Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 107 First Printing Decision Meeting
The taxi stopped in front of the Shueisha building.

Haruna Mikazuki got into the car first, so she's sitting on the side facing the road.

After the car door opened automatically, Ken Sakamoto got out first, followed closely by Haruna Mikazuki, who shuffled over.

He continued walking forward, only to find that the girl beside him had stopped.

Mikazuki Haruna stood there, looking hesitant, unsure whether to go in or not.

Ken Sakamoto turned his head and asked directly, "What are you standing there for?"

“I…” Mikazuki Haruna opened her mouth, but was speechless for a moment.

Ken Sakamoto calmly exposed her: "Actually, you came back with me just to get the car."

Mikazuki Haruna turned her head away, avoiding Sakamoto Ken's gaze.

When Sakamoto Ken suddenly caught her in that residential area, she made up an excuse that she was "just passing by Akihabara and taking a stroll." Now that excuse has been completely exposed.

But then she thought about it again, and Mikazuki Haruna regained her composure.

Anyway, as long as I don't admit it, then it didn't happen!

She puffed out her chest confidently and said, "That's right, I parked my car in the company parking lot before I went to Akihabara, so I don't have to pay for parking here."

Ken Sakamoto simply smiled and didn't press the matter further.

Do you even care about parking fees?

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going to find the editor." Sakamoto Ken walked inside.

Seeing that Sakamoto Ken didn't press the matter further, Mikazuki Haruna breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But she felt like she was at a disadvantage, and unwilling to give up, she asked again, "Hey... how long do you need? Do you want me to wait for you and then drive you home?"

"No need. Your car is too conspicuous. If acquaintances see it, they might mistakenly think I'm doing something strange." Ken Sakamoto shook his head, rejecting her suggestion.

“Oh…” Mikazuki Haruna responded, then muttered to herself, “What a strange job…”

Seeing that Ken Sakamoto had already entered the building, she didn't linger at the entrance and quickly turned and walked towards the parking lot.

Anyway, I gained something today; I found out where his new rented house is.

Moreover, she was the first guest in his new home.

Thinking of this, the girl's steps became lighter.

Sakamoto Ken didn't actually walk through the lobby. He stood sideways behind a standee of Onodera Kosaki and watched Mikazuki Haruna walk away before slowly making his way into the lobby.

I went to the front desk again.

It was the same young female employee. When she saw Ken Sakamoto walking over, she instinctively reached for her phone under the table.

But as soon as her fingers touched the phone, she remembered that Ms. Mitsuki Haru had said that last time was the last time, and that she no longer needed to report Mr. Sakamoto Ken's whereabouts to her.

Each time it's 100,000 yen, which is almost half a month's salary for her. She felt a little disappointed, but she quickly put on a professional smile and handed over the registration form.

"Mr. Sakamoto, please sign here."

Ken Sakamoto took the pen, signed his name, and went straight upstairs.

While in the elevator, Ken Sakamoto sent a message to Keiko Kaji, telling her that he had already rented an apartment and now wanted to discuss the setup of the studio equipment with her.

However, after the message was sent, there was no reply for a long time.

Ken Sakamoto didn't care and went straight to the editorial department.

Keiko Kaji wasn't at her workstation, but Ken Sakamoto saw the editor Uchimura who had been discussing manga with Tatsuyuki earlier, so he went up to say hello.

"Uchimura-san, good afternoon."

"Oh! It's Sakamoto-sensei!" Editor Uchimura greeted him warmly. "Are you looking for Kaji-san?"

"Hmm, isn't Editor Kaji from a company?"

“She should be in the conference room, over there,” Editor Uchimura said, gesturing to the other end and lowering his voice, “Oh, right, it should be about your book.”

"About my book?"

“That’s right.” Editor Uchimura’s tone carried a hint of anticipation. “It’s the production meeting that decides the first print run of Chainsaw Man. If you’re curious, you can go and listen in. These kinds of production meetings are super intense.”

Ken Sakamoto thanked him and walked in the direction Editor Uchimura had pointed.

The corridor wasn't long; after turning the corner, you'd see a room with a sign that read "Conference Room 1".

Even from a distance from the conference room door, he could hear the heated argument emanating from inside. One of the voices was very familiar to him; it was Kaji Keiko.

"...Thirty thousand copies? Minister Sato, are you sure you're not joking about that number?" Keiko Kaji exclaimed. "You've seen the popularity data for Chainsaw Man on JUMP+. After a month of serialization, it's already number one in the voting on the platform! A mere thirty thousand copies for the first print run probably won't even meet the pre-order demand!"

A slightly hoarse middle-aged male voice rang out: "Kachi-san, the business department's decision is based on market data and risk assessment. For a new author and a new work, an initial print run of 30,000 copies is already quite a good deal."

"Furthermore, we will closely monitor sales data after the release. If the market response is enthusiastic, we can arrange an emergency reprint within a month, which will not affect the overall sales of the work."

“How could it not have an impact!” Keiko Kaji said. “Minister Sato, you should know better than me that insufficient initial printing is fatal for a new work! By the time a reprint comes out, the effects of the initial publicity will have long been over.”

"Kajisan, I am responsible for the performance of the entire department. If there is a deficit, can you take responsibility?"

“Of course I will take responsibility!” Keiko Kaji said firmly. “I demand an initial print run of 80,000 copies! That’s already a very conservative figure; my initial expectation was 100,000 copies!”

"If the final sales do not meet expectations, I will personally take responsibility and report to the president!"

There was a brief silence in the conference room.

Sakamoto Ken stood outside the door, unable to see what was happening inside, but he could imagine that they were arguing heatedly.

Editor Kaji was truly willing to risk his career for his work...

At that moment, another familiar voice rang out – it was Tomohiro Ohno, editor-in-chief of JUMP.

"Alright, alright, calm down, everyone." Editor-in-Chief Ohno's tone was clearly that of a peacemaker. "It's normal for Sato to have concerns, but the potential of Chainsaw Man is indeed visible to the naked eye. The data from JUMP+ doesn't lie. Kaji, your proposed 80,000 copies is indeed a bit aggressive. How about we compromise and take a middle ground, 60,000 copies?"

“Sixty thousand copies is too few,” said Keiko Kaji.

Department head Sato said, "Ohno, the middle number between 80,000 and 30,000 is not 60,000. Considering the risks, I can only agree to order 40,000 copies at most."

As the head of the business department, he and Tomohiro Ohno were at the same level within the company, but Ohno had more seniority, and Sato was completely impolite in his speech.

Keiko Kaji said, "Anyway, the printing press has already prepared the printing plates, and the publication plan cannot be canceled. Since the initial print run cannot be determined, we will continue to negotiate. If the printing press's schedule is blocked and the printing of the next book is delayed, it will be the responsibility of the sales department."

“Kaji, you…” Department Head Sato was clearly angry.

"Alright!" Editor-in-Chief Ohno slammed his hand on the table and said, "Kaji, you can compromise and just print 60,000 copies. Sato, I personally have high hopes for 'Chainsaw Man,' and with all sorts of promotional materials going online these next few days, I believe 60,000 copies will only be in short supply."

The business department staff exchanged a few quiet words before finally saying in a low voice, "...Heh, since the editor-in-chief has said so, let's go with 60,000 copies. But if we run a deficit this time, I won't compromise in the future."

"Okay, that's settled then," said Editor-in-Chief Ohno. "It's about time. I have a meeting with the next group. Everyone, meeting adjourned."

Hearing the sound of a chair being moved inside, Ken Sakamoto took a few steps back and looked at the conference room door.

Soon, the conference room door was pushed open, and several middle-aged men in suits walked out with unfriendly expressions. They didn't even glance at Ken Sakamoto before heading straight for the elevator.

They knew the name Ken Sakamoto, but they didn't actually know him.

The last one to appear was Keiko Kaji.

Keiko Kaji still had a hint of anger on her face, but when she saw Ken Sakamoto in the corridor, she immediately put on a smile.

"Sakamoto-sensei!"

Ken Sakamoto went up to him: "Kaji-san, thank you so much for earlier, for helping me secure the first print run..."

"I'm Sakamoto-sensei's editor!" Keiko Kaji patted her chest and said, "My duty is to use every means possible to make Sakamoto-sensei's books sell like hotcakes!"

Ken Sakamoto glanced back; the people from the business department had already left. He then lowered his voice and asked, "Were the editor and Editor-in-Chief Ohno working together just now?"

Keiko Kaji covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "It's just negotiation~"

She didn't elaborate, but Ken Sakamoto understood.

One side initially reported a very high number, and during the most heated debate, the editor-in-chief stepped in to mediate, but actually sided with the editorial department.

Keiko Kaji asked, "Speaking of which, Sakamoto-sensei, why are you back in the editorial department again?"

"I just went to look at the house, and it's already been rented," Ken Sakamoto said.

"So fast!" Keiko Kaji was somewhat surprised.

“Yes, it’s just a ten-minute drive from here,” Ken Sakamoto explained. “However, the house is still empty and needs to be furnished with various equipment and furniture. I’d like to ask the editor for help.”

“Of course!” Keiko Kaji immediately agreed. “Let’s finalize the list, and then I’ll prepare the whole set for you.”

"Does the editor personally help with the purchasing? I see you're quite busy with work," Sakamoto Ken asked.

Keiko Kaji waved her hand and said, "Not at all, the editorial department has interns for this kind of errand-running work. Once the list is confirmed, I'll oversee it from behind the scenes and arrange for the interns to handle it. But you'll have to pay for the purchases yourself."

Ken Sakamoto nodded: "Okay, then I'll leave it to you, editor!"

　Today's update is three chapters long, totaling 8,000 words, which is equivalent to four chapters!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)