Cartoonists and their assistants

Eriri isn't entirely against this argument.

"In short, Yuriko Tsukishita's debut work can be said to have lived up to expectations!"

Chie Takasago gave a summary, clenching her right fist in a gesture of righteousness.

"I think both of them have the potential to become famous comic artists!"

After receiving her evaluation, the two stayed in the bookstore for a while, secretly observing the readers' behavior.

Most of them had no intention of trying out the book; they bought it and left, just like the original loyal readers of Monthly Shonen Gangan, who didn't care about online marketing promotions.

Only a small percentage of people choose to buy something after glancing at it twice and finding it acceptable.

This made the two realize that there might not be that many people chasing trends; it's still the quality of the comic itself that attracts people.

Soon, they said goodbye to Chie Takasago and returned to the studio.

"Look at this."

On the way, Mizuki Machi took out her phone to check online comments.

Compared to their obscurity in real life, the level of discussion they generate online is completely different.

Many people left comments or discussed the story on forums after reading "Anohana".

"After reading it, I'm full of questions. Is this a comic that a middle school student could draw? Don't lie to me, I'm educated."

"To be honest, it's just so-so, probably because I'm not a fan of this genre."

"Really? I just noticed that it says the author is only twelve years old. Is this the legendary genius?!"

"Even without considering whether the age was falsified, for a newcomer, this level of quality is quite remarkable."

"To be honest, I really don't believe that such detailed emotional descriptions could be written by a junior high school student."

"Today I have a new wife, Menma!"

Menma is so cute!

Eriri looked at these comments, sometimes frowning, sometimes happy.

Because most people gave positive reviews, only a small number expressed indifference, and very few people directly expressed dislike.

Of course, most of the attention was focused on the age issue, which is definitely a hot topic.

This forced Monthly Shonen Gangan to step forward and make a guarantee under pressure from everyone, and further revealed:

"Tsukika Yuriko" is a boy and girl, a middle school duo.

From then on, everyone jokingly referred to them as a "match made in heaven".

Attention from 28 Cartoonists

Yuriko Koishita quickly rose to fame with the anime "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day," sparking considerable online discussion and even attracting attention from some outside the entertainment industry.

For those in the industry, especially the manga artists of Monthly Shonen Gangan, it's natural that they would also turn their attention to this pair of genius manga artists who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Tsukimi Sakamaki, whose real name is Kurusu Kanata, is an adult, but looks like a junior high school student. She is a petite and lively woman.

He debuted two years ago when he was a sophomore in college through a newcomer award and was assigned to editor Minamoto Matsubara. During the serialization, his popularity ranking once reached the top five. Judging from his age and achievements, he is also an excellent manga artist.

She paid close attention to this pairing.

"12 years old... does that mean you're the same age as Kanako?"

"Teacher Yuexia is really amazing. She's an unreasonable genius who can create such a work."

"Kanako is still a child, and an idiot at that."

After finishing reading the first chapter of "Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day," Kanata Kurusu compared her to her younger sister, who is the same age, and couldn't help but marvel at the diversity of the human species.

She turned her head and glanced at the unfinished NAME on the table. Her smile deepened, and her eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke in a gentle tone.

"I have a strong feeling that you will be my biggest rival from now on, so let's work hard together."

......

A long-haired woman wearing a small hat and glasses walked into a bookstore.

She spotted the Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine prominently displayed and walked over to it.

"Would you like to buy this magazine, sir?"

The shop assistant came over and asked politely.

What the shop assistant didn't know was that the woman in front of her was named Kazuka Konno, which was also the name of the magazine she was holding.

"Ah."

"Could it be that the guest has also heard the rumor of the 'youngest cartoonist in history'?"

"more or less."

The girl with glasses smiled slightly, adjusted her round glasses, and sighed inwardly.

Once upon a time, she debuted in high school and was also given a similar title.

She became very interested in the thought that these two young people who had just debuted might be like herself.

"Wow, that's amazing. I couldn't have done that at twelve years old... No, I don't think I can create this type of work now either."

Konno Kazuka first praised him, then gave an awkward smile.

Her representative work, "Adventure World," is mainly sold through its fantasy world and rich battles. While this kind of slice-of-life healing comic is a type she likes, it is not a type she is good at.

"The future looks promising, Ms. Yuexia. I look forward to meeting you all."

.......

Takeshi Tomiyasu is a senior editor whose main source of comic book artist is his younger brother, Usagi Mito Meisei, who is currently the magazine's No. 2 most popular artist.

That day, he was complaining to his younger brother about something.

"Little brother, have you seen the latest issue of Monthly Shonen Gangan? Tsukishita-sensei is amazing, isn't she? Sigh, I could have easily taken her in. I should have known better than to let Minano-san have her. I thought she was just a kid causing trouble..."

"It's just an ordinary work, nothing special. The only thing is that I'm young, but that doesn't mean I'll reach great heights in the future. No matter how many roles I play, none can compare to mine."

"I am the Holy Saint!" Rabbit Beauty replied proudly.

"Don't underestimate him. If Teacher Yuexia surpasses you in the rankings, don't blame me for not warning you."

"Hmph! How could that be! I will never lose to anyone except that woman!"

Fu Dugang hung up the phone and shook his head helplessly.

"His personality is still so arrogant. If he continues like this, he will never have any friends... Sigh, I hope that in the future, Mizuki-kun will be able to properly curb his arrogance and make him realize his mistakes."

As such, the manga artists in Monthly Shonen Gangan all cared a great deal about this "Yuriko under the Moon," each holding different attitudes.

For example, those at the bottom of the rankings worry about being overtaken and falling into a dangerous position. Those in the middle are starting to compete. Only those at the top are still either admiring or ignoring the newcomer. While they acknowledge the newcomer's potential, they don't believe that the newcomer's current abilities pose a threat to them.

......

Mizuki Machi and Eriri were unaware that many people already considered them rivals.

However, even if you know, you won't feel any pressure.

Because the boy didn't really care, while the girl was in a period of high self-confidence and had the ambition to compete for No. 1.

A Sunday a week later.

Eriri has gradually become accustomed to working at the secret base.

As the original creator, Machi Mizuki was also forced to participate and remain on standby.

Fortunately, he had the foresight to prepare a bunch of game consoles at his secret base to help pass the time.

"Ding dong."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"Someone is coming at this hour?"

He opened the door with a puzzled look in his eyes.

"yahoo~"

The adorable Ms. Minano waved a peace sign at him.

If someone didn't know better, they would really think he was just a little kid doing this.

Mizuki Maki inwardly grumbled, but outwardly remained nonchalant, asking, "Ms. Minano, what is it?"

"I'm here to urge you on the NAME for episode 3."

Minamoto answered while changing into indoor shoes.

"Hey, so early? Isn't there still three weeks?"

Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Just kidding, I came to see you for something else."

Minamoto said in that calm tone.

"Ms. Minano is quite the joker."

His lips twitched, and he made a mental note of it.

Come to the office.

Eriri stopped what she was doing and joined him in serving the guests.

"You should know that the magazine conducts a popularity survey for readers every issue. If a magazine ranks last for a series of issues, it may face cancellation. So you could say that the ranking in the popularity survey is very important."

Minamoto and the other two sat down before speaking.

The two of them were already aware of this matter.

It's not easy for comic artists to have long-term serializations, and even if they do have a successful serialization, it doesn't mean they can rest easy, as there is a mechanism for elimination.

Otherwise, so many people wouldn't call drawing comics gambling.

"So, when will the popularity poll results be released?"

Eriri's expression turned serious.

It was only then that she truly understood that neither the readers' reactions nor the level of online discussion could explain anything; what truly determined whether the two could continue their relationship was the presence of the real readers who participated in the survey.

29 Popularity Survey

"About two weeks after the release date, a thousand questionnaires will be randomly selected from the huge questionnaires, and then the popularity ranking of all readers will be calculated... It is worth mentioning that there will also be statistics on the age of the voters and the male-female ratio, which allows us to see directly the audience that likes the work, and it is also helpful for the author to adjust his own creation."

As she spoke, Minamoto raised her slender index finger.

"The order of popularity rankings also affects the reading order in the magazine, right?"

"It's something I just thought about," Kanzuki Machi suddenly realized.

"That's right, unless it's a new series, you can't enjoy the same treatment as us."

"That's what the editor replied."

The two listened thoughtfully.

"So, do you want me to tell you the popularity poll rankings from now on? Or should you just check them yourselves when the new issue is released?"

All of them were tempting with their words.

"So there are people who don't want to know in advance? They don't even read the new issue?"

Eriri understood the meaning behind it and asked, puzzled.

"Of course, for example, some people say 'Tell me when you get first place,' or 'Tell me when I'm not first place.'"

The girl was quite shocked by what she heard.

I can't believe there are people this arrogant!