Company is a Japanese novel by Ibuki Yuki, published in 2017 by Shinchosha.
The novel follows two main characters, Aoyagi Seiichi and Segawa Yui who work for the same pharmaceutical company and face the threat of being laid off after the company goes through a merger. The two of them are offered a last chance to redeem themselves: Aoyagi and Segawa would be temporarily transferred to a ballet troupe their company has been sponsoring in the past years. If they can make their performance of Swan Lake at the end of the year into a success, they may escape being a victim of downsizing.
Through this transfer, the two of them are drawn into the world of dancing, previously unknown to them. Their fates intertwine not only with the small ballet troupe who is struggling to keep afloat, but internationally renowned dancer Takano Haruka and a popular Japanese idol group as well.
Takarazuka Revue adapted this book into a musical, Company (Takarazuka Revue) in 2018.
Company provides examples of the following tropes:
- Ambiguously Bi: Aoyagi mentions several times that Takano smiling at him makes his heart beat faster - he gets similarly excited when Minami unexpectedly touches him and invites him to dance. In the October chapter when they are the two people left alone in the office at night Takano gives him a side-glance and a laugh that Aoyagi likens to flirting. The epilogue ends with a prolonged handshake between the two of them that turns into hand-holding instead - and Aoyagi begging Takano not to "do this to him" as he is also "not immune to the Lover of the Whole World holding his hand."
- Cherry Blossoms: In the epilogue, Takano and Aoyagi take a walk among the cherry trees, while Takano is catching cherry blossoms in his palms.
- Choreography Porn: Both Aoyagi and Segawa's chapters are guilty of this.
- Driven to Suicide: Mizuho's husband killed himself after the first performance of the New Swan Lake years before the book's plot begins.
- Foreshadowing: The story begins with Aoyagi watching Swan Lake for the first time in which the woman dancing the White Swan injures herself and needs to be replaced by an understudy.
- Foot-Dragging Divorcee: Aoyagi refuses to file for divorce for long months before finally accepting that he cannot save his marriage.
- Hard Work Fallacy: Minami's weakness during live shows, Segawa's dream to make it to the top of the world as a renowned volleyball player being crushed in her teens.
- Hates Being Touched: Takano hates being touched in his private life and can only bear with being touched when dancing.
- Heavy Sleeper: Takano cannot be woken up once he falls asleep.
- Idol Singer: BARBARIAN-J.
- In-Series Nickname: Takano is often referred to as "Lover of the Whole World" and "Black-Haired-Prince" by fans and the media.
- Yui is called Yui-Yui by people who are familiar with her trainer career and involvement with Suzuki Mai.
- The ballet company starts calling Aoyagi by his first name, Seiichi, and even shorten it to Ichi-san, once they get closer to one another.
- Not What It Looks Like: The first time Aoyagi and Takano meet, he finds him naked on his bed in a hotel room, with an attractive young woman fleeing the scene. Turns out, Takano was getting ready for a shower when an intruder entered the room and trying to fight her off left him with a nasty back injury.
- Performance Anxiety: Minami is described by Takano as a "queen" during rehearsals and a "stray kitten" during real performances.
- Pretty Boy: Takano.
- Queer Romance: Mizuho's New Swan Lake depicts a love story between Rothbart and the Prince.
- Salaryman: Aoyagi.
- Room Disservice: Takano injures his back after trying to force a gravure idol out of his room, who posed as a staff member delivering a forgotten item from the room service menu.
- Smells Sexy: Several characters including Sara comment on the attractive scent of Takano's bespoke perfume.
- Soul-Crushing Desk Job: Aoyagi's career up until he's transferred to Shikishima Ballet Company.
- Stacy's Mom: Minami and her crush on Aoyagi.
- Surprise Pregnancy: Suzuki Mai.
- The Baby of the Bunch: Nayuta is the youngest member of the BARBARIAN-J, somewhere in his late teens or very early twenties.
- Undying Loyalty: Segawa telling Takano that she and Aoyagi are both loyal to him and not their company.
- We Really Do Care: Segawa following Takano to Vienna.
- What Beautiful Eyes!: Aoyagi mentions Takano's pretty, almond-shaped eyes several times.
