Among the Big Three publishing houses whose distribution networks blanketed the entirety of Japan, Kiyozawa Library was technically the smallest in revenue, but it possessed the healthiest competitive environment. This was clearly reflected in the recent Ascent of New Gods rankings. Aika was a Kiyozawa author, and her performance had been the standout among the representatives of the top three firms.
Aika had been careful with her wording, yet Haruto was able to read between the lines of her messages. He realized that within both Seisawa Books and Hoshizora Novels, there were newcomer authors whom Aika considered superior to Konning or Fuji. However, when it came to securing the prestigious nomination spots for the Tokyo and Osaka regions, those hidden talents had somehow lost out to the well-connected duo. Unlike her peers, Aika had been chosen for one reason and one reason only: her past sales figures were indisputable.
"That is essentially the situation, Takahashi sensei," Aika wrote in her final message. "I know the manager who contacted you, Ms. Sato. She has several high-performing authors under her wing, but she is a total meritocrat. If you sign a ten-year deal with her and your first two works fail to meet her expectations, you will likely spend the rest of that decade being sidelined and ignored within the company."
She then added a warning.
"The seventh-place winner from the Ascent of New Gods competition eight years ago was the most successful author from outside Tokyo and Osaka. He signed with Ms. Sato, but he has since faded into obscurity and left the industry to pursue a career in business."
"Thank you for the heads-up," Haruto replied. "When I arrive in Tokyo, I will make sure to treat you to dinner first."
Haruto set his phone aside and fell into deep thought.
It was clear that every path in the industry carried its own set of risks. Ms. Sato was undoubtedly capable, but she was also cold and calculated.
Signing with her could lead to a years-long
freeze if his sales dipped, effectively ending his career. On the other hand, Aika's own manager, who also worked at Kiyozawa, was supposed to be a kinder soul, but whether that was true remained to be seen.
He made a quick call to Yukino, asking her to investigate the other managers' professional reputations. Haruto was not an idealistic fool; he had no intention of testing his raw talent against the iron wall of corporate nepotism at Seisawa or Hoshizora. He chose to prioritize a healthy creative environment over the raw market power of a larger platform.
June brought with it a stifling heat. Since he had no family left in Minamijo, Haruto moved with remarkable speed.
It took him only three days to tie up his loose ends and prepare for his relocation to the capital. Before departing, he invited Reina to a local restaurant for a farewell dinner.
"I am heading to Tokyo," he informed her. "If everything goes according to plan, I will be signing with Kiyozawa Library."
He shared everything he had learned about the Big Three with her. However, he offered no advice on what she should do.
Whether she chose to stay in Minamijo or follow him to Tokyo to continue her career was entirely up to her. If she truly intended to surpass him, she didn't need to follow his every footstep; the market would be the ultimate judge of their strength.
Sales figures were the only metric that mattered.
"Anyway, it has been a real pleasure getting to know you over the past year," Haruto said as their meal drew to a close.
The girl sat across from him in a simple white dress, biting softly on the straw of her drink while her clear eyes watched him.
"You are nothing like the cold, unapproachable genius ice queen everyone at school believes in," he continued with a smile. "In reality, you are quite cute. Becoming your friend has been one of the most meaningful highlights of my high school years."
Haruto was speaking from the heart, though the words felt a bit final. If Reina chose a university in a different city or decided to study abroad, they might not see each other for years.
The moment he finished speaking, Reina's ears turned a vivid shade of crimson. While her expression remained stoic, the hand holding her glass gave a slight, involuntary tremble.
"I see," she replied, her voice sounding remarkably calm. "You applied for the Department of Literature at Minazuki University, right?"
"If my scores meet the minimum for the special admission, then that is where I will be," Haruto said, looking slightly confused by the sudden shift in topic.
"Understood," she nodded. After a brief pause, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small, wrapped gift box. "This is for you."
Haruto took the box and opened it with curiosity. Inside were signed copies of both Star Sea and Yesterday's Starlight, totaling four volumes.
Along with the books were her hand-written musical scores for For River and Secret Base, accompanied by a flash drive containing her personal piano recordings of both tracks. Finally, there was a hand-drawn illustration.
It was an anime-style drawing of three figures from behind. A boy was holding the hands of two girls, and the three of them were struggling to climb a set of steep mountain stairs toward a temple. It was a recreation of their trip to Tokyo, transformed through her artistic vision into a beautiful piece of character art.
"Did you really have to draw me looking this handsome?" Haruto teased while looking at the sketch. "Is this really how you see me?"
He didn't notice that her ears had turned an even darker shade of red as she stole a quick glance at him.
"Goodbye," she said, her voice carrying a hint of cold tsundere energy. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the restaurant without looking back.
After some time of air travel, Haruto arrived in Tokyo for the first time as a resident. He stood at the terminal exit, feeling a sense of awe wash over him. For a moment, it felt as though the entire city belonged to him.
However, that feeling vanished the moment he realized his entire savings would probably only buy him a single modest house in this concrete jungle. His purchasing power was significant, but compared to the real estate prices, he still had a long way to go. Waiting for him at the airport entrance was Yukino.
She wore a striking red dress that fluttered in the breeze, her eyes shielded by a pair of designer sunglasses. She drew the admiring gazes of nearly every man in the terminal, but her attention was fixed solely on Haruto. She offered him a smile as he approached.
"That was fast," she noted.
"I do my best," Haruto replied. Even though it had only been a month since they last saw each other, the sense of nostalgia was surprisingly strong.
"Well, since you do not have a place to stay in the city yet, you are moving into my guest room for a few days," Yukino declared while leading him to her car.
On the drive back, she hummed a tune as she navigated the Tokyo traffic. "That old monk was surprisingly accurate, wasn't he? He said Reina's academic path was bright, and he said yours had some bumps but would end in success. Since you got that special admission to Minazuki, it seems he was spot on."
"Did he really get everything right?" Haruto asked, his curiosity piqued. "What about the fortune he gave you?"
"He said my career would start with uncertainty but that I would meet a 'destined person' at the critical moment," Yukino replied with a playful smile. "But I think the old man was a bit off on that one. My animation studio is already operating smoothly. I started recruiting in May, and by the end of June, the team is fully assembled. We have even officially started on that project for the gaming company."
"That was fast," Haruto noted with a look of surprise.
"Of course it was. I have dozens of employees, and the monthly payroll alone is hundreds of thousands of yen. I only managed to scrape together a startup fund over two hundred million yen between my savings and selling the house my mother left me. I have to pay for equipment, rent, and licensing. I do not have the luxury of sitting around and waiting for things to happen."
"I am just surprised a brand new studio could secure a profitable contract so quickly. Usually, gaming companies look for established studios with a proven track record for their promotional material," Haruto said.
"That is because I have a very helpful best friend here in the city. She helped pull some strings to get me through the door," Yukino explained with a grin. "Just you wait. Once this first project is a success and the studio finds its rhythm, I won't just be Yukino the editor anymore. I will be Yukino, the genius businesswoman of Tokyo."
"Is running an animation studio really that easy?" Haruto asked while scratching his head. "If it is that simple, maybe I should start one too."
"Are you actually interested in animation production?" Yukino asked while glancing at him.
"Yeah. I have some stories that only work in that medium. They would be wasted as light novels. Plus, I want to maintain total control over the copyrights," Haruto admitted.
"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," Yukino said with a frown. "The startup costs are manageable for someone with your earnings, but the workload is a nightmare. Animation is a high-pressure industry. Both the staff and the owners live on a diet of caffeine and all-nighters. It would completely destroy your ability to write new books."
She saw him looking thoughtful and added, "Tell you what. If you really want to pursue this, I will introduce you to some industry veterans later on. You can hire them to manage the daily operations for you. In this world, the only real obstacle is a lack of capital. If you do not understand the technical side, you just hire people who do."
"By the way, how are the negotiations for the To the Moon rights going?" she asked.
"I decided to go with your father's company, Sugar Man Pictures. The offers from the other firms were all within the same range, but I trust you and I trust your father's reputation. Although, I have to say, the name is a bit strange. Sugar Man?"
"My mother loved traditional sugar sculptures, so he named the company in her honor," Yukino said with a soft smile.
Haruto had sold the film rights for To the Moon for 40 million yen. While it wasn't a massive fortune, he was more interested in the quality of the adaptation. If the film was a hit, he would earn far more in the long run through increased book sales and brand recognition.
After talking with Yukino, Haruto pulled up the information she had gathered on Aika's recommendation for a manager at Kiyozawa Library. It confirmed what Aika had said: while her authors didn't always reach the absolute peak of the industry, she was widely respected for her ethics. She balanced the pursuit of profit with a genuine care for her writers' well-being.
Haruto was a man of action. Once his mind was made up, he moved quickly. He wasn't looking for a ten-year golden cage; he just wanted a fair partnership. If this manager was as good as her reputation suggested, he would go to her directly.
He looked at the manuscript for his next project, Parasyte, and felt a sense of calm. It was late June, and the results of the national exams would be out in early July. In the two months before university started in September, he had a massive to-do list. He needed to finalize the To the Moon film details, manage the standalone book launch, get his driver's license, buy a car, begin the serialization of Parasyte, and draft the production plan for the Madoka Magica anime.
His college life was about to begin, and he intended to make it a memorable one.
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