After remembering the main purpose of today's meeting, Naho Imamura calmed down. Now it seems that the most important task that the editor-in-chief had asked her to do has been completed. Through the first four chapters of "Confessions", about 100,000 words, she can boldly conclude that a masterpiece of social reasoning has been born. There is no doubt that this will be the most important publishing project of Sakuraba Publishing House next year.
The matter was of great importance, and today's time might not be enough to discuss the next matters. She needed to return to the company immediately.
" Mr. Hachiman , can I take the manuscript of the first four chapters back to the publishing house? "
" Of course. I would rather welcome you to do so. Editor Imamura, please help me negotiate a reasonable price with your publisher. "
Hikigaya still maintained the calmness that seemed to see through everything.
" Okay ... Okay. "
Naho Imamura was stunned for a moment, then agreed. As a publisher, she should have made profits for the publisher, but now she had agreed to make profits for the author without knowing why.
" You may have many more questions about this novel, but let's eat first. You must be very hungry. "
Hikigaya picked up his chopsticks and said.
Naho Imamura realized that it was almost 1pm. Her stomach had protested countless times, so she had to pick up the chopsticks with a slightly red face. Imamura felt ashamed. All the conversations she had with Mr. Hachiman after meeting him were led by this boy who was 13 years younger than her. But she didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Instead, she enjoyed the boy's way of talking. When she realized it, the conversation between the two sides had completely ended.
After finishing their meal quickly .
" Well, that's all for today , Mr. Hachiman. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, I will go to your home in person with the staff of Sakuraba Publishing House to sign the publishing contract. "
" No problem. We will be there tomorrow. I believe that Editor Imamura will be able to bring a contract that Editor Machida will not find fault with. "
Hikigaya joked, and Imamura Naho instantly looked at Machida with resentment.
" I have already paid for today 's meal, Senior. But please don't get me wrong, I just want to thank Hachiman for letting me read such an amazing novel for the first time . You are treated as a by - product. See you tomorrow, Senior. "
Machida Sonoko said, smiled and waved to the Hikigaya mother and son, then drove away, leaving Imamura Naho standing there helpless and furious.
" Mr. Hachiman ! I am making a request to you as a fan! No matter what work you write in the future, you must send it to me as soon as possible! Let's exchange email addresses. "
The corners of Hikigaya's mouth twitched slightly, and he suddenly had a feeling that these two women, both of whom were at least ten years older than him, were jealous of him?
After seeing off Naho Imamura, Hikigaya's mother, who had been doing nothing but watching, suddenly patted Hachiman on the head.
" You kid, you can look so good if you dress up a little , but you always made yourself so withdrawn. You won't be able to make friends this way. "
" Mom, socializing will only affect my writing. I'm not a genius. I just use the time that others spend chatting, partying, and singing karaoke to write articles. "
Hikigaya Hachiman casually paraphrased a famous quote, took off his glasses , and instantly returned to his original dead fish eyes and poker face. After just over two hours of business, his facial muscles were almost completely frozen.
... ...
**Chiyoda Ward**
"I believe everyone has finished reading the first four chapters of *Confessions*. By now, all our previous doubts and anxieties should be behind us. As for the last two chapters, still with Mr. Hachiman, I am confident they will be even more shocking than the first four," confidently announced Koichi Matsui, the editor-in-chief of *All Readings*, to the heads of the publishing department.
"I agree with Editor-in-Chief Matsui. Beyond the fact that the author is only fifteen years old, the content of this book alone is enough to spark widespread social discussion. This type of novel is the easiest to sell," chimed in the publishing department, with other participants nodding in agreement.
"Since everyone is optimistic about the prospects of *Confessions*, we must also demonstrate the sincerity of Sakuraba Publishing House," said a member of the publishing department in a serious tone.
"With a royalty rate of 13%, we will do our utmost to encourage Mr. Hachiman to continue submitting his works to Sakuraba. Editor Imamura, you and Sasaki from the publishing department should visit him again tomorrow. I look forward to hearing good news."
—
Sunday was quite relaxed, and Naho Imamura and her companion Sasaki didn't even use the planned pitch.
"A 13 percent royalty rate is a very generous offer. The industry norm is between 8 to 12 percent, and top writers can earn as much as 14 percent," stated Machida Sonoko, who oversaw the contract, as she spoke to the Hikigaya family. Although she and Imamura had a bit of a rocky past, Sonoko was fair when it came to serious matters.
"As for the additional terms, the serialization and publication of the next two novels must take place under Sakuraba Publishing House, along with the distribution rights for overseas copyrights. I think there won't be any issues with the former. They are leaders in the Japanese popular literature market, and their magazine circulation and network of cooperating bookstores are impressive. Regarding overseas copyrights, these are usually handled by publishing houses. They have established distribution channels abroad, and you would still receive commissions," Sonoko added, acting as if she were the representative signing the contract between Sakuraba and Hikigaya Hachiman.
"As long as I retain the rights to any film and television adaptations, I have no objections," Hikigaya reiterated, confirming the contract once more before speaking to Imamura and Sasaki.
Since Hikigaya was under sixteen, both he and his parents had to sign in the guardian column, which meant the contract was now officially in effect.
"I believe this calls for a celebration. Please honor me by dining at my home today," Mrs. Hikigaya invited, believing that cooking for her guests was the best way to entertain them.
Having accomplished their mission, Naho Imamura and Sasaki had no reason to refuse and happily accepted.
"Oh, by the way, I can give this to you now," Hikigaya said, pulling out the last two volumes of the *Confessions* manuscript. But before he could fully hand it over, Imamura took it with both hands, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. There was still plenty of time before lunch for her to read.
The last two chapters of *Confessions* are relatively short, but they are narrated by two of the most important characters in the book: the genius boy Shuya and the homeroom teacher Moriguchi, who lost his daughter. Chapter 5 reflects Shuya's psychological distortion caused by the loss of maternal love, which is one of the sources of the book's tragedy.
Chapter 6 features the most thrilling twist, with the biggest revelation occurring on the final page, ending abruptly just as the reader's emotions reach a peak. This technique is common in Japanese mystery novels.
"Hikigaya-san," Imamura suddenly called out to Hachiman, having seemingly finished reading. Her voice was devoid of emotion. "You are truly a genius."
"Of course, that goes without saying," he replied.
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