Tokyo life starting with painting

Komori Ken is very self-aware, and he also knows that there is a huge gap between him and Higashino Higashikata in terms of single-book sales of 60,000 copies.

Because he has been drawing comics for five or six years, and has several animated works, which has accumulated a lot of popularity.

A rough calculation of seniority shows that he is actually Higashinoji's senior.

But what if you are a senior?

Komori Ken shook his head speechlessly.

Higashinoji has been on the rise since the middle of last year. Along the way, he has crushed many seniors to death. Even Suzuki Ha, who is fighting against him in the ring, is still pinned down.

I have always been unable to compare with Higashinoji in terms of single book sales, and I always fall behind.

As for the ‘small press of 60,000 volumes’ he just said

That's totally a scene.

Editor-in-chief Yamano must have heard it too.

Sixty thousand volumes is not a small gap.

Although there is animation promotion and blessing, Higashinoji's comic "The Winner is Justice" seems to have reached its climax. If there is a real fight, we still don't know who will win and who will die.

"What bad luck." Takeru Komori sighed, looking helpless.

If his next single book hadn't coincided with the release date of Higashinoji's single book, otherwise it would have been his turn to be sacrificed?

As for the rest?

I don’t have many other ideas.

I just hope that this time I can beat Higashino in terms of sales.

After all, Editor-in-Chief Koyama was right. It would be a bit embarrassing if Iwakaku Publishing House didn’t even have an author who could beat Higashinoji.

"Next is the publishing house's author gathering."

Takeru Komori, who was already over thirty years old, murmured to himself and touched his head again, feeling helpless.

First there was a publishing house party, and then there was a competition with Higashikata for single book sales. It happened one after another.

"Publisher's author gathering?" Higashinoji, who was carefully drawing the climax of "The Winner is Justice", received a call from Hosokawa Koharu and somewhat did not understand what she meant.

But under Hosokawa Koharu's explanation, Tonoji gradually understood what this publisher's author gathering meant.

In fact, it is a gathering held twice a year in the comics industry. Famous authors from major publishing houses will go to a drinking party to get together and deepen mutual understanding - at least that is what is promoted to the outside world.

In fact, this is just a scene for readers who love comics. It creates the appearance of a family of comic publishers, triggers some entertainment news topics, and also attracts the attention of comic readers.

This is not harmful to attracting traffic from major publishing houses, so it is basically held once or twice every year.

Last year, Higashinoji didn't participate because his "Midnight Bell" had just finished, and he was going to talk about the specifics of the "Midnight Ring" animated film later on. He didn't have time at all.

"Really? You can meet authors from other publishing houses. Well, I can participate."

Higashinoji is quite interested in comic book authors from other publishers. If he has the opportunity to meet and make friends in person, he will certainly not give up.

The agreed time was two days later, and there were no strict clothing requirements, so Tonoji didn't deliberately buy anything like a suit or tie.

So these two days, he still lived exactly the same as before.

During the day, he polished "Summer is Over" in the school studio, and at night he drew the original manuscripts of "The Winner is Justice" and "The Lonely Gourmet" at home.

Just like this, the time agreed upon by Higashinoji and Hosokawa Koharu soon arrived.

This time, Hosokawa Koharu did not ask someone to pick her up. Instead, she went to the battle herself and drove over to pick up Higashinoji.

It's just that when he saw Hosokawa Koharu for the first time, Tonoji couldn't help but cast his eyes frequently.

Because today's Hosokawa Koharu does seem to have subverted Higashinoji's previous impression of her.

Even though there was no dress code, she was still wearing formal work clothes, and Higashinoji could see that she had dressed up carefully, not to make her look beautiful, but to deliberately thicken her thin eyebrows.

Paired with serious formal attire, it shows an inexplicable and capable masculinity.

"Teacher Higashikata, you seem quite surprised?"

When Higashinoji sat in the passenger seat, Hosokawa Koharu took the initiative to ask.

"It's a bit surprising indeed."

Hosokawa Koharu's attire made Higashino a little uncomfortable with it, but the usual Hosokawa editor was better.

In response to Higashinoji's answer, Hosokawa Koharu also showed some self-deprecation and gave the reason: "Actually, it's not surprising that women who don't dress up like this always give people a feeling of being unreliable in their work. Needless to say, the editorial department, this This is a gathering between publishers, so of course I have to put on makeup."

Her answer made Toyoshi show a look of understanding.

Japan has always been a patriarchal society, especially in some well-known large companies.

There are very few female editors at Urashima Publishing House, and the clerks responsible for simple tasks such as printing are indeed women.

It seems that Hosokawa Koharu has always had some experience with this kind of sexism.

The two of them exchanged words with each other along the way.

When Hosokawa Koharu asked Higashinoji how to develop "The Winner is Justified" next, and Higashinoji replied with a smile that it was about to be completed, Hosokawa Koharu almost didn't step on the accelerator and hit the cement beside the road. On top of the telephone pole.

"Ah? Is Mr. Higashino planning to finish it again?" Hosokawa Koharu was dumbfounded.

Originally, she was just asking casually, but she didn't expect that Higashi Yesi actually took the initiative to reveal something big to her.

First there was "Midnight Ring", and now there is the hot serial "The Winner Is Justice" that is particularly loved by both male and female readers.

Higashinoji doesn't seem to care about popularity or fame at all. It's over as soon as it's over.

"I can understand the last "Midnight Ring". After all, the plot is almost finished. But this time "The Winner is Justice" is a unit drama. Mr. Higashino can definitely draw a few more new stories, but there is no need. So it’s easy to finish?”

Holding the steering wheel tightly again, Hosokawa Koharu looked at the road ahead seriously and asked without turning his head.

"We can indeed draw some more stories." Higashino nodded.

"The Winner Is Justified" has a second season, so he can draw more than fifty chapters and finish the series for a full year.

But this is not what Higashinoji wants to see in the second season of "The Winner Is Justice".

So Higashinoji said again: "Editor Hosokawa, do you think it's enough to just maintain the number one critical rating of "Cold"?"

"Ah? Yes, after all, we are number one." Hosokawa Koharu was completely stunned, and weren't she and Higashinoji aiming to be number one in "Cold" from the beginning?

"Those are things that happened before, and I think we should have more ambitious goals now."

Higashinoji said very inflammatoryly, which made Hosokawa Koharu unable to help but think deeply.

Higashino Tsukasa has now secured the first place for "Abominable Cold", including Urashima Publishing's monthly "Aoba", which has also been occupied by Higashino Tsukasa's "The Lonely Gourmet". In this case, it will still be If you go up there, you have to -

"Are we going to suppress the other two major publishing houses in terms of single book sales?" Hosokawa Koharu, who had already thought clearly, asked in surprise.

The performance of a comics author can be measured by more than just the readership rating.

Sales of single volumes are the same.

And since Higashinoji was already killing people with a knife in "Abominable Cold" and the monthly "Aoba", and no one could stop him, it was natural that he would have to consider competing with the other two publishing houses.

But

"Can this be done?" Hosokawa Koharu couldn't help but murmured in a low voice.

Yes, although "The Winner Is Justice" is not weak in popularity, the two major publishing houses, Iwakaku Publishing House and Mozhu Bookstore, are not fuel-efficient lamps. Even Higashinoji has won the first place in the Oricon manga single volume sales two or three times. , but there is also the risk of being stabbed down from time to time.

It’s really difficult to stabilize the number one spot in single-volume sales. After all, it’s the No. 1 spot in single-volume sales and everyone wants it.

"So we have to constantly challenge other comics. We both can actually see the potential for improvement in "The Winner is the Right", but we still can't stabilize Ichiban's throne, so I want to use other comics with potential. Take on the challenge.”

Tonoji expressed his thoughts.

yes.

He can't just stop at "The winner is justice", but he must constantly challenge other comics and let the entire comic industry be dyed in his color.

If this continues, maybe others will mention Higashinoji the same way they mention Hayao Miyazaki?

This is a small goal that Higashino currently wants to achieve.

After all, if you work in this industry, you have to climb up - if a person has no dreams, what is the difference between him and a salty egg?

Hosokawa Koharu was so hot-blooded by Higashinoji. After all, she is a young person, and as Higashinoji's editor, she has the same interests as him. Higashinoji's goal must also be her goal - I also have to become The dream of a famous Japanese editor!

But she soon came to her senses.

As an editor, shouldn't he be the one to instigate Higashinoji?

Why did it turn around here and become Higashino instigating and encouraging her?

This is not right!

So she straightened her face and opened her mouth to regain the initiative as editor: "I think what Mr. Higashino said makes sense. In fact, I think so too. That's it."

When she was discussing the issue of single-volume sales with Higashinoji, the car had already arrived at the venue.

This made Hosokawa Koharu blush.

She, the future editor, hasn’t finished speaking yet! Why are you already at the venue?

Although he was a little helpless, Hosokawa Koharu still did not make the stupid move of driving around twice more. Instead, he turned his head and said to Higashinoji: "Let's go, Higashino-sensei."

This time, the publishing house directly rented the hotel’s banquet hall as the venue for the party.

As for the hotel, the decoration style is naturally Western-style. Tables covered with white cloth are neatly arranged with some food and drinks.

As soon as Higashinoji and Hosokawa Koharu entered, someone came over and said hello: "Hello, Higashino-sensei."

The voice was very familiar, and Higashinoji recognized him at a glance—isn't this the editor-in-chief of Fuji Publishing House, Shinji Furuta?

"Hello, Editor-in-Chief Furuta." Higashinoji didn't expect that there would be someone at the Editor-in-Chief level specially waiting for him in this place.

Furuta Shinji nodded with a smile, and then looked at Hosokawa Koharu who looked wary.

How could Hosokawa Koharu not be wary?

You must know that the person in front of you is the culprit who poached the author who was the pillar of their Urashima publishing platform. In ancient times, it would be an exaggeration to say that there was a blood feud.

He greeted Mr. Higashino again. Was he going to poach Mr. Higashino? what to do? Should I call the editor-in-chief Urashima and ask him to come over and support the show?

Hosokawa Koharu's mind was full of thinking about various situations, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Shinji Furuta in front of him was probably going to attack Higashinoji.

But what she never expected was that Shinji Furuta actually walked up to her and said hello: "Hello, you must be Mr. Higashino's editor-in-chief, Editor Hosokawa Koharu, right? Nice to meet you."

"Uh-huh, hello." Hosokawa Koharu was stunned by the other party's actions, but she still followed his words and said hello.

"Editor Hosokawa has a good author." Furuta Shinji said with a smile, but also felt a little bit guilty in his heart.

Originally, he was going to bring Suzuki Yu over to attend this party, but who knew that Suzuki Yu would actually lie at home and fall asleep on this important day.

It is said that she stayed up all night again drawing comics. If Suzuki Yu was forcibly dragged up to attend this party, Furuta Shinji felt that Suzuki Yu would probably die of a cerebral hemorrhage.

As for the other authors from Fuji Publishing?

The other authors have made agreements with their editors, so Furuta Shinji can't take people away from their editors, right?

With no choice, Furuta Shinji could only come over alone to say hello to Higashinoji, and put his head together to make the atmosphere less awkward.

Hosokawa Koharu thought he was going to poach someone, and would look over at him from time to time, as if he was afraid that Shinji Furuta would drag Higashinoji into a corner and start poaching someone else.

Higashinoji didn't care about this. He smiled and talked with Furuta Shinji and Hosokawa Koharu. At the same time, he occasionally dealt with the editors and comics authors from other publishing houses who came to say hello.

These are editors and authors from comic magazine publishers who are not well-known. Of course, they want to become familiar with Fuji Publishing House or Urashima Publishing House, so that they can find a way to ask for their help in the future.

After dealing with this group of people, Furuta Shinji smiled and sighed: "Teacher Higashino is now famous far and wide."

He was indeed right at the time. Higashinoji was a money tree, but he didn't grasp it. Now that he thinks about it, he really regrets it.

If he had the same opportunity again, he would definitely put more effort into poaching Higashi Yesi and try to dig out the roots of his money tree.

but

"I wonder if Teacher Higashino has heard about the developments at Iwakaku Publishing House and Mozhu Bookstore?"

Furuta Shinji turned his head and asked Higashinoji.

"Huh?" Higashikata became interested.

Just now, he was discussing with Hosokawa Koharu in the car how to take down these two publishing houses, and Furuta Shinji took the initiative to bring up this topic.

What a coincidence.

Thanks to Tianyu Tianze and Chami Narcissus for their tips! Thank you so much!