Chapter 70: Are You Akira Hattori?
Shunsuke was not entirely satisfied with the property.
After thinking for a moment, he took out a black card and placed it on the table.
It was a gift from a casino attempting to curry favor with Kirari Momobami.
"Father, why don't we buy a large house nearby instead? It might be a bit expensive, but it's the most convenient option, and there's no need to worry about running out of money."
"This..."
Hearing Shunsuke's suggestion, his father, who had been smiling absentmindedly, froze.
"Shunsuke, is writing novels really this lucrative? If I had known, I wouldn't have become a teacher. I would've started submitting manuscripts too. Ah, I'm so envious of people with literary talent! In the future, you must let me read your novels first," said Hina Tachibana, her eyes sparkling.
She wasn't just impressed by Shunsuke's talent, but also by his audacity to casually suggest buying a house.
As a rookie teacher, she was still struggling to make ends meet.
Rui Tachibana, on the other hand, stared at the black card on the table, gaining a deeper understanding of what it meant to be a genius.
Unlike the two sisters, their father hunched his back and spoke in a low voice. "Shunsuke, I know I've never been a very competent father, but buying a house is the responsibility of the head of the household. Leave this to me."
Uh-oh.
This was bad.
Shunsuke realized he had messed up.
How could he show off in front of a man who needed to impress his future wife?
By saying this, he had unintentionally undermined his father, making him look incompetent.
Where was the dignity of the family head in all this?
This was clearly a matter that should have been discussed privately.
Looking at his father, who usually lacked confidence but now had a determined expression, Shunsuke knew he wouldn't be able to change his mind.
—Fine, I'll just find an excuse to move out later.
With so many people at home, it would be inconvenient to get things done.
He needed a private space of his own.
With that thought, Shunsuke decided to step back, and the house-buying discussion came to an end.
...
Sunday.
After getting up, Shunsuke headed to Mrs. Izumi's house to wake up Mashiro. After gathering both of their manuscripts, they set off together for Shueisha.
He had initially promised Mashiro a date today, but Mashiro wasn't an ordinary girl. Doing something like this would definitely resonate with her more than a typical date.
When they arrived in front of the Shueisha building, Mashiro, fully aware of the purpose of their visit, was visibly more excited than before.
This made Shunsuke realize his standing even more clearly—making Mashiro feel happier about dating him was still a long-term goal.
The receptionist's eyes lit up at the sight of the handsome young man and the pretty girl. She greeted them warmly, "Do you have an appointment?"
"Yes, my name is Shunsuke Fujii. I have an appointment with editor Akira Hattori."
"Understood. Please fill out this visitor registration form."
While Shunsuke filled out the form, the receptionist notified Akira Hattori and then guided the two to a small meeting room.
The two sat on one side of the table. Shortly after, a charming, fair-skinned young man walked in and took the seat opposite them.
"Hello, I'm Akira Hattori, an editor for Weekly Shonen Jump."
…
What?
This handsome guy is Akira Hattori?
Shunsuke wondered if he had read a fake manga. Even when other characters were adapted to real life, their general appearances stayed the same.
But how did this guy suddenly turn into such a handsome man?
Could it be a case of someone with the same name?
Though surprised internally, Shunsuke maintained his composure and bowed slightly. "Hello, I'm Shunsuke Fujii."
"I'm Mashiro Shiina," Mashiro said with a serious expression, bowing deeply.
"Fujii-kun, right? Ashirogi Muto—no, Takagi-kun told me about you," Akira Hattori began, his tone serious. "But let me be frank from the start. Drawing manga isn't as easy as you might think. This industry is brutal. If you're just trying it out because you think you have talent, I suggest you go back home. Waiting until you're in university to give it a shot isn't a bad idea either."
Right from the start, Akira Hattori threw cold water on their aspirations.
"And Shiina-san, I didn't expect you to be so young. You're a student too, right? For a student, working on manga is going to be incredibly tough."
Shunsuke had expected this response. Even for Mashiro Moritaka and Takagi Akito, who had repeatedly proven themselves, Akira Hattori had always been reluctant to support their debut in high school.
It was no surprise he'd react the same way to someone unknown like Shunsuke.
However, Shunsuke knew exactly how to change his mind.
With a calm expression, Shunsuke took out the manuscript for Nisekoi and handed it over with both hands. "This is a manga Mashiro and I collaborated on. Editor Hattori, shouldn't you take a look first?"
Seeing Shunsuke's confident expression, Akira hesitated, then took the manuscript and began flipping through it. "Just so you know, I won't hold back. If it's no good, I'll—"
Before he could finish, he froze.
—This… how could this possibly be a rookie's work!?
The very first page of the manuscript showcased a large, detailed character design sheet. It was so refined it resembled a piece of art.
The main heroine, a spirited blonde ojou-sama, and the second female lead, a gentle black-haired Yamato Nadeshiko, were so vividly depicted that their personalities and roles were clear without even reading the story.
This level of artistic skill… it was extraordinary.
Seeing Hattori stunned, Shunsuke smirked inwardly.
Mashiro was a modern oil painting master capable of conveying profound emotions and scenes through her work.
Now that she was drawing manga, her sense of aesthetics and expressiveness would undoubtedly crush the competition.
Akira snapped out of his daze and began flipping through the manuscript quickly. After finishing it once, he immediately went back for another read.
—Originally, I wanted to point out some flaws and areas for improvement. That's my job as an editor, after all. But… but…
As he read the manuscript for the third time, Akira's disbelief grew.
—This is their first submission, but both the artwork and the narrative—the characters, dialogues, panel composition, and pacing—are already at a professional level. It's hard to find any real shortcomings. The level of completion here is something most serialized artists only achieve after years of work. And yet, this is their first draft?
If this is truly their original work, then there's no doubt about it—these two are geniuses.
Not just any geniuses, either.
They're on the same level as Eiji Niizuma!
Akira felt as if he'd struck gold.
Still, as an editor, it would be irresponsible to approve the manga as it was without a deeper understanding of the creators and their process.
Clearing his throat, he addressed them seriously.
"Fujii-sensei, Shiina-sensei, your work is of extremely high quality. However, it's not without its challenges. Shiina-sensei, your art style is incredibly intricate and artistic, which is rare among manga artists. But because of that, it raises concerns about deadlines. Shiina-sensei, you're a student, right? With this level of detail in your work, can you realistically meet the deadlines for a serialized manga?"
"I can."
Mashiro's reply was earnest and serious, but Akira couldn't tell. To him, it seemed like the young girl was putting on a brave front, which made him a bit worried.
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