Chapter 18: Tripartite Confrontation
After a while, Shimizu Hakuseki gave Editor Ida a cup of tea. They drank and continued their previous conversation.
"I think, Sensei Baijie, you look down on juvenile mangas too much."
Sensei? Sensei Baijie! It's a bit strange to be called "sensei (teacher)" by someone, but that's not the point…
"I'm looking down on juvenile comics too much?"
"Yes."
Shimizu Hakuseki coughed and said, "I would like to hear more about it."
Ida said, "The juvenile manga industry today is a terrible meat grinder. If you don't prepare for it and jump into it casually, you will only be ground up into mincemeat."
"Is it really so horrible?"
"Of course, many mangas of our magazine are from those mangakas who have fallen out of the juvenile manga market. Most of them are over 30 years old, and apart from drawing mangas, they know no means of maintaining their lives. They want to continue drawing mangas, but they still need money to support themselves. Finally, they can only draw adult mangas. In their words, the juvenile manga world is like a gladiator in ancient Rome, where you fight every day until your blood is exhausted and you finally fall."
Shimizu Hakuseki did not speak. He touched his chin, lost in thought. He knew that Editor Ida wasn’t deceiving him. The competition in the juvenile manga market was indeed very fierce.
"Even so, I will have to try. I am not afraid of fighting!"
"Certainly, but Sensei Baijie, you need to make more preparations before you get started, and leave a way back for yourself."
"You're right."
What Editor Ida said was necessary. Although the contribution fee could support his living costs for several months, he shouldn't just sit idle and watch the money running out.
However, it was still a long way to enter the juvenile manga circle. If he submits his manga to juvenile manga company like Weekly Shonen Jump, will his manga be accepted and published smoothly?
He didn't know.
In his mind, it would be normal if his manga was rejected.
It was said that Toriyama Akira, the author of Dragon Ball was rejected by Weekly Shonen Jump hundreds of time before he successfully published his first manga. He wouldn’t be surprised if Weekly Shonen rejected Shimizu Hakuseki's manga too.
Now, it seemed that it was a good choice to continue to draw adult mangas for Taboo Paradise while he continued submitting his "normal" mangas to juvenile manga magazines. In this case, he would be able to exercise his manga skill and make money at the same time.
Moreover, Shimizu Hakuseki deeply believed that it was an interesting thing to draw pornographic manga!
"I tried to persuade you from your point of view. Now I want to talk about the difficulties our magazine is facing. I have to explain one thing to you," said Ida Shinji, "Our magazine has reached the moment of life and death."
"I've been curious for a long time. What's going on? Why is your magazine going to do such a crazy thing? I don't think there's any big problem in the sale of the magazine."
"In fact, we…"
After explaining the dilemma faced by the magazine, Ida said sadly, "So, the sales of the magazine must be doubled, or even higher in order to survive. Sensei Baijie, please help us! Please create excellent works that can make teenagers go mad!"
Ida said and bowed down to the Shimizu Hakuseki.
"Well, get up, get up! You don't have to do this."
"Does it mean that you are agreeing to my request?"
"Well yes, I agree."
Shimizu Hakuseki said without hesitation. In his most difficult time, Editor Ida offered him his hands. Although Editor Ida just paid the contribution fee to him in advance, it really helped him greatly.
In any case, Shimizu Hakuseki had no reason to refuse Ida’s request.
After sending off Editor Ida, Shimizu Hakuseki returned to his room and began to conceive the plot, but his mind was in a total mess and he couldn't consider anything at this moment.
There were just too many things he needed to do.
First of all, he was going to draw the manga version of the "Legend of the Galactic Heroes", which was still in the form of a simple manuscript, some sketches, and some ideas recorded on the papers.
Then was the adult manga he promised to Editor Ida. It wasn't easy to draw a manga that could make young people go mad, he thought that he needed to think about it carefully.
Finally, it was the team creation of the Manga & Literature Research Club. All three of them were high-spirited. The goal was to create a short manga and then submit it to juvenile magazines. Even if they couldn't win any prize, they hoped to get enough attention and honor from it.
Shimizu Hakuseki was responsible for drawing the main part of the manga. Before Kasannoin Ayase finished the script, he couldn't start drawing.
Kasannoin Ayase should be in trouble now. At the last meeting of the Manga & Literature Research Club, everyone hoped that the manga would be drawn according to their own wishes. At last, she could only compromise. The result of the compromise was that she must create "a script that has impressive content, fights amongst spaceships, and can let readers feel lighthearted."
Is it possible to write such a script?
Thinking everything through again, Shimizu Hakuseki found that although there were many things waiting for him to do, they weren't as troublesome as he thought before. the manga version of the "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" was a long-term goal, he didn't need to worry about it now.
The next was the adult manga he was going to draw. Because "Welcome to Tokoharu Apartment" was still being serialized in Taboo Paradise, before December, he still had plenty of time to think about it.
Now the most urgent thing was probably the short manga of the Manga & Literature Research Club. When Kasannoin Ayase's script was finished, he would immediately start to draw the short manga.
In another room of the Tokoharu Apartment, Kasannoin Ayase was in the same confusion, but her trouble was much bigger than Hakuseki Shimizu's.
First, she had begun to write "The Secret of the Young Boys of the Tokoharu Apartment", and the first chapter had been completed. The protagonist, "Little Shimizu" had appeared. In the novel, "Little Shimizu" was not only a gay, but also a "Bottom". Although his body was weak, he had a strong and unyielding heart. Of course, his face was also as beautiful as a girl's. The question was, who should be the "Top" in the novel? Ouch, it was really a headache!
She could put this aside first, because now, there were things that troubled her more.
Kasannoin Ayase set up the Manga & Literature Research Club and decided to draw a short manga. However, in her eyes, the first meeting of the club was actually unsuccessful.
"A script that has impressive content, fights amongst spaceships, and can let readers feel lighthearted."
Is it possible for this kind of thing to exist in the world?
Maybe it existed, but she couldn't write such a script by herself!
Most importantly, Kasannoin Ayase was totally unaffected by the boring space fights and silly plots that could please readers. How could she write something she didn't like at all?!
"Would you have me bow my head before mighty princes, forgetting all the joy of my heart?"
Reading the ancient Tang poem, Kasannoin Ayase made up her mind and began to write.
The next day, after school, the three people gathered in the activity room again.
The three of them sat around a triangular workbench, and Kasannoin Ayase said, "I have accomplished the script yesterday. Now, please have a look at it."
Takahashi Rumiko and Shimizu Hakuseki moved together and began to read the story.
This was a story about a street urchin. In the shadow of the city, there was an evil gang. These people stole children from their parents and controlled them with violence, letting them beg on the streets. The protagonist, Oda was such a begging child, but Oda had an indomitable spirit. He escaped from this evil gang, but had nowhere to shelter. He could only continue to wander and beg in the city.
Oda lived a hard but tough life like grass. Finally, in the winter, Oda was frozen to death.
The story ended.
"Hey, this story is not lighthearted at all!" Takahashi Rumiko complained.
"And there's no space war at all, I don't even see a spaceship in this story!"
Looking at them, Kasannoin Ayase smiled.
"Don't be agitated, lady and gentleman. All the problems you are talking about can be solved."
Takahashi asked angrily, "The story is too sad, how can any people feel relaxed after reading it?"
"Didn't Oda die in happiness and peace in the end? His life was so hard, only after death, he could feel relaxed. Didn't you notice that he smiled when he was dying? In his dream, he dreamed of a warm spring!"
"It only makes the story sadder!"
Kasannoin Ayase quibbled with a fake smile, "Anyway, I have added 'happy and relax' in the story, unfortunately, you are too dull, so you can't find it. For this, I can't do anything."
Takahashi's body shivered with anger, Shimizu Hakuseki stopped her and said calmly, "Okay, relaxed or not, it's just a personal feeling. I have nothing to say if you want to say that, but what about the space war? Where are the spaceships I required?"
