Full-time cartoonist.

Chapter 148 "Coach, I want to play basketball"

Higashino is going to end the Mitsui Kotobuki arc today.

The manga is also drawn to the last two pages.

But he was unable to write for a long time.

This will be the whole chapter, and it will be the finishing touch in the whole manga of "Slam Dunk". Higashino doesn't know if what he draws can bring a shocking effect to the readers.

When the depraved Mitsui was full of embarrassment and saw Coach Anxi again, can his inner emotional turning point be expressed?

Higashino has heard such a case.

The black criminal who was originally a rogue in court heard the judge ask: "Did you go to Nautilus High School in middle school?"

This sentence made black criminals cry and regret.

The black criminal realized that the judge was his good friend in middle school.

The little judge's dream is to become a judge, and his dream is to become an excellent neurosurgeon.

In this old classmate, he saw himself who was innocent, carefree, and full of expectations for the future.

So I couldn't accept my current self for a while, and finally changed my past.

The same is true of Mitsui's mental journey.

When he saw Coach Anxi, he thought of himself, the best golfer, Mitsui Shou who dreamed of dominating the country.

When Mitsui himself realized this, he burst into tears.

Higashino hesitated, wondering whether his few frames of shots could express this artistic conception.

"Oda, what do you think of this ending?" he asked his assistant Oda.

"It's great!" Oda gave a thumbs up. "I'm still thinking about it, my scalp is numb and my whole body is shaking. It's the first time I've seen it, it's like the world's number one martial arts tournament!"

As a fan of Akira Toriyama, being able to compare "Slam Dunk" with "Dragon Ball" is Oda's greatest compliment.

"I am very touched to be able to participate in the production of "Slam Dunk"!"

When Oda saw the storyboard of the new episode, he was really shocked beyond words.

Can my future self really draw such cartoons?
Such delicate feelings are spread layer by layer, and at the final climax, they are suppressed in one fell swoop, and then there is a blank space, full of aftertaste.

With my own ability, I can't do this at all.

I can't draw sports manga in my life, Oda thought.

"Really?" Higashino was stunned.

He looked at Mitsui Shou under the pen, kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down his face.

"so be it."

……

On September 9, jump will be released.

This issue revealed the reasons for Mitsui's depravity.

He was hospitalized due to a broken knee, and just after his improvement, he often went to the Xiangbei basketball team with a cane.

Akagi's progress is getting faster and faster, he has learned to dribble and the skill of using the heel axis to rotate.

Mitsui's eyes were hot as he watched from the sidelines, but he could only stand still and practice dribbling.

The college league is about to start, and Mitsui's injury will take a month to heal, so it's too late to participate in the qualifiers.

He lied to the team members that he had recovered.

However, during practice, the jump shot from the body fell, and the knee could not bear it, which made the condition worse.

In the end, they still failed to catch up with the preliminaries of the college league.

At the official game site, Mitsui watched the Xiangbei basketball team struggle on the field. He was silent and finally left the field with a cane.

Since then, Mitsui has never appeared in the basketball hall again.

Kanda Taketo watched as he walked, and suddenly realized that this was the case.

"Bang! Bang!"

Suddenly a sound came.

He looked up, and before he knew it, he was in the gym.

Taketo Kanda involuntarily raised his foot and walked in, and found that the basketball team of Tokai University in Japan was organizing a practice match.

Divided into red and yellow teams, the score was 65:71.

Looks like it's been a long time.

He stepped up, walked to the viewing platform on the second floor, and watched silently.

There are many people around.

"The basketball team has another practice match today."

"This is already the third game since the start of school."

"I heard college basketball is about to start."

Taketo Kanda raised his head and calculated that there are still two months before the All Japan University Basketball Players Conference.

"Have you started preparing so early?"

"You, are you also a member of the basketball team?" Taketo Kanda heard someone talking to him. He looked over and saw a female student who was clasping her hands and excitedly standing on tiptoe. "Come on for the game!"

"No." Kanda Taketo shook his head.

Since his hair was cut short, more people took the initiative to talk to him.

"Oh." The female student lowered her head in frustration.

Kanda Taketo looked at the basketball court, although it was only a practice match, he played very intensely.

With the last 5 minutes left, everyone on the field was sweating profusely and short of breath.

He watched the red-haired, 190-centimeter tall player wearing the No. 10 red jersey hold the ball and quickly break through to the opponent's basket until he was stopped by the yellow No. 3 jersey player.

The number 10 player is tall and strong, but very agile.

The No. 3 player has a solid foundation, does not advance aggressively, and defends very tightly.

Players from the two sides showed great strength in defense and breakthrough, and one side held the ball steadily and kept trying false moves.One side's defense was as motionless as a mountain, and with its arms stretched, it firmly blocked the No. 10 player under the basket.

The other eight players, marking each other, are all very nervous, showing a good sense of competition.

Taketo Kanda was surprised to find that the East China Sea basketball team is very strong. In his judgment, it may be able to break through the qualifiers and enter the official 40 college basketball games.

The only sound in the gymnasium was the sound of basketball shoes rubbing against the floor. The audience held their breath and stared at it intently, for fear of missing key information.

Sure enough, not long after, player No. 10 bluffed past, came to the basket, and directly slam dunked the goal.

"Hua Chao!"

"Hua Chao!"

Kanda Taketo heard the cheers beside him, and the audience was cheering for the No. [-] player.

"It turns out his name is Hua Chao."

Taketo Kanda looked at Hanamo's goal, but he was still not arrogant or impetuous, directing his lineup to return to the defense without showing any gaps.

In such a practice match, Kanda Taketo actually saw the end. Under the command of Hua Zhao, the red team reversed the situation, surpassed the score in the last minute, and maintained it until the end.

Every player on the field did not give up at the last moment, squeezed their own physical strength, and kept running on the field, trying to tear the opponent's defense.

"It's just a practice match... unexpectedly working so hard." He heard someone sigh.

"The basketball game is so interesting. During the qualifiers, I will definitely come to the scene to cheer!"

"Well! Everyone is working hard."

"Work hard..." Taketo Kanda lowered his head.

He watched the East China Sea basketball team rest, and walked out of the gymnasium himself.

Dong Xiang's words "If you don't know what to do, then go back and play basketball."

……

Bird Akino Mirai Studio.

Sasaki is here.

Today, he is not only here to discuss storyboards, or to press for drafts, but there is another important thing.

"On September 9st, the first volume of "Slam Dunk" will be released."

Sitting on the sofa, he said to Higashino who was working hard to draw manga.

"Congratulations! Mr. Akino Bird!" Oda said excitedly.

Tanaka also swept away the gloom: "Congratulations!"

Yoshii Yamahisa said with emotion, "It has been two and a half years since the first edition of the first volume of "Soul of Chess". How time flies."

At that time, he was also very happy for Higashino Hibiki, but after that, "Soul of Chess" was released in volumes, and he kept hearing good results, and gradually he took it calmly.

Higashino Hibiki's "shua, shua" sound stopped.

He raised his head and looked at Sasaki in surprise.

"It's really good news! Thank you very much, Mr. Sasaki!" Hibiki Higashino's spirit was lifted.

"What about the first edition? How did the first edition turn out?"

The first edition of "Soul of Chess" was 10 copies, and it was reprinted several times after that.

Higashino thinks that "Slam Dunk" will have at least 30 copies.

The jump editorial department will not be so blind.

"One million copies." Sasaki adjusted his glasses and said calmly.

"what!"

Before Higashino could react, he heard Oda's yell.

"For a popular work, if a single book wants to break through 100 million sales, it will be after the animation promotion." He knows comics best, so he is also the most excited. "Only relying on comics, it is difficult to break through the average sales of 100 million. Besides, this is only the first edition. What do you think?"

As Tori Akino's assistant, what Oda felt at this time was only horror, and his worldview collapsed.

Tanaka poked the dumbfounded Yoshii, and asked curiously, "Is it incredible?"

Yoshii came back to his senses, and said with a smile: "It's the level of the Arabian Nights."

He looked at Higashino Hibiki's back and sighed, "It's getting stronger and stronger, Higashino-kun."

Sasaki explained: "The first volume of "Slam Dunk" was first published with 100 million copies, which is the result of jump research and data analysis, so it may sound unacceptable, but it is the truth. "Slam Dunk" is deeply loved by readers. favorite."

Listening to Sasaki's explanation, Oda muttered to himself, "The first edition is 100 million..."

His heart was still turbulent, a little silly.

"Jump will hold a signing event. I wonder if Akino-kun can spare the time." Sasaki asked Hibiki Higashino.

Higashino regained his senses.

"The first edition of 100 million copies, the first volume of "Soul of Chess" reached 100 million copies, and it took more than 3 months..."

He couldn't calm down in his heart, but he still nodded and said, "If it's just for one day, there's no problem."

"That would be great."

Sasaki said the tentative location of the signing meeting.

At the Mandarake Ikebukuro branch, Higashino will be notified if there is any change.

Higashino raised his eyes to look at the place where Akimi Akimi used to work, but it was empty, she was teaching, and she was not there.

Sasaki asked, "Is there a question?"

"No," Higashino shook his head, "It's fine here."

The reason why he had this reaction was because the place of the autograph meeting was the same as the place where Mr. Chai Menwen used to be.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of vicissitudes.

"Yeah." Sasaki looked at the notebook and nodded, "That's all for now."

……

September NO.16, morning.

Morimichi Yamamura, who was still dissatisfied with the new work, bought Jump.

On the cover are five players.

Yamamura knew Takenori Akagi with No. 4 jersey, Ryota Miyagi with No. 7 jersey, Hanamichi Sakuragi with No. 10 jersey, and Rukawa Kaede with No. 11 jersey.

As for the new player with the No. 14 jersey, he looked very familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was.

"The front page of this issue of Jump is "Slam Dunk." He sighed.

The popularity of this work skyrocketed, but since watching the friendly match between Meiji University and Tungkai University, he could imagine the current situation.

"These five players should be the starting lineup for Xiangbei to participate in the basketball competition."

Miyagi Ryota has demonstrated his strength a bit, and he is definitely at the level of a senior player, at least not a passerby.

Plus the top center Takenori Akagi, the talented Rukawa Kaede and the fast-improving rookie Hanamichi Sakuragi...

Shancun was amazed. This team, which started out as a small team, has shown its edge since the friendly match with Lingnan.Now it is even more powerful like a cloud, and there is only time left for running-in, and they will soar into the sky.

"I don't care about sighing at this time..." He walked out of the convenience store and slapped his forehead, thinking of urgent matters.

"In the last sentence, I learned the whole story of Mitsui Hisashi's depravity. With this sentence, his chapter should end. I don't know how Tori Akino will arrange this character... Wait!"

Covering the No.14 player's hair, Morido Yamamura suddenly realized that this is Mitsui!

It turned out that the prodigal son turned back.

Knowing this, Yamamura was not in a hurry.

He carried the jump in the plastic bag, bought breakfast, and went home slowly.

……

Musashino Art University.

"Miyagi-kun is the starting lineup!" Kazuya Takasugi looked at the cover of Jump and was very excited.

He has been guessing, but when he actually saw Miyagi's position, he couldn't help being happy.

After opening the jump, Kazuya Takasugi looked eagerly.

Missing the qualifiers for a basketball game because of a broken bone, Mitsui begins to fall.

But now he has fully recovered.

"Are you still going to come back to play?" Akagi asked.

Mitsui was speechless.

His bad gangster friends learned of Mitsui Shou's past and persuaded him to continue playing basketball.Because in their daily relationship, they found that Mitsui still didn't let go of the basketball.

Kazuya Takasugi couldn't stop nodding, his friends like Mitsui Shou, although they were all bad, they treated Mitsui very well.

He watched Mu Mu also step forward to persuade, but was pushed down by Mitsui.

When Mitsui said that basketball is a boring activity.

Mu Mu, a good old man, became angry unexpectedly. He grabbed the clothes on Mitsui's chest, trembling with anger.

Mu Mu angrily scolded Mitsui, saying that Mitsui, who wanted to dominate the country back then, was a worthless person.

Mitsui recalled his former self, his expression loosened, and then he froze, giving up on himself and shouting: "What happened in the past! It has nothing to do with me anymore!"

This sentence made Mu Mu even more angry.

"You are not allowed to say the word irrelevant! I am different from Akagi. For a person of my level, dominating the country is something beyond my dreams! I never dreamed that there would be such an opportunity!"

"However, when I saw you practicing with Akagi, it was the first time since I played basketball that I had this thought that made me tremble."

Mu Mu Gongyan clenched his teeth, with an angry expression on his face!
"However, you left the basketball team later, and my dream disappeared."

"Just when I had given up, Rukawa came, Miyagi also returned, and this year I have another chance."

"Just when I began to think that this year would definitely be a success, you, Mitsui, appeared again after two years!"

"The chief culprit who took away my dream has come to force the basketball team to disband again this time!"

Mu Mu suppressed the anger in his heart, told all the things in his heart, and said to Mitsui Shou with complicated feelings:

"Mitsui, how many times do you have to take away my dreams before you are reconciled!"

……

Mu Mu's accusation brought shock no less than Mitsui Shou's past.

At this moment, this ordinary man with glasses made Takasugi Kazuya feel the same way.

Gongyan Mumu is just an ordinary person. He has been playing basketball since junior high school, and he has been practicing persistently during the three years of high school.

But it can't compare to a genius like Mitsui Shou.

Even so, he did not give up his dream.Strive to be your best.

Behind a talented person like Takenori Akagi, the Xiangbei basketball team is low-key.

For Takasugi, he can be more like Mu Mu.

As an ordinary person, I hope to have an extraordinary mood!

It was hard to see hope, but now it was once again destroyed by Mitsui Shou, the person he once dreamed of.

Takasugi Kazuo can fully understand Mugure Gongyan's mood.

At this moment, in the eyes of Takasugi, the vice-captain of the Xiangbei basketball team, who was ordinary and had no sense of presence in the past, became brilliant.

……

Tunghai University, in the shadows under the trees.

"Mu Mu..."

The former genius, Taketo Kanda touched the jump, and his heart was very complicated.

Did the self who gave up basketball also hurt the dream chaser?

As a person without talent, Mu Mu can be so tenacious and persevere in pursuing his dreams. Compared with him, his heart is too fragile.

In October of his second year in high school, his Beasato High School lost to Hirata High School, failed to advance in the county competition, and fell in the last game.

After two years of hard work and countless painstaking efforts, they still failed to enter the national competition.

Kanda Taketo was so depressed that he even gave up basketball.

"The members of Kitasato... have you cast aside my cowardly me?"

At this moment, his heart is very complicated.

……

Morimichi Yamamura looked at the manga in shock.

This sentence started from the beginning, and all the content that had been laid out before broke out.

With blood and tears, the emotion was pushed to a climax.

"How many times do you have to take away my dreams before you are reconciled!"

When Mugure's words appeared, Yamamura Morimichi trembled from head to toe.

The role of Mu Mu is incomparably vivid.

He regretted it now, he should have read this comic sooner.

Feel the charm of this sentence on the seat at the entrance of the convenience store.

But it's not too late now, there is still some content left, and he can't wait to read it.

Miyagi Ryota pointed to Mitsui and said, "You are the one who is stuck in the past and cannot extricate himself."

This sentence sums up the current Mitsui Shou.

His life began to change, and Mitsui never showed up in the gym again.

But because he was jealous of Miyagi Liangtian, he repeatedly made trouble for Miyagi.

If you really don't want to play basketball, you should stay away from right and wrong about basketball.

Now Mitsui Shou, his face is covered with sweat, and his emotions fluctuate violently.

From entering the gymnasium to the present, as Mu Mu told his past, his state of mind has also experienced ups and downs.

Reflect on the past and recognize yourself.

Without the courage to change, I stubbornly deny who I used to be.

Seeing Mitsui Hisashi like this, Yamamura Morido suddenly said, "Sure enough, it's time for his life to turn."

The emotional foreshadowing is in place, and the explosion is exciting enough. The best player in the past, Mitsui Hisashi, is time to return.

How wonderful will he perform in the NO.14 jersey?Yamamura became curious.

But the story does not reach its climax here.

A person came.

Because of the appearance of this person, Mitsui's defense line, like the Maginot line of defense, collapsed in an instant.

"It's me, open the door."

The camera showed the closed gate of the gymnasium, just a few simple sentences.

Mitsui Shou was so flustered for the first time.

"Open the door now."

Caizi immediately ran over.

As the gate of the gymnasium opened, a fat old man appeared in the light, that is Coach Anxi.

He didn't say anything, just appeared here.

When Mitsui saw Coach Anzai, the persistence on his face collapsed.

Like burning ashes, the whole person's brain went blank, and he was at a loss.

"It's you." Coach Anxi adjusted his glasses and said gently.

Just such a simple word, Mitsui's pupils trembled violently, and he remembered what Coach Anzai said to him during the match against Yokota.

"Until the last moment, you can't give up hope. Once you give up, the game is over."

Then came the mental journey of his own depravity.

Mitsui's nose was bruised, his face was swollen, and his nose was covered with blood. He put down all his insistence, and confided to his elders in embarrassment.

"Coach... Coach Anxi..."

Mitsui Shou burst into tears instantly, supported his body weakly, trembling all over, and finally fell to his knees on the ground.

"I...I want to play basketball."

"I want to play basketball."

……

Seeing this, the mountain village guardian felt struck by lightning.

It turns out that this is the most exciting time.

The superb storytelling language, the excellent lens portrayal, and the emotions that have been heightened all the time reach their climax at this moment.

"Coach, I want to play basketball."

With the utterance of this sentence, the core of this chapter has been sublimated.

From the gangster who came to the door looking for trouble, to the fallen genius, and finally to the point of knowing how to return after being lost.

The story of the return of the prodigal son made Shancun Shoudao extremely moved.

"What a wonderful episode, what a wonderful ending."

He looked at Mitsui who cut off his long hair and returned to the basketball team, and heaved a sigh of relief.

"The drawing is really good, thank you, Bird Akino."

……

"Mitsui cut off his long hair, abandoned his self-esteem and arrogance, and returned to the Xiangbei basketball team. It may take some time for him to get along with the players, and the gap in the past two years cannot be easily filled."

"I think one day, he will become an indispensable figure in Xiangbei."

Kazuya Takasugi was also emotional.

The character of Mitsui Shou is so wonderful, from glory, setbacks, and resurrection, it is vividly shown to the audience.

So this extremely wonderful story moved Kazuya Takasugi.

The story of Mitsui Shou, he will never forget in his life.

……

Kanda Taketo trembled all over.

He looked at a frame in the manga, which was Mitsui crying and saying that he wanted to play basketball.

Seeing this, he walked through his past in his heart.

I like basketball, have like-minded partners, and head towards the national competition, and my dream is to dominate the country!

After the brilliance is the fall, and since then I have nothing to do and nothing to do.

At this moment, with Mitsui Hisashi's tears of true emotion, Kanda Taketo also felt the same.

He also wants to continue playing basketball!
Thinking of this, Kanda Taketo walked towards the basketball team with the manga magazine between his hands.

Basketball team room.

"I want to join the Donghai basketball team! Please!"

"Asshole! At such an important moment, you are still holding a comic book! Are you awake!"

But in the end, under Kanda's constant bowing and apologies, he joined the East China Sea basketball team.

What paid off was that the captain of the basketball team took away his comic book and took a serious look at it himself.

Before long, he shed tears.

"Mitsui! Mitsui! It's really touching."

"Coach! I want to play basketball!"

……

Akira Toriyama was waiting at the door, and not long after, a man passed by on a tricycle.

"This is the juvenile jump you want."

"Thank you, Brother Tara." Akira Toriyama thanked.

In the countryside, jump is not easy to buy.

Fortunately, there are always people coming to the city, and he will ask for it.

"It's okay," Duo Liang pointed at the manga, "But, don't you never draw manga? Do you still need to read this?"

"Of course, comics are not just work, but also life and entertainment." Akira Toriyama grinned.

Moreover, he pays special attention to a comic.

That is "Slam Dunk".

This work was unremarkable from the beginning, but as the competition became more and more popular, in the last few episodes, it was particularly tantalizing, as if it was exaggerating a very interesting story.

Akira Toriyama was very curious.

He also wanted to see how far Higashino could go.

Back in the living room, he sat down on the chair, the comics were spread on the coffee table, and he focused on reading them.

As the manga ended, Akira Toriyama's expression was extremely serious.

"Tori Akino, this kid..."

At this point, Akira Toriyama couldn't even imagine Higashino's achievements.

"If it is said that the small positive result at the end of "Dragon Ball" before is because he abandoned the rhythm of the work and was playing tricks."

"Then this one is definitely number one."

"Slam Dunk" is serialized here. After Mitsui Shou's words, it is the most exciting plot.

"And..." Touching the manga, Akira Toriyama looked at Mitsui Hisashi's weeping painting, feeling a lot of emotion, "I saw the spirituality in his manga, and gave the work a vivid finishing touch."

Such a frame made him seem to see the painting of Higashi Higashi when he was young.

And it's not an immature painting, but a work with a solid foundation and a blessing to the soul after a thousand tempers.

"The drawing is really good."

Seeing the poor picture quality of the jump, he felt bored for a while.

Higashino Higashika's advantage as a painter has been partially erased, and he cannot fully appreciate this spirituality.

Thinking of this, Akira Toriyama picked up the phone and called Higashi Higashino.

"Do you still have the manuscript of the latest chapter? Please pass it to me."

……

On Friday, Sasaki held Xiaozheng's grade report on the screen, and his calm face was shocked.

"702 votes..."

Although it has not reached the small positive record of jump, it is not far away.

"It seems that readers really like the content of this sentence."

He adjusted his glasses and felt more confident.

(End of this chapter)