Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 44 Do scumbags really deserve to die?

"What, you're disappointed that I'm not a jerk?"

When Sakamoto Ken suddenly said that, Natsume Mio's emotions became disjointed.

"Ah? I, I just..." she quickly explained, "I, I just... just talked about the dream, it was just a dream... Jian, I didn't mean to say you're a jerk..."

“It’s okay, it’s actually just like Denji.” Sakamoto Ken continued, “Denji likes Makima, has feelings for Power, and even had a crush on Himeno. Oh, and there’s Reize too. If his relationship with Power is like that of sisters, and his feelings for Himeno are purely sexual, then Reize is his second real crush…”

"Huh?" Natsume Mio blinked and said, "Himeno? Reisen? This is..."

“Oh right, the draft for Himeno’s appearance has been submitted, but it hasn’t been updated yet. As for Reise… well, that’s a plot I’ve come up with for later, and I haven’t drawn it yet.” Sakamoto Ken said with a slight smile, “Sorry for the slight spoiler.”

"Ah, so... Denji is actually a jerk?" Natsume Mio said uncertainly.

"No, I already said, Denji is pure love."

Sakamoto Ken paused, then said seriously, "Even if he's a scumbag, does that mean he deserves to die?"

"No...shouldn't it be like this?" Natsume Mio's tone was even a little uncertain.

Ken Sakamoto smiled slightly, picked up the lunchbox on the table, and threw it into the trash bag.

Natsume Mio didn't continue the topic of scumbags, and she threw her finished lunchbox into the trash bag.

Turning my head, my gaze fell upon the dirty laundry basket in the corner, containing several dirty clothes.

On the low cabinet next to it, there were scattered art supplies.

The bookshelf wasn't very tidy either; you could only say that the books were placed on it in a rather haphazard way.

Especially the table where Ken Sakamoto was drawing, with his manuscript paper, brushes, and various tools, was somewhat messy.

"Jian, it must be so hard for you to live alone." She said with great concern, "You have to draw comics and take care of your life at the same time... Oh, by the way, how about I do your laundry for you?"

As she spoke, she walked toward the dirty laundry basket.

“No need,” Ken Sakamoto immediately refused. “I’ll take it to the coin-operated laundromat; it’s right next door.”

"You can't just throw your underwear and socks into the coin-operated washing machine, can you?" Natsume Mio asked casually.

“Those have already been washed,” Ken Sakamoto said.

"Oh..." Natsume Mio was a little disappointed.

However, her goal today was not to get too close to Ah Jian.

According to her mother's advice, love is something that can't be rushed. If the other person is particularly stubborn, you have to slowly soften him up.

Unless the target you want to win over is extremely sought after and has several competitors, in which case you'll need to take drastic measures.

But Natsume Mio isn't worried now.

After all, Ken Sakamoto draws manga at home every day, going back and forth between home and the convenience store.

There's still some time before school starts, so there won't be any competitors during that time.

Mio Natsume tidied up the two trash cans in the house. Actually, they only contained waste paper and plastic bottles. It was obvious that Ken didn't cook at home. He didn't even have an induction cooker, just a microwave.

Next, Natsume Mio took a broom from the corner next to the kitchen counter and swept the room.

Then she stepped into the entryway and said to Ken Sakamoto, "Ken, good luck with your manga! I'm going to work now."

Sakamoto Ken watched her work the whole time without saying a word.

This is completely unlike her usual style...

Back then, last week, she confessed her feelings loudly in front of everyone.

He simply nodded, and she rushed over and hugged him tightly.

Even in our subsequent interactions, her emotions were always more intense than her chest.

But it's okay, Ken Sakamoto is confident that everything is under control.

Ken Sakamoto nodded and said, "Yes, thank you for the bento. I'll transfer the money to you via LINE."

“Hehe, okay~” Natsume Mio did not refuse. She waved to Sakamoto Ken and said, “Then I’m leaving, bye-bye~ Ken, don’t work too hard. You need to balance work and rest when drawing manga.”

After saying that, she put on her shoes, picked up her small bag, and opened the door.

Finally, he turned back and smiled slightly at Ken Sakamoto, then turned around gracefully, his ponytail swaying in the breeze.

The door closed, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

Sakamoto Ken sat there for several more minutes. A gentle breeze blew in through the window, and he could still feel the lingering fragrance of a young girl in the room.

My gaze swept across the room, and for some reason, it suddenly felt empty...

Oh no, we've been affected.

Ken Sakamoto touched his chest, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

Just like he told Natsume Mio, he had no plans to date before becoming a bestselling author.

That kind of thing should be considered when you have money.

Before continuing to paint, I moved to the painting table and transferred money to Natsume Mio. The tonkatsu bento was the most expensive item in the shop, priced at 598 yen.

Ken Sakamoto usually only buys items around 400 yen, and he always waits until the evening when they're 50% off before making a purchase.

The total cost of three meals a day is roughly equivalent to the price of a full-price fried pork cutlet bento box.

Ken Sakamoto transferred 598 yen to Mio Natsume.

Mio Natsume: "Actually, I wanted to treat Ken to a meal."

Ken Sakamoto: "I accept."

Natsume Mio: "Okay~"

Just as I was about to put my phone down, another message notification popped up on the screen.

Keiko Kaji: "Sakamoto-sensei, the results of this year's reader survey are in!"

Keiko Kaji: "[Image]"

Keiko Kaji: "As far as I remember, this is the first time Sakamoto-sensei's work has garnered over 10,000 votes in a month-long serialization; it definitely has the potential to become a huge hit!"

Ken Sakamoto zoomed in on the image.

First place: Chainsaw Man, 10916 votes.

Second place: "Young lady, sniper rifle, and pantyhose!", 5011 votes.

An overwhelming victory.

But the result was still somewhat unexpected for him. It wasn't that he thought "Chainsaw Man" had too many votes, but rather the comic "Lady".

The manga I read last week has improved significantly after being edited by Haruna.

After seeing the voting results, Kenjiro Sakamoto planned to continue working on "Looking Back Suddenly," but after turning his pen around, he put it down.

Yes, Mio was right. We can't push ourselves too hard; we need to rest.

So, Ken Sakamoto lay back on the tatami mat, watching the breeze blow the curtains, which fluttered in the air.

I closed my eyes, intending to take a nap in the gentle afternoon sunlight.

……

Meanwhile, in a villa in Matsutocho, Shibuya Ward.

Haruna Mikazuki received a call from the editor-in-chief.

"Ms. March Spring, the results of last week's reader survey are in."

Mikazuki Haruna quickly put down her pen and asked expectantly, "How many votes?"

"The Young Lady got 5011 votes, which is quite good," said Tomohiro Ohno.

“It’s almost doubled compared to the first week,” Haruna said.

Tomohiro Ohno said, "This is a very impressive achievement for a newcomer, which shows the potential of the work..."

"And who's the first place winner? How many votes did he get?" Haruna interrupted the editor-in-chief.

"First place: Chainsaw Man..." Tomohiro Ohno paused before saying, "He got 10916 votes."

Haruna remained silent for a few seconds.

She took a deep breath, gave a soft "humph," and said, "Okay, I understand. Thank you, Editor-in-Chief."

After saying that, she hung up the phone.

It's still twice as tall as mine, but that's okay. Starting from the next serialization, all the scenes will be replaced with new ones.

When the time comes, I'll definitely turn the tables on that Sakamoto Ken!
She got up and walked around the comic studio that had been partitioned off from the first-floor lobby.

Four tables are arranged in a row near the terrace, with a meticulously designed retro courtyard visible through the large windows. The natural light shines in, making it the perfect spot for painting.

The girl sitting at the first table had just finished outlining a page. As she handed the manuscript to Mikazuki Haruna, she said, "Haruna-sensei, you seem particularly interested in that 'Chainsaw Man.' Is there some kind of grudge between you two?"

Haruna walked up behind Forty-Haru and said to her, "Of course, our feud... goes very deep!"

“I think the artwork in that film is just so-so. We’ll definitely surpass them in votes,” another assistant chimed in.

"With Mr. Forty Hara's help, our visuals are definitely top-notch. I'll talk to the editor-in-chief again and ask JUMP+ to dedicate a page to showcasing the results of our remastered visuals."

Mikazuki Haruna sat back in her ergonomic chair, tidied up her drawings, and stretched lazily.

"We just finished lunch, why don't you all take a nap? You must be tired after drawing all morning," said Mikazuki Haruna.

Forty-Yuan waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, I'm not tired at all."

Haruna Mikazuki was tired. Every day after her assistants went home, she would continue drawing storyboards, and she was a little sleepy at the moment.

So she reclined the ergonomic chair and casually said to Forty-Yuan, "I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up in an hour."

(End of this chapter)