Thank you for all the patrons Ilmi Sumitro.
Prologue | Spending New Days | Remake our Life!
Part 1
I am a special person by birth.
All the people in the world are mediocre, and it is I who need to make those guys move.
When did I start to have such a thought?
I made an effort. I have achieved a reasonable amount of success. So I don't mean to be conceited.
During school, I achieved near-perfect grades in all of them and entered a university that is known as a very prestigious institution.
Despite people talking about me like I was supported by my parents behind my back, I always continued to produce results at the family-owned company I entered.
The company, which was already becoming an old-fashioned business organization, continued to vigorously pursue new business initiatives and was successfully reborn as a result.
I silenced my father, who was a charismatic figure, with my accomplishments, and I made sure that he never interfered in any way.
Yet, and yet.
"It's beyond saving, those guys."
The monitor in front of me shows a website reporting the news.
The site regularly featured articles praising the creators.
There, articles about interviews with Kawasegawa and Hashiba were included.
Perhaps they were also wary of the company's reputation, because there was no mention of any hard feelings toward Succeed, but rather a list of things that stirred up enthusiasm for the new company and anticipation for the software they were producing.
But news naturally generates speculation and gossip.
The lack of mention of Succeed means that they put pressure on them, and they were erased, surely they were treated terribly, it's their fault, they are virtuous, and a list of baseless comments written solely on mood, written like maggots.
"What a crappy life"
I closed my browser and erased their faces and their unpleasant text strings from my monitor.
Throwing a stone at a huge object from a distance makes one feel superior for a moment. I have nothing to say to those who feel satisfied by such things. All I can say is, at best, enjoy the life of being a nobody for the rest of your life.
But I won't forgive those guys who instigated them. Those childish, arrogant, and ignorant people who have no clue about management and think they can get through anything under the banner of "creativity" need to be thrown into the depths of hell.
I picked up my smartphone and made a call to Torii in the Development Department. He was the direct subordinate to whom I had assigned the department head position after Kawasegawa.
Soon after, a nervous voice was heard.
"How are you, Executive Director? At this late hour......"
I checked my watch when he said that. It was just before the day was about to change.
"Indeed, it may have already taken too long, but I see that you haven't made much progress on the materials I asked you to compile for the 2nd department, have you?"
"W-We are sorry! Many of the items are scattered or unknown, and we are having a bit of trouble locating them......"
"I'm counting on you. You don't have a particular flair for planning, but you are good at organizing information and making it more efficient. That's why I entrusted you with the 2nd department that lose its fang."
"Thank you very much. We will do our best to meet your expectations, Executive Director...... No, we will produce results!"
"Yes, yes, then please take care of it"
I made sure the person on the other end said, "Excuse me," as if half shouting, and quietly hung up the call.
"You remembered well that I don't like the word "hard work". It would have been negative if you had said it like that, but you were so close."
The result is materialized, but the effort is not. That's why I hate it. I don't like people who use that as an excuse. There is no way they could be my subordinates.
I got up from my chair and looked out the window at the city.
At this floor level, the city below seems fake. The barely recognizable human figures are like ants, and the hustle and bustle all seem virtual.
When you get to see this view, you too will understand management.
It was one of the few words said by my despicable father that I found helpful.
However, he himself is already on the verge of being eliminated by the management he has learned from.
"It's what you did, you shouldn't have any regrets."
Muttering to no one in particular.
I go back to my desk and open the drawer.
A desk that has been emptied after most of the paper documents have been digitized. Among them, there was one thing that had been left behind.
Photo. It's a picture of me and some people.
About 10 years ago. I was still a student and working part-time at the company.
When the company was still in Osaka. In everyone's hands was a package of game software they had made themselves, and a big smile on their face.
I stare at it in silence.
"Finally."
I didn't leave this behind until now because it was important. I kept it as an object of hatred, regret, and ridicule, looking forward to smashing it to pieces when the time was right.
Now that those in the way have left and the final moments have arrived, it is the perfect moment.
"Goodbye, unpleasant memories"
Once, twice, and so on, the paper is torn over and over again. Everyone's smiles, relationships, and memories are all turned into tiny pieces of paper and flutter down.
"Soon. Soon......Everything disappears."
I closed the drawer and sat down in the chair again.
"I will erase them with my own hands."
In the dark room, my voice, thinly laughing, echoed through the air.
Part 2
That night was very quiet for the first time in a long time.
Recently, I had become accustomed to lively nights, partly because I was often working until midnight and partly because I was taken to Kawasegawa and Kuroda for a drink if anything.
But today, I was having a relaxing evening alone.
While sipping a bit from an open can of beer, I look at the website that was released today on my smartphone.
"I think I might have looked too cool a bit, here."
Interview article, that I received together with Kawasegawa.
It is an article by Miyamoto-san, who has decided to work in web media in a new place, and it talks about the projects we are involved in and our workplace.
I readily agreed as soon as I heard about it, hoping that it would raise my name recognition, even if only a little.
"It's kind of embarrassing."
Although it was unavoidable due to the nature of the article, the content was filled with a rather strong uplifting tone, like an introduction to a big-name creator.
The software itself is still at a level where it can barely be demonstrated in outline, and full-scale integration and creation of the software has not even reached its starting point.
At that stage, too much excitement may cause users to feel the opposite.
It is a negative for the software if expectations are raised too high.
[It's better to do this a little flashier.]
These were the words of Miyamoto-san to me when I expressed my concern during the checking stage.
Indeed, if the article is summarized too humbly, that would make it stand out less as an article, and it could be buried.
So, as a result, I decided to follow Miyamoto-san's words. In fact, looking at social networking sites, etc., most of the reactions were positive, and the negative ones were within the expected range.
But I can't help but wonder.
"That person too...... I bet he's watching, too."
Executive Director Matsuhira. He was the biggest enemy of our project, and the one we finally got our revenge on.
Against a man who clearly has power and has no hesitation in using it, we have been very careful in our response.
When leaving a company, starting a new project, and processing the aftermath. We called in legal and management experts and carefully checked each case to make sure that there were really no gaps in which we could be taken advantage of.
As a result, there had been no significant interference so far. Everyone was happy to see the results of our continued preemptive efforts.
"I wonder if we succeeded."
To this point, I should probably put it on my head, but for now, it's somehow in a manageable form.
But he's not the kind of executive director who would give up here. That terrible sense of persistence and preparation, and the ruthlessness with which he crushes his opponents to the point of utter annihilation.
I am sure he sees this article.
And he must be pondering how to crush us.
I remember those cold eyes and shudder involuntarily.
"Why, I wonder"
The executive director, even then, was a decent businessman. He started new businesses and was successful in all of them, and while he may have forced his own way in some areas, he never filled his own pocket or committed any obvious scandals.
However, when it comes to game making, he has consistently acted inhumanely and in denial, to the point of becoming almost personal.
What does it mean?
"Is it possible that there was a reason for the hatred?"
I can only assume so. And it's pretty intense.
I tilted the can and poured the slightly lukewarm beer down my throat. There was a pleasant sensation of carbonation as the beer slid down my esophagus.
I have only ever talked to the executive director face to face twice. Both times were far from friendly.
The next opportunity to speak will probably be next to none. Now that we are in separate companies, it should be difficult to make it happen unless there is a good reason.
But if I had such an opportunity, I would like to ask him at that time.
Why do you hate the game we love so much?
I would like to ask him because I have been saved by it in the past.
As I was absentmindedly thinking about it, I heard an e-mail notification. It seemed that something had arrived that was to be checked by the public relations department.
"But for now, we have to concentrate on making it."
We worked hard to create a "place". Now it is our turn to create something in that place.
That accomplishment would be the most effective answer to the executive director.
"We will create it with our own hands."
In front of the shining monitor. My monologue quietly melted into the darkness of the night.
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