Our beloved Bakuman is ending, but it will be forever in our hearts. ;_;
BTW, thanks for the reviews. XD
Chapter 12: Impressions and the History Agent
A little before Ichigo and Yume showed their oneshot to Aizawa, issue 13 of Shonen Jump was released. It had on the cover a young adult man wearing glasses, standing in front of a cylindrical machine. The text on the cover said "An outstanding adventure through time! New series 'History Agent' by the authors Isewa Makoto and Hiramaru Takuya."
"OHH! Hiramaru-sensei is on the cover! Takuya? Is his son a mangaka? VOOOISH, so cool!" Niizuma Eiji yelled in excitement when his editor gave him the new issue, after a meeting in the mangaka's apartment.
"We don't know a lot about him, but everybody is on a fuss about it. Isn't Aiko-sensei around?"
"Aiko-sensei went on a travel to promote her new book. I'm all by myself." Eiji replied briefly.
"Don't you feel lonely? Why don't you go visit your son?"
Eiji didn't answer for a while, beginning to read the magazine, after a few seconds, he replied: "I'd like to go visit Akira-chan… but I don't think he'd like it if I did so."
Akari Shinji was a young History teacher who lacked motivation There were two reasons for that: first of all, his students weren't actually well-behaved or studious. Second, Shinji had been always in his father's shadow, the great genius archeologist Akari Gen.
"This new manga is interesting, Saiko. It has a father/son conflict and the art is impressive!" Shuujin told Saiko at their studio, while the dark-haired man was drawing.
"It was time for a good rookie to show up, Jump can't survive just with old mangakas like us." Mashiro replied thoughtfully.
"Uhmm…"
"What?"
"There's a young woman following the main character… she kind of looks like my daughter."
Two minutes of silence.
"Let me see it." Mashiro asked; after he saw the image, Saiko commented: "There's a resemblance, but it may be just us imagining things. Who is the author?"
"I've only recognized one name: Hiramaru. Apparently it's Hiramaru-sensei's son."
"Who would imagine Hiramaru-sensei's son would draw this well? It must be Aoki-sensei's genes! Hey, Shuujin, has this Takuya-kun ever met Ichigo-chan?"
"I don't think so. Y-you can't be imagining that my daughter and Hiramaru-sensei's son…" Takagi shivered in shock.
"It's possible, but it could be just a coincidence or perhaps Akira-kun is the writer of this piece and made some wedding promise with Ichigo-chan."
Half of a minute of silence later, they both began to laugh.
"Akira-kun? Be serious, Saiko! That boy has hated manga since I can remember. Besides, he has just as much pride as his mother. He would never make a wedding promise with Ichigo-chan!"
"Ha ha ha, that's right, Shuujin! Our kids are way more focused on reality than we-" Suddenly, Saiko remembered something Yume had told him.
"I have this dream there isn't long… or maybe I had it for a long time but never realized. I can't tell you details yet, sorry. I was planning on hiding it from you until it became true. I'd move to an apartment with Ichigo and, while we studied for college, we would work in our dream too."
"What is it, Saiko? You got so serious suddenly."
"I just had a really crazy thought now… never mind it, it's better for us to go back to work!"
In a cafeteria, Shinji met the mysterious woman.
"I'm Arkana Luce, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Akari-sensei."
"Why the hell did you send me that letter? I already have a job, you know?"
"Are you really happy with your current job? Don't you want to achieve more in life? You can do great things."
"Don't give this stupid speech! I bet you're one of those people who are great at everything and never fails! I can't stand people like you!"
"Wow! Ichigo, the heroine is just like you!" Yume said, amazed. Takuya and the new assistant, Saotome Rumi, had gone to visit the girls right after they bought a magazine. Rumi wanted to be friends with the female mangakas and was warmly welcomed. Takuya wanted to hear their opinions, especially Yume's.
"So, isn't Niizuma coming too?" Ichigo questioned a little hurt. Doesn't he want to hear my opinion?
"Akira-san wanted to go on a walk. I think he's on the park nearby." Hiramaru informed. He was trembling in anticipation for Yume's opinion. She smiled widely at him and said.
"Your art is even more beautiful than usual. It will be an honor to compete with you in Shonen Jump."
Takuya thought of hundreds of cool things to say in order to show how much those words meant to him. As he thought of them at the same time, what he could express was: "Immm… your… ahhh… THANK YOU SO MUCH!"
Mashiro blushed slightly. He truly is sweet.
"Can I call you Yume-tan?"
"No way."
"Okay."
"You know what, guys?" Rumi spoke suddenly, excited. "Wait until later chapters when famous historic battles will show up and you'll see the whole glory of members being decapitated in front of you."
Ichigo and Yume looked dumbfounded at the other girl. Takuya shivered when he tried to imagine what Rumi was talking about. We are so not going to do that!
"Your father and mine created this time machine to better investigate History. However they were betrayed by their friend, Kumagawa. He killed my father and exiled yours somewhere in History."
"It has nothing to do with me!"
"Of course it has! This is your father's work" It's your legacy!"
"It's rare to see you read manga, Yamada-kun." Yamamoto, one of the anime directors who worked at the studio where Kouji had gotten a job as an assistant, commented when he found the young man reading the new Shonen Jump magazine during the lunch break.
"Mashiro-san emailed me about the debut of a friend of ours. I'm reading his piece out of curiosity."
"Is it good?"
"I guess so."
"This Mashiro-san is the mangaka girl you always talk about, right? What is your relationship with her exactly?" Yamamoto asked cheerfully. Kouji stared at the man seriously for a couple of minutes before replying.
"I'd say Mashiro-san is my bridge. I need her more than anything in the world."
"You understand nothing about me, you stupid woman! You know nothing about my father! I don't have any reason to look for him!"
"I know that he really loved you."
"Yuri-tan, this is so exciting! Our son has so much talent! I'm so proud!" Hiramaru said with great enthusiasm, while gesticulating on the couch, holding the magazine. Aoki was working at a desk.
"It makes me happy to see Takuya-chan working hard like this… say, Kazu-tan, when is your manga coming back from the hiatus?"
Hiramaru pretended to sleep and didn't reply.
"That stupid father never cared for me, even for a single moment! He just cared about his work and his adventures! I seriously don't feel like going to his rescue, but…"
Akira was sitting at the park's bench, looking up to the sky. He heard someone approaching him and turned around. Niizuma Eiji, carrying a Shonen Jump magazine, was standing there.
There was a heavy atmosphere between father and son. Neither of them smiled.
"I was going to your apartment, Akira-chan."
"Why?" Akira questioned without joy.
"You're always so serious, just like your mother." Eiji smiled weakly after saying that.
"Is there something you want to talk about?" Akira inquired.
"Yes. It's a very important thing in fact."
"… I'll help you out by becoming a History Agent and prove that I can surpass that stupid father I have!"
To surpass his father, to help this woman, to prove his value… will Shinji achieve his goals? Next issue: center color and special 25 pages.
