die suddenly because he was too obsessed with manga. That's why he temporarily suspended the serialization of the immature Moritaka. After he graduated from high school and had the ability to think independently, he was allowed to start serialization again."

"But Sasaki got caught up in his own concerns and decided Ashirogi Muto's future on his own. In that respect, he's somewhat similar to..."

Hibiki Higashino considered for a moment, then raised both hands and held up his index fingers. "Uchiha Itachi hurt Uchiha Sasuke in the way he thought it was for your own good."

Akemi Akemi, who had been nodding, paused upon hearing this, "Itachi Uchiha did it for Sasuke, okay? Not for Sasuke's Mangekyou Sharingan, right?"

Hibiki Higashino suddenly realized that the truth of the Naruto storyline had not yet been revealed.

He stubbornly insisted, "Of course, that's for sure! He's so handsome, Kishimoto wouldn't make him a villain."

“That makes sense.” Akemi Akimiya didn’t pursue the matter further and nodded slowly.

She could tell that Higashino Hibiki was feigning composure, but she was too lazy to expose him.

Let's just say it is that way.

……

This was lunchtime that afternoon.

Akemi Akemi and Shio Higashino chatted and laughed.

Suddenly the atmosphere became quiet.

Higashino Shio and Higashino Ichiro exchanged a glance and urged each other on.

Akemi Akemi became curious and looked at Hibiki Higashino.

"What's wrong with Mom and Dad?"

Higashino gave her a look of innocent, bewildered innocence, like that of a college student.

"I have no idea."

Akemi Akimiya pursed her lips helplessly, blinking her eyes repeatedly.

She asked, "Dad, Mom, is there something you want to say?"

Higashino Shio trembled and declined, "Um, let your father say it."

"Ah, me?" Higashino Ichiro pointed to himself awkwardly, then sighed, "Okay."

"We came here to help you take care of your children. Now that they've grown up, so we..."

Akemi Akemi understood that Old Higashino was moving back home, and she hurriedly asked, "Dad, are you not comfortable living here?"

"Of course not!" Higashino Ichiro immediately denied, "It's just that..."

“I miss that house. It holds memories of my and your mother’s youth.”

Higashino Ichiro's face turned red, and he spoke his true feelings, which was unusual for him.

Higashino nodded hurriedly from the side, and held Akemi Akemi's hands in both of them, "Akemi, I'm entrusting this family to you."

Akemi Akemi panicked. She glanced at Higashino Hibiki, who was still eating, and said with dissatisfaction, "Honey, say something! Try to persuade Mom and Dad to stay."

Higashino chewed on the beef, savoring the aroma, "Anyway, it's not far, only a 10-minute walk, so we can meet anytime we want."

"Huh?" Akemi Akimiya tilted her head. "That's true."

The Higashino couple moved out the next day.

Higashino Hibiki's home is always bustling with staff such as assistants, editors, supervisors, and producers, making it feel like a company.

The disturbance had made them want to move out for a long time, and now they've finally said it out loud.

When Higashino Mirai couldn't find her grandmother after school, she realized what had happened and immediately burst into tears, crying and demanding her grandmother.

Higashino was completely bewildered.

After Higashino left, he began to suffer from his son's torment.

That evening, Akemi Akemi finally managed to coax Mirai Higashino to sleep.

Higashino looked at his son's peaceful sleeping face. "He's so cute now, but he'll be a little devil when he wakes up. Hurry up and leave, don't wake him up."

The couple tiptoed back to the bedroom, and Akemi Akemi couldn't help but laugh when she saw Higashino Hibiki's nervous expression.

"What's so funny?" Higashino asked, his face contorted in a grimace.

"Parents who are afraid of their sons are really rare, hahaha." She leaned on Higashino Hibiki's shoulder, laughing so hard she was shaking.

"Even dogs wouldn't want a four- or five-year-old child!"

They have tremendous energy, unwavering goals, a tendency to hit others, and are prone to crying and tantrums. "Fortunately, we can relax a bit during our future school years."

“I’m just giving you a friendly reminder,” Akemi Akemi gave a thumbs up, “it’s almost July.”

Higashino Mirai is going to... have summer vacation.

Higashino covered his ears with both hands, letting out a silent scream of terror.

……

Hibiki Higashino pushed Mirai forward a little and said ingratiatingly, "Dad, I'm entrusting Mirai to you this holiday."

Mr. Akimiya glanced at his grandson, a smile he couldn't hide on his face. "Since you're all so busy, leave it to me."

"Yes Yes."

While Higashino Mirai was still in a daze, his parents ran away in a flash.

Before long, the car had driven onto the main road.

"Grandpa..." He looked up at Mr. Akimiya and burst into tears, "My mom and dad don't want me anymore!"

After a relaxing week, Hibiki Higashino and Akemi Akemi were urged by Mr. Akemi to bring Mirai home.

“Dad is actually…very capable,” Higashino Hibiki exclaimed.

A whole week! It took a whole week before I couldn't take it anymore. My willpower is really strong.

When Higashino Mirai returned home, he and his wife were drawing comics when they saw that their son had drawn a big mess on his face with colored pencils, and they were laughing at it.