Thank you for all the patrons Ilmi Sumitro, eduardo diaz, Erik Hartleben and Andres Ulloa.
Part 4
I arrived at work earlier than usual and was getting ready for today's meeting when Kuroda walked by and peeked into my seat to tease me.
"Hihi. Hashiba, you look nervous."
"That's right. I told you how much I've been following his work."
It was probably my second year in college, and the first time I saw his work, I was truly shocked.
Before the genre known as "Isekai Reincarnation" became popular, he made his novel setting into a Newcomer Award-winning work.
At the time, Gakuokan's light novel label was famous for not giving the grand prize to the newcomer award, but when all the judges recommended it for the first grand prize, it became a hot topic at once.
Since then, his works have always been the talk of this generation. His love and commitment to his creations have become a motto for aspiring creators, and eventually they were compiled into a book as a textbook for creativity.
He was the reason why I kept longing to work in the game industry and why I couldn't leave even though it was a hopeless situation.
"I have to deal with people like that. Of course, I get nervous."
"He~e, I don't think so. To me, he's like the stiff, difficult-living guy."
Kuroda tilts his head, but that's because he and Kawasegawa have known him for a long time.
For me, only seeing his works and the words he wrote, I have only the idolized image of him in front of my eyes all the time.
(For now, I need to make sure I don't leave anything out)
I had read through all the materials I had received beforehand. I had in my mind all the progress charts, the settings and texts that had been raised, and even the ones that had been rejected due to specification changes.
Now it's just a matter of what kind of conversation I will have with the person in question.
"Kawasegawa, what's the plan for tod—"
I asked her for the time being.
"Eh? Yeah, ah, you mean the meeting?"
"Yes, but look, should I just say hello today, or should I go into the whole practical business and stuff like that?"
I told her we should talk about it beforehand, but she hadn't mentioned it to me yet.
"Right, yes... Just a greeting, I guess?"
"Are you sure? Well, I'll do it then."
When I answered, Kawasegawa nodded her head impatiently. Today, she seemed rather absentminded in her replies since this morning.
(I wonder if something happened...)
I could have guessed. Did yesterday's report to the executive director mention something else? Or was there a big trouble in other work?
In any case, I was frustrated that I couldn't help cover for her now. If I could be of any help at all, I would, but now that I've only been on staff for a short time, I'm just causing trouble.
"Okay, let's go then."
Kuroda said, and we all got up from our seats. This was because the meeting with Kawagoe Kyoichi was indeed not held in the messy Development Department meeting room, but in a conference space reserved for visitors.
We all go to the elevator hall and wait for the elevator to go to the lower floor.
"By the way, Kuroda, did you receive the PR illustration from Shino?"
Suddenly, Kawasegawa opened her mouth.
"No, she said she'd bring it somewhere today, but as usual, I don't know when—"
A moment later, the elevator doors opened.
"Ah."
The person inside spoke up in surprise.
She was a small woman. She was very pretty looking, with a light-colored cardigan and a young grass-colored skirt that suited her well.
At first glance, the woman, who looked young enough to be a student, smiled at me when she noticed us.
"Eiko-chan, Kuro-chan, morning~. Just right. Here"
Then she handed an envelope containing some documents to Kuroda.
"Shino, stop calling me Kuro-chan, it's kind of distracting."
"Eh~, but I've always been called you Kuro-chan, I can't stop now."
She spoke in a fluffy way. She seemed somehow out of touch with the world, as if she was there but did not exist, a mysterious person.
"I mean, why come all the way here when you can just send it by data mail?"
"I had compiled all the work data so far, so I couldn't get into the server."
"Shino, thank you for the delivery. Are you going to a meeting now?"
"Yes, Eiko-chan, thank you for your hard work, too~"
After saying that, she headed over to the Development Department, as if to replace us.
"Areh?"
She stopped beside me.
"New staff?"
She turns her big eyes toward me and gazes at me.
"Yes, I will introduce him later, today is, you know."
"I see. Etto, nice to meet you."
"Ah, n-nice to meet you."
She bowed her head slightly, and I bowed my head too.
"See you then."
Then, still looking somewhat fluffy, she left into the development department.
After she left, I stared.
"Is she, by any chance"
Kuroda nodded at my question.
"Yeah. She is Akishima Shino. I see, so Hashiba had never met her before?"
My heart thumped loudly.
I never thought I'd meet someone who changed me in a place like this.
Of course given the circumstances, it's possible, but it's kind of unbelievable.
And even after getting into the elevator, I remained somewhat absent-minded.
"She hasn't changed at all since we were students."
"I guess so. The things she makes are getting better and better every year."
It never entered my mind that the two of them would talk like that.
The person who has been drawing those amazing illustrations was right in front of me just a few moments ago.
Moreover, she recognized me as an individual and spoke to me.
It was so shocking that more than feeling happy or anything else, it awakened a strange sensation.
(She really existed)
Yes, as if it had been proven that imaginary creatures really existed, I couldn't imagine that Akishima Shino existed in reality.
But she actually existed. From now on, I will be working with her.
Even if the current situation in the 2nd Development Department was not so good, I was determined not to forget this moment.
Creating something together with someone you've dreamed about and longed for.
I was sure that the excitement must help me in some way.
I made up my mind to make a firm note of everything, including Kawagoe Kyoichi, whom I was about to meet.
.
Part 5
When I entered the conference room, someone was already inside.
The materials were neatly placed on a desk, and on the other side of the desk stood a single tall man.
The man had his back to us. He had his hands in his jacket pockets and was staring intently at the scenery outside.
"Yo, you're early. You finished your other job already?"
Kuroda called out to him in a friendly manner,
"... Yeah."
In a voice without any particular emotion, he turned to us in reply.
He is slender and tall, with a sharp gaze that clearly reveals the strong emotion in his eyes.
(It's the real Kawagoe Kyoichi)
I looked at the person in front of me again.
I had seen his face before at an autograph session or something. But at that time, he had a much more gentle face, talking to each fan and behaving pleasantly.
However, Kawagoe Kyoichi, who is in front of me right now, by contrast, has a very sharp, professional look on his face.
(As expected, he has charisma, or rather, dignity.)
Before I came here, I had asked about the current work with him.
From what I hear, it is clear that he does not have very good feelings toward us.
"Let me introduce you. Hashiba Kyouya is the new person in charge. He is the same age as us."
I was a little surprised. I was honestly happy that he had introduced me as a colleague, even though we had had nothing to do with each other up until now.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Hashiba Kyouya. I don't have a business card yet, but this time I'm the 2nd Development Department—"
I was in the middle of saying it when a displeased sigh interrupted me.
"What, in the end, Kawasegawa is going to step down and leave it to the newcomer? Is everything that Kuroda said he might do, going to be left to the newcomer?"
His tone was strong, as if he was about to spit, though he didn't go so far as to raise his voice.
"You know, you understand, right. I'm directing and looking at pictures and sound too. If I had to do text and planning too, I'd be flat broke and ruin the whole thing."
"Ruined? You're telling me this situation isn't screwed up right now?"
Kawagoe vented his anger. Kuroda fell silent and awkwardly scratched his head.
"I was looking forward to this project before it started, thinking it was a dream project and a great product, but how many times have you and your company overturned the table! Each time I rewrite it, rethink it, but then I'm back to square one, and what more do you want me to do!"
He must have been very angry, because his words of anger were delivered to us in the clearest and most direct manner.
What was supposed to be a face to face greeting, and an initial exchange with a creator I had longed to meet, suddenly turned out to be a terrible thing.
Though I went to the trouble of learning about a good stance as a fan from Ichikawa-san, it seems that it will be over before I can put it to use.
(What are we going to do with this, you two...)
Gently, I stole a glance at the expressions on Kawasegawa and Kuroda's faces. However, rather than being panicked by the unexpected situation, they looked as if it was to be expected, as if they were saying, "I knew this would happen".
(I guess they were at a deadlock.)
Otherwise, they wouldn't have dumped it on me in the first place.
(Alright)
I took a quick breath in and regulated my breathing. I don't know what will happen, but first let's try to improve from the current situation, little by little.
"May I first check on the current situation?"
My words were met with a skeptical stare.
"The current situation? I'm telling you right now. Nothing is progressing, and nothing is being done."
His tone was quiet, but it was easy to understand that he was filled with anger.
But, undaunted by that, I continued.
"Understood. Then let us discuss the future writing."
This time, clearly, hostile eyes were directed at me.
"O-Oi, Hashiba..."
Kuroda looked bewildered for a moment,
"............"
Kawasegawa, who was standing beside him, nodded lightly to me, holding Kuroda in check.
"Did you hear what I just said? I'm not talking about the writing stage, I'm talking about the basic premise of the project, and that's why they want me to come back and fix it."
"We are sure that the specifications we have decided on have changed two or three times, and that this has caused some inconvenience. However, given the realistic progression of the project, there are some aspects we can proceed with now."
I took out my tablet PC and pointed it in Kawagoe's direction.
"The prologue and other parts of the game that are related to the specifications are not in a state where we can proceed. I understand that."
"So you understand, then there's no reason for me to write it."
"But we have not made any changes to our original plan for character-specific scenarios, so it should be possible to move forward with this one."
Change the screen from a progress chart to a document such as settings.
The documents showing the game system and other information had been updated many times, but the characters had already been OK'd in the first submission.
The date was six months ago, with a sign that it was OK to proceed with the sub-stories and episodes related to the character.
"I have confirmed that we can proceed with this scenario regardless of the specifications. So I'd like to put off the prologue, which has caused some confusion around the specifications, and proceed with this scenario."
Kawagoe looked as if he was biting a bitter bug. This was not anger, but rather a "got hit where it hurts," if I may say so.
This may be a point that can be pushed.
"...... I see. It makes sense."
His face changed. Looking at the table, he began to speak in a calm tone.
"But a story has a premise. It would be difficult to write a character story if you can't even write a prologue. If you later ask me to fix this one too because you changed the opening scene, I'm not going to be able to comply with that."
I see, he's right. But I knew that the objection would come.
"Well, maybe for character-specific episodes."
"Then I can't write this part."
"But that's about episodes whose timeline is after the prologue, right?"
"What...?"
Kawagoe seemed to be caught off guard, and I pressed him.
"The character-specific episodes in this part all delve into the character's past. It is noted that they were originally included at the suggestion of the teacher in order to add depth to the characters and their worldview."
Yes, as for the scenarios presented here, they were all after the prologue, in other words, they were not affected by the main story.
From the materials I had reviewed in advance, I knew that I could proceed with this content.
I made eye contact with Kuroda at my side, and he nodded heavily.
"Oh yeah, that's right, that's exactly what I said. But that was originally a proposal I had no choice but to make in response to a specification that was not being finalized, you know? You can't ask me to write something that you came up with because of your own problems."
Kawagoe says bitterly.
"It is as you say. I have to admit that when I came to the site and saw the materials, I thought it was absurd to ask someone to write a scenario with them."
Both Kawasegawa and Kuroda looked down awkwardly.
"But if nothing is done, production will remain stagnant. I first saw this project from the user's point of view. I was very surprised, and I was really looking forward to it. I couldn't bear to see it ruined in this way."
I stepped forward in front of Kawagoe and bowed my head.
"Now that I have joined this team, I will do my best to finalize the specifications and improve the production environment. So, sensei, I would like to ask for your cooperation."
The air became quiet all at once. Kawagoe's expression distorted awkwardly, and he repeatedly tried to say something, only to stop himself,
"...... Kuroda, keep this place for the day after tomorrow."
"Yeah, fine."
"I'm not feeling well today. I'm going to make some adjustments and come back out for the meeting."
After saying that, he packed up his belongings and left the conference room as if he were escaping.
I looked at the door that slammed loudly and breathed heavily.
"...I'm sorry, I think I have done it."
However, they both smiled wryly,
"Thank you for your hard work."
They said and gave me a thumbs up.
.
Part 6
"Well, you did it, Hashiba, as expected!"
At lunch after the meeting, Kuroda suddenly praised me.
"I wonder if it's okay, he sounded angry, but..."
"I was aware of the progress there, but my position made it difficult for me to say anything, so you, a newcomer to the team, were a big help, to be honest."
...I see, so it was.
That level of detail is easy to point out if you read the documents. I wondered why Kuroda didn't do that, but if that's the case, it makes sense.
"You made sure to specify the next meeting, and it must have been awkward for him to be pointed out that he didn't write what he was supposed to write."
Beside Kuroda, who nods repeatedly, Sakurai-san, who is unaware of the situation, looks anxious.
"Is it really become a big deal...?"
"Hashiba didn't even take a step back against Kawagoe Kyoichi. That was brilliant."
"A-As expected, Hashiba-san!"
Kuroda exaggerates, and Sakurai-san is also impressed by the exaggeration.
"But I have to admit, it was a play on words."
Most of what Kawagoe Kyoichi was saying was undeniable. With the prologue part of the story having undergone numerous specification changes and not knowing what kind of introduction to make, it was only for the convenience of the production team to come up with only the character episodes first, as it should have been.
"Well, yeah. Indeed, if you had told him that, he would have had no choice but to stand up for himself."
Of course, Kuroda seemed to understand, and nodded broadly.
"Nevertheless, we succeeded in getting Kawagoe Kyoichi into the stage. In that respect, Hashiba did a solid first job."
Kawasegawa breathed a sigh of relief.
"He was already on the verge of quitting."
"Eh... To that point?"
She nodded and told me what had been going on just recently.
The repeated changes in specifications and the increased workload that accompanied them had led to some very strong complaints, not only from Kawagoe himself, but also from his editor at the publishing company.
"He had tolerated me because we had been friends since our school days, but he said that if you do anything to further de-motivate the writers, we will pull you up after giving out the name of the company."
"Uwah..."
I couldn't say anything.
But from the publisher's point of view, I could understand why they would want to say that. From the standpoint of an author who has sold millions of copies and is making every effort to ensure that his or her work is a pleasant experience, it would have been terrible if the publishers had been put in a bad mood by a change in specifications, even if it was for a different job.
But if there is no sign of improvement and the game industry has its own reasons, they will do everything in their power to protect the writers. They would probably say, "We don't care about your position".
"There is no doubt that we are already on the edge. But that's why I appreciated Hashiba's willingness to look at the project with fresh eyes."
Kawasegawa's eyes as she looked at me were filled with a sense of sorry.
"Please, Hashiba."
I didn't think I was in a position to say anything, but if she was relying on me to help her when she was in such a tight spot, there was only one answer.
"Yeah, I'll do my best."
To be honest, the meeting was not a good one, but I get to work with that Kawagoe Kyoichi. Once again, I couldn't be happier.
"Alright, then you'll have to say hello to Shino sometime soon."
Yes, I was curious about that too.
"Akishima Shino, huh?"
I greeted the existence I admired up close and talked about making things together in the future. It was like a dream, but the reality was surprisingly close at hand.
Let's do my best — It's a cliché, but it's all I could do, so I decided to do my best.
.
Part 7
In addition to being in charge of Kawagoe Kyoichi, I was also assigned to the promotion of MysClo. However, as expected, Kawasegawa, the head of the department, had the authority to make decisions, and I was only in a "sub-charge" position, communicating with her in a way that did not have a major impact on the project.
Today's meeting was about a game presentation that we are working on with the Public Relations Department. Succeedsoft always has a huge booth, one of the largest in the venue, where they make a big announcement about a new game they are working on.
"Let me cut to the point. In an event that will take place early next season..."
The employees of the Public Relations Department didn't seem to care about the discomfort I had learned and began to speak calmly.
The Game Expo, an event to be held in three months, will be held at one of Japan's largest convention centers in Chiba, was clearly a major point of focus, given the estimated turnout and media attention it would draw.
"The public relations department would like to invite the creators of this work to appear on the stage and talk about it in conjunction with the Nico Nico Live broadcast..."
The promotions proposed by the public relations department were solid at best and uninteresting at worst.
"If there is no problem here, I would like to move on to the arrangements, how about it?"
'Of course, it is okay' I couldn't just say that, so I replied, "I'll let the head of the department know". Although there seemed to be no major problems as far as I was concerned, it was still not my place to make the final decision. This is an important part of a large company.
(Once again, it's an amazing scale work.)
Even a glimpse at the page with the budget on it is enough to make one dizzy.
It is a matter of course, but the budget for the project group is different from the budget for the project itself.
"Well then, we will let you know when the details are finalized."
After the Public Relations Department left, Sakurai-san and I were still busy with preparations for the event. The Public Relations Department would set up the booth and make appointments for the cast and crew, but we would have to arrange all the details related to the MysClo event ourselves. We could not compromise on quality, so it was going to take some time to select the right people.
I checked the overall schedule and shared schedule adjustments with the outsourced creators, and before I knew it, the sun had set.
"Then, Hashiba-san, I'll go first"
Sakurai-san, who had finished cleaning up first, bowed her head and walked out of the development room. Today, there is a regular meeting in the 13th department. 'Go first', was referring to going there.
"Fuuh, I think I'll call it a day here too"
I looked around and saw that more staff had already left the office. Many people were leaving on time, as development was not yet at its peak.
"I'm a little late"
I hurried through the development office and down the corridor. It was like having one more job after the regular one, and one of them had no end in sight, and frankly, it was exhausting.
It was only natural that this would be the case if no concrete measures could be developed after each meeting, and it was time to find a clue or else everyone's motivation would be at stake.
"But..."
Compared to previous projects, I had my hands too full this time. Moreover, time is limited and movement is restricted.
I was saddened that I naturally became a complainer.
I got into the elevator with the same momentum, and the moment I looked up, my feet stopped.
"Ah..."
There was a face there that was one of the biggest and most exhausting for a person who was tired from work.
"Yo, Hashiba-kun."
It was Executive Director Matsuhira.
Silently, he gets in and closes the door. With a quiet sound of movement, the elevator proceeds downward at a high speed.
"Looks like a tough job~. How's work in the new place?"
"Yes, well... Somehow."
Although I was able to give him a quick nod, inside I was filled with resentment. I wanted to blame him, saying that it was all the fault of the personnel management that you had arranged.
(If only this guy wasn't here)
If I could have hurt people by glaring at them, I would have. That's how strongly I looked at him with anger.
The person in question seems to pay no attention to me, and turns away with a cool smile on his face. In fact, he probably doesn't think anything of it.
So I didn't say anything more either. I was going to say something unnecessary if I opened my mouth, so I was going to try to end it with that.
And yet.
"Isn't it fun? The elite course"
"...... Eh?"
That icy grin turned towards me.
"How does it feel to use your colleagues as a stepping stone to do a better job?"
I felt a sudden surge of anger, as if my brain's blood plasma were boiling all at once.
I was already thinking of yelling at him and punching him here, regardless of the job.
But I couldn't do it just yet. I thought of Kawasegawa's and the faces of everyone in the 13th department. If I let my emotions get the better of me here, everything would be ruined.
(I'll never forgive you.)
Only the thought of doing something about it was more than enough to relighten the fire.
.
Part 8
After an unexpected encounter with my natural enemy, still in a state of uncontained anger, I attended a meeting of the 13th department.
I would love to channel this momentum into some kind of action, but alas, there is no way to do so at the moment, and we are still in the phase of just hanging on.
"Well, let me start by telling you what's going on here."
Standing up, Miyamoto-san began to explain in a quiet tone of voice about the current situation in the 13th department.
"I've already told you about the dummy project, but so far I've managed to get by with this strategy. Some of the people at the contact desk who approve the proposal are suspicious of my intentions, but it doesn't matter what my personal intentions are. The company has no choice but to accept it for its own sake."
It's a really good idea, I thought again.
As a company, there is no way to refuse to accept a new proposal, and if the company were to refuse or restrict the acceptance of such a proposal, it would already be connected to the entire business and could even lead to a major problem. If that were the case, it would be better to just keep putting them through the approval process, even if you know that the goal is to prolong the life of the 13th department that is in the way, so that it doesn't become a public issue.
It is a form of taking advantage of a large company's reluctance to do anything.
"But there is a limit to how long we can keep doing this. Not to mention the reason, this is not a cure, it's a life extension. We're not doing this just to stay in the company. Am I right?"
"...... Right"
I nod in agreement with Miyamoto-san's words.
Just because it's worked out well doesn't mean we should just keep doing it. If we don't, we will eventually lose our motivation completely and become the living dead.
I would like some measure of hope. But right now, I don't have a clue as to what that might be.
"What do you think, did you find anything on that side that might give you a clue, Hashiba?"
"No, I'm sorry... I don't have anything like that yet."
At the informal reply, Miyamoto-san dropped his shoulders.
"I see... It's tough."
Miyamoto-san nodded and pondered.
While we are working on our normal duties, Miyamoto-san and Kojima-san have been patiently enduring on the edge of the needle, both of whom could find any number of places to work if they wanted to, but they are still working to make the 13th Department's project a reality and to get it implemented.
However, I have not yet been able to propose a solution.
(Damn... Isn't there something, a way...!)
I clench my fists in my lap and try hard to move my brain. However, as if to ridicule my thoughts, not even a shred of the idea seemed to come out.
"Lamenting the fact that it won't work won't change anything. Let's make it an effort to think about the next move."
At times like this, Kojima-san's calmness is helpful. If all of us were depressed, we would feel like we could not make even a millimeter.
"Yeah..."
Miyamoto-san nodded in bitterness. It's a terrible talk, I think to myself. I am so sorry to report that there is nothing going on after making them wait for so long.
I want to somehow reward everyone who has gone to the trouble of following me. Even if we don't get results now, there will be no other way but to keep thinking about it.
"In the meantime, I'll give you a report on the 2nd Development Department. Right now, I'm in a meeting with the Public Relations Department to discuss the promotional activities of MysClo—"
In an effort to change the atmosphere of the place, Sakurai-san began to make regular reports. She gave a brief report on the public relations activities that she and I had been working on.
On the way, I suddenly noticed one empty seat.
"At a time like this, where is Manager going?"
Kojima-san murmurs with a sigh.
"Right... Really."
The department manager who used to be with us was no longer here. It seemed that he had been busy with his personal work since then, and he had stopped showing up at meetings here altogether.
(At a time like this, Horii-san could have said something)
Thinking back, Horii-san would give us some hints when we were in trouble. I don't know if that was what he intended or not, but as a result, we made use of it as something that would lead us to the next step.
But now we hadn't even found the clue. We were still struggling in the pits of hell, suffering under the tyranny of the executive director and trying to crawl out of it.
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