Time flowed like water, and the climate shifted from the cool comfort of autumn into the chill of early winter.
A cold wind blew head-on. The withered leaves on the roadside trees seemed unable to withstand the chill, quietly falling and then being swept far away by the gusts created by passing cars. In this season when all things wither, only human cities retained their lively and bustling atmosphere.
At the end of October, inside an elegantly styled café, Kamiyā Yuu stood up and handed over the formally signed contract to Robert, who had come all the way from the United States. Smiling, he said, "I believe this will be a pleasant collaboration, Mr. Robert." By now, Kamiyā Yuu spoke fluent English, with natural grammar and clear pronunciation, free of the typical Japanese accent.
Robert, a slightly overweight middle-aged American man, stood up and shook his hand with a chuckle. "Of course. I look forward to the release of your work tomorrow, Mr. Kamiyā." Their afternoon-long conversation in English drew curious glances from other café patrons.
Robert himself was somewhat surprised. Though he wasn't good at distinguishing East Asian faces, he could tell Kamiyā Yuu was quite young. Based on their previous online conversation, he had assumed that "Yosuganosora" would be a steady, composed middle-aged man. Yet strangely, Robert felt no trace of condescension toward his young Asian partner. Aside from the strong impression left by their earlier discussion, Kamiyā Yuu's calm demeanor and confident, measured English gave him the sense that he was dealing with a capable and self-assured collaborator.
After sitting down, Robert glanced at the document in his hands and finally let out a sigh of relief. Following their extensive discussion, he felt even more fortunate that he had personally come to Japan to secure the licensing and exclusive streaming rights for this work. From their occasional correspondence, he had already judged the potential of 'RWBY' based on the information Kamiyā Yuu revealed. The promotional PV for 'Red—Crescent Rose' had been steadily gaining traction in animation communities, attracting increasing attention from fans around the world—including himself.
Now that the feasibility and potential of the first work had been proven, as long as the quality of subsequent works didn't drop significantly, turning it into a signature title in the animation industry would be easy. If 'Red—Crescent Rose' succeeded, then the company "FakeBook" would be willing to support Kamiyā Yuu as a partner, funding the three planned promotional animations and even a full-length animated film.
One was the world's most popular online animation community, and the other was a uniquely styled 3D animation that had already caused a sensation with just a PV. With these two working together, Robert could almost see the impact 'RWBY' would have on the animation world.
…
After finalizing the contract and parting warmly with Robert, Kamiyā Yuu placed another contract into his briefcase. Carrying a boxed chocolate cake, he left the café. The evening sun cast its glow across his face, revealing a bright, excited smile. Despite the long afternoon of discussions, he felt no fatigue at all.
"Now that the contract with Mr. Robert is signed, once 'Red—Crescent Rose' is released tomorrow, I'll receive a licensing fee of $100,000. That should be more than enough to establish a small animation studio."
"If funds still fall short later, I can move on to producing the 'Yellow' arc. If 'Red—Crescent Rose' performs well, that $100,000 might even double."
"Tch… it finally feels like I'm really making animation!"
Despite the cold weather, his excitement left him feeling warm all over.
After returning to his apartment, Kamiyā Yuu knocked on his sister's door. Soon, Kamiyā Sora's calm and quiet voice came from inside: "Come in."
He entered to find a room decorated primarily in white tones, blending classical Western style with modern simplicity. It gave off a sense of elegance and composure. Plush rabbit dolls on the bedside table and the delicate lace bedding added a touch of softness and charm. Anyone seeing the room for the first time would think it belonged to a refined young lady.
"Click, click—"
Kamiyā Sora sat focused at her desktop computer, her hand moving the mouse quickly as she made final adjustments and checks to the demonstration footage of 'Red—Crescent Rose.' These computer skills weren't taught by Kamiyā Yuu—she had always been interested in computers. After hearing a brief explanation of MAYA's 3D modeling software, she quickly became proficient, even completing the video editing on her own.
She was dressed neatly, sitting upright as she worked, her attention fully on the screen.
"Sorry, I'm back late," Kamiyā Yuu said, glancing toward her before placing the chocolate cake on another table. The computer had been purchased over a week ago using leftover crowdfunding funds, so it could be considered part of the project expenses.
"Sora, I brought something back."
"Yuu, can you get the sweet milk from the fridge?" Kamiyā Sora said calmly, not pausing her work. She glanced briefly at the cake, speaking as if it were only natural.
"Got it."
When Kamiyā Yuu returned with a cup of warm milk, she had already opened the cake box and neatly arranged the plastic utensils. As he sat down across from her, she set aside the mouse and came over, sitting beside him in a relaxed, familiar manner.
"By the way, how did the contract go?" she asked, eating small bites of cake at an unhurried pace. Her tone was gentle and composed, quickly grounding his earlier excitement.
Kamiyā Yuu casually adjusted her hair and smiled as he watched her eat. "Nothing special—everything went smoothly."
"So, nothing unexpected happened," Kamiyā Sora said softly. She cut a small piece of chocolate cake with the plastic fork and held it out to him. "Want some?"
"Mm."
Kamiyā Yuu leaned forward and ate it without hesitation. For some reason, the chocolate cake tasted just a little sweeter than when he had tried it earlier in the café.