Chapter 3: The Three Major Publishers of Japan
"Knock knock knock."
Outside Naoto's door, Kuriko knocked.
These past few days, Naoto had been cooped up in his room as soon as he got home, not going out at all. Kuriko even wondered if he was having dark thoughts or doing something illegal.
However, when Kuriko was using clairvoyance to observe, Naoto simply sat at his desk writing and drawing every day, doing who knows what.
After being curious for so long, Kuriko finally decided to visit her childhood friend and see what he was up to.
"Knock knock knock."
When the door was knocked again, there was still no one opening it inside the room.
At this point, most people would probably assume that the person inside the house must have gone out for something.
But who is Kuriko?
Kuriko simply glanced up with her eyes and clearly saw Naoto's location.
Then, the next moment, Kuriko had already appeared behind Naoto, teleporting. The entire process ended without any obstruction.
"This guy, he actually fell asleep?"
Kuriko looked at Naoto, who was sprawled on the table, completely asleep, and was speechless.
She was so worried about this guy, and he was just sleeping on the table?
"Guh hehe~ Kuriko, hehehe."
While Naoto was sleeping, he not only drooled all over the table but also kept mumbling Kuriko's name. It's unclear what he was dreaming about.
In any case, Kuriko had no interest in looking into his dreams.
"He's such a big person, yet he doesn't know to cover himself with a blanket when he sleeps. Also, the air conditioning in this room is set too low."
Kuriko looked at Naoto with a headache. He was already the head of the household, yet he still acted like a child, making people worry.
Just as Kuriko was covering Naoto with his blanket, she suddenly saw the manga drafts laid out on Naoto's desk.
"What is this? Manga?"
Upon seeing the items on the table, Kuriko, a loyal manga enthusiast, was immediately captivated.
The cover depicted a girl, like an elf under the moon, standing atop a tall building, as if she could leap down at any moment. This scene made it impossible for Kuriko to look away.
Just by looking at the character on the cover, it felt as if she herself was standing on that tall building. When did Naoto's drawing skills become so good?
Kuriko, of course, knew that her childhood friend had a dream of becoming a manga artist.
But, honestly, Naoto's drawings back then were uglier than a child's scribbles.
Even he himself couldn't stand to look at such things, let alone Kuriko.
However, the manga Naoto had drawn now could only be described as exquisite.
Kuriko looked at Naoto suspiciously, but found that he was still asleep and hadn't woken up. He was still muttering: "Kuriko, I must become the strongest manga artist in Japan. By then... abba abba abba."
"This idiot, could it be that he's been drawing manga all this time?"
Kuriko, of course, knew about Naoto's current situation.
But she hadn't expected that Naoto would actually try to solve it by drawing manga.
At the same time, Kuriko also knew how difficult it was to become a professional manga artist. Can this idiot really do it?
However, Kuriko looked at the manga in her hand again and finally softened.
Ever since his parents died, Naoto's mental state had been unstable. He finally had a glimmer of hope, able to do what he wanted.
As his childhood friend, she should help him.
With that, Kuriko put the manga into an envelope, intending to show it to her father that evening.
Speaking of Kuriko's father, one must mention the three major publishing houses in Japan's manga industry.
Before Yamamoto Naoto's transmigration, Japan's publishing houses were perhaps Shueisha, Kodansha, and Shogakukan, these three known as the 'Big Three of Manga'.
As for why Shueisha, Kodansha, and Shogakukan are specifically referred to as the 'Big Three' only for 'manga' type magazines?
This is because Japan's publishing houses cannot sustain their entire operations solely on 'manga magazine publishing'. To gain more profit, the 'Big Three of Manga' not only publish manga magazines but also other types of books.
For example, in his previous life, Shogakukan in Japan primarily generated profit by publishing educational books for elementary school students, with manga publishing merely being one channel for profit.
If other areas like light novels and traditional literature were included, the Big Three wouldn't look so dominant.
However, even so, it's undeniable that the Big Three were still giants. At their peak, the strength of the Big Three was definitely industry-leading.
In the original "The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.", Saiki Kusuo's father was just an editor at a small manga publishing house, and the manga he handled had no fame whatsoever.
But in this timeline, Kuriko's father, Saiki Kuniharu, is a genuinely famous editor for "Weekly Shonen JUMP."
He even served for a period as an editor for popular manga such as "One Piece," "Toriko," and "Gintama."
It's strange, many literary works have disappeared, yet some world-class IPs are still active on JUMP, and only JUMP is like this. This world is truly odd.
And so, Kuriko quietly exited the room, leaving Naoto alone inside.
Naoto didn't notice anything unusual even after Kuriko left.
In his dream, every manga he drew became a huge success, even becoming textbook-level manga in Japan.
He was inundated with various business activities, and news of anime adaptations was endless.
And finally, he and Kuriko walked down the aisle together, even having two adorable children.
Thus, when Naoto woke up, the sky outside had already grown dim.
"Huh? Blanket? Where's my manga?!"
Naoto, upon waking, looked at the blanket on him with confusion. Did he have this when he fell asleep?
And when he looked again, he found that the manga he had drawn had disappeared.
Only a slip of paper fluttered from the desk, catching Naoto's attention.
"I've taken the manga. I'll show it to my dad later. Take care of yourself; the air conditioning is too low. — Kuriko."
Seeing the content on the note, Naoto's still-groggy mind grew even more confused.
Was he dreaming?