Hikigaya's second banquet trip ended successfully. After saying goodbye to the Yukinoshita couple, Hachiman got back into the black luxury car and set off for home.
"It's January 3rd? That's really soon," he thought as he leaned back in the spacious back seat of the luxury vehicle, replaying Yukino's words in his mind. This was the most surprising news he had received at the banquet tonight, especially since it was already December 29th—too close to January 3rd.
"If it's okay, Hikigaya-san, we can go out for dinner together that day. I want to formally thank you for your advice from last year. I haven't found an opportunity to do so since returning to China," Yukino had said about half an hour earlier.
"On your birthday, shouldn't your family celebrate for you?" Hikigaya asked curiously.
"As for my family... we rarely do things like that. In the past, my sister would order a cake for me, but this year, my family has been busier than ever, so she can only send a verbal blessing. I didn't really have friends in elementary school, and I went abroad for junior high. Now, looking around, the only person who can celebrate my birthday with me is you, Hikigaya-san," Yukino replied.
Hikigaya realized that both Yukinoshita sisters seemed to follow a similar pattern. Last year, Haruno had also asked to meet up shortly after the banquet, claiming she wanted to thank him, which had led to a year full of misfortune. However, he acknowledged that Yukino's reason was indeed valid.
"Okay, Yukinoshita-san, I don't have any plans for that day, so let's celebrate together," Hikigaya responded.
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"Mr. Hachiman, regarding the Naoki Prize admission quota you mentioned the day before yesterday, we have already informed the organizing committee. You can go directly to the venue on January 20th."
Suzuki Yoshito, the public relations representative of Sakuraba Publishing, said to Hikigaya over the phone, "Today is the last day of the year, and Mr. Suzuki is still working hard."
"I understand, Mr. Suzuki. Thank you for your hard work and for looking after my affairs during the holidays. I wish you and your family a happy new year," Hikigaya replied a bit awkwardly. He later told editor Imamura about this at the banquet. He had expected to wait until after the holiday for a reply but was surprised it was resolved in just one day.
"It's not hard, Mr. Hachiman. Don't worry; Sakuraba Publishing treats any request you make as its top priority and will never cause delays," Mr. Suzuki said sincerely, which made Hikigaya feel embarrassed.
Sakuraba Publishing is particularly concerned about Hikigaya Hachiman, not only because of the excellent sales data of his novels over the past year but also due to a crucial contract issue.
When Hachiman signed the contract for "Confessions," a clause was added stipulating that his next two novels would also be published by Sakuraba. This means that after the publication of "Malice" in July and "Causes of Disintegration" in April next year, that contract clause will be fulfilled.
However, Mr. Hachiman announced the existence of "The Clockwork Museum Incident" last year, a novel that marks his true entry into orthodox reasoning and is expected to be one of the most watched works in the reasoning genre next year.
As of now, Mr. Hachiman has not shown any intention of negotiating a contract with Sakuraba Publishing for this work, and the publishing house has not received any previews or partial chapters from him.
"No matter what, we at Sakuraba Publishing must strive to obtain the publishing rights for 'The Clockwork Museum Incident.' Just because Mr. Hachiman and we have worked well together before doesn't mean he will automatically give us all his future novels to publish. That would be too presumptuous," the president of Sakuraba said in a meeting with his subordinates.
"As far as I know, many publishing houses are trying to contact Mr. Hachiman. Fortunately, he protects his personal information well, so they haven't found him. However, one day, Mr. Hachiman will be in the public eye. Therefore, we should complete any requests made by Mr. Hachiman as quickly as possible so that he can feel the enthusiasm of our publishing house," the president continued, elevating Hikigaya Hachiman's priority at Sakuraba to an unprecedented level.
"Eh—if that's the case, wouldn't your position in the publishing house also be elevated, Editor Imamura?" Hikigaya asked while originally calling to wish her a happy new year, but the conversation shifted to work.
"Has it gotten higher? I just feel that the work pressure has increased. Also, Mr. Hachiman, while I am an employee of Sakuraba, I am not part of their headquarters but rather an editor for their magazine. My main job is to ensure that Mr. Hachiman can continue to serialize in 'All Readings.' So, will you continue to serialize in our magazine?" Naho Imamura suddenly asked. This matter was directly related to her; no matter how well Hachiman's novel sold after publication, she would not receive a bonus.
"Of course, it will definitely be serialized here," Hikigaya replied.
"Oh? What kind of accident are you talking about?" Naho Imamura asked, somewhat provocatively.
"An unexpected situation would be if you, Editor Imamura, were no longer employed at All Readings. In that case, I would naturally not need to submit my work there. Essentially, I would submit to whichever magazine you, Editor Imamura, are working for," Hikigaya said calmly.
"Uaaaaa—don't say such things in such a calm tone, Mr. Hachiman. I'll be embarrassed," Naho Imamura replied, caught off guard by his straightforwardness, causing her to blush on the other end of the phone.
"I am serious, Editor Imamura. Your work is very demanding, and you should voice your concerns to the publisher. You need to think about yourself," Hikigaya added, aware that the editors of "All Readings" faced increased workloads without any solutions to alleviate their pressure.
"That said… it isn't easy to leave a place where you've worked for many years. People tend to prefer familiar environments and working with known colleagues, and they often fear the unknown. Anyway, thank you for your kindness, Mr. Hachiman. I am very touched," Imamura said, her eyes moist. At that moment, her mother walked over, concerned.
"What's wrong, Naho? Did you meet a scumbag? Give me the phone, mom will talk to him! "
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