Tokyo Seduction (Book 1 Of The Gaijin Series)

Chapter 79

Shigure sighed as he looked around the living room. It looked like a bomb of paper, clothes and empty food containers had gone off in there.

"I've been up for three days. After our crazy night out it was as if the mad artist in me was released and I've been working like a demon. You know my motto: when inspiration strikes it's best to jump straight in. I've been taking naps when I can't keep my eyes open; but other than eating and bathroom breaks I have been hard at it," Yoshi said. "You two have a seat. I'm just going to grab my drawings."

Shigure walked over to the sofa and cleared a space for him and Mimi to sit on. "Yeah I forgot how crazy you can get when you have a project to work on," he said remember their university days.

Yoshi came back into the living room carrying two sketching pads. He sat down on the sofa next to Mimi not bothering to move any of the clutter he sat on. Shoving some of the take out boxes to one side Yoshi set one of the sketch pads down. He opened the other one up and set it in Mimi's lap. "So, what do you think, did I get the main characters right?"

Mimi gasped and flung her arms around Yoshi and said, "I love it, this is better than what I imagined, thank you."

Shigure chuckled to himself, watching her glow radiantly made his chest fill with a mix of emotions. Mimi and Yoshi had bonded over one other thing and seeing the fruits of that bond come to fruition made him proud for both of them.

Back in September Mimi had been very secretive of her writing but Shigure eventually talked her into showing it to him. He'd been surprised by her skill and creativity and offered to show her work to his agent and one of his publishing friends. He knew before he even offered that she'd turn him down. She didn't think her work was very good and he didn't want to push her. Hatori had warned him she was fragile and he shouldn't push her.

If Shigure believed in kismet then Mimi and Yoshi meeting when they did would've been the perfect example. Yoshi had finished writing Samurai Maidens and it was one of those very rare occasions when he didn't have anything else on the back burner. Yoshi'd been in a terrible mood every time Shigure and Mimi came by that it pissed Shigure off and he snapped. After the argument that ensued Yoshi told them what was going on and Shigure recommended Mimi's story. He fully expected her to freak out but she surprised him by agreeing to the partnership.

Yoshi smiled with pride. "Good, I'm so relieved that you like it. Now, Mimi, you are going to have to try to learn more Kanji. And your sentence structure really sucks. I wouldn't ask you to rewrite your stories in Japanese but you know I can't read English."

"I really have been trying," Mimi replied blushing. "It's funny, I've got no problem reading or speaking Japanese but I still find it hard when I have to write. But I will work on it and if I have to I will get a tutor or maybe start taking classes again," she said.

"Luckily I kept a lot of my school work from high school and junior high." Yoshi got up and grabbed a pile of books and papers then set it down in the free space next to the sketching pad.

"I can't believe you kept all of your old school work. I always knew you were weird," Shigure said picking up one of Yoshi's old school books and flicked through it. "Before I forget, have you two agreed on a contract yet? I know you two wouldn't do anything silly to each other but you know how crazy it can get when you start submitting your work to agents and magazines. Best to get all of that squared away before hand."

It wasn't that he thought the two of them would have any sort of problem if they didn't have a contract or verbal agreement. But he had seen a few of his friends who'd collaborated on projects split up down the road when the money started to come in and one side thought they deserved more.

"Shigure's got a point." Yoshi thought for a minute then said, "I'd be happy with a seventy, thirty split. Seventy going to, Mimi. It is your story after all."

"No absolutely not. It has to be fifty, fifty or not at all," Mimi shot back.

Both Shigure and Yoshi looked a little shocked.

"Are you sure, Mimi? Yoshi is right, it is your story," Shigure replied.

"I'm not an idiot. I know it is my story but, Yoshi, you're putting just as much work into this as well." Mimi lit up with excitement as she said, "You're bringing my story to life. I feel you should get seventy and I should get thirty, I know you wouldn't agree to that so fifty, fifty seemed like the only option."

Yoshi chuckled shaking his head."I see that look in your eyes, missy. And I know you well enough to see arguing with you won't change your mind. So if you're happy then I'm happy with that arrangement."

"Good; why don't I get my lawyers to draft a contract and you two can sign it," Shigure suggested, knowing if Hatori got wind of this he would try and negotiate a better deal for Mimi. And that would cause stress for her that she didn't need.

She'd told him on more than one occasion that she'd do anything to keep Hatori happy even if it meant sacrificing her happiness in the process. That'd never sat right with him before. That view shifted now that she'd told him everything about her past. Shigure understood the reason behind her need to keep Hatori happy and in turn he wanted to help her in whatever way he could.

Both Mimi and Yoshi agreed to this arrangement.