"The latter segment mainly revolves around the battle between the giant wolf Sif and Ruby Rose. As you both saw, the wolf and the girl aren't simply enemies. In the setting, the giant wolf Sif is a childhood companion who grew up alongside Ruby Rose, so musically I want to preserve a sense of sorrow and grandeur as much as possible." Kamiyā Yuu spent the entire lunch break explaining the background of the 'Red' arc and his artistic requirements for the music. Ever since seeing the PV Kamiyā Yuu had brought out, Fujiwara Tora had been in a dazed state, unable to make sense of what he had just witnessed. After receiving Kamiyā Yuu's confirmation, his inner shock only grew beyond measure.
After witnessing the animation PV, Shindō Tsukasa's attitude became even more cautious. He realized that although the two pieces of music Kamiyā Yuu had created were merely above average in isolation, they fit the artistic style of the animation perfectly. Being able to achieve that meant Kamiyā Yuu's musical attainments were far higher than he had initially imagined.
That day, Kamiyā Yuu and Fujiwara Tora returned to the company more than an hour late. On the way back, Fujiwara Tora remained silent, looking deep in thought.
······
Time passed peacefully until Sunday at 2 PM. Having already logged into his "Fakebook" account, Kamiyā Yuu quickly received a special invitation pop-up.
"Dear user Yosuganosora, Robert Jones, the head of the animation section, invites you to a meeting. Do you accept?"
"Please verify official personnel by the red star symbol next to their username."
After clicking confirm, the webpage immediately jumped to a chat window with a clear webcam feed. On the other side of the video was a middle-aged white man sitting in a spacious office. He was slightly overweight, and by Eastern standards, his appearance could only be described as average, but he carried a composed and serious demeanor.
Kamiyā Yuu was using a high-end laptop, so he naturally had a webcam as well. However, he had no intention of turning it on to video chat with the other party. As for why, Kamiyā Sora was currently sitting in his lap, her expression serious.
Wrapping his arms around her slender waist, Kamiyā Yuu rested his head on her delicate shoulder and inhaled her faint fragrance as he said helplessly, "Sora, isn't this a bit rude to the other party?"
"It's fine. I'll handle this conversation," Kamiyā Sora said calmly, her slender hand resting on the mouse. Tilting her head slightly, she brushed her cheek against his and continued softly, "In this regard, I'm more suitable than you." Her cool tone carried immense confidence.
These past few days, whenever Kamiyā Yuu wasn't using the laptop, he would hand it over to Kamiyā Sora. From her browsing history, it was clear she had been catching up rapidly, learning every aspect of the animation industry and combining that knowledge with Kamiyā Yuu's work to make the most accurate judgments. While she had no interest in creating animation, she possessed an exceptionally sharp business sense and talent.
Seeing the serious look on Kamiyā Sora's delicate face, Kamiyā Yuu abandoned the thought of stopping her. Burying his face in her faintly fragrant silver hair, he murmured, "Alright, I'll leave it to you."
Feeling his warm breath pass through her hair, a faint blush tinged Kamiyā Sora's cool expression. Nestled in his arms, her soft body seemed to melt as she quietly responded.
Originally, she had no interest in matters related to animation. In fact, she preferred to avoid anything troublesome altogether.
But recently, as her mindset changed, she was no longer satisfied with being just the younger sister who received Kamiyā Yuu's affection. Whether in private life or at work, Kamiyā Sora wanted to become someone indispensable to him.
······
On the other side of the webcam, Robert, the head of the animation section of "Fakebook," maintained a serious expression as he signaled the female interpreter beside him to prepare. Once the other party turned on their camera, the international meeting would officially begin.
However, a string of English text suddenly appeared in the chat box:
"Sorry, I don't have a webcam here. If you don't mind, could we conduct this conversation in English?"
—Didn't Tom say the other party wasn't familiar with English?
Robert's brow twitched slightly. He nodded at the camera and dismissed the interpreter. Since the other party was using English and requested to communicate via typing, there was no need for translation.
"Oh~ so you are the creator of the 'Crescent Rose' crowdfunding project. I am Robert Jones, head of the animation section of 'Fakebook.'" Moving his laptop closer, Robert's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. At this moment, he had his camera on, yet knew nothing about the other party. He couldn't even judge the accuracy of his assumptions based on their reactions.
This feeling of being watched by someone hidden in the dark was unpleasant. It would leave him at a disadvantage throughout the negotiation.
"Yes, you can call me Sora."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Sora. Let's get straight to the point. In your mind, what is the target crowdfunding amount for this animation project? Based on the materials you submitted, it seems to be between two million and five million yen. That range leaves me quite puzzled. Was this figure decided after careful consideration?"
"Three million yen is enough." After a subtle pause, Robert saw the reply appear in English, written casually.
A trace of confusion passed through Robert's eyes as he typed, "Heavens, please forgive my surprise. Mr. Sora, are you serious? Compared to the quality of your excellent work, that number seems far too insignificant."
"Of course. I've already explained the reasons for the crowdfunding amount in the submitted materials. Three million yen is sufficient."
Glancing at the webcam, Robert suppressed the unease rising within him and continued typing, "There is still considerable room to increase that amount. Have you considered raising the target to secure greater development potential?"
"Thank you for your concern, Mr. Robert, but for us, it is sufficient. I assume you didn't personally participate in this meeting just to persuade me to increase the crowdfunding amount."
The slightly teasing tone made Robert shift in his seat. He truly felt as though he had been seen through.
—Since I, as the head of the animation section, personally appeared, the other party must have deduced this possibility.
Robert reassured himself inwardly, then typed, "Of course. In fact, I am personally very interested in your work. Perhaps we can discuss a closer form of collaboration."
"Please go on."
"Our company can offer fifty thousand US dollars to purchase the overseas exclusive streaming rights to 'Crescent Rose' and its subsequent works. If you agree, we will dispatch personnel to Japan within a week to sign the contract with you."
Again, a subtle silence followed.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Robert. The crowdfunding amount may not be high, but do you really believe you can acquire the overseas exclusive rights to 'Crescent Rose' for fifty thousand dollars simply because we have a temporary funding gap? We intend to adopt a free-to-watch model for this work, and it also serves to test the market. We have confidence in the quality of our work, so we will not easily agree to such a superficial request."
"If Mr. Robert had even a basic understanding of animation, you wouldn't make such an ill-considered proposal. And if you don't understand animation, then I believe there is no point in continuing this conversation."