Game Developer in the World of Anime

On Saturday, Aoba, Sakura Nene, Momoji, and Narumi all came over to Ichin's place for a visit, mainly to meet the newly adopted orange kitten—Peppa.

Although it had only been a week since Peppa was adopted, life in a proper home was entirely different from a rescue center. In just this short time, Peppa had adapted to her new environment and was eating more and more, beginning to awaken the true potential of an orange tabby—its innate talent for becoming chubby.

Both Utaha and her mother took excellent care of the little kitten.

Especially when it came to food—Utaha's family wasn't short on money, so every day at lunchtime, along with high-quality cat food, Utaha's mother would bring home something fresh from the market—like a small fish—just for the kitten. If fish wasn't available, she'd substitute with cooked, finely chopped chicken breast, mixed into the kibble.

You could say nutrition was thoroughly covered. Peppa's weight was steadily increasing, her coat was sleek and glossy, and she looked very healthy.

Having a new furry member at home was a refreshing experience for both Ichin and Utaha, but it didn't disrupt their daily lives. They remained busy as ever—Utaha with her new novel, and Ichin pushing forward with the game project.

This really highlighted the difference between raising a cat and raising a dog.

With cats, even if you're busy, they can entertain themselves and don't demand constant attention from their owner.

But dogs? As pets that require companionship, it's not just about walks—they can often bring a bit of chaos into your routine.

Ichin and Utaha each had their own space and time to focus on their work, and the kitten had her own space and time to nap or play. Everyone respected each other's boundaries, which was perfect.

And just like that, as the little orange kitten slowly grew up, time passed, and May arrived.

---

Thursday Afternoon

Ichin and Hazuki had just stepped out of a recording studio. Looking up at the radiant sun, Ichin stretched with satisfaction.

"Time really flies. The voice recording work for the game is finally on track."

At first, as the producer, Ichin had to explain the character settings and the specific tones and emotions needed for the voice acting.

But since the voice actors he hired were all seasoned professionals—especially industry veterans like Tomokazu Sugita—he didn't have to give them much direction for long. They quickly grasped their characters perfectly.

That said, every time Sugita spoke, Ichin couldn't help but feel like Gintoki himself had entered the booth.

Since all the voice actors were well-known and both skilled and popular, hiring them wasn't cheap. And later on, they would also be involved in various livestreams and promotional events—plans suggested and supported by Nintendo, who would also help with program production.

Needless to say, once the project and the cast list were made public, the star-studded lineup of voice actors was guaranteed to attract a massive crowd of fans.

Thinking back to the joyful yet professional vibe inside the recording booth, Ichin couldn't help but sigh emotionally, "That saying really is true—'The only downside of expensive things… is that they're expensive.'"

Hazuki laughed in agreement. "Exactly! But it's totally worth it. If you'd gone with other voice actors, the effect might not have been as good. Besides, Ichin-kun, you were clearly enjoying yourself. You even collected all their autographs."

"True. Game development really does have its perks."

Ichin pulled out his phone and looked at the photos he'd taken with various voice actors. Smiling, he added, "Getting to chase your favorite stars on the company's dime—it's pretty awesome. Hmm… I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to work with Takeru Satoh one day. Maybe get him to be the face model for a protagonist?"

In this world, it seemed there was no Yakuza series—so there was also no Judgment with Takuya Kimura as the face model for the lead character.

"Maybe I could make something similar in the future?

There are plenty of actors who could be used as face models for a protagonist—it's definitely an interesting idea."

Beside him, Hazuki gave Ichin a speechless look.

"Come on, boss. Our studio isn't rich enough for you to just throw money around like that. And Takeru? I highly doubt he even has time in his schedule."

"Haha, I was just giving an example."

Ichin waved his hand casually, completely unconcerned.

"Don't worry, I don't have any plans like that for at least another two or three years. Come on, we're done checking in on the voice work—time to head back to the office."

As they walked toward the parking lot, Ichin was thinking about whether he should post one or two photos with the voice actors on his Bilibili account. He hadn't shown up online in a while.

But whose photo should he use? Nana Mizuki's? Or maybe Aoi Yūki or Jun Fukuyama?

Then again... did he really need to post anything?

Since he'd chosen to lay low, maybe he should just keep quiet a little longer. He could resurface when the Cologne Game Show approached—that would be a good opportunity to start warming up the audience for the game's reveal.

Arriving at the parking lot, Ichin suddenly saw a familiar face he hadn't seen in quite a while.

"Hey~~ long time no see, Ichin-kun, and Miss Hazuki too."

Akane Kosaka—dressed in a short skirt and black stockings—was leaning against her sports car with a bright smile, waving to the two of them.

Ichin hadn't expected to see her here, but he greeted her with a polite smile.

"Miss Kosaka, it's been a while."

"This recording studio is pretty big. Our company is also doing voice work for a project here. I even ran into several well-known voice actors around noon. Judging by that… they've joined your project, haven't they?"

Ichin nodded. "That's right. I just finished overseeing today's recording session. Looks like your company's project is going smoothly too—you're already in the voice-over stage."

"It's not a new project, actually!" Akane explained with a laugh. "It's one that had already been in progress. Kind of a leftover from our old doujin circle. We're planning to release it at this summer's Comiket."

"Seeing it through to the end—that's our goal. It'll be our final doujin project. After that, we won't be participating in doujin events anymore. We're moving on to a bigger platform to showcase our work."

She gave a playful wink.

"Ichin-kun, you'd better be ready. With our newest project, my goal is to surpass your company's sales."

A million copies, huh?

Ichin raised an eyebrow, clearly interested.

"That's not going to be easy. Seems like you've got a lot of confidence in your project, Miss Kosaka. Well, I'll be watching closely. Besides being a developer, I'm also a gamer—if the game is good, I'll be genuinely happy. Can I ask when your new game is scheduled to release?"

"Hmm~~ the release date?"

Akane tapped her chin with a long, slender finger, then smiled.

"Next summer, I'd say. About this time next year."

Is she doing this on purpose?

Ichin's upcoming Persona game was also set to launch around next summer. Looked like the two would be going head-to-head.

"Next summer, huh? Then maybe you'll lose really badly, Miss Kosaka."

Ichin's eyes gleamed with confidence.

"Our studio's game will not lose. You might end up getting crushed so badly that you don't make a single sale."

With that, he pulled out his car keys and unlocked the vehicle, taking the still-smiling Hazuki with him as he drove off from the parking lot.

...

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