Chapter 151: A Jian’s In My Hands
Slept through the night without dreams, just as Ai said, couldn’t connect online at night.
A bit regrettable.
Sakamoto Ken got up very early, went out to the convenience store and bought two rice balls and a bottle of coffee milk, as a simple breakfast.
Before half past seven, he sat down at his drawing table and quickly entered work mode.
It’s now early April, and the studio has been running smoothly for a week.
Ryū Kōshin, Kaku Yuji, and Endo Tatsuya, these three assistants, have fully adapted to Sakamoto Ken’s work process, as well as Chainsaw Man’s characters and style; now the studio’s efficiency is getting higher and higher, and the requirement of two chapters per week can be easily met.
Initially, Sakamoto Ken still needed to mark background details, toner sheet requirements, and even prompts for emotional atmosphere in detail on the storyboard drafts.
But now, as the assistants’ understanding of the work deepens, his storyboard drafts don’t need to be drawn so meticulously.
At half past eight in the morning, the three assistants arrived at the studio one after another and immediately dove into work.
Until nearing eleven in the morning, Sakamoto Ken finished drawing the final panel storyboard for Chainsaw Man chapter 38.
The Public Safety arc’s plot is already halfway through; next is entering the Reze arc, which in the previous life was made into a standalone animated film, considered the core climax of the entire first part.
Sakamoto Ken took a short rest and set aside the Chainsaw Man manuscript for now.
The current storyboards in hand are enough for the three assistants to draw for a long time; he switched to drawing the opening of The Quintessential Quintuplets.
Unlike Chainsaw Man, which relies on storyboard impact and wild lines to drive emotions, The Quintessential Quintuplets is a romance manga with beautiful girls as the core selling point, meaning the character drawing needs to be even more detailed.
Fortunately, he also has complete original memories in his mind.
Drawing it is a bit slower than drawing Chainsaw Man, but still smooth.
What he needs to do now is to draw the first few chapters completely to set the art style tone for the entire work.
At this moment, the mobile phone on the desk vibrated.
It was a LINE message from Natsume Mio.
He tapped it open casually; it was a photo.
The photo’s background should be her home kitchen counter, with quite a few ingredients on it: broccoli, sausages cut into small octopus shapes, a box of eggs, and wagyu beef.
Natsume Mio: 「A Jian, lunch bento! Making sauce wagyu beef, making two portions today too, we’ll eat together~ / cute 」
Sakamoto Ken had eaten Mio’s bentos a few times; it could be said her culinary skills have improved a lot compared to the previous life.
Sakamoto Ken: 「Thanks, looks very abundant. 」
He directly opened the transfer interface and entered a number.
「You transferred 10,000 yen LINE Pay balance to Natsume Mio. 」
Natsume Mio: 「Eh? A Jian, no need for so much! 」
Sakamoto Ken: 「The extra is prepayment, including the next portion. 」
He wants to define this relationship as “service” rather than “giving.”
This way, it’s a pure monetary relationship with her.
On the other side, Natsume Mio looked at the transfer; though the message said no, her heart was sweetly delighted.
A Jian is… keeping me?
Eh, no? Feels kinda weird…
Natsume Mio felt something was off, but couldn’t pinpoint where.
Whatever! This must be because he likes the food I make.
Natsume Mio: 「Alright then~ Thanks A Jian! / happy 」
Sakamoto Ken turned to look at the three assistants; they were still working hard with heads down.
Next, he briefly explained to Ryū Kōshin and the others the points to note for the next few chapters’ storyboard drafts, then received a call from Kaji Keiko.
Kaji Keiko hadn’t come to the studio all morning; Sakamoto Ken figured she had work at the company so didn’t come.
He pressed the answer button: “Hello, Kaji?”
“Sakamoto Sensei!” Kaji Keiko’s slightly urgent voice came from the other end, “Are you free now? At the studio?”
“Yes, what’s up?”
Kaji Keiko said: “It’s a bit sudden, but you need to come to the company now! There’s a very important meeting!”
“Important meeting?”
“About the animation adaptation!” Kaji Keiko said rapidly, “It’s the meeting to confirm the animation episode count and content! The investors and production company people are all here; we just finished the character setting meeting. Originally, Sakamoto Sensei you didn’t need to attend, but the person in charge from the investors suddenly said they want you there too, since you’re the one who knows the work best!”
The animation adaptation matter, Sakamoto Ken of course prioritizes it highest.
He stood up immediately: “Okay, I’ll come right away, and bring the later storyboard drafts too.”
“Mm-hmm! We’ll wait for you!”
After hanging up, Sakamoto Ken looked at the three assistants in the studio.
“Everyone, I have to go to Shueisha for a meeting temporarily; today’s work is in your hands.”
“Got it, Sakamoto Sensei, go ahead!”
Sakamoto Ken nodded, quickly went to the photocopier, and made a copy of the Chainsaw Man storyboard drafts not yet given to Kaji Keiko.
Just right, the storyboard drafts now reached the end of the first season anime from the previous life; bringing them would reassure the investors more, as it shows the entire first season won’t have issues with his subsequent content creation.
He put the copied storyboard drafts into a file bag, slung on his backpack, quickly left the studio, and took a taxi to Shueisha.
Sakamoto Ken, sitting in the back seat of the car, sent a message to Natsume Mio.
Sakamoto Ken: 「Mio, urgent matter at the company suddenly, asked me to come for a meeting right away; might not be at the studio at noon. 」
After sending the message, Natsume Mio’s reply popped up immediately.
Natsume Mio: 「Eh?! So urgent?! But I’ve already started making the bento! 」
Sakamoto Ken: 「Really sorry, the meeting is important, about the animation adaptation; I have to go. 」
Natsume Mio: 「Animation adaptation! Then A Jian prioritize work! How about I bring the bento to the company? You still have to eat lunch anyway. 」
Sakamoto Ken thought about it; indeed.
Sakamoto Ken: 「That works, just not sure how long the meeting will take. 」
Natsume Mio: 「No problem! I’ll come find you at noon, in an insulated box; it’s fine if later. 」
Sakamoto Ken: 「Okay, see you at noon then. 」
The taxi soon stopped in front of the Shueisha Building.
Sakamoto Ken paid the fare, got out, and quickly entered the familiar building.
……
At the same time, in the coffee shop diagonally across from Shueisha.
At the window seat, a girl wearing a black baseball cap was sitting there.
The brim was pulled very low, covering most of her face, only revealing a delicate chin and a hint of red lips with a faint smile.
She held a steaming latte, her gaze locked on the entrance of the building across the street.
When that familiar boy got out of the taxi and hurried into the building, the curve at the corner of the girl’s mouth became more pronounced.
Just now, Natsume Mio had sent her a photo of a table of ingredients like showing off, as if she’d won something.
She immediately asked Hanabe Kyoko and learned she was at Shueisha for a meeting discussing the animation adaptation.
So, she quickly asked her to have the editor notify Sakamoto Ken to come to the meeting too.
The girl tsked lightly, set down the coffee cup, and murmured to herself.
“Mio ah Mio, you just make bentos then…”
“A Jian is in my hands.”
