Full-time comic artist

"One order of fried noodles, please." He held up one index finger.

"Okay, please wait a moment," the student said.

His technique was clumsy; he shoveled the noodles back and forth on the hot plate, some of them turning black and others breaking into pieces.

Higashino Hibiki suppressed his disgust and stood aside, unable to bear watching.

"All right!"

Seeing this unfamiliar classmate proudly hand him the fried noodles, Higashino Hibiki smiled and asked, "Have you eaten?"

"Huh?" He asked, puzzled, then touched his stomach sheepishly and replied, "Not yet. I've been busy preparing the food. Is my stomach growling?"

Higashino Hibiki shook his head and took out five hundred yen, handing it to him.

"I'll give you this fried rice, don't waste it."

"...Thank you." The stall owner was puzzled.

However, he was indeed hungry. He picked up his chopsticks, took a bite, and his expression began to change.

Higashino Hibiki looked at him, and he looked at Higashino Hibiki, finally managing to say with difficulty, "So, isn't that what art festivals are all about? Whether it tastes good or not doesn't matter."

Higashino nodded. "If you like it, eat more."

Something as complicated as fried noodles is prone to problems.

Fortunately, other stalls had semi-finished food that only needed to be heated up.

At another stall, Hibiki Higashino sampled oden.

The white radish inside was delicious and fully infused with flavor.

After quickly filling his stomach, he strolled around the guild hall.

For example, Higashino Hibiki is watching the activities of the folk culture club right now and finds them very interesting.

The male students, wearing loincloths, banged drums and gongs, circling around, while the beautiful female students sang, danced, and laughed.

I don't know where this custom came from, but to onlookers, it felt incredibly lively.

“Higashino-kun,” Asahina walked over, seemingly noticing Higashino Hibiki’s confusion, and said, “This is a dance piece composed by Bunkasha itself, based on the legend of Ama-Iwato.”

"The Legend of Ama-Iwato?" Hibiki Higashino still didn't understand.

Asahina said, "Amaterasu was angered by her brother and hid in a cave. The sky became dark without the sun. The gods came up with an idea and held a banquet outside the cave with singing and dancing. Finally, the laughter and merriment attracted Amaterasu, and she came out of the cave, and the world was restored to light."

“It’s a fascinating myth,” Higashino nodded. “Very interesting.”

Looking at the scene, he felt that this dance was even more interesting.

Indeed, art must be accompanied by a cultural core.

“Higashino-kun,” Asahina pursed her lips, hesitating to speak.

Hibiki Higashino said, "Please just say it."

"I heard that Hikaru no Go's results are not good. Is that okay?" She looked up at him with concern.

Hibiki Higashino shook his head. "It's not that bad. My recent ranking is 9th, which is considered a safe ranking in Jump."

After Sai's death, he came to understand Hirohiko Araki and Akira Toriyama.

Xiao Zheng's grades are very important; they are related to the future of his work.

Xiao Zheng's grades are not important compared to the completeness of his work.

Asahina didn't quite understand, but seeing that Higashino Hibiki wasn't in a bad mood, she felt relieved.

She had her own things to do, and said goodbye after a short while.

During the daytime art festival, Hibiki Higashino also saw Oda.

A student-run exhibition of Akira Toriyama's works was held at a clubhouse, featuring collected volumes, figurines, and anime.

He couldn't get out of there, and he was having a heated discussion with a group of people.

There were people soliciting customers at the door, their enthusiasm bordering on cult-like.

They continued shopping, with Yoshii and Takagi-senpai together.

They were playing a game and laughing happily, so Higashino Hibiki didn't disturb them.

He was somewhat disappointed that he didn't get to see Akemi Akemi.

He turned around and headed towards the classroom and dormitory.

……

When he returned to his dormitory, he heard noises coming from the kitchen.

Upon opening the kitchen door, Akemi Akemi was cooking.

"Is the art festival interesting?" she asked.

"It's lively, but without Ms. Akimiya by my side, I feel a little lonely," Higashino Hibiki replied.

“After all, we’re in school…” She blushed, smoothed her hair, tasted the sauce, and nodded in satisfaction. “We need to be careful.”

The dish she made today was red wine braised oxtail. It looked like she had been busy for a long time and it would be ready to serve soon.

“Miss Akimiya really enjoys lively gatherings,” Higashino Hibiki pulled up a chair and sat down to watch her cook. “She was very happy when she watched the fireworks festival.”

"Don't worry about me, I'm not concerned about Hikaru no Go's current performance..."

Akemi Akemi shook her head, stopping Hibiki Higashino from continuing.

"I just want to be with you today, for the art festival, and maybe next year too."

"Ah." Higashino Hibiki nodded, feeling a warm glow in his heart.

This lunch was truly delicious, both in terms of taste and the emotions it evoked.

The animation department's show will start at 8 PM.

The two left one after the other, concealing their identities.

Let's talk about teacher-student relationships after graduation.

In front of the animation club's open-air exhibit, Hibiki Higashino glanced at Akemi Akemi, and the two exchanged a smile.

……

“Tori Akino-sensei,” Ozawa Hibiki, the head of the animation club, walked over, followed by Takayuki and Amano, two members of the animation club. “Thank you for coming to watch.”

"You've worked so hard on this, I should be the one thanking you."

They didn't disturb them any further and went to maintain order at the scene.

The anime aired very soon.

The story is about a dragon girl who, after a long journey, finally finds a village and lives in a nearby cave.

She longs to share wisdom and live together with humanity.

The villagers thought the same way. They lit a bonfire in front of the cave, sang songs, and beat drums and gongs, hoping to lure the dragon girl out so that everyone could enjoy themselves together.

Unexpectedly, the Dragon Girl was terrified of this scene and ran away. When they found her, she was already dead.

This is an animation where a lack of mutual understanding leads to a tragic ending.

Finally, people held a memorial service to mourn the poor dragon girl.

The content, which lasted for more than twenty minutes, took Higashino Hibiki's expectations by surprise.

It is clearly based on the legend of Ama-Iwato, but contrary to the legend, it is a tragedy.

The animation has a great pace and good camera work, making it very smooth to watch. Towards the end, the audience watched very attentively.

This is already quite remarkable.

To be honest, many companies' animation production isn't necessarily better than this.

Works that have been poured into them will have many shining points.

Higashino was a little puzzled. The dragon girl's voice was indeed very familiar, carrying a kind of vitality, but when he thought about it carefully, no one around him had that kind of voice.

"Clap clap clap!"

Everyone applauded.

Higashino Hibiki didn't think too much about it and started clapping along.

"This animation was directed and produced by Asahina-san."

A faint voice sounded beside Hibiki Higashino.

It's Ozawa Hibiki. "She's really talented. Although she's a girl, she's better than me. I've decided to entrust her with the role of head of the animation club."

Higashino Hibiki was taken aback. No wonder Asahina and Minami Chiharu had been so busy.

“I’m already a junior this year, and I’ll need to work soon,” said Hibiki Ozawa, her hair blowing in the wind. “I really envy you guys who are only freshmen.”

Higashino nodded. Leaving the club he had worked so hard for and going out into the real world was indeed very difficult.

Chapter 109 Dancing and "First Love"

The animation department's "Dragon Girl Festival" was a great success, and it was time for the evening's main event.

In an open space, with firewood piled in the middle, the student council president lit a fire, and a tall bonfire rose from the ground.

The students formed a circle around the bonfire, and friends or couples embraced and danced in the circle.

There was also a band performing live, singing unfamiliar songs, and the atmosphere was very lively.

Higashino Hibiki watched the Mars shooting into the sky, standing quietly to the side.

"Higashino-kun, let's come together!"

Minami Chiharu waved and smiled happily as she danced around the campfire. When she saw Higashino Hibiki, who was all alone, she couldn't help but invite him.

"No, I can't dance, thank you." Higashino Hibiki waved his hand and smiled.

Minami Chiharu didn't pay any attention, grabbed Asahina's hand, and started jumping around haphazardly.

Beside him.