Game Developer in the World of Anime

On a weekend in Shibuya, the streets were packed with people, all out enjoying their holiday.

Ichin glanced at Kasumigaoka beside him and asked, "Where should we go first? The mall or just walk around?"

"The mall," Utaha replied, pointing toward a large shopping complex ahead. "There are a lot of clothing brands there, and I need to pick some outfits for the upcoming summer. My novel earnings just got credited at the end of April, and I haven't really spent much yet."

Ichin nodded. "Yeah, you've earned it, so you should treat yourself. Let's go."

They started heading toward their destination, but with so many pedestrians around, Ichin soon felt a gentle tug on his sleeve as Utaha lightly grabbed hold of it.

Ichin didn't resist and spoke softly, "It's really crowded today. Be careful not to get bumped into. Stay a bit closer."

Utaha nodded and moved a little closer to Ichin.

"I didn't expect there to be so many people," Utaha remarked. "Is everyone really this free?"

Ichin chuckled. "Well, it is a holiday. Office workers have exhausting schedules, so naturally, they'd want to unwind when they get the chance. And I've heard that in Japan, it's common for employees to work overtime, right?"

"Probably," Utaha replied, "even my dad has to work overtime occasionally, and he's in middle management. It's probably worse for younger employees who just joined the company."

"Yeah, the world is a tough place nowadays," Ichin said, shaking his head. "I'm glad I'm planning to start my own studio in the future. It'll be hard work, but at least I'll be doing something I love. What about you, Utaha? Do you plan on continuing to write novels? You're in your second year of high school, so you'll be thinking about future career plans soon, right?"

"Yeah, probably after the midterm exams," Utaha replied. She hadn't really considered this topic before, but now that Ichin brought it up, she pondered for a moment. "I do enjoy writing novels. There's something about creating stories with my own hands that I find fulfilling. But I'm not sure if I can keep doing it forever. I've already faced quite a few challenges, and I'm just getting started."

"That's true. Everything's just beginning, so there's no need to rush. With your grades, getting into a good university won't be difficult, and you'll have time to figure out what you really want to do in the future," Ichin encouraged.

"Yeah, I'll definitely aim for a university," Utaha agreed, then smiled at Ichin. "But Ichin-kun, you seem to have already decided on your future path. You're pretty determined."

"Of course," Ichin said confidently. "I've had this dream for a long time. I want to become a world-renowned game developer. But this is just the start. Although, there's one thing that's been on my mind a lot lately."

"What's that?" Utaha asked.

"The issue of setting up a studio," Ichin explained, sharing a thought that often crossed his mind. "Look, Slay the Spire is out now, and sales are great. Once the updates are done and it transitions to the official version, I'll be ready to start developing a new game. But the new game's overall production complexity won't be comparable to this one. I might be able to manage it on my own, but the progress would be excruciatingly slow. Like, really slow. But if I set up a studio now, by the time I graduate high school or even college, I'll have to decide whether to return home or stay here. What would happen to the studio's staff in the future?"

"Oh, right," Utaha realized. "You came here to study abroad."

Utaha also realized this issue and began to analyze it. "If you recruit talented developers here, it'll be hard to manage if you plan to return to your home country later, Ichin-kun. Oh, what if you establish studios in both locations? I've been researching game companies these days, and many of them have development studios around the world, like Ubisoft."

"Setting up studios in both places, huh? That's actually a good idea," Ichin nodded, smiling. "But thinking about this now feels a bit arrogant, doesn't it? I don't even have a shadow of a studio yet, and I'm already planning to open multiple branches."

"What's wrong with that? You need to set ambitious goals. Didn't you say you wanted to become a world-renowned game developer? I have faith in you, Ichin-kun."

"You have faith in me?" Ichin muttered softly, then smiled at the girl beside him. "Thanks, Kasumigaoka. That gives me even more motivation."

Utaha's cheeks turned slightly pink as she smiled charmingly and met Ichin's gaze.

"Freshly made croquettes! Get your fresh croquettes here!" a vendor's call from a nearby shop interrupted their pleasant moment.

Ichin quickly snapped back to reality, cleared his throat, and said, "Ahem, we've reached the mall. Let's head inside."

Utaha, her face still slightly flushed, responded, "Yes, let's go in." Her grip on Ichin's sleeve tightened just a little.

The mall was bustling with people, just as lively as the streets outside. After entering, Ichin took a look around and saw that the mall was primarily filled with clothing stores, some of which he recognized, while others were entirely new to him.

Once inside, Utaha's attention shifted, her mood visibly brightened. She eagerly pulled Ichin onto the escalator, heading straight to the second floor.

Before long, Utaha led them into a women's clothing store on the second floor. "I come here often. Let's see if they have any new arrivals," she said.

The store was busy, with several customers browsing for clothes. Many of the female customers were accompanied by male partners, so Ichin's presence didn't draw much attention.

Soon, Utaha picked out two dresses. "Ichin-kun, I'm going to try these on. Wait here, okay?" she said happily as she headed into the fitting room, leaving Ichin waiting outside.

During the wait, Ichin glanced around the store.

Hmm, he noted to himself, I'm the youngest one here. The other guys seem to be in their twenties or thirties. 

He also observed that, although many of the female shoppers were stylishly dressed, none quite matched Kasumigaoka in terms of looks or figure.

A moment later, the fitting room door opened, and Utaha stepped out wearing a fitted floral dress with a cinched waist. The style was entirely different from the simple white dress she had worn earlier.

Seeing her now, Ichin was reminded of the lead actress in a Korean drama.

Of course, her face wasn't so dramatically unrecognizable.

…

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