Chapter 9 - Contract

Brando woke up and felt a bit giddy. He yawned and walked to the bathroom to wash his face. He looked at his face for a while and nodded. He saw that his old man was sitting while eating taiyaki on the table. He felt a bit hungry and took the taiyaki on the table.

Sorahiko looked at him and gave him a thumbs up.

"???"

Brando was confused.

"Your manga is good, it is full of man's dreams," Sorahiko said.

"...."

"Alright," Brando nodded even though he was a bit speechless.

"But can you handle drawing manga? You need to prioritize your school before a manga," Sorahiko said.

Brando nodded, "I know that you don't need to worry." He only wanted money from the manuscript and he felt that drawing manga wasn't that much of trouble since he only needed to submit one chapter each week.

Both of them talked for a while regarding his school since he would move after this. He had been accepted to the U.A. High School and he needed to move to Tokyo.

Sorahiko felt a bit lonely but still happy that he was accepted into the U.A. High School.

Brando went bank to his room to prepare his luggage since he would move soon. He checked his phone and saw an email from a stranger. He thought it was spam but it seemed that it was an email from an editor of Gongon Comics. He saw that he needed to contact her after he read this email. He emailed her and said, "Is this the editor of Gongon Comics?"

Brando didn't wait too long and received her response.

"Is this X-Sensei?" Kagurazaka replied.

"Yes," Brando answered. He used an alias since it was strange to use his own name and he didn't want to be known too.

"Is it okay to meet you?" Kagurazaka asked.

Brando was a bit startled, "Do we need to meet each other?"

"It's better that we meet each other since we're talking about the contract of your book," Kagurazaka answered.

'Contract, huh?' Brando thought for a bit and answered, "We can meet each other but I hope that you don't go tell anyone about my identity."

---

Kagurazaka was a bit startled when she received her reply but she didn't want to be demoted, "Yes, I won't tell anyone about your identity."

"Good, I'm living in Yamanashi Prefecture and the address..."

Kagurazaka wrote his address and told him that she would come tomorrow to his house. She sighed and only hoped that this mangaka wasn't someone weird.

'Yamanashi Prefecture,' Kagurazaka needed at least two hours to get there from Tokyo. She wanted to make sure that this author wouldn't just suddenly disappear and made sure for him to keep writing since she had gambled her career on him.

---

Kagurazaka was surprised when she saw a dilapidated and very shabby house in front of her. She gulped until she heard a voice coming from behind.

"Huh? Little girl, did you want to find someone?"

Kagurazaka turned and saw a very short elderly man in the hero costume. She was wondering whether this man was a hero, "Hello, sir, I'm wondering whether this is..." She told her the address of the place that she wanted to go.

"That's right, who are you looking for?"

"I'm an editor at Gongon Comics and I'm looking for X-Sensei who draws a 'Food Wars', he has told me that he is living in this address," Kagurazaka answered.

"Oh, you're looking for my grandson? Then come inside," the old man smiled.

Kagurazaka sighed in relief when she heard it. She entered his house and was surprised to see that the interior was very clean even though the outside was really bad.

"Dio, I have come back," Sorahiko shouted. He had given him his first name since it felt strange for him to only have one word on his name.

"Wait for a while, I'm still cooking."

"Oh, I've brought someone from Gongon Comics," Sorahiko said.

"Oh, tell her to wait for a bit, I will prepare for tea."

"You've heard it, little girl," Sorahiko said and sat down on the sofa. He saw that there was still a taiyaki on the table, "You can eat that taiyaki, is it very delicious."

Kagurazaka nodded, "Thank you." She was a bit nervous and asked, "Excuse me, sir, are you a hero?"

"Me? Haha, I'm, but I've retired," Sorahiko answered.

Kagurazaka was surprised to hear it and wanted to ask him about his job since she was also interested in hero activity.

"Sorry to make you wait."

Kagurazaka turned and was surprised to see a handsome and attractive young man who had blond short hair coming while bringing tea for her. She would be blushing if she was 10 years younger. She felt a bit strange when he said to hide his identity in the email yesterday.

Brando placed the tea on the table and asked directly, "You have said that we're talking about a contract?"

Kagurazaka woke up from her daydreaming. She nodded and said, "Yes, your manga has received a good response, we're planning to contract your book for our company."

Brando nodded and didn't sound that surprised, "Can you tell me the contract in detail?"

Kagurazaka nodded and took out the contract from her bag, "Here is the contract, according to the contract, you will receive 15,000 yen with each page that you have drawn and you will receive 10% royalty when your book is sold, also this contract will be renewed each year so the amount of money your fee will receive an increase."

"But when the manga doesn't get a good response it can be canceled right away?" Brando said.

Kagurazaka nodded, "Yes, that's true, also, during the contract you can draw a manga for another company."

Brando nodded and didn't have an intention to draw manga for another magazine since he would be quite busy. He saw the copyright and it would be shared between himself and the publisher. He didn't feel that it was a bad deal and agreed immediately but before that, "Can I have a request?"

"Hmm?" Kagurazaka looked at him with a curious expression.

"You can't use my real name to advertise my manga," Brando said.

"..."

Kagurazaka was surprised and a bit speechless by his request. She thought that he was a bit too narcissistic even though he was just handsome but she decided to ask, "Why?"

"I will be entering the U.A. High School in the Hero Department and I don't want everyone to know that I'm drawing a manga," Brando said.

"..."

Kagurazaka sucked a deep breath when she heard he would enter the most prestigious hero school in the country. She knew that his name could become good advertising for his manga, "Is that true?"

"Yes," Brando nodded and looked at Sorahiko.

"Yes, he will be entering the U.A. this spring," Sorahiko said.

Kagurazuka thought for a bit and asked, "I don't mind about the request, but can you handle a weekly serialization? You will be entering the most prestigious Hero School in the country, even though that I hope you can sign this contract, but it'll be bad for you to have a lot of break or hiatus during your serialization and I'm sure that your school will be quite busy." She was worried that he would stop suddenly.

"Don't worry, my quirk will help me draw faster," Brando said.

Kagurazaka nodded and didn't worry when she heard about his quirk. She nodded, "Then, I don't have to worry."

"Can you promise me not to use my name to advertise?" Brando asked.

"I can and the publisher won't use your name when you don't want to be known," Kagurazaka said.

"Why don't you want your name to be known?" Sorahiko looked at him with a confused expression.

"..."

Kagurazaka was also confused since it would be a good thing for him.

"My quirk is very fierce, it will be embarrassing for everyone to know that I'm drawing an Ecchi manga," Brando answered.

"...."

Sorahiko thought for a bit and patted his shoulder, "You don't need to be that embarrassed."

Kagurazaka also nodded, "Yes, you also use an alias for your name, unless, you show in public, no one will know your identity." She thought for a bit and said, "I will also need to go back to my office to get a new contract too, it is very tiring for me to drive back to Tokyo and Yamanashi back forth....."

"Yes, she is very pitiful," Sorahiko said while patting her.

"...."

Brando was a bit speechless by their acting. He shook his head and said, "I hope that you don't betray my trust."

"Yes," Kagurazaka nodded.

Brando signed his name and received a contract for Gongon Comics.

Kagurazaka nodded and felt satisfied, "Do you have a passbook?"

"I have," Brando nodded.

"We will transfer your fee to your back, it'll be inconvenient not to have one," Kagurazaka said.

"Alright," Brando nodded and said, "I will be moving to Tokyo in a few weeks since the school will be starting soon."

Kagurazaka nodded, "Good, tell me your address later, I will help you to move your stuff too later."

"Alright," Brando nodded and said, "My name is Dio Brando, you can call me Dio."

"Ayame Kagurazaka," Kagurazaka said.

"Then Ayame-san," Brando nodded.

Kagurazaka had a slight blush when he directly called her first name.

Brando didn't really care about such a thing and didn't notice her expression.

"Have you drawn your 2nd chapters? Do you have the draft?" Kagurazaka asked and said, "Let's have an editor meeting right now."

Brando felt that this woman was very good to become his editor, "Alright."