Chapter 2: The Etiquette of a Cohabiting Couple

Unable to hold back, I burst out of the room. Wearing a silver bowl like a helmet. Face covered in white powder. Drenched in water enough to soak her clothes through the apron. Potatoes and carrots rolling on the floor—there stood Ryo Takemi.

“This is… my hand just slipped a little! Cough, cough!“

Next to her, Arisa stood dumbfounded. By the way, Arisa had a little white powder and water on her but was basically unscathed.

“Kenichi-san… this girl… is completely useless!”

Yeah, seems like it.

The contest was temporarily halted, and Ryo and I took over the cleanup. Meanwhile, Arisa cooked normally. A sweet and savory Japanese-style scent drifted over. Looking at it like this, Arisa‘s excellence stands out all over again. Smart, beautiful, and capable of housework including cooking—she’s my overly perfect wife. …Well, with the prefix “fake” attached, though.

In front of me, Ryo bumped her head against the table a few times while cleaning up.

“Normally… I can do a little better…”

“At cleaning up?”

“Anyone can clean up. At cooking, cooking.”

“Ehhh…”

“What does ‘ehhh’ mean!? I’m just not used to this kitchen!”

Honestly, I feel like her cleaning skills are a bit questionable too.

After taking a shower, Ryo had changed into different loungewear. The neckline was loose, leaving her quite exposed when she leaned forward to wipe the floor. As an idol, she supposedly sells herself on a cool character, but that impression was nowhere to be found.

“Ugh… Why… like this…”

“Well, everyone has things they’re good and bad at.”

“That’s why I’m not saying I can’t—kya!?”

Her feet getting tangled, Ryo fell towards me, and I caught her. Unintentionally, we ended up hugging while seated.

“Are you okay?” I gently held only her shoulders and pushed her back.

“I-I’m sorry!” Whether she was embarrassed or disliked it, Ryo shrank her body tightly.

“Aren’t you two doing a rom-com over there!?” Shaking the frying pan, Arisa pointed out sharply.

“We are not.”

“Really!? Am I the only one Kenichi-san does rom-coms with!?”

“It’s only ‘you’, so don’t worry! Please focus on cooking when you’re using fire!”

“Then, it’s fine.” Humming, Arisa resumed cooking. She seemed to be in a very good mood.

“You’re naive. That just now was my advanced technique… With that, I produced the heart-pounding thrill of cohabitation!”

“Don’t lie.” It was dangerous, so my heart did pound in a different sense, though.

“It was supposed to be a cooking battle, right? Well, you can start from making cup ramen.”

“Could you not make a fool of me!?”

“No fire or knives, absolutely.”

“I can do it right away with a little practice!”

“Is it really on a level that can be fixed in a day or two~?”

“Of course!? Since you don’t go to school, you have all the time in the—”

“Ryo Takemi!!” Arisa shouted sharply to stop her, but I couldn’t let it slide either.

“You… don’t go to school?” Arisa was glaring at Ryo.

“Isn’t this… different from what we promised?”

“I-I just… I’m… sorry.” Ryo apologized, trembling with fear, and suspiciously moved away from Arisa.

“Hey, Arisa.”

“Alright, let’s focus on cooking!”

“That’s so unnatural. Seriously, are you not going to school?”

“I-It’s fine, isn’t it! I don’t need it!” Arisa was shaking the frying pan more than necessary.

“It’s not fine.”

“Because my permanent employment is already decided!”

“Well, even if it’s decided you’ll be the heir to KIMISAKAYA Bookstore…”

“Because I’m going to be your bride, so it’s fine!”

“That’s what you meant?” But that’s a story for the distant future too.

“Either way, not going to school is a separate issue…”

“Okay, this conversation is o-ver! It’s distracting when I’m using the fire, so go over there~!” Clang clang, Arisa made noise with the frying pan. It really looked dangerous right now, so I decided to back off for the time being.

---

“What are you trying to achieve by causing another flaming!?”

“W-Well, that was more like force majeure…”

“Bringing a middle school girl other than Arisa-chan into your house and calling it force majeure—which mouth is saying that?”

“…There were unavoidable circumstances.”

“You tried to play around with another woman! And then, looking down on the crying and grieving MARIA, you threw away words like ‘I can always dump you, you know?’! What a scumbag!”

“Getting yelled at based on your delusion feels unreasonable…”

The semi-private room in the izakaya was overflowing with lively voices, fitting for a TGIF. Amidst that, I was being interrogated by three women my same age—twenty-seven years old.

“Please allow me… to explain the circumstances.” I spoke honestly about the recent uproar. I can’t lie in this setting. Because I’d be found out.

“—I see, so you sheltered a girl who had to leave home due to family circumstances. And just as Ryo Takemi herself explained, ‘It’s no different from cohabiting with MARIA. There’s just an extra burden attached to it’, is that it?”

“That’s exactly it, Kaede. So there’s nothing strange about it.”

“If it’s to protect a girl, I guess it can’t be helped… wait, we had this exact development before! I’m tired of it!”

Bam, slamming her beer mug on the table was Kaede Furuoka. A cool beauty with medium black hair and intellectual glasses as her trademark, she is a capable editor active at a mid-sized publisher that has been rapidly growing in recent years.

“…If you’re tired of it, you don’t have to do it, right?”

“It’s. Be. Cause. Of. You, isn’t it?”

“Ouch!? Ouch, ouch, ouch! Stop poking me with a toothpick!?”

“The flaming of Ken and MARIA directly affects us too, you know!”

“A-As you say!”

The project tackled by the four of us, including Kaede and me—MARIA‘s first photo & essay book The MARIA Declaration—became a brilliant smash hit. When that happens, in this day and age where people scream “books don’t sell,” talk of a second installment immediately came up.

“Since we boldly declared we’d ‘convey the appeal of books and bookstores to the world,’ the next book is naturally highly anticipated, isn’t it?” Sumire Suhara, with her loosely permed long brown hair and gentle, easygoing aura, said. Sumire is a bookstore clerk who holds the nickname “The Too-Angelic Bookstore Clerk,” and is well-regarded even within the industry.

“While I was planning to borrow everyone’s strength again… I’m sorry for being late in consulting you.”

In reality, publishing offers for MARIA were flooding in. She herself was itching to publish a book quickly. Amidst that, MARIA declared she would release her second work with our team as well, and was already proceeding with writing new essays.

“Sitting cross-legged on your popularity and causing a scandal is total hubris.”

“Guh… I have no room to argue.”

Contrary to the atmosphere she exudes, Sumire shows no mercy to her inner circle.

“You’re the one who chose the middle school girl harem route yourself, Kenichi-kun.”

“I didn’t choose it.”

“I’m surprised I’m even helping such a frivolous airhead.”

“Huh? You’re going that far?” Even if she is a secretly sharp-tongued character.

“As a bookstore clerk, I want to do my utmost in the job of delivering good books to the world.”

“As long as I’m involved as an editor, I won’t do things halfway. Absolutely.”

“It’s reassuring to have Kaede-chan say that.”

“That said… I can’t be bothered to look after the private life of MARIA’s accessory man.”

Before I knew it, I had been downgraded to MARIA’s accessory. Weren’t we comrades from the same university and the same literary circle, comrades-in-arms who, even now as working adults, were trying to liven up the publishing industry from our respective positions…?

“Don’t worry! Kenichi is properly serving his purpose in making MARIA interesting!”

Flashing an innocent smile was the blonde, twin-tailed girl in gothic lolita fashion, Lemon Tsuta. Despite being twenty-seven years old, she sticks to her edgy style. But what’s even edgier than her fashion is her career. She is an ultra-bestselling author active in the light novel and light literature genres, boasting a cumulative print run of three million copies. Debuting under her real name without using a pen name is also eccentric nowadays.

“It’s exactly that treatment of him as MARIA’s extra that I’m worried about.”

“Look at this interview!”

Lemon opened a magazine. The opening feature was photos of MARIA incorporating autumn fashion trends. Furthermore, a long interview was published.

“Making her say things like, ‘The reason I’m shining lately? Maybe it’s because of love’!”

“I-I mean, she’d say that given the setting of a fake marriage!?”

These three are the only ones, besides the parties involved, who know that my marriage to Arisa is a “fake” one.

“But it’s interesting how that girl gets fleshed out thanks to Kenichi, right?”

Lemon Tsuta, who wrote a novel modeling MARIA herself, had taken quite a liking to MARIA—Arisa.

“So a rival character appearing at this point is hot and interesting!”

Lemon, who has a screw loose and judges everything based on whether it’s interesting or not, is in a sense very much an author.

“Ryo Takemi, huh. She is an interesting existence. I once considered making an offer to her.”

“You did, Kaede?”

“Even though she’s an idol, she can write novels as well as essays. She herself has pride as an ‘author.’ That’s quite a rare existence. Well, I passed on it thinking it was a bit early.”

This time, Sumire spoke.

“I just learned about her for the first time, but my impression was that she’s a solid girl, including her attitude of not just writing but searching for her own way to sell.”

“She’s surprisingly useless, though.”

“That ‘I know a side of her that only I know’ remark is creepy, so you should probably stop.”

“Your sharp tongue is getting extremely direct!” And because she says it with a gentle voice and a smile, the damage is massive.

“By the way, why have you had a difficult face on for a while now, Lemon?”

“…Ryo Takemi… I feel like I’ve heard a similar name somewhere before… …Where did I hear it? Well, if I forgot, it must not be a big deal! More importantly, it’s Kenichi’s treat today, so let’s drink up!”

“…Can’t we split it fifty-fifty?” I’m broke from buying extra guest futons and stuff.

---

In the morning, Ryo hurriedly left the house, saying she needed to go to school early. Only Arisa and I remained in the house. Normally, this is the time Arisa would have finished preparing breakfast and lunch bentos and be getting ready for school. But today, after putting away the dishes, she was leisurely drinking tea.

“You wore your uniform sometimes, but were you going to school then?” I asked while getting ready.

“I was just cosplaying a JC.”

“You’re an active JC, aren’t you?” A middle school girl wearing the uniform of the school she attends isn’t cosplaying.

“…Because I didn’t want Kenichi-san to worry.”

“It’s partly my fault for not noticing, but still.”

Honestly, I had faintly felt it was suspicious. When I asked about school, she only gave vague answers and wanted to cut the conversation short. That said, she occasionally left the house in her uniform. Also, she mentioned she took days off from school when she had work as MARIA. I arbitrarily convinced myself that was why she had more days off than most. I was worried if she had enough time for MARIA’s activities while constantly taking care of me at home, but this makes sense.

“…You prefer girls who properly go to school, don’t you?” Arisa asked in a strange way.

“It’s not about preference… generally speaking, I think it’s better to go to school.”

“But it’s difficult to go to school and continue MARIA’s activities at the current pace.”

“Does that mean you have things you want to do more than going to school?”

Arisa remained silent, neither confirming nor denying.

“You know you can stop taking care of me, right?”

“It’s not a burden at all! In fact, it’s my reason for living!” That reaction is troubling in its own way.

“…Ryo Takemi goes to school, works as an idol, and writes stories. She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

“It’s amazing that she can balance it all. But that doesn’t mean Arisa is bad.”

I can’t gauge what kind of feelings Arisa harbors toward school, or what the ‘problem’ Ryo mentioned entails.

“But you want me to go to school, right?”

“Well, yeah.” Middle school is compulsory education, so she should go, and I want her, who loves bookstores too much, to broaden her horizons a bit more.

“Well, even if you don’t go, it depends on the reason.”

“I’m sorry… I can’t be like a normal girl.” It’s rare for Arisa to look downcast and dejected like this.

“It’s nothing to apologize for. Just, if there’s anything I can help with, I want you to tell me.”

What is the bottleneck? If Ryo calls it a ‘problem,’ there must be something. If there is, I want to borrow Ryo’s strength, as she offered to help solve it in exchange for cohabiting.

“Yeah… but there’s no need to help. I’m just not going to school of my own free will.”

I couldn’t judge the true meaning behind Arisa’s words as she spoke while staring at her teacup.

“By the way, how much have you missed?” I had to leave the house soon too. I asked the last question with a light tone.

“It’s been almost half a year since you became a third-year student. How many times have you gone to school?”

“…Not even once.”

“You haven’t gone… even once?” I didn’t expect her to be that hardcore.

“My era of learning is over. From now on, I will work and earn!”

She’s so robust that it certainly looks like she doesn’t need to go to school anymore.

“And I’ll show you the figure of a new woman who supports her husband with her own earnings! Prepare yourself, Kenichi-san!”

“You’re incredibly positive.”

If she’s fulfilled every day, maybe it’s not something I should meddle in…

---

When I got out of the bath, Arisa called out to me.

“Kenichi-san, it’s already started~”

Even after talking about not going to school, Arisa at home was the same as always.

“You’re late because you were enjoying my leftover bathwater.”

“I only took a shower.”

Tonight, there’s a program I’ve been keeping an eye on for a while. Arisa in pajamas and Ryo in a jersey were lined up in front of the TV.

『Here is a service currently drawing attention.』

A web page was displayed on the TV screen, and the narrator proceeded to explain the service.

『Fans can pay money directly to the creators. Unlike before, there will be no publishers or bookstores standing in between.』

It was a special feature on the recently growing trend of e-book self-publishing and creative activities where creators make their own content on the web and receive money directly from fans. Being an economic program, it was introduced from a business perspective.

『Anyone can easily create content, just like writing a blog. Creators can freely set their own prices for it. The operating company’s fee is 20%, which includes payment processing fees and everything else. Creators receive 80% of the amount paid by the fans.』

『Normally, when a book is published, the author’s royalty is said to be 10%. The cut that creators can get their hands on will be an amount that overturns all previous common sense.』

It is said that the revenue split for a book’s sales is roughly 70% for the publisher (which includes the author’s royalties), 8% for the distributor, and 22% for the bookstore. Of course, not all of that revenue is profit; expenses must be covered out of those shares. For a publisher, that includes printing costs, production expenses, and personnel costs for editors. For a distributor, it’s the cost of sorting books in warehouses and the expense of delivering books nationwide by truck. For a bookstore, it takes rent, personnel costs, and other necessary expenses to run the shop. It might look like distributors and bookstores, who don’t actually make the books, are getting a decent cut, but once expenses are deducted, profit margins of 1% are commonplace—it’s a strictly necessary cut.

『Furthermore, recently, services have been born where fans directly support the creators themselves. By paying a monthly fee, fans can view exclusively published works.』

The publishing industry can function as long as there are authors and readers. That sort of extreme argument is becoming possible through IT—that was the tone of the program.

『Equipped with features like content sales and direct creator support. Furthermore, a new service where creators can make fan clubs and fans can interact with each other is being released by a highly anticipated new company.』

Following that, the company fitting this theme was introduced.

『Mr. Toranosuke Takemi of Future Creator System Co., Ltd., speaks as follows.』

—Takemi?

I looked over at Ryo Takemi sitting beside me. She hadn’t moved a muscle, her eyes glued to the TV screen.

The person shown on screen was a tall man wearing round glasses. He was quite young, likely still in his twenties. He had pale skin and a sharp build, dressed casually in a black T-shirt with English text on it. He had an intellectual vibe, yet a somewhat dangerous scent transmitted even through the television. There aren’t many people who can smirk so provocatively while being interviewed. But the cool expression he showed every now and then looked exactly like the Ryo sitting next to me.

『There are no longer any barriers between creators and consumers. Register in thirty seconds, and anyone can be active as a creator right now. Talent will be delivered to those who need it.』

『Among them, we plan to sign individual contracts with especially powerful creators. And by connecting creators with various companies, we will spawn new businesses.』

『By connecting directly with clients and fans without going through middlemen, creators can obtain fair compensation. Creators’ creative activities will likely become even more vibrant.』

『For example, existing players in the publishing industry like publishers, distributors, and bookstores will become unnecessary.』

『What makes this a reality is the power of IT.』

IT is trying to create a new creative environment—the program’s on-screen text displayed.

『The service scheduled to launch, Future Creator System, has already exceeded 10,000 general pre-registrants. Furthermore, partnerships with over thirty commercially active creators have been finalized.』

Names were listed in rows on the screen. Musicians, manga artists, illustrators, video creators, authors… and so on. There were several well-known names. The number of general registrants to the new service would likely increase just for them. And among them—.

“Lemon Tsuta?”

Unmistakably, my close friend’s name was there.

The program switched to a screen showing the studio host. Toranosuke Takemi himself was visiting the studio as a guest. Toranosuke answered the host’s questions.

『We… I mean, other services similar to ours will likely be born as well. In that competition, only services that truly realize the creator’s perspective and the user’s perspective should survive… I mean, will survive.』

『A new world where creators and consumers connect directly has already begun… yes.』

『Existing publishers and bookstores might lose their social mission if they stay as they are now.』

『They will… evolve into a new era.』

He had momentum, he was fresh, and he was radical. He was packed with all the elements a TV show would want.

『Lastly, if you have a message for creators and their fans, please go ahead.』

『From now on, the old-fashioned industry will be dismantled, and it will become an era where talented individuals can get fairer evaluations and compensation. It will certainly be so. The people who ought to shine will come to shine even brighter.』 He showed a provocative smile.

『I see.』

『People who ought to shine… for example, my little sister.』

『I… see?』 The host nodded, unsure of how to react.

『My little sister is incredibly cute. And yet she’s an author! She’s a wonderfully rare existence!』 His tension suddenly spiked; this must be his true self. Up until just now, it felt like he was reading a prepared script.

『Umm, Mr. Takemi.』

『And yet, she doesn’t rely on existing systems and has the spirit to carve out her own path. She is the very definition of being at the cutting edge of the era! By the way, on a different note, I haven’t been able to see my sister lately and—』

『Moving on to our next topic!』 The host forcefully steered the flow back to prevent a live broadcasting accident.

『Ryo, I’m coming to pick you up soon!』

Right as Toranosuke Takemi shouted that, the program switched to the next segment.

It was a development I hadn’t imagined at all. The girl whose name was called out over the public airwaves was sitting right next to me. Without twitching, she muttered softly.

“…I’m absolutely not going home.”

“The representative of this company… Future Creator System…” This time, Arisa muttered. I had been so distracted by Ryo that I hadn’t noticed. Arisa, too, was staring at the screen in utter shock.

“…Grandfather said he’s meeting with them soon.”

---

“Simply put, we’ve been requested to lend our name as a sponsor for the new service.”

In a grand hall so wide it felt like a samurai residence. An old man with slicked-back white hair wearing a kimono—Arisa Kimisaka‘s grandfather, Renji Kimisaka—spoke. No matter how you looked at him, he looked like someone from the underworld… but in reality, he is the representative of Japanese bookstores, the leading figure of the publishing industry, and the founding president of KIMISAKAYA Bookstore.

It was Sunday, and we were visiting the Kimisaka mansion. To ask about their relationship with Future Creator System. Me, Arisa, and one other person.

“And, who is the girl over there?”

“Nice to meet you, my name is Ryo Takemi. I am currently… living together at Hinosaka-san’s house.”

Ryo, sitting in seiza, bowed her head.

“And, I am Kimisaka-san’s rival.”

“Hinosaka… Kenichi-kun.”

“Y-Yes!” Addressed by that dignified voice, my spine straightened reflexively just having my name called.

“I don’t mind you taking a concubine.”

“Huh?”

“However… the legal wife is Arisa.”

“She’s not a concubine. What are you talking about?” President Kimisaka is trying to marry off his fifteen-year-old granddaughter to a twenty-seven-year-old man. He’s quite an old man with a few screws loose in his head.

“I am not a concubine!”

“Exactly. You have every right to be furious with all your might.” I fully supported Ryo’s assertion.

“I will surpass Kimisaka-san… and become number one!”

“The implication changes if you say that, so please stop!”

“I see… I thought I wouldn’t mind if I considered myself the second wife… but it actually bothers me! I want you to look only at me! I oppose polygamy!”

“You don’t need to worry about that in Japan for the time being.” Everyone’s line of thinking was bizarre.

“So, having the same surname Takemi… does that mean you have some relationship with the representative of Future Creator System, Toranosuke Takemi?”

“Yes, he is my biological older brother, twelve years older.”

Toranosuke Takemi was no ordinary person. Since middle school, he showed glimpses of his talent, such as winning a programming contest. As a high school student, he developed a web service and sold some of his products to a listed company. Even after entering university, he developed web services and apps, and even started a business while still a student. Due in part to his disposition of “wanting to participate in projects that pique my curiosity,” he continued his own company while simultaneously wandering through multiple companies, both domestic and overseas, releasing numerous products to the world. Toranosuke Takemi was an engineer currently gathering the world’s attention, frequently appearing in economic magazines. That’s exactly why the new service created by Toranosuke Takemi this time was being featured on TV even before its official launch.

“He himself is coming here right after this, but what is the reason you wanted to meet beforehand?”

President Kimisaka and Toranosuke Takemi were meeting at the mansion today. Knowing this, Arisa forcefully arranged this meeting.

“Grandfather, what do you intend to do by becoming a sponsor for such a service?” Arisa was angry.

“He’s someone who says bookstores will become unnecessary, you know? And yet you’re going to join hands with him—”

Bam, the fusuma (sliding door) was thrown open.

“So you’re here, Ryo!” A tall man strode into the room. His eccentric glasses glinted sharply. The corners of his lips were turned up in an impudent grin. Despite wearing a T-shirt and jeans like you’d see on someone loitering around—the same outfit he wore on TV—he gave off an unmistakable aura of a big shot. The man paid no mind to us as we stood there dumbfounded, heading straight for Ryo.

“Ryo! I saw your shoes in the entryway so I figured you were here!” The man’s pace quickened. He broke into a jog. I moved, wondering if I should step between them, but I wasn’t in time.

“Come on, let’s go home with your big brother!” He threw his arms wide open, intending to embrace her—

“Take thaaaaaaaaaat!” A right straight packed with every ounce of Ryo’s strength struck the man, and he collapsed to the floor.

That—was my encounter with the genius, Toranosuke Takemi.

“I apologize for showing you my brother’s disgraceful behavior.”

“…Disgraceful behavior.” Toranosuke Takemi—I’ll call him Toranosuke since he himself told me to—bowed his head, following Ryo’s example of placing her hands on the tatami and bowing. His cheek was swollen and bright red. Is he okay?

“I never expected my sister to be here, and I got too excited.”

“You sound like a pervert, so could you please stop phrasing it like that?” Ryo’s attitude was freezing cold.

“I mean, he is a pervert, right?”

“Arisa, that’s a complete misunderstanding.” Toranosuke argued back against Arisa’s pointing it out. We had finished introductions for the time being, and he apparently wanted to call each other by first names based on the idea that he has a “global style.”

“I’m just cherishing my little sister, aren’t I?”

“I’m saying that’s what makes you seem like a pervert, okay?” “Being unconscious of it makes you closest to a criminal, you know.” Arisa and Ryo, while still seated, slowly edged away from Toranosuke and closer to me. Toranosuke had a sad look in his eyes.

“I envy you, Kenichi… Are you emitting some kind of pheromone that middle school girls like?”

“There is no such thing.” He told me we were the same age so casual speech was fine, so I didn’t hold back.

“It’s time for our appointment. Shall we move rooms and talk?”

“No, if President Kimisaka has no problem with it, this place is fine with me.”

“Hmm. Then let’s do that.” Even though Arisa, Ryo, and I were present, neither of them seemed to mind.

“Well then, I apologize for making you come all the way to my house on a Sunday.”

“I’m the one who unreasonably requested it as early as possible. Thank you for taking time on your day off. I’ve lived overseas for a long time so my Japanese can be rough, but it’s just my spec, so please don’t mind it.”

After stating the pleasantries, Toranosuke immediately cut to the chase.

“The service details are as I explained previously. If you have any questions, ask away. And to be frank, I want KIMISAKAYA Bookstore to lend its name as a sponsor.”

“Even without relying on us, aren’t there plenty of companies hoping to invest?”

“Well, of course.” He said it theatrically, then plopped down on one knee.

“But, this service will break the framework of existing businesses.” Toranosuke didn’t seem arrogant. Just brimming with confidence.

“Music, movies, literature too, there’s a strange illusion regarding authority. That’s why even if a new service is excellent, it’s hard to get it accepted. That’s why I want established companies in each genre to participate and borrow their authority. For books, that’s KIMISAKAYA Bookstore.”

“Zero pretense, huh.”

“You can tell I’m not good at that kind of thing, right?” He showed no signs of being intimidated facing President Kimisaka.

“What is the merit for our side?”

“Ultimately, books are something that can exist as long as there are guys with the talent to write, right? Distributors and bookstores that handle distribution will disappear someday if they stay as they are.” It was supposed to be a condescending line, but it didn’t feel arrogant.

“The industry will change at an accelerating pace, centered around talented authors. KIMISAKAYA Bookstore can keep up with that flow of the new era without being left behind, you know?” Even from an outsider’s perspective, it was clear he was just saying it because he was convinced it was the truth.

“Naturally, it goes without saying that we’ll return a premium on your investment amount, but—”

“Are you seriously saying bookstores will disappear?” Arisa interjected.

Toranosuke blew a theatrical whistle and responded. “I’m not saying they’ll all disappear right this second. But they will decrease, and if they don’t evolve, they won’t survive. Whether the end of that evolution can still be called a ‘bookstore’ is unknown too. I mean, as expected of Arisa… JC model MARIA. Your love for bookstores is strong.”

“You actually know about me.”

“I looked into it a bit. It’s just incompatible. You have talent, it’s a waste.”

“What do you mean ‘a waste’?”

“I mean if you do it like Ryo, your possibilities will expand further.”

“Brother, I want to ask you one thing.” Ryo’s voice, as she opened her mouth after being named, was low and sharp.

“In the first place, is this service for my sake?” It was a strong, interrogative tone.

“It’s not… for Ryo’s sake. But the trigger that got me interested was Ryo.” For the first time, Toranosuke, who seemed like he wouldn’t read the room for anyone, hesitated.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve got a sister complex, haven’t you, Brother? That’s why you paid attention to what I was doing and took an interest in the entertainment industry, which you don’t even like. I’m sorry for drawing in unnecessary enemies.”

“It’s not something you need to apologize for,” I said involuntarily.

“Oops, sorry for just talking amongst ourselves. Please let us hear your opinion, President Kimisaka.”

“Discussion is more than welcome. I want everyone to speak up freely. …Since I said that, I’ll have a word too.” After clearing his throat, President Kimisaka spoke.

“I feel every day that a new wave is coming. I’ve also heard rumors that you are amazing. However, I haven’t yet felt your true ability firsthand.”

“I see, that’s exactly right.” With a grin, Toranosuke pulled a slim laptop and an external display out of his backpack.

“I’ll take a little time now to show you my power.” He positioned the display so we could see it and operated the laptop at his fingertips.

“This is a site I’m also involved with.” What appeared on the screen was an e-book sales site.

“Could you pick a work at random? Preferably one that isn’t selling well.” Prompted by President Kimisaka, Arisa approached the screen. While Toranosuke scrolled through the page, she pointed at a cover and said, “This one.”

Reincarnated as a Dragon, I Rule This World

It was a so-called “web-based” work.

“I don’t know it, but… do you know it, Kenichi-san?”

“There are three volumes published. Since sequels are coming out, it’s not that it’s not selling at all, but… it’s hard to say it’s particularly popular within the genre. At this rate, it might conclude soon.”

“You even grasp the status of individual items like this?” President Kimisaka was surprised. Even managing a bookstore, it’s difficult to keep track of the 80,000 new book titles published annually item by item.

“It’s a genre that sells.”

“Distributors are not to be underestimated… Ah, the conversation derailed. Please continue.”

“It’s a genre that sells, but this work hasn’t been very successful, is that correct? In that case, it’s a good subject.” Right then and there, Toranosuke purchased and downloaded the e-book of Reincarnated as a Dragon, I Rule This World.

“Now I’m going to read this book and increase its e-book sales today by more than ten times.”

“Wait, starting now? Isn’t that too much of a long-term battle?” Arisa raised a natural question, which Toranosuke denied.

“Don’t worry, Arisa. I won’t take up your time.”

The very next moment, the pages of the e-book were fast-forwarded furiously.

“T-There’s no way you can read at that speed!?”

In response to the surprised Arisa, her sister Ryo spoke up. “No… I think he is reading it.” Ryo‘s words sounded enlightened.

“—I see, I understand.” It didn’t take even ten minutes for Toranosuke to say that.

“Understand…? Even though you haven’t read it at all.”

“I read all of it.”

“You’re lying, right…?”

“In the first place, Brother, have you ever even read a ‘web-based’ novel?”

“No.”

“Huh? You created a novel submission site, and yet you don’t know… is that even possible?”

“I almost never read novels. Same goes for movies and music.” He didn’t look like he was lying. At the same time, a question welled up inside me.

“And yet you’re creating a service for creators?”

“I want to create a world where talent can sprout more.” Toranosuke‘s voice carried a different kind of heat than before.

“Talent is most beautiful exactly as it is. That’s true whether it’s in the field of art or technology. The ones who change the world are always the geniuses who create something on their own, right?” It was hard to deny those words, which history has proven.

“But the current structure of society tries to pressure geniuses into burying themselves within existing frameworks. And in the worst case, talented guys give up on putting their work out into the world. I can’t stand that.” Toranosuke continued talking while typing on his PC.

“That’s why I’m making it so that talented individuals can go out into the world and broadcast their work on their own.”

We’ve entered an era where a single person can broadcast their work all by themselves. That is a change brought about by IT.

“So, about this novel. The target audience is male… probably in their thirties. The explanation at the beginning is a bit lacking, but there are probably many similar works, so it’s patterned, right? The short narrative breaks seem suited for reading in chunks on a smartphone…” Toranosuke muttered to himself.

“Fantasy… but it feels like a Japanese game. A casual exhilaration rather than a sense of accomplishment from overcoming hardships. A feeling like it’s enough just to watch someone else play a game. Considering the target demographic’s bias on the internet…” Toranosuke‘s fingers, continuing to type, seemed to dance across the keyboard.

“Done. I used a lot of things I had on hand, so it’s not from scratch.”

On the screen was a video of a man getting into a traffic accident, reincarnating, and becoming a dragon. Then the words GAME START.

“It’s a mini-game reproducing the world of the work.” The graphic quality was hard to believe for a mini-game. Considering the production time, the fact that there was an opening movie was already abnormal.

“I’ll drop this using SNS.”

[Tried reproducing the world of Reincarnated as a Dragon, I Rule This World]

The tweet was dropped, and there were several reactions immediately. After that, the movement stopped for a while. …But.

[This game is crazy] [New release?] [Wait, is this work getting a game adaptation?] [No, it doesn’t look official] [Who made this]

Comments poured in one after another. Those comments got replies. The number of people playing the game increased.

“Now then, let’s look at the e-book sales.” The management screen of the e-book site. The sales trend for Reincarnated as a Dragon, I Rule This World was displayed. Recently, there seemed to be only one or two orders a day, but today already… Ten copies. That number was displayed.

“The baseline was so low that we hit the target in no time. If it gets spread more and picked up by internet news after this, it’ll explode.”

The fan reactions clearly showed that this was distinctly different from mere stealth marketing.

[The atmosphere of the original work is intact. Have they read it more closely than the author?]

“It’s only ten copies right now, but by tomorrow it’ll reach a pretty good number, you know?”

“Sufficient… indeed.” President Kimisaka nodded with a complex expression. If it were a new release, it would be one thing, but any bookstore manager knows how difficult it is to sell ten copies in a single day of a book that has been out for a while and stopped selling.

“You feel like getting on board with the new WEB service for the sake of ‘talent’, having fully demonstrated my power now, right?”

“…It is amazing, certainly! The submission-type WEB service is also amazing! But, KIMISAKAYA doesn’t need it, right? After all, we are a town bookstore.” Arisa clung to President Kimisaka, but the answer was likely already decided.

“Exploring new business models is necessary as a manager.”

“Grandfather!?”

“Oh, so you mean you can become a sponsor?”

“I’d like to consider it positively.”

“Even when he tells you bookstores will become unnecessary…?” Arisa looked like she couldn’t believe it.

“It’s an extreme view, but I am not attached to the current form of bookstores, nor even the current state of the publishing industry. Of course, I have a desire to protect what our predecessors built… but still, the survival of us, KIMISAKAYA Bookstore, comes first.”

That must be his judgment as the manager, Renji Kimisaka.

“It might not be something to say in front of a distributor, the core and symbol of the publishing industry, though.” President Kimisaka cast a fleeting glance at me.

“I am against it. If we use the KIMISAKAYA name to sponsor this, the significance of KIMISAKAYA Bookstore‘s existence will blur.” Arisa‘s opinion was clear.

“By the way, what do you think, Kenichi-kun?” Asked by the president of a client company, an ordinary employee like me couldn’t normally say anything grand. But as a book lover, a bookstore lover, and a person working in the industry, I have my own thoughts.

“Personally… I don’t think KIMISAKAYA Bookstore needs to be a sponsor.” The eyes of everyone in the room gathered on me.

“Thinking about business transformation as a business is the right thing to do. But I think you shouldn’t just easily jump on a WEB service to do it; it should be done in a different form.” I state it decisively, knowing full well I sound like I’m giving a pompous lecture.

“There are publishers, there are distributors, and there are bookstores. There are things that can only be done because of this structure. The current publishing industry standing shoulder-to-shoulder with evolving WEB services under its own power. I think that is best.”

“Kenichi-san…! Tell him!” Arisa‘s high-pitched cheers gave me an incredible amount of strength.

“However, the publishing industry is currently on a downward trend. There’s no doubt we are standing at a crossroads.” The ones taking the biggest hit among them are the bookstores. The number of bookstores is roughly half of what it was at its peak.

“But you’re saying… evolve the bookstores… without easily relying on the WEB or IT?”

“From the position of a distributor, I want to explore that direction.”

“Just my simple opinion, Kenichi.” Toranosuke cut in.

“Can an industry centered around bookstores on a straight path to extinction and distributors show any new possibilities?”

Having it put like that, I couldn’t stay quiet either—. Just then.

“Then, how about this. Shall we have a contest?” The one who suddenly proposed that was President Kimisaka.

“We set rules and have a contest. Personally, I would very much like to see the evolved form of publishing that Kenichi-kun envisions defeat IT. If that happens, I will reconsider this sponsorship as well.”

Thinking that the contract probably wasn’t finalized yet anyway, I nodded.

“That sounds good.” I decided to ride along with President Kimisaka‘s idea, which seemed like it was aimed at fanning the flames from the start. Looking at Arisa next to me, she was giving a firm thumbs-up. I didn’t even need to ask to know her answer.

“You two are planning to team up and publish a second book, right? If you show me new possibilities there, it will be easy to understand.”

“That means MARIA‘s new book, right? Then that’s perfect!” Toranosuke was also completely enjoying this situation.

“We’ll have a showdown between MARIA and Ryo.”

Having her name suddenly brought up, Ryo looked blank.

“A showdown between the new paper book MARIA will publish and the new WEB content Ryo will publish on the service. We’ll compete to see which one can gain more fan support. Support means, in other words, the amount earned by the creator.”

“The amount earned by the creator, huh.”

“Because it’s true, isn’t it, President Kimisaka.” Toranosuke gave a nihilistic smile and pushed up his round glasses.

“Financial value becomes a measure of how much it influenced people. The value of things differs from person to person. Isn’t it appropriate to compete based on the earned amount, which even reflects that value?”

“A paper book made by me and Kenichi-san, or Ryo Takemi‘s WEB content. Paper and bookstores, or electronic and WEB services. Sounds interesting, I’ll take you on.” There was no way Arisa Kimisaka would flee from the enemy after receiving such a provocation.

“If we win that contest, the KIMISAKAYA name will not be used for this matter.”

“If Ryo wins, KIMISAKAYA will become a sponsor.” Arisa and Toranosuke sought President Kimisaka‘s judgment.

“I have no problem with the content of that contest. Just decide the detailed rules beforehand.”

That said, there was one more person whose will needed to be confirmed.

“Kimisaka-san and… I… are competing?”

“I think you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” Since the conversation seemed to be progressing on its own, I stepped in.

“…It’s perfect. Isn’t this the perfect chance for me to surpass Kimisaka-san?” I see, so this is a highly desired situation for Ryo as well.

“Alright, it’s decided then.”

“Just to be clear, I am not going to be an accessory to my brother.” Ryo stated flatly.

“Being active as an author on the WEB is something I wanted to do and have been working hard at. Brother, you might be interested in ‘talent’, but you had no interest in the industry. Therefore, the main character of this contest is me.”

“…Are you saying you’re making this Ryo‘s contest?”

Toranosuke’s expression was grim. “If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you. But this contest will spread to the world, meaning our parents will definitely find out. That means you absolutely cannot lose, you know? If you lose this…”