Chapter 12: The New Semester Is Coming
Kasannoin Ayase stood beside them and didn't even dare to breathe.
At this time, she only wanted to shout, "Run! Run!"
However, Shimizu Hakuseki turned around and asked the cashier unhappily, "I said I'm busy. Editor Ida Shinji told me to send him this book as soon as possible. What's the matter now?"
The cashier took a deep look at Shimizu Hakuseki and pushed the money on the counter to him, "I haven't given you your change."
"Well, oh, oh! I'm so sorry!" Shimizu Hakuseki only remembered to leave as soon as possible and forgot to take the change. He reached out his hand awkwardly, unexpectedly, the cashier suddenly reached out his own hand and grabbed Shimizu Hakuseki's wrist.
"You, what are you doing?!" Shimizu Hakuseki asked in astonishment.
The cashier just approached his ear and whispered, "Don't be afraid, I just want to give you some advice as your 'senpai'."
"Senpai? Advice?"
"Yes, you may be confused and hesitant now, but there's no need to panic. On this thorny road, you are not walking alone."
Shimizu Hakuseki felt confused for a moment, then he realized. A panic expression appeared on his face. "Wait, I'm not… You're wrong. I'm not a ga…"
"Shh, don't say that word here! Your reaction is normal. Keep going, so you can protect yourself. I only wanted to let you know, even in the coldest nights, there is still a seat for you. We are abnormal, but we don't want to hurt anyone. We only want to huddle for comfort." The cashier blinked at Shimizu Hakuseki, "If you feel cold or lonely, you can come to me. I can introduce some friends to you."
Let me go, let me go! We are not the same kind of people!
Thinking again, the reason why this book was placed in the public area shouldn’t be because of the store assistant's negligence, it was mostly a fishing bait!
"Well, please take your money. Looking forward to your next visit!"
"Well, see you again."
Goodbye! I will never come back again!
Shimizu Hakuseki made a gesture to Kasannoin Ayase and ran out of the bookstore.
In the corner of the bookstore, a middle-aged man put down the magazine in his hands and looked at the door in a panic.
After leaving Shimizu Hakuseki's room, Ida Shinji felt restless, so he decided to go to Akiyama Bookstore to read books.
He didn't expect to meet Shimizu Hakuseki and Kasannoin Ayase here!
Just now, he left with the excuse of "something urgent has come up", it would be embarrassing if they saw that he was leisurely reading books here.
Therefore, he hid in the corner of the bookstore, held up a magazine to block his face, and secretly observed Shimizu Hakuseki and Kasannoin Ayase.
After that, what happened was quite thrilling. Shimizu Hakuseki suddenly walked to his direction. At that moment, he felt as if his heart was about to jump out from his chest. Then Shimizu Hakuseki took out a book from the bookshelf beside him.
Before Ida Shinji felt relaxed, he saw the cover of the book and its name.
The Deeper Unutterable Secrets of Heroes.
Bastard, how many dirty unspeakable secrets do heroes have?!
Leisure time was always short. After Shimizu Hakuseki returned home, he devoted himself to the creation of manga again.
In late August, the new semester was coming and he would return to school. He must finish the manga "Welcome to Tokoharu Apartment" during the holidays.
After all, he couldn't draw the manga in school.
The story of Tokoharu Apartment was still continuing.
In the second chapter, it was the "battle" between the protagonist and the apartment manager's sister.
In the third chapter, it was the "battle" with the sisters.
In the fourth chapter, the sisters' mother came on the scene and joined the "battle".
In the fifth, sixth and seventh chapters, they battled in various places.
Once he put himself into the creation of the story, Shimizu Hakuseki forgot the passage of time. In the blink of an eye, in late August, Shimizu Hakuseki completed the seven chapters of "Welcome to Tokoharu Apartment".
On the day he finished the entire manga, he slept happily all day in his room.
When he woke up, he finally noticed that the new semester was coming.
Looking back at the manuscripts on his desk, Shimizu Hakuseki was proud that he could finish all six chapters in a month. But thinking of the horrifying speed of Osamu Tezuka, his complacency disappeared.
"My drawing speed must be faster!"
He reminded Editor Ida Shinji to come and take away the manuscripts. However, he didn't understand why every time Editor Ida Shinji came, he would call Kasannoin Ayase too as if he was afraid to stay alone with Shimizu Hakuseki.
However, that wasn't a big deal, because the sample of "Taboo Paradise" in late August had been placed in front of Shimizu Hakuseki.
"It's good to be published so soon."
"We also want to publish it earlier," said Ida Shinji earnestly, "Unfortunately, when we received your manuscript, our magazine in early August had entered the printing process. I believe readers will like your manga. After all, it's a masterpiece."
"I hope so. Did you just come to send me the sample magazine this time?"
"No, I'm also in charge of examining your manuscripts. Of course, there's no need to be in a rush. I know you have been working hard for a month, can you tell me what steps you've taken till now?"
"I've finished all the remaining six chapters. I'm so tired."
Ida Shinji opened his mouth wide. He was shocked and asked, "You, have you finished drawing the six chapters? All in a month?"
"Yeah, I did my best. Fortunately, the story is simple. Otherwise, I couldn't achieve this kind of speed in any case."
"Your speed of drawing is awesome."
"It also depends on who you compare me with. If you compare me with Osamu Tezuka, I'm just a
nothing."
"Osamu Tezuka is the god of manga. It's unreasonable to compare yourself with that kind of person." Ida Shinji paused for a while, then said, "Speaking of this, I think you really have a good chance of becoming a good mangaka like Osamu Tezuka."
"Do you mean that I should leave the adult manga world and enter the world under the sun?"
"Of course, I hope to cooperate with you as long as possible, but speaking with my conscience, with your drawing ability, you can go further."
"I have similar ideas, but I need to think carefully before I have a plan," Shimizu Hakuseki murmured. "Moreover, although I am confident about my drawing style, after all, it still needs to be tested by the readers, and this kind of thing only depends on the sales."
"You're right."
Ida Shinji agreed with his words. This was the reason why he didn't ask when Shimizu Hakuseki could start drawing the second manga.
No matter how good a mangaka was, he must go through the test of the market first. Although Ida Shinji was optimistic about the sales, he needed to see the sales first before he made any further promises to Shimizu Hakuseki.
"Taboo Paradise" would begin to serialize Shimizu Hakuseki's manga from late August until November. That was to say, Shimizu Hakuseki didn't need to worry about the cost of living in the next three months. However, it didn't mean that he could be relaxed, because his manga hadn't be tested by the market, there was still a possibility that he would fail. And from the beginning of the new semester until the winter vacation, it wouldn't be possible to be so dedicated to drawing manga again.
"Sorry, I have to go. Oh, right, this is the contribution fee for next month."
"Well, no, you don't need to do this. I asked to pay me in advance because I was too poor at that time. You don't need to pay me in advance this time."
"It doesn't matter. I have confidence in your manga. Moreover, this is your money. I'm just handing it over to you in advance. It's within my authority." Editor Ida walked to the door and bowed, "Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
After walking back to the room, Shimizu Hakuseki saw that Kasannoin Ayase was sitting at the small round table and reading the magazine with a bored look.
"Hey, what's wrong with you today? You didn't say a word to Editor Ida."
"I'm too bored," she sighed and lay on the table, "Once I remembered that the new semester was coming, I felt bored and my life hopeless."
"You are a senior grade three student, right? You are going to take the university entrance examination soon."
"Yes."
"It seems that you will get busy. When the new semester starts, you won't be able to read magazines so leisurely."
"Well, the teacher had talked to me. The teacher hopes that I can choose the University of Tokyo."
"Hum? The University of Tokyo? Senpai, are you so good?"
"Good? I'm just good at exams."
Shimizu Hakuseki was speechless. At least, he had no hope to pass through the entrance examination of the University of Tokyo at all.
After a while, Kasannoin Ayase said, "Do you know why I hate going to school?"
"Shouldn't that be common? It's normal for students to hate school."
"You are such a fool. I'm different from you. I'm a good student with both good character and excellent learning. In school, I'm loved by teachers and pursued by classmates. I'm a privileged upper-class student in school. I'm different from the poor students who live at the bottom like you. So, don't use your situation in school to guess my thoughts."
Oh, what a vicious girl!
"Well, as you said, when you go to school, you can enjoy the sad screams of poor students. You should like going to school, but you still hate school. Why?"
"Yeah, why?" Looking out of the window at the sky, she said, "Maybe it's because I feel sad."
"You just have too much free time."
"Ah?"
"If you have to earn your own living like me, you probably won't think so."
"Tsk, that's right," said Kasannoin Ayase with a smile. "I'm having a luxurious worry."
