I Was Blackmailed Into Accepting Bullying Using My Childhood Friend as Leverage, But When I Found Out My Friend and Bully Were Together, I Abandoned All Compassion and Swore to Take Revenge with Everything I Had - Chapter 42: Kenichi Fudo - Final Act: Meeting the Target of Revenge

Chapter 42: Kenichi Fudo – Final Act: Meeting the Target of Revenge

In front of the headquarters building of the largest publishing company in the country, 〇kawa Shobo.

I had arrived at the headquarters building, having been driven by Junka-san.

Walking behind Junka-san, I wasn’t in my usual introverted style; instead, I had swept my long bangs back and secured them with a hair clip, a keepsake from my mother, revealing my face.

This was a gamble… If Kanamori recognized me as Junka-san’s nephew and Youka’s son the moment he saw my face, I’d need to scrap the initial plan. However, if I could steer the conversation to the point that Sumika-san and I had pre-arranged…

Nervousness dried my throat, and uncharacteristically, my hands were sweating.

As Junka-san spoke to the receptionist about me, the receptionist suddenly covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening to the point of bulging, and she froze in place.

To ease my own nerves, I deliberately stood next to Sumika-san with a smile and said, “I’ve been invited by your president and editor-in-chief today, so I’m here to visit your company.”

I gave a light bow as I said this.

“A-Ah! F-Fudo-sensei, right? I-I’m a huge fan… A-And, you’re so handsome… Fwahh…”

The excited receptionist suddenly collapsed into her chair as if her strings had been cut…

“I can’t believe I just witnessed someone faint from excitement in real life, not in a novel…”

I sighed as I moved around the reception desk and lightly tapped the receptionist’s cheek to wake her up.

“Uh… I… Why did I…?” 

The awakened receptionist looked confused, and Junka-san, with an irritated expression, extended a hand to her.

“Never mind that, just issue the entry pass quickly… We don’t have much time.”

Flustered by Junka-san’s cold stare and the impatient waving of her hand, the receptionist hurriedly operated the PC, registered the guest entry pass, and handed it to me…

Or at least she tried to, but Junka-san snatched it away with a look that said, “Hurry up,” leaving the receptionist looking downcast and disappointed.

“Thank you very much,” I said with a business-like smile, adding, “I’ll return this on my way out.” Her face turned red as she nodded vigorously several times.

“Sigh Kenichi, you need to stop unintentionally charming women… What about your childhood friend, Shizuku-chan? She’ll be sad.”

I had previously explained to Junka-san why, despite my success as a novelist, I had asked Sumika-san to handle the establishment of a rights management company and manage my assets, all while keeping it a secret from the Komada family.

I told her about the harassment I faced at school (though I didn’t mention the severe bullying), my strained relationship with my stepsister at the Komada household, and most importantly, how I couldn’t trust my father or stepmother.

Ever since I told her about that, every time we met, she would get angry and say she was going to settle things with my school and the Komada family. But I always gently declined, saying, “It’s okay, I have a kind childhood friend by my side.”

The truth was, I couldn’t tell her that I was hiding things for the sake of my revenge plan. In a way, pretending to be an introvert and using it as a cover was all part of the plan.

When we arrived at the high floor, where we had enough time for some small talk in the elevator, we were guided by the president’s secretary to an ultra-VIP meeting room adjacent to the president’s office.

As soon as I tried to sit in the first seat near the entrance, Junka-san pushed me further in, telling me to take the seat in the back. She then took the seat I had initially chosen.

Soon after that, the secretary who had guided us earlier opened the door and said, “They are waiting for you here…”

“Oh! Fudo-sensei! It’s an honor to meet you!” “Fudo-sensei, your success is the pride of our publishing house!”

A slender man with white hair, dressed in an expensive-looking suit, spread his arms wide to welcome me. Behind him, standing like a sycophant, was a balding, slightly overweight middle-aged man.

(So the slender white-haired man is the president, and the bald one behind him is Kanamori!)

Junka-san and I stood up from the sofa.

“No, no, I should be the one thanking you. I’m truly grateful that you brought my humble writings into the world.”

I hid the deep hatred in my heart, the kind that made me want to kill him on the spot, behind a smile and gave a slight bow.

The president and Kanamori handed me their business cards, and I was invited to sit down, so I perched lightly on the edge of the sofa.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you, Fudo-sensei, for a long time. I’ve asked Fudo-kun here, who is in charge of your work, to arrange a meeting several times, but I heard you were very busy with your writing. I’m glad we finally have the opportunity today. And seeing you in person, you’re as young as I’ve heard!”

Responding with a polite smile to the president’s flattery, Kanamori then spoke up.

“Indeed! Sensei, you are truly a genius, a literary master of our times, standing shoulder to shoulder with greats like Akutayama, Kōzai, and Sōgan!”

His voice sounded repulsive to me, grating on my ears and making me feel nauseous…

“Oh, no, that’s far too kind… I’m embarrassed to be compared to such great figures.”

I said, shaking my head modestly, feigning shyness. The president then asked me a question.

“By the way, Fudo-sensei, are you perhaps related to Fudo, our editor-in-chief here?”

Here it comes! It’s an expected question, but if I can get through this…

I had already planned the response with Junka-san in advance.

“No, my real name is different. The name ‘Fudo’ is out of respect for Fudo-san here, who recognized the value in my unknown works and brought them to the public.”

Since we had agreed on this beforehand, Junka-san remained calm.

“Yes, President, as Fudo-sensei mentioned, his real name is different. When I first reviewed his work, he was indeed writing under a different pen name.”

As expected of Junka-san, she lies with such confidence; her nerve is truly unshakable.

“I see… May I ask for your real name, then?” Another anticipated question.

“I’m truly sorry. If this were two years ago when I was just starting out, I wouldn’t have had to worry about this. But thanks to your company, I’m now somewhat recognized by the public, and I’m aware of that. For that reason, to ensure the safety and protection of myself and my many unpublished works, I must refrain from revealing my real name at this time. I sincerely apologize for this.”

As I bowed my head, the president and Kanamori hurriedly bowed as well.

“T-That’s completely understandable! It was my lack of consideration. Please forgive me!”

“I’m glad you understand. Let’s agree to let this matter rest, then.”

“Of course, Sensei! By the way, based on what you just said, does that mean you have more works in stock aside from those currently published by our company?”

Kanamori leaned in, eagerly probing into my words.

As expected, he took the bait (laughs).

“Oh no, did I let that slip? As expected of an editor-in-chief, you couldn’t just let that go, could you? Yes, I already have over 300 manuscripts ready to be published as books.”

“T-T-Three hundred!?”

The president and Kanamori were shocked by the number.

“Yes, my book data is secured in a way that it can’t be accessed unless one goes through secret files hosted on servers in multiple countries. And if I may boast a little more, the works I’ve released to the public so far are ranked in order of quality, starting with the least impressive.”

“W-What!? Does that mean…!?”

“Yes, in my opinion, the works I plan to release in the future are of higher quality and something I take great pride in.”

The two were stunned, their imaginations overwhelmed by the extraordinary talent I possessed as a novelist and the vast stockpile of manuscripts waiting to be published.

“Furthermore, I’ve established a company to manage these books as intellectual property, legally and financially, and have incorporated it under the name Ancient Japan.”

Their astonishment grew even more upon learning that a mere high school student owned a company.

“Therefore, the books provided by my company are not exclusively promised to your publishing house.”

“What!? S-Sensei! T-That’s…”

“I’ve already received contract inquiries from Tok〇wa Shobo, Sh〇gakukan, and K〇dansha.”

The president and Kanamori panicked at the mention of rival major publishers’ names. 

“P-Please wait a moment! Our company takes pride in discovering Fudo-sensei when you were still unknown and helping you spread your wings to the world! We…”

“Yes, of course. I have a deep sense of gratitude to Fudo-san, the Editor-in-Chief, which is why I made the effort to come here today to have this discussion with both of you.”

“Then, let’s proceed with a contract with our company—”

“However, Tok〇wa Shobo has made a very appealing offer—they’re planning to provide me with a private house in the suburbs for my writing. So, from my perspective…”

“W-Wait! In that case, our company would like to offer you the top floor of a brand-new tower apartment, just completed last month, right in front of the station, as your writing space!”

“What do you think of this offer, Fudo-san?” I asked Junka-san in a cool tone, subtly prompting her to respond in order to emphasize my point.

“As Fudo-sensei is still a minor, a personal contract might be difficult. So, how about our company purchases the property as an asset, and in return, Sensei provides us with a minimum of three books each year? That way, you can reside there.”

This was the response we had planned beforehand.

“That would be greatly appreciated by our company.” “Please, let’s proceed!”

I ignored the president and focused on Kanamori… I didn’t miss the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. It was likely that he had just taken the bait I had laid out for him…

“I understand. I have complete trust in Fudo-san, the Editor-in-Chief, and if she says it’s the right decision, then I’ll agree to the contract.”

“Yesss!” “We did it, President!!” 

The two of them shook hands in front of me, celebrating the successful contract.

I glanced over and saw Junka-san giving me an exasperated smile, to which I returned a similar grin.

On the way out, I kept my promise and returned the card to the receptionist, gifting her an autographed copy of my book that’s set to be released next week. We took a photo together and shook hands.

On the way home… Junka-san had some business to attend to at the company, so I took a taxi to get dropped off near my house.

…I had been cautious about Kanamori, but in the end, he turned out to be a minor player. Even when he heard my name for the first time and saw my face, he didn’t react at all. Moreover, he believed not only me but also Junka-san when she said we weren’t related by blood, without any suspicion. It was a pleasant surprise to see how Junka-san’s usual straightforward behavior, which dislikes anything underhanded, played out so effectively in this situation.

“I’ve laid the bait with Kanamori… Now all that’s left is to wait for the big fish, hungry and ready to bite…”