Tokyo 1970: I'll draw Doraemon?

As they were having a dry conversation, the cotton candy was opened.

Expensive food isn't necessarily delicious, but it's sure to look beautiful.

The same goes for these marshmallows.

“It looks delicious, perfect for black tea.” Fujiwara Maki clasped her hands together. “I’ll go make some tea, please wait a moment.”

"Don't worry about me, please take your time and be careful."

……

Fujiwara Maki went to the kitchen, and Fushimikawa stood up, looking around the villa.

With plaster carvings, crystal chandeliers, marble pillars... it's the kind of home that people stereotype as belonging to the wealthy.

Fushimikawa wrote everything down, thinking that he might be able to use it in his manga.

"it hurts."

A childish voice came from the second floor. Fushimikawa looked up and saw a little girl squatting behind the railing, peeking at him through the gap.

She looked to be only 6 or 7 years old, with delicate and beautiful features, like a princess.

'Is this the younger sister that Fujiwara Maki was talking about, the one who wanted to shave her head?'

Looking at her soft, slightly wavy hair cascading over her shoulders, and then thinking about her bald head, Fushimi couldn't help but laugh.

"Hahaha."

"Well."

The little girl pouted and ran downstairs angrily, staring at Fushimi River.

"I just bumped my head by accident, there's nothing funny about it."

“No, not this one,” Fushimikawa said with a smile, waving his hand. “It would be such a waste to shave off such gorgeous long hair.”

"Long hair?" The little girl touched her hair and asked tentatively, "Are you Mr. Oikawa?"

"That's right." With his hands on his hips, Fushimikawa waited to feel the adoration of his little fan.

"Wow!" Fujiwara Chiko's eyes lit up, and she instinctively moved closer to Fushimi Kawa, but the next moment, she took a step back. "No! Even if it's Oikawa-sensei, I can't entrust my sister to you."

Fushimikawa was extremely puzzled: "You... handed Fujiwara-senpai over to me? Don't overthink it, I'm just here as a guest."

"With Mom and Dad gone, I'll protect my sister!" Qianzi patted her chest confidently. "Don't try to fool me!"

"Why would you think that?" Fushimikawa frowned.

"The scarf that Oikawa-sensei is wearing was knitted by my sister over several days." Chiko stared intently at the bright red scarf around Fushimi's neck, unable to contain her frustration. "Even I don't have one, but you have... my sister's thoughtfulness... Waaah..."

"This was just a gift from Fujiwara-senpai to thank me; she doesn't like me."

Based on Fushimikawa's experience, girls who like her will give her love letters.

He received dozens of love letters during his junior high and high school years.

He had witnessed the passionate, simple love of a young girl many times before.

Fujiwara-senpai is very outgoing and speaks her mind.

There was nothing unusual when they met; they always discussed comics and activities of the comic club.

Where does it look like someone has a crush on someone?

Fushimikawa turned around and looked towards the kitchen.

Then, I saw Fujiwara Maki carrying a tray, her face flushed.

"Thousand Sons!"

She shouted, "Completely lacking in girlish sentimentality."

……

"Stare!"

The three of them sat on the sofa, drinking black tea and eating cotton candy.

Despite it being a pleasant afternoon tea time, Fujiwara Chiko kept staring at the Fushimi River.

"February 14th is Valentine's Day. You came to my house on the 14th. Do you have some ulterior motive?"

You even know about Valentine's Day?

“Of course,” Chiko said proudly, “it’s a holiday for girls to give gifts to boys they like.”

She was diverted from the topic and quickly forgot about the question she had just been asked.

With Senko around, the relationship between Fushimikawa and Fujiwara Maki became less awkward.

"Fushimi-kun, did you draw any manga during spring break?" Fujiwara Maki asked curiously.

Fushimikawa glanced at Senko and saw that she also looked expectant, so he couldn't help but smile mischievously.

"Of course, it's about the campus."

"Huh? What? What?!" Chiko pressed.

"A story of a teacher taking revenge on a student! It drove him insane and made him fear school."

"Wow!" Chiko was startled and almost fell off the sofa.

"So it's not suitable for you to watch." Fushimikawa sipped his black tea.

Chapter 43 Tezuka: Truly Enviable

"Fushimi-kun," Fujiwara Maki said reproachfully, "don't scare Senko."

Fushimikawa immediately said, "I'm sorry, but I do draw short campus mystery manga."

“It’s not ‘Ikkyu-san’ or ‘Doraemon’,” Fujiwara Maki said regretfully, rubbing her chin. “I quite like watching ‘Doraemon’, with its novel gadgets and profound character development.”

She shared the same idea as editor Takei: that Fushimikawa should focus all his energy on Doraemon, apart from Ikkyu-san.

To create more interesting and socially impactful storylines.

However, she was just a member of the same company and it wasn't appropriate for her to offer advice.

"Doraemon is still fun, so just wait and see."

For his next Doraemon project, Fushimikawa plans to draw a storyline about Shizuka.

Although Shizuka is an old-fashioned heroine, she is not without presence.

Her character is exceptionally well-developed; she is gentle and kind while maintaining a ladylike image by restraining her desires. She also gets tired and wants to slack off; she longs to climb trees and play like a boy.

It is precisely these flaws that make up the real Shizuka.

Beyond the realism lies Shizuka's boundless love for Nobita.

Because Nobita is a good-for-nothing, she worries about him and wants to protect him.

Such a female protagonist is rare even in the entirety of Japanese manga.

"That's wonderful!" Chiko exclaimed.

Fushimikawa's manga are all suitable for children.

So he began to look forward to the grand occasion when his new work was serialized.

……

"Does Fushimi-kun know? Ueno Zoo has issued a notice that a memorial service for the dead wild animals will be held on the 25th of March."

Before leaving, Fujiwara Maki told Fushimikawa this message.

So now, on the 25th, on my way from Shinjuku to Nerima Ward, as I passed by Ueno Zoo in Taito Ward, I saw many citizens with solemn expressions as they entered the zoo.

Someone was holding chrysanthemums, their face filled with grief.

The little boy tried to hold back his emotions, his shoulders trembling, while the girl burst into tears.

They brought colored paper, candy, comic books, and other things they liked, intending to offer them to the beasts that died in the war.

Although this postwar festival was not as large as the first one held for political gain, its purpose had changed.

This was a spontaneous act; people were apologizing for the innocent beasts that were killed and reminding themselves of the cruelty of war.

"Aren't you going in to take a look? I'll wait for you outside."

The taxi driver said.

"No need." Fushimikawa shook his head. "Let's go."

The driver said nothing more, pressed the clutch and accelerator, and disappeared at the entrance of Ueno Zoo.

……

Meanwhile, at Osamu Tezuka's home, upon learning that Fushimikawa was about to visit, he started reading the latest issue of "Doraemon".

A middle-aged man sits in his living room, intently reading a shonen manga and carefully analyzing the plot—only a manga artist would do that.

"A Girl Like a White Lily? Hmm, could it be that the pretty little girl who stole Shizuka's thunder is about to make her appearance?"

Tezuka Osamu adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, showing interest.

"Yuezi, a manga artist named Oikawa will be coming soon, keep an eye out for him," he called to his wife, then immersed himself in his manga.

"Okay." Tezuka Etsuko responded, and as a housewife, she began preparing tea and snacks for her guests.

Editor, director, animator, comic artist...

All sorts of people would come to the Tezuka family's house, and they would always talk for a whole day.

Her home was like a company, with people coming and going and constant arguments, but she was used to it.

Only one person visited today, which is actually quite easy.

……

In 1945, due to the war, Xiongba was evacuated to the countryside.

He was just a child at that time and couldn't go to school, so he had to work in the fields.

The sun was blazing hot, and many thin, frail children were cultivating the farmland.