One of life's biggest gambles can be nothing more than following your dreams. What sacrifices are you willing to make to make it happen? Join Mashiro and Takagi as they take on one of the world's most challenging professions—drawing manga for a living! 

A Bump in the Road

Even to this day, Miho Azuki and Moritaka Mashiro's childhood love has been sailing along somewhat smoothly. Of course, that's only because they've hardly said a word to each other all these years! Ever since middle school, the two devoted lovebirds have made it their vow to be apart until their dreams came true. Neither of them could have imagined that such an innocent relationship could one day put their very careers on the line! 

The Last Big Step

When another aspiring voice actress is invited to Mashiro's studio, all it takes is one slip of the tongue to set off a wildfire of rumors. Could it be that the adorable Miho Azuki, the dream of so many adoring fanboys all across Japan, has been having a secret relationship? Loose talk and gossip are nothing new to either of them, and turning a blind eye to it all has kept them going strong. Now things are far more complicated—if Miho gets the role of Reversi's heroine, it'll look like she snuck in through the back door with Mashiro's help! No magazine wants bad press on their name, and you can bet they won't be letting this go for the sake of a childhood dream. Even Miho's company is putting on the pressure: Now they want her to deny their relationship publicly, on live radio for all to hear! Both of them will have difficult decisions to make, but they're determined to find a way out. After all, the future they've always dreamed of is depending on it!

Bakuman volume 19 is available from VIZ.com!

by Julie Lutz