Master of the Machete Style Manga

Is Chapter 145 also part of Play?

Ken Sakamoto had just picked up his phone when he saw several messages.

The first message came from Natsume Mio, showing seven messages, but he didn't click on them to avoid the message being marked as "read".

Next came three messages from Keiko Kaji.

Ken Sakamoto clicked into Keiko Kaji's chat interface.

Kaji Keiko: "Sakamoto-sensei, are you going back to the studio at noon? Mio came over and brought you a bento."

Keiko Kaji: "Sakamoto-sensei and Mitsuki Haru-sensei are also at the studio."

Keiko Kaji: "They went out together, but I don't know exactly where they went."

Based on the three messages sent by Keiko Kaji, Ken Sakamoto could roughly guess what Mio had sent him.

There was a certain time interval between these three messages, indicating that Editor Jia Zhi would report back to him after seeing something in the studio.

What a responsible and good editor.

Ken Sakamoto quickly typed back: "Kachi-san, are they still at the studio?"

The other party replied almost instantly: "Sakamoto-sensei, you finally replied!"

Keiko Kaji: "They're all gone. They went out and haven't come back yet."

Ken Sakamoto: "Thank you, editor/OK"

Ken Sakamoto glanced at Ai Hoshihara, who was putting on her shoes, and picked up his phone to continue sending messages: "I'll be coming back later, but please don't tell the editor. If they ask, just say I'm not back yet."

Keiko Kaji: "Understood~"

Ai Hoshihara had already put on her shoes and was walking towards Ken Sakamoto. Ken Sakamoto skillfully swiped his finger to hide his LINE chat with Keiko Kaji and Mio Natsume, and then quickly switched to the JUMP+ app.

"What are you looking at?" Ai Hoshino asked, leaning closer.

Ken Sakamoto openly showed the screen to Ai Hoshihara: "Look at the manga data."

"How's the data?" Hoshino asked.

“Very good,” Ken Sakamoto said. “I am a popular manga artist now, and I will become a super popular manga artist in the future.”

"Can I make a lot of money?"

"It's only been published recently, but financial freedom in the future is not a problem," Ken Sakamoto said.

“I remember the timeline when you drew the manga ‘Young Lady,’ and the royalties were quite generous,” Ai Hoshihara said.

"Ha...that manga..." Sakamoto Ken's expression stiffened slightly as he said, "You remember it very clearly?"

It's impossible for the royalties to be substantial; in reality, the serialization is on the verge of being canceled, and the royalties are barely enough to make ends meet.

But if we include the money donated by a wealthy young lady reader, the royalties are indeed quite substantial...

But what will be the price?

Ai Hoshihara shook her head and said, "I didn't really like the manga you drew back then."

Ken Sakamoto didn't continue the topic. Instead, he said, "They all went to my studio this morning. They should still be here now. If you go there right now, you'll be able to see them."

"What are you all doing gathered in your studio?" Ai Hoshihara asked. "Just work-related stuff?"

"They're the ones who wanted to come and disturb my creative process," Ken Sakamoto said, shrugging. "My assistant and editor are in the studio, so it's not very convenient for me to do anything."

Hoshino Ai didn't say anything more and walked straight towards the door: "Let's go."

Ken Sakamoto followed and added, "It's a deal, I'm just showing you around. Don't let them know about our relationship. You know, last week I was killed by you guys as a scumbag. I don't want my life to be in danger this time."

“You’re not ‘being treated’, you are,” Ai Hoshihara said. “Anyway, I won’t use a knife.”

There are still two knives...

Let alone two knives, even one knife can kill someone.

After being stabbed last time, he was reborn. If he were stabbed again, Kenjiro Sakamoto might not know if there would be a third playthrough, or maybe he would really be reborn.

Ken Sakamoto sat in Ai Hoshihara's car and gave her directions.

Soon, we arrived at the residential road where the studio was located.

The car moved slowly through the narrow alleyway. Ken Sakamoto looked out the window at the street and pondered in his mind.

He turned his head to look at Ai Hoshino, who was focused on driving beside him. She held the steering wheel with both hands and looked calm.

“Love,” Ken Sakamoto said. “They’re different from you. You’ll have to help me later.”

"Hmm?" Ai Hoshihara said, "How is it different?"

“You’re more mature,” Sakamoto Ken said. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to control the situation, especially when the two of them are together.”

"Do you mean drawing a knife?"

"It's not that bad..." Hoshino Ai chuckled and said, "Aren't you a little brother too?"

"It's not small."

I mean age.

“You’re still the older one,” Sakamoto Ken said.

Hoshino Ai said, "What, are you more mature than them?"

Ken Sakamoto didn't refute. He leaned back in his chair and said quietly, "That's how it is for people who have been stabbed. You haven't been stabbed, so you don't understand."

Ai Hoshino turned her head and looked at him seriously.

Sunlight streamed in obliquely through the car window, illuminating half of his face, and his eyes indeed held a sense of vicissitude that belied his age…

She felt that Ken Sakamoto was talking nonsense, but it also contained a kind of twisted logic that was hard to refute.

"Alright then." Hoshinohara Ai looked ahead again, seemingly accepting this explanation. "So, tell me, what do you want me to do next?"

“You wanted to meet them, didn’t you?” Ken Sakamoto said. “When we get to the studio, just say that you are a reader I met by chance, and that you are very interested in manga. I’ll take you on a tour of the studio since it’s on my way.”

Why make up such a reason?

“There are other people in the studio,” Ken Sakamoto explained. “Three assistants and an editor are here. Let’s not let them know about our relationship.”

"Our relationship?" Hoshino Ai repeated the question with a playful tone, "What kind of relationship do we have?"

"..."

Ken Sakamoto decided not to engage in the conversation.

“Okay, I’ll do as you say.” Ai Hoshihara didn’t mind at all and readily agreed.

Ken Sakamoto picked up his phone again, opened his chat with Keiko Kaji, and typed quickly.

Ken Sakamoto: "Kaji-san, have they returned?"

Keiko Kaji: "No, just now Ms. Mitsuki sent me a message asking about you. I told her you weren't back, but Mio-chan hasn't contacted me."

Ken Sakamoto: "I'll be back at the studio soon."

Keiko Kaji: "Okay, Sakamoto-sensei~"

Ken Sakamoto put away his phone, looked up at the road ahead, and turned to Ai Hoshihara, saying, "Turn right ahead, there's a small parking lot."

Ai Hoshino's car isn't very big, and it's quite agile when turning in narrow alleys.

She did as instructed, turning the steering wheel and the car onto a familiar side road. Sakamoto Ken's gaze immediately fell on the parking lot.

Good, Haruna's car isn't here.

Ai Hoshino parked the car and turned off the engine.

The two unbuckled their seatbelts, and Ken Sakamoto got out of the car first, followed by Ai Hoshihara.

Ken Sakamoto led Ai Hoshihara into the alley and pointed to the brand-new detached house in front of them.

"That's the house, my studio."

Ai Hoshino looked around the three-story building and nodded: "It looks pretty good."

Following Sakamoto to the gym, she asked softly, "Am I going to start playing the role of your fan now?"

“That’s right, fan-san.” Sakamoto Ken nodded.

"Tsk..." Ai Hoshino clicked her tongue and said, "This isn't part of your play, is it?"

"Play?"

“Yes,” Ai Hoshihara said, “Do you want to play a fan-fucking game?”

Kenjiro Sakamoto initially denied it righteously: "That's not true."

Then, after a pause, he added, "But 'fucking fans' games sound pretty good."

Ai Hoshino snorted and said, "If it were the timeline where you drew 'Young Lady,' I wouldn't be a fan of yours. That manga was too boring. But now..."

Ai Hoshihara continued, "I quite like 'Looking Back', so I guess I can be considered your fan."

"Thank you for your support," Ken Sakamoto replied earnestly.

"Just a verbal thank you?" Ai Hoshihara asked.

"I'll try a different way to thank you next time."

After Sakamoto Ken finished speaking, he pressed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner on the door lock, and with a "click," the door opened.

(End of this chapter)