Full-time comic artist

He clicked his tongue in amazement, filled with envy and jealousy.

Araki-sensei swirled his champagne, watching the scene with a smile on his lips, without joining in.

"Araki-sensei," Hibiki Higashino picked up a Coke, walked over, and toasted him, making him momentarily dazed.

"you are?"

The two hadn't communicated before, and Araki didn't know who this overly friendly boy was.

"The author of 'Hikaru no Go,' Toriaki Mirai," Hibiki Higashino introduced himself, scrutinizing Araki's face. The 35-year-old man was surprisingly refined, with a face full of collagen.

"Oh!" Araki exclaimed in realization, "It's the genius manga artist Tori Akino! I often read your manga; it's very well drawn."

“I’m still far from being as good as you,” Hibiki Higashino said.

Araki's style is unique, featuring muscular men similar to those in "Fist of the North Star" and unique content.

For example, the famous Araki Line.

Draw lines on the character's face to make it more three-dimensional and enrich the character's expression.

This is a capability that Higashino Hibiki does not possess.

Hibiki Higashino can only learn from the paintings of his predecessors; he doesn't yet have the ability to immediately identify a painter's style by mentioning their characteristics.

"What can I do for you?" Araki asked.

He is a very charming person, refined, and very well-groomed.

No procrastination, a well-paced life.

Higashino Hibiki admires this point, so he came to make an appearance.

"I'm actually a big fan of the JoJo series, and I'd like to ask you for an autograph."

Higashino handed over a signed copy and waited expectantly.

One perk of being a cartoonist is being able to ask these colleagues for autographs.

“Thank you,” Araki said, as he scribbled something down.

I even drew a chibi version of Rohan Kishibe when I had some free time.

This is his projection in the fourth part of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga, a two-dimensional Araki.

"To Akino Mirai, wishing you a happy life - Hirohiko Araki."

Chapter 69 A New Beginning Is Coming

Hibiki Higashino happily accepted the autograph and put it in his backpack.

Afterwards, he exchanged drawing techniques with Hirohiko Araki, but he was mainly asking questions.

Araki's suggestion was to look at some artistic things. When he was in a creative slump and didn't know what to paint, he traveled to the West.

I saw the statue of Apollo and Daphne in Italy and was captivated by its artistry.

Everything was beautiful and pleasing to the eye, especially the body language, which was particularly striking.

He then visited other countries rich in history and culture, such as Egypt and France.

Ultimately, JoJo was created.

Excellent works all contain social context and critical thinking, and local culture is also indispensable.

He also traveled to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and India to create such lifelike depictions of the Stardust Warriors.

Higashino nodded; he seemed to have gained some insight.

He learned a great deal today, and before he could properly thank him, Mr. Araki left with a smile.

……

Hibiki Higashino went to communicate with Akira Toriyama and thanked him for his previous encouragement.

"Haha, I don't know why I did that either," he said. Actually, he is a rather shy person and doesn't interact with many people.

However, perhaps it was because of this that he was so impressed with Higashino Hibiki that he mentored him.

"I watched the anime 'Hikaru no Go,' it's really good!"

At his age, he'll appreciate a vibrant work like "Hikaru no Go".

"And the Go teacher at the end was quite interesting, but unfortunately he only appeared for a minute."

“Yamazaki Akira, 2-dan, is indeed a very interesting person,” Hibiki Higashino said. “Like the characters in ‘Hikaru no Go,’ he’s someone who has been learning Go since childhood. He has very little contact with the outside world, which makes him simple and pure. He is even more out of place in the bustling city of Tokyo.”

"The contrast is what makes it funny."

Akira Yamazaki is a rare friend of Higashino Higashikata's manga. They can joke around with each other, meet often, play a game of chess or two occasionally, and he supervises the manga. They have a kind of gentlemanly friendship that is as light as water.

“Mhm,” Akira Toriyama nodded.

Hibiki Higashino glanced at Yoshihiro Togashi, who was unusually excited today, as he talked about the relief of finishing his manga.

It's as exhilarating as putting on new underwear on New Year's morning.

It was already 1995, Hibiki Higashino thought, and a major transformation of Jump was about to begin.

He glanced at Akira Toriyama.

The other person was looking at Yoshihiro Togashi with envy.

He had probably been preparing for this all along, ready to end Dragon Ball.

Hibiki Higashino had no intention of persuading him. For so many years, Akira Toriyama had been carrying a heavy burden, and only after the end of "Dragon Ball" was he truly himself.

Nobuhiko Horie did not attend this New Year's party; it was hosted by Sasaki.

After discovering Nobuhiro Watsuki, he gained increasing importance.

I heard he's about to be promoted to deputy editor-in-chief.

Therefore, Sasaki and Hibiki Higashino had very little time to communicate that day.

He said he would visit the next day to discuss the anime adaptation and the manga volume.

As the editor of "Hikaru no Go", Sasaki was responsible for very little.

He once told Hibiki Higashino, "There's nothing wrong with what Akino Mirai-sensei drew, and the plot is progressing smoothly. Reader engagement and the work's influence continue to grow, so there's no need for me to offer any opinions."

"Moreover, making demands rashly will disrupt the rhythm and have a negative impact on the work. It's best to maintain the status quo."

When Hibiki Higashino and Sasaki work together, they always seem to have a tacit understanding. They can understand each other's thoughts without saying much.

It went very smoothly and quickly.

Hibiki Higashino was very grateful to him.

"Are you Ms. Tori Akino Mirai?" someone asked.

Higashino looked over and saw that the other person was wearing black-rimmed glasses and was a young man who probably had graduated not long ago.

"Yes, may I ask who you are?"

“I am Nobuhiro Watsuki,” he said, extending his hand.

Hibiki Higashino shook hands with him, looking at him with a complicated expression.

This is the person who, upon serialization, surpassed "Hikaru no Go" and became the top tier after "Dragon Ball".

A true genius cartoonist.

His work, "Rurouni Kenshin," inspired Masashi Kishimoto to abandon his samurai-themed works and instead create "Naruto."

With his world-renowned works, Hibiki Higashino couldn't help but sigh, "Jump truly deserves its reputation as the king of mainstream manga."

“I envy you,” Nobuhiro Watsuki said. “You have a really strong talent. I’ve been an assistant to several teachers, but my drawing skills are only about the same as yours.”

Hibiki Higashino was stunned. He had no idea that he was being viewed this way, especially by a genius manga artist like Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Hibiki Higashino: "I'm ashamed."

“I really like Hikaru no Go, especially Akira Touya, who has a determined heart that goes forward bravely,” Nobuhiro Watsuki continued. “Before serializing Rurouni Kenshin, my dream was to create a work like Hikaru no Go that could move people.”

Hibiki Higashino expressed his gratitude, saying he also liked "Rurouni Kenshin".

The killer with the reverse-blade sword was also his childhood friend.

However, Nobuhiro Watsuki is a rather complicated person; he has a penchant for pedophilia.

In 2017, he made headlines for being arrested for possessing child pornography DVDs.

He himself admitted that he likes girls from the upper grades of elementary school to around the second year of middle school, which was quite frank.

Once that news was broadcast, it sparked a lot of discussion even in China, and Higashino Hibiki and his online friends thoroughly enjoyed the gossip.

I never expected to meet the person involved today.

To be honest, Higashino Hibiki doesn't want to criticize him for simply owning a DVD.

However, if they become good friends, and Akimiya-sensei has a daughter for him in the future, that would be very awkward.

So he didn't say much to Nobuhiro Watsuki, just laughed it off and said goodbye.

After 10 o'clock, the New Year holiday officially ended.

Hibiki Higashino, clutching the breakfast machine, declined the invitation to a second gathering and happily returned to his dorm.

The night was chilly, but Higashino Hibiki was filled with emotion.

Before I knew it, a year and four months had passed, and I was about to graduate.

I'm about to leave this familiar dormitory.

Parting ways with close friends.

"Life is about looking forward," he sighed, as the mist rose.

Pushing open the front door, changing shoes in the entryway, Higashino Hibiki walked into the hall.

The living room lights were on, but no one paid him any attention.

Everyone is watching TV. This year's CCTV broadcast of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is exceptionally popular, drawing huge crowds. The people in the dormitory watch it over and over again.

At this moment, the story is about Zhuge Liang's three visits to Zhuge Liang's thatched cottage. Zhuge Liang walks out of the cottage and stands at the door, looking radiant and like a god. Everyone is attracted by him.