Full-time comic artist

"Short story submission." Hibiki Higashino handed over "The Garden of Words."

"Why did you suddenly decide to draw a short story? I told you you looked pretty bad today."

Torishima Kazuhiko pulled out his manga manuscript and casually asked a question.

Hibiki Higashino: "Because I wanted to, I really wanted to draw it."

"Huh? This has piqued my curiosity. Please wait a moment."

His pupils dilated in shock after reading the first episode.

I haven't seen this kind of drawing skill in a long time.

Unlike the current art style, it is more fashionable, with an old-fashioned style where the background is drawn with dots.

The combination of the two was a feeling he had never seen before.

Moreover, this painting has a "Hibiki Higashino" feel to it.

A work created with deep emotion and from the heart.

"Hibiki Higashino at 19 is much stronger than he was at 17."

After looking at the painting, he began to look at the content.

It's a very simple story about a romance between a teacher and a student, which ends with an open ending.

He was very sensitive to the details, and he couldn't miss a single element of the content. It was so rich in content that he spent a long time looking at it.

He usually finishes reading in five minutes, but today it took him fifteen minutes.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It's fair to say that its style is very different from Jump's, and it's clearly a work that people aged 17 and over would prefer.

"Are you planning to submit your work?" Kazuhiko Torishima asked again.

Higashino nodded.

"I'm sorry, I can't accept it." He pushed the manuscript back.

Higashino asked, puzzled, "Why?"

“This is your masterpiece, isn’t it?” Torishima Kazuhiko said. “It would be a waste to put it in VJUMP. VJUMP’s readership is teenagers, which doesn’t match the Garden of Words very well.”

He stated frankly that *The Garden of Words* is an excellent work, and he likes it very much. However, even so, this work should not be wasted.

Higashino pursed his lips, feeling a touch of emotion.

He did have the intention of repaying Torishima Kazuhiko, but he never expected him to think of him in such a way.

“Why not submit it to Weekly Young Jump?” Kazuhiko Torishima suggested.

Hibiki Higashino agreed.

“However,” Torishima Kazuhiko said with a smile, “let’s publish the Hikaru no Go short story in V Jump. I think readers will be very interested in the story of Honinbo Shusaku. Hikaru no Go is also airing now, so it’s the perfect time to publish a short story.”

"I'm glad I could help you," Higashino Hibiki said.

……

Torishima Kazuhiko told Higashino Hibiki that Sasaki could contact the editor of Weekly Young Jump, and then he picked up his coffee and leisurely left.

Back in the VJUMP editorial office.

Your longtime partner, Toshimasa Takahashi, asked curiously, "What does your genius manga artist want with you?"

Toshimasa Takahashi was once Yoshihiro Togashi's editor, and their relationship was similar to that of Akira Toriyama and Kazuhiko Torishima.

The end of Yu Yu Hakusho was also due to Toshimasa Takahashi following Kazuhiko Torishima, leaving the editorial department of Weekly Shonen Jump to co-found V Jump, which is why he could no longer serve as Yoshihiro Togashi's editor.

If Toshimasa Takahashi had been involved in the communication, Yu Yu Hakusho wouldn't have ended so early.

"He wanted to submit a short comic, but I refused." Torishima Kazuhiko took a sip of coffee, sighed contentedly, closed his eyes, and savored the moment.

"Aren't comics interesting?" Takahashi Toshimasa asked in surprise.

If it can be serialized in Jump, there's no reason why it shouldn't pass through VJump.

“On the contrary, it was very interesting,” Torishima Kazuhiko said, “so I rejected him.”

“Yes,” Takahashi Toshimasa nodded.

He began to understand Torishima Kazuhiko's logic.

"Because it's so interesting, it's to repay your kindness."

"That's why I couldn't agree to his request." Torishima Kazuhiko smiled slightly. "My favors aren't so easily used up."

Takahashi Toshimasa said, "It seems you really value him."

“He’s a genius, and he’ll only get more and more amazing in the future,” Kazuhiko Torishima put down his coffee cup, rolled up the blinds on the windowsill, and looked downstairs.

"Akira Toriyama has decided to end Dragon Ball, and no one can stop him."

"Nobuhiko Horie couldn't solve such a big problem, so I was the only one who could be the editor-in-chief in the end."

"I need to plan ahead."

Chapter 77 Hiroshi Honmiya

Through Sasaki's introduction, Hibiki Higashino met an editor at YOUNGJUMP and also unexpectedly met a manga artist named Hiroshi Motomiya.

Higashino Hibiki had a great liking for this 48-year-old man; he was straightforward, cheerful, and very generous.

He bears a resemblance to his father, Ichiro Higashino.

Hiroshi Motomiya was the teacher of Masami Kurumada, the author of "Saint Seiya," and is also the originator of hard-boiled, action-packed manga.

Hibiki Higashino's childhood favorite game, "Dynasty Warriors," is a manga adaptation of Hiroshi Motomiya's work.

He is better known for another work, "Salaryman Kintaro".

A national treasure-level cartoonist, nothing more.

"Can I take a look?" Hiroshi Motomiya asked. "I'm very curious about your genius work."

The editor stood by, smiling but saying nothing.

Higashino Hibiki didn't care and handed it to the other person.

"Oh, it's really well drawn," Hiroshi Motomiya exclaimed. "I haven't seen such a well-done comic in a long time."

"Osamu Tezuka once criticized young manga artists for being overly concerned with whether their manga would be popular. I refuted him, arguing that 'popularity is the most important thing for a manga.'"

"Thinking about it now, what Tezuka-sensei meant was to encourage young people to focus their energy on improving their abilities, rather than blindly chasing after the times."

"Tori Akino-kun, you've done a great job. You became famous at a young age, but you haven't changed your original intentions. That's how you break through your limits."

Hibiki Higashino said, "Thank you for the compliment, I just want to draw manga."

"That makes it even more precious."

Hiroshi Motomiya greatly admired Hibiki Higashino and praised him repeatedly.

Higashino Hibiki was happy inside, but he didn't say it out loud.

Hiroshi Motomiya got into reading "The Garden of Words," but soon shook his head.

"No, I'm not into this kind of work."

He prefers works that are hard-hitting and visceral; he doesn't really like those sentimental, lighthearted stories.

However, from a cartoonist's perspective, he was very satisfied.

"The drawing skills, paneling, pacing, and use of negative space are all surprisingly good," he glanced at Hibiki Higashino. "Is he really a high school student?"

Hibiki Higashino said, "I'll be going to university in two months."

"What an enviable talent," Hiroshi Motomiya patted Hibiki Higashino on the shoulder. "Keep up the good work and don't waste this gift from heaven."

"Yes."

After reading it, he gave the comic to the editor.

The editor was much more savvy than him; he only heard it was a short story and didn't pay much attention.

I only understood the charm of "The Garden of Words" after reading it.

While it may not be as popular as action manga, it is still considered a classic and will likely attract readers from other magazines.

Moreover, it's easy to adapt into a theatrical version and make a movie.

Young girls will love watching this.

"Five episodes in total," the editor asked, "Can you manage one episode per week?"

Higashino nodded. Spring break is coming soon, so we can go all out and have no problem driving both of us.

At most, it will just be a little harder for myself and my assistant.

"Hmm, there shouldn't be any problem. There will be a serialization meeting tomorrow, and the short story can be serialized in no more than a month."

Hiroshi Motomiya's editor was also very generous, and Hibiki Higashino quickly reached an agreement with him.

Before leaving, Hiroshi Motomiya said to Hibiki Higashino, "Come on, I'll treat you to a meal. As your senior, I'll naturally treat you well."

Ignoring Higashino Hibiki's refusal, he grabbed Higashino Hibiki's hand and dragged him onto the motorcycle.

He handed Higashino a helmet and said, "Don't talk for a while, or you'll bite your tongue off."

He then drove off at breakneck speed.

He looks a lot like a delinquent boss.

Not long after, we arrived at a small shop.

It was only four o'clock in the afternoon, and the door was not yet open.

Hiroshi Motomiya made a phone call, and a person wearing an apron hurriedly opened the door and welcomed them inside.

"Why are you up so early today?" the man asked curiously.

Hiroshi Motomiya said, "I met a young man and I'd like to have a chat with him."

"We do have wine," said the man who seemed to be the shop owner, "but the food will have to wait a bit."