Tokyo life starting with painting.

Chapter 6: The Big Loud Author of "The Bell at Midnight"

After confirming that the person over there was Higashino Tsukasa, the author of "Midnight Ring", Hosokawa Koharu did not hesitate, and simply introduced himself: "Hello, Higashino-sensei. Koharu Hosokawa, editor of the manga magazine."

The other side of the phone seemed to be talking to the person next to him, and it took about five seconds before he answered:

"Hello, Editor Hosokawa, I'm Higashinoji."

The voice sounds a bit young, like a young man who is not very old.

Hosokawa Koharu felt strange in his heart.

It may be a bit bad to say this, but most of the authors who draw horror comics are middle-aged comic authors in their 30s, and they all have some life experiences

After all, asking young people without qualifications to draw horror comics generally doesn't have that flavor.

But it's not easy for her to ask the age question. After all, this is not a household registration check. Her task is just to talk to Dong Yeji about "Midnight Bell".

"Ms. Higashino's manga "Midnight Ring", I have already roughly read it. Could you spare some time recently? I want to meet with you and discuss about "Midnight Ring"."

"I'll probably have time around four o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

After four o'clock in the afternoon?Is there any work?

Hosokawa Koharu is not particularly concerned, the manga industry has been sluggish recently, and some of the authors she knows have gone to construction sites to pick up side jobs.

Just after the Asian financial crisis in 97, the Japanese economy suffered a heavy blow. In such a situation where everything is waiting to be done, it is already very good to have a job.

Going to the construction site is nothing more than moving and transporting bricks, which is quite normal, and the wages are still paid on a daily basis, which is very convenient, especially suitable for cartoonists.

The comics industry has been in a downturn recently, and many cartoonists are still working on the construction site and have become long-term workers.

Maybe the same is true for this Higashino teacher?

She took notes with great dexterity, and then replied:

"I see. Then, at 04:30 tomorrow afternoon, is the location in our editorial department okay?"

"Okay, see you then, Editor Hosokawa."

The author of "Midnight Ring" over there said something politely, and then hung up the phone.

Hosokawa Koharu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It's finally settled, and the process hasn't had any trouble.

"How is it? Editor Hosokawa? What does the author of "Midnight Ring" say?"

The male editor who stared at her for a long time asked inexplicably eagerly.

"Uh"

Just as Hosokawa Koharu was about to speak, he found out that it wasn't just the male editor staring at him, but the rest of the editors were staring at him with bright eyes.

It's like staring at something rare.

Hosokawa Koharu really didn't know whether to cry or laugh.

As a colleague in the editorial department of horror comics, it is a bit unreasonable to be scared like this by horror comics, right?

However, I am not much better off there.

Hosokawa Koharu looked at the TV in front of him which was tied with a big iron chain, and coughed twice.

The time came two days ago.

At that time, Hosokawa Koharu had just brought the manga manuscripts mailed this week into the editorial department from the post office downstairs.

This can be regarded as the job of Hosokawa Koharu. Although she is a new editor, she still values ​​these new contributors.

Walking upstairs, the logo of Urashima Publishing House - the light gray island rock - greets our eyes.

It is said that the first president wanted to make Urashima Publishing House the number one in Japan, so he designed this logo that looks like an isolated island pulled out of the sea to become the highest peak.

There was even the former editor-in-chief who felt that the sales of "Aversion to Chill" were the reason for his decline. He felt sorry for the first-time president, and even brought all the editors to kneel in front of the sign to admit his mistake, and he almost kowtowed.

It's just that Hosokawa Koharu didn't feel much about these passionate legends.

In the editorial department, her qualifications and status are the lowest. Every time she is ordered to go upstairs and downstairs to get the original comics, she has to see the 'island' logo five or six times a day.

I'm tired of watching it, how can I get excited?

And she has never lacked enthusiasm for work, so this kind of chicken soup for the soul, she thinks it's better to forget it.

If you really want to pour chicken soup, you should hire a courier. Running up and down every day is exhausting.

Hosokawa Koharu entered the editorial department with the manga manuscript.

The working environment in Urashima's editorial department is okay. Every editor has a 2003 big-head computer in front of him, but he doesn't use it very often, so he only looks at it when counting manga sales data.

There is a landline phone next to each computer, which is used to switch lines at the front desk and communicate with the comic authors.On the wall not far from the office area, there are colorful posters of the weekly "Aversion Chill", and there is also a TV for editors to watch news reports in their spare time.

After exchanging greetings with senior seniors one by one, Hosokawa Koharu rubbed his temples and began to take out the manga manuscripts he had received from his file bag one by one.

She was going to start looking at the manuscripts.

If there are good seedlings, as the review editor, Hosokawa Koharu can find the author in advance and act as the editor in charge of his comics.

If a good manga is cultivated, Hosokawa Koharu, who is the editor, will have a particularly bright face, and even show his name in the manga magazine——

Although this is the case, in fact, Hosokawa Koharu has no expectations, because the manga sent by mail basically does not have any good manuscripts.Experienced old authors always talk to the editor directly before finalizing the manuscript.Only pure wild newcomers will send manuscripts to the editorial department by mail.

But the level of wild newcomers?Everyone understands this.

Hosokawa Koharu even received things drawn by elementary school and junior high school students—it didn’t look like a horror comic, but a sci-fi comic "Alien".

Therefore, even though Hosokawa Koharu has been in office for a month, she is still empty-handed. She is not responsible for the works, even if there are no two or three pages of short comics in the middle of the magazine.

It's true.

But it is also impossible.

She is just a newcomer editor, unlike the senior editors who have old manga writers looking for them to contribute, so she can only receive manuscripts mailed by newcomers every day to live.

This is called the precipitation period in the Japanese workplace.Hosokawa Koharu reckoned that he would have to 'sink' for two or three months.

She shook her head and continued to flip through the manuscript.

Flipping and flipping, a piece of paper slipped from the bottom of her hand.

This paper does not seem to be original paper, the original paper of manga is very thick

So what is this?

Hosokawa Koharu picked it up and murmured the above sentence:

"Editors with a history of heart disease and epilepsy should not read it"

Ok? ? ?

Hiss, this also comes with a movie announcement reminder?

Hosokawa Koharu laughed as he watched.

The manga author is also very interesting, and he even thought of such a deceitful and fun gimmick.

Hosokawa Koharu was talking to herself here, and the male editor next to her also looked back at the note in her hand, and then said cheerfully:

"The current rookie manga writers are quite interesting, and they still have this kind of note between them. Is this trying to create a gimmick?"

"But it's really useful. When he said that, I really wanted to see it."

Hosokawa Koharu responded to the male editor, and his fingers, which were still counting the manga manuscripts, stopped.

She intends to read the comics that the editor of 'History of Heart Disease and Epilepsy' should not read.

As for whether you will be really scared by horror comics?

This is just kidding.

To put it bluntly, who among the editors present has not read dozens or even hundreds of horror comics?Everyone is an expert in horror comics, why should you, a rookie, act tall in front of us?

This is not arrogance, but accurate self-awareness.

If it is true that random horror comics can scare the editor into epilepsy and die suddenly from a heart attack, then this industry may have to carry more than ten people to the morgue a day, and death is not enough to die.

The author of "Midnight Ring" is too bragging. After all, he underestimates the editing industry.

"Midnight Ring"

Hosokawa Koharu looked at the name of the manga on the brown-yellow sealed document bag, and muttered.

The title of this manga is pretty straightforward.

But the name sounds like a horror comic about a telephone theme that has been drawn badly

She shook her head.

Hey, when I think about it this way, I don't have any sense of expectation.

But still have to read on.

Hosokawa Koharu tried to pull himself together, pinching the thick manga manuscript paper to read

(End of this chapter)