Chapter 005. Studio?

"Just mix everything together?"

It was a crude method, but it was also a good idea.

'Should I really try that?'

I summarized the plan.

The main target audience is teenagers.

The genre will be a familiar shonen battle and growth story.

'Now, let's summarize the world.'

The setting is modern.

At some point, demons began to threaten people.

These demons couldn't be defeated with ordinary weapons; only exorcists with special abilities could handle them.

Exorcists were so rare that training new talent was essential.

Thus, the "Korean Academy" was established.

Here, exorcists from around the world gather to train, compete, and primarily to hunt demons.

"Lapis, what do you think?"

"It looks good."

"Not bad, right? I mixed elements from *BleX* and *NarX*."

The world seems to pass the test.

Next is the most important part of a shonen manga: the protagonist.

'Readers need to empathize with the protagonist.'

This isn't just any manga; it's a shonen manga.

We need to make readers cheer for the protagonist's growth.

A mechanism to draw empathy and anticipation.

'Let's make the protagonist a nobody who still manages to shine, and clearly show the protagonist's hardworking nature.'

By focusing on the 'nobody protagonist' and the 'protagonist's goal,' we can create a strong effect that allows readers to empathize and cheer.

'Let's add one more cliché here.'

An ordinary protagonist with no abilities.

But he receives a one-on-one inheritance from a master exorcist and enrolls in the academy.

'Passing on power to the protagonist is a common method in many famous works, whether it's *BleX* or *Dragon Ball*.'

It's like a guarantee.

A cliché that readers love.

'Who should be the master exorcist who passes on the inheritance?'

I didn't think about it for long.

A character at the top of the world.

'Then, it should be the academy principal or the president of the exorcist association.'

But there's a problem here.

The highest authority in the world, the association president, might make readers feel a sense of detachment.

'Readers and the protagonist need to feel close to the top authority.'

Let's create a mechanism to make the top authority less authoritative.

'Let's make them appear frequently to the readers.'

Then, the protagonist and the top authority should appear together often.

'What can be a close relationship to the protagonist...?'

The setting came easily.

'A heroine.'

The strongest heroine helping the weakest protagonist grow.

In a shonen manga, this isn't bad; it could even become a strength of the story.

Later, they might develop chemistry, and there could be scenes where the protagonist protects the heroine.

'Whatever, let's try it this way.'

The heroine became the association president at a young age and, for some reason, shares her power with the protagonist.

'What kind of relationship should they have afterward?'

Given that the heroine is the strongest in the world, it's best for her to be the one teaching the protagonist.

Moreover, she also teaches a class of the worst troublemakers.

The heroine enrolls the protagonist in that class.

'This could get interesting.'

The protagonist surrounded by several troublemakers.

Learning and training with the troublemakers, and a shonen battle and growth story!

'Let's do it.'

The story flowed in my mind, and I felt the urge to start drawing immediately.

I began sketching the storyboard on A4 paper.

'Yes, this is it!'

The manga I want to draw.

A fun manga.

A manga that gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I felt confident that I could create such a work.

I read through the completed storyboard from the first page.

I won't elaborate.

My impression was very short.

'Wow.'

Just wow.

Nothing else came to mind.

I even wondered if I had really created it.

"Lapis, take a look."

"Waking me up to do this. It's boring."

The fairy, Lapis, who was sleeping beside me, rubbed her eyes and took the storyboard.

With each page flip, my heart raced.

"It's not bad."

"Not bad? Do you think this will win the contest?"

"Think positively."

"Alright, I'll take it as a compliment."

Lapis's evaluation was a success for now.

I tried to give an objective evaluation while reading the storyboard again.

But I still felt chills.

No matter how many times I read it, my opinion remained the same.

'Really, this is fun?'

Not just to me, but really.

I had a feeling it could win the grand prize.

'This will work.'

Regardless of whether it's in Korea, China, or Japan.

If it's the year 2000, this manga will definitely resonate.

* * *

Late at night.

While busily sketching the rough draft on the manuscript paper.

Click! The door sound was heard.

"Seojun, what are you doing again, locking the door at night?"

"Uh? I, I'm opening it now!"

I hurriedly hid the manuscript in the desk drawer.

I spread out some study materials on the desk and opened the door, forcing a smile.

"I was studying."

"Have you finished studying?"

With a suspicious look, she scanned the desk and then looked at me.

"Studying is good, but it's late now."

"Yes!"

I turned off the lamp and got into bed.

"Joon, don't lock the door."

With that, my mother returned to her room.

A sigh escaped me.

'Looks like I can't draw manga tonight.'

I had planned to draw manga at night and sleep at school, but things didn't go as planned.

I can work when I come home from school and am alone, but...

I had to stop when my mother returned from work.

I decided to work at night, but...

I couldn't draw manga because my mother was doing odd jobs late into the night.

'Time to work is severely lacking.'

I needed a space where I could draw manga freely without interference.

"I wish I had a studio..."

I missed my studio from when I was serializing in Japan.

If I had money, I would have rented a studio right away, but I'm not from a wealthy family, and as an elementary school student, it's difficult.

"Is there any other way?"

"Then, why don't you just go to a studio?"

Lapis answered my lament.

"Studio?"

I still didn't understand.

"I can't go if there's no studio."

"There is a studio, isn't there?"

What does she mean?

Just as I was about to ask, I got a vague idea.

"Can't I just be an assistant?"

"Assistant..."

An assistant to a manga artist.

It's the only way I can get into a studio.

But to be honest...

I didn't want to be an assistant again.

'Not all memories of being an assistant are good.'

I worked under professional artists for 10 years.

I was often underpaid, insulted, and had many more bad memories than good ones.

Especially since I've already reincarnated, there's no need to do someone else's dirty work.

I let out a snort, and a vague memory flashed through my mind.

'Wait a minute.'

It might be a pretty good idea.

Thinking of something, I asked Lapis.

"If I assist another artist's manuscript, can I earn shop points accordingly?"

"Of course. Points are assigned based on your contribution."

Right.

Assisting earns points.

I can earn points and still work on my own manuscript.

That's a significant advantage.

'Not bad.'

If I do this, the most important thing is...

'I need to go to a reliable artist.'

A lesson I learned from 10 years of being an assistant.

Even if the skills are lacking, the best is to assist an honest and respectful artist.

"Is there an artist in this generation that you like?"

"There is one."

He's in the nearby area.

I once heard a story from other artists.

'That artist kept going bankrupt, but he borrowed money to pay his assistants.'

'He gave up on manga and now does odd jobs, right?'

'Talking about Park Jin-ho from Chance. He's a good person, but he's just unlucky.'

I didn't know him personally, so I just let it pass at the time.

"Park Jin-ho from Chance..."

I wanted to meet him.

* * *

Park Jin-ho, a 9-year veteran manga artist, was running a small studio in Madu-dong, Goyang City.

The studio had four members: Park Jin-ho and his three assistants.

If asked whether they were making a living with their work, it would be hard to answer.

They barely made enough to get by, and Park Jin-ho's worries grew day by day.

'Let's try a little harder!'

Park Jin-ho always thought this.

Things will get better over time, they will improve with effort...

He didn't give up with this resolve, but now he hit a wall.

His apprentices had all left, and only three assistants remained to help with his manuscript.

His new work, which started recently, wasn't getting good reviews.

Should I hire a storywriter since the art is getting good reviews?

No, collaborating with a storywriter would reduce profits, making it impossible to continue living.

He was in a difficult situation.

Moreover, to make matters worse.

"Teacher, we're short on hands. When will Sun-tae and Kyeong-min come?"

"I wonder what happened."

Two hours into the work, two assistants were still missing.

Since this was the first time, Park Jin-ho felt something was off.

'Why aren't they coming?'

He called one of them and found out why.

"Sun-tae, why aren't you coming to work today?"

-Teacher, I'm sorry, but as I mentioned before, I'm moving back to my hometown. Please transfer my remaining salary to my account.

"Ah..."

He called the other assistant, and it was the same. They were quitting at the end of the month.

'This is a big problem.'

The assistants had already noticed.

This artist, who only fails, is no good.

"Teacher?"

Now, only one person was left to help him.

It was a hard-won serialization, and he had to keep it until the deadline.

He needed at least one more assistant.

'What should I do...?'

While his mind was swirling with worries, the doorbell rang.

No one was visible on the intercom.

"Who's there? It's not the editor, is it?"

"No way. There's still time before the deadline."

Park Jin-ho opened the door, feeling curious.

The person at the door was unexpected.

The one who rang the doorbell was a child.

A boy in the upper grades of elementary school.

The child bowed deeply to Park Jin-ho.

"Hello. Is this Park Jin-ho's studio?"

How did he know?

Before I could ask, the child answered.

"I met an artist who told me to come here."

I couldn't figure out which artist recommended him.

I decided to deal with the child.

"I'm Park Jin-ho. What brings you here?"

"Can you please look at my drawings?"

"Drawings?"

"I want to be a manga artist. I really want you to see them!"

Having to take care of a child in the studio.

With the deadline looming and already in a difficult situation, it was a headache.

"Please, I beg you!"

The child's sincerity was evident.

He was polite and confident, so I decided to take a quick look.

'Just a quick look should be fine.'

I would just look at a few drawings and give a brief evaluation.

Thinking this, I brought the child into the room to avoid distracting the assistant.

"I'll draw it right now."

The child took out a sketchbook from his bag and started drawing smoothly with a pencil.

But it was a light, weak drawing.

'Not a regular drawing... a sketch?'

Not a simple drawing, but a 'rough draft for a manga.'

Sure enough, after finishing the rough draft, he took out a pen and ink from his bag.

'He's going to do pen work?'

The technique of adding black ink with a pen on the rough draft.

Park Jin-ho's eyes were drawn to the 'pen' the child was holding.

'Using a G-pen?'

Moreover, a G-pen, not a spoon pen.

It's a difficult tool to use, requiring precise control.

"Isn't that hard to use?"

"The nib? It was tough at first, but I've gotten used to it."

"Hmm..."

It's a tool that's hard for a child to use, so I was curious to see what kind of drawing would come out.

'At least he's trying his best to show something.'

I felt a bit proud of the child's thorough preparation, and a smile escaped me.

'Maybe something good will come out for evaluation?'

Park Jin-ho watched with a smile, but soon felt something odd. His face showed no trace of a smile.

"I'm done."

"Wow..."

Holding the drawing, Park Jin-ho was speechless.