[71] Working Adults

Chapter 71: Working Adults

Shunsuke naturally understood what Hattori was worried about, so he explained, "Mashiro is a bona fide genius. She can finish illustrations like these very quickly. These three chapters took her just a week to complete."

In reality, it had only taken her three days, but that sounded far too outrageous, so Shunsuke decided to double the timeframe.

Hattori didn't say much, but his skeptical expression spoke volumes.

One person, with no assistants, finishing three chapters in a week?

Even seasoned authors with years of experience in serialization rarely achieved that!

On top of that, Mashiro's art was incredibly detailed and artistic. Hattori figured such work would require even more time.

Finishing such polished illustrations in just two days per chapter? It was absurd. What did they take him for—a clueless editor who didn't understand art?

Seeing Hattori's doubts, Shunsuke pointed at his phone. "Editor Hattori, you might want to search the name Shiina Mashiro online."

Hattori didn't quite understand Shunsuke's implication. Half-believing, he opened Google and typed in "Shiina Mashiro," mumbling, "Shouldn't I narrow it down with more keywords? Even if Shiina-sensei has drawn manga before, it's not like—"

The next moment, he fell silent. His eyes widened as he continuously scrolled through the search results on his phone.

Clap!

Hattori suddenly set his phone down and extended his right hand with a serious expression. "Shiina-sensei, it would be an honor for Weekly Shonen Jump to work with you."

Mashiro stared at him blankly, not moving a muscle. Hattori awkwardly withdrew his hand, clearly embarrassed.

—As expected of a seasoned professional. That change in demeanor was lightning fast.

Shunsuke reflected for a moment and then asked directly, "So, can Nisekoi be serialized?"

"Well..." Hattori looked down at the manuscript before glancing back at Shunsuke. "We're all clear about Shiina-sensei's capabilities. But Fujii-sensei, can you handle the pressure of serialization? To be honest, I'm quite concerned. If the NAME isn't done well and it tarnishes Shiina-sensei's reputation, the magazine will face tremendous pressure. It could even lead to public backlash. Shiina-sensei's talent is just that influential."

Hattori's comment drew parallels to the case of Touma Kazusa, who was recognized by an international arts festival and awarded second place.

She became a sensation, with even trivial details like her favorite foods becoming hot topics.

This led to trending topics on Twitter and eventually prompted Touma herself to rant about the absurdity of citizens being so obsessed, lamenting their lack of cultural confidence.

Mashiro's current achievements were on a similar level. What she lacked was exposure.

After all, oil painting was even more niche and elitist than piano.

If not for this, she wouldn't still be leading a relatively peaceful school life.

However, there are no secrets that remain forever hidden.

If the public were to learn that this fan's pride in visual art had her manga series abruptly canceled, it would undoubtedly cause an uproar. At the very least, the magazine would be saddled with the label of poor judgment.

Shunsuke responded with just one line: "Editor Hattori, you might also want to look up Fujii, the light novel author."

Hattori took a serious look at Fujii-sensei's average sales per volume and his update speed. It didn't take long for his attitude to undergo another 180-degree shift.

"Fujii-sensei, Shiina-sensei, it's a pleasure to work with you. Here's my business card. Ah, should we add each other on LINE now? It'll make future communication easier."

Shunsuke pulled out his phone and exchanged contact details. "So, we're approved? No need to participate in the Gold Future Cup anymore?"

Hattori nodded. "Yes, I'll submit this manga to the team leader right away, and it'll be discussed at this issue's serialization meeting. Considering the strength of both you and Shiina-sensei, there's a high chance it'll get approved."

"As for the Gold Future Cup, to be honest, if we let you two participate, it'd be too unfair. It'd completely crush the confidence of the other contestants."

"That's a relief. If I ended up taking the serialization spot away from Takagi and the others, I'd feel terrible about it."

Shunsuke let out a sigh of relief, pulling out the manuscript for Death Note with one hand.

As for the other hand, it was tightly gripped by Mashiro, ever since she heard they could participate in the serialization meeting.

"To be honest, I have high hopes for the Ashirogi Muto duo. They already have the skills for serialization, but since they're still high school students, I…" Hattori paused mid-sentence, his brain momentarily freezing when he saw Shunsuke handing him another manuscript. "Fujii-sensei, this is…?"

"Oh, this is a manga I drew myself. Editor Hattori, could you take a look and see if it can also be submitted to this issue's serialization meeting?"

Hattori numbly took the manuscript.

So it wasn't just the duo that could rival Eiji Niizuma—both of them individually were geniuses on that level?

Stunned by the stroke of luck falling into his lap, Hattori collected himself and began flipping through the pages.

Just like when reading Mashiro's Nisekoi, the first thing that caught his attention was the exquisite artwork, almost too polished to belong in a manga. However, this time, the style felt a little different.

Using his "Star Platinum" ability, Shunsuke also created highly refined illustrations, but the refinement and polish diverged drastically from Mashiro's style.

Mashiro's art conveyed beauty at first glance—delicate and refined like a work of art.

Shunsuke's art, however, felt like the extravagant display of a nouveau riche, an overwhelming layering of details.

While both styles exuded beauty, they moved in completely different directions.

From an artistic perspective, Mashiro's work unquestionably surpassed Shunsuke's. However, this was manga, and for that, the two were evenly matched. What mattered most was the story—Shunsuke's forte.

Hattori already had a preference forming in his mind, but after finishing the manuscript, he hesitated and said, "Fujii-sensei, this… this feels like a 'dark path' manga, doesn't it?"

"It is. Is that a problem? Takagi's work is also leaning toward the dark path, isn't it?"

"Uh, it's not exactly a problem. Fujii-sensei, your manga has a much higher level of completion compared to Ashirogi Muto's. It feels like I'm seeing what they might achieve years down the line."

Hearing this, Shunsuke nodded silently. It seemed Hattori's eye for talent was as sharp as ever.

"But with this kind of theme and storyline—where the protagonist decisively kills so many people in the first chapter, and with the things he says… have you considered submitting it to Young Jump, a seinen magazine?"

Shunsuke's eyes widened in disbelief. "There's no excessive gore or nudity in my story. Why can't it be submitted to Weekly Shonen Jump?"

Thinking about Chainsaw Man, Shunsuke felt indignant. Its first chapter was far more explosive than his!

Oh, right, but that was ten years later when Shonen Jump had no major flagship series. And wasn't Death Note serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump in the first place?

Hattori wiped the sweat off his forehead. "But—"

"Editor Hattori, do you think my manga is interesting?"

That one sentence hit Hattori's weak spot.

Publishing the most interesting manga—that was the belief that Weekly Shonen Jump editors had upheld for decades.

It was this conviction that made the magazine rise to become most popular manga publication.

And as for whether Death Note was interesting…

Was that even a question?

Hattori was already impatient to read the next chapter.

This manga was way too captivating!

"However, I still can't let it enter this issue's serialization meeting."

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