Plans for the Future Manga Publishing House
Launching an electronic manga platform…Expanding the magazine with additional supplements and increasing the prize money for new artist awards…Establishing a dedicated website for the publishing house, allowing light novels and four-panel comics to be submitted and published online…Using the supplement magazine to test reader preferences while aggressively promoting the online platform…
Hanada Yui's proposal was well-organized—it was clear that she had read Su Yu's documents and carefully compiled her ideas.
"As for the revenue-sharing contract for electronic manga and your other plans, I have considered them, but I can't implement everything at once," Hanada Yui said cautiously after seeing Su Yu set down the documents.
"I trust your capabilities. My documents are just for reference—you don't have to follow my plans to the letter," Su Yu said, shaking his head.
"Yes, I understand." Hanada Yui let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"As for the manga-related variety shows and the management of the official accounts, leave that to Satou Yumiko," Su Yu added after some thought.
"I was thinking the same thing. After reading your documents, I realized that my focus should be on larger platforms rather than just the publishing house itself," Hanada Yui nodded.
Then, Su Yu abruptly asked, "What's your opinion on Yukinoshita Haruno? And on the Yukinoshita family? What about Madam Yukinoshita?"
Hanada Yui froze for a few seconds, trying to decipher Su Yu's intention.
She knew that Su Yu's girlfriend was Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Go ahead and speak your mind. To me, my girlfriend and the Yukinoshita family are not the same thing," Su Yu said calmly.
"Miss Yukinoshita is highly capable and completely different from Madam Yukinoshita. She treats people kindly but also has strong personal convictions.
"As for the Yukinoshita family itself, the family head and Madam Yukinoshita aren't close—they've been living separately for a long time.
"Madam Yukinoshita is a highly controlling woman with great influence and sharp tactics."
Hanada Yui answered cautiously.
Su Yu listened quietly. This matched what he had previously observed.
But what he truly wanted to know wasn't just this.
A Dangerous Question
"Then why did Madam Yukinoshita transfer you from an assistant position to a branch office?" Su Yu asked.
"…Because my abilities were acknowledged by Madam Yukinoshita, so—"
"I want the truth." Su Yu cut her off.
"This… This is the truth." A flicker of fear passed through Hanada Yui's eyes as she lowered her head.
"Looks like my guess was correct. Madam Yukinoshita didn't transfer you because of your abilities. From your detailed records, I found something rather interesting. You were promoted to an assistant role in the Yukinoshita family's construction company despite having little experience. That wasn't due to your talent, but rather…"
Su Yu stood up and leaned in close, whispering something into Hanada Yui's ear.
Her pupils contracted sharply.
How does Su Yu know about this?!
Even Miss Yukinoshita hadn't realized it. Su Yu—an outsider—how could he possibly…
"I became Yukino's boyfriend because I earned the family head's approval. He doesn't want Madam Yukinoshita's actions to affect the Yukinoshita family, so he tasked me with investigating her in secret," Su Yu said in a low voice, observing Hanada Yui's reaction.
"The family head already knows?!" Hanada Yui's face was filled with disbelief.
"He's known for a long time—he just never said it aloud. After all, they are husband and wife. The family head doesn't want a divorce, because if they separate, the Yukinoshita family's business would take a massive hit, possibly leading to its downfall," Su Yu continued.
"…I see." Hanada Yui suddenly understood a lot of things.
"Looks like I was right." Su Yu smirked.
"Su Yu-kun, you—" Hanada Yui's face turned pale as she stared at him in shock.
Only now did she realize—Su Yu might not have actually known anything. He was bluffing.
And she had fallen for it.
If Madam Yukinoshita found out…
Hanada Yui shivered.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. You're a key part of my plan, and I won't let anything happen to you," Su Yu reassured her, patting her shoulder gently.
"…Su Yu-kun, how did you even think of this?" Hanada Yui's voice carried a hint of bitterness.
"The first time I met you, I sensed your wariness toward me. That made me suspect that you had encountered something similar before. Later, when Yukinoshita Haruno mentioned that you had worked as Madam Yukinoshita's assistant, I put the pieces together."
"…All because of that?" Hanada Yui's expression grew complicated.
"If Madam Yukinoshita questions you, just say that I'm interested in you—but that I value your abilities even more. You understand what I mean?" Su Yu reminded her.
"…I understand." Hanada Yui lowered her head, unable to meet Su Yu's gaze.
At this moment, she felt that Su Yu was on the same level as Madam Yukinoshita.
That kind of ability to read and manipulate people was terrifying.
Meeting Satou Yumiko
Leaving Hanada Yui's office, Su Yu headed to Satou Yumiko's office next.
She had already been informed that he was the true owner of Future Manga Publishing House.
As soon as Su Yu entered, Satou Yumiko quickly stood up and poured him a cup of hot tea.
"Miss Satou, don't worry. There won't be any major personnel changes. However, your workload may increase slightly," Su Yu said as he observed her reaction.
"Su Yu-sensei, I won't let you down." Satou Yumiko felt reassured.
"Hanada Yui is highly capable, and the publishing house will undergo significant changes. Her plans align with mine. So, even if some things seem hard to accept at first, please understand that we share the same goal—to make Future Manga Publishing House better," Su Yu said as he took a sip of tea.
"I understand. The publishing house does need a change." Satou Yumiko nodded.
"As for my manga's tankōbon (volume releases)…"
"That's already scheduled. Once we reach five chapters, we can release the first Yuru Camp volume," Satou Yumiko quickly replied.
Su Yu wasn't particularly surprised.
They also discussed other manga artists at the company. Future Manga Publishing House had records on each artist, and some of them were attractive enough to be idols.
Satou Yumiko planned to contact five artists whose works already had a dedicated fan base and decent popularity. This would make it easier for audiences to accept them.
When the topic shifted to light novels, Satou Yumiko brought up a name that Su Yu was very familiar with.
In the world of light novels, that person had been in the industry for a long time.
However, since the number of light novel authors far exceeded that of manga artists, even starting from scratch would attract numerous submissions.
If they were going to launch a supplement magazine, preparations could begin immediately.
They could collect a large number of submissions, carefully select the best ones, and use the supplement magazine as a testing ground.
By the time the electronic manga platform launched, Future Manga Publishing House would already have a strong foothold in the light novel market.