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Chapter 2 | Trials and Turning Points | Remake our Life!
Part 1
Before moving on to full-scale production, we still had important things to do.
A game title called MysClo that was frozen in the middle of production. That project, which will probably never move again, but of course copyright existed.
We are technically making a completely different title, but to the users and marketers, it will be seen as a "Remake of MysClo," moving to a different company. In fact, by letting people imagine such things, we are incorporating things that will become a hot topic.
But for Succeedsoft, it was naturally not interesting. The company had intended to keep the copyrights to the project and keep the staff and creators in the house, but the rival company took all the attention and image.
So they will use copyright as a shield to take some action.
And just as I had imagined, they asked for a place to discuss it.
"My name is Hachiya. I am the representative of SucceedSoft's Legal Department."
The man, who was ushered into a conference room for visitors, quietly handed me his business card.
"I am Kawasegawa. I represent the Development Department."
After exchanging business cards with each other, the man, who introduced himself as Hachiya, sat down quietly without a word of small talk.
"Normally, it would be highly unusual for us to make such a confirmation. However, what happened between our company and yours was unexpected in the first place, and that is why we have established this opportunity. Thank you very much for your time."
The words were polite, but there was no sign of being afraid.
(Well, it's certainly unusual, I guess)
There have been cases in the past of staff members working on major series transferring to other companies after the completion of a project. However, there was no record of almost the entire team transferring to another company while a project was still in production, even though the production had been frozen.
Of course, that may be why this case might have been successful "so far," but it also meant that the post-processing was a lot of trouble.
"At present, when do you plan to release it?"
Hachiya asked without hesitation.
"We are not certain yet, but it will be a title at least for the next fiscal year and onward."
Kawasegawa replied. In other words, it will take at least one year.
In truth, a more specific schedule could be revealed, but she probably decided that there was no need to explain it in such detail.
"I see, I understand."
Hachiya seemed to be satisfied with that explanation, as if it was a courtesy.
"Okay, let's get started."
Hachiya turned his attention to the lawyer next to him and immediately began to give out the materials.
He wears a dark gray suit and has neatly groomed seven-to-three haircut. His eyes, peering through silver-rimmed glasses, are thin and what you might call slanted.
It was difficult to tell from his appearance how he was feeling. He seemed to manage even the intervals between his breaths, and orderliness was the perfect word to describe him.
(That seems very unlike an employee of a video game company.)
Unlike the people in development, who are almost never seen in suits, he looked like a businessman. I felt a little self-conscious even though I had not yet spoken to him.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to move on to the conversation right away, is that okay?"
Hachiya suggested quietly, seemingly without any introduction.
"......Yes, let's do that."
Kawasegawa immediately agreed. He was not someone with whom I could have a friendly chat with. We both wanted to talk about only what was necessary and get it over with.
"We will now move on to an explanation of Mystic Clockwork's copyrighted material in our possession. After that, we will take questions from your company, and upon mutual agreement, we will exchange approval. Please confirm this point."
Kawasegawa nodded and began to explain the details.
She recalls the explanation she had received beforehand from B-Craft's Legal Department at the headquarters.
Succeedsoft's legal department is well known for its strictness in the industry, which is why we were told not to say anything unnecessary that could be taken out of context.
This time, in particular, the other party was clearly trying to crush us. Indeed, there was an atmosphere in which any careless remark was likely to be poked as a sign of weakness.
[A really troublesome old man has come.]
I received a chat from Kuroda, who was sitting next to me.
[You're right. I'll try not to say anything unnecessary, like I was told.]
[Right. No matter how you look at it, he doesn't seem to get any joke.]
Kuroda also seemed to basically speak less.
But there was one thing I wanted to do this time.
(This is the only thing I should check ...... Otherwise it could be bad.)
This was a crucial point that was sure to be a bottleneck in the future production process. It would have been better if we did not have to use it, but if we had to use it, a mistake in confirmation would be fatal.
Of course, I had talked to Kawasegawa and Kuroda beforehand. However, I decided that it would be up to the two of them to discuss whether they could handle that part well.
"If we can talk about it properly, yes, it can be a weapon, but ...... there's a risk too."
As Kawasegawa said, if we failed, we could be suppressed in that area and be stuck there.
It was a big risk, but also a big necessary thing to do. That's what it was.
And to say it, I had to have good timing and good bargaining skills. I was not confident that I had the skills to do so, but through prior study, I had managed to get the procedure down in my head.
In front of me, Hachiya, looking like a snake, is casually talking about copyrighted works.
Dealing with this type of person was something I had never done before in my life. For that reason, I was overflowing with a sense of tension just to broach the subject.
(Relax, he's a human being, too. I'm not dealing with a machine.)
Take a deep breath in and out.
I waited for the other party's response, trying as much as possible not to show my nervousness.
Eventually,
"Now, does your company have any objection to this point?"
The time has come.
"--Yes."
I slowly raised my hand and began to speak.
Part 2
After about an hour of exchanges, our legal representatives exchanged letters and we disbanded. As expected, there was no way we could have a meal afterwards, and after the other party left, we were all exhausted.
"Fuuh, it's finally over, just as troublesome as I thought it would be"
Kuroda took a deep breath and frowned.
"Yeah, totally, I was so nervous just listening to him talk. I don't know how Hashiba was able to talk in that kind of air."
Kawasegawa says in admiration, while I shake my head.
"No, I was already desperate. I interrupted because I really wanted to say something, but if I didn't, I would have kept my mouth shut the whole time."
To be honest, when he looked at me with those cold, emotionless eyes, I wanted to say, "Nothing," and run away. That's how nerve-wracking it was.
"But, thanks to Hashiba, we got a statement on the matter, so I guess we can call it a success, right?"
Kawasegawa tilts her head at Kuroda's words.
"In that regard, yes. But I was asked to check for similarities in character design and art design in great detail, and from the looks of it, I felt like I had to check very carefully."
The material that the other party made was the content that could be said to be the ultimate fault finding.
They were so persistent in their comments about the similarities that we were amazed at the number and location of the same water mills in the image boards, and the use of the same design in the hair ornaments of the female characters.
Of course, we had prepared a counterargument. Kawasegawa blocked all of Succeed's points by presenting a precedent that she had prepared in advance and that had not been recognized as a similarity in other works.
However, the fact that they were telling us this in advance with this level of detail meant that they would probably have the same difficulty after the project was completed.
"It's going to be harder after that than before it's finished."
We nodded in agreement with Kawasegawa's words.
"But now we have everything we need to create. Let's forget about them for now and concentrate on the production."
Kuroda was right, I too was filled with the desire to move on to production as soon as possible.
"Right. Then, Hashiba, I want you to summarize and document the part of the agreement that we just had. That way, if something happens, it will be easier to explain."
"I'll try not to let that happen. Understood."
Thus, we were able to settle the pending arrangement for the time being.
Part 3
"So now we can finally get to work on production!"
When I explained the details of the agreement, Sakurai-san responded with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure Kuroda will talk to you later, so please check the details there."
Understood, said Sakurai-san as she posed in a salute. She still looks somewhat childish, but her work itself has become much more dependable.
"We have a concrete plan in the works, and now we have our sales and public relations staff on board to review our sales projections and determine whether we can give the go-ahead to the project. But from the way things are going, I think all five teams that applied earlier will be accepted."
As she says, the paperwork was lined with solid, predictable numbers.
"The team is very motivated, and I'm looking forward to working with them."
The 13th Department was sadly dissolved, but from what I have seen of everyone's movements since then, what we did was not in vain. As for Sakurai-san in particular, I am very happy that she was able to find a place to utilize her abilities in a proper way.
Listening to her report with a nod,
"Once we're finished dealing with the team, we need to get Sakurai-san's game plan in order."
When I encourage her, she said,
"Yes, I know. Finally...... we can get started."
Sakurai-san nodded firmly as she said it.
She is in charge of Project Grape, a project that supports multiple game production projects at once, building a route to production and sales.
And a game project with a revolutionary system, which Sakurai-san originally had in mind, is scheduled to participate as one of those projects. Although she has already received assurances that the budget will be approved, the project is currently on hold, as she herself said she would like to wait until after the Grape framework is firmly in place.
But of course, it was definitely a very important title for her.
"I'm looking forward to getting started, um...ah, I see, the title."
When I said it as if I remembered, Sakurai-san chuckled,
"That's right, I left it in your hands, Hashiba-san, so please take care of it."
I had completely forgotten that she had asked me to come up with the name, since her sense of naming was frankly nowhere near as good as mine.
When I have more time, I'll think about it properly.
"The scale is a little smaller than before, but I am glad to be able to work on projects since I moved to BCC."
Sakurai-san murmured, her eyes reminiscing about the old days.
"Why?"
"It's partly because I'm still inexperienced, but I felt that with a project of this scale, it's important to know how much I can make it the way I want it to be."
Indeed, the novelty of the project she is currently working on is 80% of its appeal. If the project were to be reduced to a safe, budget-conscious version, it would be almost pointless to have even submitted the project in the first place.
If that is the case, even if the budget is tight, the project may be happier if it can be presented to the public without losing its appeal.
"I'm sure that's how doujinshi games got their start."
"Ah, right. My friend also said that she can complete everything by herself, which is a lot of work, but she enjoys it very much."
This time, the Grape is being promoted to make the contract as beneficial as possible to the participating teams.
The initial development costs are paid by the company, but the maximum face value is small instead of zero interest. However, the margin on sales is kept as minimal as possible, so that when it hits, the income to the team is greater.
In addition, even if sales do not increase, repayments are designed to be less burdensome, and several installment repayment plans have been prepared.
In short, it's like having a choice between doujinshi and commercial.
"To tell you the truth, I'd like to make games on site, too."
With a slightly wry smile, Sakurai-san murmured.
"Thanks to you, I was able to find a job after I left Succeed. Project Grape is going to continue and getting back on track, which is a good thing. But......"
"Unlike MysClo, I was less involved in the actual production side."
At her previous place of work, she was running Project Grape alongside her development work for MysClo. So it was only development work that was the main focus of her job.
However, at BCC, that has been reversed. Now production management and facilitation are her primary duties.
That's how important Grape has become, but it's also true that the number of field jobs in game making has decreased.
"So, when I am able to work on my own projects, I will be prepared to quit the company."
"Eh, do you need to go that far?"
Sakurai-san nodded heavily. I had no idea she had thought that far.
But to go that far and be able to stay with the project, I was even a little envious.
"I wonder if I'll be able to think like that someday."
When I uttered that, Sakurai-san said,
"I'm sure you can! Hashiba-san, I can tell that you love games. If that happens, please be the first to let me know!"
She seemed very happy and said so.
"Right, then by all means I'll definitely take the Grape judging."
"Okay~. Of course, we'll be very strict in our judging process!"
Part 4
One month after production began in earnest. Tsurayuki, who was in charge of the scenario, informed me that he would think about the setting and plot again, and decided to take some time off.
Today was the appointed day to see the results. We were all ready and waiting for him to arrive.
"Sorry! I just couldn't bring it up before today...!"
As soon as he arrived, he deeply bowed his head and started with an apology.
"I expected it to be a little difficult, but........ isn't it tough to start from scratch, Tsurayuki?"
With a sigh, Kuroda opened his mouth first.
"I'm really sorry. I wish I had something to tell you, but I don't even have that at the moment ...... I've only got a few ideas that I've written down in a memo."
"For now, may I take a look at it? It might lead us to a clue."
In response to my words, Tsurayuki warned me again, "It's really just a memo," and then sent a text file to us.
I immediately opened it up, and sure enough, Tsurayuki was right, there was a mountain of words, a bit of long sentences, and the rest was written only in lines, as if he intended to make it a keynote.
I and Kuroda read it together and folded our arms, saying, "Hmm."
"Look, it was still nothing, right? I just couldn't connect the dots and put it all together from here..."
The process of creating something from scratch is much more difficult than one might think.
Even if you come up with an excellent idea, it is not yet clear at the idea stage whether or not you can expand the idea as is. It is only when you actually try adding elements to the idea and actually work to expand it that you will know for sure.
You may think, "Well, why don't we just do it right away?" However, it takes a lot of mental energy to develop an idea that is fraught with anxiety, and to do so by exploration. Because it is a human creation, various factors are involved, such as physical and mental strength, and the circumstances of the moment.
Tsurayuki is currently working on a full-length novel series, and as long as this one has been ongoing for a long time, work on the game will inevitably be done 'afterwards'. It's okay that he has a favorable impression of our production system, but since the mishap with the makers during the Succeed days, the editors on the other end of the line have not been very nice to us.
That is why, just because Tsurayuki's work is lagging behind, it does not mean that we can lock him up in a development office or hotel and make him write things or beat him excessively.
(But if this continues, Tsurayuki's work will surely become a bottleneck.)
Work such as setting up and plotting is the equivalent of a blueprint for everything. If this is delayed, the entire operation could come to a halt.
Of course, even Tsurayuki understands this, so he has the minimum necessary information for the pictures and sounds decided in advance, and he has them work based on that information.
But there are limits to that, of course.
So today, at any cost, we need to at least make a start.
"Well then, let's explore the possibilities of what we can do with the ideas we have here. It's not going to work as it is because it's our product, but we might find something to improve it."
Fascinating ideas exist as fragments.
"It's kind of between a brainstorm and a set decision. Thanks. By all means, let's do that."
Tsurayuki agreed, and the three of them decided to discuss the matter first.
Part 5
As the name suggests, the main theme of this new work, "Clockwork Destiny," or "CloDes," is a story about time. Clocks, hands, and numbers are often used as motifs in the design, and the general framework of the story is to pursue the truth of a certain incident while moving back and forth between the present and the past ... That is the general content.
This is a continuation from the original work, MysClo, which also had a time-themed setting and storyline, but the major difference was that CloDes had a major theme of the past, while MysClo had a theme of the future.
This was the direction that Tsurayuki had suggested. To avoid similarities, the theme of time was used as it is, but the flow from there onward was completely reversed to avoid similarities.
Both the future and the past are equally interesting themes, and I was sure that Tsurayuki would be able to connect them to an inspiring story.
"How to tamper it, and that's where you got stuck..."
That's apparently where the process of delve into it stopped.
"But isn't the past a theme that's been used to death in entertainment? Even if it's not a good idea to use it as it is, can't we use it as a reference?"
To Kuroda's question, Tsurayuki clearly shook his head.
"The past is already fixed and unmovable. I can't use something that I don't feel comfortable with, no matter how many times it's been used in entertainment."
At his tone of affirmation, Kuroda also stopped refuting the argument, saying, "Well, that's true". Conversely, I was struck by Tsurayuki's words.
(Tsurayuki is...Does Kawagoe Kyoichi have no regrets in the past?)
When you live a reasonably long life, you will have thoughts such as, "Maybe I made the wrong choice," or "I wish I had done more of this or that". Even though we know that we cannot get them back now that they have passed, they still remain because they are regrets.
For me, the choice of college has left me with a great deal of regret. Of course, I made some important friends and left some memories at my current alma mater, which I chose at that time, and it is not all bad.
But still, the thought that if I had chosen Geidai at that time, ...... still probably follows me for a long time after this. The classmates who are debating with each other in front of me, who are supposedly above the clouds. I find myself fantasizing about the present day, when I could have been more equal with them.
However, neither Tsurayuki nor Kuroda seemed to dwell on such a future of redoing things. It is not simply because they are successful now, but because they are confident that they have made choices without regrets in each case.
(What about me?)
I desperately tried to hold on, and through a series of miracles, I was able to come to a place where I felt out of place. So what exactly do I want to do from here on out?
Part 6
In front of me, a report is being made on the recent meeting with "those guys" and what kind of arrangement was reached.
"Next, regarding the visuals, there were no motifs that appeared to have been appropriated from previous designs. However, we cannot be sure that such things will not appear in the future, so we pointed out similarities and agreed on responses and compensation in the event that they are recognized. Next, as for the sound sources, this is also......"
Hachiya of the Legal Department reports what happened on the spot in a straightforward manner, without making any elaborate adaptations. That is very good. It is human nature to try to make oneself look good when reporting to one's superiors, not just on such occasions, but with this man, everything was so accurate that it seemed as if he was devoid of emotion.
We cannot just let those baby chickens of Ichikawa create things without a struggle. We want to make these incompetent people, who pretend to be creative, a vague and seemingly sweet word, suffer to the utmost limit. And if possible, I would like to crush the production itself.
(Any hints at this point?)
However, at present, there seemed to be no particular point that I noticed. I was thinking that if I found a point that clearly showed diversion, I would attack it and make it difficult, but Hachiya said that it seemed to be only a control measure.
BCC, or rather its parent company, B-Craft, has about as much legal work as we do. In the past, when we had patented a method of screen presentation that we did not want other companies to use, we formed a coalition of several companies and sued to invalidate the patent, and the case was accepted.
(They piss me off, don't they? And then there's Kawasegawa's that thing.)
Succeed and B-Craft are rivals. In terms of size, the other side is more than twice as big, but judging by the momentum we have built up over the past few years, it would not be an exaggeration to say that we are rivals.
But I don't really care about that. The point is whether it interferes with what I am thinking or not.
If there is even the slightest hint of this, I can focus on it and think of ways to develop it, but I wonder if there is anything I can do?
Despite my wishes, Hachiya continued to talk indifferently. He turned over the documents in his hand one after another, until finally he reached the last section.
"Finally, regarding the settings and scenarios, only this was requested and confirmed by the other party."
......Request and confirmation?
I am concerned that only this point was mentioned here, while none of the other points were.
"Heh, who said that?"
Probably. If anyone could utter a few words in this situation, I can only imagine one person who could.
(If it's that guy, it's going to be interesting.)
As if in response to my thoughts, Hachiya's mouth opened.
"The current chief director of the company Hashiba-san. He was the Assistant Manager of the Development Department 2 at our company."
"I see."
My prediction was correct. If this is the case, this will give us room to think.
"That's interesting. That's very interesting."
When I laughed, Hachiya also unusually moved the edge of his mouth. He seemed to be smiling.
"On top of that, I have an idea."
"What a coincidence, me too. Let me hear it."
Hachiya grinned clearly this time,
"Understood."
Calmly, he began to talk about the "proposal."
Part 7
In the conference room, the process of generating ideas and materializing them continued.
On the whiteboard, related words were written one after another. Then they repeatedly connected them with lines and added new words.
"Yeah, that's good. I think we have a reasonable frame of reference. Hashiba, are you good at this kind of genre?"
"Yes, I guess it was a system I'm interested to see."
Tsurayuki and Kuroda looked at me with a "Heh" look.
(Well, it's not so much about the story, it's more about how it compares to oneself.)
I was able to come up with a relatively large number of ideas. But that's because I've seen works like this in the past......Not from that point of view, but rather if you are a person with heavy regrets in the past......It was an opinion from that perspective.
But it seems to have turned out for the better.
"Yes, I think it could work. In a kingdom about to be destroyed by the Demon King, there is a boy who wants to go back in time and change history. If we start with the idea of trying to find out how to do that, it might be interesting to introduce the story?"
"All right, let's do it. I'll put it together in a hurry, just give me a minute."
In order to develop the fantasy world that was the main setting, Kuroda adjusted and incorporated the ideas and framework that were now emerging.
(At times like this, it's the ability to put it all together in a snap, I guess)
I am still not as good as Kuroda at working on the more in-depth aspects such as storyline and structure. In fact, I am no match for him at all.
It is frustrating to think that the results of studying hard since the school days and applying them to the work must be showing here.
"Okay, something like this. Let's put it on the monitor."
The file was displayed from the PC at hand to a large monitor. The general aspects of the world, history, and setting of the main character were written and summarized.
While following the text with his eyes, Tsurayuki said,
"Kuroda, I still think you should consider a proper writing route."
He says, as if impressed.
"I have a good sample up close. They say if you make writing your job, you're going to die."
"Haha, no mistaking it."
At Kuroda's reply, Tsurayuki smiled wryly.
(I wonder if he was ever offered to be a writer before...)
Maybe it's just a preliminary meeting, but that may have been the way the process went.
But certainly the summary text in front of me was enough to give me a solid sense of Kuroda's capabilities. It is easy to understand, not too long, and specifically noted based on the main points. Even the parts that might be ambiguous are well described.
"Could you try to take some of this home with you again, based on this? I'd be happy to let you use it as is, but, well, you... don't have to do it."
Hearing Kuroda's suggestion, Tsurayuki chuckled and said,
"Not as it is. If I lose to you, it will be more of a hindrance to my progress."
"I figured as much."
It's a good relationship, I thought.
I am sure this is how they competed with each other when they were students.
"Alright, well, I'll take this home with me today and review it. I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time, Kuroda, Kyoya too. Thank you."
Tsurayuki stood up, thanked us properly, and walked out of the conference room, I felt he return to his senses.
After witnessing it, Kuroda and I looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief.
Part 8
"How do you think Tsurayuki is doing?"
After finishing our business for the day, Kuroda and I were walking along the road to Tamachi station.
I was at a loss for words for a moment at the unexpected topic of conversation,
"Eh...... well, I guess he was feeling a little more at ease."
"I guess so. But it didn't get to the point where he had something. Maybe we'll have to work a little harder."
Saying that, Kuroda cocked his head.
"When he saw that Kuroda had put it together, he did show some interest in it."
"He's just paying lip service to the idea. If someone else comes up with a really good idea, he'll be so frustrated he won't say anything."
I see, I thought. Indeed, I felt that way when I thought of Tsurayuki's competitive spirit.
"He seems to be a cool, hard-working guy on the surface, but in reality he's a hot-blooded guy with a raging pit in his stomach. I'm hoping that the fact that we couldn't come up with anything good this time around will warm up his gut a little."
Right, I nodded my head, and I also thought.
It's hard to come up with enough ideas to inspire him, but I'll always say something that might inspire him. And by doing so, he might be able to find something.
"Well then, I've got a little business to attend to, so I'll see you later."
"Yeah, thanks for today. Next time I'll do it right, one-on-one."
At my words, Kuroda laughed 'Hihi' and said, "Don't fill it up too much," and left.
"It's not just the scenario aspect. We need to move forward with the character design, and we're finally getting around to ordering the sound system......"
In fact, the real interaction with the platinum members will begin, and it will be more tense than ever before.
Both Akishima-san ...... Shinoaki and N@NA-san seem to have very good human qualities, and I don't feel that they will have a hard time in that respect. But there is no doubt that they are both top-class professionals, and it would be a mistake to let one's guard down and take matters into one's own hands.
(I wish I had a senior colleague at a time like this......)
In the department, there is Kawasegawa, my boss, and Kuroda, my colleague. Of course, both of them are competent and can be consulted, but since they are classmates and both of them have a lot of work and responsibilities, I cannot discuss things too casually with them.
In other words, I have to carve it out for myself.
"Areh......Is it Hashiba-kun?"
Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice.
The thought of having a senior colleague there apparently summoned Horii-san's voice in an auditory hallucination? Such a thing in Gotanda, where Succeed is located, but in Tamachi, which is far away,
"Wai, Eeeh, Horii-san?"
In front of me was that Takoyaki-san, whom I had seen frequently until just six months ago.
"It's been a while. I'm glad to see you're doing well."
Smiling and laughing, Horii-san looked exactly the same as before.
"Etto, uhm...I am."
But now he and I are employees of different companies, even ones with which our relationship has deteriorated considerably. It's not like it would be a problem if we met and talked, but it still wouldn't be very nice.
Perhaps Horii-san noticed that, and then in a quiet voice,
"There is a little-known coffee shop near here. Would you like to go there?"
I immediately nodded silently.
Part 9
Just two streets down an alley was the coffee shop Horii-san mentioned.
It was clearly more of a coffee shop than a café, with a sign with a Coke logo in front of the store and a Showa-era style interior filled with sooty orange chairs and round tables that would please anyone with a retro taste.
"There is a printing company in Tamachi that has been a good friend of mine for a long time. I used to visit there to say hello, and every time I came, we would have lunch here."
It was already evening today, and we were about to have a meal, so we both had coffee.
"But, indeed, I'm sure our parent company's employees wouldn't come here either."
"Right, I think it's at a level that the really old-timers at B-Craft might know about."
It was somewhat strange to be having these conversations.
Horii-san was my former boss. He was a manager in the 13th Development Department of Succeed, a department of a bunch of leftovers who were, for lack of a better term, just a manager in name only.
However, I would later realize that this was a big mistake, as well as the identity of the people in the department. Each of the staff members was a talented person who had been exiled for defying the majority of the company and their superiors, and the head of the department, Horii-san, had once been at the forefront of the development process, a top runner.
I don't know how that Horii-san was eventually demoted to the position of head of the 13th department. But he is now a direct subordinate of the executive director, and is once again showing his ability in his new department.
Originally, he should not even talk to me, a traitor.
"Um, I'm going to meet with everyone from the 13th department today."
I almost said, "Would you like to join us?" in the middle of my throat,
"I see, please give them my best regards."
He quietly answered me so, and I knew I was right not to say it.
I can only imagine, but I believe that Horii-san is now in a position where he is half trusted and half monitored by the executive director.
In fact, we had not seen each other, e-mailed or called each other for a long time. Although we have nothing to hide, the executive director might still think that we are connected behind the scenes and that we are leaking information to each other.
So meeting me like this must be quite risky.
"Hashiba-kun, I think you understand."
Horii-san put the coffee in his hand on the table.
"I'm in a position where the upper management of the company doesn't think it's a good idea for me to meet and talk to you."
"...Yes, I understand."
As I expected, it seems.
"But I couldn't help feeling nostalgic, and I wanted to tell you something, so I called on you."
"You wanted to tell me something?"
Horii-san answered, "Yes," and picked up his coffee again. He gently sipped the hot coffee,
"That person hasn't given up yet. Please be on your guard."
It was like a jolt of electricity down my spine.
That person……even though he didn’t say it directly, it was clear that he was referring to Executive Director.
Probably so, I thought, but the words from someone who was actually up close and personal were still very strong.
"Does this mean that ... he's plotting something?"
In response to my question, Horii-san shook his head ambiguously,
"I don't know. I think his trust in me is zero. I am in charge of the business, but I am completely cut off from information about everything else."
"Is that ... so?"
My prediction came true, but in a bad way.
"But there are some things I can say. The other day that person called Hachiya from the legal department and had a talk with him. I think he may have visited you there as well to negotiate."
"Yes, he did."
The guy with those bad eyes and seemingly emotionless.
"Hachiya is in legal, but he is a scary guy who also has a network of information about the game industry in general and also has experience in production. The fact that he is working with that person is something to be wary of. Please be careful."
It was indeed a scary feeling to know what was going on in the field, not just on paper.
"So much so that Horii-san would go so far as to say so?"
"I'm just a simple soldier. I'm just old and I know a lot."
Horii-san smiled sadly as he said so.
"The more we talk about the old days, the older I feel, but lately I've been thinking a lot about it. I want to go back and do it all over again."
I remember the other day, when Tsurayuki's words.
"Even Horii-san thinks so."
"I think it's more because I'm a guy like this. Especially now, when I see you all struggling like this, I wonder if everything I was doing was wrong."
Did Horii-san perhaps make some kind of mistake? Since he does not give specifics, I can only speculate, but I wonder if I will learn something as I listen to him.
But Horii-san's talk ended here.
When he turned his face toward me, clearly saying, "I've talked too much ",
"Let's end this here. We don't want to stay too long and have someone see us."
"......You're right."
As I stood up, Horii-san gently bowed his head toward me.
"Please do your best. This is all I can say now. It's pathetic."
"No, that's ... Your warning is enough."
From the way he spoke, it was painfully clear that he was willing to take considerable risk.
And although there was nothing I could do about it, I was so sad that I could only communicate with my former boss in these words.
Part 10
After parting with Horii-san, I took the train from Tamachi to Itabashi.
It was a place I was not familiar with, but Miyamoto-san decided that a meeting in this area would be less conspicuous than in the southern part of the Yamanote Line, where there seemed to be many people who knew each other.
We enter a restaurant specializing in equine cuisine, which he says is his favorite. The waiter's voice said, "Welcome," which was interrupted by Miyamoto-san's voice saying, "Oh, Hashiba, this way".
I head toward the voice and sit down in front of everyone.
"Some kind of meeting? It's unusual that Hashiba-kun was the last."
Asked by Kojima-san,
"No, I was suddenly meeting someone."
Hmph, she replied, as usual, not knowing whether she cared or not.
(Surprisingly, she was listening to me, so I must be careful.)
After leaving Succeed, Kojima-san turned down a tremendous amount of job offers and became involved in various businesses as a freelancer. According to her, her monthly income suddenly jumped threefold.
"Hashiba-san is really busy right now, ... so it's hard for him to communicate with other places."
Sakurai-san backing me up,
"No, I really had no idea that Hashiba, who joined the company in the middle of the year in that mysterious way, was such a skilled worker. Amazing, seriously."
Miyamoto-san, too, crossed his arms and nodded his head repeatedly.
(Well, from my point of view, everyone is more like that.)
It is obvious that Sakurai-san is already at the heart of development, and Miyamoto-san quickly rose to the status of editor-in-chief after moving to the Manga Division for online distribution. I am truly impressed by the elite lineup in the 13th Department.
But that could be the case in other companies if we change our perspective. I wonder how many departments are losing their human resources, who have the ability but are being given the cold shoulder.
I had mixed feelings when I thought about the circumstances of the person I had just met.
"Actually, I just met Horii-san by chance."
I felt that the faces of the three of them tightened in an instant.
"He seemed to be fine. However, it was still difficult for him to talk about various things ... and told me to send his best regards to all of you."
Everyone seemed relieved to hear that.
"I see, well, as long as he's doing well, that's all that matters."
"Leaving just the manager there, I was worried about him."
"I would really like to meet and talk with him. I am finally able to work..."
Miyamoto-san, Kojima-san, and Sakurai-san.
They all had their own feelings of gratitude toward the head of the department. But so much so that the manager, who seemed to be in distress, could not tell them.
But I have to tell them this.
"And I have one more message."
Everyone's faces turned to me.
"I was told to pay attention to ... the executive director. I don't even know what to be careful about."
Everyone sighed, in unison. Miyamoto-san was clearly angry.
"That bas*tard's still trying to do something? He is too persistent!"
"I wish he'd just leave us alone already..."
Sakurai-san looked down, as if what had happened earlier had been too much for her to bear.
"But what a simpering way to say be careful. If I had proof that they were up to something, I could take action."
"You're right"
In fact, if we are told to be careful, for example, driving a car or a disaster, we can do it if it is something we can take precautions against.
But it is a very hard mode to take any action against a scheme that may or may not even exist yet.
"Isn't that where Miyamoto-san is supposed to come in?"
Kojima-san quickly interjects with a few words.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, Miyamoto-san is working for an information website-related company now, isn't he? I was thinking that if the company involved with Succeed and the outsourcing company were to be contacted, there might be some hints."
Miyamoto-san nodded heavily,
"Indeed. Well, some things can only be understood by trying ...... Still, it's worth a try if we can get the information we need ahead of time."
He immediately took out my smartphone and began to make some calls.
"I'm getting a list of companies that do business with Succeed. The rest are places where there is some activity outside of the main development. If I find anything, I'll let you know."
"Thank you, that's really encouraging..."
Miyamoto-san looked embarrassed,
"Well, I should be useful in these things. I've put you and everyone else through a lot of trouble."
"Such, that's okay, already."
He still seemed to be concerned about what had happened before. Yes, it was a difficult time, but it turned out to be a good opportunity for us to think about what happened afterwards.
"Well, I'll explore in industries that Miyamoto-san is less likely to be able to get in touch with, since a business-to-business systems company wouldn't have many routes."
"Right, that's a big help!"
Then, they immediately began exchanging information with each other.
It really helps to have two people in this situation. They are so brilliantly separated in their areas of expertise that you'd think they had it figured out from the beginning.
"I want to be able to work as soon as possible and without any worries..."
Sakurai-san spoke from the bottom of her heart.
I felt the same way, but it seemed that the time was still far from coming.
"Alright, that's enough of the bitter talk, let's have a drink! Excuse me, 4 medium-size draft beers!"
Although I still had some fuzzy feelings, the regular meeting started with Miyamoto-san's shout, and before I knew it, my worries had vanished under the influence of alcohol.
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