lcionline Something about Chapter 22 feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it...
Something about Chapter 22 feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it...
Yuta Shirakawa was having a bit of a headache over this problem.
In the past few days, he had tried to probe Masako Takahashi, but each time he brought it up, he was immediately rejected.
Even though he said he had accidentally broken it and wanted to give the other party a new one, he couldn't. The other party almost took it back, and in the end, he only kept it after saying that he had sent it to someone to repair it.
In the past, Shirakawa Yuta might not have understood, but after seeing the equipment description and combining it with their usual casual conversations, he had a vague idea.
For Masako Takahashi, the game controller may mean more than just games; it symbolizes a kind of freedom.
During the time she held the handle, she was free; that time belonged solely to her.
Yuta Shirakawa had a vague idea of how to obtain the controller.
Just as he was making further plans, a phone call suddenly came in.
Yuta Shirakawa looked at the unfamiliar phone number on his phone screen, somewhat puzzled, but still chose to answer.
I had just clicked to answer the call, and before I even put the receiver to my ear, I heard an overly enthusiastic voice on the other end:
"Hello, I'm Kudo Sakae, the head of the third group of the editorial department of Weekly Shonen Jump, and also the head of Imai Chinatsu. Are you Shirakawa Yuta, the author of Rurouni Kenshin?"
Although the statement contained a questioning tone, the voice was very assertive, carrying a unique sense of dominance from a superior to a subordinate.
Yuta Shirakawa raised an eyebrow. Although the other person's voice was enthusiastic, he sensed something was amiss: "Yes, I'm Yuta Shirakawa. May I ask what business Chief Kudo has with me?"
"There is indeed a problem. Due to an employee's mistake, you didn't sign the contract when you left this afternoon. As punishment, she will be temporarily relieved of her editing duties. I will be taking over your manga. When would be a convenient time for you to come and sign the contract?"
"contract?"
After recalling what Chinatsu Imai had said that afternoon, Yuta Shirakawa continued, "Why do we need to sign a contract if we're just submitting it for the Tezuka Award?"
Hearing his words, Kudo Sakae cursed Imai Chinatsu inwardly, blaming her for blurting out everything. Yet, her enthusiastic tone remained unchanged; she even subtly altered her form of address as she spoke:
"It's certainly possible to sign a contract after the Tezuka Award is decided. However, Yuta, Imai is a new employee and may not be familiar with some aspects of the Tezuka Award process. Works that have already been signed have a higher chance of winning than those that haven't. If you want to compete for the Tezuka Award, it's best to sign a contract first."
"Yeah?"
Yuta Shirakawa felt that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"That's right, I'm the leader of the third group. I've participated in the Tezuka Award selection many times, so I naturally know more about the situation inside."
Kudo Sakae spoke with certainty, then added somewhat impatiently:
"Yuta, come over tomorrow and sign the contract. Don't delay the Tezuka Award selection."
Yuta Shirakawa frowned, and the frown deepened.
According to the other party, signing the contract as soon as possible doesn't seem to pose any problem, and it would also help them win awards and quickly gain fame, which is exactly what he wants.
But the other party seems a bit too eager, excessively so; they want him to sign the contract tomorrow.
Yuta Shirakawa thought for a moment, then said, "Team Leader Kudo, could you please send me the contract via LINE first? I'll take a look."
Kudo Sakae was clearly surprised by what the other party said. In her mind, a high school student who could sign with Weekly Shonen Jump should be extremely excited.
Even if we asked him to come over tonight, let alone tomorrow, he should have come immediately.
She wanted to give the other party a good scolding, but the quality of this Rurouni Kenshin book was too good, and she was afraid that the other party would throw a tantrum and refuse to sign it in the end, which would be a loss.
Although the chances were slim, she didn't want to try, so she had no choice but to agree.
Kudo Sakae's mouse pointer kept hovering between the four contracts on the desktop.
The best option is the S-class, which is specially prepared for newcomers who win the Tezuka Award. Not only do they receive higher royalties for each chapter and priority publication rights, but they also get a 50/50 split of the final copyright revenue.
The second option is Category A, which also offers copyright revenue sharing, but the royalties are lower, and there is a lack of promotional resources.
As for the remaining B and C categories, not only do the copyrights belong entirely to Shueisha, but the C category manga only has the right to be published as a backup and may not necessarily be published in Weekly Shonen Jump.
Kudo Sakae prepared File B for Shirakawa Yuta, which had the right to publish but not the copyright.
However, she was worried that if she sent the B-level contract now, the other party would see through it.
If the other party were standing in front of her, she could urge them to sign quickly so they wouldn't be able to see the details in the contract.
But if we send the contract directly now, we'll have time to study it slowly, and we'll see that content sooner or later.
Suddenly, Kudo Sakae's eyes lit up, and a plan came to mind.
With a tap and a drag, the S-class contract was sent directly.
After opening the contract, Shirakawa Yuta felt a headache coming on looking at the 31-page document, but he still patiently read it through, examining each clause carefully.
Upon seeing the price of 4 yen per page, my eyebrows unconsciously rose slightly.
According to his understanding, the price for a typical new author is usually no more than 3 yen per page, but the other party offered 4 yen directly, which was really sincere.
After reviewing the rest of the content, he still couldn't find any problems, even regarding the copyright, which he cared about most, which was still split 50/50.
Could it be that he misunderstood her?
After thinking for a moment, he called Chinatsu Imai again.
"Beep~ Beep~"
The microphone went dead; no one answered.
He could only reply to Kudo Sakae with a message to study it more carefully before putting his phone away.
After nearly ten days, Chiba Noodle House has returned to its usual bustling state—no, it's even busier than before.
There are more customers than ever before, and long queues have formed outside the noodle shop.
Yuta Shirakawa was a little puzzled. Although Chiba Okuma's cooking skills were indeed good, it shouldn't be this popular.
He went up to the door and saw the notice posted there, and that's when he learned the reason.
"As our store is closing soon, to thank our loyal customers for their patronage over the years, we are offering free noodles to customers who visit our store for the next three days (September 9.19-9.21)."
As Shirakawa Yuta walked to the door, he was spotted by Chiba Daio, who was busy inside. Strangely, he didn't see Chiba Sena.
"Yuta, come in and help quickly."