Hoshino Talent Agency, Office Number One.
Michiya Gōshin sat at the long table, in the second seat from the head, his fingertips unconsciously stroking a water glass. In front of him lay several photocopied manuscripts of Love Letter.
President Kato Arashi and his agent, Nakahara Kazuya, had already read the book yesterday. Both were highly satisfied and had contacted personnel from Fujikawa Bookstore and its parent company, Kodansha.
It was a stroke of serendipity. Michiya Gōshin had originally gotten the phone number of an editor at Fujikawa Bookstore. If nothing unexpected had happened, he would have contacted that editor directly to discuss publication.
But now, the publication of Love Letter was no longer his concern alone. It was a gamble involving not only the young man's future but also Hoshino Talent Agency's position in the entertainment industry.
To ensure everything went perfectly, the female president, Kato Arashi, had reportedly paid a personal visit to Kodansha's President Iguchi to secure this morning's negotiation opportunity.
Half an hour later, the conference room door was pushed open, and several people walked in together.
Leading the group was the head of the agency, Kato Arashi. Behind her were four others—Editor Machida Sonoko, who was responsible for coordinating this publication; Kodansha's business director; and two planners.
This was a show of Kodansha's sincerity; they clearly valued this collaboration as well.
"Michiya-sensei, hello."
Machida Sonoko removed her scarf, revealing cheeks slightly flushed from the cold. The business director behind her simultaneously placed a document on the table.
"This is the preliminary framework for our collaboration. However, before we discuss specific terms, we must first confirm the quality of the manuscript."
"No problem."
Michiya Gōshin distributed the Love Letter manuscripts to the four of them. Machida Sonoko was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, the business director was a middle-aged man with glasses, and the two planners were a young man and a young woman.
"The manuscripts are all here. Thank you for your time."
Machida Sonoko picked up the top copy of the final draft. Her fingers brushed over the two characters for "Love Letter" on the cover, and her gaze instantly became focused.
The others also picked up their copies and began to read. Soon, the only sound in the conference room was the soft rustle of turning pages.
Michiya Gōshin noticed that Editor Machida's page-turning was exceptionally gentle, as if she were handling a fragile treasure. When she came across a particularly compelling passage, she would make a light mark in the margin with a red pen, the sound of the nib scratching against the paper piercingly clear in the quiet room.
His agent, Nakahara Kazuya, sat beside Michiya Gōshin, his palms already slick with a fine sweat as he secretly observed the expressions of the publisher's team.
He saw the business director's initial scrutinizing gaze gradually soften as he reached the third chapter; he saw the young planners' expressions grow more and more moved as they read deeper into the story.
Most importantly, there was Machida Sonoko—a renowned female editor in the publishing world. She was currently leaning forward slightly, her finger resting on a paragraph of the manuscript, her expression intensely serious.
Time slipped by silently amid the reading. The wall clock ticked away, each sound striking a chord in everyone's heart.
Michiya Gōshin watched the birds flit past the window, his expression still serene.
"Haaaah—"
After about forty minutes, Machida Sonoko finally closed the manuscript and let out a long sigh. She took off her glasses to rub the bridge of her nose, and when she put them back on, the corners of her eyes seemed to hold a trace of moisture.
"My apologies for the long wait."
President Kato Arashi leaned forward slightly. She was even more invested in this collaboration than Michiya Gōshin. "Editor Machida, what are your thoughts?"
Machida Sonoko didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked at Michiya Gōshin, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
"Michiya-sensei, this is a truly moving work. Especially the final reconciliation—it isn't deliberately melodramatic, yet it still brings one to tears."
"This precise capture of the details of unrequited love, this gentle interpretation of regret... it's so rare in today's literary market."
The business director pushed up his glasses and took over the conversation with professional ease.
"From a market perspective, the story's core is universal enough, the theme of unrequited love has a broad audience, and the delicate writing style is well-suited for promotion."
"We conducted some preliminary research a couple of days ago. Although Michiya-sensei has had some negative press recently, the topic of an 'actor crossing over to write a pure romance novel' is still very appealing. Combined with the high quality of this book, it absolutely has the potential to become a bestseller."
Finally, one of the two young planners, the woman, added.
"I think the imagery in the book—the library cards, the snowy landscapes, the library itself—is perfect for visual promotion. We can design corresponding hooks and topics, which, combined with marketing, should attract a lot of young readers.
With these endorsements from the publisher's members, the weight in Nakahara Kazuya's heart finally lifted. He gently tugged on Michiya Gōshin's sleeve and whispered.
"It looks like they think very highly of your book. If it becomes a bestseller, public opinion about you online will definitely turn around."
This was his judgment as an agent viewing his client as an author. After all, 'author' is one of the few professions in Japan where one can be respectfully addressed as 'sensei' (teacher), a social standing that is even higher than that of an entertainer.
"Regarding the initial print run for this book, we've discussed a preliminary idea."
Machida Sonoko turned to the key page of the proposal, her tone becoming serious. "Considering the potential of the subject matter and the buzz the author brings, we recommend an initial print run of fifty thousand copies."
As soon as she finished speaking, the conference room fell silent.
Nakahara Kazuya and Michiya Gōshin exchanged a look, both startled by the number.
The agency's president, Kato Arashi, was equally surprised. Her eyes widened slightly as she stared at the publishing team in disbelief.
"Fifty thousand copies? Isn't that a bit much?"
Generally speaking, the initial print run for a new author's debut work is usually only ten to twenty thousand copies. Even for a famous actor crossing over to publish a book or a photobook, an initial run of around twenty thousand is considered top-tier treatment.
For Michiya Gōshin, an actor who had only played a supporting role, to get a number like fifty thousand for his crossover debut was simply unbelievable!
Although she was very confident in Love Letter, this number still far exceeded Kato Arashi's expectations.
She looked at Kodansha's business director, trying to find any trace of a joke on his face, but saw only a calm expression.
After a moment, a meaningful smile appeared on Machida Sonoko's face. She looked at Michiya Gōshin and spoke.
"Of course, we didn't just pick this number randomly. There's another matter involved."
"What matter?" Michiya Gōshin asked.
"An initial print run of fifty thousand is a bold move, but I suspect that besides publishing this book, Michiya-sensei has other ideas in mind. After all, your story contains a lot of cinematic descriptions—I saw it right away."
"..."
"You certainly have a sharp eye."
Michiya Gōshin said with a smile.
"Since you really have this idea, why not prepare for it early?"
The business director, who had long anticipated this, revealed a crafty smile.
"We not only hope that Michiya-sensei will entrust the publication of this book entirely to Fujikawa Bookstore, but once the number of reprints surpasses five hundred thousand copies, we can immediately begin preparations for a film project. Our bookstore would like a 30% investment share. Would you be willing to accept?"
"..."
"Mizuki-san... truly bold!"
Hearing her say this, Hoshino Talent Agency's president, Kato Arashi, instantly understood what was happening. For them to boldly offer a new author like Michiya Gōshin an initial print run of fifty thousand copies—this was what they were waiting for.
But on second thought, it was truly a win-win situation.
However, the most crucial part was Michiya Gōshin's opinion, so everyone's gaze refocused on the young man's face.
Michiya Gōshin smiled faintly. "Of course, I agree to the film project. It's a great thing for both the agency and myself."
"Then it's settled. A pleasure doing business with you."
With the preliminary collaboration agreement reached, the atmosphere in the conference room instantly relaxed.
Machida Sonoko glanced at the handsome, blond young man, the corners of her mouth twitching into a slight smile. She decided she would tell a certain girl what had happened here tonight.
This person was an author under her charge who wrote romance novels with a delicate style and deep, lingering emotion.
She would definitely love this Love Letter.
________________________________________
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