Bakuman 65

Chapter 65

01

Mashiro: A-Azuki might've broken up with me.
Takagi: Ehhhh!?
Text on the left: Both of their love lives have gotten a lot more complicated!!
Title: Page 65 Stubbornness and Honesty

Mashiro: She told me she found out I was hiding the thing between my uncle and her mom, said she couldn't trust me, and hung up.
Takagi: ...This is bad.

Mashiro: B-but she's just a bit mad, right? She's liked me since fourth grade and promised to marry me. This can't destroy our relationship, right?
Takagi: Well...

Takagi: Fastidious and earnest people like Azuki tend to be more unforgiving of unfaithfulness than people like Miyoshi.
Mashiro: I wasn't unfaithful!!
Takagi: Th-that's right. You haven't done anything wrong... But, with someone like Azuki, this is bad.

Mashiro: W-well, I need to apologize.
Takagi: How is he going to apologize...?
SFX: *beep*
SFX: *beep*

02

Mashiro: H-hello. This is Mashiro.
Azuki: ...Yes?

Mashiro: Sorry about before. But please believe me that we haven't done anything wrong.
Azuki: I trust you. So tell me about it.

Mashiro: If you trust me, I shouldn't have to tell you about the whole Takagi and Miyoshi thing...
Azuki: If you haven't done anything wrong, you should be able to tell me about it. Like this, I can only think that you're covering for Takagi-kun.

Mashiro: Oh, but when you were troubled about whether you should make that photo album, you hid it from me.
Azuki: Not saying something because it'll worry someone and hiding something bad you've done are two different things.

Mashiro: I already told you, we didn't do anything wrong.
Mashiro: Why are you assuming we did!
Azuki: If you didn't do anything wrong, then you can just tell me about it.

Mashiro: Don't you trust me?

Azuki: If you trust me, you should be able to tell me anything.

03

Mashiro: That's enough.
Azuki: My thoughts exactly.

Mashiro: It's no good...
Takagi: Eh...?
SFX: *beep*

Mashiro: Azuki and Miyoshi just don't trust us! Even though we've told them we didn't do anything wrong!
Takagi: Yeah...

Takagi: I'm the one at fault...If what I did ends up breaking those two apart...

Takagi: It's no use. Let's tell them everything.
Takagi: Azuki will understand.
Mashiro: You mean tell them that you were exchanging opinions with Aoki-san? Will Miyoshi approve of that?

Takagi: That's why I have to end the thing with Aoki-san first.
Takagi: If I've ended it, we can tell them about it and say I won't do it again. If Miyoshi won't forgive me, then there's nothing I can do.
Takagi: But you and Azuki should be able to patch things up that way!

04

Takagi: I was just exchanging opinions and Iwase asked Aoki-san to arrange the meeting without my knowing, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?
Mashiro: Seems likely.

Takagi: First I need to hurry up and call Aoki-san.
SFX: *beep*
SFX: *beep*
Mashiro: But what will Aoki-san think?
Takagi: I have no choice but to apologize and ask her to end this.

Aoki: Takagi-san! He usually calls at night.

Aoki: Hello.
Takagi: H-hello. You certainly are cheerful today.

Aoki: Oh, sorry. I had just gotten caught up in thinking about how dishonest men can be.
Aoki: But, Takagi-san, you're the only guy I can trust. And I can talk about manga with you.
Aoki: I was just really happy you had called.

05

Takagi: You're...happy...to talk with me...
Aoki: Yes, quite...

Aoki: If I hadn't been able to exchange opinions with you, my distrust of men probably would have become a distrust of people altogether.
Aoki: I'm truly thankful.

Aoki: You're the first guy I've found who I can be honest and talk about anything to. It's wonderful because all the people around me seem so hard to talk to.
Aoki: I look forward to working as fellow mangakas and perhaps as rivals one day.

Takagi: Th-this is bad. There's no way I can tell her to stop talking with me now.
Mashiro: Ehh?

Takagi: W-well, I'm with Mashiro now, so I'll talk to you more tonight.
Aoki: ?? Okay...I'll be waiting.

06

Mashiro: Yeah, you can't really tell her to stop now... Aoki-san hasn't done anything wrong...
Takagi: I'm sorry.

Takagi: Can you tell the whole thing to just Azuki? She said she didn't like you hiding it from her.
Mashiro: She'll just tell Miyoshi...And if I ask her to keep quiet about it, I bet she'll get even more mad.
Takagi: True...

Mashiro: I've had enough.
Mashiro: Let's leave them alone for a bit and see how it goes.
Mashiro: It's fine. Just this isn't going to end things with them for either of us.
Takagi: I agree, but I caused this between you and Azuki.
Mashiro: It's really just a matter of Azuki and Miyoshi trusting us a little! If they would apologize to us, I'd be fine with telling them. That way they couldn't just rule over us.
Takagi: Yeah, I guess...

Mashiro: Okay! Let's start on the serialization storyboard for if "Tanto" gets first.
Takagi: O-okay...

Takagi: "If they would apologize to us"...?
Takagi: This is bad... Saiko is just so stubborn...

07

Miyoshi: Hoo. I'm back.
Miyoshi: Sorry for intruding on you like this.
Miyoshi: I think I've got everything I need now.
Azuki: Takagi-kun and Mashiro-kun are both hopeless.
SFX: *drop*

Miyoshi: Eh?
Azuki: I just called them.
Miyoshi: Called them?

Azuki: They're hiding something.

Miyoshi: Y-you mean you talked with Mashiro, too?
Azuki: Yeah, we had a fight.

Miyoshi: Miho and Mashiro...had a fight?

Azuki: I can't believe he'd hide something from me. I won't forgive him.
Miyoshi: Uh, okay...

Miyoshi: This is bad...It's our fault...
Miyoshi: What should I do...It's because Miho is just so stubborn... Oh...so is Mashiro...

08

Box: August 16th "Akamaru Jump" goes on sale
Takagi: Usually you got an email with her thoughts on the day it went on sale.
Takagi: Azuki should just make up with you starting with that.
Mashiro: Enough with that.

Takagi: No. You've been down ever since then.

Takagi: Quit being stubborn and tell Azuki about it.
Mashiro: You sure are insistent. I'm not going to give in.
Mashiro: And you haven't gotten anywhere on the storyboards.

Takagi: That's because I'm worried about you and Azuki. You love each other so much...
Mashiro: Liar. You're just worried about you and Miyoshi.
Takagi: I'm telling the truth.

Mashiro: Anyway, the storyboard!
Takagi: *sigh* The full results from "Akamaru" doesn't come out for another 10 days. And because of what happened with "Money and Wisdom", we told him not to tell us the preliminary results.
Mashiro: "Money and Wisdom", huh...? First on the preliminary and third in the end. Don't remind me...
Mashiro: That was in "Akamaru", too.
Takagi: "Crow" got first, so third was good enough to get serialized.

09

Mashiro: ...I wonder if "Tanto" will get first.
Takagi: Don't "wonder". It definitely will.

Mashiro: I'm sure we'll get the young age group, but apparently the average age of the readers of "Akamaru" is higher than for "Weekly Shonen Jump"...
Takagi: Saiko, you really are hopeless without a supporting email from Azuki.
Mashiro: I said I was fine!

Box: A week later.

Miura: Yes!!
Miura: "Tanto" got first in the preliminary results!!

Editor: Damn... "True Human" got second... And "Time of Fresh Leaves" got fourth...

Miura: I want to tell Ashirogi-kun, but I promised not to tell them until we got the final results.
Miura: It's gonna show in my face.
Miura: I guess I can't meet with them until the final results come out.
Editor: With this margin, "Human" could take the lead. But "Fresh Leaves" can't get to first. No, I can't say that yet. I guess we'll know it all in a week...

Box: A week later.
Miura: The final results...!

10

Miura: All right! First in the final results!!

Takagi: First!
Mashiro: Yes!!

Takagi: This is our first time getting first! We're so happy!
Miura: Y-you idiots. This is the first manga I've been in charge of to get first! Not that that's really the same! Ha ha ha.
Miura: I'll make sure to push for you at the next serialization meeting, okay!?
Mashiro: Okay, we'll do our best!!

11

Mashiro: Yes.
Takagi: I didn't think I'd be this happy to get first. Next let's go for "Jump".
Mashiro: What place do you think we'll get there?

Takagi: Why are you asking that at a time like this? Well I guess...third...Definitely in the top five. It's sure to do better than "Ten"! It'll be a huge success.
Mashiro: Yeah.

Takagi: What is it now?

Mashiro: I'm informing Azuki.
Takagi: Oh.

Top of cell phone: Composing New Email
To line: Azuki Miho
Subject Line: We did it
Body: "Running Daihatsu Tanto" got first! We're gonna work towards getting it serialized and then getting first in "Jump".
Bottom options on cell phone: Menu Options Send

Takagi: She can't still be at work at this hour. She could at least congratulate you. Is she really that mad?
Mashiro: In a way, I've already given in. I get the feeling she isn't going to respond unless I apologize.
Mashiro: Isn't she being way too cruel?
Takagi: Yeah, a little...
Text right of Mashiro: *sigh*

12

Takagi: Huh? I'm getting a call.

Takagi: It's Aoki-san. This is the first time she's called me.
Takagi: Hello.

Aoki: Congratulations.

Takagi: Oh, thanks.

Aoki: I got third.
Takagi: Third! That's great. I guess I need to congratulate you, too, huh?

Aoki: I am a bit disappointed, but I'm honestly glad the person who collaborated with me was the one who got first. Let's both continue to do our best from here on out.
Takagi: I will! Thank you very much.

Takagi: Ahh, Aoki-san really is a very nice person. If only she could open herself up to everyone. She's very honest at the core.
Takagi: Compared to her, Miyoshi really is immature.

13

Miura: Yamahisa-kun, "Human" and "Fresh Leaves" got 2nd and 3rd.
Miura: You did well for going up against Ashirogi-kun.
Editor: With 2nd I can still aim for a serialization. I didn't get the cover or color pages, but there wasn't much of a margin.

Editor2: Yamahisa.
Editor: Yes?

Editor2: I talked with the higher-ups again, but they have a problem the presentation of "True Human". You need to go with a different story if you want a serialization.
Editor: What!? Even though it got 2nd in "Akamaru"?
Miura: My condolences...

Editor2: And it's amazing that "Fresh Leaves" got third with that art. It had support from a high age range and from men and women alike.
Editor2: It's been a while since we've had a romance story like that.

Editor2: You need to have Aoki-san just draw the characters' faces. It's worth trying to have Aoki Kou do the story and Nakai Takurou do the art again.
Editor2: This time it'll be in "Jump".
Editor: So that came up after all. The backgrounds and the like were pretty bad. The panties were drawn properly, but, combined with the rest, the balance was a bit off. The art was cute, but the anatomy and composition were pretty bad.
Editor: I guess we'll just have to put her together with Nakai-san again.
Editor: If we do that, it might even defeat "Tanto".
Editor2: Yeah...We haven't had any romance mangas like this recently. If you do well, it could get made into a TV drama.

14

Aoki: I got third and Takagi-san got first, buy why am I so happy?
Aoki: Maybe I...

Aoki: No! I can't fall in love with him. He has a girlfriend.
Aoki: It's a love I can't have.

Editor: Hello, this is Yamahisa! Despite what I said before, the whole of the editorial department thinks that you should have Nakai-san do the art!
Editor: Then you can go for it again! It'll definitely do well.
Aoki: So my art really is... But...with Nakai-san...

Aoki: I-if that's the way for me to make a good manga, I'll do it.
Aoki: I guess my art still isn't fit for a shonen magazine. And I know I'm lacking in strength.
Editor: Okay! Then I'll tell Nakai-san.

Aoki: I'll contact Nakai-san. We've talked back and forth a lot, so I should contact him directly.
Editor: Eh? Oh, okay. Fine. It's not going to be serialized right away, but try to convince him.

15

Sign: Takahama

Nakai: Aoki-san!
Aoki: Good evening.

Nakai: Good evening.

Aoki: I was wondering if you could do the art for a manga of mine like before.
Nakai: W-wait a second.

Nakai: Aoki Kou...
Nakai: I-I didn't think it was possible, but was the romance reminiscent of Aoki-san and me she drew in "Time of Fresh Leaves" really...

Nakai: Excuse me. I'm stepping out for a bit.
Takahama: ...Okay.

Nakai: *smile*

Nakai: It sure is tough being popular.

16

Nakai: Oh, it isn't being serialized yet.
Aoki: No...They want to test it out in "Jump" first.

Nakai: If Aoki-san really does like me...
Nakai: I can do this!

Nakai: Um, can we meet now? I want to talk with you face to face. I can make up a reason to get out of work and meet you at the family restaurant we met at while we were doing "hi door" in about half an hour.
Aoki: ?... Yes, okay.

Aoki: Why face to face...?

Nakai: Sorry for keeping you waiting. I ducked out of work, so we have to keep this brief.

Nakai: The truth is, I'm getting along pretty well with this girl called Katou Natsumi-san at the place I'm working as an assistant at. Also the work is enjoyable.

17

Nakai: I'm conflicted. Katou-san or you?
Aoki: ...I don't really understand.

Nakai: If you agree to go out with me...
Nakai: I will of course choose you and aim for getting serialized along with you.

Nakai: So if you want to work with me, you have to officially start dating me. That's my condition.

Aoki: Nakai-san.
Nakai: Yes?

18

Customers: Eh?
Customers: Ah.
Customers: Seriously? That kind of thing actually happens?

Aoki: You're the worst.

19

Aoki: Making a confession be your condition for working as partners?
Aoki: Date you? As a man...
Aoki: As a human, you're the worst!

Nakai: I see.
Nakai: Good...Now that you've said that, I'm no longer conflicted.

Nakai: The path I must follow is clear now.
Nakai: Well, Natsumi-chan is waiting for me.

Nakai: Farewell.

Text: This insincerity merely adds to her distrust...!!