The next day, Takumi and his classmate returned home.
Just one day after the high school entrance exam results were announced, all the well-informed neighbors knew that Takumi had placed second. Acquaintances and strangers alike approached him to congratulate him upon seeing him.
Aika smiled endlessly, even at lunchtime. She was striving to get meat for Takumi when she suddenly remembered something: "By the way, Takumi, Ishida-sensei told me about the graduation certificate yesterday. You should go get it this afternoon."
"Okay."
Takumi couldn't stand her bright gaze and went to school early in the afternoon.
Saitama N.º 3 High School has always had a low ranking in the prefecture, and its high school entrance exam results in recent years have been mediocre. However, when Takumi arrived at school, he saw a red wooden board at the entrance, with extravagant calligraphy. The first line read:
"Congratulations to our student Takumi for obtaining second place in the prefecture and sixth in the city in the high school entrance exam!"
"It seems I overdid it." Takumi covered his forehead, a little distressed: "I should have made more mistakes if I had known."
He didn't want to attract too much attention, but since it had already happened, he could only accept it. It seemed that other students had received their graduation certificates that morning. There weren't many people on the entire campus. Takumi could only go to the office to find Ishida-sensei.
"Takumi!"
As soon as he entered, Ishida-sensei, with a keen gaze, smiled: "You're finally here, it's just that your graduation certificate hasn't been issued yet."
"Second place in the high school entrance exam is already here!"
"Good job on the exam, Takumi, you've brought honor to the school!"
The teachers around him praised him.
"Thank you." Takumi shyly smiled at those around him and then went to Ishida-sensei's desk: "I'm sorry, Ishida-sensei, I went home at noon and rushed here as soon as I finished eating."
Ishida-sensei breathed a sigh of relief, but his smile was actually forced. 'Other teachers praised him for educating a good student, but Ishida-sensei knew that it wasn't like that at all. He had always had a bad attitude towards Takumi. But now he couldn't show his disagreement with second place in the high school entrance exam in front of others. Takumi was very thoughtful and took the initiative to show his good will, and he felt safe.'
"Takumi, since you've just returned, you can come tomorrow!"
Ishida-sensei took the graduation certificate from the drawer with a smile: "It's yours, you can't escape."
"Thank you, sensei."
Takumi took it. Graduation reassured him. 'Kurosawa would choose a high school for him, and Takumi wouldn't have to worry about his student status transfer.'
"By the way, Takumi, write a few words about your thoughts and learning experiences." Ishida-sensei took out a blank sheet of paper and a pen and placed them on the table, smiling: "The school will record the top three in the high school entrance exam every year. You are the first. We'll take some photos later."
Takumi nodded.
He bent down and wrote thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Ishida-sensei timidly asked: "Takumi, have you already chosen which high school you want to go to?"
Students in the prefecture usually apply to local high schools for the entrance exam. However, the level of local education is limited, and the elites of past high school entrance exams were snatched up by famous schools from other places. As the second-place finisher in the prefecture's high school entrance exam, Takumi naturally attracted a lot of attention.
Ishida-sensei had several high schools on his side. If he managed to convince Takumi to choose one of them, he could get a share.
"Well, I've already chosen."
Takumi knew what he was thinking and immediately refused: "I'm going to Osaka."
"Osaka? Japan's second largest city, Osaka!"
Ishida-sensei was stunned. 'It was a big city, far from Saitama Prefecture, with many excellent schools, and the university entrance exam required three years of family registration and student status in Osaka. It was extremely difficult for students from other places to go there. He hadn't expected Takumi to get in, but a score of 725 was truly very convincing.'
Ishida-sensei's little calculation shattered.
"Osaka is very good, you and Shiori are destined to be together." He recovered and smiled: "They say she reached an agreement with Osaka's N.º 1 High School before the high school entrance exam. This time, her score is expected to exempt her from tuition fees and family registration transfer fees for admission."
Takumi put down his pen after writing his speech: "Shiori, who is that?"
He didn't remember knowing that person, 'so why did Ishida-sensei suddenly mention her?'
"You don't know?" Ishida-sensei seemed stunned: "Shiori, from Experimental High School, is the best in the prefecture and the city, with 746 points."
746. Takumi felt a little sad upon hearing this score. He was only 4 points away from the maximum score. 'Could such a hardworking child study so much?' But judging by her name, she shouldn't have balls...
Takumi didn't dwell on it. After writing his speech, Ishida-sensei dragged him to find the school leaders, and they took some photos together. After a long while of work, he left amidst the adults' boasts; he also held a letter full of money in his hand.
300 yen, it was said to be the prefecture's reward for his sixth place in the city. Takumi had reason to believe that most of it had gone to the school.
"But I can buy a mobile phone."
Takumi only needed a mobile phone. He happily returned home with the money and was stunned again.
"Oh, Takumi's back!"
"Come in, I know you can study hard. Hana, say hello to your brother. If you don't understand anything in your studies, you can ask him."
The room was full of people, uncles, aunts, and relatives, all enthusiastic, many with smiles Takumi had never seen before. 'These relatives always looked down on him. Was it just second place in the high school entrance exam? How had everything changed?' Takumi discovered that he underestimated the value of learning.
The following days were even more exaggerated. Relatives and friends came to visit every day, and there was milk and gifts all over the floor. Aika also took Takumi back to the countryside to set off firecrackers. His grandfather and grandmother held his hand and kept praising him, which reminded Takumi that they were also very excited in his previous life, but that was after he was raised by a strange rich man.
Life was very busy for a while, but it finally stopped after Aika went to work.
He returned to normal, and Takumi hastily published the second and third episodes of Detective Conan. At the same time, he continued to explore his "flash of inspiration." That state made him rack his brain, and he really didn't know what conditions were needed to start.
Then, Takumi studied while waiting for the publication of the Detective Conan manga at home. Manga magazines in Saitama Prefecture are published one day later than those in big cities. He searched for a long time before finding out which bookstores sold Weekly Shōnen.
"What the hell is this!"
One day, when Takumi rushed to the bookstore, two young people were flipping through manga magazines next to the shelf. One of the young men with glasses seemed dissatisfied: "The quality of Weekly Shōnen is getting worse and worse. The cover of this issue is simply inexplicable. I won't buy it!"
"Yes, at least there were beautiful pictures like on the previous cover." His companion laughed: "What original manga! There are no good stories. Who would buy this magazine if it weren't to see beautiful women selling their bodies?"
"Hinotori Publishing has declined, let's buy manga from Tatsuryū... I heard that the manga adaptation of The Lady Knight is already out and only costs 300 yen."
"Really? I remember that novel was super exciting. Can it really be adapted into a manga?"
"Hehe, their manga are even more exciting. Elementary school students can't control themselves after reading them."
The two young men walked to other shelves with subtle smiles. Takumi found Weekly Shōnen after they left. He was very curious to know what he had drawn on the magazine cover that disappointed people so much.
At first glance, there was a large black shadow in the center of this issue's Weekly Shōnen cover. After looking closer, Takumi realized it was a portrait with blurred features.
The debut work of a unique genius! Next issue: New serialization: Detective Conan!
Before a row of large advertising slogans, Takumi was stunned for a long time before opening his eyes and looking at the black shadow: "Could it be me?"
The magazine did not contain specific author information, and Hinotori Publishing kept its promise and kept it a secret. But the sketch really looked like Takumi. Although the advertising slogan was just a sentence, Weekly Shōnen gave the cover to him, a newcomer, and the treatment was quite good: "One week..."
There was still one week left until official publication. Takumi was a little disappointed, but also a little worried. Before, he was busy with family and friends and didn't feel much, but now, seeing the portrait on the magazine cover, he started to get nervous.
He gently caressed the cover, and only his pseudonym was written below: Mirai-sensei.
"Miyuki, will you see it too?"
The shadow of a woman crossed Takumi's mind...