Ojiisan woes.

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Hearing this, Kanae's pride shake a little and nodded his head, "I make all of this" He showed his clothes to the grandpa.

The grandpa asked for permission and inspected his clothes.

He was grabbing the coat and looking really intensely at the stitches. The type of fabric that he choose to make them, the way they were sewed together and even the resistance of the pockets.

After five minutes of inspecting, he said, "They are well done…" The grandpa mumble and become silent for a second and after nodding his head three times said to Kanae, "Do you have some time? I have a proposition for you"

Kanae raised an eyebrow at that.

He didn't know the old man, and as much as he liked the fabrics, he would not accept anything before thinking. However, listening to him wouldn't be bad. So, he nodded his head.

The old man smiled gently at him and say, "Come with me"

The two walked towards the counter. Hachi and Azusa were looking at them with a weird look.

"Do you know the ojiisan Azu-chan?"

Azusa shook her head, "No and my onii-chan don't go out of the house…"

Meanwhile, the grandpa was showing him a magazine at Kanae.

Kanae was looking at the magazine with a curious face.

The Cover of the magazine was white, while they wrote the title in bright pink letters, [The New Kimono] And on the cover there was a picture of a young and beautiful model using a grey and white Kimono.

He looked at the grandpa not knowing what he wants him to do with the magazine.

The grandpa noted this and with a chuckle said, "This magazine is of my granddaughter. Is the first volume,"

Kanae frowns a little. He hated to waste time with roundabouts conversations. So while trying not to show his irritation he asked, "So? What do you want to ask?"

The grandpa put on a sad smile. "Look inside"

He looked at him, getting a little more irritated, but did it anyway.

Kanae opens the magazine.

The first thing he noted was that a lot of the pages were blank.

Some of them had titles and text but no pictures.

He finally knew what was the deal, the magazine was in the process of being made. He didn't know why this had anything to do with him but he flipped the pages quickly anyway.

Every couple of pages he would see a Kimono design that make him shake his head. They were really old. They were beautiful, but he didn't think that they cover the 'NEW' of the magazine title. It honestly looked like the hundred magazines that were out there.

After finishing, he looked at the grandpa and said, "Do you want my opinion?"

The grandpa nodded his head with a serious face.

"It sucks. The designs are beautiful but have nothing new in them. While the rest lack a concept. I honestly don't know why would I even buy a magazine like this. Is the same as others. Also, the white and pink letters make it look like a teen magazine instead of the traditional information that you have inside. Its feels as is was made by retired auntys that want to feel young again. And doing it really badly mind you..."

He looked at the grandpa with a stoic face. He thought for a second of mellowing the words. But that was a waste of time. If you wanted to be a professional then you should accept harsh criticism.

"Onii-chan!" Azusa exclaimed, scandalized, while Hachi was rewinding the non-filtered words that Kanae said to the old man inside her head.

The old man sighs with regret and, with a tired voice, mumbles, "I know. Can you help me? Can you do some good modern Kimonos? Maybe give a… concept? to the magazine?"

Kanae responded in a flat tone, "How much is the pay?"

Hearing this, the group inside the store looked at him with wide eyes.

He knew that in Japanese culture, speaking so straight, without filters and to the point was bad. But he didn't care. He was as much American as Japanese. And there wasn't any chance that he would work for free. Nor stroke the small egos of the old generation.

Even less to an unknown old man.

Plus, the old man had asked him to be the designer of the magazine. That was a lot of work and responsibility. The type that you need to be paid some good money for it.

He was sure that he could do a good job, or at least he could copy something from his past world. But it didn't mean that he was going to work for free. Even less an estranger.

"Well… you would have free exposure and publicity…." The old man says with an embarrassed face.

"Don't care. I won't work for free." He looked pointedly at the grandpa. After hearing this he knew that he had wasted his time.

The old man sighed and grabbed the magazine a little tight said, "I invest all my money in the magazine"

Hearing this, Kanae looked at him, now more irritated than before and, in a serious tone, said, "What about your granddaughter? Isn't she the owner of the magazine? And please stop with the fake tears. I don't work for free."

The old man's face becomes a little red in anger. "The designer quit one month ago! Saying that she had a better offer! She ended up giving them to another magazine!"

Kanae shook his head. He honestly didn't care.

The business world was a ruthless place, and investing all the money in a fashion magazine without the most important part was a big mistake for the granddaughter.

He looks at the old man's face and then at his hand full of calluses from working. They were the hands of a craftsman….

He sighs, he was easy for people that worked hard. Being one of them himself he knew what it was to not be appreciated.

" Let me think" Kanae close his eyes and thought about what to do.

He would not work for free. But there were other ways of paying for his work. He could make a contract that they need to give the earnings of the magazine until they pay the debt to him or…

He open his eyes and grabbed his phone.

In it, he typed [Vogue]… nothing.

With a depredatory smile, he looks at the old man. "I want a percentage of the magazine. In exchange, I will design a full kimono collection for your granddaughter and complete a business plan for the future."

After saying this he wrote his cellphone number in his notebook and after tearing the paper he give a piece to the old man.

Before the old man could say anything, he interrupted him, " Speak with your granddaughter. I want a full list of every connection that she has. How is she going to print? Transportation? The designers of the magazine. The headquarters. Everything.

"I even have money to invest in the magazine. The name sucks and the whole 'only Kimono' will not work."

After saying this, he made a quick sketch of the broken page of his handbook.

In it, the words [VOGUE] were big on the top. The head of a model covered the G of the title. At the end of the page, a small title was written.

[The New Kimono]

This quick sketch was giving more 'Fashion' vibes that the grandpa's magazine. It was modern, minimalist, it looked like the cover of those big expensive photography books.

...