Before leaving, Hisashi told him some good news—
The first chapter of Fate/stay night had already entered production, and barring any accidents, it would be published in the 31st issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on July 6th next month.
And only on that day could he truly be considered to have debuted.
However...
Although the serialization of Fate/stay night was a very important moment for him, it was still more than half a month away.
It was a bit too early to start worrying about it now.
Therefore, he temporarily put the matter out of his mind and focused on his current work.
Then he suddenly realized that there didn't seem to be any work that required his immediate focus right now.
He had already completed the parts of Chapter 4 that required his personal drawing, and the remaining parts had all been assigned to the three assistants to resolve.
Daisuke had already finished distributing the drawing tasks, and the three of them had quickly entered their working state.
He had initially thought about whether he should help out and just finish drawing Chapter 4 as quickly as possible.
But after thinking about it carefully, he didn't say anything.
After all, he was paying to hire them to do the work; if he still had to do it himself, wouldn't that money be wasted?
Of course, it would be a different story if there was a situation where they wouldn't make the serialization deadline.
But at least for now, there should still be plenty of time.
Hmm...
Just then, he saw the books placed on his desk; they were the textbooks on storyboarding that Hisashi had brought him.
Then he would read.
...
Half an hour later, he put down the book in his hand and rubbed his temples.
Finished reading it.
That's how absolute memory is; you just open it, scan it, and remember it. There's no need to look at it more than that.
This knowledge, it just floods into the brain!
Being able to read for half an hour under these circumstances meant he was flipping through the pages quite slowly.
But perhaps because he had absorbed too much knowledge at once, he had a feeling of indigestion.
Moreover, remembering is one thing, and understanding is another.
Although he had memorized the content, whether he could understand it depended on how he digested it afterward.
However, what should he do next?
Go back to his room and play on the computer?
Hmm...
He looked at the three people immersed in their work again and felt that since it was their first day together, he shouldn't be so lazy.
So, after thinking it over, he pulled a sheet of manuscript paper from the table, preparing to draw the storyboard for Chapter 5 first.
Anyway, there was nothing else to do.
...
...
After starting to draw the storyboard for Chapter 5, time passed quite quickly.
In fact, compared to drawing, creating the storyboard was the most time-consuming part for him.
Because FSN itself only had the game and the anime, and since he was adapting it into a manga, only a small portion of the storyboards could be referenced. Most of the storyboard designs still required him to think them through and revise them repeatedly.
And the operation like just now was merely a display of drawing skills; the storyboards drawn that way, in all likelihood, could not be directly used.
However, after reading the storyboard textbook that Hisashi had sent, this time as he drew the storyboard, the corresponding knowledge would occasionally surface in his mind, giving him quite a few new ideas.
Immersed in creation, time unknowingly reached noon.
Due to the "low pay, high intensity" nature of assistant work, it had become an industry convention for the author to cover meals during working hours as a form of compensation.
He still had some leftovers from last night in his fridge, but he definitely couldn't bring those out for everyone to eat; that would be too shabby.
So he thought about it, and since it was their first day meeting, he might as well take everyone downstairs to a restaurant for a meal.
Of course, just a typical family restaurant.
No one spoke on the way there, and the atmosphere was somewhat silent, but after sitting down in the restaurant, he observed them a little and discovered that the situations of the four of them were not the same.
Daisuke was quite composed like him, not feeling any discomfort in an unfamiliar environment; not speaking might just be due to his personality, either not liking to talk or not finding anything to talk about.
As for Shota, his situation was very much like that of a newcomer just entering society; in an unfamiliar environment, he carried obvious restraint and slight awkwardness, not yet quite adapted to this situation.
As for Hayato...
He should be considered a relatively extroverted person, occasionally stealing glances at him, as if there was something he wanted to ask, but for some reason, he had a feeling of not daring to say it out loud.
Am I that scary?
Akira was somewhat amused and helpless; or was the shadow he had cast on the other person earlier just too large?
Seeing the other person hesitate for a long time without daring to speak, he simply took the initiative and asked with a smile:
"Miyazaki-kun, is there anything you'd like to ask?"
"Eh? Me?"
Hayato was somewhat surprised and nervous, but in the end, his curiosity overcame it, and he couldn't help but ask:
"Actually, I'm very curious, why does Mochizuki-sensei have such superb drawing skills despite being so young?"
"I want to know how this is done."
Indeed!
Upon hearing this question, the other two also looked over, revealing interested gazes.
"Well, about that..."
He thought for a moment and decided to answer truthfully:
"Because I'm quite talented, I suppose."
"Eh?... Is that it?"
Hayato blinked in surprise. Seeing this, he smiled and asked in return:
"Otherwise, what do you think I should have said, Miyazaki-kun?"
"Uh..."
Hayato scratched his head and said:
"I think, in general, people might talk about things like hard work, technique, and so on?"
"Indeed."
Hearing this, he nodded in agreement and smiled:
"Hard work and technique are certainly also necessary."
"But for me personally, I feel that what plays the biggest role is still talent, which is why I answered that way."
However, the talent he was referring to was actually the Original Owner's talent for drawing.
And for him now, it should be talent + cheat.
"I see..."
Hayato nodded with somewhat complicated feelings.
Using only the word "talent" to explain everything sounded a bit arrogant.
But after having seen the other person's exaggerated performance just now with their own eyes, they only felt it was a matter of course.
After all, that was a realm that was almost impossible to reach relying solely on "hard work" and "technique."
It's just that such an answer was indeed a bit too realistic.
Talent, huh...
At this moment, not only the two new assistants, but Daisuke's expression was also somewhat emotional.
The next moment, Daisuke suddenly joined the conversation:
"No matter which industry, if you want to climb to the very top, talent is indispensable."
"But existences like Mochizuki-sensei are ultimately just a minority. For us ordinary people, the most important thing is to first recognize ourselves."
"Recognize ourselves..."
Shota, who was on the side, was lost in thought.
At this time, Hayato curiously asked Daisuke:
"Then why did Mr. Tanaka choose to become a professional assistant?"
"Well, about that..."
Speaking of this topic, Daisuke smiled somewhat helplessly:
"Because after I tried it, I discovered that I didn't seem to have the talent for drawing manga, but I didn't want to leave this industry, so I chose this path."