Before receiving the call, Hosokawa Koharu's mood was supposed to be pretty good.

But after answering the phone, she was a little silent, and it took a long time to understand the meaning of Higashino's words: "Mr. Higashino, do you mean it's going to be over?" ”

According to her relationship with Higashino Division, she usually refers to each other as 'you' and 'I', but this time she directly used the honorific 'you', which can be imagined that she is in a chaotic mood now.

It's really confusing... Because she was still discussing with the Oshima editor in the morning whether Tsukasa Higashino would finish the book, Hosokawa Koharu at that time still had a bit of luck, but in the afternoon Tsukasa Higashino gave her a home run.

The speed of this ball was inevitably too fast, and Hosokawa Koharu couldn't catch it a little.

"Yes, it's going to be over." Higashino replied with a smile.

"Unnatural Death" has entered the final stage, and there are probably five more episodes... That is, a single volume can be ended, and the converted time is a little more than a month to finish.

And after the completion of a national-level comic like "Unnatural Death", at least a month has to be set aside for Hosokawa Koharu and his editorial department to prepare.

Fortunately, on the other side, Hosokawa Koharu has also cooperated with Higashino Tsukasa for too long, and she is more receptive to some of Higashino's whimsical ideas than others.

She thought about it for a while, but still took the initiative to speak: "... Mr. Higashino, although I have told you many times, you may be a little bored, but I still have to tell you the gains and losses. ”

Tsukasa Higashino wants to finish, and she can't stop it, after all, this is Tsukasa Higashino's will.

But as an editor, you have to tell Tsukasa Higashino about the gains and losses one by one, and this is the only way to fulfill your responsibilities.

"The situation of "Unnatural Death" cannot be compared with the previous "Midnight Bell" and "Winner is Justice", it can be regarded as the first work under the command of Higashino-sensei to break into the ceiling of Japanese manga sales."

Hosokawa continued, "So, ending 'Unnatural Death' is not something I can decide in one sentence... I hope Higashino-sensei understands this. ”

The other party's words Higashino Tsukasa naturally understands that "Unnatural Death" is now the only national-level comic of Urashima Publishing House, and with a "Unnatural Death", Urashima Publishing House's "Bad Cold" can be said to have earned enough attention from Japanese comic lovers.

To put it mildly, even if you don't read comics, you don't know the manga magazine "Bad Cold", but you will definitely be familiar with the name "Unnatural Death".

It's like Japan's "Robot Cat" and "Cherry Maruko".

The work "Unnatural Death" is no longer just for Tsukasa Higashino personally, but now it can affect the entire Urashima Publishing House.

It's not that easy.

If Tsukasa Higashino insists on finishing, maybe the upper echelons will put pressure on Hosokawa Koharu.

Maybe the team leader who hasn't sat in the hot position will have to 'abdicate and make way for Xian'.

But...

"If Higashino-sensei wants to finish, he still has to help."

Hosokawa Koharu shook his head, thinking.

She doesn't know how other editors are related to her own authors? But the relationship between her and Tsukasa Higashino can be said to have lasted half her life.

Can Hosokawa Koharu get to where he is today? At least two-thirds of the credit can be attributed to the good works that Tsukasa Higashino's side continues to come up with.

She and Tsukasa Higashino are more like friends and family than business partners.

Crossing the river and demolishing the bridge? Regardless of what others think? At least Hosokawa Koharu can't do it.

"So I'm going to ask Higashino-sensei one more thing... Are you really planning to end Unnatural Death? ”

Hosokawa Koharu didn't force Tsukasa Higashino, but asked very sensibly.

"Hmm. Or are you going to finish it... But Hosokawa editor? You don't have much of a problem there, right? ”

Higashino replied and then added.

Hosokawa Koharu is different from his own position, the other party is if he insists on finishing? Hosokawa Koharu on the other side may have to suffer a lot of pressure.

"My side..."Hosokawa Koharu paused? Then he laughed: "No problem." How could there be a problem? Don't worry, I'll negotiate for you later. ”

"Really?"

"That's right, 'Unnatural Death' is complete... That's a full fifty words, and the result this time is not bad, right? Higashino-sensei? At least to the length of a novella. ”

Hosokawa Koharu teased with a smile and changed the subject.

"It's not bad, at least it's improved." Tsukasa Higashino should be reconciled.

The two chatted for a while, and Hosokawa Koharu hung up the phone and stood up at the same time? Look at the editor-in-chief's office.

Her heart was beating a drum...

Is "Unnatural Death", which has squeezed into the ranks of the comic ceiling, really so easy to finish?

She's a little unconfident, but she's going to give it a try...

Thinking so? Hosokawa Koharu stood up and walked into the editor-in-chief's office.

Meanwhile? Tsukasa Higashino here also put down his phone, a little uncertain about the end of "Unnatural Death".

He is not an employee of the editorial department? But I also know that "Unnatural Death" is important to Urashima Press, which now lacks high-quality comics.

The same? Tsukasa Higashino also knows? In the previous life, "Hokage", "Pirates", and "Dragon Ball" were more or less stuck in progress by the publishing house.

After all, at this level, your comics are no longer your comics to a certain extent - this is a normal thing.

"I hope that the editor of Hosokawa will go well." Tsukasa Higashino muttered.

After dealing with the matter that "Unnatural Death" was about to end, Tsukasa Higashino did not hesitate, and lay down to rest after a simple wash.

There's a windmill to see tomorrow... I'll go back to Tokyo the day after tomorrow, and of course I have to nourish my spirit.

The days that followed passed quickly.

It's nothing more than resting, getting up, and turning to see the Aomori windmills.

But to be honest, the windmills here are still very different from the windmills in Higashino's impression.

It's the standard metal white windmill, with very narrow blades, which looks very thin and sturdy, not like a Dutch windmill, which has its own windmill and has its own body, which looks thick.

But even so, the densely erected windmills made Higashino feel very good—at least there were a lot of them, and it looked quite satisfying.

Chihaya Higashino was also very happy, and took a group photo with Yumi Takahashi, looking full of interest.

After visiting the Aomori windmills, Tsukasa Higashino and the others had lunch and experienced the fun of apple picking before leaving for the hostel.

That's what I said, but in fact, Tsukasa Higashino was the only one who went back to the hostel.

The rest of the girls, including Chihaya Higashino, rushed out together to buy Aomori Prefecture's specialties.

After all, there is still one night to go, and their desire to shop has long been overwhelmed.

Tsukasa Higashino returned to the hostel alone and began to pack his things.

A change of clothes, a phone charger, a wallet check, a check for missing items...

By the time Higashino's inspection was completed, Higashino Chihaya and the others had almost all returned.

Among them, Konoe Ryoka and Fujiwara Aoi bought the least things, and they can be regarded as the most simple.

Aoi Fujiwara didn't have enough glasses, so she changed to new lenses and bought some apple-filled sweets from Aomori Prefecture to take home to her parents.

And Ryoka Konoe got a new bra and bought some snacks to eat in the car... She didn't buy any souvenirs, but her eyes were more or less evasive when she secretly showed the bag to Tsukasa Higashino.

I guess it's a little bigger, and I'm not embarrassed.

But Tsukasa Higashino clearly didn't care.

It's all lying on the same bed, and I usually sleep in my arms, and I have counted the places that should be touched or rubbed, and there is not much point in dodging this.

It's just that taking into account the face of Ryoka Konoe, Tsukasa Higashino still turned to look at Chihaya Higashino and Yumi Takahashi.

The two of them are more exaggerated, carrying large bags in their hands.

Yumi Takahashi was coaxed by the store to buy a lot of specialties, what snake oil, what salted vegetables...

But none of this is a big deal.

The main thing is that she also bought a puppet of the mascot of Aomori Prefecture.

This thing is more or less strange than Kumamon, with an apple blossom, the prefectural flower of Aomori Prefecture, on its head, and the whole body is blue, and its tail is still a beech leaf... The overall look is very peculiar.

At least Higashino didn't think it was cute.

However, Yumi Takahashi was obviously in a good mood, holding this thing and saying that she would sleep with it at night.

As for Chihaya Higashino on the other side.

She looked a little proud, and when she saw Higashino Tsukasa look over, she showed Higashino Tsukasa the contents of the bag, and her mouth was still muttering: "Look, Ace, this is for you to eat, this is for you to wear, this is for you..."

To be honest, my sister has this kind of heart, and Higashino Tsukasa is quite grateful.

But... There are some things he obviously doesn't need.

What cartoon apple pattern boxers, what apple-scented soap... What are these things?

Higashino Tsukasa thinks that Aomori Prefecture probably can't get along with the apple, and everything has to be pulled to the apple.

Obviously no boy wears boxers with apple motifs.

A few of them sorted out their things until midnight, and during this time, Higashino Tsukasa was not easy to help, after all, they had some private belongings that were not easy for him to see.

And just like that, the time came to the last day.

Tsukasa Higashino retreated, consciously carrying a large bag of souvenirs and heading straight to the direction of the station.

Maybe it was too late yesterday, and the girls fell asleep and rested as soon as they got in the car.

This is probably the quietest time they have had in the past few days.

Tsukasa Higashino glanced at it, shook his head with a smile, and took the magazine and read it.

The whole carriage was still very quiet, except for the occasional coughing of other passengers, there was not much movement.

It's just that before Tsukasa Higashino had time to enjoy this quiet time, the mobile phone that he put in his pocket and set to vibrate mode buzzed.

Phone?

Called at this time?

Tsukasa Higashino glanced at the number on the phone screen, his eyebrows raised.

Urashima Editor-in-Chief...

Seeing this unexpected name, Tsukasa Higashino groaned, but still stood up and walked to the connection of the carriage to answer the phone.

After all, it's rude to answer the phone in the train, and there is a special cubicle here on the Shinkansen, so you can call or answer the phone

"Hello? Editor-in-chief of Urashima? ”

"Ahh Higashino-sensei, there's something I want to tell you here. The editor-in-chief of Urashima over there sounded normal, but the more it did, the more Tsukasa Higashino felt that something was wrong.

Generally speaking, I usually contact Hosokawa Koharu, the editor-in-charge, and I also contact Urashima Publishing House through Hosokawa Editor.

Today, he suddenly changed to the editor-in-chief of Urashima, and you have to tell Tsukasa Higashino that there is no emergency, and Tsukasa Higashino will definitely not believe it.

In addition, yesterday Higashino Tsukasa communicated with Hosokawa Koharu about the end of "Unnatural Death"...

"What I'm going to say next may be a little hard for you to accept, but I still hope you can listen to me... Editing Hosokawa is no longer your editor. We transferred her to Kuronomiya-sensei's editor. ”

Hosokawa Koharu became the editor of Akira Kuronomiya?

Hearing this, Higashino's eyebrows, which were still stirring, suddenly soothed, and he asked very calmly, "Why?" ”

Belch...

The editor-in-chief of Urashima, who was in charge of speaking here, heard Tsukasa Higashino's cold tone all of a sudden, and he was also helpless in his heart.

But what can be done helplessly?

This personnel transfer is not something that he, the editor-in-chief, can call the shots... And Hosokawa edited yesterday ...

Editor-in-chief Urashima shook his head helplessly: "Anyway, I hope you can talk after coming to Tokyo... It should be fine, right? ”

"No problem."

As soon as the voice over there fell, the editor-in-chief of Urashima here heard a blind voice.

Obviously, it was Tsukasa Higashino over there who hung up the phone directly.

Tsukasa Higashino's somewhat menacing attitude made the editor-in-chief Urashima a little helpless.

It's a stupid thing to do to change players temporarily, let alone replace the golden pair of Hosokawa Koharu and Tsukasa Higashino...

Of course, this is not the work of the editor-in-chief Urashima, because he, a bystander, knows about the situation between Tsukasa Higashino and Koharu Hosokawa.

"Why did editor Hosokawa suddenly come in yesterday to argue about the end of "Unnatural Death"..."

Editor-in-chief Urashima shook his head helplessly.

"Unnatural Death" is now the lifeblood of Urashima Press, and the rising sales of Urashima Press are at least half of its credit.

Those in the leadership are not blind, and they certainly understand the importance of Unnatural Death.

Hosokawa Koharu bumped into this suddenly, and then argued for a long time, unwilling to negotiate with Tsukasa Higashino on behalf of the publishing house to continue serializing "Unnatural Death"... Of course, he was stabbed.

- Of course, after all, Editor Hosokawa is also a responsible editor, and even if she becomes a team leader, she is essentially a middle-to-upper-level employee, and the people in the leadership will not think that she is indispensable to Tsukasa Higashino.

"I can only say that I am still relatively young." Editor-in-chief Urashima shook his head.

If this matter had been discussed with him first, and then he would have negotiated it, even if it didn't work out, Hosokawa Koharu wouldn't have moved down from the position of editor in Tsukasa Higashino.

"What's next... Will I be left with the burden of negotiation again? ”

The editor-in-chief of Urashima looked helpless.

He didn't want to take this kind of thing that offended Tsukasa Higashino - after all, he was strongly opposed to kicking down the editor Hosokawa.

Uncomfortable? Why do you say you offended Tsukasa Higashino?

I have to say... The editor-in-chief of Urashima still admires Hosokawa Koharutoku.

At least as a working woman, she can do this for the comic book writers in her hands... It's really rare.