Light novel editorial department, second conference room.
Almost non-stop, Yusuke brought Shiyu here after lunch.
The deputy editor-in-chief Machida Enoko, who was wearing a dark blue suit and skirt, was sitting opposite, staring at them with a smile, or rather staring at her precious author, with eyes that wanted to carve out a piece of flesh.
Shiyu seemed calm about this, with an expression that said it doesn't matter what you say.
Basically, if his Yuujiang hadn't insisted on dragging her here, she wouldn't have come here to ask for trouble. After all, the relationship between the two parties has been tense recently, and there is really no need to come to the door to make a confrontation.
But now that Yu-chan has spoken, these are no longer important, so she came.
"Little~~~poetry~~~~~"
A ghost-like voice came from Machida Enko's mouth, giving people a deep and chilling impression.
"Thank you for having the guts to come to me at this time~~~If I remember correctly, didn't you say something like never seeing me again last time~?"
"...I didn't want to come here on my own."
Shiyu lowered her eyelids while crossing her chest with her hands and crossing her legs habitually, as if she was trying to stay calm.
If there was only one person in the entire Immortal River that she was slightly afraid of, then there was no one else except the older, unmarried female editor in front of her, who was both her teacher and friend.
Even though the relationship between the two is not considered harmonious, they often quarrel because of each other's bad intentions.
However, facing this person who has always taken care of her, guided her, and helped her a lot, she has already regarded him as a family member in her heart.
Because of this, Shiyu was not as calm as he appeared at this moment, but was actually extremely anxious.
"That's what you said~ But since you are here today, it means you have regained your senses, right?"
"I'm sorry, I think I'm better than most people in society in terms of IQ and EQ, so the idea of "getting back my sanity" is inherently problematic!"
"In that case, could you please tell me what you did the past few days? Hmm~? Xiao Shi."
"...I just made the right choice in life, that's all."
"It's a shame you can speak so well~ Then please explain, what's wrong with terminating the contract even if you have to bear a high penalty~?"
"..."
Facing the angry Machida Enko, Shiyu turned her face away silently and muttered in a low voice.
"You have already explained the specific situation, and I know it very well. There is no need to make the situation so serious anymore."
"It's not serious? Let me tell you, Xiaoshi, do you really understand your situation?"
Machida Enzi couldn't help but laugh angrily, a tic-tac-toe appeared next to the corner of her twitching eye, and continued:
"You must know that the contract you signed with Immortal River Publishing House is an exclusive contract. If you propose to terminate the contract before the work is completed, regardless of the royalties, there is a high probability that even your previous royalties will be recovered. Do you understand?"
Shiyu shook his feet slightly and said bluntly: "Even if you say so, I'm not that interested in money, so can you stop worrying about this topic?"
"well……"
A deep sigh sounded.
Machida Enzi held her forehead, but there was nothing she could do about her little baby.
Although she was indeed very angry, she couldn't bear to be harshly criticized for it.
If it is simply a problem in writing, as the exclusive editor of Xia Shizi, she can be stricter than anyone else, checking the errors in the work line by line and urging them to be corrected.
But the essence of the problem this time is not about this at all. No matter how anxious and disapproving she is, she can't tell her the author's life.
The only thing that can be done is to give some suggestions from the side. If the other party insists on not listening, there is nothing you can do.
It just so happens that Shiyu is an extremely stubborn person, which can be considered an advantage in some aspects, but once encountering special circumstances, it will become a very difficult problem.
The current contract termination controversy has taught the entire Immortal River a lesson.
What is quite helpless is that when Shiyu Tiexin made this decision, even his family seemed powerless to stop it.
When she had a headache from this, Kato Yusuke, who had been listening for a while, spoke.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Miss Machida, may I speak for a moment?"
The other party didn't say anything, but just spread out his palm to express "please".
"Anyway, I'm very sorry. I think the responsibility for this matter lies with me, so I'm sorry."
"Oh~?"
"Wait a minute, why is Yu-chan apologizing? I told you..."
Halfway through Shiyu's words, Kato Yusuke shook his head and interrupted her.
"This is not something worth denying. If I hadn't said those words to you before, you wouldn't have such thoughts. Anyway, can you leave this place to me? Senior Shiyu."
"good……"
"So, Miss Machida." Kato Yusuke raised his eyes and looked across, "Because of this, can the termination of the contract proposed by Shiba-senpai be cancelled?"
Machida Enzi raised her chin with her backhand, without making any comments, she just said lightly:
"Yes... Before I answer your question, I need to make sure. Brother Kato, can you make a decision on behalf of Xiaoshi?"
"I won't say I make a decision for senior, I just want to express my own thoughts. In the end, whether I do that or not depends on senior Shiyu, so I'm sorry."
"Are you sorry... Well, even if you say that, if you can't determine the meaning of the person involved, what's the point of doing it? Besides..."
Perhaps she was really angry. After taking a breath, Machida Enko started talking nonstop.
"With all due respect, to be honest, the impact of this incident is not small. Do you think just an apology will be useful?
I don't know how much you have thought about it, but the decision Xiaoshi made affects far more than just her. Maybe even I will be punished by the above in the end.
Even if she really terminates her contract with MBBU, her writing career will be over.
Even if she still wants to develop on this path in the future, Xia Shizi's reputation and reputation in the industry have been completely destroyed, and it is no longer enough to earn trust.
On this basis, even if your current comic performance is pretty good, if the above problems really happen, can you take the responsibility?"
At the end of the sentence, Machida Enzi's face was full of seriousness. There was rarely a trace of smile on her usually smiling face. She just stared at him closely, clearly conveying the seriousness of the matter.
sex.
A depressing atmosphere spread in the conference room.
Shiyu unconsciously grabbed her arms, her fingers digging into them, her feet shaking more and more, and her whole person was filled with anxiety.
She was very clear about everything Machida Enko said, and she made this decision after understanding all the circumstances, but this does not mean that Kato Yusuke also needs to know this.
As she said, what she wanted to prove was the purity of her feelings, not to use it to blackmail anything, and she didn't want Yusuke Kato to be with her because he was moved or guilty, which would be unacceptable to her.
Just when she couldn't help but want to say something, a hand stretched out from the side suddenly pressed on her leg.
"Remember what we said, leave this to me." - There was such a meaning in the young man's eyes.
Shiyu couldn't help but be startled. After two seconds, he slowly relaxed his shoulders.
She closed her lips unhappily, put a hand into his hand and intertwined her fingers with his, as if she was angry, deliberately not looking at Machida Enko opposite.
Kato Yusuke also held her hand with his backhand, and gently rubbed her smooth tiger mouth area with his thumb, comforting her while looking to the opposite side again.
He pondered for a moment and then spoke.
"Thank you for your information and explanation, Miss Machida. I have understood the matter. In fact, in addition to the necessary apology, I am here today to be prepared to take corresponding responsibilities."
"oh?"
Machida Enzi raised her eyebrows suspiciously and said bluntly: "Now that the words have come to this point, I will ask straight to the point. Are you really ready to shoulder the responsibility for Xiaoshi's future life? Brother Kato.
"
"——Ms. Machida!" Shiyu couldn't help shouting after hearing this, not wanting her to continue talking.
However, before Machida Enko could say anything, Kato Yusuke gave an affirmative answer.
"Yes, as long as Shiyu stays with me for a day, I will take care of her forever."
Although the voice was soft, it reached the ears of the other two people clearly.
The already quiet conference room suddenly became even quieter.
"Hey, you said forever? But can this kind of thing really be done? Regardless of whether you will abandon Xiaoshi, if Xiaoshi gets bored of you one day and doesn't want to stay
What should I do if I'm with you?"
"In that case." Kato Yusuke smiled gently, "I will bring her back. If Shiyu-senpai really decides to leave, I will fulfill my promise and always take care of her."
"...Yu...chan..." Shiyu murmured to herself, her expression as if she was about to cry again.
"Oh~? That's a very powerful declaration. Are you finally a little manly? Kato-chan."
Machida Enoko smiled for some reason, then propped her elbows on the desk and placed her chin on the back of her folded hands.
"Okay, then let me hear it. What are you going to do? Say it beforehand. This kind of thing is not just about momentum."
"I understand."
Facing the eyes of two members of the opposite sex, one large and one small, Kato Yusuke said: "First of all, the liquidated damages issue mentioned by Ms. Machida, I am willing to bear all of it."
"You said you were willing to bear it... Let me tell you, Brother Kato, you should have heard what I just said. If that happens, the amount of compensation that needs to be compensated can easily reach eight figures?"
"As long as it complies with laws and regulations, I will compensate no matter how much the amount is."
"Even if you say so..."
——"Do you think you can afford the compensation?"
Although she didn't say it explicitly, Machida Enzi's words still conveyed such a meaning.
Kato Yusuke knew this very well and also understood the suspicion of the other party.
If it was him before, if he really wanted to carry such a huge sum of money, the only thing he could do was to exchange system points for money.
However, today is different from the past. From the moment he signed the contract with Akane Benisaka, he has been able to bear the liquidated damages on his own.
Even though it might make him completely destitute, there is nothing worthwhile about this matter, nor can it be measured on a scale.
At least in the face of Shiyu's constant efforts, he believed that he had the obligation and responsibility to respond.
From now on, it will be him who protects Shi Yu.
Machida Enko didn't know where his confidence and confidence came from, but Kato Yusuke didn't mean to explain, but continued.
"In short, I will bear the corresponding punishment and responsibility, and I am also willing to apologize to Immortal River for this matter.
It doesn't matter if your company thinks that it can no longer cooperate with senior Shiyu. As long as senior sister still wants to create, I will create a freer platform for her so that she can create freely and show off her talents.
At least, whether it is Immortal River Press, "Metronome of Love", or a writer who has sold millions of copies, these will not be the end of Kasumi Shiko, but only a starting point.
Maybe Ms. Machida will think me arrogant, but I will make my senior the most dazzling platinum writer of this era, and I will prove it later."
"...Well, speaking of which, this is no longer a question of whether you are arrogant or not."
Machida Enzi put her hands on her temples in confusion and kept looking at his face with her eyes, completely confused as to where his mysterious confidence came from.
After observing Kato Yusuke's face for a while to no avail, she couldn't help but turn her gaze to the other side.
Shiyu was looking at Kato Yusuke with great energy. Not only did his whole face light up, but there was also a silly smile on his lips, and his face was so silly and fufu that it was impossible to look directly at him.
What a love brain...!
Machida Enzi cursed in her heart, turned her attention to Kato Yusuke again, and let out a long breath with a hint of depression.
"It seems that there is no need to continue pretending..."
""Pretend it?""
Yusuke and Shiyu asked in unison unconsciously.
"That's right, I'll just skip the process and talk about the conclusion."
Facing their gazes, she nodded and said: "In short, the application for termination of contract submitted by Xiaoshi has always been with me, and I have not handed it over to the superior."
Machida Enko, who said this, did not wait for them to speak and continued talking.
"Having said that, because Xiaoshi has been making too much noise recently, rumors of contract termination have indeed spread within the company, so I had to find someone to help deal with it.
Although I don’t know what will happen in the future, but so far the storm should not continue to expand, do you understand?”
"...In other words." Kato Yusuke asked: "Can I assume that Fusugawa Publishing House will not terminate the contract with Shiwa-senpai?"
"The premise is that Xiaoshi stops messing around, but you should be able to control her, right? Brother Kato."
Machida Enzi smiled half-heartedly, with a malicious expression on her face, and joked:
"By the way, I don't accept answers other than "YES" and "OK" here? If words don't work, then you have to practice it.
You know, Xiaoshi, he likes energetic high school boys the most, so I don’t think you need me to teach you about the beauty trick, right? Oh hehehe~"
Kato Yusuke took this well and replied: "Although I don't know if I can do it, I will try my best to do it well."
For a while, Machida Enko's proud laughter echoed in the conference room.