Chapter 5: Getting fired from a company and then getting headhunted.

The company I work for is a large publishing company called Takanawa.

　TAKANAWA Books is the publisher that I belong to.

　It mainly deals with light novels, and in recent years it has published Digital Masters, which was made into an anime movie and became a social phenomenon.

　They also have a very popular author, Kamimatsu, who is the author of Digimasu, and a genius, Prince Hakuba, who is the author of Arts Magic Online (AMO).

　They belong to one of the top publisher in the novel industry, …….

“Okaya-kun, I’m sorry, but I need you to quit the TAKANAWA Books publisher.”

　…… The person in front of me is the editor-in-chief.

　Jyunikane-san.

　She is a veteran female editor who has risen to the position of editor-in-chief at the age of 34.

　She wears her black hair in a ponytail.

　Her sharp eyes and glasses give her a cool impression.

” You said you wanted me to quit. …… Why are you suddenly doing that?”

　As soon as I arrived at work in the morning, I was summoned by the editor-in-chief, Jyunikane.

　We are facing each other like this in a small conference room.

“It’s simple. There’s a rumor going around the editorial department that you’re having an affair.”

“HA ……!?　I’m having an affair?　How could that be!”

　It was a rumor with no basis in fact.

　I mean, I was the one who was cheated on!

“Calm down. You’re married, aren’t you? You were having an affair with a young girl, right?”

“No, I did not!　Who told you that bullshit?”

“It’s Kisogawa.”

　…… It all makes sense now.

　Kisogawa. The man my wife, Misae, is having an affair with.

　He was just trying to save his …… own skin.

　If he found out that he had been having an affair with someone else’s wife, it would make it difficult for him to stay at work.

　So he made the first move.

　…… The bad timing is that I left yesterday morning.

　Kisogawa must have arrived at work at the same time and told Jyunikane-san about the hoax.

“Why don’t you think he’s lying?

“I don’t think so. Kisogawa-kun is not the kind of boy who tells lies.”

“…………”

　I am sad.

　It wasn’t sad that they thought I was the kind of guy who would cheat on my wife.

　It is sad …… that she trust Kisogawa’s words more than mine.

　…… It’s true, Kisogawa was very close to Jyunikane.

　He probably decided that a younger but more communicative subordinate would be better …… than an unsociable subordinate buka who had worked in this editorial department for a long time and contributed a lot.

” …… Time to go”

“Eh?”

“No, …… it’s nothing. I understand. I’m quitting. This company.”

　　Jyunikane-san rolled her eyes.

“Y-You’re quitting ……?”

“Yes. Isn’t that just perfect?　You were the one who asked me to leave, right?”

“N-no,……. you just have to leave the TAKANAWA Books publisher , but you don’t have to quit the company?”

“I don’t care. I’m quitting. Excuse me.”

　…… I didn’t make an argument.

　I felt like an idiot.

　Kisogawa, as well as Jyunikane-san ……, or rather Jyunikane, are ultimately looking down on me.

“Damn it…….”

　I left the conference room and sighed.

　As I walked down the hallway, I saw a houseplant.

“Damn it!”

　Annoyed, I kicked the houseplant.

　The potted plant fell over, and someone…… put it back up.

“Hey, hey, don’t you feel sorry for the plant?”

“Deputy Editor Ugematsu…..”

　There was a man with glasses who smiled softly.

　Shoji Ugematsu

　He is a deputy editor of our publisher , ……, which means he is the second most important person.

　He’s a very nice person, soft-spoken to everyone, and always willing to talk to you when you’re in trouble.

“Hello. Okaya-kun. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

---

　We were on the roof of the company.

　I revealed everything to the deputy editor.

” I see. …… I understand. That’s why I thought it was a strange story.”

　The deputy editor sighed.

“You’re a serious person, you would never have an affair. I also told Kane-kun that you would never cheat. She ignored me. I guess she won’t listen to what this old man has to say.”

　The deputy editor said with a wry smile.

　He’s older than Jyunikane, but he’s lower in rank than her.

　Jyunikane always made fun of Ugematsu-san.

“Do you believe that I’m not having an affair?”

“Of course. You are not that kind of person. I can tell by looking at you.”

　He smiles and taps me on the shoulder.

“You always stay late, you work more than anyone else and you contribute to our company. You’ve always supported us here at Takanawa Books, no matter what anyone thinks of you. There is no way that such a serious person like you would cheat.”

“…………”

　Unlike Jyunikane, this person was looking at me as an individual.

” …… I’m glad.”

　Tears are falling down …… in droplets.

　There was someone who understood …… and acknowledged me.

“Do you want me to go to the top and ask them to cancel the publisher transfer?”

“…… No, I said I’m quitting the company.”

“Y-You quit?

“…… Yes. I didn’t want to be here anymore.

　I didn’t want to see either Kisogawa or Jyunikane.

　I didn’t even want to be in the same company.

” I see. ……hey, Okaya-kun. If you don’t mind. ……”

　The deputy editor said with a serious face.

“Why don’t you start a new company with me?”

“Ah, you mean start a new publisher……?”

“Yes. I’m thinking of quitting here soon and starting a new light novel company.”

“A-A new publisher …… at this time?”

　…… is too reckless.

　The light novel market is saturated.

　Even if you start a new company, there is no guarantee that it will work.　

　It’s more likely that …… will go under.

“There are many things that big publishers can’t do. For example, works with low points in Naro, for example, won’t get published here, will they?”

　Naro means “Novelist” in Japanese.

　There is a point rating system there.

　The higher the points, the higher the rating, and the more popular the work, the more publisher are interested in publishing it.

　So many publisher approach popular works, and those with low points don’t get approached very often.

　This is especially true for my company.

“There are interesting works even with low points. I don’t like it when they disappear without seeing the light of day. But it’s hard to get them out here. That’s why I want to create a new company……, and provide a place for buried talent to flourish.”

　I was impressed by the philosophy of the …… deputy editor.

　It’s not always what’s shining brightly on the front page that’s good.

　There are also things that you can’t see but are still working hard.

　…… I was overlapping myself with these works.

“And I’m not happy with the way things are done here, either. It’s strange that we have to work on weekends and go home in the morning.　We are employees, right?　I mean, isn’t it normal to wake up in the morning and go home at night?”

　…… Akari pointed this out to me before I left the house.

　Yeah, that’s crazy. ……

“I want to create a company where the writers and the editors can laugh.”

　Suddenly ……, the deputy editor reaches out to me.

“I want you to help me. Why don’t you come with me?”

　…… I quit TAKANAWA.

　It wasn’t just because I was dissatisfied with the editor-in-chief, Jyunikane, and the employee, Kisogawa.

　I was also dissatisfied with the way things were done and the way we worked.

　I would like to follow Deputy Editor Agematsu, who understands me better than Jyunikane. ……

” By all means, please take care of me.”

　I took the hand of the deputy editor ……, no, Ugematsu-san.

　This is how I was able to find a new job the very same day I quit my job.

---

　Mitsuhiko Okaya has decided to start a new label with Deputy Editor Ugematsu.

　The editor-in-chief, Toshie Jyunikane, hears about it later.

“Fun~ That’s okay. That guy was a burden to our company. I’m glad we were able to get rid of him.”

　The editor-in-chief didn’t know.

　In fact, it was Okaya who had been supporting the company from behind the scenes.

　After Okaya was gone…….

　Jyunikane came to know everything.

　The importance of Okaya and his true ability.

　And that it was Kisogawa who was having an affair. ……

　It wasn’t long before she realized the whole mistake and came with Kisogawa to Okaya, crying and on her knees.

---