Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

"A color cover?" Fushimikawa scratched his spiky hair, staring blankly at Takei Toshiki. "What color cover?"

"You don't mean to say?" Toshiki Takei was taken aback, "You didn't draw it, did you?"

"What's the date today?" Fushimikawa asked his equally out-of-focus assistants. "Is it the 5th? Or the 6th?"

“Let me see,” Arima chuckled as he looked at the calendar with the date March 4th torn off. “It’s only the 4th. Mr. Takei is being too hasty.”

"What?! The 4th! Your calendar hasn't changed in days!" Takei Toshiki exclaimed dramatically, gesturing wildly. "Today is the 14th! If I don't come to pick up the original manuscript and the cover design, you're going to drift through these days in a daze!"

He sighed and went to the bathroom to fetch a basin of ice water, which he then placed in front of the group.

"Wake up, everyone."

……

Doraemon taking first place on Sunday made Toshiki Takei very proud.

The boy who was usually so energetic and lively at the foot of the mountain fell silent in the face of this result, hiding away like a quail every day.

His position in the Sunday editorial department has been elevated to a new level.

Everyone's saying, "To compete with Magazine, we still need Takei."

This is something that makes Takei even happier.

Doraemon, which has only been serialized for 5 months, has maintained its position in the top five on Sunday and has now taken the number one spot.

It has become possible for it to surpass "Star of Giants" and "Ashita no Joe".

Doraemon has become a national-level comic, supporting Sunday magazine.

His goal is progressing steadily.

When good things happen, people are in high spirits. On his way to the Oikawa studio, Toshiki Takei bought a box of premium cotton candy.

It's a little embarrassing to admit, but this grown man actually really likes to eat cotton candy.

Its smooth and sweet taste makes it irresistible to Wu Ju.

But how can a man eat this kind of thing all the time?

Toshiki Takei therefore restrained himself.

Now that he had a reason, he simply bought a high-end item worth a thousand, intending to take it to the Oikawa Studio to enjoy tea and desserts with everyone.

When he opened the door, he saw a chaotic scene.

Really...

"I've lost my appetite."

……

After washing his face, Fushimikawa felt much more refreshed and remembered his promise to visit the Fujiwara family.

So he quickly made a phone call and arranged to go to the Fujiwara house today, and then went to take a shower and change his clothes.

No one was there to entertain him, but Toshiki Takei wasn't annoyed. He simply looked through the results of the Oikawa Studio over the past ten days and hesitated for a moment.

"As expected of Oikawa-sensei, he is proud."

Even when he was serialized in the renowned Sunday magazine, he only focused on the top one or two readers.

It's as if he's destined for the top three, and the rest of the Sunday comics are not worth mentioning.

Sure enough, he became number one not long after.

And he may remain in first place for a long time, as long as he can focus his energy on Doraemon.

But now, something bad has happened: Oikawa has started exploring more possibilities for manga.

Like the manga artists who serialized in "COM" and "Manga GARO", he began to draw works that were mainly experimental.

This goes against the grain of commercial comics.

"The visuals are good, but they don't have much commercial value..." He looked at the ever-evolving realistic style on the paper and shook his head. "It can't be serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday."

More suitable for youth comic magazines.

"Too many lines make it complicated to draw, and it's a thankless task."

He put down the drawing and prepared to have a good talk with Fushimikawa.

He put the marshmallow aside; he wasn't in the mood to eat it now.

Ten minutes later, Fushimikawa arrived in the living room, looking refreshed.

He worked day and night for more than ten days, yet his face remained handsome.

He was completely different from Arima and Hirokane Kenshi, who had puffy cheeks and dark circles under their eyes.

"Mr. Oikawa, I'd like to talk to you..."

Takei Toshiki stood up and walked towards the Fushimi River.

“Please wait a moment, I don’t have time today,” Fushimikawa looked around the room, his eyes lighting up when he saw the gift box containing sweets. “This would be a perfect gift. May I borrow it for a moment, Editor Takei?”

Without waiting for Takei Toshiki's reply, he picked up the gift box and walked out the door.

When Takei Toshiki caught up, he had already put on his shoes in the entryway.

"Oikawa..."

“Oh, right,” Fushimikawa said to himself as he opened the door, “I’ve already drawn the cover art, it’s in the drawer. As for the content of the serialization, let’s use ‘Trying to Say Goodbye,’ this chapter is just right now.”

This first chapter was never published in Sunday magazine, making eager readers wait a long time.

This episode has been featured in urban dramas, but they've never seen it.

You must be very curious.

Chapter 42 The Fujiwara Sisters

The Fujiwara family home is a bright European-style villa, covering an area of ​​500 square meters. It is located in an upscale residential area of ​​Shinjuku Ward, with tall trees growing on both sides of the road, adding a rare touch of greenery to the winter.

Through the railings and among the bushes, the red of the camellia flowers can be faintly seen over the Fushimi River.

This house clearly belongs to a wealthy family.

Comparing his rented apartment to his own, Fushimikawa covered his face; there was no comparison.

It was only then that Fushimikawa realized that he had chosen to join the manga club because of Fujiwara Maki's family background.

Before he could even take advantage of this connection, he had already become a cartoonist.

"Since the president's family is so rich, they should be able to establish a comic magazine company, right? And she did a pretty good job organizing CM exhibitions, which shows excellent management skills. Perhaps her magazine company really has a bright future."

……

Maki Fujiwara paced back and forth in the living room.

Fushimi-kun is almost here!

How can I take advantage of this opportunity to build a good relationship with him?

This is about my own dreams.

Fushimi seems easy to get along with, but he's actually quite difficult to get close to.

There's simply no way to get him to cooperate with me.

"Sister? What are you doing?"

Chiko, the younger sister, stood at the top of the second-floor staircase, clutching a rabbit doll, looking at her proud older sister with surprise.

Fujiwara Maki stopped and explained with a smile, "Someone will be coming in a little while. Are you going to stay in the living room?"

"Someone's coming?" Chiko pointed to her lips with her index finger, tilting her head to observe her sister's expression. "A girl? A boy? Eh! It's a boy!"

"Dad! Mom! Oh no! My sister brought a man home!" She ran back to her room with her mouth wide open, shouting things that made Fujiwara Maki feel ashamed.

“Chiko!” Fujiwara Maki weakly protested as she reached out her hand, “I’m just a good junior who wants to be friends.”

However, her younger sister could no longer hear her.

"Ding dong."

The doorbell rang.

Her heart leaped into her throat as she answered the phone in the living room, her voice trembling: "Who is this?"

"Hello, I am Fushimikawa, Fujiwara-senpai."

……

Carrying the gifts, Fushimikawa sat down on the sofa in the living room.

The ceiling above his head was seven or eight meters high, making him feel so empty and helpless.

The overall decoration is white, with intricate gold pattern carvings.

"Is black tea... okay?" Fujiwara Maki asked.

"Of course, senior, you don't need to be so polite. I'm just here to return the courtesy."

He showed the cotton candy that the editor, Wuju, had never tasted.

"It looks delicious!" Fujiwara Maki exclaimed expectantly. "I'm opening it."

"Please go ahead."

As Fujiwara Maki opened the package, Fushimikawa casually asked, "Are you home alone?"

"My younger sister, Chiko, is also here; she's a bit shy."

Where are your uncle and aunt?

“They live near the printing factory,” Fujiwara Maki explained. “This house was bought specifically for me and Chiko to go to school.”

Fushimikawa's eyes widened immediately.

"That's outrageous!"

Maki Fujiwara waved her hand: "It's nothing. House prices are good right now, so it's not a bad investment."

Fushimikawa nodded: "That makes sense."