I'm second?
Amazing, Takagi! You're #1!
And you only ever read manga.
Just studying all the time...
Going to a good high school and a good college...
That kind of thing,
isn't my dream.
Come on!
Okay!
Get it over here!
Yes!
I still can't let my guard down.
Takagi-kun.
I'm Iwase Aiko.
The 2nd highest grades in our class,
that was me.
Oh... really?
I think we should encourage each other and do our best.
Sure!
Let's do our best.
This is Akina.
Yes.
The collaboration with Crow took 4th place.
What about PCP?
5th?
I see.
Yes.
I said I wouldn't lose to PCP.
Hey, if I could be with you right now
Then I could keep my voice from fading
The goals I've set for myself seem too high to reach,
and I feel like I've lost my way
I'm relying on a broken compass and hiding in someone's shadow
If we keep letting go of what we have to find something else,
then I'm convinced we can never grow up
Never
Last and Cipher
5th in the survey.
Even with the cover and color pages...
but isn't this a little unfair?
The collaboration with Crow...
It isn't unfair.
If you want to be popular,
you have to do everything that you can to make it interesting.
We're professionals, right?
When Eiji said he wouldn't lose to PCP, we should have listened.
I thought Iwase was underestimating him.
Now we know.
Akina Aiko...
It's like you said Shujin,
she's become a good rival.
I suppose.
Gah! The cover and color pages were our big chance!
We're screwed.
We have until chapter 25, that leaves 6 more chapters.
That's how long we have to figure it out.
Or else we'll be cancelled.
Man, I knew that collaboration was a good idea!
Takahama-kun's Ally of Justice is in 6th.
I'm the editor for 4th and 6th place! I'm headed for the top!
Not happening!
You think I'll just let it happen?
The gap between us and +Natural is widening...
That's not all...
Ally of Justice is in 6th place, just 10 votes behind.
And Road Racer Giri is right behind it.
This is a fight from below...
Crow and +Natural have the most 1st place votes.
But PCP has a lot of 3rd place votes...
This is a survey where people rank series in order of interest.
But 4th place votes don't count at all.
I need to think of a way to raise our votes!
You may think that, but Crow won't lose!
No, wait...
It was just a joke!
That's not it at all!
Huh?
It's the opposite...
What do you mean?
The opposite?
When it comes to 3rd place votes, PCP is #1.
Basically,
A lot of people think that PCP is the third most interesting.
The votes for 1st place are really divided.
Isn't that kind of bad?
No.
Think about it the other way.
You have to be careful with a manga that gets a lot of 3rd place votes.
If they turn into 4th place votes, they don't count for anything.
What if we counted 4th place votes.
What would our ranking look like then?
I see!
If we can bump up all of the possible 4th place votes,
PCP would have a major boost when it came to the final ranking.
So we just need to find a way to turn 4th place votes into 3rd place votes.
Yeah.
Turning 4th place votes into 3rd...
If we can just find a way to give a little impact.
Impact...
Yeah.
Like when Crow had no text.
But we can't do that with PCP.
That's something only Niizuma-kun can pull off.
For Takagi-kun, it's better to have more lines.
Eh?
But don't series with too many lines perform poorly?
That isn't necessarily true.
For example, Ally of Justice took 6th place.
It almost caught up with PCP.
And it had a lot of lines...
That's the way a trial is.
But it was pretty interesting.
And the readers read every bit of it.
Especially the ones who fill out the survey.
Hattori-san.
Ally of Justice...
Do you know what rankings it has had?
Huh? Yeah...
Chapter 1 was in 3rd.
Chapters 2 and 3 were in 7th.
Chapter 4 was 9th.
And this chapter ended the case in 6th place.
From 9th to 6th...
With Trap, the same thing happened.
Yeah, I remember that.
Hattori-san.
We have 6 chapters left until chapter 25.
What do you think about a 5-chapter series?
Huh?!
If the series has a good ending, the impact will raise our ranking.
Ally of Justice and Trap have proved that.
That's too risky...
If you do 1-chapter stories, you have 5 chances.
But with a 5-chapter arc, you have just one chance and then it's over.
And the rating will drop until you reach a good climax.
With that kind of disadvantage...
it would be too difficult to catch up at the end.
No...
Even if we do a series,
and keep things at the same level...
we can make it build to a really big climax.
That may be true.
But with an arc, the freshness of the perfect crimes is lost.
And anyone who reads a chapter out of context won't understand the story.
Readers will read everything thoroughly.
Didn't you just say that, Hattori-san?
In one-chapter stories, nothing big can happen to Makoto and the others.
For more than 16 chapters...
we've been following the same pattern.
With a 5 chapter arc we could make big things happen.
But...
What do you think, Saiko?
Crow and +Natural...
keep pulling ahead of us.
I don't think we can win on our current path.
Please let us do a series!
Please let us!
Hattori-san!
Have you thought of a plot for the series?
No, I'll think about it now.
Mashiro has worked hard to improve the art,
so now it's time for me to work on the story!
It may seem arrogant, but this is about our continued serialization.
If we get cancelled this time, it will be our third.
Our lives as authors are riding on this!
Please let us do it the way we believe we should!
A while ago...
I said a manga author had to surpass their editor.
Honestly,
I think this series is too big of a risk.
But you guys are always exceeding my expectations.
Mashiro-kun, you can create a manuscript from a storyboard that is only text.
And you found and fixed the problems with your own art.
And now,
Takagi-kun's desire to do a story arc.
You reached those conclusions before I did.
I'm so happy.
In these 6 years...
you have both grown.
Amazingly!
Hattori-san...
Takagi-kun.
Mashiro-kun.
Follow what you believe with all your heart!
Okay!
Then, while I'm waiting...
we could have a girls date!
"Date,"
it would be bad if Takagi-kun heard that.
It's fine!
Today he had a meeting with the editor and he isn't home yet.
He won't need dinner when he gets home.
I'm home!
Oh, he's home!
I'm working on the story, so I'll sleep at the studio.
Oh, okay.
Well, I love you!
Huh?
Alright, let's do this!
He sounds really fired up!
It's kind of weird...
Oh, and it's raining tomorrow, too.
Well, I guess he'll get wet!
Alright, so tell me about the plot.
Okay...
Are you alright, Shujin?
PCP's rival will be one of their classmates.
Yeah, that's good.
Akechi-kun is smart and has good deductive skills.
He realizes that something is going on in class 3-5, and he says he's going to expose them.
The members of PCP have a meeting,
The next day, there is a notice posted in the classroom.
Today during lunch,
something good will happen for class 5-3.
Then, class 5-3 gets pudding for dessert.
Wouldn't that expose PCP?
No.
This is PCP's trap.
Trap?
Who will look the most suspicious?
Since he told everyone about it, Akechi will.
Oh, I get it...
That makes sense.
Akechi still wants to catch the real culprit.
So he has classmates watch him 24/7.
But PCP notices, and stops their operations.
So everyone assumes it was Akechi after all.
Just as PCP planned.
And then Akechi admits that he was the culprit.
And tells everyone to stop searching.
What? He claims responsibility?
But that's part of his plan.
PCP lets their guard down and starts operating again.
Akechi still has friends that he can trust watching him.
That would prove that he isn't the culprit.
Not bad!
Akechi figures out that there is more than one culprit.
PCP starts to worry again,
and the chapter ends with that.
The first chapter introduces Akechi's character.
Chapters 2 and 3 focus on PCP's crimes,
and on the announcements and investigation.
That sounds pretty cool!
Yeah, that's not bad.
But...
I can't think of anything for chapters 4 and 5.
Eh?
Chapter 4 should have PCP send a challenge to Akechi.
It says that if he can stop their crime, they will reveal themselves to him.
Then, chapter 5 is where the most important stuff happens...
but I still can't think of anything.
Well...
Yeah, the challenge will determine how interesting the whole series is.
That's true.
This is a good outline, but the last chapters are the problem.
While you're writing the first three,
you could think about 4 and 5.
That won't work.
Beating +Natural and Crow is the purpose of the series.
If you don't know the ending,
you'll be better off making single-chapter stories.
I'll think about it.
A cool ending.
I'll give it some thought too.
But the dialog and plot are your job, Takagi-kun.
So good luck.
That's right.
If I can't think of a story,
I'll never beat Iwase.
Thank you, Vice Principal.
I'm the Principal now.
So you're writing manga now.
It's pretty popular with the kids.
So you went to the elementary school?
Yeah, it really brought me back.
So did you get any ideas?
Well, not really.
Sorry, I've got a message.
Azuki?
Yeah.
What is it?
Nothing, the message doesn't mean much.
See?
What is this?
Some people need the rain
But for some other people,
Can be a really bad thing, right?
Too much rain . . .
Azuki sends some strange messages from time to time.
If I ask what they mean, she just says "what?"
So I just say "that's true".
On your phone, how many letters does it show per line?
Huh? 12 letters I think...
That's normal, right?
Yeah.
Mine is 12 too.
I see!
This is it!
PCP doesn't want their phone number getting out, so they have a group phone.
That's not too unbelievable, right?
Yeah...
It's manga, so that should be fine.
I thought so too.
From that phone they send Akechi a message.
Oh!
"Between 8 and 8:30,"
"I'm going to set off fireworks on the school grounds."
"If you can stop me, I'll reveal my identity."
Fireworks...
That's a good item for summer!
Yeah.
He has until that time on that day to identify the fireworks culprit.
He'll have to stake out the campus.
We can draw it like this.
Yeah.
When the time comes, Akechi doesn't know who the culprit is.
What would you do?
Well, then...
when the time comes he'll have to stand guard.
That's right.
Then, at 7:55 he'll get this message.
This looks pretty suspicious...
Is this a code?
That's right, Saiko.
This part looks most suspicious:
Watermelon, pudding, squid...
The hint is in this line...
"Take away I and KA"...
SU... PURIN... KURA...
Sprinkler!
The sprinklers will be the trigger!
Akechi will deduce that too.
He'll examine the school sprinklers,
but he can't open them on his own.
Saiko, what would you do in Akechi's position?
I think I would guard the sprinkler switch.
The switch is near the staff room.
Akechi guards the switch,
and watches the sprinklers through the window.
But if he guards both, PCP will...
Saiko, read it one more time.
This time put everything in hiragana.
Remove I and KA from the whole thing and read the end of each line.
SU...
NA...
BA...
DE...
Oh! I see!
Wow...
Yes, this is good.
"Launch from the sand pit,"
"That's how I will win".
This is really nicely done.
I didn't see the sand pit message!
Yes!
Makoto sends him a message from the sand pit explaining the trick.
Akechi realizes that he's been tricked.
He can't see the sand pit very well from the staff room.
And he can't make out the identity of the person who is there.
Makoto picks up the fireworks and lights them off!
For this trick, he can have a lighter on his strap.
Yeah, this is interesting!
Watermelon and pudding...
Those connect to the earlier crimes!
Akechi is defeated, and PCP is victorious!
This series will work.
Okay, start writing all 5 chapters now.
Okay!
You did it, Shujin!
Yeah!
PCP is going to do a series?
Yeah.
It looks like its going to be more than 4 chapters long.
Their future is riding on it.
I'm sure Takagi-kun worked really hard to write it.
I know he will put everything he has into it.
You're probably right.
Huh?
What are you so happy about?
You have to watch out.
You don't want to lose to Takagi-kun, right?
Of course.
Even if Takagi Akito puts in everything he's got,
Iwase Aiko's story will beat him.
You got 6th in the results.
The first chapter of the series dropped a little.
Yeah.
Giri is above us.
Honestly, next week we might drop another place.
This is why a series is difficult.
The rating won't go up until the finale.
But how will the finale do...
By the way, have you finished writing the last chapter?
Oh, I'm almost done.
I'll call you when I finish.
Understood.
Are we going to be okay?
Giri has passed us, and Ally of Justice is right behind us.
Don't worry!
This finale is awesome!
It's just like we planned. It's perfect!
You think so?
Yeah!
With this we can beat +Natural!
Hmm... you really think so?
Why aren't you confident?
Saiko...
Do you like Akechi's character?
Huh?
Of course I like it.
Akechi is perfect as a rival. I think he's fine.
I guess so.
This is well done. It's really interesting!
Mashiro said the same thing...
Oh? What...
You don't like it?
I'm not sure...
When they defeat Akechi... I don't know if I like that ending.
Well, you can't have PCP lose.
Well, you still have time before Mashiro-kun needs to start working on the manuscript.
Think about it until then.
I feel like I'm missing something...
Hey, Takagi-kun!
Oh! Hello!
Are you having a meeting?
I just had one with Hattori-san.
Really? We just finished too.
It was all secret, of course.
Right now, Takagi-kun is Akina-kun's rival.
Iwase.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
Huh?
Well, I guess I'll just get in the way.
I'll be going!
Oh, sorry.
Is here alright?
Here is fine.
I heard about the conditions for PCP's serialization.
Even if they're true, I won't let +Natural lose.
I could tell that from your collaboration with Crow.
If we can't beat you, that's fine.
But I won't give up manga.
I definitely won't lose.
You're getting cancelled if you lose...
I know...
If I lose, I'll walk around the office naked.
So you can tell jokes...
I'm not joking!
I'm just saying that I won't lose!
Hey...
Why are you always like that around me?
Why? Well...
In middle school...
when you and Kaya came to my house to study.
If I had to choose between liking you and hating you, I'd have said I liked you.
W-why are you bringing that up now?
I still feel the same way.
As a person, I don't hate you.
You've become my greatest rival as a writer,
and I'm grateful for that.
I think of you as a comrade at Jack.
So I'll say it this time.
Let's both do our best.
I definitely won't lose!
I also... definitely won't lose!
Saiko, I figured it out!
What are you talking about?
Akechi and PCP...
they're rivals!
Like with us!
Rivals help you reach your potential.
Without Eiji, Iwase, and the others, it would be boring.
And we never would have gotten this far.
And we're fighting those rivals right now!
We have to use that in our manga, right?
"I'll launch it from the sand pit".
What a childish code...
But they totally fooled me!
Come to think of it...
He must have been planning this since the watermelon incident.
Dammit.
Another message. It's him again!
We are the three-man group PCP.
We had fun fighting you.
So we don't mind revealing ourselves to you.
We're standing right behind you.
Turn around if you want to know who we are.
I'll figure out your identites on my own.
I swear it.
But could you tell me one thing?
You said you call yourselves "PCP".
Perfect Crime.
That part I understand.
What is the last P?
Party!
Perfect Crime Party!
Party...
Thanks.
When I struggle toward my dream
Those are the moments I love the most
I can feel our bond and will to fight
Our views overlap and electrify us
Let's improve ourselves, become what we should be
You can see the future in our path
My comrades don't agree with me
Our pride clashes
I can't let it go, I'll follow my heart from now on
I'm prepared
I'll charge right in
Unstoppable Pride
There's no other choice, this is what I love and this is what I'll do
I don't know what tomorrow will bring
But I know once again (just to get by),
We'll do our best
We'll definitely keep PCP going!
Hattori-san!
Yeah!
But, Takagi-kun... the work you've done, will it be enough to win?
Next time: Margin and Pitfall.
We'll put all our effort in!
For the thrill of our dream!