Haruto received a phone call from the music supervisor of the Anohana animation production team at KyoAni Studios, based in Tokyo.
"Hello, is this Shiori Takahashi-sensei? This is Itsuk from the production team."
"Yes, speaking." Haruto's expression grew focused as he began to converse with the man on the other end.
The purpose of the call was quite straightforward. The team at KyoAni Studios also felt that the sheet music for Secret Base which Haruto had faxed over, was of exceptionally high quality.
Furthermore, the fact that the composition was a collaboration between Shiori Takahashi and Airi added a layer of authenticity that would resonate deeply with fans once the anime aired. If the original creator of the novel specifically produced a high-quality song for the adaptation, even the most hardcore fans would have nothing but praise for it. Itsuki had called to discuss the specific details regarding the usage of the track.
Since the original melody was based on an old classic, the arrangement could be adapted, but the lyrics needed to be completely original for this version.
After finishing the composition, Haruto had utilized a connection through a music teacher known to Reina to find a lyricist.
He had instructed them to write new lyrics that captured the emotional essence of the original song. This was a necessary step to avoid any messy copyright entanglements.
While some elements of a production required shared rights, Haruto was determined to maintain control over whatever assets he could.
The two men talked for a long while. In the end, they reached an agreement: the Anohana anime would have the rights to use the song within the show, but Haruto would retain all other intellectual property rights.
Left with no other choice, the production team agreed. After all, they truly couldn't find a more fitting or beautiful piece of music to serve as the emotional centerpiece of the series.
After hanging up the phone, Haruto let out a long sigh.
Recently, as the popularity and hype for Anohana surged alongside the progress of the animation, he found himself constantly interrupted. While there were no massive tasks, these small, meticulous details seemed to pop up every few days. Haruto checked the time and gathered the manuscripts from his desk. He headed out and hailed a taxi toward Yukino's apartment.
"I should really sign up for driving school tomorrow. If I can get my license in a few months, I'll buy a car. Getting around like this is just too inconvenient," Haruto muttered to himself as he watched the city pass by the taxi window.
The payments for the Anohana serialization had been mostly settled. Between that, the animation adaptation fees, and the royalties from the Blue Spring Ride volumes, Haruto's bank account balance had surpassed ten of millions yen mark in less than a year.
Furthermore, a significant amount of theoretical income from the Anohana volume royalties had yet to arrive. To be honest, Haruto was now a fairly wealthy young man. Because of this, his concerns had shifted toward more professional, long-term goals.
While his peers at school were still stressing about university entrance exams or finding a decent job, Haruto was already mapping out his career path within the light novel and ACG industry in Japan. He was wondering just how far he could go.
Half an hour later, he arrived at Yukino's place.
The door was unlocked. Upon entering, he saw Yukino wearing a black dress with her hair tied in a high ponytail.
Although it was already November, there was still a lingering warmth in the air. Her dress was thin, revealing her pale arms and collarbone, making her look both elegant and striking.
"You're here?" Yukino sat on the sofa sipping a cold drink. A smile played on her lips when she saw him.
"It's been a month, and you haven't changed a bit. But seriously, aren't you worried about gaining weight if you eat like that?" Haruto remarked, nodding toward the pile of snacks on her table.
"I may love snacks, but I make time for the gym every day. You don't need to worry about my figure."
As she spoke, Yukino took a moment to observe him.
To be honest, after knowing him for nearly a year, Haruto looked much the same as he did when she first saw him at Crimson Maple Literature back in January. He was tall and poised, with a handsome face and bright, intelligent eyes. Above all, he was polite. Even after a year of working together, Haruto never made inappropriate jokes or stared at her for too long just because they were close.
That kind of restraint was rare and something she deeply appreciated.
"Alright, enough small talk. Did you bring the new manuscript?" Yukino asked, shifting her gaze from his face.
"Right here." Haruto promptly handed over the stack of papers.
"To the Moon?" Yukino looked at the title and felt a wave of confusion.
What kind of title was that?
Haruto's claim to fame was Blue Spring Ride, which was obviously a youth romance story. And while the name Anohana was a bit mysterious, it at least had a poetic ring to it.
To the Moon? What was this? Was he trying his hand at science fiction?
A flicker of anxiety crossed Yukino's beautiful face. Haruto's talent was undeniable.
If he could produce something of the same caliber as Anohana for the Ascent of New Gods competition, she believed he could win even without a massive nationwide fanbase.
But she couldn't help but wonder why he insisted on switching genres with every single project. Blue Spring Ride was romance, Anohana was about friendship. What was this one supposed to be?
Despite her internal skepticism, she held her tongue and began to read.
To the Moon
By: Shiori Takahashi
On the southern coast, waves crashed against the jagged rocks. In the distance, a lighthouse stood solitary atop a steep cliff overlooking the sea. Beside the lighthouse sat a large, sprawling house made of brick and wood.
A car had come to a stop against a tree near the coastal road. Two people stepped out of the vehicle. Beneath the wheels of the car lay a squirrel that had been crushed to death. Both of them frowned at the sight. Even though they had veered the car into the tree to avoid the small creature, they had failed to save its life.
Yukino read the words carefully. The two people who exited the car were named Neil and Eva. Since they referred to each other as "Doctor," she assumed they were colleagues in a scientific field.
Foreign names? Yukino found it quite unexpected.
Haruto hadn't used such Western-style names in his previous works. Still, she didn't mind. In a novel, the story always came first.
As she continued reading, she gathered from their dialogue that they were there to perform a job. The setting and foreshadowing were laid out bit by bit, revealing the world through their conversation.
Neil and Eva were employees of a firm called Sigmund Corp. This company possessed a miraculous technology that allowed them to use a machine to alter a person's memories to fulfill their greatest wish. However, these artificial memories would conflict with a person's real memories, creating an unquantifiable danger to a healthy mind. Consequently, this technology was strictly reserved for the dying. It allowed them to fulfill their lifelong dreams within a false reality, allowing them to pass away peacefully and without regret.
Neil and Eva were there to fulfill a contract for a dying old man named Johnny. Their goal was to help him achieve his final wish.
"Go to the moon!"
Inside the house at their destination, there was a housekeeper and her two children, along with Johnny, the elderly man who was nearing his end on the bed.
"Why does he want to go to the moon?" Eva asked the housekeeper.
However, even the housekeeper didn't know why Johnny was so obsessed with the idea. This was a critical point.
Altering memories wasn't a random process; one had to understand the root and motivation of the patient's wish. They had to change the mind and memories from the ground up so that the wish felt logical and consistent within the context of the patient's long life. Only by identifying and amplifying that core motivation could the memory be successfully altered.
To find the answer, Eva wandered through Johnny's house, searching for clues about the source of his desire. In a secret basement, she found a staggering number of colorful paper rabbits.
There was also a stuffed platypus toy that looked ancient and out of place in its surroundings.
Not far from the house stood the lighthouse on the edge of the cliff. In front of the lighthouse was the grave of Johnny's wife, River. Inside the lighthouse, just like in the basement, there were paper rabbits everywhere. One of them was slightly special; unlike the single-colored rabbits, this one was made of blue and yellow paper.
As Yukino reached this point, she felt completely baffled. She was well aware that for the Ascent of New Gods competition, a single chapter was capped at about fifteen thousand words.
Haruto had spent a massive amount of ink in this first chapter describing the opening scene where Eva and Neil hit a squirrel, the interior of Johnny's house, his character profile, the paper rabbits in the basement, the lighthouse, and River's grave.
She could sense that these details were likely foreshadowing for the rest of the story. However, most of the first chapter was already over, and she couldn't help but feel frustrated.
"What on earth are you doing, Haruto? I still haven't seen the main plot of this story!"
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