"I'll start by giving you a quick tour of our company."
Following sumimi's manager, Shizuko Shiraishi, Kamigawa Saku was led through the various departments and sections of the company, gaining a broad understanding of the layout.
After taking a brief look around, they arrived at their final stop.
"This is sumimi's lounge," Shiraishi explained, pausing to knock on the door before turning to Kamigawa Saku.
"Alright."
Kamigawa Saku nodded, feigning excitement.
Even though this wasn't his first time meeting his idols, it wouldn't make sense for him, as a self-proclaimed fan, to remain entirely unaffected.
The only problem was that Misumi Uika had already seen through his facade as a "fake fan" during their last encounter. Hopefully, enough time had passed for her to forget about that.
"Come in," Misumi Uika's voice called from inside.
Shiraishi opened the door and stepped in, with Kamigawa Saku following closely behind.
"I've brought the composer of that song. Since you've already met, there's no need for introductions," Shiraishi said with a smile, stepping aside to let Kamigawa Saku enter the center of the lounge.
"Good afternoon, both of you."
Kamigawa Saku greeted Misumi Uika and Sumida Mana with a polite smile.
"Good afternoon~" Sumida Mana replied cheerfully.
"Afternoon," Misumi Uika said, her tone neutral but polite.
"Uika, has your photoshoot for today wrapped up?"
Having spent the afternoon meeting with Kamigawa Saku to discuss contracts, Shiraishi wasn't up to date on the group's schedule and had to ask directly.
"Yes, we've finished everything," Misumi Uika confirmed with a nod. "Is there something else planned for us?"
Initially, she had intended to leave after completing today's shoot, only to be told by her assistant that she needed to stay in the lounge to wait for her manager.
"That's right. It's about your next project," Shiraishi said after checking the time.
"But before that, I need to step out for a bit."
"You can chat with Kamigawa-san in the meantime. It's related to the song."
"Is it about releasing the track?" Misumi Uika asked, glancing at Kamigawa Saku as she made an educated guess.
"Something like that. I'll explain the details when I return."
With that, Shiraishi left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Now, only the three of them remained in the lounge.
---
"Is Shiraishi-san always like this? She seems so rushed," Kamigawa Saku remarked, attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere with small talk.
"Not usually," Misumi Uika replied. "It only happens when work gets especially busy."
"So, she's quite swamped right now, huh?" Kamigawa Saku concluded.
"But just releasing one song shouldn't be enough to keep her this busy, right?" Sumida Mana chimed in, smoothly joining the conversation.
"Maybe there's something else she's juggling," Kamigawa Saku speculated casually.
"By the way, Kamigawa-kun, your song is incredible!" Sumida Mana said, walking over to clap him on the shoulder.
"Don't you think so, Uika-chan?"
"Yes," Misumi Uika agreed. She couldn't deny the song's quality.
"It was just a stroke of inspiration," Kamigawa Saku said humbly. "I normally can't compose at that level."
"Even so, the song is still your work and a testament to your skills," Misumi Uika said, her tone matter-of-fact.
After all, without years of practice and honing his craft, no amount of inspiration could produce such a masterpiece—at least, that was how she saw it.
"Haha… To be honest, I'd rather talk about something else. Could I ask for your autographs instead?" Kamigawa Saku laughed awkwardly, deftly steering the conversation away.
This was a rare opportunity, and he figured it was better to use the time to bond with them rather than talk shop.
"Of course!"
Sumida Mana readily agreed, always happy to fulfill a fan's request.
"That's great to hear," Kamigawa Saku said, smiling as he retrieved a notebook and pen from his snack-filled backpack and handed them over.
"Although, didn't we already give you autographed photos last time?" Misumi Uika asked, her curiosity piqued as she watched Sumida Mana sign the notebook.
She already knew Kamigawa Saku was a fake fan but hadn't called him out on it.
Even so, his behavior seemed over the top.
If he already had their signed photos, why would he need their regular autographs?
What happened to the ones he'd already received?
Surely, he hadn't thrown them away by accident, had he?
"Oh, this isn't for me," Kamigawa Saku explained. "I have a friend who's a fan of yours, so I'm getting these autographs for her."
The friend he referred to wasn't himself—it was Chihaya Anon.
Although Chihaya Anon hadn't outright said she was a sumimi fan, her actions during a previous karaoke outing spoke volumes.
The first song she'd chosen was sumimi's Here, the World, and she'd sung several more of their tracks during her solo performances.
Based on this behavior, it was clear that even if she wasn't a hardcore fan, she genuinely liked the group.
Giving her sumimi's autographs would definitely win him some goodwill.
As for why he wasn't giving her the autographed photos he already had?
The answer was simple: he was a fan too, and there was no way he'd part with something so precious.
"I see."
Misumi Uika accepted the notebook from Sumida Mana and added her own signature before handing it back to Kamigawa Saku.
Even if he was a fake fan, that didn't mean his friend was.
If someone truly admired their work, she wanted to treat them with sincerity.
"By the way, is your friend a guy or a girl?" Sumida Mana asked as she watched Kamigawa Saku put the notebook and pen away.
"A girl," he replied honestly.
"Looks like our group is popular with girls too!"
Sumida Mana smiled, clearly pleased by the response.
"Definitely."
Kamigawa Saku nodded, his tone casual, as he zipped up his backpack.
---
Maintaining the lighthearted atmosphere, the three chatted for a while longer before the lounge door opened, and Shizuko Shiraishi walked in.
"Looks like you're all getting along well."
She glanced at the three of them with a satisfied expression.
"That's mostly because Uika and Mana were willing to chat with me," Kamigawa Saku said, carefully maintaining his "dedicated fan" image by referring to them by their stage names.
Even though he wasn't particularly close to Misumi Uika yet, and calling her "Uika" felt a bit too familiar, there was no other choice—her stage name was Uika, after all.
"Talking with Kamigawa-kun is actually pretty fun," Sumida Mana chimed in with a cheerful smile.
Misumi Uika didn't comment on the praise but instead asked, "Shiraishi-san, now that you're back, does that mean you've finished your other work?"
"Just a few minor things left. They can wait until later," Shiraishi replied before handing Kamigawa Saku a card the size of a credit card.
"When you visit the company in the future, make sure to bring this. You won't be able to get in without it."
"Don't lend it to anyone, and if you lose it, inform the company immediately."
"Understood."
Kamigawa Saku inspected the card briefly before tucking it into his wallet. It appeared to be an access card.
"What's this about…?"
Misumi Uika watched their interaction and seemed to piece something together.
"Kamigawa-kun is now one of our contracted composers," Shiraishi explained simply.
Earlier, one of her tasks had been reporting to her superiors about signing Kamigawa Saku, as the arrangement required further planning.
"Well, congratulations! That makes you our colleague now!"
Sumida Mana seemed genuinely happy for him.
"…"
Misumi Uika immediately understood the situation.
No wonder her manager had brought him over to meet them and facilitated their interaction.
If the company had only purchased his song, there would have been no need for such extensive introductions.
Clearly, this was a step toward establishing a long-term collaboration with their group.
Familiarity would pave the way for smoother cooperation in the future.
Misumi Uika didn't see any issue with the group gaining another composer, nor did she harbor any resistance to the idea.
While she handled a significant amount of songwriting and lyric composition for sumimi, she was only human and couldn't take on every song.
Their previous albums had already included songs from other composers.
Replacing those composers with Kamigawa Saku didn't seem like a big deal.
"That's right. We're colleagues now," Kamigawa Saku said with a satisfied smile.
For now, they were colleagues. Over time, as they spent more time together, it was only natural that they'd become friends.
It was a perfectly logical progression—one he could already envision.
"Alright, let's cut the small talk. I'll go over your upcoming plans," Shiraishi began, but Kamigawa Saku quickly interrupted.
"Wait! I haven't left yet," he said, half-jokingly.
He didn't want to overhear company-related secrets unnecessarily.
"You don't need to leave. This concerns you as well," Shiraishi said, motioning for him to sit back down.
"…Alright then."
Kamigawa Saku stole a quick glance at Misumi Uika but refrained from saying anything further.
To be honest, he was quite pleased to hear that this meeting involved sumimi's plans, as it would mean more opportunities to interact with Misumi Uika—and faster progress toward forming a genuine friendship.
"It's like this: the company plans to release another album for sumimi, with Kamigawa-kun's song as the lead single," Shiraishi announced, now that no one had any objections.
"Another album already?" Misumi Uika asked, puzzled. "Isn't that a bit too soon? We just released one a few months ago."
Typically, artists released albums every one or two years. For those aiming for high-quality work or dealing with special circumstances, it could take five years or longer.
It had only been a few months since sumimi's last album—far too early for another one.
"The company wants to maximize the value of Kamigawa-kun's song, and releasing an album is the best way to achieve that," Shiraishi explained seriously.
"That single alone is strong enough to carry an entire album."
"A mini-album could work," Sumida Mana suggested.
Mini-albums featured fewer tracks than standard ones, typically containing around five songs.
"It won't be a mini-album," Shiraishi said, rejecting the idea outright.
"Huh? A full album?"
Sumida Mana swallowed nervously, now seeing the plan as increasingly unreasonable.
A standard album usually contained at least seven tracks, sometimes exceeding a dozen.
"That's right. But don't worry too much," Shiraishi reassured them. "The company's plan is to begin preparations now and ensure the album's quality before release."
"If everything goes smoothly, by the time the album is officially out, about a year will have passed."
"This won't significantly impact your existing schedule."
"How many songs am I writing this time?" Misumi Uika asked, visibly relieved by the extended timeline.
"That depends on Kamigawa-kun," Shiraishi said, turning to him. "The company hopes you can compose a few more songs for sumimi."
"Even if the quality doesn't match that of the first song, that's perfectly fine."
"The company is willing to offer you a price that will more than satisfy you."
Since Kamigawa Saku's contract only included first purchase rights, the company couldn't force him to compose for sumimi.
But they weren't worried—after all, Kamigawa Saku was a self-proclaimed sumimi fan.
Using the excuse of producing an album for his idols was sure to motivate him.
As a fan, wouldn't he pour his heart and soul into composing songs for sumimi?
If he ended up producing several tracks on par with the first one, the company would reap enormous rewards.
It was precisely because they knew of his fandom that they felt confident he'd agree.
---
"…"
Kamigawa Saku could see through their plan to use sumimi as bait.
But he wasn't someone who could be so easily swayed—especially by such an obvious tactic.
And yet…
"Sure," he said, with a firm and righteous tone.