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Entertainment Creator System: Building an Anime Empire

Chapter 97: The First Leak · Oct 10, 2026

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Chapter List (176)

Page number / 4

51 Chapter 51: The - That Broke 2026-10-10
52 Chapter 52: Yui Tanaka 2026-10-10
53 Chapter 53: The Worst Advice 2026-10-10
54 Chapter 54: The Deadline 2026-10-10
55 Chapter 55: The Missed Deadline 2026-10-10
56 Chapter 56: The Price of Being Right 2026-10-10
57 Chapter 57: The Schedule Collapse 2026-10-10
58 Chapter 58: Yui’s Problem 2026-10-10
59 Chapter 59: The Wrong Choice 2026-10-10
60 Chapter 60: Ren 2026-10-10
61 Chapter 61: The Price of a Tool 2026-10-10
62 Chapter 62: The New Name 2026-10-10
63 Chapter 63: Mizuno Rei 2026-10-10
64 Chapter 64: Orientation 2026-10-10
65 Chapter 65: Akari Sato 2026-10-10
66 Chapter 66: The Cost of Debt 2026-10-10
67 Chapter 67: Hayato Kanzaki 2026-10-10
68 Chapter 68: Matchups 2026-10-10
69 Chapter 69: Rina Kobayashi 2026-10-10
70 Chapter 70: The First Round 2026-10-10
71 Chapter 71: The Cost of Winning 2026-10-10
72 Chapter 72: The Semifinal Opponent 2026-10-10
73 Chapter 73: The Interview 2026-10-10
74 Chapter 74: Semifinal Pressure 2026-10-10
75 Chapter 75: The Margin 2026-10-10
76 Chapter 76: The Wrong Victory 2026-10-10
77 Chapter 77: Akari’s Choice 2026-10-10
78 Chapter 78: The Finalist Interview 2026-10-10
79 Chapter 79: Publisher Eyes 2026-10-10
80 Chapter 80: The Final 2026-10-10
81 Chapter 81: The Winner 2026-10-10
82 Chapter 82: Publisher Politics 2026-10-10
83 Chapter 83: Hayato’s Question 2026-10-10
84 Chapter 84: Sora Tachibana 2026-10-10
85 Chapter 85: The First Offer 2026-10-10
86 Chapter 86: Distance 2026-10-10
87 Chapter 87: The Wrong Question 2026-10-10
88 Chapter 88: The Breakthrough 2026-10-10
89 Chapter 89: The Offer War 2026-10-10
90 Chapter 90: What Yui Didn’t Say 2026-10-10
91 Chapter 91: The Purchase 2026-10-10
92 Chapter 92: The Wrong Decision 2026-10-10
93 Chapter 93: Cracks 2026-10-10
94 Chapter 94: Public 2026-10-10
95 Chapter 95: Damage 2026-10-10
96 Chapter 96: The Rewrite 2026-10-10
97 Chapter 97: The First Leak 2026-10-10
98 Chapter 98: The Source 2026-10-10
99 Chapter 99: The Offer He Should Refuse 2026-10-10
100 Chapter 100: The Choice 2026-10-10

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: The First Leak

The disaster began with a screenshot.

Not a scandal.

Not a controversy.

Not a betrayal.

---

A screenshot.

---

Which somehow made it worse.

---

Haruki discovered it at 6:42 AM.

---

His phone buzzed continuously.

---

Messages.

Notifications.

Mentions.

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Too many.

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Far too many.

---

The moment he unlocked the screen, Takeda’s message appeared first.

---

Please tell me that’s fake.

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A terrible opening.

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An absolutely terrible opening.

---

Haruki sat upright immediately.

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”What?”

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Several links followed.

---

Forum threads.

Creator communities.

Industry discussion boards.

---

The same image appeared everywhere.

---

A screenshot.

---

Supposedly from an internal publisher discussion.

---

The title:

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THREADLESS GATE CREATOR EXPECTED TO SIGN WITH HOSHIKAWA

---

Below it:

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Projected acquisition value.

Marketing estimates.

Future growth assumptions.

---

And one particular line.

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A very dangerous line.

---

Creator shows strong responsiveness to audience demands.

---

Haruki felt sick immediately.

---

Because of Chapter Twenty-Four.

---

Because of the review.

---

Because of everything.

---

The timing couldn’t be worse.

---

The screenshot spread rapidly.

---

Nobody knew if it was real.

---

Nobody cared.

---

The discussion already started.

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Readers argued.

Creators speculated.

Industry observers analyzed.

---

The internet performed exactly as expected.

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Poorly.

---

At 7:15 AM, Mizuno called.

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No greeting.

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Naturally.

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”Do not respond.”

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Haruki blinked.

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”What?”

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”Do.”

---

A pause.

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”Not.”

---

Another.

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”Respond.”

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The editor sounded unusually serious.

---

That mattered.

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A lot.

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”Is it real?”

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Silence.

---

Then:

---

”That’s not the important question.”

---

Wonderful.

---

Apparently everyone learned from Aoi.

---

The call ended after several additional instructions.

---

No statements.

No posts.

No reactions.

---

Wait.

---

Haruki hated waiting.

---

The next few hours became unbearable.

---

Everywhere he looked, discussion existed.

---

Some readers defended him.

---

Some criticized him.

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Some treated the screenshot like confirmed fact.

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The worst comments weren’t angry.

---

They were disappointed.

---

Guess he really changed the story for popularity.

---

The review was right.

---

That’s unfortunate.

---

Those comments hurt far more.

---

Because they connected to something true.

---

Not the leak.

---

The mistake.

---

At noon, another message arrived.

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Unknown Number.

---

Actually known.

---

Aoi Fujimura.

---

The message contained four words.

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This is your chance.

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Haruki stared.

---

Then immediately replied.

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Chance for what?

---

Several minutes passed.

---

Then:

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To stay quiet.

---

The answer irritated him instantly.

---

Because it sounded correct.

---

Again.

---

Everybody around him seemed committed to being right at the worst possible moments.

---

Meanwhile, inside Yamashita Publishing, Suzune Kurokawa watched the situation unfold.

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The young assistant editor sat inside a meeting room.

---

Several senior editors argued.

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Not loudly.

---

Professionally.

---

The most dangerous form.

---

The leaked screenshot circulated between phones.

Documents.

Laptops.

---

Nobody looked happy.

---

Because leaks created problems.

---

Even when true.

---

Especially when true.

---

One executive finally spoke.

---

”Hoshikawa will deny it.”

---

Another nodded.

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”They have to.”

---

Suzune listened quietly.

---

Observing.

---

Thinking.

---

The discussion continued.

---

Eventually someone mentioned Haruki.

---

A senior editor sighed.

---

”Poor timing.”

---

Another shook his head.

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”Good lesson.”

---

Suzune disliked that answer.

---

Immediately.

---

Because creators weren’t lessons.

---

They were people.

---

The meeting eventually ended.

---

Work resumed.

---

Industry politics continued.

---

Life moved forward.

---

But the leak remained.

---

Growing.

---

Spreading.

---

By evening, Haruki finally escaped the internet.

---

He walked.

---

No destination.

No purpose.

---

Just movement.

---

The city lights blurred around him.

Traffic rolled past.

Rain threatened overhead.

---

His thoughts remained noisy.

---

Then his phone buzzed.

---

Yui.

---

Where are you?

---

The message felt strangely grounding.

---

Haruki stopped walking.

---

Looked around.

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Then realized he had no idea.

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A worrying discovery.

---

Several minutes later he sent a photo.

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Street corner.

Convenience store.

Random Tokyo scenery.

---

Yui’s response arrived immediately.

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You’re stress-walking.

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Haruki laughed despite himself.

---

Maybe.

---

The answer returned:

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Come eat dinner.

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Simple.

---

Direct.

---

No analysis.

No strategy.

No industry politics.

---

Dinner.

---

For the first time all day, that sounded perfect.

---

When he arrived, Yui didn’t ask about the leak immediately.

---

Didn’t ask about publishers.

Didn’t ask about criticism.

---

She handed him food.

---

Then said:

---

”You look terrible.”

---

Fair.

---

Very fair.

---

Halfway through dinner, Haruki finally explained.

---

The screenshot.

The comments.

The speculation.

---

Everything.

---

Yui listened.

---

Then asked one question.

---

”Did you leak it?”

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”No.”

---

”Did you write the screenshot?”

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”No.”

---

”Did you make the mistake everyone is talking about?”

---

Haruki paused.

---

Then:

---

”Part of it.”

---

Yui nodded.

---

Then returned to eating.

---

The simplicity confused him.

---

”That’s it?”

---

Yui looked up.

---

”What else would I do?”

---

A pause.

---

”You already know which part is your fault.”

---

Another.

---

”The rest isn’t.”

---

The conversation ended there.

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Not because it was resolved.

---

Because it didn’t need further explanation.

---

Outside, the leak continued spreading.

Inside, dinner continued.

---

One problem belonged to Haruki.

---

The other belonged to the internet.

---

For the first time all day, separating those two things felt possible.

---

Unfortunately, the leak wasn’t finished causing damage.

---

Not even close.

---

And somewhere inside the entertainment industry, the person who released that screenshot was watching everything unfold.

Waiting.

And smiling.

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