Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 63: All members in place
Tower apartment building in Bunkyo Ward.

Ai Hoshino lazily sank into the recliner, her long, fair legs casually crossed, her smooth heels gently resting on the low table in front of her, her two big toes unconsciously hooked together.

She raised her whiskey glass, the amber liquid swirling around a round ice ball, and took a small sip.

Just then, the camera zoomed out on the television screen, and a boy appeared in the center of the frame.

"Hello everyone, I'm Ken Sakamoto."

When the camera focused on Ken Sakamoto's face, Ai Hoshihara's gesture of raising her glass suddenly froze.

"puff--"

Hoshino Ai's hand trembled, and the wine spilled directly onto her face, the liquid and the ice ball sliding down her body.

But Ai Hoshino didn't care about her body being soaked with alcohol; her eyes were fixed on the man's face on the screen.

She had seen this face several times in her dreams, and recognized it the moment it appeared on the screen.

It's really him!

Ai Hoshino suddenly sat up from the recliner, wading through the damp wine, and quickly walked to the television screen.

"It really is you, Ken Sakamoto!"

……

Ken Sakamoto's appearance in the live stream made the comment section even more lively.

"Here he comes! Ken-sensei Sakamoto!"

"Is the author that young?"

"Damn it, she could easily make a living off her looks, but she insists on relying on her talent!"

"Why does the author only focus on the breasts? Couldn't they have drawn more pictures of the feet?"

As the comments kept refreshing, host Onodera turned to Ken Sakamoto and began asking questions based on the pre-set questions.

The whole process was actually very formulaic, just a common interview routine.

When it came time to read the comments, Onodera randomly picked one.

"Sakamoto-sensei! May I ask about your upcoming creative plans? Will Chainsaw Man continue to release two chapters a week?"

"It seems a reader has asked the next question for me, Sakamoto-sensei. Everyone is very concerned about the updates."

“I will try my best to keep it up,” Ken Sakamoto replied. “However, besides Chainsaw Man, I’m actually working on another short manga recently.”

"Eh?"

This answer surprised not only the audience, but also Onodera, who showed a look of astonishment.

"Sakamoto-sensei, do you mean... that while maintaining a two-chapter weekly serialization, you still have the energy to create a completely new short story?" Onodera's tone was filled with disbelief.

"Well, with a little effort, you can always draw it," Sakamoto Ken said casually.

"Then... could you briefly introduce this short story?" Onodera pressed.

Ken Sakamoto didn't answer immediately, but instead turned his gaze to Keiko Kaji beside him: "Editor-san, is it appropriate to say this here?"

Kaji Keiko smiled and nodded: "It's alright, Sakamoto-sensei. Shueisha is one of the organizers of that call for submissions, so we can promote it."

Ken Sakamoto then faced the camera again.

"I'm preparing to participate in the Future Film and Television Stars Award, jointly organized by Netflix and Shueisha, and this short film was created for that purpose. However, it's still in the writing stage, so I'll keep the specific details a secret for now," Ken Sakamoto said.

He was actually thinking that since the competition included a reader voting segment, getting some buzz beforehand would definitely help with the final selection.

He desperately needs this prize money from the call for submissions.

Keiko Kaji added, "Sakamoto-sensei is participating in the Campus Star track. You might not know that Sakamoto-sensei is currently a university student."

"Wow! He's actually a male college student?" Host Onodera made a well-trained, exaggerated expression.

Ken Sakamoto waved his hand and corrected him, "To be precise, he's a soon-to-be college student; he's only graduated from high school so far."

The host, Onodera, glanced at the plaque in his hand and knew it was time to move on to the next segment.

She smiled and said to Ken Sakamoto, "Sakamoto-sensei, during the serialization of your Chainsaw Man, there was actually another work that has recently generated a lot of discussion on the JUMP+ platform."

"Moreover, quite coincidentally, it was not only serialized at the same time as Sakamoto-sensei's work, but it was also updated twice a week." "I wonder if Sakamoto-sensei has ever read Mitsuki Haru-sensei's *Young Lady, Sniper Rifle, and Pantyhose!*?"

Onodera observes the real-time viewer comments and occasionally sees someone saying they're following the manga, but the proportion is not large.

Sakamoto Ken was slightly surprised, but still calmly said, "Yes, I'm following it too. It's a very good manga with exquisite art style, and the author is very talented."

"Yes, yes!" the host immediately chimed in, "Speaking of which, we've also learned an interesting piece of information."

Onodera paused for a moment, then continued, "The author of 'The Young Lady,' Mitsuki Haru, is actually a reader of Sakamoto Ken's work."

"so……"

The host deliberately drew out his voice here.

"The editorial team has decided to invite Ms. Sanyuechun to our live broadcast to discuss creative topics together!"

As she spoke, she pointed towards the side door leading to the backstage area.

"Let's welcome Teacher March Spring!"

Ken Sakamoto: "No???"

……

Ai Hoshihara didn't care about this female author.

What she cared about was the call for submissions mentioned earlier.

"Future Film Stars..."

Ai Hoshino immediately picked up her phone to check her email.

They found the invitation letter that she had marked as "pending".

After glancing at the invitation again, she learned that the organizing committee had invited her to serve as a judge for the Campus Star competition...

I published a science fiction novel several years ago.

She hadn't originally planned to agree; she didn't want to waste her energy on these things.

But since they invited me, and Ken Sakamoto is also participating in the call for submissions, I have to participate.

Ai Hoshino's fingertips flew across the screen, and a reply email was sent out.

Ken Sakamoto, it seems we were destined to meet...

I've also come up with more ideas for the research topics I'm currently working on.

However, the only subject of this research can be you...

How can I get you to willingly become my experimental subject?
Ai Hoshihara has entered the submission page for the call for submissions, where many comic book covers are already displayed.

Cover, title, synopsis, author introduction...

However, it's still a bit early, since Sakamoto Ken just said that his work is still in progress.

The deadline for submissions is at the end of this month, so you won't have to wait too long.

Should I use my power as a judge to give his work a high score?

Ai Hoshino shook her head, denying the idea.

She wouldn't cheat, nor would she help others cheat, even if that person was Ken Sakamoto.

We'll take a closer look at his work and give it a fair and objective score.

Most importantly, it allowed me to get in touch with him through this competition.

But then again...

Ai Hoshihara looked back at the live stream and sensed that Ken Sakamoto's expression had subtly changed after seeing the female author.

Yes, this female author is indeed quite beautiful.

But is it really necessary to stare like that?
Thinking back to my memory of Ken Sakamoto, this guy...

It seems he was dating three women at the same time, including her, and then they all killed him...

Could it be that you really are the kind of person who's blinded by lust?
(End of this chapter)