Soyo-chan, Version 2.0—Courtesy of Me! [193]

No matter how unbearable a moment may be, it will always come to an end.

As the bell signaling the end of the last afternoon class rang, Togawa Sakiko's mood improved significantly. After all, in a certain sense, the real start of her day only began after school.

"Well then, Saki-chan, I'm going to check out some interesting clubs. Do you want to come with me?"

"…I have something to do. Sorry."

"Then I'll leave you to it, Saki-chan." Tsuzuki Chihiro smiled slightly, her half-closed eyes casting a gaze that made Togawa Sakiko feel distinctly uneasy.

She always had the nagging feeling that the moment she took her eyes off Chihiro, the girl would carry out some sort of sinister scheme against her when she wasn’t looking.

But… maybe that was just her imagination.

Tsuzuki Chihiro—a girl who had dropped out of school for reasons unknown, whose self-proclaimed past was of questionable authenticity. The only thing certain about her was that she was Tsuzuki Shifune’s biological granddaughter.

She had no fundamental conflicts with her family, so she didn’t have to worry about improving her living situation like Sakiko did.

School life, club activities, and the band they had formed together with Taki and Soyo—these were all forms of happiness that once seemed out of Chihiro’s reach, yet were now easily attainable for her.

After packing up her bag, Togawa Sakiko walked to the shoe lockers and changed into her outdoor shoes.

Her destination today was Hoshitsubasa Entertainment Inc. Though the company didn’t bear the Togawa Group’s name directly, the majority of its shares belonged to them.

Sakiko was well aware of the resources at her disposal—resources an ordinary person could never access. But she was equally aware of just how difficult her grandfather made things for her beyond providing those resources.

The mujica project had its own dedicated office, and while it was technically under Hoshitsubasa Entertainment, it operated independently from the rest of the company.

The project had a full staff, including a manager, a vocal and stage team, and other supporting roles.

But that was all they did—exist. They only handled the most basic tasks.

For example, when it came to the band's music production and stage design, these staff members would execute their own ideas rather than proactively crafting something tailored to Sakiko’s vision.

The legal team handled contract drafting and review, but they wouldn’t advise her on what kind of contracts she should offer her bandmates, nor would they guide her through revenue splits, rights and obligations, or the finer contractual details.

The manager assisted with commercial deals, but they wouldn’t tell her which jobs to accept or decline.

In short… everyone, from top to bottom, maintained the same stance—one that echoed her grandfather’s final words to her when they last met:

"If you want to prove that you can achieve everything you desire entirely on your own—without relying on anyone willing to help you—then I’ll give you that chance.

I’ll provide you with resources and grant you absolute authority. Let’s see if you can really make it to the end relying solely on your own decisions and your childish ideas."

"…It’s not a matter of if I can do it. I have to do it."

Muttering to herself, Togawa Sakiko arrived at the company entrance.

She first dropped off her belongings and went to the changing room to switch out of her school uniform. Then, she stopped by the legal department to submit some documents before finally making her way—somewhat belatedly—into the meeting room, where everyone was already present.

"Oh, it's Sakiko~" The first to speak was Yuutenji Nyamu. Noticing that Sakiko was wearing the exact same outfit as last time, Nyamu's eyelids twitched slightly. "By the way… I feel like I've been scammed. We've been here for a while now, but we haven’t seen a single staff member."

"…We don’t need them today."

"Togawa-san," Yahata Umiri took a sip of water from a paper cup, her tone calm. "Calling us here today… I assume it’s for something important?"

"Yes. Today, we’re finalizing the band's structure and signing our contracts."

Sakiko had researched contract drafting the night before while taking breaks from songwriting.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t found much information she found convincing. The internet was too cluttered, and she couldn’t verify which revenue models were widely accepted in the industry.

Running into trouble right from the start was unacceptable to Sakiko. But even so, she had no intention of adopting the exploitative practices of those predatory entertainment companies, which squeezed artists dry without restraint.

Thus, she ultimately decided on the following revenue distribution:

• Performance and endorsement income: 70% to the company, 30% to the artists.

• Merchandise sales revenue: 90% to the company, 10% to the artists.

As for conduct policies, she didn’t think too deeply about them—she simply listed whatever came to mind, such as:

• "No romantic relationships."

• "No making inappropriate statements in public."

• "No tax evasion."

The rest was filled in with clauses from a generic artist contract, along with penalty terms for contract breaches. It seemed solid enough.

There was just one thing that annoyed her—when she submitted the contract to the company's legal team, the lawyer’s expression made her feel… oddly uneasy.

It was as if they were looking at an idiot.

They must think I’m being too generous with the revenue split… she thought. That’s why they see me as some spoiled rich girl throwing money around.

What Sakiko didn’t realize was that while her revenue split was incredibly generous for newcomers, what truly left the lawyer speechless was how one-sided the contract was—favoring the artists almost entirely.

As long as they didn’t date or say anything controversial, the contract imposed no real consequences for their actions.

If someone threw a tantrum and refused to perform—while still refusing to quit—Sakiko would have no means of forcing them to comply.

Well… guess we’ll see how this rich young lady handles it when that day comes.

At least to the lawyer reviewing the draft, this whole ordeal seemed less like a serious business venture and more like a wealthy heiress splurging on an extravagant plaything.

Knock, knock.

"Come in."

"Togawa Da— ah, I mean, Togawa-san." The lawyer quickly corrected herself after nearly addressing Sakiko with excessive formality. "The contract is ready. I’ll distribute copies for everyone to review."

"Alright, while you all look over the contract, I'll write down the world-building concept I have in mind on the whiteboard."

Togawa Sakiko paid no attention to the lawyer’s strange expression. She picked up a marker and began writing on the whiteboard.

The first thing she wrote down was a name.

A name she had once intended to use in secret—standing behind Tsuzuki Chihiro as an anonymous lyricist, silently supporting her from the shadows.

"oblivionis."

Tsuzuki Chihiro, I will no longer be the weak person standing behind you.

From this moment on… I will embrace oblivion. I will leave behind the past, discard all the history we shared—no matter how ugly.

And from here, I will begin my new life.

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This is a fan translation of 素世同学，恭喜你被我优化了 by 杰克喵. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!