He already knew that Yui, Hina and Yumiko are already in a three-person group chat. Since he had had seen Yui chat in it, and —
Why didn't the trio invite Yukinoshita Yukino?
Akira could understand that very well.
After all, he was always the only one who called Yukinoshita Yukino after she got off work.
Yuigahama Yui was thoughtful — she could naturally think of that.
In fact, Akira felt that although Yuigahama Yui's academic performance wasn't very good, she was far more perceptive than Ebina Hina when it came to emotions.
As for Yumiko Miura?
She was the simplest of the three.
.....
The days past by, quietly—
Then came Friday.
Hanada Yui had returned.
She had already arranged everything with the company over there. Now, all she needed to do was assign tasks through video calls or emails — and everything would move along smoothly.
She brought Akira some local specialties… and some good news.
....
That Friday afternoon, after school had ended,
Hanada Yui arrived at Sakurasou.
Akira was already waiting for her in front of the gate.
No— to be precise, he was waiting for the specialties she brought.
Most of those specialties were recommended by the local staff — delicious, carefully selected dishes from the region.
Carrying a large box, Akira walked upstairs with Hanada Yui.
Tsurumi Saori saw her and bowed politely.
Hanada Yui smiled in return. She already knew Saori lived here.
Upstairs, Akira opened the door.
"Sorry to bother you," Hanada Yui said softly as she changed her shoes and stepped into the living room.
After Akira set down the big box, he poured her a cup of black tea and sat down on the sofa opposite her.
....
"According to Akira-sama's instructions, I sponsored some local schools and promoted our company there. We've received quite a lot of responses…"
"Some animation studios there are hoping to collaborate with us, and a few animation enthusiasts want to apply to the Flash Animation School…"
"We've already formed partnerships with several schools, and we're providing certain assistance to animators who wish to come here — including tuition fee reductions…"
Hanada Yui's tone was serious as she reported her work.
Even to her, the results felt almost unbelievable. Everything had gone too smoothly.
At first she thought, there might be any hidden issues with the contracts.
But later— she found out the reason — Mrs. Yukinoshita had personally called on their behalf.
That explained why all negotiations had gone so well.
Akira, of course, already knew this. But he didn't think much of it.
Even without Mrs. Yukinoshita's help, the company would have succeeded eventually — it was just a matter of time.
When Hanada Yui finished her report, she took out the contract documents from her bag and handed them to Akira.
He took it and read through them carefully, satisfaction growing with every page.
After all, Flash Animation School only had a limited number of seats, and these partner schools would definitely select the most talented animators to send.
According to the contract, these animators would be required to work for Flash Animation for three years after graduation, with salaries following Flash's standard scale.
After those three years, they could apply for investment funds prepared by Flash Animation — no matter where their future projects were developed, Flash would invest in them.
Akira set the documents down, he looked very pleased by how it was going.
"You've done a great job. When the company there officially begins operations, I'll give you 5% of the shares in exchange for your future commitment. How about it?" he said, watching her closely.
"I accept, Akira-sama. I am willing to work for you forever."
Without hesitation, Hanada Yui stood and bowed deeply.
The company's projected investment would exceed ten billion in the future — not ten billion yen, but ten billion from over there.
Even a 5% share of that was an astronomical amount.
And those funds would continue to grow. Her annual income alone would soon surpass anything she'd earned before.
This was the opportunity Hanada Yui had been waiting for all along.
With this 5% stake, Hanada Yui's life completely changed.
No longer a girl from a small port city — she now stood among the top.
When she remembered the hardships she'd endured and Akira's unwavering trust, her gratitude for him far exceeded even that toward Yukinoshita Haruno.
"You're welcome. From now on, you're one of mine. I'll give you plenty of work. I hope you'll keep up that same dedication," Akira said with a faint smile.
"Akira-sama… I—I'm willing to do anything," Hanada Yui replied, her face tinged red as she steal glances at him.
"...Are you thinking that I'm the only one who could be your boyfriend now?" Akira asked, smirking.
"Y-you… how did you know?" she stammered, wide-eyed.
"I understand women's expressions quite well," he said calmly. "But for now, let's focus on work. Put aside those thoughts, for now."
"Yes… I won't let you down," Hanada Yui said softly, though her heart was racing.
.....
When they finished discussing personal matters, Akira shifted the topic back to business — about the video platform/website, the digital manga app software, and the game company.
Hanada Yui noted down every word carefully in her notebook. The more she listened, the deeper her admiration grew for Akira.
The number of new users on the video website had already surpassed their expectation, but Akira was still not satisfied.
He planned to launch a program featuring voice actors and sign several new ones to act as virtual idols (V-Tuber), developing the live broadcast feature of the site.
Meanwhile, the digital app software already had a large enough reader base, meaning the submission competition for the manga could begin soon.
That would directly impact circulation and audience engagement.
As for the game company, Akira planned to create a gacha game, with the characters inspired by various mythological stories.
His game plan was incredibly detailed — character designs, storylines, gameplay systems — all meticulously written.
Reading through it, Hanada Yui couldn't help but think it felt oddly familiar… almost as if Akira had copied another game's design.
And indeed, he had — but from another world.
That was his secret advantage, that he intends to make full used of.
.....
When evening arrived, Hanada Yui stayed for dinner.
Yuigahama Yui had already gone home, and the other two girls didn't show up either.
Hiratsuka-sensei saw Hanada Yui but didn't say anything.
Tsurumi Saori seemed nervous, worried that her cooking wouldn't taste good enough.
Fortunately, Hanada Yui wasn't picky about food.
After all… she would gladly eat even ramen if it meant sharing a meal with Akira Fujimiya.
.....
After dinner, Akira escorted Hanada Yui to the door.
She got into her car, started the engine, and waved her hand before leaving.
Akira nodded slightly as her car disappeared into the distance.
"I suddenly feel like drinking. Care to join me?" came Hiratsuka-sensei's voice from behind him.
"Sure," Akira replied, turning toward her.
He knew she'd been struggling these days.
Since she'd started offering free tutoring, the number of students had skyrocketed — taking up almost all of her time.
.....
"The principal approved the tutoring program and even said he'd cover the costs himself. You were behind that, weren't you?" Hiratsuka-sensei asked, glancing at him.
"I just didn't want you to overwork yourself. Everyone in the Student Council was worried about your health. The students from the Cooking and Gardening Clubs even wanted to pitch in money as thanks, but I refused," Akira said quietly.
Her expression softened. Hiratsuka-sensei smiled faintly.
The so-called homework tutoring program had been proposed by the Student Council — a plan to invite nearby teachers for paid after-school tutoring sessions.
The principal agreed, largely because Akira had financed it himself.
Starting next week, three more teachers would join the program.
.....
Inside an ordinary Izakaya,
Hiratsuka-sensei finally allowed herself a drink.
"This feeling… I've missed it," she said, savoring the beer in her glass.
Across from her, Akira sat with a can of soda. He couldn't drink alcohol freely in a place like this and definitely not in front of her.
On the table between them were simple side dishes to go with the drinks.
Akira picked at the snacks, took a sip of soda, and glanced at her.
"Drink less — it's not good for your health."
"Funimiya, you don't understand," she said, smiling faintly as she set down her glass.
"I think I do," he replied. "Drinking a little now, would makes you feel happier, right?"
"In the past, I drank every day — used alcohol to drown my sorrows. Now that I don't have so many worries, drinking has become… a kind of enjoyment. A small reward to myself," Hiratsuka-sensei said, taking another bite.
"If you'd like, I can keep you company next time. When I'm old enough to raise a glass, we'll drink properly together," Akira said, lifting his soda.
"When that time comes, I'll show you my alcohol tolerance — I can handle over ten cans of beer in one go," she said proudly, her face carried a smug smile.
"What about white wine? Do you like it?" Akira asked, remembering the bottle Hanada Yui had gifted him.
Her eyes lit up. "You have white wine?" As she asked in pleasant surprise.
He nodded, then briefly told her about Hanada Yui's recent trip.
As she listened to his plans for expansion, admiration flickered in her eyes.
"Most people, once they start earning money, just keep reinvesting it for themselves. But you…" she said softly. "You're different."
"I'm just doing what I can," Akira replied, gazing at the appetizers. "By giving them opportunities, I'm also creating a market for myself. I just hope that what I love — they'll come to love too. That the animation world will keep producing great works, not just ones dominated by Flash Animation alone."
Hiratsuka-sensei smiled faintly at his words, the light from the izakaya lamps glimmering against her glass.
For a fleeting moment, everything felt peaceful — and right.
...
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Bonus Chapter:-
4 Bonus chapter at 100 powerstone
6 Bonus Chapter at 150 powerstone
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Word Count — 1,699