After hearing the manager's proposal, Saku fell silent.
So it's come to this…
He'd considered that someday, if he improved his composition skills enough, he might be able to connect with Misumi Uika through music.
But to have that possibility show up in this way was completely unexpected.
He couldn't exactly fault Raana for her actions, though.
From what the manager had said, Raana had actually followed his instructions perfectly.
The only one to blame here was himself—for not making his conditions more foolproof.
Then again, even if he had, would Raana have listened?
After all, she was… well, a cat.
Suppressing a sigh, Saku finally spoke. "You're at RiNG Café on the second floor, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"I'll be there shortly."
"Thank you."
Ending the call, Saku gathered his thoughts.
Shiraishi didn't have to say it directly; her intent had been clear from the start.
She wanted to buy the rights to that song.
If it had been any random manager from a different agency, he would have refused on the spot.
But this was the manager for sumimi, Miku Sangaku's group.
That made it worth some consideration.
He just had to figure out the best way to make the most of this opportunity.
After a quick word to Nijika and the others about needing to step out, Saku left STARRY and headed for RiNG.
---
RiNG Café, second floor
Shiraishi sat back, planning her next move. Judging by his voice, this Saku Kamigawa seemed quite young.
Whether he was the composer or not, she'd have to approach this carefully.
After all, he was evidently close to the creator of that song.
And most importantly, talking to him would likely be much easier than talking to Raana.
From their phone conversation, she could already tell he spoke clearly and was willing to meet in person.
In fact, she'd only planned to get his friend's information, but since he'd agreed to come by, that was even better.
Face-to-face negotiations were always easier than over the phone.
Not long after, the café door opened, and a young man walked in.
"Oh…"
The moment she saw him, recognition dawned on Shiraishi.
No wonder his name had sounded familiar—she'd met him before on the set of that snack commercial, where he'd appeared as a popular Instagram influencer.
Only the time lapse had kept her from realizing it sooner.
Once Saku spotted Raana sitting with her now-empty parfait glasses, he walked over.
How many of those had she eaten?
He pushed the thought aside as he noticed Shiraishi standing up to greet him.
"Hello, I'm Saku Kamigawa. I'm the one you spoke to on the phone earlier."
"Thank you, I remember."
Shiraishi smiled politely as they both sat down.
After ordering coffee and exchanging some small talk, Saku got to the point.
"I think we've had enough pleasantries. Shall we get to the matter at hand?"
"Of course."
After a short pause, Shiraishi continued. "Saku, Raana mentioned that you're the one who shared that song with her. Is that correct?"
"It is."
"Then, may I ask who composed the piece?"
Saku glanced over at Raana, who was still engrossed in her parfait, before giving the usual answer: "A friend of mine."
"I see."
Shiraishi nodded thoughtfully. "Could I perhaps have your friend's contact information, then?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't give it out without their permission."
Seeing as his "friend" was actually himself, he wasn't exactly in a position to pass along any contact details.
"Fair enough. Respecting your friend's privacy is important."
Watching him closely, Shiraishi was growing more certain of something.
"Though… may I ask why you'd need their information?" he added, despite knowing full well what the answer was likely to be. "If it's something significant, I might be able to pass the message along."
"To be honest, I found that song so impressive that I'm interested in purchasing it."
Sitting up straighter, Shiraishi's tone grew serious.
"Our agency would be more than willing to offer a competitive price for the copyright. Does your friend still own the rights?"
"Yes, they do."
Just as he'd suspected, she was here for the song.
Shiraishi's expression remained calm, but she was inwardly growing nervous.
Buying the song wasn't going to be cheap, especially with an influencer of his caliber sitting across from her.
"Is it just you who's interested, or is this coming from your agency as well?" Saku asked, stifling a sigh.
"This was my idea, but I can say that our agency would likely back it."
Shiraishi was confident.
After all, if she hadn't had the skill to spot such hits, she wouldn't be managing sumimi in the first place.
"Sounds like you're pretty invested in this song."
"Well, I like to think I have a decent ear for these things," she replied modestly.
"So, if your agency acquires it, would sumimi be the ones to perform it?"
Shiraishi added a bit of extra weight to her response. "That's my personal intention, yes."
"Could that be written into the contract?" Saku pressed.
"This… might be difficult."
Her hesitation was understandable.
As sumimi's manager, she would obviously prefer they use the song, but her agency might have other plans, like giving it to a bigger name.
"That's alright. Just asking out of curiosity," Saku replied with a casual wave. "It's not my song anyway, so you don't need to worry about my questions."
"…We could put it in the contract," Shiraishi replied finally.
She felt nearly certain now—Saku's "friend" was just an excuse.
She'd suspected as much but hadn't been entirely sure until now.
After all, if this were truly someone else's work, why would he care whether it was given specifically to sumimi?
Refusing to share his "friend's" contact info made sense.
But if he was going as far as to stipulate who could use the song, he was clearly the one who wrote it.
From what she'd heard, this influencer was a sumimi fan, too, which only strengthened her assumption.
And if giving it to sumimi was his main condition, she could easily work with that.
The agency was currently prioritizing sumimi anyway, so this worked out perfectly for her, too.
"Yes, if that can be put in writing, I'll ask my friend what they think," Saku said, pulling out his phone.
"Thank you."
Shiraishi waited as he started typing.
But Saku was actually deliberating over his decision.
Selling this song to sumimi would be beneficial for his "single" route.
After all, connecting with Miku Sangaku had seemed impossible until now.
But here was his chance.
The only issue was that the song had been created to accompany Ichishizuku Sora, a lyric written by Tomori.
Selling it would require some explanation on his part.
Or… would it?
After all, the band thought his "friend" had composed the piece anyway.
If he told them that his friend decided to sell it, they'd likely accept that.
As for the Ichishizuku Sora lyrics, those could simply be set to a different composition.
That would avoid any copyright conflicts.
Another concern was that he'd have to reveal himself as the composer.
But was that really an issue?
His main reason for hiding his identity was to avoid suspicion about his rapid progress in composing.
But sumimi had no idea when he'd started learning. He could just say he'd been practicing for years.
And they could always add a confidentiality clause to the contract to prevent his name from being disclosed.
Plus, there was little chance Miku Sangaku would ever meet anyone from his band.
With all that considered, it seemed like a risk worth taking.
Having settled his concerns, Saku stopped typing and turned to Shiraishi. "My friend says they're open to selling the song to you."
"That's wonderful!"
Shiraishi's smile widened.
"But they'd still like to discuss a few details," he added.
"Of course."
She was all too familiar with the process.
"Oh, and could I have your LINE account?" Saku said, waving his phone. "I'll send over the full track."
"Yes, of course."
After exchanging LINE info, Saku sent her the recording.
"My friend asks that you play this for the agency's team and come up with a fair offer," he emphasized.
There was no way he'd let his song go for less just because it was going to sumimi.
He'd offered Shoko Toyokawa such a generous deal before because she was a friend.
But sumimi's agency was a business, and they wouldn't be grateful just because he sold them a song at a discount.
His position was simple: if they wanted the song, they'd have to pay up.
"I'll make sure of it."
Shiraishi answered with complete seriousness.
She knew any deal this valuable would need thorough consultation with her superiors.
"Would Wednesday work for a meeting?" Saku proposed. "My friend has time that day to discuss the specifics."
"That's perfect."
---
Sumimi's dressing room
"Hana, did you hear the track our manager posted in the group chat?"
Carrying a box of donuts, Sumida Mana approached Uika, who was seated in front of the mirror.
"Not yet."
Miku turned, shaking her head.
"Great, we can listen while we enjoy these."
Setting the box down, Mana hit play.
The room filled with the song's ethereal melody.
---
T/N: Damn he fully just sold the song (acc i learned that it doesnt matter that he sold his part because music stuff)