Chapter 12
Still Yoshida PoV
After our little gestures, I decided to try my luck and ask him,
"Sensei, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
"Well, that depends on the questions itself. Ask away." He shrugged. Before I ask, I decide to tell him about my mission from the boss
"Sensei, let me be frank with you. My visitation here is not just to tell you about the review of your manga. My boss also gives me a mission to bring you to Tokyo, because it will be hard for us to communicate if you are outside Tokyo. But, after looking at your room, I can't help but ask myself, why did you move from Tokyo to Miyagi, and choose to be a mangaka? From what I can see, I know you can be a professional volleyball player, or by the look of all the books in this room, I can see you as a college student. So, why move, and why manga?" After hearing my question, he let out a small sigh.
"Well, I guess you have already seen my trophies and medals huh?" I nod, having no reason to deny it.
"To be honest, I also didn't have a plan to move here when I graduate. I have been recruited by a professional volleyball team from Italia. But right after my graduation, I hear the news about the death of my father. You probably don't know but I am an illegitimate child from Akira Shimizu, the fallen rich man." My mouth gaped after hearing that confession. Damn, this is more serious than I thought. He ignores my shock and continues his story
"I grew up in Tokyo as an orphan in Tokyo, as you can guess. I have never known who my mother is, and I have never met anyone from Shimizu's family including my father. And I don't want to have any contact with that family. But that changed after I was entering high school. I accidentally met up with the daughter of Akira Shimizu, and my half-sister, Kiyoko Shimizu. After that little meeting, we decide to keep our relationship secret and exchanged our contact, meeting secretly every week to get to know each other. After three years, finally, we have a strong bond, like a real sibling. No, it is not like a real sibling, because she is really my sibling, by blood and by choice. And I will never leave her alone.
So, knowing my father's death, I know that it is an easy choice for me, between being a professional player or together with my sister, I know I will choose my little sister, so I left every offer that I got behind and moved out to Miyagi where my sister lives. It is simple right?" He shrugged as if it is just as simple as choosing which candies are the best.
Meanwhile, I can't stop to look at him like he is an alien. Damn, that is a strong background story from him. Now I am convinced that he is really a protagonist manga.
Then, I remember again about the task that my boss gives to me, and I start to doubt If I can convince him to move to Tokyo. But still, I will try my look again and ask,
"So, is there any chance to convince you to move back to Tokyo?" And to my surprise, he nods at my question.
"Yeah, if you can wait for one year, my sister will be graduating from high school next year. She wants to learn English literature at Tohoku University, so we will move to Tokyo next year." I nod again, understanding his view. Suddenly, I realized something,
'Is that why he decided to be a mangaka? To gain money for his sister's college fee?' Well, not that I will judge him though. While it is good to work as a mangaka because you like it, you cannot do it if you don't have money. Being a mangaka is not cheap after all. But then, I remember that he will not move back to Tokyo until next year, and I don't know what to do about it.
"Hori-sensei, I want to consult about your decision to my boss. Is this okay if I tell him your story?" I ask him carefully. He only nods and says,
"Yeah, it is not like our relationship is secret anymore, after a lot of media seeing me comforting Kiyoko at father's funeral and few newspapers have already written the story of me. I know that I cannot keep it a secret forever. Just do what you need to do." I nod again, asking his permission to call my boss. I went outside to give myself more privacy, not that I worried Hiroyuki-sensei will try to eavesdrop, mind you. After a minute of waiting to have an answer, finally, I can hear my boss's voice on the phone.
"Sasaki here, is there a problem with Hiroyuki-sensei Yoshida?" Right to the point, like always from the boss.
After briefing about Hiroyuki-sensei's past and his condition, I wait for a minute before hearing his answer
"Let him be. But for the exchange, I want you to ask him to submit his 'Bakemono no Ko' and a new manga for Tezuka Award next month and the next summer. I think the deadline for the next summer is two weeks after Tohoku University's entrance exam, so he will be in Tokyo with a new manga. What do you think? Can you persuade him, Yoshida?"
After thinking a while about the possibility, I nod,
"Yes, I think that is reasonable. He has already agreed to submit the Bakemono no Ko to the Tezuka Award next month, and I am confident that he can produce a great manga like that again in one year, so I will tell him about your condition."
"Good. That means both Hiroyuki Hori and Eiji Niizuma will be in Tokyo next year. So--"
"Wait a minute, what do you mean Eiji Niizuma too? Is there any problem with him?"
"Yoshida.." I hear him growling through the call. Oops, I forgot that Boss really hates when people interrupt him.
"Sorry Boss, will not do it again."
"You better be. But for your question, his parents agree for him to move to Tokyo next year after he graduates from middle school. They also make a demand for us to help Niizuma's education, and I think it was a reasonable demand from the parents. So, I have already discussed it with the parents, and they agreed to make Niizuma do homeschooling for the high school. I think that's it for now. I have to meet with Niizuma himself right now, so we will meet in Tokyo tomorrow. Later."
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Author note:
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