Chapter 15: Manga & Literature Research Club
"Manga & Literature Research Club? What is this?"
"Mangas, literature, research club. Don't you understand?"
"How can you set up a club so quickly?"
"Good students are always given preferential treatment."
"So I have become a member of this club?"
"Yes, I've written your name on the list of club members."
"But I haven't agreed yet."
She touched her chin and smiled, "We are friends. I think friends should help each other."
"Well, I see, I see. Is your idol the godfather?"
Shimizu Hakuseki knew his own level of painting. His concept about manga and his painting style were beyond the times, and he had an excellent sense about the composition of a picture. However, he knew that his painting skill wasn't perfect, he still needed to do a lot of practicing.
Moreover, excellent mangakas never worked alone, they also had a lot of excellent assistants, which was still inaccessible to Shimizu Hakuseki at this moment.
Even if he had assistants, he was completely unenlightened about how to lead a team. Management science was a huge discipline, in this respect, Shimizu Hakuseki could be called "incompetent".
This club in the school could be considered as a rehearsal.
Kasannoin senpai should also understand this, so she helped me make the decision. She was really kind.
Shimizu Hakuseki sat down in a chair in the room, looked around and said, "The room is still empty, why do you want to set up such a club? Is there any special significance?"
"Of course, when we are engaged in literary and artistic creation, whether it is writing novels or drawing mangas, we need friends and colleagues. We can't build cars behind closed doors. Osamu Tezuka had Tokiwa-sō, and we have our Manga & Literature Research Club."
"It sounds reasonable."
For a period of time, Osamu Tezuka resided in Tokiwa-sō, and then Tokiwa-sō became a gathering place for mangakas. Young people with enthusiasm gathered around Osamu Tezuka, exchanging their fantasies and ideas enthusiastically. As time goes by, the names of these young people also gradually become famous, shining brightly on the history of Japan's manga circle.
Everyone needs to communicate with others, so do the mangakas. They needed an environment where they could discuss enthusiastically and let ideas collide constantly, or even argue loudly. Only in this case, would their inspirations be activated with the beautiful sparks of ideas.
"However, can our creations be discussed here?"
"Of course, no. Teenager Abin and Beauty Baijie will not appear in school. Do you really think that at this age, we can really 'dirty' the whole of Japan with our strength?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Yes, we are tigers, but we are still too young. I know very well that I will be the king of the jungle in the future, but now, I still need to lurk down low and sharpen my claws and teeth."
"Do you want to grind your teeth with your classmates here?"
"Yes."
Oh, to be one of her classmates, life will be really miserable! But I’m in no position to sympathize with them, after all, I have to grind my claws too.
Nodding his head, Shimizu Hakuseki asked, "So, is the whole club just the two of us? Is this appropriate?"
"Of course, it's not appropriate. The minimum number of a club's members is five. for the initial stage, the limit can be lowered, but still requires three members."
"How long is the 'initial stage'?"
Kasannoin Ayase put out a finger and shook it in front of Shimizu Hakuseki's eyes, "From today on, within one month."
"That is to say, we must deceive at least one classmate into joining our club within a month."
"I've posted the recruitment notice, but we still need to work hard."
"Indeed, it may not be enough to rely solely on the recruitment notice. Everyone seems to despise mangas, well, at least, they have to despise mangas on the surface."
Students should study hard in school, and their pursuit was to enter a good university.
At least, they should pretend to support this viewpoint on the surface.
Therefore, it was a shameful thing to read mangas. When others were all studying hard, preparing to enter the University of Tokyo, how could you still waste your time on those childish things?
"It's was impossible to find a person dared to say loudly that 'I love reading mangas'. After all, we should pay attention to teachers' attitude… wait." Shimizu Hakuseki suddenly remembered that transfer student. "There is a new transfer student in our class today."
"Tap-tap-tap."
He suddenly heard the knock on the door.
"Come in, please."
"Well, is this the 'Manga & Literature Research Club'? I saw the recruitment notice in the corridor." A girl with glasses came in.
"Ah ah, you are that transfer student, Aunt Takahashi!"
"Alas? Aren't you that hoodlum of our class? That's too much! Why did you call me aunt?"
"Aha, sorry, sorry, it was just a slip of the tongue. Are you going to join our 'Manga & Literature Research Club'?"
"Yes, I'm interested in mangas. It would be great if I could discuss mangas with friends. In the previous school, I tried to draw mangas with my friends."
"Good, you are welcome! So, come here and fill out this form," said Kasannoin Ayase, who decisively handed the paper to Takahashi, "From now on, you are a member of our 'Manga & Literature Research Club'!"
"But, Ayase senpai, is this a formal club?"
"Yes."
"Well, why is there a hoodlum in the club?"
"Probably because he is a hoodlum who loves manga and literature."
"I'm not a hoodlum, it's just a misunderstanding from my classmates!"
"Let's be quiet," Ayase said loudly, stopping their quarrel in the room. "Now, I announce that the Triangle of the 'Manga & Literature Research Club' is established! After Aunt Takahashi joined us, we can finally be a normal club. Hereby, I announce that the first goal of the club is to create a short manga!"
According to Ayase's explanation, she would write the script, Shimizu Hakuseki should draw the manga, and Takahashi would help Shimizu Hakuseki color the pictures and draw a part of the backgrounds.
All the three of them were itching for a try, and Shimizu Hakuseki was even more inexplicably excited.
My assistant is Aunt Takahashi! It's too awesome!
How awesome was Aunt Takahashi?
In the 1980s, there was a manga that once dominated the manga market and spread all over the world: "Dragon Ball". At that time, its author Toriyama Akira was almost the synonym of "invincible".
However, there was actually a person who dared to challenge him.
Aunt Takahashi!
Of course, she failed, but it was a glorious failure.
And now, the woman who dared to challenge "Dragon Ball" in my past life is my assistant in this life!
Plus I who can see through the fog of time, and Ayase senpai whose mind is so strange as if there is a hole in her brains, how can't we create an excellent short manga?
"I have a question," asked Shimizu Hakuseki, "What's the genre of the story are we going to draw?"
"I hope to draw a manga that reflects human nature. This manga must touch the soul of humanity." This was Kasannoin Ayase's opinion.
"I want to draw fighter spacecraft, fighting in the universe. I want to draw this kind of scenes now." This was Shimizu Hakuseki's idea.
"I think it's better to draw something light and pleasant. Simple is good." Not surprisingly, this was Takahashi's viewpoint.
The three looked at each other for a moment. The atmosphere gradually turned hostile.
Kasannoin Ayase smiled strangely, Shimizu Hakuseki squinted his eyes, and Takahashi pushed her glasses on her nose. Obviously, they had no intention of yielding to others' opinion.
It seemed that before the "Iron Triangle" of the club was set, it was already going to collapse.
Just as the three members of the club descended into infighting, another group of people was also holding a meeting in a building in Shibuya, Tokyo.
This was a high-level meeting of the adult magazine. "Taboo Paradise".
The number of members of the meeting was also three. Nagaoka Itsuki, the associate managing editor of the magazine; Ida Shinji, the chief editor of the magazine; and the president of the magazine, Kumagai Kazushi.
The president Kumagai Kazushi said first, "There is an emergency today, so I convened you and held this meeting. There are two news, one is good and the other is bad. Which one do you want to hear first?"
Ida Shinji and Nagaoka Itsuki looked at each other. Ida Shinji shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, listen to the good news first."
"The sales of our magazine in late August was very, well, impressive. It was a sales explosion! Compared with the previous sales, the sales of our magazine increased by 30%. Some bookstores are out of stock and many distributors are asking us to replenish the magazines. This is a situation we have never encountered before. Therefore, the printing factory also works overtime for us. The main contribution, of course, is from you, Editor Ida. Well, you did a good job, and the magazine will reward you."
"Thank you very much. It's because of the leadership of our dear president and the support of my colleagues."
"Stop, stop. Let's go straight to the point. Can you tell me why the sales of our magazine suddenly jumped?" Kumagai Kazushi touched his shining bald head and said, "To tell you the truth, I've never seen this situation before. I'm a little confused."
