Chihaya Higashino didn't like his brother to see him as a child, and he didn't particularly like Kumamon.

Because...

That's not like her at all.

Who is like Kumamon, round and fat?

As a girl with a normal mind, of course she likes to be slim and beautiful.

Taking a million steps back, even if his brother wants to draw a mascot, he can't draw it so chubby and round - because she Higashino is very good-looking!

Thinking so, Higashino Chihaya simply raised his head and asked.

"Isn't my sister beautiful and cute?"

"Sister Chihaya is pretty good-looking," Higashino nodded, but did not refute Higashino Chihaya on this question.

After all, this kind of question is generally a proposition for boys, who dares to say the word 'no'?

Besides, my sister is really beautiful, I don't have to say that.

"Then you..."

Higashino Chihaya just wanted Higashino to change the appearance of Kumamon, at least to be slimmer.

But before she could say this, she was denied by Higashino Tsukasa waving his hand with a smile.

Don't look at Kumamon, the black fat bear, is a simple mascot that can be drawn with just your hands, but it contains the most popular elements.

Cute tubular body, short limbs, neutral facial expressions, soft tactile image design. This is the main reason for the Kumamon fire.

And Chihaya Higashino, who heard Tsukasa Higashino's words, was naturally powerless to refute-

She didn't know what image design was, so she could only stuff rice into her mouth and stop talking.

On the other side, Higashino Tsukasa, who had already sat down to eat, saw her and thought for a while, and finally decided to hide what the Twilight Qiren had asked for.

Higashino Chihaya is so unhappy, he can't force Higashino Chihaya to help, right?

Besides, it's just an interview, so it's good to be polite tomorrow and let the people of the twilight push it off.

He was determined to give up.

On the other side, Higashino Chihaya seemed to notice something, and suddenly raised his head, looking a little curious.

"As, do you have something to say to me?"

"Nope."

"Really?"

Looking at Tsukasa Higashino's no-no-wave appearance, Chihaya Higashino had a suspicious expression.

She always felt as if Higashino was hiding something from her.

It's a pure instinct, and there's no reason for it.

"Ace." Chihaya Higashino put down his chopsticks and looked at Tsukasa Higashino who was still eating on the other side.

"If there's something my sister can help with... Or if it's related to your sister, you can tell your sister. ”

She pulled her small bench next to Tsukasa Higashino, with a serious expression: "Sister will definitely help you." ”

Chihaya Higashino's sudden statement made Tsukasa Higashino on the other side couldn't help but look at her twice.

"No, it's really nothing, Sister Chihaya, let's eat."

He waved his hand again and sighed slightly, signaling that Higashino Chihaya didn't need to ask any more.

And Higashino Chiha, who heard this sigh, felt that his little heart was being scratched by something, and it itched like words.

His younger brother must have something to hide from him.

Didn't run away!

At this time, it is time for me to be majestic as the daughter of the Higashino family!

Chihaya Higashino came to the spirit all of a sudden, and simply didn't even eat the meal, and by the way, he also took away Tsukasa Higashino's plate.

"What the hell is going on? As? If you have something on your mind, my sister will definitely help you. ”

“......”

Chiba Higashino looked at Tsukasa Higashino like this for a long time.

In her gaze, Higashino was silent for a moment.

Then Higashino Tsukasa shook his head with a smile: "No, my side of the matter, Sister Chihaya, you can't help." ”

"How do you know my sister can't help! My sister can do anything! You're looking down on me! ”

Higashino Chihaya slapped the table dissatisfiedly: "Ace, you are always like this now, treating my sister as a child and a fool." Let me tell you, no matter what it is today, my sister can help. ”

“... All right. Since you said so, Sister Chihaya. ”

Looking at Tsukasa Higashino's expression of obviously 'being forced to be helpless', Higashino Chihaya felt a burst of joy in his heart.

Ever since he woke up, his brother had been helping him, and now he finally had the opportunity to listen to his troubles.

Isn't that more about doing what a sister should do?

She thought so.

Then I heard what Higashino Tsukasa was more worried about.

And then...

Then Chihaya Higashino was stunned.

"Kumamon interview...? Interview me? ”

"yes."

Uh-

Higashino Chihaya was stunned and wanted to refuse, but then he thought of what he said just now, 'No matter what it is today, my sister can help'... All of a sudden, it was hard to open my mouth.

She could only look at her brother.

It took a while to reluctantly come back to his senses.

Why does she think that Higashino Tsukasa deliberately cheated herself? Could it be that the 'forced helpless' look just now was pretended?

Thinking of this, Higashino Chihaya couldn't help but look at his younger brother's expression, only to find that Higashino's gaze and tone were the same as always, and there was no change.

It's still impossible, right?

How could the younger brother lie to the older sister? No... Wrong.

How could a sister be deceived by a younger brother?

I, Chihaya Higashino, am very smart.

Chihaya Higashino nodded confidently, and then he heard Tsukasa Higashino's words.

"Sister Chihaya, let me start by saying that this interview will be conducted on the basis of your willingness."

"Really...? Then if I refuse... Will it have any effect on Asco? ”

Higashino Chihaya asked softly.

"It won't make a difference." Tsukasa Higashino smiled.

In fact, if Higashino Chihaya is willing to participate in this project, not to mention too much, he can still earn back 50 or 60 million yen.

But Higashino Chihaya was unwilling.

Naturally, Tsukasa Higashino also had to base it on her wishes.

After all, money is enough. Tsukasa Higashino hasn't reached the point where he doesn't care about his family's wishes for money.

He thought so, and then looked at Higashino Chihaya and nodded his head, as if he had made a decision.

Then, Higashino Chihaya's answer rang out.

"My sister knows, and she is going to participate in the interview... Right? My sister will help. ”

Well?

Tsukasa Higashino, who originally thought that Higashino Chihaya would refuse, was in a trance for a while, and after two seconds, he asked a little strangely, "Sister Chihaya, don't you like Kumamon very much?" ”

"Hmm... Belch... Hmm..."

Hearing this, Higashino Chihaya stretched out his hand and grabbed his hair, and after a while he replied with a blushing face: "How can a sister really hate what her brother made for herself?" ”

Oh, yes.

On the surface, she seems to dislike Kumamon, but when she thinks that this is something that Higashino Tsukasa created with her as a prototype.

In fact, I was still a little secretly happy in my heart.

It's just that she was not too embarrassed to show it directly, so she simply said that she didn't like it.

Of course, Higashino Chihaya himself doesn't really like to show up.

This is also for the sake of Tsukasa Higashino, otherwise she would not have agreed at all.

"Anyway, I'll help!" Chihaya Higashino felt like her face was going to be roasted.

“... Is it? Tsukasa Higashino looked at Chihaya Higashino.

After finding that the other party was just shy and didn't show a reluctant look, he nodded: "I understand." ”

He also knew that Chihaya Higashino probably agreed to be interviewed for his own sake this time.

No matter whenever.

Higashino Chiha's character for him has not changed at all.

Higashino couldn't help but reach out and touch her head again.

This time, Higashino Chihaya didn't dodge, but just half-raised his head and looked at Higashino Tsukasa with a smile.

Since Higashino Chihaya here agreed, then Higashino Tsukasa didn't have to beat around the bush to reject the Twilight Qiren.

Of course, about forty or fifty million in remuneration ... Naturally, this money Higashino Tsukasa will not take Higashino Chihaya's.

He plans to go to the bank to open an account for Higashino Chihaya and ask the Twilight Qito to give the money to Higashino Chihaya.

Of course, Tsukasa Higashino will not hide this from Chihaya Higashino.

And then—

"Fifty, fifty million... Yen? Ah, A... What are you kidding? It's not funny. ”

Higashino Chihaya's eyes widened, and her mouth trembled.

Five, fifty million!

If this is pocket money, the amount is inevitably a little too large.

She just gave an interview, at most, she would take a few more photos with the other party and do a few Kumamon movements...

That's 50 million yen?

Isn't that a bit sloppy?

"The 50 million yen is just a guaranteed share. After all, Kumamon has a large market right now, and there is still a lot of traffic that has not been realized. ”

Tsukasa Higashino explained with a smile.

His words of 'it's only 50 million yen' made Chihaya Higashino, who was next to him, couldn't help but look at him more, and couldn't help but excuse himself: "That's 50 million yen, Ace." ”

She gestured her fingers a little helplessly: "50 million yen, you can fill a whole box in a box, right?" ”

She is a child of an ordinary family, how has she ever seen so much money?

It's a bit of a bad thing to say, though.

But Chihaya Higashino felt that when his father was still there, he worked hard for more than ten years... I don't think it's as much money as this interview.

She twisted her fingers carefully, as if she was still immersed in the huge amount of 50 million yen that had fallen from the sky.

And Tsukasa Higashino didn't care.

Because 50 million yen is actually nothing in front of some really rich people in Japan.

Those well-known chaebols and banks, which do not have trillions of yen in assets, can have tens of thousands of employees alone.

It's not just Japan.

The rich people of the Celestial Empire in the beautiful country and even in later generations... Actually, it's all pretty much the same.

- Reality is really like that.

Just as Higashino was thinking.

Chihaya Higashino on the other side looked at it a little curiously: "Ace, tell my sister honestly, how much money do you have in your hands now?" ”

She had also heard from her classmates that Tsukasa Higashino's income seemed to be very high, but seeing that he didn't care much about 50 million yen, of course she was a little curious.

"Hmm... Didn't do much of it. Higashino thought for a while and said, "My overall assets are about seven or eight billion yen now." ”

His assets have always fluctuated, so he also made a special trip to hire a financial advisor to help him manage his assets and carry out some financial transactions that make money and do not lose money.

"Seven or eight hundred billion..."Higashino Chihaya subconsciously rubbed his temples and began to think about calculations.

50 million yen can fill a box, but what about 70 or 80 billion yen?

It's probably a hill when converted into paper money, right?

Higashino didn't say anything when he looked at her careful appearance.

At most, he said that he had savings in the bank, and in addition to that, he also had the copyrights of his various works... If it were all converted into cash, it is estimated that it would have exceeded the 100 billion mark long ago.

"Drawing comics... Is it so profitable? ”

Chihaya Higashino sat back on his small bench and muttered to himself a little skeptically.

She only felt that her values had taken a hit.

According to her previous thoughts, the trajectory of a person's life is probably to study, go to college, and then come out to find a job, and live a life similar to others.

But now...

Tsukasa Higashino changed her mind.

"It's quite lucrative to draw comics." Higashino replied with a smile.

The reason why he chose the comic industry in the cold winter was to roll up a small amount of money and get a little cake.

Right now... His goal was achieved, and he rolled up a little bit of money from the comic industry.

And having achieved this goal, he naturally has to think about the next thing.

"Web illustration, webtoon industry..."

Higashino muttered.

Yes.

That's what he thinks.

As time continues, the sales of physical manga will only get weaker and weaker, and the focus of Japanese manga will gradually shift to the Internet.

And now in 2004, Japan didn't even have a decent illustration exchange website, let alone a webtoon browsing website.

As the saying goes, the road has to be taken one step at a time.

Tsukasa Higashino's first step was naturally aimed at an illustration exchange site.

You know, there are many people in this world who draw as a hobby.

And why should they learn to draw?

Part of it was because I liked it, so I learned it myself.

And part of the reason is - who doesn't want to pretend to be forced in front of others with a good hand?

This reason is very real and very real.

Everyone wants to be recognized by others, and everyone wants to hear praise from others

It's like the illustration exchange site of pixiv (referred to as P station) back then, relying on all kinds of illustrators and some hobby folk painters.

It simply provides a virtual art community platform for these people to share their work.

Draw, then be complimented, be satisfied with the compliment, and then submit...

It doesn't matter if you can't draw.

You can submit it for a casual drawing, too, and enjoy the praise of others who are also on this illustration exchange site.

That's the beauty of creative freedom.

Tsukasa Higashino, on the other hand, wanted to directly create such a platform for free creative exchange.

And then through this creative platform, build a webtoon reading platform - this is in line with the trend of the times.

However, in the current situation, this is just an idea, and Higashino has not had time to implement it.

After all, Higashino Studio is not particularly manpowered... It's a bit of a struggle just to animate.

So he made a special trip to give Yano Ryuichi a task.

Interview some useful tool people... Newcomer.