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TL: ALT
Chapter 62 – Time Limit…?
“Damn it! Playing hard to get again…”
Freelance writer Kohei Yasutaka muttered bitterly.
He wore a resentful expression and clicked his tongue loudly.
His bulging eyes glared hatefully at the entrance of the apartment building.
It had been a while since Yasutaka began investigating Ayano Koyuki.
His trip from Tokyo to Osaka had yielded several important clues.
The most significant was that Mitsuru Wakai and Koyuki had become quite intimate.
Mitsuru, the “Crystal Voice” who had once performed the theme song, and Koyuki, the lead actress, had grown close, and love had blossomed between them.
That in itself wasn’t particularly strange, but the fact that Mitsuru had recently healed his throat and made a miraculous comeback was something Yasutaka couldn’t overlook.
Koyuki seemed rejuvenated, and Mitsuru had experienced healing effects that went beyond the reach of modern medicine.
Considering the timeline, was it too much of a leap to imagine that Mitsuru had given Koyuki something or introduced her to something?
Trusting his intuition that something was amiss, Yasutaka began organizing the information.
He then noticed a clear surge in athletes achieving comebacks within the last six months that could only be described as miraculous.
This trend was particularly strong among baseball players.
So, where was the starting point?
Who achieved the first miraculous comeback?
Of course, there was no proof.
However, his keen instinct, honed over years of tracking others’ misfortunes, told him that Endo was the pivotal figure.
Through persistent inquiries, he eventually came into contact with a player named Ryota Endo.
Using the few facts he had, he arrived at the truth, however vague it may be.
It was a rare talent.
The pity is that this talent finds its outlet only in the underground.
Ryota is a player who recovered from a knee injury this year and has been performing brilliantly.
Ryota had invited a guest with great courtesy.
It was also discovered that the guest was the same age as Ryota.
He bribed team officials with small sums of money to get information.
“Inviting someone to the team’s VIP seats, which had never been used before, and requesting that the staff treat them with the utmost courtesy?”
It was highly suspicious.
This guy is almost certainly the culprit.
Admittedly, he couldn’t obtain direct personal information, but this was still a major breakthrough.
All that remained was identifying who this person was, and the scoop would be theirs.
There were plenty of ways to make money, such as partnering with their business or blackmailing them.
Just as he thought that, suddenly, he couldn’t access any information.
Who was this guy? How did he make a comeback?
He tried meeting with the players directly, but all he got were responses full of “I don’t know,” “I can’t say,” and “I don’t understand.”
He tried to meet with Endo, too, but his request for comment was flatly refused.
“This is no joke. Damn it! I’m spending money on this investigation…”
Originally, Yasutaka focused his work on entertainment scoops.
Athletes were outside his specialty, and he didn’t have reliable sources in that field.
Moreover, he didn’t want to consult his peers.
He wanted to keep all the earnings to himself.
He tried staking out the apartment building where Endo lived, but couldn’t make contact.
If this continued, he would reach his financial limit.
Yasutaka was forced to find information from another source.
〇〇〇
In the chairman’s office of a company building, Ryota Endo sat on the sofa, feeling slightly tense.
Masanao Sobue, chairman of the baseball team and one of Japan’s foremost entrepreneurs and investors, sat facing him with a warm smile.
This legendary entrepreneur had amassed one of Japan’s largest fortunes in a single generation and had just turned sixty this year.
Despite being a full head shorter than Ryota, Sobue radiated an aura of dominance and possessed a presence that could intimidate even a top-tier athlete like Ryota.
As a top athlete, Ryota rarely had the chance to meet such an executive in person.
Usually, it was only during contract renewals or at some kind of party.
If Masanao had been in a bad mood, Ryota might have felt intimidated. Fortunately, however, he was in a very good mood.
Masanao pointed to the documents on the wide, low table.
They detailed the contract terms for the next season and beyond.
“Your performance this season was outstanding. I want to renew your contract. What do you think of these new terms? I’d like to hear your decision.”
“Let me take a look.”
Although it felt awkward to say it himself, his performance this year had been outstanding.
He had achieved top-tier results within the team.
Upon confirming his income had increased significantly, Ryota’s heart leapt as he checked the figures.
It was one of the highest salaries in the baseball world.
“A five-year contract with an annual salary of four hundred million yen. Plus performance bonuses. I think it’s pretty good. What do you say?”
“I’d be honored!”
He bowed his head vigorously.
His throat, honed by a career in baseball, let out a loud voice that echoed through the room.
He hurriedly covered his mouth, but Masanao just gave a wry smile, showing no sign of annoyance.
“I really want you to give it your all next season, too. I have high hopes for you. I think you’re the kind of talent we can eventually entrust with coaching, or even managing.”
“Yes, Chairman Sobue, I’ll do my best!”
“I’m glad we didn’t let go of an outstanding player like you. By the way, have you noticed any shortcomings or felt dissatisfied with anything in our organization?”
“No, the manager and coaches have been extremely supportive.”
After that, he brought up a few topics about baseball.
He mentioned things he’d noticed about other players and where they might need reinforcements to strengthen the team.
Honestly, he knew such detailed information. It was astonishing, considering how busy he must be as chairman.
“One last thing I want to ask about is your health.”
“Y-yes. Please.”
“Your knee was injured, and you had surgery, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“According to the doctor’s diagnosis, the ligaments, meniscus, and cartilage have fully healed. I’m amazed. How on earth did it heal?”
“Well—”
“I’ve invested heavily in cutting-edge medicine, drug development, and next-generation healthcare systems. I pride myself on having knowledge in this field that rivals that of specialized scholars. Even so, your recovery defies all logic.”
“That’s…”
It was common knowledge that Masanao Sobue had made substantial investments.
Sometimes the mass media criticized him for incurring huge losses from those investments.
Precisely because he was such a man, it was only natural that he took a deep interest in Ryota’s miraculous recovery.
“We have several players like that. I can’t go into details, but they say it’s thanks to you, Endo-kun.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t say anything either. I’m bound by a non-disclosure agreement.”
Ryota hoped this would satisfy him.
He didn’t want him to press further.
Thinking this, Ryota tried to use the NDA as a shield, but his opponent was too formidable.
For Masanao, a legendary businessman and investor, few contracts were more familiar than NDAs.
It didn’t hold up.
Masanao maintained his affable demeanor yet blocked Ryota’s escape route precisely.
“Just because you’ve signed an NDA doesn’t mean you have to keep everything secret. Introducing who you signed it with shouldn’t be a problem. I could sign an NDA with that person, too, after all.”
“I-I understand. I’ll try to arrange a meeting or get in touch.”
“Mm-hmm. Could you please give my regards to Sakai-kun? I’d appreciate it.”
Just how much does he know?
Ryota felt a deep, bone-chilling fear as if he had seen something terrifying, and his stomach clenched painfully.
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