Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Thank you for your support Saylesma, La Fayette, Jeffery, That's Pretty Mint and Joshua Berry
Chapter 4 | Cheat | Remake our Life!
Part 6
As opportunities to attend university decreased, the places where we met or arranged to meet gradually shifted outside the campus.
The most obvious example was with Kawasegawa. Where we used to meet and talk at the campus coffee shop ‘Mirage’, we now meet at the izakaya ‘Toriyoshi’ in front of Kishi Station.
So, today we gathered as a wrap-up party for the group that didn't drink on our recent day trip, but.
"You look pretty troubled."
Kawasegawa, sitting across from me, said right off the bat, peering into my face. Her favorite lemon sour sat untouched before her.
"Is my complexion that bad...?"
"Dark circles under your eyes, poor blood circulation in your skin, sleepy eyes despite claiming you slept a lot. There's more, but do you want me to say it?"
"No, it's fine..."
I politely declined and downed the highball glass filled to the brim.
True, I hadn't been sleeping well lately. Even with meals, while I ate at regular times during my part-time job, once I got home exhausted, I often just went straight to sleep.
"I'm not going to tell you to take care of yourself now, but if you collapse or something, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."
I could already feel the impending scolding coming.
"Still, congratulations. Who'd have thought you'd land a directing job this soon."
When I said that, Kawasegawa looked a little embarrassed and replied,
"It's no big deal. I kept telling producers who actually listened to me that I'd handle directing if someone dropped out. Then someone actually broke a bone and ended up hospitalized. So they just said, ‘Well, it's not that hard of a job, why don't you give it a try?’ Really, that's all there is to it."
Kawasegawa explained, speaking about 30% faster than usual.
The film production company where Kawasegawa worked, which he had always described as sad and old-fashioned, was gradually beginning to change, led by Kawasegawa and the younger employees.
One example of this change was Kawasegawa's promotion to director.
"There's this part in some company's corporate brochure where they want to include a mini-drama, but the veteran director doesn't want to do it. So they decided to have us three newbies, including me, give it a shot. Right now, I'm just poring over the script."
"No, it's really amazing. If Kawasegawa hadn't suggested it, things wouldn't have changed at all."
The outcome was entirely due to Kawasegawa firmly stating her opinion and taking action. Had she remained passive and done nothing, the company would likely have stayed the same as before. Even if an opportunity had arisen, it would most likely have gone to someone else.
"Yes, that's why I have to thank you."
"To me?"
"Because you made me realize that without your kind of proactive attitude, acting first and thinking later, it just won't cut it. I was genuinely impressed all over again. Blind courage is a kind of courage too, you know."
It was a subtle way of putting it, hard to tell if she was actually complimenting me.
"I've recently come to realize that sometimes action alone isn't enough."
"Are you talking about Shinoaki?"
I gave a slight nod to Kawasegawa's words. We'd already discussed Shinoaki's slump early on in the drinking party.
"I haven't really talked to her properly lately either. She seemed perfectly happy during that trip the other day, though."
"Her usual behavior is just as it always is. That's why it can't be caused by something that happened in daily life."
It didn't seem like she was particularly depressed or had any clear cause.
"You know,"
Kawasegawa took a sip of her lemon sour and let her gaze drift into the distance.
"I still don't know much about Shinoaki."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"When you interact with her normally, she's a really nice girl, serious, and above all, you don't often find someone who approaches making things with such sincerity. I have a lot of respect for her as a creator.
She set the cup down quietly and continued, "But you see..."
"I just can't help feeling that girl is hiding something. And it's probably something negative for her. Of course, I don't have any proof, and it might just be me overthinking things. But if it really is true, then I imagine she must be living her life by maintaining an incredibly delicate balance."
"That's how it looks from the Kawasegawa."
She gave a small nod.
"You know, I think everyone has a dirty side, or rather, a part they can't really show in front of others."
"Mm, I get it."
"I've got more of those parts than most, honestly. Even kids generally considered good kids usually have them. But Shinoaki... I really can't see any of that in her."
"But jumping to the conclusion that she's hiding it deep down seems a bit of a stretch."
"Don't you feel it? That Shinoaki is a little different from the other kids."
Now that she mentioned it, I can't deny there was something about her.
When she creates, she doesn't really care what others think; she prioritizes her own rules and convictions above all else. Of course, if she falls behind, she apologizes properly and tries to make up for it, but beyond that, she carries an air about her that's somehow mysterious.
But what exactly is that... I don't know.
"It's hard to say, but it's Shinoaki's personal matter, after all."
"I feel the same way. We still interact normally now, and there's nothing unpleasant about it, if anything, I feel bad for her. But when I think about what might happen if that balance ever breaks, I can't help wondering if there's something I could do beforehand."
I thought it was unusual for Kawasegawa to say this much.
But considering she wasn't the type to get close with fellow students in the first place, the only girls she respected for their creativity and also got along well with were Nanako and Shinoaki.
Given that she was one of only a few friends, I guess it was only natural to be curious.
"Sorry, I ended up talking about your work."
"No, it's fine."
Though I didn't get any direct advice, I caught a glimpse of how Kawasegawa saw Shinoaki, and it made me take a renewed interest in her.
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 7
Three more days passed. Shinoaki's poor condition still lingered. Though I changed my mindset to go to my part-time job, somewhere in my heart, I was still thinking about Shinoaki.
"Matsuhira-san, this is the debugging team's assignment chart."
I showed him the spreadsheet displayed on the screen while explaining its features.
"I've tried quantifying each debugger's skill level and aptitude, as we discussed before, and assigning tasks accordingly."
Separate from the planning discussions, Matsuhira-san had given us something like homework. He'd asked us to propose ideas for building an efficient system for the debugging work we were currently leading.
Reviewing the work reports of our ten-person debugger team, I submitted a proposal suggesting that assigning games and scenes suited to each individual could potentially save time.
"Yeah, it's well done. Your analysis of each debugger is also mostly spot on."
"Thank you!"
Just being praised by someone as talented as Matsuhira-san gives me confidence.
Monitoring the team's progress while proposing efficiency improvements was a great experience for learning to see the big picture. In fact, according to Horii-san, it's quite common for people who manage debugging teams to transition directly into production management roles and take on core development responsibilities.
(This part was just as Kanou-sensei said.)
Seeing how I could gradually gain experience toward becoming a producer like this made me feel a little reassured that the path might open up.
It's nice to occasionally have these moments of insight, rather than having absolutely no clues at all.
"Well, let's start using this chart next week. By the way, where's Takenaka-san?"
I remained silent, gesturing toward her seat with my hand.
"Gueeh... Boeeh... Uuuwh, idea... Ideas, won't you come to me... Guuuuuh, something, come out......Uuwh."
She lay there, moaning while letting out hellish sounds.
"Pa-Paisen... Please help meee, I'm probably gonna die like this... At least pick up my corpse if you can."
Noticing our gaze, a voice like someone on their deathbed drifted over to us.
"It sounds like something else is about to come out of her mouth..."
Matsuhira-san replied sympathetically.
"Well, I haven't really thought it through either, so I'm no different from her in terms of progress."
"Good ideas don't just pop up overnight. Anyway, there's still time, so take your time working on it."
"Yes, I'll do my best."
"Don't push yourself too hard mentally or physically. Taking precautions before you get sick is important."
Yes, I nodded. Matsuhira-san took very careful care of us part-timers, looking after our physical and mental states.
I once asked why he paid so much attention, and I remember him firmly telling me it was only natural as a leader.
(I, on the other hand... I'm nowhere near that level.)
I want to become someone who can handle things with this kind of composure, soon.
As I gazed at Matsuhira-san with admiration, the internal phone call suddenly rang from my own desk. Rushing to grab the receiver,
"Ah, Hashiba-kun. Could you come over to my desk for a moment?"
It was Horii-san's voice.
"Y-yes."
I answered immediately, informed Matsuhira-san, and excused myself from my seat.
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 8
When I went to Horii-san's desk, he pulled out the auxiliary chair right beside it and urged me to sit there.
"Sorry for calling you over."
"No, so what can I do for you?"
Horii-san clicked on a folder on the secondary PC, opened it, and showed it to me.
Inside were a vast number of illustrations, document files containing names and other information, and a spreadsheet listing data.
"Do you know about [Brain the Darkness], released by our company last year?"
"Yes, it's a simulation RPG with character designs by Kurase Sasami-san. It blends a medieval fantasy setting with a mechanical civilization worldview."
Its nickname is ‘BTD’. While the game system had a pretty harsh balance on hard mode, its popularity grew thanks to the stunning illustrations, and it spread mainly within the fan art community. I've bought a few doujinshi myself.
"Right. We've decided to make a fanbook for that work. I was hoping you could help us with it."
When asked to open the document file in the folder's upper directory, I did as instructed and found the proposal sent by the publisher inside.
"Last year, we made a fanbook featuring the game's setting materials and such, but it couldn't all fit into one volume. That's why we've decided to make a second volume."
As explained, the layout sheets showing the page composition contained many illustrations marked as unpublished.
However, this applied only to the first half of the book; the latter half consisted almost entirely of single, newly drawn illustrations.
"There are a lot of guest illustrations."
"Mm, since we've had so many fan art pieces drawn, we decided to collect as many of those as possible. We asked the publishing side to gather samples from artists whose styles and atmospheres were similar..."
Here, I finally understood what my job was.
"Ah, so you mean I'll be categorizing the illustrations here?"
Horii-san nodded at my words and said,
"You guessed it. But the responsibility is a bit heavier than that, I suppose?"
"Heavier...?"
Horii-san smiled and said,
"There are nearly 200 artists here, but I want you to narrow it down to about 50. In other words..."
"You mean I'm doing the first round of selection?"
Horii-san nodded vigorously.
"Uwaah...That's certainly quite a heavy responsibility."
Essentially, it means whether or not work comes from Succeed depends entirely on my judgment. Some artists might consider official work an honor. That's why this kind of selection requires a lot of care.
"As for the time... well, let's say two or three days. If you get stuck or have any doubts along the way, don't hesitate to ask for advice."
"Understood. I'll do my best to finish it by tomorrow if possible."
And so began the incredibly important selection process.
Though I say “selection process,” all I did was look at the illustrations and their creators' profiles, deciding which fit the game's world and which didn't. From the folders I sorted them into, Horii-san would later make the final decisions.
Fortunately, I had already played the game and knew what kind of illustrations fans would enjoy. So, the selection itself didn't cause me much hesitation.
But apart from that, Shinoaki was still stuck in my head.
With so many illustrators out there, I'm sure Shinoaki will eventually become a special existence.
But if I can't steer things properly from here on out, her success might take a different form, or perhaps not turn out the way I imagined.
I wanted to hear someone's side of things, even if just a little.
"Horii-san, have you always been involved in this kind of selection process?"
"Well, yes. For simpler things, I draw illustrations myself, so I've often been asked to handle selections and orders since long ago."
"Orders...Is it?"
That was exactly the point I was struggling with.
"Yes. Is there something on your mind?"
"Actually, it's precisely about that ordering, I've been a bit troubled by it."
Getting advice from a pro was incredibly valuable. But using work as an excuse to ask felt a bit awkward.
However, Horii-san offered,
"If it's related to a similar field, I might be able to offer some advice. If it's not too much trouble, feel free to tell me."
He said that and pointed the water at him.
"Thank you. Actually..."
I explained the situation regarding Shinoaki, keeping the publisher’s name confidential, but covering the background and current issues.
The publisher's requests, my assessment and order, and the matters currently stalled.
After I finished speaking, Horii-san nodded deeply.
"I see, that [Blue Planet]'s artist. If she has drawn that much, she must have a lot of emotion behind it, so it certainly became a difficult problem."
Horii-san seemed to remember Kuroda Team's work well and had a general grasp of the illustrations drawn by Shinoaki.
"Since I was involved in the rough stages of the order placement, I was wondering how to proceed..."
"There's no need for you to feel more responsibility than necessary, Hashiba-kun. It's inevitable that opinions and perspectives differ between the ordering party and the receiving party. It's nearly impossible for people to fully gauge another's feelings or subtle sensibilities in the first place."
Although his explanation was logical and methodical, and he even untangled the part about my responsibility, I still can't shake the feeling that ... if only I hadn't gotten involved in such a strange way.
If there was some kind of solution and I could be involved, I'd do whatever it took.
"Especially since the work itself isn't the source of stress, it seems like it could start running smoothly with just a simple trigger. That's..."
Horii-san nodded as if suddenly struck by an idea.
"Maybe it's worth trying something a little different for a change."
"Like what, for example?"
Even when talking about changing the immediate perspective, all I can think of is altering the environment where she has been drawing or switching tools.
Changing the composition itself would be too difficult at this stage, so what exactly am I supposed to do?
"It's about trying out some work separate from the current light novel project. Like, for instance, illustrations for this fanbook... What do you think?"
It was an unexpected suggestion.
"Eh? W-well, I mean, I think that's really great... But is that okay?"
"Yes. From what I've seen, she seems to draw illustrations with a wonderful atmosphere, and if Shino-san herself is willing, then by all means."
It was an unexpected story, but it was true that it wasn't that difficult to include Shinoaki as a candidate before the publishing company randomly selected her and made an offer.
"Thank you very much. I'll let her know right away today."
Since it wasn't something I could refuse at this stage, I decided to confirm with Shinoaki next.
"Are you working as her producer, Hashiba-kun?"
Suddenly, Horii-san blurted it out.
"Well, it's not quite that grand... I'm just providing support."
"But from what you said earlier, it sounded like you were getting pretty deeply involved in managing her?"
Hearing that, I realized this wasn't the time for vague evasions.
"I'm sorry, yes. I intend to take on a producing role."
"I see. So that's why you wanted to study production."
It may seem like an afterthought now, but considering the future, it wasn't a mistake.
"That's right. I want to create things together with everyone someday. That's why I'm studying production."
Horii-san nodded,
"That's a straightforward reason. Having companions like that is truly wonderful."
It was a phrase I felt like I'd heard somewhere before.
"But, as you might already know, be careful. Creating something with close friends can also mean you can't stay in the same relationship forever. As I said before, producing involves making calm judgments to create something better; that's part of the job. When friends are involved in that... you understand, right?"
"Yes. It was on a small scale, but something like that did happen before."
Horii-san murmured softly, “I see...”,
"She’s a very talented artist. Precisely because of that, if she continues to grow like this, she has every chance of reaching a major stage. But the bigger the stage, the more serious the fall can be."
"...Yes."
"I’m sorry, I’ve said too much. I’ll stop here."
I was grateful to hear it. But it was also a very frightening story.
Becoming a producer means embracing pain. Hearing Horii-san speak made that truth feel even more certain, more immediate.
Back when I was making doujin games, I unknowingly embraced that pain. It tore open my wounds all at once, pushing me to the brink of collapse. If not for that experience of leaping into the future, I would surely have become nothing but an empty shell.
Now, having resolved myself, I find myself facing that immense challenge once more.
What does it mean to be a producer? I trembled, body and soul, at the future and present finally linking together.
The character design for the major title soon to be announced by Success Soft: Akishima Shino.
The path that may be the trigger for it has been shown here and now.
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 9
The illustration selection process concluded smoothly, and Shinoaki was among the final fifteen chosen.
Of course, we'd already selected backup candidates in case anyone declined the offer. However, as for Shinoaki, it was a pretty blessed treatment, as it was okay to get started as soon as the OK came out.
After finishing my part-time job, I headed straight to Shinoaki's room as soon as I got home.
Rough drafts were still facing difficulties. Though her condition seemed unchanged from usual, I could sense her regret over the delays in her words.
"Shinoaki, I have something else I'd like to discuss with you."
I didn't go so far as to say it was to change the mood from her current work.
She wasn't someone who didn't play games at all, and had some knowledge of BTD through her work in fan fiction illustration. So, the job description went very smoothly.
"Nice, that sounds interesting."
And her feel of it wasn't bad either.
With light novels, you start with the cover illustration, and including bonuses and such, you end up drawing quite a few pieces. But with this ‘BTD’ job, it was complete in just one illustration. Plus, it was the kind of illustration that includes backgrounds, which is what Shinoaki excels at.
The barrier to accepting the job didn't seem particularly high, but,
"But... I haven't even finished this light novel job yet. Is it really okay to take something else?"
As expected, Shinoaki seemed concerned about the fact that the light novel work was still unfinished.
But that’s precisely where my involvement should help resolve things.
"It’ll be fine. I’ll handle the scheduling discussions."
There were still more than two months until the deadline. Plus, since the internal situation was easy to understand, it was easier to coordinate small details.
The publisher's schedule isn't my responsibility, but the editor in charge has a certain level of trust in me.
If it had been a project I didn't know that well, I doubt I would have been able to manage it so smoothly. That's why I could actively push for it.
Perhaps that was the deciding factor for Shinoaki, too.
"Well then, I suppose I'll ask you to do it. I'm looking forward to it."
We had moved on to the phase of confirming the details.
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Part 10
After finishing my conversation with Shinoaki, I returned to my own room.
Once that matter was settled, I had to turn my attention to my own task, thinking about the content of the project.
"Project, project... Hmm..."
I stopped typing on the keyboard where I'd been jotting down notes and took a moment to organize my thoughts on this project's content once more.
Something unexpected, something that breaks with past conventions. That was the broad challenge given by Horii-san.
It probably wasn't a consumer game project. If that's what he wanted, he would have said so, and it didn't seem like the kind of thing he'd deliberately assign to a rookie.
So this is definitely something the current development team members won't like.
In other words, something there's a need for, but they can't or won't touch it.
"So I guess we can narrow it down quite a bit."
The sound of keys tapping has returned.
I connect the bullet points into a single sentence. This step was always my favorite when planning projects. When the fuzzy ideas form a single thread, my thoughts become organized, and what needs to be done feels clearer.
Inside the closet, a sticky note outlines my next actions.
Beyond achieving Kyoya Hashiba's strengthening, namely, becoming Platinum, a sticky note remains affixed, inscribed with a dream still beyond reach.
『Making a Game Together』
I couldn't quite see whether what was there would be games, video, or content.
But now, the [game] I'd been nurturing from the very beginning seems to be gradually taking shape and appearing before me.
"Finally, I think I've managed to connect a little bit."
Little by little, though the form may differ, we're moving toward that day of the production presentation. Things that initially felt incredibly distant have now come within reach, close at hand.
Yet, I feel uneasy. I know full well I'm inexperienced and unreliable, but an invisible anxiety lingers, the fear that I've left something big and important behind.
"Can I really do this?"
As long as the tasks aren't clearly defined, this unease won't fade.
What I can do now is to be by her side and continue to support her. That's all.
It sounds simple when put into words, but actually doing it is incredibly difficult. The words Horii-san said to me just the other day come flooding back.
"Making things with close friends also means you can't stay in the same relationship forever."
Is this the breakdown of the relationship, or something that comes after it has developed? Either way, it's certain we can't stay the same.
How will Shinoaki come to terms with this going forward? Won't it lead to that future where she stopped drawing altogether?
"Shino's fragility is likely proportional to her strength."
I remember Kuroda's words.
Even though I made that promise back then, I still don't understand what that fragility is.
I want to get to know her. I want to work with her, talk to her, and understand, from the very roots, how this extraordinary creator creates her work.
I feel like what truly matters lies waiting beyond that.
——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———
Until someday, this world will reach that day, 10 years from now.
Until then, we have no choice but to keep moving forward.
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