Full-time comic artist

"Huh?" Higashino Hibiki asked, puzzled. "Why is it reacting like this?"

When she was drawing, she didn't take a third-party perspective and her understanding of "The Garden of Words" was inadequate. She just felt that Higashino Hibiki had drawn a story about a teacher-student romance, so she was a little annoyed and couldn't feel the delicate emotions in the story or the ideas that Higashino Hibiki wanted to convey.

To consider him a foot fetishist is absolutely outrageous!

Higashino Hibiki curiously picked up the letter that Akemi Akemi had seen, and the sender turned out to be Nishimura.

He could have just said what he wanted to say directly, but he went to great lengths to write a letter, which gave Higashino Hibiki a bad feeling.

Nishimura is a man who loves to stir up trouble.

"Higashino! Higashino! Yukino's feet in 'The Garden of Words' are drawn so erotically!"

Higashino Hibiki covered his face with his very first words; he really is a useless and troublesome person.

"I really loved it after reading it; it's much better than the book. It even has an artistic beauty!"

"Higashino, you must have seen girls' feet before to be so expressive! I'm so envious! Damn it!"

Hibiki Higashino's face darkened, and he blamed the Young Jump editorial department for not filtering out Nishimura's letter.

He threw Nishimura's letter away, feeling that it had polluted the letters from his female fans.

To place their letters alongside Nishimura's is an insult.

Seeing Akemi Akemi's "I don't want to talk to you" expression, Higashino Hibiki could only shake his head helplessly and sigh regretfully.

Akemi Akemi glanced at him, then lowered her head again.

……

Just before the start of the school term, Akemi Akemi was summoned to her father's family art museum.

Mr. Akimiya is having an exhibition of his works recently, and some big names in the industry will be attending, with her accompanying him.

In Higashino Hibiki's mind, this was a circle where people always boasted to each other.

He's quite realistic; although he studied fine arts, he doesn't really understand Japanese traditional painting.

Perhaps I will come to understand the beauty of Ukiyo-e after entering university, under the influence of my teachers.

Akemi Akemi spoke fluently in front of these people. She had received her father's training since childhood and had a good artistic cultivation. If she hadn't been so focused on drawing manga and continuing the Akemi family's status in the arts, it would have been a piece of cake.

"That's so well said," the head of the Musashino Art Department was very moved. He inquired about Akemi Akemi's current situation and was somewhat puzzled when he learned that she was just a high school teacher.

An invitation was extended to Akemi Akimiya on the spot, hoping that she could become a teacher in the traditional Chinese painting department of the Musashino Art School.

Akemi Akemi was somewhat taken aback, but at her father's prompting, she pursed her lips and nodded in agreement.

She was still very happy. Being recognized and being able to be with everyone in "Yoshiwara-sou" again made her feel great.

It wasn't until after the first day of the exhibition that the father and daughter had a private conversation.

Mr. Akimiya told Akimiya Akemi not to care about the other party's favor, as it was merely the result of an exchange of interests.

Akemi Akemi was puzzled. Mr. Akemi handed her a newspaper with an article he had published at the end of last year.

They touted Musashino's high standards of education, which led to what happened during the day.

"I've already discussed it with Principal Yan Yan High School. You can go and complete your resignation procedures tomorrow and report to Musashino before the start of the new semester. You've performed very well in the past year, not bothering to serialize any manga, and you've focused on being a teacher. I'm very pleased with that."

Akemi Akemi remained silent for a long time before finally thanking her father for his contributions.

But the more she felt this way, the more she wanted to draw comics.

Interpersonal communication annoyed her greatly, and although she benefited from it, she didn't want her future to be like that.

They present a virtuous image in public, but behind the scenes they engage in despicable and scheming behavior.

……

Just before the start of the school year, Akemi Akimiya arrived at Musashino High School.

The older students had already arrived, and she overheard the conversation between the girls next to her.

Have any of you watched "The Garden of Words" lately?

"I've seen it! I've seen it! Of course I've seen it. As expected of a work recommended by Professor Takeuchi, it's incredibly moving."

"I also wish I could have a teacher-student relationship like that."

"Hey, isn't Takao so pitiful? He did so much for Yukino, but in the end he was still rejected."

"I can understand Yukino's struggle with her age. However, Yukino has always wanted to break free from her current situation and have the 'shoes' to step out into the world. Takao was those 'shoes,' but in the end, she gave up. It's such a pity."

"Yukino clearly loves Takao, but she chose to give up due to social factors. I hope she can agree to step out of the cage she built for herself and out of the Garden of Words."

Akemi Akimiya was moved.

She recalled what Hibiki Higashino had said before the serialization began.

"Use dots to draw the background."

"To complete the Garden of Words together."

Every day, he had to draw "Hikaru no Go" and also finish "The Garden of Words". He only slept three hours a day, was exhausted, and looked like a panda with dark circles under his eyes, but he still had to draw "The Garden of Words" in the most energy-consuming way.

So this is ah.

"Higashino..."

She wanted to turn and leave, but she managed to hold back.

After completing the onboarding procedures, she lifted her skirt and hurried to Higashino Hibiki's teacher dormitory.

She paused, her hand hovering over the doorbell.

I think I like Higashino.

He is a genius cartoonist, and he works very hard, focusing all his energy on drawing comics.

He has no bad habits, unlike the Japanese, he is not chauvinistic, and he respects himself very much.

Sometimes it's quite fun, and being with him will definitely make me happy in the future.

"Oh no," Akemi Akemi covered her flushed face, "all I can think of are his good points..."

"So this is what he was like in my heart."

She made up her mind and pressed the doorbell.

"Hello, I am Akimiya."

After the door opened, she wanted to throw herself into Higashino Hibiki's arms.

only……

"Hello, I'm an editor from Young Jump. Is Mr. Tori Akino here?" A voice came from behind me.

"I'm here to give the sample copy of Weekly Young Jump to Mr. Tori Akino."

Chapter 82 Putting on Shoes

The final chapter of "The Garden of Words" has finally been printed in a manga magazine.

After the editor left, Akemi Akimiya said, "Could I take a look at Young Jump first?"

Higashino Hibiki was curious and handed the magazine to her.

Akemi Akemi took it, took a deep breath, and savored the final part that Higashino wanted to draw.

That was also the final idea in the work.

This was the first time she had looked at the manga from a reader's perspective, or rather, she had tried to understand Yukino and Takao.

……

After meeting Takao, Yukino tried taking the train; it turned out she was planning to return to her hometown on Shikoku Island.

This time, she told Takao that it was goodbye.

Takao was disappointed and got up to say goodbye. Even though it was still raining outside, he couldn't stay any longer.

Yukino cried in the empty room.

She recalled the time she spent with Takao, the bento boxes he made for her, the shoes he made for her, and that sentence he said.

"A faint rumble of thunder, a gloomy sky—even if it doesn't rain, I will remain here."

Suddenly she changed her mind, hurriedly got up, and even threw the stool aside.

Yukino ran out of the room, not bothering to put on her shoes, and barefoot, she stepped out of her mental defenses and took the step she had always longed for.

She ran quickly, and even when she fell, she immediately got up, trying to catch up with Takao.

Finally, in the rain, she saw Xiaoxiong.

I have so many things I want to tell him.

"Miss Yukino, please forget what I just said. I don't actually like you at all."

Upon hearing Takao's words, Akemi Akemi's heart tightened.

The rousing tune she had just been mentally playing suddenly stopped, replaced by a breathless tension.

Takao said, "You seem to be unlikable from the very beginning."

He gritted his teeth, "Drinking beer first thing in the morning, and then playing some random short song to fool people."

Angered, "You never mention your own affairs, yet you keep trying to pry into other people's thoughts. You knew all along that we were teacher and student, didn't you!"

Painful, "How cunning! If I had known you were a teacher, I wouldn't have brought up shoemaking."

He roared, "It's impossible anyway! It's impossible! Why didn't you tell me that!"

"Do you think that you can just brush off a child's sleep talking?"

"No matter how much I yearn for someone, or how much I admire them, I can't convey it; it's all just wishful thinking!"

"If you knew from the beginning, then just say so!"

"What an eyesore! Kids should be going to school!"

"Say you hate me!"

Different shots, different words, a densely packed mass.