Bakuman 40

**For Akatsuki Group use only. Thanks!
Edited by c_k

Page 40: Floating, Sinking and the Sea

P2

<ring>
<ring>

Insert: Who will save Azuki from her desperation and struggles?

Saiko: Why won’t she pick up the phone…?

--

<beep>

--

Azuki…

--

<beep // beep / beep>

--

Saiko: Do you know Azuki’s address?

Miyoshi: Huh!? Her address…? I do know it, but I have to hang up the phone to check… I’ll call you back.

P3

Saiko: Hachiouji-City Motohon…

--

Miyoshi: Mashiro asked me for Miho’s address…

Takagi: Her address?! Why?

--

Miyoshi: I don’t know! He first asked me for her phone number and now I’m concerned…

--

Takagi: What are you trying to do, Saiko…?

P4

Takagi: What the hell? Are you ditching work to go on a date?

--

Takagi: The schedule is very tight starting the fourth chapter! / What happened to your promise of only seeing her when your dreams come true?

--

Saiko: Azuki is in trouble and she can’t even tell Miyoshi about it… // I have to go…

--

Saiko: I’ll stay up all night to finish the manuscript!

Takagi: Don’t be ridiculous! / It’ll take you four hours roundtrip to go to her house! You won’t finish your manuscripts before the assistants come in tomorrow!

P5

Saiko: She won’t even answer the phone! // Move!!

Takagi: Wait, just calm down a sec! // Something must have happened if she isn’t answering her phone! Tell me what’s going on!

Saiko: I don’t know what happened, so I’m going to go see her! You and Miyoshi are always together, but we’re not, so you don’t understand what we’re going through!!

--

Takagi: Saiko!!

--

Miyoshi: You guys will make the deadline, right?

Takagi: Even if we do, the quality will definitely be poor… shit…

--

Takagi: Did you try calling Azuki!?

Miyoshi: Uh…oh, I’ll try now.

P7

Miyoshi: It’s ringing but she’s not picking up…

Takagi: She might think you’re with Saiko and he’s making you call her. // But why isn’t she picking up Saiko’s call? I don’t get it…

--

Takagi: Can you try calling Azuki’s home phone?

Miyoshi: I could, but her mom would pick up.

--

Takagi: I’ll call.

Miyoshi: Huh? Wha…

--

<ring>
<ring>

P8

Takagi: Hi, this is Takagi. I was Miho-san’s classmate in junior high. Is Miho-san home?

Mom: Oh, long time no speak! Miho is in her room.

--

Takagi: She won’t pick up her cell phone when we try calling her. Is it possible to put her on the phone?

--

Mom: Miho, I’m coming in.

--

<click>

--

Mom: It’s a call from Takagi-kun.

Azuki: Takagi-kun!? He must be with Mashiro-kun…

P9

Mom: If you don’t want to talk to him, tell him yourself! / Takagi-kun, I’m passing the phone over to Miho.

Takagi: Oh, thanks…

--

Takagi: Azuki-san, Saiko is heading to your house!

--

Takagi: He left all the work he has to do behind to go see you! Are you okay with that!? If you are, I’ve lost all respect for you!

Miyoshi: Takagi…

--

Azuki: I’m sorry Takagi-kun! I’m hanging up!

Takagi: HUH? Don’t screw around! You’re dragging Saiko… You’re dragging us behind schedule! Tell me what’s going on!

P10

Azuki: I’m sorry! / I have to hang up because I have to call Mashiro-kun!

Takagi: Okay… Fine, bye. <click>

--

<ring>

--

Saiko: This number... is Azuki's!

--

Saiko: Azuki-san, are you okay?

Azuki: I’m sorry!

--

Azuki: Go home and finish your manga! // Takagi-kun called my house… I’m sorry I troubled you all!

P11

Azuki: I didn’t pick up the phone because I didn’t want you to hear my voice when I’m unhappy… // But if you can’t draw manga because of me… That’s even worse! / So go home and draw!

--

Saiko: But you’re struggling with your decision to do the photo collection, aren’t you?

Azuki: Yes.

--

Saiko: Then we should talk about it.

Azuki: Mashiro-kun, just tell me one thing.

Saiko: Ok? What?

--

Azuki: If I released a photo collection that has nothing to do with my success of becoming a voice actress / would you be happy? / Or not?

--

Saiko: I wouldn’t be happy! // I would want to see your photo collection but I don’t want other people to see it! I want it all to myself!!

--

Azuki: Mashiro-kun…

P12

Azuki: Thank you for answering… I won’t do it. I didn’t want to do it anyway…

Saiko: Bu… But…

--

Azuki: I'd think about doing it if I became a popular voice actress, but releasing one now doesn’t seem right. // I was looking at the literary collection from grade school graduation… / I wrote my future dream is to become a voice actress.

--

Azuki: When I found out voice acting was a profession, I decided to become one right away. / I didn’t want to be a celebrity or release a photo collection. / I want to fulfill to that dream.

Saiko: I feel the same way. // When I was young, my dream was to become a mangaka and I drew all the time. / But when I learned the reality of it all… I gave up.

Azuki: The reality?

--

Saiko: Yeah, the reality… Someone I knew died after working too hard to become a popular mangaka… // There are going to be times when you learn more about the world you’re entering and you feel defeated when you see the gap between the fantasy and reality…

Azuki: Yeah.

P13

Saiko: But that’s something we’ll all face. The people that face those obstacles and overcome them are the people whose dreams come true.

--

Azuki: Yeah, you’re right… / Okay. / I’ll take it step by step from the beginning. / I was able to gather my thought by talking to you and I’m feeling better. So go home and draw your manga!

--

Azuki: Thank you…

Saiko: I’m glad…

--

Azuki: I’ll tell you everything from now on, even if I cry… I’m sorry I’m so stubborn…

Saiko: Great! You’re the one that said we should work together and cheer each other up. But if you don’t tell me anything, I can’t cheer you up!

Azuki: Yeah. // Mashiro-kun…

--

Azuki: Let’s go to the beach together one day / and take lots of pictures!

--

Saiko: Azuki…

--

Saiko: We should definitely go. It’ll be another promise of ours for when our dreams come true.

Azuki: Okay, I’ll make us lunch.

Saiko: Okay, that’s a promise too.

P14

Saiko: We’ll go to the beach together / and take lots of pictures // and your hand-made lunch. / We have so many dreams.

Azuki: But…

Saiko: What?

--

Asuki: Our dreams won’t come true just by talking about them.

--

Saiko: I know! I’m going home to finish the manuscripts.

Azuki: Good luck! I’ll work hard too.

Miyoshi: Mashiro!!

Takagi: Saiko!

Azuki: I hear Kaya’s voice…

--

Azuki: I’ll apologize to Takagi-kun later.

Saiko: I have to apologize to him too.

--

Saiko: Sorry! / Azuki-san says sorry too.

Miyoshi: You guys shouldn’t make us worry so much!

Takagi: I can’t get mad at you if you apologize to me so quickly! // Anyway, just go home and work!

Saiko: Okay!

P15

March 4th: Chapter 4 was completed on time and today is the deadline for Chapter 5

--

Miura: OK, good! / Let’s talk about the next chapter.

<tap tap>

Takagi: Can you tell us what the final results for chapter 2 were?

--

Miura: Don’t worry! You guys were 8th for chapter 2!

Takagi: We were still 8th…

--

Miura: What, you’re unsatisfied!? I thought you guys were worried about ending up in the double digits.

--

Takagi: It’s not that we’re unsatisfied… // Can you tell us the results for the first chapter of Ibaraki-sense’s “Plus Beta,” “Otter” and “Okaki” too…? / And the results for “CROW” too?

--

Miura: “Plus Beta” was 5th, “CROW” was 3rd, “Otter” was 6th, “Okaki” was 12th. / Even though “Okaki” was 12th, they won’t discontinue the series yet, so you guys should be alright.

Chart:
CROW
Plus Beta
Otter
TRAP
Okaki

P16

Okaki: 9th  12th
TRAP: 8th  1? th

Takagi: If the second chapter of “Okaki” was 9th and our second chapter was 8th, then our 3rd chapter might be in the double-digits…

Miura: I think you guys should be fine. Even if you’re in the double-digits, you’ll be fine as long as you’re not 18th or 19th!

--

Miura: I’m always telling you guys to be more confident.

Takagi: You’re having a series meeting on the 19th, right after you get the 3rd chapter early reports, right?

--

Miura: I told you that even if you guys are last place in the early reports, the series won’t be cancelled!

Takagi: Are you sure?

--

Miura: I’m not 100% sure but I’m 99% sure!

Takagi: If you’re not 100% sure, you’re not sure!

Miura: There's nothing that's absolute in the world!

--

Saiko: You said that no matter how bad “Plus Beta” was in the early reports for chapter 2, their series won’t get cancelled in the upcoming meeting, right?

Miura: That’s the rule!

--

Saiko: Doesn’t that mean if they choose 4 new series again, we’re in trouble if we’re 15th?

Miura: Come on guys! / “TRAP” is going to be fine! Let’s talk about the next chapter!

P17

March 8th Tuesday

--

Miura: The early report!

--

Miura: ”TRAP” chapter 3… 9th! // I knew it would be in the single-digits…

--

Miura: Their series won’t be cancelled. It's 100% guaranteed!

--

Aida: Looks like “TRAP” will continue on. All these high school mangakas are pretty impressive.

Miura: Yes, I’m so glad. But Niizuma-kun is graduating soon.

Hattori: He’s glad even though it’s in 9th…

P18

March 9th Wednesday

Takagi: Can you look at the name for chapter 7?

--

Saiko: I’m starting to think if you can change it, we should.

Takagi: What!?

--

Saiko: If we use this chapter 7 name, it’ll take at least 3 chapters to solve this mystery. / Even if our series isn’t cancelled in tomorrow's meeting, we don’t know how chapters 4 through 6 will do… // In case we don’t do so well, starting a story that will needs 3 or 4 chapters to solve might get out of hand.

Takagi: …

P19

Takagi: But Miura-san said we should keep doing what we’re doing until we release a comic book. / And if the book sells a lot, we’ll be okay…

Saiko: A comic book won’t be released for 4 more months. If we start ranking 10th or lower, our comic book sales won’t necessarily be good either.

Takahama: I agree.

--

Takahama: I don’t think you should take Miura-san’s word to heart.

--

Takahama: When I ended up only as a final candidate in the Tezuka Awards, Miura-san picked up my manga to work on… / And I don’t want to speak badly of someone who picked up my manga but…

--

Takahama: All 3 of my manuscripts that Miura-san said were great didn’t even end up in any of the monthly competitions.

P20

Takahama: He has very little experience and he’s a little too optimistic. // That's why I think you should do your manga the way you want it to be.

--

Takagi: But it would be problematic if we complete something that’s entirely different from what we discussed…

--
Takagi: Plus, considering all the editing we have to do, we don’t have the time to draw something else.

Saiko: The 10th chapter where TRAP is the one that gets tricked and almost gets killed… / I think that’s a great one.

--

Saiko: But you’re the storywriter so I’ll draw whatever you think is best.

Takagi: Okay…

--

The next day

Miyoshi: Even though we know our series won’t get cancelled, I still hate series meeting days!

Takagi: Shut up and keep working.

<painting sound>

Miyoshi: What? You’re always telling me to lighten the mood by talking…

--

<ring>

What! Already!? / It’s only 5:30, they’re early.

P21

Fukuda: YEAAAAH!! FINALLY MY TIME HAS COME!!

Nakai: Aaaaaah! Yeah!

Niizuma: Zugogogogogo…

--

Niizuma: That’s great you guys! Both of you have serializations now! // Double congratulations!

--

Nakai: Thank you thank you! // Finally, I can work with Aoki-san! // I’m so glad to be alive… I’m so glad I didn’t give up! I can work with Aoki-san…!

--

Niizuma: But we won’t get to work anymore so I’m a little sad.

Fukuda: Don’t be stupid! This is my first series in JUMP! There can be nothing more wonderful! I’ll surpass “CROW”! No, I’ll surpass all the mangas!!

Niizuma: Yes! I won’t lose to “Kiyoshi” or “Door” so come at me with all you’ve got!

Fukuda: I will!

Nakai: I won’t lose either! Aoki-san and I won’t lose!

P22

Saiko: There are 2 new series: / “KIYOSHI Knight” and “hideout door”!

Miyoshi: Really? Wow!

--

Saiko: We have to call them to congratulate them like they did for us.

Takagi: The 2 mangas that we went head-to-head against in the Future Golden Cup… // I can’t believe they’re both being serialized… And it’s only the 2 of them…

--

Saiko: The series that will be cancelled are Takano-sensei’s “Chain gold” / and… Arai-sensei’s “Cheese Okaki”!

Miyoshi: “CheeOka” already?

Takagi: “Okaki” is done for!?

--

Takagi: Miura-san said “Okaki” would be okay…

--

Saiko: I’m starting to think that if you can change it, we should.

Takahama: He has very little experience and he’s a little too optimistic.

--

Takagi: Saiko! I’m going to change the name for chapter 7!!