Great Mangaka

The confession was successful last night.

Mach was stunned for a long time before saying: "Congratulations."

"Can you keep reading the manga?" he asked. He pointed to Weekly Shōnen. Compared to Tomato's personal matters, Mach wanted to know more about Bakuman's subsequent development.

Tomato felt that Mach was a little strange, different from his impression. The current Mach conveyed tranquility. In the past, Mach should have argued with him.

"What's wrong with him? Isn't he in good shape today?"

With these doubts, Tomato sat down again and opened the manga.

Bakuman's plot progressed until Moritaka rejected Akito's invitation, and his reason was more than sufficient: being a mangaka is too risky. Only a few geniuses with true talent can become mangaka, and the rest are just players.

A mangaka is someone who can make a living drawing manga his whole life. But even if he serializes a series in a weekly magazine, readers will rank him every week. If he's not popular, the serialization will be cut short.

If a work sells well, or if several works sell well in a row, he can make a living for life. He is a mangaka. If he fails to sell that much, he's just a player. If he doesn't find another job, he might even starve to death.

Seeing Bakuman's lines, Tomato and Mach were stunned.

"So this is what a mangaka means?" Mach praised: "We usually define mangaka as people who draw manga, but Mirai-sensei makes more sense. Most of those who draw manga are players. With this awareness, Mirai-sensei must be full of fighting spirit. No wonder he has gotten to where he is now."

The content of the manga is written by mangaka. Therefore, Mach also considered Bakuman's lines as Mirai-sensei's words.

In any corner of Japan now. No one is as clear as Mirai-sensei that a mangaka is someone who can make a living drawing manga their whole life. This sentence will change thousands of people's opinions.

"Mirai-sensei is right. It turns out I'm just a player." Tomato smiled bitterly. He always felt untalented, and he still believes it. Japanese manga is developing rapidly, and he only relies on experience to get by. Perhaps it won't be long before young mangaka can replace him.

Tomato doesn't have the confidence to maintain long-term sales. His last proposal, on the Gundam theme, was not approved.

"I'm also a player,"

Mach said.

"How can you be a player?" Tomato retorted. 'Mach has exceptional drawing skills. He has always been a talented person. He has earned millions of yen, enough to support himself for life.'

"By the way, where is your car?" Tomato asked, suddenly feeling strange. It was still dark; 'why had Mach come alone? Doesn't he usually have a special car to pick him up?'

"Car? It's been gone for a while..." Mach shook his head and said: "It was assigned to me by the company, and now it's been returned."

When he was an idol mangaka, Tatsuryū Publishing even assigned him an exclusive agent, but because he did something foolish, his reputation was ruined, and his salary plummeted.

Mach wanted to change the subject: "By the way, what's your pseudonym now?"

"Tomato..." Tomato's pseudonym is very long, but other mangaka don't use the word "Tomato." Mach has been reading Weekly Shōnen lately.

Upon thinking of this pseudonym, his eyes widened. "You work as an assistant for Detective Conan?"

"Yes, I'm in charge of Detective Conan now. Mirai-sensei believes in me and gives me a lot of work." Tomato, a little embarrassed, said: "My old serialization wasn't good enough, and it's been canceled."

However, his face didn't show much loss. Detective Conan is a manga that can be serialized indefinitely, which is enough for him, a player, to make a living.

This aroused Mach's envy. Tomato had gone further than he had.

"Congratulations, your career and your love have found their destiny!" Mach asked: "When are you getting married?"

"In two months." Speaking of marriage, Tomato's expression was enthusiastic: "I don't want to wait any longer. I want to get a house near Mirai-sensei's. The company agreed to help, and we can get married in the new house in May!"

"I'll also send you an invitation when the time comes..."

After saying a few words, Tomato looked at Mach with a new gaze. And he found that he no longer felt that hatred towards Mach, perhaps because he was different, or perhaps because he was about to get married and his mind had broadened.

At that moment, Tomato was even a little grateful to him. 'If it weren't for him, Tomato wouldn't have ended up at Hinotori Publishing or met Mirai-sensei. If it weren't for Mirai-sensei, he wouldn't have had contact with Sakura.'

"I don't need an invitation; I'm leaving Osaka soon." However, Mach did not accept Tomato's invitation: "When I finish The Detective Sherlock, I'll go back to my hometown."

"Why go back to your hometown?" Tomato was a little surprised: "Aren't you going to be a mangaka?"

"No." Mach nodded. It was difficult for him to survive in the manga industry.

"Why don't you do it? Does Kanto Manga Company no longer want you?" Tomato asked bluntly. Although Mach was arrogant, he had been working in the manga industry for ten years. 'How could he give up so easily?'

If Mach wasn't interested in manga, he wouldn't have gone out early in the morning to buy Weekly Shōnen.

"I asked for it. Who made me frame Mirai-sensei?" Mach's gaze clouded over: "The editor-in-chief said I can leave after I finish writing The Detective Sherlock."

"..."

Tomato looked at Mach curiously. 'This person, indeed, reflected on himself. He seemed to have changed a lot.' He thought about it, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "How about you join Hinotori Publishing?"

Lately, Hinotori Publishing's business has grown rapidly. Whether it's animation, manga, or video games, they all lack talented artists. Tomato often sees Takumi worried about the selection problem. He thinks Mach can be convinced.

"Hinotori Publishing?" Mach, stunned, shook his head. "How could Mirai-sensei let me in...?".

"Why not?" Tomato smiled and said: "I think Mirai-sensei is very open-minded. You have the ability; he'll definitely accept you."

Now, Mach's behavior is not as childish as before. He is much more mature. Tomato can forgive him, and Takumi will undoubtedly open his mind.

"Mirai-sensei is a very good person. He takes good care of other mangaka. Without a doubt, it's fair for you to come to our company."

Tomato's enthusiasm moved Mach, but he was more surprised and bewildered.

"Why do you want to help me? Don't you hate me a lot? Was it because of me that you left Tatsuryū?"

"That's right... but..." Tomato thought for a moment, then smiled and said: "I used to think that being a mangaka was a lonely job, but after contacting Mirai-sensei, I discovered that it's better to have colleagues working together."

"I hope you'll join us and fight for the same dream."

Tomato held Weekly Shōnen in his hand and said: "In fact, I think Mirai-sensei's new manga might be a manga looking for companions."

"Companions?" Mach murmured. A ray of sunlight seemed to illuminate his heart.

Early in the morning, after the rain stopped, the sky brightened.

- - - - - -

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