Full-time comic artist

“I’m sorry, I can’t agree to that,” Higashino Hibiki said. “I simply don’t have time to deal with other things right now. I’ll consider it when I’m more comfortable with this job.”

Takayuki loosened her grip, and Hibiki Higashino left.

She bit her lip, watching Higashino Hibiki's retreating figure.

"I'm already in third grade."

Just as she was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, she suddenly heard Higashino Hibiki's cheers.

The sound was so loud that it immediately lifted her from her worries.

"Higashino-kun has this side to him too."

……

"Hikaru no Go is number one!"

Sasaki didn't keep them in suspense; he got straight to the point as soon as the call connected.

Higashino Hibiki's heart was pounding; he had actually gotten first place in Kosei!

This is the first time he has received such an honor!

Moreover, and most importantly, he surpassed Toriyama before he stopped drawing long-running serials.

This point is even more important!

He gripped his phone tremblingly, his whole body shaking with joy.

"Miss Akimiya, the young master of Hikaru no Go is the number one!"

He couldn't wait to share this good news.

"First place! That's amazing!" Akemi Akemi stopped immediately upon hearing this news as she walked to the parking lot.

"Congratulations, Higashino-kun. After all your hard work, you've finally achieved your goal!"

"Yes, thanks to your help, Miss Akimiya. I definitely couldn't have done it alone!"

Higashino felt that the sky was clear and the air was fresh, and even the wild mandarin ducks beside him looked exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

In his past life, he wished he could kill these people who flaunted their love.

Speaking of which, he is also a member of the FFF group.

But now there is true love too.

He had already started missing Akemi Akemi as soon as she left.

Afterwards, Higashino Hibiki notified the others.

He didn't sleep all night, and the next day he went to Shueisha.

There was an awards ceremony, but it wasn't because he achieved first place in the junior category.

It's something else entirely.

Authors who serialize more than 50 chapters in Jump will receive a prize and trophy from Shueisha.

It may be a way to unite the author and control the hearts of fans after the end of "Dragon Ball".

The scene was filled with Shueisha employees, representatives from partner companies, and even reporters, making it seem like a large-scale event.

Higashino looked around; Toriyama Akira was not there.

I did see quite a few familiar faces.

Hirohiko Araki, dressed in a suit and looking radiant, walked over and patted Hibiki Higashino on the shoulder.

"Tori Akino-kun, you are really amazing. You actually got first place when Dragon Ball ended."

"Thank you very much, but I still have a long way to go."

“Yes, that’s a good mindset,” he nodded. “You need to look at the long term. You’re still young and can make more progress.”

As a senior figure, Araki patiently guided and instructed.

Higashino Hibiki thanked him again, deeply moved by his sincere gratitude.

Ultimately, these people are competitors on Jump.

It is truly rare to be able to set aside one's identity and inspire and teach the younger generation.

“I’ve recently been studying Japanese traditional painting,” Hibiki Higashino said as they walked, raising a question, “but I haven’t felt any charm, or rather, any inspiration for the manga.” The ceremony was about to begin.

"Araki-sensei, what should I do?"

Chapter 94 Peak and Decline

"This is a natural thing, a moment of inspiration that cannot be achieved through continuous learning."

Araki said that he only came to understand the stunning beauty of the statue by chance, and that Higashino Hibiki was still young and shouldn't be in a hurry.

Higashino Hibiki paused for a moment, then nodded.

He has indeed gotten a little cocky lately.

"I've been reading your comics," Araki said. "Isn't it a bit too eager for quick success?"

"In order to get first place in Xiaozheng, the content of the storyline was compressed."

"I think the latest chapter would be better expanded upon; I only drew 25 pages of original manuscript. It could easily be drawn into 4 to 6 chapters. Adding the reactions of other characters, the plot unfolds gradually, and the atmosphere builds up step by step."

"This is more like your usual style."

Higashino nodded; he understood, but he desperately wanted to win first place.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; if one fails to seize it, even waking up in the middle of the night from a dream, one will sigh with regret.

"Looking at it now, readers really like this kind of plot. It's exhilarating, and you get to the ending in one go," Araki said calmly. "However, the rhythm is different from the previous stories. A small number of readers, as well as those who read the collected volumes, will find it awkward."

"The last chapter of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Z wasn't his forte or the most beloved battle scene. Instead, it was a farewell, the final chapter after more than ten years of companionship. Results aren't the most important thing, Akira Toriyama."

He didn't say much more, patted Higashino Hibiki on the shoulder, and walked towards his seat.

Higashino Hibiki stood there until a staff member came to inquire, then apologized and sat down next to Yamamura Morimichi.

"Whoo~"

He breathed a sigh of relief; he felt different.

The older generation was truly knowledgeable; I learned a great deal from them.

He then nodded to Yamamura Morimichi.

The other person looked at him with a strange expression.

"I admit, you're stronger now."

"The Sun Murder Case" ranked sixth in our newspaper's rankings. He witnessed the cruelty of Jump.

Countless people dream of serializing it.

A very small number of them were granted the right to be serialized, but they were quickly canceled.

Here, excellence is the norm. Or rather, even the adjective "excellent" is insufficient.

As a major platform with 650 million readers, maintaining a stable ranking requires working tirelessly and exhausting oneself to avoid falling behind.

Once he understood this, he realized that the young man in front of him was truly remarkable.

Admirable.

Higashino Hibiki shuddered at the sight of the mountain village.

It's very similar to how Akemi Akemi used to look at him.

With admiration and regret.

……

"Next up is Mirai Tori, the author of 'Hikaru no Go'. His work has been serialized for 76 chapters and recently won first place in the 'Little Shot' competition. As the youngest manga artist in Jump's history, he has always been very reliable."

Sasaki said.

Horie Nobuhiko stood to the side, watching the smiling boy approach.

He finally acknowledged Sasaki's words, "He can become a pillar of Jump."

He won first place during the most intense competition, which shows his ability.

As the series continues, the popularity of "Hikaru no Go" is growing.

From a stable ranking at the beginning, to a mid-range ranking between 6th and 9th, then to the first place below Dragon Ball, and now finally to the first place.

Nobuhiko Horie picked up the trophy and handed it to Hibiki Higashino with both hands, saying, "Hikaru no Go is an outstanding work and a source of pride for Jump. You've worked so hard to keep it running all this time."

Higashino Hibiki accepted it with both hands and thanked him.

Nobuhiko Horie continued, "The strength of Hikaru no Go is that the scenes of playing Go are also very interesting. However, it would be even better if the use of text could be reduced."

Hibiki Higashino understood Nobuhiko Horie's belief.

That means the most important thing in comics is the drawing; the less text, the better.

In the future, he participated in the Mobai Comic Contest in China, which required that there be no text or dialogue, and that the comics be expressed only in one panel.

Higashino Hibiki knew this, but didn't know how to do it.

He himself has not yet reached the point where he can immerse and shock readers solely through the expressiveness and tension of the camera.

It is necessary to use inner monologues and narration to tell the reader about the excitement of the plot.

“Yes, I understand,” Hibiki Higashino replied.

After all, there's still a two million yen bonus coming up, so let's go along with him for now.

Today, many cartoonists took the stage.

Nobuhiro Watsuki from Rurouni Kenshin

Hirohiko Araki, author of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure"

Haruhira Umezawa from "Saint Seiya"

……