Just beyond the long path of stairs,
inside the Pandora's Box that's been opened...
...there were even more boxes.
Are these more boxes like the ones from Nakameguro?
Could this be...?
The layout of this house...
"For sale"
...is just like our house in Nakameguro.
"For sale" "Realtor"
What are you doing, Sensei?
Meditating.
My spirit has been exhausted lately, so I'm trying to get my mind back together.
Wait, are you okay?
Are you okay?!
"Fracture" I just suffered a minor fracture. I'm fine.
"Fracture" You're not fine at all! What about the manuscript?!
"Fracture" "Burn" You're not fine at all! What about the manuscript?!
"Fracture" "Burn" Sorry, Sensei.
"Fracture" "Burn" "Stye" Sorry, Sensei.
"Fracture" "Burn" "Stye" I messed up.
"Tooth extraction" "Burn" "Stye"
What the hell happened to all of you?!
"Makeshift Circus"
Pardon me.
I came here on Tomaruin-san's recommendation. My name is Yuma Ato.
It's a pleasure to meet all of you.
My, what a nice young man.
I guess Tomaruin-san is useful for something after all.
Then could you take care of this page for me?
Right away!
One of the most important skills an editor can have
is the ability to find skilled assistants.
I can't imagine Tomaruin being able to track down any worthwhile newbies.
Please look over my work.
Wait, you're done already?
You're really good!
Quick and efficient, quick and efficient. Quick and efficient, quick and efficient.
Sensei, he's really efficient!
No, he's too efficient.
Is there a problem with him being too efficient?
There is.
"A new series from the promising newcomer, Yuma Ato!"
Well, that didn't last.
Guys like him snag their own series pretty fast and are gone in a flash.
But for a creator,
it's an honor seeing one of their own assistants make it on their own.
"Weekly Shonen Mangazine"
"Creator's profile.
"Weekly Shonen Mangazine" Worked as an assistant for Gosho Akayama-sensei
"Weekly Shonen Mangazine" and Ken Aomatsu-sensei before his debut."
We basically don't exist to him.
Well, he wasn't here for very long.
This is your house, Hime-chan?
It looks pretty old.
So, like, Hime-chan...
...are you poor?
Huh?
I wonder if we are...
You're not supposed to say things like that!
But they don't even have a second floor!
I mean, Hina-chan does live in a luxurious condo...
You don't even have an auto-lock door?
You don't even have a concierge?
Con...cierge?
They like clean for you and make sure you're taken care of.
Oh, and that's called concierge.
--Ouch... Ouch... --You only find those at extravagant rich people's homes.
--Ouch... Ouch... --Don't let her get to you, Hime-chan.
Extravagant...
Ah... It's rare to find a one-story house in the city in this day and age.
They sure are taking good care of such an old house.
Oh, that house.
It's actually pretty new.
It was built seven years ago.
The landowner brought me a blueprint of an old one-story house
and asked me to build a similar one.
They could've built a much a much bigger house
with the land they've got here, too...
Maybe it means something special to them.
Let's eat.
What's the matter, Hime?
You don't have to put such big chunks of meat in our curry.
You can use chikuwa instead.
Do you not like meat?
That's not it...
"Housekeeping Service" "Service tickets" "Standard 2 hours"
Man, it's September and it's still hot.
I'm ho-- Wait, why's it so muggy in here?
Hime?!
What happened?! Talk to me!
Welcome home, Daddy.
The floor was nice and cool, so I was just sticking my whole body onto it.
Turn on the air conditioner!
Come on, now. You know you shouldn't play with the vacuum!
We don't want to cause any more trouble for our housekeeper.
"Service tickets"
We still have the same amount?
Why didn't you call the housekeeper?
A housekeeper is called a concierge, right?
We shouldn't be spending lots of money.
I mean...
We're poor, right?
What?
We need to try to not waste any money.
We're not poor at all.
I make way more than your average salaryman!
You're not a salaryman, Daddy?
Oh, uh... Yes, I'm a salaryman.
But I make a little bit more because I'm like a chief or a manager, or something.
But our house is old...
No! This house is--
Don't worry. Leave it all to me!
If our lifestyle is actually considered poor,
then I like being poor.
Isn't this chikuwa curry great?
Yeah...
Oh, yeah. Daddy, could you start getting the paper?
Apparently if you clean windows with newspaper, they turn out sparkly clean.
It'll be a great way to save.
Right... That sounds like a great deal.
I'm fine with saving some money, but she's basically playing around.
I wonder if she wanted to play the role of the reliable mom.
I hope that's the case, but the stuff she's doing goes beyond being a mom.
"Taping a pickled plum to her bellybutton" I hope that's the case, but the stuff she's doing goes beyond being a mom.
"Putting PET bottles in the tub" "Taping a pickled plum to her bellybutton" I hope that's the case, but the stuff she's doing goes beyond being a mom.
"Putting PET bottles in the tub" "Taping a pickled plum to her bellybutton" "Washing her face with rice water" She's basically a grandma.
More importantly, I'm not poor though!
What's gotten into you?
Manga artists have to constantly deal with the fear
that they could instantly become poor once they're not popular anymore.
Especially creators like Sensei who get canceled after a chapter or two.
I'd prefer you call it an honorable retreat!
Anyway, let's just do any work we need to do right now!
Shiji-kun! How are the backgrounds?
You're still not better?!
I guess it was more serious than I thought...
Ato-kun's not here anymore!
I know that!
He managed to get his own series before my bones even stuck back together!
I hope that efficient brat runs into a wall! Hopefully it crushes him!
Poverty... Poverty is beckoning me!
Oh, fine. We can't have you becoming poor, Sensei,
so let's have Goto Pro go through an IT revolution!
We'll take our analog workspace and turn it totally digital with computers!
With CG, you can even draw annoying buildings like this
"Example provided by: Ken Akamatsu" With CG, you can even draw annoying buildings like this
"Example provided by: Ken Akamatsu" at any angle with ease!
"Godansha" at any angle with ease!
"Godansha" You'll be submitting your data online,
so you'll never have to hear another editor ask you to redo your manuscript
because they forgot it in the taxi ever again!
You can ink and apply screen tones with a single click.
And it's cleaner because you don't need to use actual erasers.
That's how all the young people work nowadays.
I knew the day would come someday...
But I guess today is that day.
My only job is to fetch manuscripts...
My only job is to erase things...
...and it's going to disappear!
--IT is robbing humanity of their jobs!
--Just find other skills... --IT is robbing humanity of their jobs!
I didn't even know you were here, Tomaruin-san.
Call me IT Goto from now on.
Let's take our time getting used to it, Goto-kun.
Okay, Sensei.
They've swapped roles.
Oh, yeah.
Were you able to find someone who could draw a rainy city background like I asked you to?
But of course!
The word "manga" is now international!
You can find talented staff
not only in Japan, but around the world through the Internet!
You can hire them anywhere.
Goto Pro is now a global enterprise!
You sure know your stuff, Rasuna-chan.
Oh, they just uploaded the background.
Where exactly did you find this person?
Indonesia.
I mean... I guess this is what a rainy city would look like over there...
I'm home.
Wait... What did you do to your finger?!
I cut it a little bit.
How many times have I told you to never use knives or the stove?!
I'm going to start having our housekeeper come regularly starting tomorrow.
I'll even ask the housekeeper to make you whatever you want tomorrow.
Chirashizushi.
Yeah, that sounds good.
So... What exactly is this?
Chirashizushi.
Nadila-san is from Indonesia.
I'm Nadila.
"Housekeeping Support Service" "Nadila-san" I'm Nadila.
"Housekeeping Support Service" "Nadila-san"
Indonesia, eh...
Daddy, I really want to cook.
Yeah, I don't know...
It's okay if I cook with Nadila-san, right?
Pretty please?
Well, I guess that's okay.
"Recipes" Well, I guess that's okay.
"Recipes" Yay! I really wanted to make these!
"Recipes" What's this?
The notebook that was inside my ten-years-old box!
And because it was in my 10-years-old box,
it means those are all okay for someone that's ten years old to make!
Yeah. I'd love to eat your cooking, too, Hime.
I'll do my best!
But make sure Nadila-san's always here when you cook.
'Kay!
I made some meat and potatoes!
W-Was modifying the recipe necessary?
Isn't it so much fun running together?
Yeah.
"The True State of Manga and Muscles"
Why are you so dead?
Apparently, he's running in the mornings.
Guess he's working out lately.
Ah, so that's what all that's about.
There's a sports festival coming up.
A sports festival... You mean Hime-chan's?
I guess you want to show off to Hime-chan.
Sports festivals tend to ask parents or guardians to suddenly participate.
And when that happens, if I'm not...
If I'm not able to run 100 meters in 15 seconds,
they might think that I'm a manga artist!
No, I'm pretty sure they won't.
Then what other occupation would someone have
if they can't run 100 meters under 15 seconds?
Um... Maybe lawyers or shogi players?
The editors for Da Vinci or Mac Fan?
Your job doesn't particularly matter.
Anyway, I'm going to get rid of any possibility of her finding out!
Hime must never find out!
I mean, other than trying to hide this job from my daughter,
I have no idea why I'd work out doing this job.
And his spirit suddenly broke.
I'm always working out my abs while working on your manga, Sensei.
D-Don't be so shameless about it.
That's it!
Use gag manga to laugh and work out your abs!
Use horror manga to scare yourself and work out your back muscles!
Get excited over romance manga and work out your heart muscles!
Then work out your biceps with the special comedy issue
of Monthly Asuka that's 932 pages!
Those involved with manga...
...should train their muscles using manga as well!
"Arm and Calves: Dirty manga" ...should train their muscles using manga as well!
"Arm and Calves: Dirty manga" True... Most of the muscles we used are trained by manga...
"Arm and Calves: Dirty manga" Essentially...
"Mangscles" Essentially...
"Mangscles" ...they're mangscles.
We manga artists are physical monsters covered in mangscle armor!
That made me sad just saying it.
I'm sure it did.
What's the matter, Sensei?
There's a new character that's a high-school girl who wants to become an idol...
But I can't seem to draw her well.
It's not like we understand people like that.
I'm home.
Oh, hello.
Why is there a high-school girl in my house?
Huge fan...
I don't know how you found my place, but take this and leave immediately.
"Kakushi Goto"
What is this? I don't want this.
But you're a fan, right?
Oh. Hi, Daddy.
It's all over!
Uh, I can explain!
Hime-chan's a huge fan of mine!
She's my first fan ever!
Huh?
This lady is really good at singing.
She was listening to me the whole time I was singing in the park.
I'm an aspiring idol.
An idol?
But everyone tells me I can't do it and won't take me seriously.
Could you tell me more about that?
Huh? Really?
Of course.
So this is what high-school girls who aspire to be idols think about?
He's actually listening and taking me seriously...
Thanks for talking to me.
Thanks for listening to me.
He's an adult... He's a grown-up man.
"High School Girl Who Aspires to be an Idol" "Naru Senda"
So I was thinking...
What?
Rather than worrying about working out for a sports festival
you may or may not participate in,
why not worry about the bento you're going to have to make that day?
Apparently, he didn't even consider that.
Yeah, the main event of a sports festival is always the bentos.
What's your best dish?
Curry or gyoza?
Neither one works that great with bento!
"BBC Cooking Studio"
It's wonderful that you're trying to prepare some bentos for your daughter.
I don't care if people think I'm doting on her. I want to do everything I can for her.
Oh, her name is Hime.
She's very cute.
It is rather difficult raising her on my own.
I truly understand how important having a mother around is.
I think women who can cook are wonderful.
I'm sure that if you became a mother, Shiokoshi-sensei,
your child would truly be blessed.
Is he... hitting on me?!
"Cooking Class Cooking Advisor" "Yo Shiokoshi"
"Nakameguro" "Ginza"
Oh...
"Meguro Flower Shop" Oh...
"Meguro Flower Shop" Flowers.
"Meguro Flower Shop" They're really pretty.
"Meguro Flower Shop" Could we get this one?
"Meguro Flower Shop" Sure. Oh, Goto-san.
They are cute, aren't they?
Yes.
I'm a working single dad, so our home lacks color,
so I thought I should at least get my daughter some flowers.
You're such a wonderful father.
Nah. If anything, a girl really needs her mother.
It'd be great having a mom who likes flowers around.
Wait... Are you...?
"Meguro Flower Shop"
Huh? Hime? Wait... Hime? She's gone!
"Meguro Flower Shop" Hime!
Please take these!
Hime!
The meaning behind red spray mums is...
..."I love you."
Did he just... tell me he loves me?
"Flower Shop Worker" "Kumi Joro" Did he just... tell me he loves me?
Hime!
Don't just disappear like that!
I was picking flowers.
Flowers? Oh...
Oh, well.
Then let's put those flowers in a vase at home.
'Kay.
"Not for sale" "The next day"
You sold my suit?!
It clearly says "not for sale!"
Well, I can't help but feel like selling things if someone's willing to buy them.
What am I supposed to wear home now?
My whole deal is supposed to be that I work at some strict office!
I'll offer you the most formal outfit I have in my shop right now in return.
Magnificent.
Isn't this a bit too formal?
A little kid won't be able to tell the difference
between a business suit and that.
You have a point.
Tomorrow's the sports festival.
I got out of work early, so I need to
start preparing for her bento as soon as I get home.
I wonder if Hime will be happy.
I'm sure that the other families have mothers.
I wonder if it'll just make Hime feel even more lonely.
Maybe it'll rain tomorrow...
Huh? Goto-sensei?
Rokujo-sensei.
What are you doing here?
Perfect timing.
I actually wanted to talk to you.
Wh-What is it?
I truly believe... that every family should have a mother.
I-I-I-I-Is he... Is he proposing?!
Oh, he couldn't be...
But look at how he's dressed.
What else could it be?
Is this... a polognese?
Huh?
Er, no! I mean, uh, um...
Please give me time to think about it!
What the...?
And then the next day...
Hime!
--Hime! --Hime-chan! Do your best!
Um...
Why are you two here?
Why?
Well, you hit on me, Goto-san.
Um...
Well, at least Hime won't be lonely now.
Go, Hime!
Daddy's here for you!
Your bento is here for you, too!
So are these flowers!
--Hime! Hime, that's it! You can do it! --Hime-chan! You can do it! --Go, Hime!
Why did you even bother proposing to me?
Hime! Great job!
Wow!
All these people came to cheer for you!
Thanks... I guess?
Here, Hime-chan. Eat this.
Eat mine, too.
Mine, too!
Why are you here, too?
This is fan service.
Isn't it great that lunchtime became so lively?
All right, make sure you eat lots.
'Kay.
Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow...
Hime... Could you be a bit gentler?
Are you in a bad mood?
No.
Ow, ow, ow!
Seriously, why did I even bother working out if all I'm left with is muscle aches?
"Didn't get to participate at all" Seriously, why did I even bother working out if all I'm left with is muscle aches?
But it's pretty fun having that many people around sometimes, right?
Yeah.
But...
But I think I would've liked spending time with just you, too, Daddy.
Huh?
What?!
After I put so much thought into it...
I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad about this.
Daddy, what are these muscles?
Back muscles.
Then which muscles are called in-debtors?
Hm... Somewhere I keep my wallet?
--You mean right here? Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle...
--Hey! Hey, stop! Stop! --You mean right here? Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle...
Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle...
Are you good at drawing, Daddy?
But if I had to be picky... Your art looks a bit manga-ish.
No!
Shut your stupid mouth!