Cartoonists and their assistants

She sighed again.

"Ms. Konno, are you here to play a trick on me?"

"I know it all," said Kanzuki Masashi, his eyes sharp.

"We've been discovered..."

Kazuka Konno made a cute little face, then emphasized it seriously.

"However, I genuinely like your work... I hope that 'Yuriko Under the Moon' will bring me more surprises in the future."

Thank you for your high regard.

Kanzuki Masashi responded calmly.

"Konno-sensei, just you wait! We'll surpass you someday!"

Eriri, who was secretly embarrassed and annoyed, had already come to her senses and her attitude changed drastically in an instant.

"That's something to look forward to."

Konno Kazuka stared directly at the girl without wavering, his eyes revealing the mindset of a seasoned veteran.

"Konno, I'm so glad to see you again!"

Suddenly, a roar was heard, accompanied by hurried footsteps.

As everyone looked over, a young man with slanted eyes and a fierce-looking gaze ran over, accompanied by the editor from Fudu whom they had met before.

"Oh, it's you, second place."

Konno Kazuka's attitude toward the visitor suddenly turned much colder.

This sentence revealed the other person's identity to everyone else present: Usagi Mito Meisei, the second most popular manga artist on GANGAN.

44 Nobody remembers the second-place finisher unless they stay in second place the whole time.

"what are you saying!"

Rabbit Beauty Saint was completely enraged by those words.

No one remembers the second-place finisher unless he stays in second place the whole time.

Kazuka Konno, who can say things like "Tell me when I'm no longer number one," clearly doesn't care much about popularity rankings, unless someone surpasses her. For example, the only time she lost in the last year or two was with Yuriko Tsukishita's "Anohana."

Despite various factors, a loss is a loss, which is why Kazuka Konno has a deep impression of the duo.

As for the second-place finisher, if he hadn't consistently maintained his second-place ranking and might have been mentioned by the editors, he probably wouldn't have left much of an impression.

"You wretched woman, how dare you disrespect me? You're only riding on my head for now. Sooner or later, I'll trample you under my feet and teach you a lesson!"

He clenched his fists in front of his chest, his forehead veins bulging as he rambled on.

This rude behavior caused many people present to frown.

"It's so noisy. You're the one who needs to face reality. If you want to spout nonsense in front of me, at least be number one in popularity once."

As he spoke, Kazuka Konno yawned.

"Ha~ The appearance of this idiot has made me feel tired. I'll find a place to rest for a while. Teacher Yuexia, it's great to meet you all today. If we have time later, I hope we can chat privately... Let's exchange contact information one last time."

"Oh I see."

Eriri also took out her phone and exchanged email addresses with the other person.

Goodbye, everyone.

Konno Kazuka waved and turned to leave.

Her assistant and agent bowed to the two of them and then left.

"Hey, you bastard, are you even listening to me?! How dare you ignore me, you scoundrel!"

Tu Mei was so angry she was about to explode. If her brother and editor Fu had been there to stop her, she would definitely have chased after him and demanded an explanation.

"Wait, you two are 'Tsukika Yuriko'?"

It was only then that he noticed this side.

"So what."

"What's the matter with you?"

Having witnessed the other person's behavior just now, the childhood sweetheart's response was much colder.

Eriri used to really like the other person's work, "JOD," which had a dark version of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. But now that she's met the author in person, her mood has suddenly soured.

While it's not good to link the author's feelings to their love or hate for the work itself, sometimes these external factors are indeed unavoidable.

"I never imagined that two little kids could become cartoonists. Gangan has really gone astray!"

Umeto Misaki first criticized the magazine, then offered a sharp critique of the two individuals.

"I've seen your work, and it's utterly meaningless. The essence of comics is to express passion! Only then will you have the right to challenge me!"

"That's definitely the kind of insight only the second-place winner would have. There's still a gap between them and the first-place winner."

Eriri is a childish person by nature and is often provoked. At this moment, she doesn't need to pretend in front of outsiders, so she starts to criticize and sarcastically retort.

Mizuki Machi watched from the sidelines, amused.

It's quite interesting to see a girl breathe on someone she dislikes.

"Second place again..."

This keyword struck a nerve with Tu Meidu Mingsheng, instantly enraging him.

"With your...?"

"Courage!"

Just as he was about to fly into a rage, Fu Dugangjian, standing beside him, turned stern and called out his younger brother's real name.

The anger in Rabbit Beauty's heart was instantly extinguished.

"Hmph, I'll let you go this time!"

Turning his head, Takeshi Futo apologized to the duo.

"I'm sorry, that's just his personality, which is why he doesn't have any friends. But you two teachers don't need to take it to heart. Although he has a sharp tongue, he doesn't mean any harm."

The childhood sweetheart didn't say much about it.

After the other person left, Mizuki Machi glanced sideways at Eriri.

"What are you looking at me for?"

The girl was confused.

"Wait, you're not trying to say that my personality is similar to that guy's, are you?!"

"I do not have."

"Your eyes definitely have it!"

"Actually, there are still differences. For example, you will still pretend at school."

"Damn it! Take this!"

"With your weak little fists? If you want to give me a massage, just say so."

Beside them, Minamoto silently watched the two laughing and joking, a faint smile on his face that seemed to indicate he was smitten.

......

"This year's New Year's party will be hosted by myself, Masakazu Eguchi, the editor-in-chief of Monthly Shonen Gangan..."

A few minutes later, in front of everyone, Eguchi took the microphone and gave a speech.

After a round of enthusiastic applause and a speech,

"Next, please welcome Chairman Minano to give a speech."

This surname instantly caught the attention of the childhood sweethearts, who secretly turned their gazes to the editor.

“That’s right, that’s my father.”

Minamoto Matsumura noticed their gazes and stated it directly.

This answer was within their expectations, so they weren't too surprised.

"...Let's officially begin today's banquet!"

After Chairman Minano finished his speech, Eguchi continued to preside over the meeting.

The dining tables in the hall were already laden with delicious dishes.

Those present finally couldn't resist and began to enjoy it.

At this time, the hall was also subtly divided into several smaller areas based on the popularity of the cartoonists.

"Tsukishima-sensei, could you please sign your autograph? My daughter is a fan of yours, and she recently asked me to order Menma's clothes."

At this moment, other employees from the company also gathered around.

The two felt awkward refusing and readily agreed.

"You guys, don't cause too much trouble for others."

"They're still children."

Just when they were about to get stuck in the mire again, Editor Eguchi and Chairman Mina walked over.

"I understand!"

The others stepped aside.

"What an energetic young man! I never expected there to be such a young comic artist. It seems that our Gangan finally has a future."

Chairman Mino looked at the two of them and couldn't help but praise them.

"Hello, Mr. Minano."

"Thank you for the compliment."

The two responded politely.

"Speaking of which, it's surprising that someone like Ms. Sawamura would want to do such a tiring job... It really reminds me of my lovely daughter."

As Chairman Minamoto spoke, his gaze inadvertently drifted to the side.

"If you like something enough, nothing else matters."

Minamoto Matsumura replied calmly.

Chairman Mino paused for a moment, then sighed helplessly and said, "Then it's up to you. It's always better to be happy."

After saying that, he turned and left.

There was a moment of silence.

The annual meeting had several stages, but for the two who were still middle school students, the rest was still too exciting.

So, the editor casually turned around and said, "It's time to go back."

The two exchanged a glance but said nothing more.

45 Moon Viewing Sato Wish Dance

However, just as they were walking out the door, a petite woman with a very young appearance, who looked like a junior high school student, also came out.

"Finally, I've found an opportunity to strike up a conversation. Hello, Mizuki-sensei and Sawamura-sensei."

She has a pair of playful big eyes, and her voice is as cute and gentle as an anime heroine. With her hands behind her back, her behavior seems as innocent as her appearance.

"Are you perhaps a fan of ours? If you'd like an autograph, I can give you one."

Eriri treated the other person like a child who had come to the meeting with an adult, and gave him a friendly smile.

"You've learned your lesson, Eriri, but you still haven't learned to recognize people."

The voice of the childhood sweetheart drifted softly from the side.

"Huh? Did I make a mistake again?! It was clearly..."