Ibitsu Gaiden 13.5

For the use of Project Bite Me! Scanlations only.

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So that's all the chapters of Ibitsu done! Thanks to everyone who read my translations until now. I really hope you enjoyed them. ^w^

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183.

Box 1: My name is Sano Susumu. I'm a manga artist.

[Note: Susumu is reading the manga Pakuman, probably a reference to Bakuman]

Box 2: But my series are always cancelled and I'm pretty much out of work.

Box 3: The new manga I had put so much effort into making was laughed at by an editor.

Box 4: They politely turned me down, saying "It would be better in a magazine for young men".

Susumu: Haha. // They're really motivated.

Box 5: For most manga artists, things don't go as well as they do in manga.

Box 6: Just when I was considering getting a different job because / I was having trouble with money...

Rukina: Sorry I'm late...

184.

Text:
Side Story
The Mysterious Tale of the Editor ~Ibitsu: Another Story~

Box: An editor contacted me.

185.

Business Card:
OX社
OX Company

出版部門　少年アクセル編集部
Publishing Department: Shounen Axel Editorial Division

翠川　瑠綺奈
Midorikawa Rukina

株式会社OX社
OX Corporation

携帯
Cell Phone

アクセルONLINE
Axel Online

Susumu: Rukina... // Sounds like the name of a manga heroine... // But... // Is this person gonna be okay...

186.

Susumu: Eh?

Rukina: I was very moved by your work "Baroque Star" and I stay up late every night reading it. I think the editorial department deserve to die for cancelling it.

Rukina: I feel that the composition in the third panel of the third chapter is divine composition that shows the hero's depth.

Rukina: I'm a personal fan of yours too!

Sfx bubbles [2] hehe

Susumu: Ah...thank you very much...

Rukina: Ah, sorry...I'm the type of person that gets completely absorbed in what they like... // By the way, Sensei... // I would definitely like you to draw for our magazine.

187.

Susumu: Re...Really?!

Rukina: Yes. // We are ready to begin publishing.

Text: Alright! My luck has changed!

Susumu: Thank you very much!

Rukina: Well, Sensei... // I would like you to draw a character called "Alice Yuu".

188.

Susumu: Alice Yuu?

Rukina: Yes, he's a prince-like character... // According to mail-in surveys and posts on the internet, this is the type of character people want.

Rukina: I think he'll be popular with a lot of readers if you draw him now. // I think your style will be perfect too. It'll be a hit.

Text 1: This editor...

Text 2: She might actually do it...

Susumu: Alright then.

Box: After that, we had a meeting for several hours. I began creating a storyboard right after getting her feedback.

189.

Box 1: Several weeks later...

Box 2: I produced a clear storyboard

Box 3: that was worth the effort I put into it.

Susumu: I made it a fantasy adventure, to match the magazine's genre. // How is it?

Rukina: Tch. // A damn third rate manga artist.

Susumu: Eh?

Rukina: Sensei. / Shounen Axel already has several adventure stories. // So we don't need any adventure stories now.

190.

Rukina: And the type of story that suits "Alice Yuu" // is a love story!

Susumu: A love story... / But I haven't written anything like that before...

Rukina: It's okay, Sensei! // You're just nervous because you haven't understood the character "Alice Yuu". // I'll tell you my image of him.

Susumu: Ah...

191.

Susumu: Th...This is?

Rukina: Planning materials about "Alice Yuu".

192.

Rukina: I wrote this. // "Alice Yuu's 18 year diary."

Diary: Alice Yuu Volume 1

Text: Alice Yuu's 18 year diary?! What is she talking about?!

Susumu: 18 year diary...?

Rukina: Please read this // to understand Alice Yuu. // It's okay. I'm sure you can do it.

Susumu: I'll...I'll try.

193.

Susumu: Alice Yuu's eyes are cobalt blue. // He never goes to the toilet.

Susumu: His sweat smells like roses. // His whispers are like the voice of an angel.

Susumu: What is this? Is she making a fool of me? // I can't create a manga with these materials! // What's with that editor? // I can't put up with this!

Text 1: I'm sure this is my last chance to draw manga.

Text 2: And I need the money...

Susumu: Damn it.

194.

Susumu: I was able to write it somehow... // I'll contact that editor after I eat... // Ah!!

195.

Susumu: Midorikawa-san?

Rukina: Sensei, leaving your door open is careless. // What if our "Alice Yuu" got stolen?

Susumu: Isn't that...my phone?! // What were you doing picking it up without permission?!

196.

Rukina: What are you talking about? / A creator and an editor tell each other everything // and share the same destiny, right?

Sfx bubble: blush

Rukina: You can think of me as your girlfriend.

197.

Rukina: I'll do anything // if it's for manga research.

Sfx bubbles [2] hehe

Text 1: What's wrong with her...?

Text 2: She's more than just an editor...

Rukina: It was a joke, Sensei. // So you've redone the storyboard then? / I'm going to take a look.

198.

Sfx bubbles [2] hehe

Rukina: Just as I expected, Sensei! It's "Alice Yuu"! "Alice Yuu" is alive!

Text: I knew it...she's weird...

Susumu: ...It was thanks to your materials.

Rukina: Oh? // Sensei? // What's the meaning of this final scene? // "Alice Yuu" dies, embraced by the heroine?

Susumu: Well...that's...

199.

Susumu: Because it was necessary! // "Alice Yuu" understands true love in his final moments! // I thought the readers would understand their love that way!

200.

Rukina: You're just a damn third rate manga artist after all. // My Yuu-kun lives forever. // Yuu-kun has to smile.

Rukina: Even if all the curses in the world befall a certain girl, // she would easily survive with Yuu-kun there... // Killing that Yuu-kun... // You virgin!

Rukina: Ah...I can hear Yuu-kun's screams... // It hurts... // It's painful...

201.

Rukina: Sensei! It's no good! // Do it again! // You'll do it again, won't you?

202.

Susumu: I...I understand. // I'll do it again.

Rukina: Thank you very much.

Box 1: I was locked up for ten days

Box 2: and made to create a draft.

Text 1: I was reluctant about a lot of things,

Text 2: but I was just glad it was finished.

Box 3: However, several weeks later, that editor stopped contacting me.

Box 4: There was no sign of the magazine being published either,

Box 5: so I decided to ask at the editorial department.

203.

Man: Midorikawa? // There's no editor by that name here. / I've never seen this storyboard before either.

Susumu: Eh?

Man: Come to think of it... // There was an artist who said something similar.

Man: A woman who pretends to be // an editor from a famous magazine and gets her favourite manga artist // to draw her favourite character!

204.

Man: If the artist doesn't draw it the way she wants, // she cuts off their hand, / making them unable to draw manga again.

Man: She finds the next artist in the previous artist's cell phone. // Well, it is just a rumour.

Man: But this storyboard... // It's no good for Axel, but if you alter it a little...

Man: Sano-san, we have another magazine / which is aimed at girls...

205.

Man: Would you like it to be serialised there?

Box 1: I accepted that offer right away.

Box 2: Several months later, the series was more popular than I expected.

Box 3: I think I might buy a motorbike when my next book is out. / It was complicated, but now I'm a little grateful to Midorikawa.

Sfx bubble: ding dong

Susumu: Ah! // It's time to meet my editor...

206.

Rukina: How dare you mess with my Yuu-kun! // I won't forgive you!

Box: It seems that my next series will be cancelled too.

Text: Ibitsu 2 END