Miyo MomoTalk #2
(A little while later, I received a very confusing message from Miyo)
Miyo: Yes, I understand.
Miyo: Then, how about 2 pm?
Sensei: Hmm…?
Miyo: Ah… I’m sorry!
Miyo: I made a mistake, please forget about it.
(I don’t think much about her message until…)
.
(The next day, while on the way back from Wild Hunt after an early morning work.)
Miyo: I’ve been going in and out to Wild Hunt a lot lately…
(Then, when I was passing through the D.U. Shiratori Ward…)
? ? ?: Oh, Sensei?
Miyo: Good morning…
Sensei: Miyo? Why are you here?
Miyo: Well… I got a call from a publishing company, so I got permission to go outside and meet them.
Miyo: “A publishing company”?!
Miyo: Yes, I sent the manuscript I’ve written when I'm at Schale to a lot of publishing companies the other day.
Miyo: One of the companies saw it and contacted me, saying that they want to publish it.
Sensei: Oh, that’s the romance novel you were writing, right? I guess this is your “Professional Debut” then!
Miyo: W-Well, I still haven’t signed the publishing deal, yet…
Miyo: Anyways, I’m going to have a meeting with them soon.
Miyo: Let’s see… It starts at 2 pm on the…
Miyo: Eh? Does Sensei want to go with me?
Miyo: Really… You didn’t have to go out of your way just for me…
Miyo: We should have a third party to validate the content of the contract… You said?
Miyo: Th-Then in that case…
Miyo: Pleasure to work with you, Sensei.
.
(Afterward, we headed to the publishing company.)
Publishing Company Employee (PCE): We’ve been waiting for you, Sakurai-sensei.
PCE: By the way, why is the Sensei of Schale also here…?
Sensei: “I heard my student was signing a publishing contract, so I'm here to accompany her.”
PCE: W-Well, that’s fine…
PCE: Then, let us begin. First, regarding the signing of the publishing contract, I will explain our company's position.
PCE: As you know, publishing a book will be very expensive.
PCE: Not only printing costs, but we also need to consider the editing, design, and marketing costs…
PCE: In addition, there’s also a fee for using a warehouse to store the unsold books after publication. Do you understand what I’m saying?
Miyo: Y-Yes, I know… But, can you tell me why…?
PCE: It’s simple. We wanted you to understand how much risk we bear in publishing Sakurai-sensei's novel.
Sensei: But, shouldn't the publisher be the one who is responsible for the publishing costs?
PCE: Y-Yes! So, regarding that, we have a few suggestions for you!
PCE: In short… We would like to ask Sakurai-sensei to also “invest” with us!
(At this point, Miyo is suspicious of the person)
PCE: Rest assured! The only costs Sakurai-sensei needs to pay are editing, design, and printing… And marketing too!
PCE: Leave the rest to us!
Sensei: That means Miyo will essentially be paying the full cost...
Miyo: I see!
Sensei: Miyo…?
Miyo: But, that’s not the end of this, right?
PCE: Yes?
Miyo: Like for example… Wouldn't I need to personally buy about 500 copies myself when the book is released to ensure a strong initial sales period?
PCE: Y-Yes! That’s right!
Miyo: And, to improve the quality of works I write in the future, I will need to attend the writing course your company provides… Of course, that comes with a fee.
PCE: That’s also correct, too!
Miyo: Yes, I understand now.
Miyo: Just another common scam method.
(Miyo ripped the contract apart with the surprised face of the employee)
PCE: T-The contract…!?
Miyo: Let’s just go, Sensei.
. .
(We leave the publishing company and take a rest at a nearby park.)
(Miyo sees my worried face, so she comes and helps me relax.)
Miyo: Please don’t look at me like that, I’m really fine.
Miyo: Oh, so you are wondering why I can quickly spot that scam.
Miyo: It's simple, really. You just have to think from the other person's perspective. When you do that, the method of the crime naturally comes to mind… It's the same as when I consider the method for "importing" things into the academy.
Miyo: Therefore… *sniff.
Sensei: Miyo…!?
Miyo: Why do I always end up in a place like this…?
Miyo: I have absolutely no talent for what I truly want to do… All I can do is committing crime…
Miyo: If things continued like this… It's impossible for me to become a romance novelist.
Sensei: Nobody really knows that.
Miyo: That's…not comforting at all.
Sensei: At least, I know that Miyo won’t go down the wrong path. Because you can tell when something isn’t right.
Miyo: Avoiding the wrong path is just as important as finding the right one…
Miyo: If I didn’t possess this talent, I might have been fooled by that scam back then…
Miyo: Well… Maybe it’s not all bad…
Miyo: …I still can't bring myself to like it, though.
Sensei: But, precisely because of the money you earned from your “activities”… You can also buy a new typewriter…
Miyo: Th-That…!
(Afterward, I spent some time chatting with Miyo until it was time for her to come back.)
(I feel that the bond between both of us has become deeper)