Over the next two days, Alice and Takumi bought the missing furniture together, including tables, brushes, and other tools needed for the mangaka, and then reserved a room as a study.
Takumi was planning to buy a computer, but Aiko stopped him:
"You can't spend all the money, Takumi! You have to save up for tuition and hire a tutor."
Takumi had only received a month's worth of royalties so far. Although the following month's tickets would arrive soon, they would have to deduct their rent. Aiko felt uncomfortable if they didn't save some money.
Osaka No. 1 High School tuition cost more than 1,200,000 yen a year, and Takumi's situation was special. He had to focus on manga and could only hire a tutor for his studies. Although he considered it unnecessary, Aiko was very firm.
"… Okay."
Takumi listened to his mother, but Alice, next to him, was surprised.
"Tutor? No need to hire one, I'm Takumi's tutor!" He touched his head and blushed. "Look at my memory, it seems that I forgot to say that being Takumi's tutor is also part of my job."
She was an outstanding student, a graduate of an elite university, and more than capable of being a tutor. Takumi finally understood Alice's role. For a long time he had wondered why he had an exclusive publisher. Mangaka are not children and do not need personalized assistance on a constant basis. The Hinotori Publishing deal had seemed excessive.
But adding a tutor changed everything. His situation was special: he had to combine studies with manga. With Alice at the helm, she could distribute her time reasonably.
In addition, his previous experience as an agent was tremendously useful to him.
"Are you a tutor?" Aiko was surprised and happy. He was confident in Alice's ability, but he still asked cautiously. "So... We'll give you some extra cash. How much do you think you need?"
"No, no!" Alice quickly refused. "This is my job and the publisher has already assigned me adequate remuneration."
In fact, he envied a little the attention Hinotori paid to Takumi. She, too, had been exceptional as a young man, but no one but her parents invested in her talent. At the end of the day, it was all about results. Takumi had made a profit, so he was not surprisingly given preferential treatment.
The next day, Takumi, who had already finished his homework, arrived at the Hinotori Publishing building accompanied by Alice.
It was still office hours, and he caused a sensation as soon as he entered the editorial department.
"Mirai-sensei, what an honor to have you here!"
"Someone to bring you tea, quick!"
"Mirai-sensei, I'm Zhou Shou, editor of Group 3. This is my business card. If you need anything, I'll be happy to help."
"When are you free to meet with the other authors? Everyone wants to meet him!"
The publishers, enthusiastic, offered tea and business cards as if it were an imperial visit. Alice, somewhat uncomfortable, stood next to Takumi, extending her arms to contain her enthusiasm.
"Could you please not snatch it away in front of me? I am your responsible editor!"
Alice was tall, and when she raised her voice, she imposed.
In reality, many editors had mixed opinions about it. After seeing the popularity of Detective Conan, the editors of Weekly Shonen competed fiercely to be assigned to Mirai-sensei, but in the end it was a newcomer who got it.
Still, the result felt fair. Alice was charming, organized, and besides, her presence had greatly improved the atmosphere of the office.
"Okay, Alice, don't bother. Come on, let's disperse."
A senior editor stepped forward, and the others nodded and left.
Alice led Takumi to Kurosawa. The editor-in-chief had witnessed everything from his office and smiled with satisfaction:
"They seem to understand each other well."
For an editor-in-chief, nothing was more important than a smooth relationship between author and editor. Kurosawa was relieved and got straight to the point. The main reason Takumi had been cited was that Detective Conan would publish its first compilation volume.
A volume (tankōbon) collects the chapters already published in the magazine and reprints them as a single volume.
"I also saw the poster on the subway."
Takumi had seen the promotion in recent days and still felt strange:
"Is it enough material for the first volume?"
Detective Conan was published at a rate of one episode a week. Takumi didn't know exactly how many were needed to form a volume.
"Enough."
Kurosawa nodded without hesitation:
"Now that manga is becoming popular, the publisher has decided to take the opportunity and release the first compilation volume just as the ninth chapter is serialized. It will include the first eight episodes. The estimated sale price is 880 yen."
A common tankōbon usually has between ten and fourteen chapters. Eight episodes were few, but the price would also be more affordable.
Takumi discussed it with Kurosawa, and seeing no inconvenience, he accepted. The launch of the volume would be very soon: just after the start of the school year, at the beginning of September.
In addition, Kurosawa also asked him about the topic of attendees. Many professional mangaka rely on them to keep up with the weekly pace. Although Takumi was efficient, Kurosawa felt that he still needed to concentrate on his studies, so he suggested that he hire two assistants.
However, hiring assistants came directly out of the author's pocket, and Takumi refused without hesitation. He knew his situation well, and the current pace of work was not difficult for him. I could deliver one chapter per week without any problems.
"When I'm serializing two mangas, then I'll consider hiring an assistant."
The phrase left Alice and Kurosawa visibly shocked.
"Two series at once?" Kurosawa tensed. "Are you thinking about that seriously, Takumi? Don't be reckless. Focus on one."
He worried that Takumi would become overloaded. It was difficult for almost anyone to run two sets at once. Even if it managed to meet deliverables, quality could suffer. Kurosawa didn't want to see him fall into that trap.
Takumi understood the uneasiness, but he didn't fully commit.
"I know. It was just a comment."
"I'm happy. I don't want this promise to be consummated before its time."
Kurosawa relaxed.
"Well, that's all I had pending for today. Now you can focus on drawing."
Then she looked at Alice:
"Alice, these jobs will pass into your hands from now on. If you have any questions, you can consult me directly."
In reality, those tasks already belonged to Alice. But since she and Takumi had only been working together for two days, Kurosawa had stepped in to make sure everything was on track.
"I get it."
Alice was not bothered. It was her first royal assignment as editor, and she still had much to learn from Kurosawa himself.
After the conversation, Alice stayed in the editorial department reviewing papers. Takumi, for his part, returned to the apartment alone.
Thinking that he would no longer have to spend on private lessons, he went directly to buy a computer and hired the internet.
Everything seemed to be going as it should.
But in some corner—silent, latent—a shadow was beginning to approach.