Full-time comic artist

"Kyoko?" Higashino Hibiki was taken aback. What was this guy talking about? He was supposed to be a very serious person.

"Hua Chao, you've arrived so early." The female college student walked over and took Hua Chao's arm.

Higashino Hibiki then realized that the beautiful girl next to him was Hanacho's girlfriend, and coincidentally, her name was Hibiki.

Hua Chao nodded, "Dongye."

“Yeah,” Hibiki Higashino nodded, “We actually bumped into each other.”

Kitamoto walked over, and the four of them entered the stadium.

……

“What a coincidence! My name is Kyoko Akagi,” she introduced herself with grace and confidence. “I didn’t expect you to be Hanacho’s friend.”

“Hibiki Higashino,” Higashino Higashino pointed to himself, “I never expected that someone like Hanacho would have a girlfriend.”

He was always taciturn and had no friends other than Hibiki Higashino; he was very withdrawn.

"Because playing basketball is cool," Kyoko Akagi said.

"Basketball is very popular in the United States, but unfortunately it's not as popular as baseball and soccer in Japan," she remarked. "I think this sport is very entertaining and competitive."

Hibiki Higashino nodded and said, "Baseball has 'Touch,' and soccer has 'Captain Tsubasa.' Basketball doesn't have a manga that can compare to it, which seems to prove that basketball isn't very popular."

Slam Dunk did not become a serialized manga, and therefore did not ignite a basketball craze in Japan.

Every school has a basketball court.

Parks and squares are full of places to play casual basketball.

The boy was obsessed with basketball.

This vibrant situation did not materialize.

Hibiki Higashino remarked that sometimes a single manga can even change a country, or even the entire world.

Dragon Ball is like that, and so is Slam Dunk.

“Higashino,” Hana said after a long silence, “can you draw a basketball manga? If it’s you, you definitely can.”

"Huh?" Kyoko Akagi was surprised.

“I have the same idea,” Hibiki Higashino said with a smile. “It might even change the status of basketball in Japan.”

He has great confidence in "Slam Dunk".

This work, which he had been watching since childhood, has influenced a generation with its spirit of struggle.

"Huh?" Kyoko Akagi was even more surprised.

His clear eyes looked at the two people, revealing the words "I'm very curious".

“I’ll be really looking forward to it,” Kitamoto said. “After all, it’s Higashino’s new work. But, I guess Hikaru no Go will continue to be serialized for a long time, right?”

“Hikaru no Go!” Kyoko Akagi was shocked. She stared straight at Hibiki Higashino and asked incredulously, “You’re that despicable Akino Mirai?”

"Damn it?" Higashino Hibiki scratched his cheek. "Don't go that far."

“Of course it has to be excessive,” Kyoko Akagi glared angrily at Hibiki Higashino. “You’re planning to make Sai disappear, aren’t you! Of all the manga characters, Sai is my favorite! You have no heart at all!”

"Why do you like Fujiwara Sai?" Hibiki Higashino asked in return.

"Because he's so handsome!" Kyoko Akagi chuckled, her face showing a hint of infatuation.

Looking at Hana's handsome, angular face, Higashino Hibiki understood why they were dating.

He asked Hanacho, "Didn't you tell Miss Akagi?"

"Because we didn't get Higashino's consent," Hana said.

This friend is indeed very reliable.

Regarding Kitamoto's question about whether Hikaru no Go would be serialized for a long time, Hibiki Higashino did not answer and simply glossed over the question.

Kitamoto didn't press further; everything was left unsaid.

“Teacher Akino,” Kyoko Akagi asked Hibiki Higashino after getting his autograph, then squinted and asked curiously, “Do you really have a female teacher you like?”

Kitamoto heard this and coughed twice unnaturally.

Hibiki Higashino replied, "Guess. Maybe yes, maybe no. It's ambiguous, either is possible."

“Really,” Kyoko Akagi said, pouting, “Even so, I still think it’s bound to happen. After all, ‘The Garden of Words’ is so realistic and detailed; it’s a work that only someone who has experienced it could create.”

“You’re so naive,” Hibiki Higashino shook his head.

"Is she a high school teacher?" she guessed to herself. "A very pretty high school teacher, someone I have a good relationship with."

"Kyoko." Hana called out, and Akagi Kyoko quieted down, no longer guessing.

Hana looked at Higashino Hibiki and asked, "Higashino, wanna play basketball together?"

Higashino looked at Kitamoto and shook his head.

Kitamoto doesn't play basketball.

“Okay,” Hua Chao nodded, “Then goodbye.”

He walked toward the basketball court.

"If you're really going to draw a basketball manga," Kyoko Akagi waved her hand, "remember to let me appear in it, teacher!"

“Yes, we will,” Hibiki Higashino said.

……

Table tennis court.

They played a lot of balls, ping-pong.

Kitamoto wiped his sweat, somewhat helplessly, "I always lose. How come I never noticed before that you, Higashino, are so good at ping-pong..."

Higashino said calmly, "It's probably because your backhand is weak, your forehand is not precise, your footwork is loose, your reaction is slow, and none of your movements are decent."

“That’s really going too far,” Kitamoto picked up the ping-pong ball and pointed it at Higashino with his paddle. “But that line would be really cool in a manga.”

"Yes, it will become a famous line."

The two of them burst into laughter.

It's been a long time since we last met. I'm so happy to see you all again. Our relationship is still the same as before. We don't need to worry about hurting each other with words.

It's very relaxing to be around them.

After a few rounds of the game, the two of them sat down to rest.

Kitamoto bought some chilled mineral water, handed one to Higashino, and said regretfully, "It's a pity Nishimura is still raising pigs in Hokkaido."

Higashino Hibiki drank half a bottle of water in one gulp, only to find his front teeth aching from the cold before he finally quenched his thirst.

He said with a smile, "I wonder how he is. I haven't called him. He's probably very busy every day. Nishimura has finally settled down."

“Yes,” Kitamoto nodded in agreement, “I didn’t stick with learning Go either.”

The two of them complained about Nishimura for a while.

Kitamoto suddenly said, "Are you really going to end 'Hikaru no Go'? Even if Sai disappears, this work is still very interesting."

Higashino Hibiki paused for a moment, then replied, "The story should end after Sai disappears. The story of inheritance ends here."

"I've already drawn most of the past and present of Go. As for the future, I plan to draw a short story."

Kitamoto took a couple of sips of water and then remained silent.

……

After the "two days and one night" event ended, Hikaru took the Shinkansen home. He was very tired and wanted to get a good night's sleep.

Carp streamers fluttered in the wind, and the air was unusually cool today.

Sai said, "Hikaru, let's play the next round."

Hikaru complained, he was exhausted, but he still stood up and played Go with Sai.

Yoshihiro Togashi looked at this chapter with a complicated expression. At this moment, the atmosphere in the manga was very relaxed, but he could smell the knife in it.

On the surface, all is calm, but beneath lies a turbulent undercurrent.

Fujiwara Sai's expression was strange, calm yet tinged with a hint of reminiscence.

Togashi felt that the story he had been waiting for was about to begin.

"Wow, these young people are amazing," he couldn't help but exclaim.

Chapter 107 Sai disappeared T_T (Seeking monthly votes, 10,000 words daily on weekends)

Sai and Hikaru are playing Go.

Xiao Guang was very tired and became drowsy after playing a couple of moves.

Having experienced jealousy and despair, and filled with deep reluctance, Sai is now unexpectedly calm.

He finally understood the meaning of his existence.

“140 years ago, Torajiro lent me his body.”

"If Torajiro exists for my sake, then I exist for Hikaru."

"Then, what about Hikaru? Does he also exist for someone?"

"And this 'someone' is the same; they must exist for another person."

"One thousand years, two thousand years... history keeps repeating itself."

Xiao Guang rested his chin on his hand, half-closing his eyes for a nap.

Sai let go of his obsession, and his body emitted points of light.

"On the long road to achieving the 'Divine Move,' my task... is complete."

Hikaru Shindo, whom he taught, will continue down this path, pursuing the realm of "divine hand".

This is the mission that Sai has.

That's why he no longer needs to persist at this moment.