Chaebol

Before the expectant look in my grandfather's eyes could disappear, I opened my mouth.

"I remember clearly the shortcomings you pointed out."

Even before the game was released, my grandfather had accurately identified the limits of the card battle game just by hearing the rules.

First, if you can't boast about it to others, the satisfaction of collecting things diminishes.

Second, it's utterly pointless to face only a computer after crafting a complex strategy.

Unless we addressed these two flaws, he said we could forget about dreaming of 100 billion in sales.

"You were right, Grandpa. If we can't overcome these shortcomings due to technological limitations, then it's a flawed concept from the start."

"But still, selling 50 billion isn't a failure, is it?"

"What good is that? By your standards, it's far from enough."

It was the moment for the real conversation to begin.

A slight smile tugged at the corner of my grandfather's lips.

His expression seemed to say, "Let's hear what solution you've come up with."

"We're going to launch a new game."

"...?"

"We've addressed the shortcomings you mentioned, and we plan to release it by the end of this month."

"This month?"

I nodded.

"Is this Yoo-geon's idea?"

"No."

"Then that's your game, isn't it…?"

"We're using my brother's IP. Even though I'm the producer, it's right to pay royalties to him as the original creator."

"And you're going to include the royalties in the revenue?"

"Yes."

"That sounds like you're pulling a fast one."

"It's like saying, 'Since I've developed an air purifier, please include the filter sales in the revenue.' That's all it is."

"Yoo-geon made the purifier, and you're subcontracting the filters?"

"Is that not allowed?"

I wasn't asking because I didn't know.

I just wanted a clear confirmation.

It seemed my grandfather was curious to see what I was planning to do.

"It's hard to offer more than 5% of the sales price as royalties."

"That's enough."

"Where is that confidence coming from?"

"So, are you giving me permission?"

Instead of answering, my grandfather let out a short laugh.

***

Nagoya, Japan.

Using the weekend, I flew straight to Japan.

Thanks to a prearranged meeting, Editor Kazuhiro was waiting for me at the airport.

Over the past few months, I had been studying Japanese in my spare time, and Kazuhiro, aiming to break into the U.S. market, had been learning English, so we could more or less communicate without an interpreter.

As the car left the airport and merged onto the ring road, I asked him.

"Your car's different?"

"Oh… yes. This one. 'Dragon Ball' did so well that I got a hefty bonus."

It was a Toyota AE86.

The same car the protagonist drove in 'Initial D.'

In the manga, it was portrayed as a drift machine, but in reality, most of the driving is on straight roads.

On the long, straight road, the car maintained a speed of 110 kilometers per hour.

"I called the artist right after hearing from you, but he's been so busy with serialization that he was reluctant to agree."

"So what did you do?"

"I emphasized that you were the one who discovered Togashi."

"And then?"

"He asked me, wasn't it you who discovered Togashi? So I just told him the truth—that I had only thought of him as a background artist, but you personally went to his house to bring him on board."

So, did he finally agree after hearing that? Curious to know who the middle school boy who discovered Togashi was?

"Well done."

"It wasn't much. I didn't make anything up, just told him the facts."

"That's your skill. You can only relay the truth if you have a relationship with the person."

Kazuhiro gave an embarrassed laugh at my words.

Were we getting close to our destination? The speed on the dashboard dropped to around 60 kilometers per hour.

Sure enough, Kazuhiro began glancing around.

"There it is."

With a short phrase, he pointed to a yellow single-family house.

"That's where Toriyama-sensei lives."

Toriyama Akira, the author of .

He was the one who gave me dreams and hopes when I was a kid.

No matter how tough things got, when I read , I could fully immerse myself in its story.

That feeling of regret when the pages ran out. 

How long would I have to wait until the next one?

And now, here I was, about to meet the author who illuminated my childhood.

"I'm nervous."

Kazuhiro led the way to the neat single-family house.

For an author of a mega-hit, the house was rather ordinary.

The only somewhat unusual feature was the yellow paint on the exterior walls.

If I had to point out something special… it would be the yellow Porsche parked in the driveway.

"Doesn't seem like a recent model."

Looked like a version released around the 1960s. A car that would be tough to maintain unless you're an old car enthusiast.

As I slowly took in my surroundings…

Ding-dong!

Kazuhiro pressed the doorbell and called out.

"Sensei, are you home?"

A moment later, as if in response, the door creaked open slightly.

The face peeking out through the small crack was that of a plain middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses.

"You've come a long way."

"It wasn't that far."

So this is Toriyama-san.

He quickly looked at me and said,

"Is this the person you mentioned on the phone?"

"Nice to meet you. I'm Park Jihoon."

"You can speak Japanese?"

"Yes, a little."

"You're taller than me, even though you're just a middle schooler."

He said it like a joke.

Toriyama-san then opened the door fully.

"Please, come in. It's a bit messy since I just finished a deadline yesterday, but I hope you'll understand."

"You're being too humble…"

"It's our first meeting, so this feels more comfortable."

Toriyama-san was exceptionally polite, even for a Japanese person.

I followed his lead and stepped onto the wooden floor.

Creak, creak.

The creaking of the old wood, as if it had been there for ages, echoed from all around.

"Would you like some tea?"

"No, I'm fine."

Contrary to what Toriyama-san had said, the room was quite tidy.

Having visited many authors' homes after they've finished deadlines, I knew that this was easily within the top 1% of tidiness.

"It's not much, is it?"

"Not at all."

The furniture, worn and faded from years of use, made the space more charming—truly a vintage, timeless atmosphere.

"It's a house that reflects your taste, Toriyama-sensei."

His expression suggested he had never seriously considered his own taste before.

That's why I added, "It seems like you're someone who cherishes the layers of time."

"Oh my, you've expressed it so elegantly. I'm just carrying around things I couldn't bring myself to throw away."

"For things you couldn't throw away, they're all rather impressive."

"Look at them individually, and they're just junk…"

"But when they're all gathered together, they create a unique atmosphere."

"A unique atmosphere?"

"Homes are spaces where ways of living accumulate, so they naturally create a distinct vibe."

Toriyama-san adjusted his glasses and looked at me.

He stared at me, almost uncomfortably intensely, before speaking.

"You're really a middle schooler, right?"

"Yes, still in my first year."

"Huh."

Scratching his head, he led me into the living room.

The only things there were an old TV and four cushions.

"You said you wanted to meet me for business reasons?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, I hate to say this, but… I don't take on any tasks outside of my work. Especially while I'm in the middle of serialization."

"I don't think it's something that would take much of your time."

"It's not about time."

"...?"

"When I get involved in anything other than drawing, it inevitably affects my work."

Whether lightly considered as a superstition or more deeply as a belief, it was something akin to that.

"You came a long way, and it wouldn't be polite to refuse outright. That's why I initially didn't want to meet, but hearing that you were the one who discovered Togashi-kun, I wanted to express my gratitude, so I agreed to meet you."

"..."

"I can't do it now, but when my serialization ends, I promise I'll consider your offer. I arranged this meeting to give you that assurance."

A very polite rejection.

"I plan to wrap things up after the arc, so it shouldn't take too long…"

Sensei, I'm sorry, but you'll keep serializing even after the arc, won't you?

Even the Deputy Minister of Culture came to plead with you not to end it…

Anyway!

"I understand completely."

"I'm sorry for giving you such an answer when you were expecting more."

"But Sensei."

"...?"

"As you said, I've come a long way. Could you at least listen to what I was going to ask?"

I wasn't asking him to accept, just to hear me out. Who could refuse such a request?

Sure enough, Toriyama-san nodded cautiously.

"Do you happen to know about the card game we created?"

"I haven't played it, but I know what it is. It's even being serialized separately."

"We're planning to release that game in a physical format."

"By physical format, you mean…?"

"We plan to make actual cards."

"You mean turning the graphic bundles from the game pack into real cards… Is that what you're saying?"

"Exactly."

Both and are games played with actual cards. That's the original form of a TCG (Trading Card Game).

"But why, when there's already a game pack…?"

"Once the story is cleared on the game console, the physical cards will allow people to battle each other."

"People… battling each other?"

"I want to show off the strategy I created to others, but there are limits within the game console."

Moreover, producing physical cards would naturally fulfill the collecting desire my grandfather pointed out.

"But why are you telling me this? What could I possibly help with?"

"I'd like you to draw the illustrations for the cards."

"I thought Togashi-kun had already done a fantastic job with the illustrations."

"Yes, that's correct. Every card will feature Togashi-sensei's artwork. What I'm asking for is an illustration for the Joker card that will be included as a bonus."

In my previous life, we called this a "First Edition Limited Bonus." It's the concept of giving a bonus card as a reward to those who buy the initial release.

"I'm not asking for more money… nor is it a random draw."

It's simply a reward for purchasing early.

"What's the reason for doing this?"

Because my grandfather told me to sell 100 billion worth by the end of the year… But I couldn't exactly say that.

I had to vaguely explain that I had my reasons.

Luckily, Toriyama-san didn't seem interested in personal matters.

"So, in summary, you're launching a physical card game and asking me to draw one card?"

"That's right."

"But as I mentioned before… I try my best not to draw anything other than my serialized work. If I lose focus…"

"You can draw one of the characters from if you prefer."

It was an unexpected suggestion.

"..."

Toriyama-san hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

"Using a character from … It's not something I can decide alone. For secondary rights use, I'd need approval from the publisher…"

"You don't have to worry about that."

"...?"

"I own those rights."