Otaku Translation: Absolute Number One C120

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Chapter 120: Sense of Belonging +6000

Chihara Rinto closed the door to his office, basking in the glow of success while ambitiously envisioning the future. The triumph of Hanzawa Naoki hadn’t just brought him fame and a solid position in the industry—it also came with tangible benefits.

After nearly six months of hard work, harvest time had finally arrived. With the main series of Hanzawa Naoki completed, various royalties from secondary rights began flowing into his personal account.

Per his agreement when joining Kanto United TV, Chihara was entitled to no less than 5% of the royalties for all works he created under their banner. The simultaneous regional broadcasts alone earned him over five million yen in one lump sum—a considerable amount thanks to the high per-episode rates of big-budget productions. And this wasn’t even the full payout; in the coming year, many regional stations would rebroadcast the series several times, generating additional revenue.

As for international sales, the operations department was still working on it, but any profits from that would likely come next year at the earliest.

The earnings from broadcasting were just the beginning. A rough estimate suggested that the production bureau had already recouped its investment in Hanzawa Naoki. Essentially, it was as if the local affiliate stations within the network had collectively funded the drama, with the parent company retaining ownership of the intellectual property and reaping long-term dividends. Being the "big boss" certainly had its perks.

Of course, being the top dog also carried risks. If the show had flopped, the team wouldn’t have been so willing to follow orders, and the losses would’ve fallen squarely on the shoulders of the parent company.

Chihara calculated that through the production and initial broadcast of Hanzawa Naoki, he had amassed over twenty million yen. His monthly salary of seven hundred thousand yen amounted to four million yen over six months. Add to that five million yen in royalties and the twelve-million-yen bonus from Kanto United TV for breaking records, and the total was impressive indeed.

The bonus was undeniably generous, but Hanzawa Naoki wasn’t just another popular national drama—it was a golden brand. From now on, whenever Kanto United TV faced ridicule in the press, they could fight back confidently. Even if critics mocked them for hawking nonstick pans, they could proudly point to their record-breaking ratings.

"What are you laughing at? Do you have a ratings record? No? Then shut up!"

This kind of defiance would have been unthinkable before. In the past, Kanto United TV would crumble under criticism without a word of protest. But things were different now. They’d gained the confidence to stand their ground, and Chihara Rinto’s twelve-million-yen bonus wasn’t just about the stellar ratings—it was also a reward for bringing immense prestige to the network. He was undoubtedly a hero of the station, and such contributions deserved substantial recognition.

At first glance, twenty million yen might not seem like an astronomical figure. A highly qualified white-collar worker from a prestigious university might take two or three years to earn that much. However, this wasn’t the bulk of Chihara’s earnings over the past six months. The real windfall came from merchandise royalties.

Kanto United TV was exceptionally skilled at teleshopping. During the two-and-a-half months that Hanzawa Naoki aired, they capitalized on the show’s massive social impact to sell related merchandise, raking in 2.7 billion yen in revenue, with nearly 1.2 billion yen in profit. Teleshopping was notoriously exploitative—one pen costing 3,000 yen would be sold for 9,999 yen.

This revelation left Chihara stunned. Entitled to 5% of the profits, he received a staggering sixty million yen in royalties, instantly boosting his sense of belonging to Kanto United TV by +6000. Working for a network that excelled in teleshopping suddenly didn’t seem so bad after all.

With this windfall, Chihara went from being penniless to firmly middle class. He now had eighty million yen in liquid assets—enough to buy two decent apartments or a plot of land with a custom-built house in Tokyo’s current market (though, of course, such purchases would be unwise given potential financial risks).

But the earnings didn’t stop there. Following the SP episode’s broadcast, the complete boxed set of Hanzawa Naoki—both VHS tapes and DVDs—hit the market, selling exceptionally well. Combined with earlier releases aimed at viewers who wanted to catch up, these sales added another two million yen to Chihara’s income. Moreover, this revenue stream would continue indefinitely, with every rental of Hanzawa Naoki earning him a few yen.

On the same day, Yukinoshita Publishing released what they billed as “the groundbreaking work of a genius screenwriter.” Chihara received his first-ever royalty check: 5.25 million yen. The initial print run of fifteen thousand copies sold out in just seven hours, prompting the publisher to order a second printing of thirty thousand copies. That evening, Chihara received his second royalty check: 10.5 million yen.

Writing books in Japan was incredibly lucrative. Chihara couldn’t help but feel he’d chosen the wrong career path. Unfortunately, such opportunities were rare. Without the foundation of a hit TV series generating strong social resonance, his dry, jerky-style prose wouldn’t attract readers.

The book continued to sell well, with the possibility of third and fourth printings. Chihara decided to pay Shiraki Keima, the second author, royalties at a rate of 1%. It wasn’t much, but Chihara felt the book’s success was largely due to the TV series’ popularity, making this arrangement fair.

The next day, he handed Shiraki 1.35 million yen, promising to give him more if additional printings occurred. Shiraki, however, was shocked and refused to accept it. Having left TEB to join Kanto United TV specifically to learn from Chihara, he felt he was already getting more than his due. Chihara had never withheld knowledge, answering every question Shiraki asked, and Shiraki considered himself fortunate to receive a higher salary than at TEB. On top of that, he’d earned a two-million-yen bonus from the production team. Shiraki saw himself as a paid assistant and didn’t want to share in Chihara’s royalties. After all, disciples often helped masters polish manuscripts—it was expected. Many manga artists only drew line art, leaving shading and screentone application to their apprentices, who sometimes worked for nothing more than room and board.

Despite Shiraki’s protests, Chihara insisted on giving him the money. This wasn’t about the amount—it was about reciprocity. If people helped him and he didn’t repay them, how could he expect help in the future? Such behavior could severely damage his reputation and hinder his career. Finally, Chihara adopted a stern expression, compelling Shiraki to accept the payment.

Shiraki was disheartened, feeling he still had a long way to go before becoming Chihara-sensei’s trusted disciple. Chihara, however, had never viewed Shiraki as a disciple. To him, Shiraki was more of a capable assistant and companion on the journey forward.

After settling the royalties, Chihara upheld professional ethics. Having accepted payment from the publisher, he readily agreed to promote the new book, dedicating three days to a Tokyo book-signing tour. With plenty of accumulated vacation days—he’d only taken four and a half days off in six months—the production bureau had no objections to his brief absence.

The signings took place in large bookstores across central Tokyo and its four cardinal directions. Yukinoshita Publishing had heavily promoted the event, drawing enthusiastic crowds. Fans came for various reasons: some were longtime viewers of Hanzawa Naoki, others stumbled upon the event by chance, and still others attended on behalf of friends or family. Despite the winding queues, the events ran smoothly—large bookstores were experienced in organizing such affairs and maintained excellent order, delighted by the influx of customers.

Though Chihara attended primarily for the money, he approached the task with professionalism. He estimated that over 95% of attendees were viewers of Hanzawa Naoki—people who had supported him and, in turn, ensured his livelihood. With this in mind, he signed each book carefully, smiled warmly, and enthusiastically responded to handshake requests.

In Japan, handshakes outside formal business settings were often expressions of affection. Idols frequently sold handshake tickets, allowing fans to shake hands with them for a fee. Some superfans spent hundreds of thousands of yen buying thousands of tickets, using the opportunity to chat with their idols.

Chihara’s experience was similar. Eight out of ten people who bought his book requested a handshake after he signed it. By the end of the first day and a half, he understood why being an idol was such grueling work. Many fans genuinely adored Hanzawa Naoki and expressed their enthusiasm by gripping his hand tightly. While one or two firm handshakes were tolerable, hundreds or even thousands left Chihara’s hand swollen.

Despite the pain, he gritted his teeth and persevered. Acknowledging audience support was both a duty as a writer and a producer, and there was no escaping it.

During the signing at Minato Ward’s Doukaku Bookstore, Chihara encountered Futazeno Seiko, a friend. Though a long line of people waited behind her, he took extra care to sign her book and wrote a lengthy message of encouragement. Before she left, he jokingly whispered that she needn’t go through the trouble of queuing next time—she could simply send him a notebook, and he’d fill it with signatures and mail it back, guaranteed quality and quantity.

Futazeno was thrilled by this special treatment but, being introverted and shy, struggled to find words to express her gratitude. By the time she organized her thoughts, the moment had passed, leaving her disappointed. She had intended to congratulate Chihara on breaking the ratings record but forgot in her excitement.

This was just a small anecdote in the whirlwind of the three-day Tokyo tour. When it ended, Chihara returned to his routine life, his hand still swollen. He tallied his earnings and discovered his personal assets had swelled to one hundred million yen. Even Human Observation, a project he hadn’t invested much effort into, had brought in over two million yen.

Compared to Hanzawa Naoki, this was modest. As a semi-reality show featuring amateur participants, it generated revenue primarily from broadcasting rights and VHS sales, with little else to bolster its earnings. Still, the trickle would continue over time.

For a first pot of gold, one hundred million yen was extraordinary. Chihara hadn’t anticipated amassing so much so quickly. He immediately summoned Yasuda Shintaro, his financial advisor, who had been idling for nearly three months, to begin the “money-making-from-money” strategy.

Yasuda hadn’t been entirely idle during this period. For a meager salary, he had diligently gathered financial information for Chihara. But after nearly a hundred days without official work, he began to despair, suspecting Chihara was merely showing compassion by keeping him employed to prevent another suicide attempt.

Summoned to meet Chihara, Yasuda prepared to discuss his situation, intending to leave if necessary rather than accept pity. However, when Chihara placed his passbook in front of him, Yasuda was speechless.

So… writing scripts was this lucrative?

Three months ago, you had barely two million yen, and now you’re sitting on one hundred million?

Did you rob a bank recently?

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