Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

Chapter Sixteen: Saying Goodbye Was Too Heavy

The emotions expressed in "Try to Say Goodbye" captivated Mitsuru Adachi.

He was deeply moved.

No wonder he's praised as a genius by his older brother; he can draw such an excellent doujinshi. There are so many heroes in the world.

I'm just an ordinary person; I can't compete with someone like that at all.

But it doesn't matter, as long as I can make a living.

He has always been a person who takes things easy. Success is certainly a good thing, but there's no need to be distressed if he fails. He's done his best.

Even Adachi Mitsuru, who was like this, had doubts at this moment.

'Why doesn't he become a manga artist and work as a doujinshi writer here?'

……

Nobita has already tested his friends' feelings for him, but there is still one person who prevents him from going back to normal.

That's Shizuka.

It has been a long time since the news broke that the Nobi family had moved to the United States.

Shizuka, however, lingered in front of Nobita's house.

She was sullen and preoccupied with worries.

Saying "goodbye" is too heavy a burden.

Even after entering Nobita's room, Shizuka still couldn't bring herself to say what was on her mind despite Nobita's playful and carefree attitude.

The words I had been trying to organize were now stuck in my chest, choked by sorrow.

She didn't convince herself until she sat by the river late into the night.

Shizuka said to Nobita, who had come looking for her:

"Even though we have to part ways now, I think we'll still hang out together in the future."

"Look, although the rivers over there have parted, they will meet again in the vast ocean ahead."

Whether in America, on the moon, or even on Jupiter, as long as our friendship remains unchanged, we will eventually meet again.

Nobita has grown up; if the phone booth malfunctions, it won't be able to be fixed in a short time.

If it were the old him, he would have been anxious and begged Doraemon.

Now, however, he is able to bravely take responsibility for his mistakes and, with longing for his companions, head to America.

In the manga's ending, of course, at the very last moment, Doraemon repairs the gadget, Nobita's family doesn't have to move, and the town returns to peace.

……

"I think I've fallen in love with Doraemon."

After reading the manga for a long time, Mitsuru Adachi suddenly spoke.

In this fanfiction, he saw the emotions between Nobita and his friends.

This delicate brushstroke really moved him.

The manga artist he admired, Shinji Nagashima, was skilled at drawing this kind of lyrical youth short story.

"Fushimi-kun, you've recommended this manga to me very well."

“You definitely won’t regret watching Doraemon,” Fushimikawa said with a smile.

"I hope so." Mitsuru Adachi doesn't believe in the idea that feelings last forever. He might forget "Try to Say Goodbye" after a while. "I've only been in Tokyo for a year, and my memories of my friends have become somewhat blank."

Fushimikawa shook his head: "Just one more meeting will bring back all the happiness from the past."

Instead of directly expressing his agreement, Adachi Mitsuru asked, "Fushimi-kun, do you have a friend like Shizuka?"

Fushimi was taken aback. The image of his childhood friend, Asano Megumi, popped into his mind. He was about to nod when he remembered that he had written her a letter but had not received a reply, so he hesitated.

Could it be that even among friends who have grown up together, there's this ridiculous notion of "once in a lifetime"?

Give it your all when you're together, and cut ties decisively when you part ways, never to see each other again.

Only Japan would have such a culture.

Adachi Mitsuru smiled slightly, having already made up his mind.

"Can you sign this for me?" He held up "Try to Say Goodbye" so that I could cherish this short comic even more.

“Of course, no problem.” Fushimikawa picked up his pen, paused for a moment, and wrote his pen name, Oikawa II.

"This is my first signature."

"Then I will cherish it even more."

……

At nine o'clock, visitors were allowed to enter.

After being promoted for a long time, the Waseda CM doujinshi convention, which did not require tickets, attracted a lot of interest, so there was a long line at the entrance.

Looking into the distance, Fujiwara Maki saw countless heads.

This made her sweat profusely.

She would be satisfied with 5,000 people, and would be pleasantly surprised with 7,000 people, but this is already tens of thousands!

With only about 40 people in the manga club's activity group, can they maintain order?

The four police officers were also a little nervous.

Maki Fujiwara should be thankful that the visitors were college students, not rock music fans.

The process of queuing to enter was very harmonious, with everyone smiling and few incidents of cutting in line or arguing.

Even when conflicts arose, they were quickly resolved under Utsunomiya's command, preventing them from escalating.

"The editors from Shogakukan have arrived. President, you can go and greet them. Leave this to me," Utsunomiya said, glancing at his watch with a blank expression.

"Yes." Fujiwara Maki nodded and left with concern.

……

Maki Fujiwara accompanied Shogakukan editors Tomoyuki Fukuda and Toshiki Takei on their way to the CM exhibition.

"Turn right ahead and you'll arrive."

The person speaking was not Fujiwara Maki, who had led the way, but Fukuda Tomoyuki.

Seeing the event organizers nodding, Takei Toshiki was somewhat surprised: "Atomo, you know the way?"

“I was here yesterday.”

"Well done, keep it up." Takei Toshiki nodded.

Since the end of manga series such as Osomatsu-san, Sasuke, and Dororo, Weekly Shonen Sunday has been overwhelmed by Weekly Shonen Magazine, which also has series like Asahi no Joe.

Shogakukan is eager to discover a rising star to publish a nationally popular manga.

This is quite difficult.

Therefore, of the three publishers that the Manga Research Society contacted, only Shogakukan sent an editor.

They held a sliver of hope, hoping to make something of themselves at their first-ever doujinshi convention.

Tomoyuki Fukuda's serious approach greatly pleased Toshiki Takei.

Do you know which members of the clubs you're participating in this time are promising newcomers?

How could Tomoyuki Fukuda possibly know?

He had only happened to be here yesterday, and under the expectant gaze of his senior, he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine and began to look around.

"Wait," he suddenly paused, looking at the figure in the northeast corner.

'Fushimi-kun didn't tell me that he also attends doujinshi conventions, and he gets quite a few buyers.'

Pointing to the Fushimi River, he said, "Let's go take a look there."

"Hmm." Takei Toshiki nodded and walked towards Fushimikawa's stall.

……

Many female college students attended this year's CM exhibition.

Men can communicate and exchange ideas with each other, but women find it inconvenient to discuss such "inappropriate" things.

Especially BL (Boys' Love) works, they are really hard to find.

The fan convention gave them a chance to meet their own kind and buy food.

Therefore, many girls come to the doujinshi convention, and they are inevitably attracted to Fushimikawa.

They got excited just because Fushimikawa was looking at comics.

"Hello," a girl mustered up her courage and approached Fushimi River, "may I take a look first?"

“No problem.” Fushimikawa nodded.

Chapter Seventeen: I Can't Do That with Girls

Customers arrived as soon as the CM exhibition started.

Fushimikawa's lips curled up; the other party must have noticed his talent for manga.

'So handsome!'

Using a comic book to cover her face, the female college student secretly watched Fushimikawa.

Once the first person comes, a second and a third will follow.

Gradually, a long line formed in front of Fushimi River.

Soon, the brilliance of "Try to Say Goodbye" was discovered, and through word of mouth, most people at the CM exhibition learned that a masterpiece had been created there.

The number of doujinshi (fan-made comics) piles in front of Fushimi River is decreasing, while the number of banknotes is increasing.