chapter 116: “Fujikawa Shoten”.

…

A few hours later...

Fujikawa Shoten Publishing.

A woman with long blonde hair was nervously clicking the button on her pen over and over again. Her once silky and smooth hair was a mess, and her charming face looked disheveled, frowning in frustration. The dark circles under her eyes were clearly visible—she hadn't even had time to put on makeup in the rush.

Not far away stood a pair of women, one middle-aged and the other a young up-and-comer, both with sober expressions on their faces. The middle-aged woman had long, pale pink hair tied in a ponytail, along with a pair of pretty blue eyes. If there was anything to criticize, it would be the faint signs of aging, but she was undoubtedly still a beauty. Her name was Nishimiya Yaeko. The other woman had short bobbed black hair and dark blue eyes, with a pretty and delicate face. Her name was Machida Sonoko. Both she and Yaeko were the leading editors at Fujikawa Shoten, with several authors under their charge.

The somber atmosphere was due to an emergency meeting called by the newly appointed Editor-in-Chief and General Manager of the publishing house, Kurashiki Reika, who was a mess because of a certain someone.

Two days ago, her crazy boss had handed over all her shares to someone and decided to retire without warning.

On the day Reika had just taken up her position as Editor-in-Chief, she had to take charge and try to save whatever she could. Only yesterday, Reika managed to obtain information on who had received her former boss's shares from an anonymous source. Now, while juggling shareholders and the stock market to prevent the company from plummeting, she decided to arrange a meeting to hand over 50% of the company to the new shareholder and see what kind of person they were.

She had a plan: in the best-case scenario, they could negotiate and later purchase the shares. This might cause a significant loss, but given how popular and large her publishing house was, they could recover in a few years. The worst-case scenario would be if the other party refused, putting them in a passive position where they would have to cater to all the other party's demands as the majority shareholder. The rest of the shareholders were not united, and Reika herself only held 10% after her many years of work at this company. If the other party interfered too much, the bankruptcy and collapse of the publishing house would be just around the corner.

With her personality, Reika was completely frustrated at being in such a low position, which put her in a bad mood. Damn it, she hadn't even had time to put on makeup or eat properly these days. Not to mention her troublesome daughter.

With dark thoughts, the gloomy aura around Reika only expanded.

Seeing all this, the younger Machida let out a comment.

Machida: "Well, we shouldn't be so pessimistic. Maybe they're a good person?" she said, somewhat doubtful.

Yaeko, beside her, was stunned by the young woman's courage, then glanced at the grim Reika, who was glaring sharply at Machida.

Reika: "Do you think this is a game? The damn company could go down the drain because of that stupid woman, and the best thing you can say is that!" she shouted.

Machida squealed in fear and lowered her head while apologizing. Before Reika could continue scolding her, Yaeko spoke.

Yaeko: "Let it go, Kurashiki-san. Machida was just trying to help, and maybe she's not entirely wrong. After all, the only thing we can think about right now is 'maybe...'" she said helplessly.

Reika looked at Yaeko. Strictly speaking, Yaeko was her senpai. She had been with the company longer and was the one who taught her everything she knew. However, due to the high workload of being the Editor-in-Chief, Yaeko had decided not to take the position, leaving it for Reika to obtain. For this reason, Reika respected her and never showed her bad temper in front of Yaeko, always being respectful and kind.

Reika: "I know... it's just that I'm so stressed. Damn that b**** for leaving me all this work!" she growled angrily, scratching her head.

Yaeko: "If you like, we can go for a drink after this. No matter the outcome, I think we'll need one," she said with a bitter smile.

Reika: "I guess you're right. You're coming too, Machida... and I'm sorry for yelling at you," she added in a softer tone.

Machida's eyes lit up, and she nodded happily. Machida was relatively new to this job, having entered on Yaeko's recommendation, who had seen her potential.

…

Not long after, Reika's secretary entered and informed her that Mr. Tadano Hitohito had arrived. After tidying up as best they could, they invited him in.

When he entered, the three women couldn't help but swallow nervously.

"He's big," all three women thought.

Through the door entered a tall, handsome young man with short hair and a peculiar ahoge in the shape of a flower. He was accompanied by a charming young woman with loose green hair and flushed cheeks.

Quickly recovering from her daze, Reika spoke.

Reika: "Welcome. You must be Tadano Hitohito-sama, correct..." she said in a professional tone.

As the young man entered, he scanned the room with his eyes, pausing for a moment on Yaeko and giving her a meaningful look that made the woman a little uncomfortable. Then he returned his gaze to the mature beauty in front of him and spoke.

Tadano: "Pleasure to meet you, lovely ladies. Yes, I'm Tadano Hitohito, and as of today, I own 50% of this publishing house," he said politely, bowing.

The momentum Reika had been building was severely disrupted when she saw how courteous the other party was, yet she continued quickly, with a bit of hope in her heart.

Reika: "That's what I wanted to discuss with you, if you would allow me..." she said, somewhat awkwardly.

She then proceeded to explain the company's situation and her subsequent intention to acquire the shares in the young man's possession. Reika would admit that she felt a bit foolish telling all this to the other party, but this young man had something that made her trust him more.

["She's Mine" Title is taking effect...]

Tadano didn't interrupt her from start to finish and let her say everything she wanted to. Once she was done, the young man spoke.

Tadano: "I understand the situation, but I have no intention of selling..."

Reika: "Please reconsider; I can make a good offer and..."

Tadano: "Let me finish. While I don't plan to sell, I also don't intend to interfere with the current operations, except for a few things. And as a gesture of goodwill, I bring you an opportunity..." he said as he extended his hand.

The young green-haired woman behind him nodded and pulled a folder from her bag, handing it to the young man. He took it and placed it in front of Reika. She looked at it for a moment, then took the folder.

Opening it, she found a manuscript.

Reika: "What is this?"

Tadano: "Take a look and tell me what you think about publishing it..." he said with a smile.

Reika quickly skimmed the manuscript. Her initially neutral and confused eyes filled with growing excitement. Attached to the manuscript were illustrations, and upon seeing the quality of the artwork, Reika's mouth couldn't help but open in surprise.

She looked at the young man with bright eyes, seeing him as if he were the most precious jade in the world.

The other two editors approached and also skimmed the manuscript and illustrations.

Machida's eyes lit up when she recognized the signature on one of the illustrations. With her mouth agape in astonishment and in the most fanatical tone the other two women had ever heard from her, she exclaimed.

Machida: "Y-You're TH-sensei?! Incredible!" she said, very excited.

Hearing the pseudonym that had caused a huge stir in the manga industry in recent months, both women couldn't help but stare in disbelief at the tall, handsome young man in front of them.

Tadano: "Heh, don't say it so loud. I'm embarrassed..." he said, blushing and scratching his cheek.

Reika: "!!!"

Yaeko: "!!!"

…

When everyone calmed down, the young man continued.

Tadano: "Well, as I said before, I don't plan to interfere with your affairs except for a few things, and the rest will be in your hands... By the way, I'm also taking over Gongon Weekly, so from today onwards, you'll be in partnership to handle my works..."

The women's eyes widened even more upon hearing that the young man also owned a giant like Gongon.

This matter dates back to before Ai's appearance on TV. Tadano had made a bet with Minano, which he ended up winning.

If you're wondering what the bet was, it was about the position Gongon would achieve with a single manga.

While Gongon was once on par with Shonen Jump during its heyday, it was now nothing more than an empty shell.

This was because Shonen Jump had the big titles in the industry.

But all that changed with a single song from Ai.

Going viral on the internet is truly terrifying.

You can go from 0 to 100 in a second.

However, this only works for the beginning, and from there, it depends on each person's skill.

But Tadano was confident—Naruto was one of the greats in the industry, and the best part was that Naruto opened up a vast universe for fans to explore.

And sure enough, now, a few months after its release, it has already surpassed a million copies sold in Japan alone.

Sales in the rest of the world are another story.

Minano was astonished to see her company's account grow with each passing second.

This was like a dream for her.

For this reason, and remembering the reminder from that terrifying young lady, Minano decided to sell the company to Tadano.

These high-level business moves would be a problem for Tadano and his friends if it weren't for a certain enthusiastic sister.

Tadano only mentioned it briefly in one of their chats, and the next day, Kaguya appeared along with a group of lawyers and proceeded to handle everything carefully and meticulously.

In the end, Minano continued running the company with occasional interventions from Tadano and Kaguya, who was very happy to help her beloved brother.

...

Returning to Fujikawa Shoten, after sorting out the preliminary paperwork, Tadano successfully took over 50% of the company and left the publishing house in a cheerful atmosphere.

…

Tadano: "That was faster than I thought..."

Agari: "Hehe, it seems so. By the way, Hito-kun..."

Tadano: "Yes?"

Agari: "Do you think you have time for us to..."

The girl didn't finish, but Tadano understood what she wanted.

With a flirtatious smile, he took the girl by the waist and pulled her into his embrace.

Tadano: "Of course, Himiko. What would you like to do?"

The girl's eyes sparkled as she hugged the boy tightly.

The two spent the rest of the day together.

...

Author's Note: "Here's today's chapter. There are some curiosities in it; if you recognize them, leave a comment. Also, if you're well-informed, you might guess who the next characters to appear will be, now that Tadano owns 50% of Fujikawa Shoten, hehe. That said, remember to drink plenty of water and know that I love you. Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."

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