Full-time cartoonist

"Tori Akino-sensei, goodbye."

Tanaka waved goodbye to Hibiki Hibiki. Omori left yesterday with the manga completion bonus, and Hibiki Hibiki's studio was officially disbanded.

After "Slam Dunk" ended, he no longer needed an assistant.

With two work tables and unused furniture, Hibiya Higashino commissioned a moving company to move to Hongye Villa.

Today, Tanaka, who had finished the work, also said goodbye.

"Thank you very much for your dedication for so long," Hibiki Hibiki paused, then waved goodbye to the assistant, "Goodbye, Tanaka, I wish you a safe journey."

"Teacher may be more helpful to me." Tanaka said with a smile.

He looked up at the sky and sighed, "I thought I would be scared when I left Tori Akino Studio, but now I realize that it's not a big deal."

"I, Tanaka, will leave in style."

He turned around and walked further and further into the cherry blossom season.

Higashikata couldn't help but stopped him and asked: "Tanaka, will we see you again in the future?"

"Of course!" He turned around and gave a thumbs up, "Teacher will definitely serialize it in Jump. You must notify me at that time! I will definitely come back!"

Dong Yexiang breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

Tanaka has been his assistant since college.

Time flies and five years have passed. The two of them have been friends for a long time, but Higashino Hibiki is reluctant to part ways suddenly.

"Have a nice trip!"

…

After Tanaka left, Higashikata returned home.

There were only two work tables left in the living room, which looked empty.

Hibiki Higashino needs to finish the ending of "Slam Dunk", write essays for the new comic, and be an assistant to Akimiya Akemi.

"I'm really not used to it." Akimiya Akemi shook her head.

Hibiki leaned against the door frame and said greasyly: "It's time for us to enjoy our time together."

"You are so stupid." Akimiya Akemi couldn't help laughing and felt much better.

…

The spring wind carried a soothing and intoxicating atmosphere. After Higashino was busy for a while, he lay down in the living room and fell asleep soon after.

Akimiya Akemi covered him with a blanket and said softly: "Have a good sleep."

After "Slam Dunk" is over, it's time for Hibiki Higashi to sleep peacefully.

He has been drawing comics since 1993, and has never stopped since he was a high school student.

"You've worked hard for so long, Tori Akino-sensei."

…

When Dong Yexiang woke up, it was already dusk.

He got up and found Akimiya Akemi on the balcony, talking on the phone with someone in her voice with excitement.

"Thank you! Miss Fukatsu!"

After the phone call ended, Akimiya Akemi loudly said before Hibiki Higashino could ask, ""Sakura Mission" won the award!"

The award held by "RIBON" in April is to encourage cartoonists who have been serializing for more than half a year.

Is it a very worthless award, equivalent to being the best student in the class?

Akimiya Akemi was very excited.

"Congratulations! Miss Akimiya!" Hibiya Hibiki immediately shouted congratulations, looking even happier than when he won the "Shogakukan Manga Award".

"Well, I'm just not as good as you." Akimiya Akemi smoothed her hair and said sheepishly.

"This is the first step!" Hibiki Higashino didn't care, "Mingmei, you will get more awards in the future!"

…

the next day.

"RIBON" comic award.

Akimiya Akemi came on stage, and RIBON editor-in-chief handed over the trophy and certificate with both hands to thank Akimiya Akemi for her efforts.

Dong Yexiang sat in the audience and applauded vigorously.

"That is... Tori Akino Mirai!" The person who recognized Hibiki Higashino was startled, "How did he come here?"

"Is this just a small award from "RIBON"? Why is Akino Miku attracted to Tori? "

"He clapped so seriously."

The guests who came to the scene were all employees of Shueisha or related companies. They were just going through the motions to gain popularity for the RIBON comic awards. Unexpectedly, they unexpectedly saw the super-popular cartoonist, Miku Tori Akino.

"Who is the person on the stage?"

Someone dug out the information and said, "Akinomiya Akemi...the author of "Sakura Mission"...the results of this work are very good, and it ranks among the best on RIBON."

"This style of comics... is very suitable for adaptation into animation."

…

Akimiya Akemi recognized Higashino Hibiki's hard work and rewarded him with a feast.

After returning home, Hibiya Hibiki placed the RIBON award in the most conspicuous place on the bookshelf, while Tezuka's trophy had no choice but to move it aside.

As for the "Shogakukan Manga Award" trophy, it was placed in the corner.

…

At six o'clock in the afternoon, the "Slam Dunk" animation also came to an end and ushered in the finale.

When Tanakai left Tokyo and returned home, he found that his nephew was a guest at home and the final chapter of "Slam Dunk" was playing on the TV.

"Well, you're finally back!" The old mother patted his shoulder and said loudly.

When Tanaka's salary got higher and higher, the old mother finally didn't have to worry about his future life.

In normal times, Tanaka's high-paying job in Tokyo has also become her capital to show off to others.

It’s just, “Have you found a girlfriend?”

The old mother still has troubles.

Such troubles cannot be solved by Tanaka in a short time.

It would be too scary for society to be afraid of finding a girlfriend.

"Uncle, welcome home!" The nephew waved his hand in greeting.

"Yeah." Tanaka nodded, put down his backpack, and sat in the living room watching TV together.

At the end of "Slam Dunk", his assistant who had been working diligently for five years had mixed feelings in his heart, which was very unpleasant.

Just because Tanaka supports Tori Akino's future decision does not mean that he is not sad.

"Let me tell you," my nephew couldn't help but shake his head while watching "Slam Dunk", "Mirai Tori Akino must be very selfish."

The good old man Tanaka's eyes narrowed and he asked: "Why do you say that?"

The nephew said seriously: "The popularity of comics is probably the result of the hard work of editors, assistants, cartoonists, distribution companies, and publishers. The final result was obliterated by Tori Akino."

"He finished the comic so easily that many people's efforts were in vain."

After hearing what he said, Tanaka was silent for a long time.

This is a dissatisfaction shared by employees of Shueisha, Toei Animation and other companies.

Today, "Slam Dunk" is no longer the work of Mirai Tori Akino. Countless people rely on this comic to make a living.

He nodded and sighed, "It's true. Being an assistant to Tori Akino is very hard, and he seldom has time to rest. He also comes up with the idea of ​​drawing short comics from time to time. "Five Centimeters Per Second", "Millennium Actress"... They are all comics that need to be carefully polished. I have to draw as soon as I open my eyes every day. It is already dark after work, so it is really hard~"

Tanaka raised his head and recalled such a bitter period.

But when he thinks back now, they are all long and beautiful memories.

"It's such a hard work," Tanaka's mother looked at him in surprise and pity, "Then come back to work."

"Mom," Tanaka said with a smile on his face and took out an envelope from his backpack, "This is the manga completion bonus that Mr. Tori Akino gave me after he finished "Slam Dunk"."

Tanaka's mother took it and gestured with her eyes. When Tanaka nodded, she opened the envelope and took out the amount.

"1, 2, 3...100 pictures, 1 million yen!" Tanaka's mother was shocked.

This is their family’s income for four months.

"Well, so," Tanaka said to his nephew, "Although it will be very hard, the pay is not low, but it's over now.

Without Tori Akino, there would be no "Slam Dunk". Many people have benefited from "Slam Dunk", animation companies, toy companies, disc distributors, publishers...

When this benefit ends, Tori Akino should be thanked for his efforts for so long in the future, rather than complaining that he did not continue to persist. "

The nephew's mouth opened wide with an expression of disbelief.

Tanaka, who rarely spoke for a long time, nodded with satisfaction. It seemed that his words were very convincing, and his nephew was shocked.

"Wait... wait!" The nephew reacted and looked at Tanaka with admiration, "Uncle, you are Mr. Tori Akino's comic assistant! You are so awesome!"

Tanaka's proud face froze, "So this is what you care about."

"But yes, I have been working at Tori Akino Studio for five years." Tanaka nodded.

The nephew said loudly: "Don't you see Mr. Tori Akino often!"

Tanaka pressed his cheek, "He's not a celebrity, does he need to care so much?"

"There are also his signed paintings!" the nephew continued.

"There are some." Tanaka picked up his backpack and rummaged through it.

He took out a stack of manuscript paper, which contained storyboards from "Slam Dunk" and some memorable manuscripts.

"How enviable!" The nephew looked at the original manuscript eagerly, "My favorite comic is "Slam Dunk"! My favorite cartoonist is Tori Akino Mirai-sensei!"

""Then your attitude just now? Tanaka handed the manuscript to his nephew with doubts.

The nephew quickly took it and looked at it excitedly. He pouted and said, "He finished "Slam Dunk" and I felt very uncomfortable."

"You are serious." Tanaka sat cross-legged on the tatami and shook his head.

…

April is when the cherry blossoms bloom and the Zuiike Festival is held on Mount Kano.

A dozen middle-aged people carried a shrine weighing several hundred kilograms around the cherry blossom pond. Surrounded by residents and tourists of Mount Kano, everyone clapped excitedly and watched this scene with excitement.

Akimiya Akemi raised her camera and kept taking pictures. The police thought she was a staff member of the Kanoyama Tourism Association, so they left her in the middle of the road so they could take photos from a frontal angle.

Dong Yexiang stood aside, helpless.

Just two days ago, Nanase Yui called. Due to the popularity of "Sakura Mission", many tourists came to Gano Mountain.

The tourism association communicated with the residents of the town and decided to restart the Zuichi Festival, which had been abandoned for a long time, to make it lively in the spring, and invited Akimiya Akemi to participate.

"I will definitely be there!" After asking Hibiki Higashikata, she replied excitedly.

This is related to the subsequent plot material of "Sakura Mission", which is very important, so they came here.