Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

"I will write down any interesting ideas I come across, hoping they can give you some inspiration."

Fukuda stood up and handed over his business card with both hands.

The conversation was drawing to a close.

"Thank you for your help." Fushimikawa accepted the business card with both hands.

Fushimikawa politely declined his invitation to dinner and left Shogakukan.

Watching his retreating figure, editor Tomoyuki Fukuda found it difficult to calm his emotions.

'Perhaps what will defeat Weekly Shonen Magazine isn't Sunday, but rather our Fourth Grader.'

……

The members of the manga club were busy. Some were drawing doujinshi, while others were dividing up areas and booths according to the information in the exhibition application forms and replying to the applying clubs.

Others were brainstorming, discussing more details about the exhibition.

All 72 members of the club were busy, and the activity room was noisy and bustling, just like the customer service company that Fushimikawa had seen in his previous life.

"Ah, Brother Chuan, are you done with your work?"

Naoya Onishi, carrying a stack of documents, passed by Fushimikawa and casually greeted him.

Fushimikawa replied, "Yes, I'm done with my work. Things are settled, and now I'll have a lull in my schedule."

"Then get some rest."

As Fushimi River's neighbor, Onishi is the person who knows Fushimi River's daily routine best.

In a cramped room, with just a table and a pen, Fushimikawa would work all day long.

"I'll help too," Fushimikawa asked, looking around. "Does anyone need my help?"

"You've come at just the right time, Fushimi-sensei! I don't know how to draw this!" someone shouted, raising their hand first.

"Me first, me first, don't argue with me."

He spoke to the other men who were eyeing him covetously.

"whispering sound."

"We were a step too late."

The crowd complained.

Fushimikawa walked over to the first person who raised his hand, glanced at the storyboard he had drawn, and understood the difficulties he was facing.

"It turns out it's about perspective drawing of dozens of people in different poses from a bird's-eye view."

"Hmm, how do I draw it?" the person asked expectantly.

“Give up,” Fushimikawa said, arms crossed. “This is not a technique that can be learned in a short time.”

"Ah~ How could this happen! I don't want to give up, please help me." The person persisted.

“Too much of a push for yourself…” Fushimikawa raised his index finger and shook it, “You might miss the doujinshi convention.”

He hesitated for a moment, but his expression became firm afterward.

“It’s okay, I just want to do my best. If I can’t make it this year, there’s always the next year. But if I give up too much, it will become a habit.”

Fushimikawa couldn't help but admire him.

"You're Arima-senpai, a second-year student, right? You only started drawing manga after entering university, so it's already quite impressive that you've reached this level."

"That's why we need to work even harder."

“Since you insist,” Fushimikawa said, pulling up a chair to sit beside him and carefully instructing him.

During his free time, he memorized the name of the doujinshi that Arima had drawn.

"Tomorrow's Joe/Tange Danpei".

What I like is this kind of comic that emphasizes the culture of roots; no wonder it's so competitive.

……

"He has finally started participating in the manga club activities."

"Who?"

"That Fushimi River, which is currently enjoying great popularity."

In a corner of the manga club, two members were talking. One of them pointed at Fushimikawa and said, "He suggested the CM doujinshi convention, but he didn't do much work. He's always nowhere to be seen. He's really enjoying himself."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" another person retorted decisively. "Fushimi-kun has already made many contributions. Without him, where would our manga club be so vibrant today?"

He continued, "Although everyone worked hard, they were all very happy and felt that they were able to give full play to their talents."

“What you said isn’t wrong.” The person who criticized Fushimikawa nodded. “It’s just that his mind isn’t on manga at all. I really don’t know what kind of work he can bring to the CM exhibition. I just hope he doesn’t make a fool of himself.”

Chapter Fourteen: Everything is Ready

Japan has a long-standing tradition of reading the room, and those who are different are often ostracized.

No one is an exception, including the Japanese imperial princess.

"Everyone seems so happy lately, is it because the holidays are coming up soon?"

At Ochanomizu University, sitting under a shady spot, Miyuki Nagai, wearing black-rimmed glasses and sporting two large braids, looked around at her smiling classmates and couldn't help but ask her best friend, Yuka Higashino.

Yuka Higashino hesitated for a moment on her delicate face, then whispered, "On August 3rd, Waseda University in Tokyo will be holding a manga doujinshi event, and they are all looking forward to it."

"Huh?! A manga doujinshi!" Miyuki Nagai exclaimed. "That sounds really fun! Why didn't anyone tell me? I want to participate too!"

Yuka Higashino didn't answer her question, but instead jokingly said with a smile, "Does Miyuki also like reading comics? I always thought you were the kind of good kid who quietly studies."

“Don’t say that. Whether you like comics or not has nothing to do with good or bad.” With her knees drawn up to her chest, Miyuki Nagai looked up into the distance, her voice filled with nostalgia. “When I was in high school, there was a very famous boy who wanted to become a comic artist. He even got into Waseda University.”

"Oh, you remember so clearly," Higashino Yuka leaned closer to Nagai Miyuki and breathed into her ear, "Do you like that boy?"

"No way!" Nagai Miyuki angrily pushed her friend away, her fair ears turning bright red. "Lots of girls like him, including a school beauty who's universally acknowledged by both boys and girls, but he doesn't care about any of them."

So it's not that I didn't like it, but rather that I gave up because I felt there was no chance.

Yuka Higashino lowered her head, deciding not to continue hurting her friend.

"Miyuki is pretty too, she just doesn't know how to dress herself up."

"I……"

Holding the tip of her braid, Miyuki Nagai hesitated.

Higashino Yuka gently persuaded, "Your handsome fellow villager who got into Waseda University and aspires to become a manga artist will definitely be attending the doujinshi convention, right? Don't you want to appear in front of him with a new image?"

“I…I understand. Because I dress plainly and am not from Tokyo, I’m ostracized by many classmates, and you’re my only friend, Yuuka,” Miyuki Nagai analyzed her inner thoughts and gradually made a decision. “Yes, I’m going to participate in the doujinshi convention with a new image!”

At this moment, many people, like her, have decided to visit the CM Expo on August 3rd.

……

August 2nd arrived in the height of summer, and Waseda Manga Club completed its final preparations, ready to face the grand finale the following day.

“There are 108 groups selling comics at the CM exhibition, and there will be even more visitors. We need to be well prepared and give a perfect performance.”

At the club gathering, club president Maki Fujiwara raised a beer bottle: "But all we have to do now is enjoy it! Cheers!"

"cheers!"

"cheers!"

Whispers, laughter, and shouts filled the air, enveloping the huge private room that could hold dozens of people in a joyful atmosphere.

"Finally, CM Expo is finally here!"

Naoya Onishi was extremely excited, as this was the first time he had participated in such a large event as an organizer.

As the date drew closer, more and more clubs wanted to participate in the CM exhibition, eventually exceeding one hundred, which became a rare miracle.

Even comic book magazines would probably be envious of such a huge amount of traffic.

"Thanks to Brother Chuan, he's really amazing."

“Speaking of classmate Fu Jian,” Watanabe Ryo, who was next to Onishi, asked, “why didn’t he come to this gathering? Didn’t he always have time recently?”

Fushimikawa is not an unsociable person. In the past month or so, he has taught many members of his club how to draw manga.

In addition to his legendary status, he also possessed a friendly aura, making him even more respected and loved by everyone.

Liang understood that because Fushimikawa was initially busy with something and rarely participated in the manga club's activities, he received a lot of criticism.

But now most of these complaints have disappeared. Even if they do, they can only be hidden in private corners, and no one dares to know about them.

Naoya Onishi knew a little about it: "He said someone came to Waseda looking for him, so he couldn't get away."

“I see,” Ryo nodded. “I was going to tell him that Shogakukan’s editors will also be at the CM exhibition tomorrow to select outstanding newcomers. If it’s Fushimi-kun, he’ll definitely stand out.”

The party would go on until late at night, and considering that, Da Xi said, "It's the same to tell him tomorrow. Brother Chuan doesn't need to cram at the last minute."

"Too."

……

"Here, here."

Fushimi waved at the dormitory entrance, and the car in front stopped.

After getting out of the car, Editor Fukuda turned around and went to the trunk. Then, carrying a large box, he swayed and walked to Fushimi River.

"What's here?" Fushimikawa asked as he steadily took the box.

"It's so hot today," Fukuda replied, wiping away sweat and panting. "These are some books that might be useful to you, so I collected them."

"Thank you very much, please come in."

Inviting him into the dormitory, Fushimikawa put down the cardboard box, then opened it and looked inside. It contained more than a dozen books of jokes and unofficial histories, with the main theme being something interesting and unexpected.

It suits the style of "Ikkyu-san" very well.

In the spaces between the books, there are labels that Fukuda has prepared, summarizing the books and saving Fushimikawa time.

Fushimikawa couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement: "You must have put in a lot of effort, right? You've really worked hard."

"Phew~" Fukuda said casually after taking a sip of tea, "That's why I troubled you to wait until today. I'm glad it didn't interfere with your manga drawing. Besides, I'm going to accompany Takei-senpai to Waseda tomorrow, so consider today as a preview of the place."