Thank you for all the patrons Ilmi Sumitro.
Chapter 2 | Trials and Turning Points | Remake our Life!
Part 11
A grassroots investigation was initiated, and it was decided to proceed quietly until something was found, and we returned to business as usual.
It was around that time when I was thinking of developing again as usual ...... when suddenly a certain person came to me.
"I told Miyano-san that I'm stuck this month ... because many of the backgrounds here are natural objects. I'll turn over the rooms in the studio to OKU-san and let him take over."
I was staring at the schedule and considering who to order the background art from.
"Ah, Hashiba-san, um..."
A staff member sitting just across from me, looking somewhat nervous, approached me.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
When I replied, the staff member looked behind me,
"Etto, the president is......"
At the mention of so unexpected a name, I turned around in a hurry.
"Hello Hashiba-kun, thank you for your hard work~"
Our BCC president was standing there, waving her hand.
"Ah yes, thank you for your hard work..."
As expected, I stood up and bowed properly.
BCC is not that big a company in terms of size. Nevertheless, I am usually surprised when the president of the company suddenly arrives at the work space where I usually work.
However, this President Ichikawa visits the Development Department in a very frank manner. It seems that she does something similar at the headquarters of B-Craft, and the employees are surprised every time she does so. I guess that's understandable, I think.
"Um, so what can I do for you today?"
The president smiles and says,
"I have something I wanted to tell you. So I was wondering if you could give me a moment of your time."
"Yes, I can move now, but..."
When I answered, the president nodded,
"Then let's go to the conference room. Kawasegawa-san is also calling you~"
After saying that, she went to the conference room with a happy look on her face.
"I wonder what it is..."
To be honest, I felt nothing but disturbed.
(I wonder if she is planning something.)
I am not sure what Ichikawa-san is thinking, since she is on a different vector from the executive director.
The same was true of the recent lunchbox battle. I was very tired from the nerve-wracking event of having two people, my boss and the manager of the company, prepare lunch boxes for me.
I really wanted them to stop altogether, but in the end, neither Ichikawa-san nor Kawasegawa changed their minds about their conclusion that they wanted to continue making them, so the result was a tense sandwich of tension, with Kawasegawa on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Ichikawa-san on Tuesday and Thursday.
"Ichikawa-san didn't break at all..."
I learned that she was much more stubborn and selfish than I thought. I wouldn't go so far as to say that she was a dictator, but she was confident in her decisions, and she was very firm in her will.
On top of that, there is nothing more terrifying than not knowing what she will do to you.
"Something to tell ... I wonder if it's about CloDes."
If she went to the trouble of renting a meeting room, and if Kawasegawa was also present, it was expected to be a matter involving the entire development department.
As expected, though, it won't be a continuation of the lunchbox battle from the other day.
"No way, right."
I hurried to the conference room, hoping that it would not be a bloody battleground.
.
Part 12
"Nice to meet you~! I am in charge of Jiwango's Nico Live, and my name is Takenaka Rio! Bamboo of Bamboo, Naka of Naka-chan from this ship, and Take-Naka-Sato Sakura, which is cherry blossoms blooming in the village! Please keep working with us in the future!!"
Thus, waiting for me in the conference room was a young woman who was energetic, cute, and had a strange quirk in her self-introduction.
"Ah, hello, I'm Hashiba of BCC Development ... Ano, who is this person?"
In response to the question that naturally arises, President Ichikawa smiles,
"Hashiba-kun, let's try Nico Live!"
Suddenly, she said something like that.
"...........................Hah??"
It was too abrupt so I responded in a dumb way,
"BCC had just been established and didn't have its own advertising channel. So, when we were discussing the idea of creating one at a meeting of the advertising department, the president approached me."
Kawasegawa explained how it started instead.
"That's right! And, since they were so grateful to us when we created the B-Craft channel, we asked the person in charge at Jiwango for their support as well!"
"Takenaka is very grateful to Ichikawa-san for all the help she's given!"
Yes, I understood up to the point where this Takenaka-san appeared here. I understood, but.
"So, why did it occur that I would be doing a live broadcast...?"
The explanation was going to take too long at this point, so I asked the question,
"I thought it would be better to have someone from the development department who could explain the situation, right~? So I talked to Kawasegawa-san, and she said that if that was the case, Hashiba-kun would be a good choice."
"K-Kawasegawa did...?"
(K-Kawasegawa, you took me as your scapegoat...!)
In the first place, it would make sense for the producer to come out for this kind of thing, but perhaps the shy Kawasegawa was reluctant to do so.
At the BCC transfer event, she had spoken with such dignity ... I wanted to complain about it, but she almost collapsed from nerves afterwards, so I guess it's no use.
"Ah, but there's Kuro..."
"Hashiba, do you think you would watch it if he appeared on every stream?"
Kawasegawa rushed in, almost trying to cover it.
Although I think Kuroda has an appearance that could be described as good-looking, he does not have good eyesight, has a bad mouth, and is far from being friendly to users. In fact, he is at the point where Kawasegawa has ordered him not to use social networking services from the company.
It might attract the type of female fans who want to be dominated, but I'm not looking for that kind of thing, and I don't think this is an option.
"Sorry, I wouldn't."
Even if I deny it, then what should I do?
In this way, it becomes more and more like I'm the only one left,
"I'm not a good speaker, and my voice doesn't have any special characteristics, you know?"
"No, no, no, it's all right! Hashiba-san, you are quite good-looking, and I think you will be able to do it easily once you learn how to do it the first time!"
I don't know what Takenaka-san likes, but she is pushing me hard.
"Even if you say that..."
I was hit with a barrage of hard talk, so much so that I wanted to complain in the Kansai dialect.
(Well, I don't think there's anyone else who's suitable.)
It is too much of a burden for Sakurai-san, and this may have already been answered.
"Okay, I'll take it."
When I told them that I was OK, the president and Takenaka-san both shouted "Yay!" with joy. Kawasegawa, perhaps feeling sorry for me, made a pose of praying with one hand and said, "Sorry."
"So, now that it's been decided, let's get the first stream tomorrow!"
Ichikawa-san clapped her hands and said something outrageous.
"Eh, t-tomorrow!?"
Even though I'm not mentally prepared for such a thing and suddenly I'm being told to do it soon!
"I thought it would be better to do something like this sooner, but is that impossible?"
"I think there are some preparations that need to be made, for example, logos for streaming, setting up a studio, and so on."
I said "mental preparation," but there are things you have to do to prepare before that. I know that much from the knowledge I have acquired so far.
However, Takenaka-san, as if she could see right through that, smiled fearlessly,
"Fufufu, That's all right ~. Manager Kawasegawa had already ordered the logo and everything else for this broadcast!"
"E-Eeh!?"
I look at Kawasegawa in surprise. Kawasegawa again looks away and shows a "sorry" pose! She's an outrageous girl!
"...That means you've been working on it from the very beginning."
In other words, they had been working on this plan for a long time, and had already decided to have me as the streamer. The plan was to order the logo and other items based on this premise, and to reveal the details the day before the first stream as a big reveal.
"Yeah, yeah, that's good, Hashiba-kun, you make a good face~"
Seeing my surprised face, the president was smiling happily all the time.
(I've been done)
Well, it wasn't that much of a surprise, but I never thought my streaming debut would be like this.
From now on, I will try to at least study it by watching other company channels before tomorrow's streaming begins...
"Ano~"
I was on the verge of giving up when Takenaka-san gently approached me,
"Hashiba-san, I actually captured this entire exchange with the camera......"
She pointed to a video camera sitting firmly in place.
"I'm thinking of editing this one and making it public as well~"
"P-Please let me check~!"
Somehow, I thought, it's tough being a streamer.
.
Part 13
After experiencing such a terrible situation, I left the office almost on time to go home right away that day. I took the Yamanote Line and was about to change to the Odakyu at Shinjuku.
"I guess I'm allowed to drink a little today."
Hoping it wouldn't affect tomorrow's streaming, but when I mumbled something about it,
"It's okay~. The president will give you special permission."
The words came suddenly to me at the back of my neck.
I stare back at the other person with eyes that could not be stiffer.
"I don't usually say this kind of thing, so please buy me a drink today, president."
"Of course!"
I received an immediate answer with a cute smile that did not seem to be that of the president by any stretch of the imagination. To the casual viewer, we might have appeared to be colleagues or direct bosses and subordinates. But in reality, we have the inseparable relationship of employer and employee.
We arrive at the nearest Yurigaoka station and walk a few minutes. I enter an izakaya where I have had drinks with Ichikawa-san before.
Come to think of it, I used to frequent this restaurant as well, until I found out she was the president. Ichikawa-san seemed to be a regular visitor, and we often ran into each other by chance, but after I got a horrible reveal that she was actually the president of the company where I worked, I kind of started to stay away from the place.
"Kyoya-san hasn't been drinking at all lately, so I'm lonely~"
We entered the restaurant and as soon as we were seated, the president began to complain.
"Usually, salarymen don't drink casually with their president."
"Ah, that's cold! That's how you put it, that's terrible! I'll give you a bad assessment!"
Regardless of whether it's the head of the department, if someone from the top says something like this, I don't think ordinary salarymen would be able to live with it.
Anyway, we ordered the same snacks and drinks as usual, and the drinking party began.
"So how did you come up with the idea of streaming all of a sudden?"
When I asked, Ichikawa-san laughed 'Hihihi' like Kuroda,
"Jiwango's Takenaka-chan, isn't she cute? She's such an energetic girl, plus she does her job well...the type of girl I think Kyoya-san would like!"
"Answer the question, mou!"
Well, Takenaka-san was indeed cute. She looked like a college student, but she had an animal-like cuteness that made me want to ruffle her hair.
"It's the same reason I mentioned earlier~. Nowadays, information is much more accessible on the Internet than in game magazines, so it's better to have a place where you can send out information."
"Well, well, that's true, but then we could have done more, like bringing in voice actors as personalities or something."
In the meantime, I have just expressed my protest on that point,
"Cost savings and preference"
"Hah?"
"It's just like the words say~. If we had to invite voice actors for each of our weekly broadcasts, it would normally cost a lot, and if we had to bring in writers, it would cost a lot as well. On that point, Kyoya-san can write scripts and review information by himself."
"And what's this preference?"
"I've always liked Kyoya-san's voice~! So I secretly recorded the meeting and played it for Takenaka-chan, and she said, "He's really got a handsome voice, doesn't he!" and I said "Right?" And that was it!"
"Haa," I sighed. I thought that the reason for the first part of the story was true, but I was afraid that I would not be able to achieve the numbers as it was.
"You need to come up with some kind of plan, make some kind of rule, and if I can't do it, I'll be punished, or something like that, and show my confusion in the process, and then..."
As I was talking about what came to mind, I noticed Ichikawa-san looking at me with a grin, and I stopped talking.
"Eh~, I would have liked to hear more about the plan."
"No. Instead, I'd rather still be talking about the game."
Ichikawa-san seemed dissatisfied, but I decided to end the conversation. If I had continued the conversation, she might have said, "Let's record a request voice".
"Now, let's talk about the game, shall we?"
"Fine."
Ichikawa-san's eyes seemed... to sparkle.
"Kawagoe-sensei, I heard that you decided to create a new setting and plot."
I almost choked my throat.
"Y-Yes, but that's......?"
"It's not a problem or anything. I just thought it was a courageous decision, considering the various circumstances and such."
Saying so, Ichikawa-san downed the sake in one gulp.
(I guess she'll point it out properly, of course.)
I heard that Ichikawa-san had been managing the progress of the project at the headquarters of B-Craft for a long time. Moreover, it seems that it was an overseas studio, so she must have had a lot of trouble.
That is why she wanted to verify any points that might lead to delays.
"Of course, in terms of time and effort, it would have been correct to choose an arrangement from an existing one. However..."
"But?"
After taking a breath, I answer in a firm tone of voice.
"I am sorry that Kawagoe-sensei had such a hard time at the previous production site. It is our responsibility that we were not able to prepare a site where he could work without any inconvenience. So this time, I would like to follow his wishes as much as possible, and provide backup for him."
Like Ichikawa-san, I downed my sake in one gulp.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound cheeky, but that's a point I cherish."
I wondered if she would look at me coldly ......, but contrary to my expectations, the president was smiling.
"Kyoya-san cares about creators, doesn't he?"
"That's what ...... I intended, yes."
"But please remember. As I said before, this is a business. Brand, reputation, and sales. Make sure you make decisions with a proper positive outcome in mind in all of them."
Ichikawa-san's tone of voice, which should have been fluffy with drunkenness, became sharp at this moment.
"Yes, I'll be careful."
Once I had made my decision, I decided to move on and take proper responsibility.
After returning home, I immersed myself in watching the company's streaming in the archives. However, there was not much to learn, and all I could get out of it was to try to speak as clearly as possible, to avoid saying negative things, and, well, just to be careful in a normal way.
"I guess I have to try it first."
Although I was still anxious, I could only hope that experience would help me in this matter.
.
Part 14
The next day. I arrived at the office with a slightly heavy heart. My mind was occupied with the first streaming, which was scheduled to start at 20:00 after work.
Unfortunately, the company had already built what looked like a distribution booth and had all the necessary equipment. However, I heard that they decided to lease the equipment because they would have run out of budget if they had purchased it all.
I received an inner line from Kawasegawa and headed for the conference room, which was ready.
"Whoa."
The former conference room had been completely transformed into a studio, so much so that one could not help but raise one's voice.
Inside, Takenaka-san was setting up around the equipment in a brisk manner, and Kawasegawa was watching the work with interest.
"We've been working on it for about two weeks now, and we've got some really nice equipment, so don't worry about it, just enjoy the streaming~!"
She said that she has asked Jiwango to do this as part of her duties, and that Takenaka-san will continue to come as an engineer and assistant around the equipment.
That helps, but I have some complaints about the way the surprise was masterfully set up. Not to Takenaka-san, but to the two bosses.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't too keen on the idea of a surprise, let alone having you do it."
Kawasegawa approached me, somewhat apologetically.
"Areh? But didn't Manager-san say that you want to see Hashiba-san's panicked face once in a while?"
Takenaka-san's leak made me glare at Kawasegawa,
"I have work to do, so please excuse me."
She quickly ran away to her seat. Takenaka-san giggling.
"Hashiba-san, you are loved ~"
"I'm just being played. I have to get revenge someday."
"At that time, Takenaka will help you. Ah, please talk to me for a moment so I can do an audio check."
I do as I'm told, introduce myself briefly and talk about the weather today.
"It's OK! The volume is perfect, but more than that, Hashiba-san's voice is really good. You haven't done any streaming or anything like that before?"
"Not at all."
I answer by waving my hand sideways.
"If that's the case, this might be a good time to get a little more serious about it. Because in the next few years, streaming should definitely be at its peak."
Takenaka-san says happily. As someone who plays games for a living, it's complicated for me, but since the Nico Live boom, live video games have become something that manufacturers cannot ignore.
"Is live video game streaming the main thing now?"
I don't know much about it, so I took this opportunity to ask,
"Yes, many people are doing it as an extension of Nico Live, but I think the future is with virtual YouTubers ~"
"Virtual YouTuber......Is it?"
As one would expect from this kind of work, I was familiar with the name, but to be honest, I didn't know much about it. But since Takenaka-san, an expert in this field, said so, it must be a promising genre.
"I am also a big fan of it, and I help produce and stream it, but I think it will become even more exciting in the next two or three years!"
"Stream, huh."
I was also watching the game commentary on Nico Live, so I kind of understand that those people will step up in the future.
But how will they monetize it? Is it something that can be done with just donations? Even if they were to do live performances, how well is the necessary infrastructure in place?
(I'll have to study it eventually.)
In front of me, Takenaka-san was preparing for the streaming. She may seem lively and lighthearted at first glance, but she seems to be very serious and firm in her work.
It wasn't often that I was involved with online streaming people, but I can tell that she was much more neat and tidy than my preconceived image of her.
"By the way, Takenaka, have you always been in the streaming business from the beginning?"
I asked her a question somehow, and she said, "Right~," while trying to make the connection,
"Originally, I also wanted to work as a game maker."
"Eh, really?"
Unexpectedly, she was an aspiring colleague.
"I've been doing music and drawing for a long time, and I wanted to have a job where I could make use of that, but I couldn't find anyone or any work that I was attracted to."
"It wasn't a very strong feeling?"
"Right right, well, I'm good at it, so I'll just do it~"
I see what she means. I entered the industry completely out of longing, but it is quite possible that the reason for applying is because I can utilize my specialty.
"So I went to a normal university and was job hunting, but the game industry was falling apart, and for some reason, Jiwango was the only one that picked me up."
At the time, Jiwango was pushing Nico Live and various real events, which meant that she had been working behind the scenes and planning them all along.
"It's fun to be a part of it, and I get to meet people who are on the cutting edge of what's going on. I'm having so much fun right now."
True to her word, Takenaka-san seemed to be moving very lively.
I devoted my youth to games and was saved by illustrations, music, and novels, so I think I will continue to pursue those media.
But it's a good opportunity, and I'm starting to think that it's a good idea to get a little more serious about streaming.
(My voice, it's been praised)
Of course, it is probably lip service, but it's honestly nice to get a compliment.
"Well, it's been 15 minutes, let's just review the day's process!"
Takenaka-san, who was cheerfully leading this event, so I replied with a big, "Yes!".
.
Part 15
The day after the stream, I was in the conference room again, waiting for someone.
Eventually, right on time, the person who I had been waiting for opened the door and entered.
"Thank you for your hard work, I appreciate it in your busy schedule tod..."
Shinoaki came in and spoke to me cheerfully, the moment she opened her mouth.
"Kyoya-kun, I saw your stream ~!"
Frankly, I wanted to disappear already.
"......Can I go home today?"
"No! I have a lot of things I want you to check out, so I won't let you go home ~"
She went out of her way to stand in front of the door and blocked the way.
"You don't have to be so shy, it was interesting~"
"It was tough for those who were doing it! I'm really reflecting on everything now......"
I held my head and hung my head in exaggerated disappointment.
The first Nico Live was held last night. I was the main host and Takenaka-san was my assistant, but right after the start my mind went blank and I skipped over everything I was going to say in my greeting, and the situation already resembled the torture of hell.
Wrong title to introduce, wrong reading of people's names, wrong order, wrong reading of listeners' comments, wrong time remaining, wrong everything.
Thanks to Takenaka-san's help, I managed to keep the stream itself presentable. But as for me, I was too uptight and nervous, and it wasn't a level where I could talk about quality. After we finished, I was exhausted, but Takenaka encouraged me by saying, "You did well for the first time!" but her consideration made me feel sorry for her.
Anyway, the first stream was the worst for me.
It was precisely because I was in such a state of disarray that Shinoaki's innocent "I saw it~!" was so damaging that it was almost like a powerful belly-button slap. In order to recover from this, I needed to grasp the trigger for the next stream.
But, of course, there is no such thing.
"If the listeners are happy, that's good, so don't worry, because things are only going to get better from here on out."
The smile on Shinoaki's face makes me pathetically happy.
"Yes, thanks. I'll try my best."
In a previous meeting with Tsurayuki and N@NA-san, we agreed that I would talk to Shinoaki ... Akishima Shino uses casual speech.
Of course, things did not go so smoothly at first, and I found myself repeatedly speaking in honorifics, only to be met with protests from Shinoaki every time I did so.
Finally, after our first few meetings, we began to talk frankly, and in the process, I realized something.
(I-I feel soothed)
Yes, she was a super important and respected platinum generation's greatest creator, and she was a tremendously healing presence.
I have now realized that each and every one, including her relaxed way of speaking, her Kyushu dialect that comes out when she lets her mind wander, and her gestures when she does something, is very relieving and comforting.
Of course, that doesn't change anything. She is, needless to say, an important business partner and someone with whom we will be communicating more and more and producing more and more work. If I had brought a kind of dishonest feeling into it, I would not be able to apologize to Kawasegawa and Kuroda, who put me in this important position.
"Kyoya-kun, this is the next one."
"Y-Yes...Hmm."
However, the soft voice that comes unexpectedly makes me feel relaxed for a moment.
Previously, in an interview for her art book, there was a quote from the editor in charge that was listed as an appendix. Naturally, while I admired her work and the resolute manner in which she created it, I was reminded even more of her words that if you work even once, you will become a fan of herself.
After checking today's work, she had about 30 minutes left in my schedule. She said she had to stop by a publishing company in Iidabashi for a meeting later and wanted to kill some time. Of course, I gladly agreed to go along with her.
After talking about yesterday's stream and Kawasegawa and Kuroda from the development department, the conversation turned to what she makes.
So I finally told her what I had been wanting to tell her for a long time.
"I, Akishima-san's ...... Shinoaki's art book saved my life once."
The first time I picked up one of her art books was when I was 27 years old, five years after I started working, so about three years ago.
It was around that time that I realized that the bishojo game maker I had taken the plunge to change jobs with was actually a very black company. Although I had entered the industry I had longed to work in, I felt as if my heart was about to break at any moment.
When I was in such dire straits, I happened to buy her art book. The large, lively, smiling characters seemed to be alive and moving. It cheered me up and gave me strength. It was a really tough job, but I felt energized and inspired to create something anyway.
If I had not found her book at that time, there is a high probability that I would have suffered a serious physical injury or even self-injury. That is how much I was cornered.
So I think she and her work saved my life. I told something like that to Shinoaki in a few words.
It came off as a very selfish and somewhat like a confession, and I regretted it a little after I told it,
"I'm happy ...... I'm glad that my work helped Kyoya-kun, and I'm glad that I'm drawing."
"I'm glad to hear you say that."
I was relieved from the bottom of my heart.
Of course, I think there was also a bit of lip service out of concern for me, and even if she had felt annoyed at being told such a thing, even if she felt it was annoying, having made it difficult for her to say anything, I felt guilty that I had done something very unfair.
Still, I've been wanting to thank her for a while now, for the story of a 30-year-old man who was saved by one of her creations. To other people, it may seem like a strange thing to do, but for me, it was the equivalent of meeting God.
Shinoaki sipped from a paper cup of tea.
"When I draw a new character, I really mean it as if I am going to give birth to the world. That's why I was so happy when Kyoya-kun said it looked like it was alive and moving, and that was my ideal."
The character's clothes, gestures, stature style, personality, and way of talking. After putting in all the information in that character, it literally brings it into existence. The effort involved was extraordinary.
"So each time I do it, it takes a lot of energy, and it's very tiring~. But if I don't do that, even if the picture is done, it doesn't come alive and move."
"As for MysClo, Tsurayuki-kun was very careful in coming up with a character set, and based on that, we came up with a variety of characters. Among them, the most important one, the magical girl who controls the clock ...... was very well done."
I remembered it.
When I joined the company, character designs had already been created. Among them, there was a character who was drawn very well, from facial expression to movement. Her name was "Okuro-chan," which was taken from the name of an O'Clock. She was popular among the staff.
"I liked her very much. Sometimes when a character has so much emotion, you feel like they're going to come alive and start moving, and that girl ...... was just like that."
I took the rough in an envelope from the clear case I carry with me.
"This ...... character, right?"
The moment Shinoaki saw the characters, her expression brightened.
"Right! This girl, so nostalgic, is she well?"
She took the drawings and traced them over and over again with her finger, smiling kindly. Seeing her like that, I almost cried a little.
What Shinoaki said earlier about giving birth to a character. I was convinced that these words were true and not a single one of them was a lie.
She is not tracing the drawing. She is stroking the child she has created. She said that creating something from scratch is such a labor-intensive process.
It's obvious, but I was reminded of that.
"Not only for MysClo, but with any kind of art work, even if you go to the trouble of completing it, it sometimes stays somewhere in the past without ever going out into the world."
I sighed and looked up.
"I know that as long as I'm drawing art and making a product and getting paid for it, there are some things I can't do anything about. But without being given much of a reason, and being told that it's okay because they paid for it, and what you've produced is just going to end up somewhere ... it's tough"
"......Sorry."
"It's not something that Kyoya-kun should apologize for. If you are someone who cares like that, I can work with peace of mind."
Shinoaki smiled at me like that, but I was unable to be honestly happy about it.
(We ...... that company has done something like that.)
Company affairs, power struggles, and strategies for selling. Of course we know that a company cannot run everything in an ideal way as long as it is in charge of making profits and moving society forward.
But behind it all, the act is equivalent to the shedding of blood, as if someone's thoughts were put into a coffin and locked away in a room that will never be opened again.
A single image file of hundreds of megabytes or a single text file of hundreds of kilobytes contains the joys and pains of the life of the person who created it.
Did she mind that I was silent?
"Sorry, sorry, this is getting kind of heavy. Let's end it?"
"Ah, I got all gloomy too."
No matter how serious I look, it will not solve anything. The most effective way to prevent further tragedies from occurring is to proceed with the game we are currently creating in front of us.
"Ah, yes!"
With a clap of her hands, Shinoaki says, as if she has just remembered something.
"Hey Kyoya-kun, you've already finished checking CloDes today, right?"
"Yeah, I just finished that."
When I answered, Shinoaki made a pose of asking for a favor,
"Can you help me with one more thing?"
"Eh, okay, but...What?"
Shinoaki took out a portable LCD tablet she was carrying and lined up several rough images on the screen. All of them were portrait-size and featured a single girl and a background.
"We talked about the next art book a little bit before, didn't we?"
I nodded, saying yes. I heard this at a meeting a while ago.
Since the book is scheduled to be released in two to three months, we were in the process of discussing permission with the publisher to include CloDes' illustrations in the book as part of the publicity.
"I'm cutting a rough sketch of the cover right now, but ... I can't decide on the composition."
She enlarged and expanded the image and showed it to me.
The theme of this year's exhibition was "Spring". In keeping with this theme, variations of the girls standing or sitting in front of precise spring-like backgrounds, such as rows of cherry trees and lush greenery, were presented.
"I'm thinking of choosing one of these, but I can't seem to decide on one at the moment."
At first glance, they all seem correct from my point of view. Not a single one of them seems to be negligent in composition, and even this one rough sketch shows that she is a rare presence.
"From Kyoya-kun's point of view, what do you think?"
I thought, "I am being asked a ridiculous question".
In front of the person who drew the art that changed my life, which do you prefer? I'm asked for my opinion. Within a few minutes of first speaking to her in person with all my might. I honestly don't know what to say,
"I......"
Once again, I stare at the screen so hard as to make a hole in it.
The roughs had some rough color in them, but they were very well balanced. There was no disconnect, but it was not dull either.
However, if I may dare to say.
(It's a little different ... from the "Sunflower")
When I first saw the first collection of artwork, I was captivated by the expression on the character's face, and the composition and direction for bringing it to that point really shined through.
Compared to that skill, the skill of the cover illustration this time seems to come from a slightly more skilled hand or, in the best sense of the word, from a familiar point.
But when it comes to how exactly to express it, the words stop.
(That said, I'm not sure if saying nothing is what she is asking for.)
After much thought and pondering, I,
"Well, etto, the background..."
"Hmm?"
To Shinoaki who asked back,
"Ah, well, the previous illustrations I saw were only of the characters, but this time there was a solid background, so I thought it might be a little strange, or maybe the illustration was different."
I could not say it was good or bad, but only to mention the difference in impressions.
It was really just a level-headed opinion, if I dare say so,
"Hmm..."
Shinoaki did not respond in any particular way, but after hearing my comment, she looked back at the rough with a fixed stare.
"U-Um, it's really just an opinion."
I hurriedly said something to follow, but there was no particular response from Shinoaki.
Eventually, after a few minutes of silence,
"I see, thank you!"
Suddenly, Shinoaki replied in a cheerful voice, tucked her LCD tablet into her bag, and quickly packed up her things to go back home.
"Well then, good job ~ See you at the next meeting."
Then, with a flutter and a wave of her hand, she quickly pushed the conference room door open and quietly walked out.
"Ah, yes..."
A little later, the reply I uttered trailed behind her.
After she was completely out of sight, I held my head for a moment.
"Did I say something that was unnecessary?"
To be honest, I didn't think it was a very good response. After I said what I said, she kept looking at the rough and thinking about something, and didn't say anything about my opinion.
I could have just said that I liked this one from those several pictures. Then I said something about the background bothering me or changing it from the overall tone.
Thinking about it, I suddenly felt ashamed.
"I think it's okay to answer questions as long as they're asked."
If this had caused her to stop her creative process in any way, I would have been a disqualified director. I should have asked her more about her ideas and aims.
But now that this has happened, it's time to move on.
"The illustration was properly uploaded."
In terms of progress, we were given such a good one that there was no way we could complain about it.
So much so that I thought for the rest of the day that the ending might have been a little bad.
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