After confirming that the person over there was the author of "Midnight Bell", Tsukasa Higashino, Hosokawa Koharu did not hesitate, and simply introduced himself: "Hello Higashino-sensei, I am Hosokawa Koharu, editor of the weekly "Bad Cold" manga magazine, which belongs to Urashima Publishing House. ”

The person on 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 Tsukasa Higashino."

It sounds a little young... Like a young man who didn't think he was very old.

Hosokawa Koharu had a strange heart.

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

After all, letting some young people with no qualifications draw horror comics generally doesn't have that flavor.

But she doesn't want to ask about age... After all, this is not a household check, her task is only to talk to Tsukasa Higashino about "Midnight Bell".

"Higashino-sensei's manga "Midnight Bell", I've already seen it roughly, can I find time recently? I'd like to meet you physically to discuss about Midnight Bells. ”

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

It's more than four o'clock in the afternoon...? Is there any work?

Hosokawa Koharu doesn't particularly care, the manga industry has been sluggish recently, and some of the authors she knows have gone to the construction site to take on side jobs.

In the wake of the Asian financial crisis of '97, the Japanese economy was hit hard, and in this situation of being in ruins, it was good to have a job.

Going to the construction site, it's nothing more than moving bricks, transporting bricks, it's normal, and the salary is still daily, which is very convenient, especially for cartoonists.

Recently, the comic industry has been sluggish, and many manga artists are still working on the construction site and have become permanent workers.

Maybe this Higashino-sensei is the same?

She took notes with great skill, and then replied:

"I see, then tomorrow at half past four in the afternoon, the location is in our editorial office, can you?"

"Okay, I'll see you then, editor Hosoya."

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

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

It's finally settled... And there are no waves in the process...

"How? Hosoya editing? What did the author of "Midnight Bell" say? ”

The male editor, who had been staring at her for a long time, asked inexplicably eagerly.

"Uh..."

Hosokawa Koharu was about to speak, but it was not only the male editor who was 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... Scared like this by horror comics... That's a bit unreasonable, right?

However, I am no better than that.

Hosokawa Koharu looked at the TV in front of him chained to a large iron chain and coughed dryly.

The time came two days ago.

At that time, Hosokawa Koharu had just taken the original manga manuscript mailed this week into the editorial office from the mailing office downstairs.

This is also Hosokawa Koharu's job, and although she is a rookie editor, she still values these new contributors.

When you walk upstairs, you will see the logo of Urashima Publishing House, the pale gray island rock.

It is said that the first president wanted to make Urashima Publishing the largest in Japan, so he designed this symbol that looks like an island with the highest peak rising out of the sea.

There is even the previous editor-in-chief who felt that the declining sales of "Bad Cold" were his reasons, and he felt that it was wrong for the first president, and he took all the editors to kneel down against the logo to admit his mistakes, and he almost kowtowed.

It's just that these bloody legends, Hosokawa Koharu doesn't feel much of it.

In the editorial department, she has the lowest qualifications and status, and every time she is called up and down the stairs to get the original manuscript of the comics, she has to see this 'island' sign five or six times a day.

I'm tired of watching it, how can I get up with my blood?

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

If you really want to pour chicken soup, you should hire a delivery person, it's tiring to run up and down every day...

Koharu Hosokawa carried the original manuscript of the manga into the editorial office.

The working environment of the Urashima editorial department is still okay, and each editor has a 2003 big-headed computer in front of him, but he doesn't usually use it much, so he looks at it twice when he counts the manga sales data.

There is a landline phone next to each computer, and you can use the front desk to transfer the line and communicate with the comic author. On the wall not far from the office area is a colorful poster of the weekly magazine "Chill", and by the way, there is a television set for editors to watch news reports in their spare time.

After greeting the seniors one by one and saying hello, Hosokawa Koharu rubbed his temples and began to take out the original manga manuscripts he received one by one from the file bag.

She's going to start reading the manuscripts.

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

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

Even so, Hosokawa Koharu didn't have any expectations, because the manga that came in the mail basically didn't have any good drafts. Experienced authors talk directly to the editor before finalizing the manuscript. Only pure wild newcomers will send their manuscripts to the editorial office by mail.

But the level of wild newcomers...? This... Everybody understands.

Hosokawa Koharu has even received something drawn by elementary and junior high school students - it doesn't look like a horror comic, but like a science fiction manga "Alien".

Because of this, even if Hosokawa Koharu has been in office for a month, she is still empty-handed, she is not in charge of the work, even if there are two or three pages of short comics sandwiched in the middle of the magazine.

It's true.

But it can't be helped.

She is just a rookie editor, unlike the old editors who have old comic book authors who ask them to contribute, and can only receive manuscripts mailed by newcomers every day to live.

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

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

Flipping through it, a piece of paper slipped from under her hand.

This paper doesn't look like it's the original paper, and the original paper for the comics is very thick...

So what is it?

Hosokawa Koharu picked it up and muttered the above sentence:

"Editors with a history of heart disease and epilepsy should not look at it..."

Well???

Hiss... This also comes with a movie newspaper reminder?

Hosokawa Koharu looked at it and laughed.

The author of this cartoon is also so interesting, and he also thought of this kind of funny gimmick of deception.

Hosokawa Koharu was talking to herself here, and the male editor next to her also glanced back at the note in her hand, and then said with some joy:

"The current rookie comic book author is quite interesting, and he still has this kind of note, this is trying to create a gimmick, right?"

"But it's really useful, and when he says that, I really want to see it."

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

She was going to look at the comics that the editors of the 'History of Heart Disease and Epilepsy' should not read.

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

That's a joke.

You're welcome, who of the editors here hasn't seen dozens or even hundreds of horror comics? Everyone is an expert in horror comics, why are you a newcomer in front of us?

It's not arrogance, it's self-perception accuracy.

If any horror comic could scare the editor out of epilepsy, heart attack and sudden death... Then I am afraid that this industry has to carry more than ten people to the morgue a day, and it is not enough to die.

The author of "Midnight Bell" is inevitably too big, in the final analysis, he is underestimating the editing industry.

"Midnight Bells..."

Hosokawa Koharu looked at the manga name on the brown sealed file bag and muttered.

The title of this comic is quite easy to understand.

But it sounds like a horror comic with a phone theme that has been drawn badly...

She shook her head.

Hey, when you think about it, you don't have much to look forward to.

But you have to keep watching.

Hosokawa Koharu tried to cheer up, pinching the thick manga manuscript paper and looking...