After finishing her meal, Youko made her way from the restaurant to the parking lot, taking the opportunity to offer some advice to Chisato.
If convenience was the priority, getting those kids to join a well-established entertainment agency would be a good decision.
Having professionals handle planning and arrangements would benefit their future development.
However, if he wanted to maximize long-term returns, it would be best to keep everything under his own control.
Popular and well-received songs were like hens that laid golden eggs, generating continuous revenue and accumulating wealth over a long period.
Chisato understood the implications behind Youko's words.
She was suggesting that he establish a company, register copyrights for all the songs—both past releases and future ones—and manage their licensing properly.
The prospects for such an approach were promising.
As she got into the car, she retrieved a business card from the glove compartment and handed it to Chisato.
She mentioned that if Chisato was interested but unsure where to start, he could contact this person directly for guidance.
Looking down at the card, Chisato realized he knew this person—it was an old acquaintance.
Kudo Miyoko, Youko's personal assistant and the vice president of Youko Office's Japan branch.
She was certainly a highly experienced professional. Helping him establish a company and get things off the ground would be an easy task for her.
However, if he were to follow Youko's suggestion, his free time would likely diminish significantly in the future.
Since this would determine the group's long-term trajectory, he needed to hear the thoughts of the four band members.
He also had to consider whether their families would support the decision, as well as the feelings of Eriri and Utaha.
In short, there were many factors to take into account, and this was not a decision to be rushed.
He had to carefully evaluate everything before making a final choice.
Chisato tucked Kudo Miyoko's business card into his wallet and told Youko that he would take time to seriously consider her advice.
"Seeing you act so serious reminds me of Kazusa's father... Ah, I must be getting old, reminiscing about the past like this.
Alright, enough of that. Take good care of Kazusa for me. You can do whatever you want with her in private, but just one thing—don't let her become a mother too soon.
After all, she's still just a kid herself."
"Mom!"
"Ahaha, she's complaining now. Alright, I won't get in your way anymore. Bye-bye."
With that, Youko casually put on her sunglasses and drove off.
Chisato was left standing there, awkwardly trying to console a blushing Kazusa.
The rest of their plans proceeded as scheduled. The two of them took a walk in a nearby park to help digest their meal.
Then, they went to the cinema to watch a high school romance film. At first, Kazusa was dismissive, but as the movie progressed, she became completely absorbed.
As the story neared its conclusion and the protagonists were forced apart due to real-world circumstances, she was visibly indignant, quietly muttering criticisms about the screenwriter and director's intelligence.
It wasn't until the final scene, where the two leads reunited years later thanks to a twist of fate, that her mood lifted.
Only then did she stop questioning the filmmakers' intelligence.
Afterward, they spent some time browsing the shopping mall and eventually had dinner outside before he sent her home.
Aside from the piano competition in the morning, the day had been relatively uneventful, but overall, it had been quite pleasant.
Back home, after showering, Kazusa immediately threw herself into her practice room. Even though the competition was over, she showed no sign of relaxing her discipline.
It was no surprise she had won so many awards during her childhood.
Chisato kept her company for a while. During one of her short breaks, he reminded her not to stay up too late before finally saying goodbye and leaving.
By then, it was already past eight in the evening.
Only at this time did he finally take out his phone to respond to the message sent by Hitori.
She was aware of his schedule for the day, so her most recent message read: "Chisato, there's no rush on our end. Just contact me when you're done."
After reading it, Chisato directly dialed her number, placing the phone to his ear as he slowed his steps along the nighttime street.
The call connected almost instantly, so fast that it made him wonder if she had been holding her phone in her hand the whole time.
"Chisato, are you done for the day?"
"Yeah, it's over. Where are you guys now?"
Hitori gave him an address, and he could hear the lively noise of the others in the background. It seemed like they had already gathered in the private room of the reserved restaurant.
The food might not have been served yet, but the celebration had already begun.
It was understandable—not just the sense of honor from winning an award, but also the fact that, for the first time, they had received a substantial payment of 12 million yen.
Even after being divided among them, each of them still walked away with 3 million yen. For high school students like them, that was undoubtedly an immense fortune.
"I'll be there soon."
After saying that, Chisato hung up.
The restaurant they had chosen for the celebration wasn't too far from his location, only about a twenty-minute drive.
Still, another meal... He had just eaten dinner with Kazusa not long ago.
"Even if I'm full, I still have to join them for a while. Since everyone's in high spirits tonight, I might as well take the opportunity to ask for their thoughts on Miss Youko's proposal."
Chisato raised his hand to hail a taxi.
As he casually browsed the news in the car, his phone suddenly rang with an incoming call.
Seeing the name "Yukinoshita Haruno" displayed on the screen, he stared at it for two seconds before slowly picking up.
"Hello, hello~"
As soon as the call connected, he was greeted with an extremely cheerful and carefree voice.
Chisato wasn't sure why she was calling him so suddenly, so he simply responded politely,
"Good evening."
"We haven't seen each other for just a few days, and you're already sounding so distant. Besides, I'm your number one fan, you know? Chisato, the big star!"
"Haruno, are you drinking?"
"Oh, don't be so mean. I'm being serious here."
"...Did you call for a reason?"
"Straight to the point as always. But I don't dislike that about you."
Just as Chisato's patience was beginning to wear thin, Haruno finally explained the purpose of her call.
"Actually, I'm in Sapporo right now, not in Tokyo. But it seems like my little sister isn't feeling well—she caught a cold.
I remember taking her cold medicine last time, and I don't know if she ever bought more. You know how the saying goes, 'A close neighbor is better than a distant relative.'
I can't be there to take care of my poor, helpless sister, so naturally, the only person I could think of was you, Chisato."
"You really do care about your sister, huh?"
"Of course. I just wish she'd realize it sooner and start listening to her dear older sister instead of constantly going against me."
Hearing the half-sigh, half-mocking tone in Haruno's voice, Chisato chuckled slightly. It was just a small favor, nothing difficult, so he agreed without hesitation.
"I'm still out right now. I'll pick up some cold medicine for her when I head back later."
"Hmm... Her throat seems sore too, so it'd be best to get some anti-inflammatory medicine and throat lozenges as well."
"Cold medicine, anti-inflammatory meds, throat lozenges. Should I bring her some porridge too?"
"No need, no need. This will do. She's not a child; she can handle the rest herself. Thanks, Chisato. When I get back, I'll make sure to properly thank you."
For some reason, Chisato felt like Haruno had deliberately emphasized the word "thank," as if implying something else.
He declined, "That's unnecessary. It's really not a big deal."
"Haha, we'll see about that. Anyway, I won't keep you. Bye-bye~"
After getting what she wanted, Haruno swiftly ended the call.
Just as the call ended, Chisato arrived at his destination. After paying the fare and stepping out of the taxi, he spotted a pharmacy nearby and decided to head there first.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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