'Kiyozawa Library?'
Haruto froze for a moment when he heard those words.
In Japan, the light novel industry was dominated by seven titan publishing houses.
The undisputed Big Three were Kiyozawa Library, Seisawa Books, and Hoshizora Novels.
These three possessed distribution networks that reached every bookstore and convenience store in every prefecture across the country.
The remaining four, Minazuki Press, Dawn Publishing, Genshu Books, and Hamon Novels, were respectable but operated on a smaller scale, covering only a handful of regions.
It was a clear hierarchy of three giants and four challengers.
Among these seven, the two most powerful entities headquartered in the Tokyo metropolitan area were Seisawa Books and Kiyozawa Library. Konning was a rising star groomed by Seisawa Books. His rapid ascent was partly due to his undeniable talent, but it was common knowledge that his father being an Editor in Chief at Seisawa played a significant role. Meanwhile, Fuji, who took third place in the Ascent of New Gods competition, was a prodigy backed by Hoshizora Novels.
As for the second place winner, Aika, she was the top tier newcomer nurtured by Kiyozawa Library. If Haruto had not appeared out of nowhere to disrupt the status quo, Aika was guaranteed to win the Ascent of New Gods award, solidifying her reputation as the strongest newcomer in the industry over the last two years.
Haruto opened the door to find a woman in her thirties. She possessed refined features and a sharp, professional air. Standing beside her was a young male assistant who looked like a fresh university graduate, appearing a bit lean and nervous.
"Hello. I am Ms. Sato from Kiyozawa Library, and this is my assistant, Tanaka."
The woman offered Haruto a brilliant smile the moment she saw him.
"Please, come in," Haruto said after a brief hesitation, stepping aside to let them enter.
Ms. Sato scanned the three bedroom apartment. While the renovation was modest and the space was not particularly vast, it was tastefully arranged and immaculately clean. Even though Haruto lived alone, the air did not carry the stale scent of stacked takeout containers or unwashed laundry. She gave a small, approving nod.
This was a massive improvement over the environment she had encountered when she tried to poach a college author from a university dormitory in Tokyo. She could still vividly recall the four person dorm room where the pile of trash was as high as her waist. The smell had been a core memory she wished she could forget.
Haruto poured tea for his guests and then sat down, waiting for them to break the silence. The reason for their visit was obvious to everyone in the room.
They knew Haruto had already guessed their intentions, yet neither side wanted to be the first to speak.
After a tense thirty seconds of silence, Ms. Sato realized that Haruto had no intention of opening the conversation. He simply watched her with a calm expression. Feeling the awkwardness, she finally spoke up.
"Shiori-sensei, how have you been faring lately?"
"Quite well," Haruto replied. "No back pain, no sore legs, and no need for calcium supplements yet. After all, I am only seventeen."
"Haha, you have a good sense of humor, sensei,"
Ms. Sato said, her smile fading into a more serious expression. "I have heard that you are currently not signed to any long term exclusive contracts with a publisher. Is that correct?"
Haruto paused for a beat before nodding. 'That is correct."
"Then, sensei, have you considered moving beyond Minamijo? Have you thought about leaving a small company like Crimson Maple Literature to pursue your career on a much larger stage?" Ms. Sato asked, finally revealing her purpose.
"I find my current arrangement with Crimson Maple quite comfortable. The people there are kind and have treated me very well," Haruto said, choosing not to give a direct answer.
"I understand. I am not suggesting that Crimson Maple has any issues with their management. I am simply saying they are too small in scale"
Both were speaking politely. Haruto was definitely interested in the olive branch from a giant like Kiyozawa, but he knew that appearing too eager would weaken his negotiating position.
Furthermore, Kiyozawa was only one of the Big Three. He expected the others would come knocking soon.
Following a signal from Ms. Sato, her assistant Tanaka hurriedly handed a formal letter of intent to Haruto. Authors signed to the Big Seven were not just writers; they were treated like idols. They participated in book signings, fan meetings, and appeared on variety shows. In Japan, light novel authors possessed massive commercial value and fame, often enjoying a higher social status than pop stars. Because they were considered part of the literary elite, they were respected as intellectuals regardless of their popularity.
For an author with Haruto's potential, a major publisher would assign a personal manager to handle both their business and personal affairs. During the Ascent of New Gods ceremony, Aika Miyamoto only had to follow her schedule and eat when told; Haruto, on the other hand, had to plan his own travel and logistics. If a dozen such tasks piled up, he would spend all his time on chores and never have a moment to write.
The contract offer focused on a few key points.
First, it was a ten year exclusive deal. Second, it promised one of the industry's top managers to groom him as the ultimate rising star. Third, the publisher would provide top tier marketing resources for his next work, with the budget increasing as his sales hit certain milestones. They assured him that even if he became a superstar within that decade, the contract would be adjusted to reflect his status rather than trapping him in a low paying newcomer deal.
Haruto read the document in silence.
"Every major publisher has their own set of standards for nurturing talent," Tanaka added at Ms. Sato's prompting. "Our standards are largely similar to the others."
"Exactly," Ms. Sato continued. "Even if other houses like Hoshizora or Seisawa reach out to you, you should be wary. While they are slightly larger than Kiyozawa in terms of sheer revenue, their internal structures are incredibly complex. They are riddled with nepotism and corporate politics."
She stopped there, but the implication was clear. A talented person does not fear a challenge, but without a background or a powerful patron, a lone dragon would be picked apart by the vultures in such an environment. Aika had her connections through Kiyozawa, and Fuji's background was a significant factor at Hoshizora.
"Resources are finite in any company," Ms. Sato said firmly. "At Kiyozawa Library, you only need to demonstrate your talent to receive the support you deserve. In other places, that might not be the case."
Haruto continued to study the letter of intent.
"I am still very new to this industry," Haruto finally spoke. "There is much I do not understand. However, I am sure a prestigious company like yours would not try to swindle a minor author like me. I trust that these terms are a fair reflection of the current market."
Ms. Sato smiled and nodded. She appreciated his pragmatism.
Too many newcomers were paranoid, thinking every publisher was out to exploit them.
A company does not reach a billion yen valuation by being a common crook.
However, Haruto's tone shifted.
"I need some time to consider Kiyozawa's offer. And even if I decide to move forward, there is one condition in this document I cannot accept. A ten year contract is simply too long."
'Ten years is too long?' Ms. Sato narrowed her eyes.
"Then what duration do you find appropriate, Shiori Takahashi sensei? Eight years? Nine?"
"No. I value my freedom above all else," Haruto said while shaking his head. "I do not want an exclusive long term deal. I want to sign on a per book basis."
"You do not want an exclusive contract?" Ms. Sato's smile returned, but it carried a hint of condescension, as if she were looking at a naive child. "But sensei, if you refuse to commit to the company, why would the company commit its best resources to you?"
An exclusive contract was the equivalent of being a permanent employee.
The longer the commitment, the more the publisher was willing to invest in the author's brand. It was like the difference between a tenured government official and a freelance contractor. If a freelancer showed ten times the talent of a regular employee, they still wouldn't get the same long term career development opportunities because they could leave at any moment.
Private publishers were not as extreme as the government, but the principle remained. If an author refused to sign long term, they had to prove their worth every single time. They had to show the publisher that the profit from a single book would outweigh the total profit an average exclusive author would generate over several years. Otherwise, the company would always choose to promote their own family members.
"I think you need to be realistic, sensei," Ms. Sato said, her smile disappearing entirely. "I believe you have immense potential, but you must realize that potential and turn it into consistent results before you can dictate terms to a giant like Kiyozawa."
Haruto frowned. He understood her point.
He was the number one newcomer of the season, but Japan had decades of literary history and established titans who were still active. Those legends could dictate terms to Kiyozawa, but a rookie like him lacked that leverage.
However, Haruto had something no one else did. He possessed a vast library of masterpieces in his mind. He was only seventeen. A decade-long contract would cover nearly a sixth of his entire professional life. He was not about to tie himself down to one house for that long.
More importantly, these contracts always included a Right of First Refusal clause. Any work he created during the decade had to be offered to Kiyozawa first. Only if Kiyozawa rejected it could he take it elsewhere. This meant if Haruto wanted to write an original anime script, he would have to wait for Kiyozawa to decide they didn't want to adapt it into a novel first. It even applied to him starting his own studio for original projects.
Haruto could not allow such a restriction.
Not every work in the girl's memory was suitable for a light novel. Epic stories like Dragon Ball or Slam Dunk relied heavily on visual impact.
Converting them to pure text would strip away forty percent of their emotional power.
Ms. Sato was being blunt, but she was right. She could accept a non exclusive deal, but Haruto's priority ranking within the company would plummet.
Without corporate backing, talent alone was rarely enough to become a household name. In the entertainment world, very few people became stars without capital behind them.
"This is my non-negotiable condition for collaborating with any publisher,"Haruto said with a polite but firm smile. "I know it might hinder my career growth, but it is the way I choose to work."
Ms. Sato nodded slowly. "Then I hope you will give it some more thought. Ten years is not a long time for a seventeen year old. If you truly believe in your talent, you will have all the leverage in the world by the time you are twenty seven."
With that, she stood up and offered a professional nod. After a few more pleasantries, she made a graceful exit. She had made her offer in good faith, and now the ball was in Haruto's court.
She personally found his refusal to sign a long term deal hard to accept. A talented author who refused to be managed was a risky investment, no matter how good their writing was.
Over the next few days, representatives from Hoshizora and Seisawa approached him as Haruto had predicted.
Each of them frowned the moment he mentioned his stance on long term contracts. If they couldn't secure him exclusively, the value of recruiting him dropped significantly. Why would they spend their limited marketing budget on a creator who could jump to a rival house next month?
However, as the university entrance exams loomed, Haruto received an unexpected surprise.
A representative from the prestigious Minazuki University visited his home to discuss an Elite Talent Admission slot.
Winning a gold medal or a first place prize in a national competition for physics, mathematics, art, or music can grant a student admission to top tier universities even if their other grades are not perfect.
The university's pitch was simple.
If Haruto agreed to enroll in their Department of Literature and allowed the school to use his fame as a light novel author for promotional purposes, they would significantly lower their entrance score requirements for him.
The first place winner of the Ascent of New Gods competition was considered the top newcomer in the literary industry. A high school student who could achieve such a feat was exactly the kind of elite talent the university wanted to recruit.
Haruto was stunned by the offer.
He thought about it for a single night before signing the agreement. He lived alone and didn't need to consult anyone, so he made the decision quickly. Whether he got in through a test score or a special talent didn't matter to him.
For a novelist, the specific major was secondary; the prestige of the institution was what mattered for his professional resume.
"So, according to this agreement, I only need to score a 440 on the national exam to get into Minazuki, which usually requires a 662?"
The clouds that had been hanging over him for the last month finally began to clear. He knew his refusal to sign an exclusive contract was seen as arrogant by the publishers, but he had total confidence that he didn't need top tier marketing to succeed. He just needed a platform. If the Big Three refused to give him freedom, he would simply find another way.
In late May, the Ascent of New Gods committee finalized the details for the standalone release of To the Moon. The book was set to hit shelves in early July along with the other top ten winners. Simultaneously, four different companies began negotiating for the animation and film rights to the story, including Yukino's father's firm, Sugar Man Pictures.
Early June arrived.
On the night before the university entrance exams, the pressure finally triggered another deep dive into the memories of Shiori.
That night, in his dream, a new set of memories surfaced. She had stayed up late that night following a friend's advice. Since she had been emotionally devastated by To the Moon and Finding Paradise, her friend suggested she watch some action series or something with a cute moe art style to heal her soul.
The two series her friend recommended were very different. One was considered one of the three great gourmet horror series: Parasyte. The other was a show that sounded like a cheerful, magical adventure just from its title: Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
Haruto smiled in his sleep. His friend in the dream had recommended some truly healing content.
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