It's not that Higashinoji couldn't see that Hosokawa Koharu was a little reluctant to let him try.

But even though he saw it, Tonoji had no intention of changing his mind.

After all, "The Lonely Gourmet" can indeed be painted.

So in the end he smiled and agreed to Hosokawa Koharu's request to submit the manuscript within a month, and then turned around and left.

Hosokawa Koharu looked at Higashinoji turning away, and then glanced at the manuscript of the second episode of "Midnight Bell" in his hand, thinking about what Higashinoji said... he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

Mr. Higashino not only has to complete the submission task of "Midnight Bell", but he also has to draw food comics.

This is how to do ah?

"What's wrong? Editor Hosokawa? How is Mr. Higashino doing?"

Just when she was sighing secretly and having a headache, the voice of Editor-in-Chief Urashima came from next to her.

He still looked very confident, and before Hosokawa Koharu could answer, he had an expression of "I've already guessed it":

"Did Mr. Higashino discover the difficulty of creating alone, so he started asking you for help? Right? I am indeed right, right?"

"..." Hosokawa Koharu.

How did Higashinoji find it difficult to create independently?! He completed the second chapter of "The Ring" without an assistant! He even had to draw one more comic strip.

But Editor-in-Chief Urashima didn't know yet, and he said earnestly: "For an author like Mr. Higashino, Editor Hosokawa, you have to guide him and let him understand that he still has to be down-to-earth, and he can't just grow wings and fly into the sky.

..."

"But Chief Editor Urashima... Mr. Higashino not only completed the second episode of "Midnight Bell" according to the quality, he even wanted to draw a second serial work in the monthly magazine..."

Hosokawa Koharu raised his hand and muttered something in a low voice, his face really full of confusion.

She didn't know how to evaluate Higashinoji's behavior. Anyway, she was very confused and doubtful about life.

On the other side, after hearing the words of Hosokawa Koharu, Editor-in-Chief Urashima, the eloquent conversation he had just had suddenly stopped in an instant, and was replaced by a face full of doubt and confusion:

"What...what...? It's wrong...it shouldn't be like this."

The two of them looked at each other, with only one thing on their minds.

Is it possible that there are really people in this world who are born with wings and don’t even have to keep their feet on the ground?

...

Of course Higashinoji didn't know what Hosokawa Koharu and Editor-in-Chief Urashima were thinking.

In fact, even if he knew about it, he would probably just smile happily and get over it.

It's not that he hasn't been down-to-earth, but he has worked hard to learn to draw in his previous life. If he still can't figure out how to draw comics...

Then he, a former professional painter, is too useless.

He said hello to Miss Uzaki downstairs. Just as he was about to leave Urashima Publishing House, he heard a familiar voice behind him thanking him repeatedly:

"Thank you, thank you very much. Then I will go to Mr. Fujimiya's house to help you tomorrow."

Dongye Si looked around and saw a middle-aged man thanking the male editor in front of him.

The other party's round face was semi-pale and his body was thin.

But even so, Higashinoji could see who the other party was at a glance.

Isn't this the teacher Tamura who was squeezed out by him?

It seems that he has found a job as an assistant, and his expression looks much more relaxed.

"Teacher Higashino?"

When Higashinoji was sizing him up, Tamura also obviously noticed Higashinoji. He said a few words to the editor next to him, and then strode to Higashinoji's side:

"Teacher Dongye, long time no see."

"Well, long time no see, Mr. Tamura."

The other party didn't have any malice, but was very enthusiastic. Naturally, Higashinoji didn't lag behind and said hello with a smile.

I haven't seen him for about a week.

"Teacher Higashino, congratulations on your "Midnight Ring" for getting the second best rating from readers. It's such a good work."

"This result is indeed good, I am indeed very satisfied." Higashino nodded with a smile.

This is his true opinion. The second best rating among readers is already very good. After all, Urashima Publishing House had already used all the promotional resources for "Between Dolls", and it only narrowly beat him by a dozen votes.

"Haha, Mr. Higashino should be here today to deliver the manuscript of "The Ring", right? I wonder if Mr. Higashino has eaten it? I know there is a good izakaya."

This is inviting myself to the dinner party...

Higashikata pondered for a while, then nodded in agreement.

After all, he had squeezed the other party's serialization position, otherwise Tamura would actually have a few more issues under observation. Reasonable and reasonable, Tonoji felt that he could not refuse his request.

"But I'm just sixteen and underage, so I can't drink. Please forgive me, Mr. Tamura."

When he arrived at the place and entered the izakaya, Higashinoji gave him a vaccination.

After all, this body is still in the development stage, and he doesn't want to ruin it by eating and drinking too much.

As for whether minors can enter an izakaya?

This is not a big problem. In reality, as long as you don't order alcoholic drinks, an izakaya restaurant is actually an ordinary restaurant, and the owner cannot kick out the customers just because of this kind of thing.

"Really?" Tamura was surprised. He thought that Higashino just looked young, but his actual age was probably in his twenties.

So when he heard that he was only sixteen years old, Tamura sighed a little:

"Teacher Higashino is really young and promising, but at such a young age, he created the rare work "The Ring"."

He drank a glass of wine, then ordered four skewers of yakitori and some grilled salmon rice balls, and started eating and drinking while chatting with Higashinoji.

Maybe most men are like this, they tend to get heads easily when they drink.

And when it comes to the head, it will vomit bitterness.

Higashinoji also learned about his current family situation from the depressed Tamura in front of him.

His wife divorced him last week and left Tokyo with other men.

Before leaving, his wife also took away several children.

Originally, Tamura tried his best to stop it and even tried his best to refuse to compromise.

But in the end, he compromised.

The reason is very practical.

He cannot feed his children.

Drinking, drinking, drinking...

Finally check out and go out.

"Higashino-san, in Tokyo, you only have everything if your wallet is bulging...otherwise, you really have nothing."

Drunk Tamura, smelling of alcohol, leaned against the still sober Higashinoji. He looked completely dejected, like a loser in life who had lost all his bones.

"But this is Tokyo. This is life. People, you decide how you live in this world."

Tamura looked at the bright Tokyo night view on the street and the crowds of people coming and going, and couldn't help but laugh.

While laughing, he cried again, with tears falling from his eyes in despair, and finally he shouted as if he collapsed:

"Why did I draw comics back then?! Why! Why! What! Draw such shitty comics?!"

Tamura roared emotionally.

Outside, there are the neon lights of Tokyo, which look lively and bustling.

But Tamura next to Higashinoji is just an outlier. There is no excitement or prosperity around him, only indescribable bitterness as he struggles with the tiredness of living in Tokyo.

After Tamura finished yelling, he leaned against the telephone pole and cried. While crying, he awkwardly tried to block his tears with his hands:

"I'm sorry, Teacher Dongye, I'm sorry... I, I didn't want to say these words. I just... I just have a really hard time living!"

Maybe he felt sorry for Higashinoji, or maybe he gave up on his previous dream of becoming a manga author.

He was crying, but as a man in his thirties, his crying did not attract anyone to watch.

Yes, no one paid attention to Tamura, and no one paid attention to Higashinoji.

Because in the eyes of these Tokyoites, there are too many drunk and crazy people - too many to count.

Higashino watched all this, but he did not comfort Tamura because he knew that poor comfort would only make people feel even more depressed.

So he could only watch all this, pat Tamura's shoulder from time to time, and raise his head from time to time to look at the surrounding scenery.

Tokyo is still as prosperous as ever, but it is incompatible with the decadent Tamura.

Those at the bottom of society mixed in the crowd, and those in the upper class who come and go...

The color contrast between them is so strong, as rich as the most ironic oil painting.

But this is Tokyo...
Chapter completed!