Bokutachi no Remake Ver. β V1 Chapter 3 By: thai130898

On Monday morning, all the members of Development Department 13 were gathered at a coffee shop a little ways from the office. I had told them there was something I absolutely had to tell them, so we gave up our lunch break and I deliberately chose a shop where employees from other departments were unlikely to come.

"...Why'd you call us to a place like this?"

Charaji, who was usually joking around, had an unusually serious look on his face, sensing the heavy atmosphere from me and Sakurai-san.

"This doesn't seem like good news. Not at all."

The Queen stood there expressionless. The way she neatly tapped her cigarette ash into the ashtray gave the impression of someone accustomed to tough situations.

"D-did something troublesome happen? Did it, huh?"

As for Takoyaki-san, he had been wiping his sweat with a handkerchief the whole time. He was so scared, it was as if Trouble = Death.

(If the manager finds out what might be happening now, I wonder what will become of him.)

He was so flustered it was worrying.

"Sorry for gathering you all here when you're busy. The truth is, I happened to overhear a conversation concerning the survival of this department..."

As I began to speak, Charaji and Takoyaki-san leaned forward in reaction.

"What's that... This is some seriously bad news!"

"The s-s-s-survival of the department, you mean, Hashiba-kun, Hashiba-kun, it's about the survival of the department, right!?"

Both of them had turned pale. Well, it couldn't be helped...

"Hmm, sounds bad."

The Queen also reacted, but she didn't seem particularly shocked.

"C-calm down, I'll explain it in order!"

Along with Sakurai-san sitting next to me, I explained what happened on Friday.

That a reorganization of the development division was about to take place, and that we, Development Department 13, were the first to be targeted.

And I decided to tell them, without hiding anything, that one of the triggers might have been the business improvements I had led.

It was only at the level of hearsay, and I could have kept quiet, but it was based on the judgment that the damage would be less if I said it now, rather than hearing it from someone else later.

But, as expected, Charaji attacked that point.

"Hmph, you and your unnecessary meddling. Hashiba, if you hadn't tried to act all cool and do your business improvements, maybe this wouldn't have happened?"

"...That might be true."

In reality, since the premise was that we were a burdensome department, I think the result would have been the same even if the business improvements hadn't been made.

However, I had no objection to the fact that I had created the trigger.

"Is that... what's being rumored...?"

Takoyaki-san spoke in a serious tone and then fell silent.

It was the worst possible situation.

......But, we have been preparing so that we can fight back when this happens.

"But, we still have a chance."

I declared it to them in a firm tone.

"That plan we're working on now, if we can put it together into a solid, realistic proposal and present it to the higher-ups, we can do things as a department, and if that happens..."

Just as I was about to continue, saying that the department's survival would also be decided,

"I'm done."

Charaji stopped me with a hand gesture.

"Done? What do you mean by that?"

Looking fed up, Charaji scratched his head and said,

"I'm changing jobs."

"Eh..."

"Changing jobs. Isn't it obvious? Rather than being sent to a dead-end room by a transfer, it's better to just decide on a new job and get out, right?"

At those words, the Queen next to him also nodded.

"As for me, I'd be fine if I could just get to do miscellaneous tasks in some development department. Luckily, I have skills, so someone will probably raise their hand for me."

This one also seemed to have no interest in the progress of the plan.

"It's not decided yet, it's just that there's a rumor, so I wanted you to feel a sense of crisis..."

And on top of that, I had hoped they would attend the planning meeting. This is completely counterproductive... their hearts are drifting away.

"U-um... I'm also very anxious, but if everyone quits now, it would be playing right into the company's hands..."

Sakurai-san also pleads with an anxious expression.

"That's right, just meekly offering up our necks without doing anything, it will all end without any reward...!"

"...Are you saying that the correct answer is to appeal to someone who has no expectations of us? We have no stage, no chance, nothing."

Charaji spat out in a low, stagnant voice.

If we're talking about right and wrong answers, what we're doing now certainly has the odds stacked against it.

An even heavier atmosphere covered the area.

As no one could utter a word,

"...Well, I'm going back now."

Charaji stood up and said,

"If I'm going to waste time on something pointless, I'd rather go back and browse some job change sites."

And then, patting Sakurai-san's head,

"Well, I guess this is the end of that childish make-believe planning."

Sakurai-san's shoulder trembled with a jolt.

To her, who had worked so hard to keep the possibility alive, that was just too rude, and did he even have the right to say such a thing?

To Charaji, who was only good with his words, I finally felt my anger welling up.

"Wait a minute."

I stood up from my seat and stood in front of Charaji.

"...Your business is finished, right?"

"It's not finished. I won't forgive that outrageous remark about 'make-believe planning'."

"There's no way it'll ever take shape. If that's not make-believe, then what is it?"

"Aren't we going to have more meetings and turn it into something real! And yet you don't even try to stick with it, talking about quitting or changing jobs, why are you so insincere!"

Charaji clicked his tongue unpleasantly and looked away.

At his completely careless attitude, words overflowed from my anger without thinking.

"Have you ever... seriously tackled your work!"

In an instant, Charaji's eyes shot up.

"Shut up! You don't know anything, so shut your mouth!"

It was a shout so loud that the inside of the shop fell silent for a moment.

Charaji seemed surprised at the loudness of his own voice, then shook his head and let out a big sigh.

"...Being serious... gets overturned in an instant, in this world..."

He said, as if spitting it out, and then casually walked out of the shop.

Once again, a heavy silence hung over everyone.

"Well, I'll be leaving too. Sorry I couldn't be of any help."

The Queen also stood up from her seat.

"No matter how good an idea you come up with, turning a pie in the sky into something real is incredibly difficult. If you have that kind of energy, it's better to use it for yourself."

She stubbed out the cigarette she was smoking and also quietly left the shop.

The three people left behind all fell silent.

"...Sorry, Sakurai-san."

"No... if my proposal had been better, this wouldn't have..."

Sakurai-san said, her shoulders slumping.

I was wondering whether I should have told them this information now. But for my part, I wanted everyone to get more serious, and to participate more actively in the planning.

Although it was negative news, I thought it would spur them to action. But the result was that it drove everyone away.

(Is this... the end?)

I got into the game industry I longed for, and a prestigious company at that, through a miraculous encounter.

But there, I was put into a department that doesn't actually make games, and the workplace was rotten.

So, I took action. The situation improved a little, and I had hope that we could move forward.

......However, the situation suddenly took a turn again, and steered in an undesirable direction.

In the stage before making things, the story is about to come to an end.

"U-um, you two..."

Sakurai-san and I both turn towards the voice.

Takoyaki-san was looking at us with a worried expression.

"Manager... excuse me, the conversation is over, so you can go back..."

Thinking maybe he felt awkward about leaving, I said that, but

"No, I was thinking we should properly discuss what to do from now on."

"Eh...?"

"You see, I'm the manager, so I have to think about the department."

I thought, that's unexpected.

I thought a comment of "let's not rock the boat" would come out just like before... but there was a statement worthy of a department head, and I was a little surprised.

I thought there were only disadvantages to telling the department members, but for the first time, I was able to feel glad that I had.

I even thought that perhaps my eyes had been clouded.

"S-so... do you have some brilliant idea?"

To me, who asked with expectation, the manager gave a refreshing smile and said,

"Of course not! That's why, you see, we have to think together."

After all, perhaps my eyes weren't clouded.

Together with Sakurai-san, I hung my head in disappointment.

"...I expected too much."

"...But well, it's good that he's at least a little motivated."

Honestly, I felt more than just a little energized.

For the time being, I took out my smartphone and checked my schedule.

"Let's do our best to have at least a minimum of hope by the planning meeting this weekend."

"But, how...?"

"Even for those two, I think their opinions will change somewhat if there's a concrete plan."

It's true that even though we talked a lot about the plan, nothing was said about how to realize it.

Conversely, if that conversation gains specificity, it means that possibilities will arise.

"I'll give it a try."

I opened LINE and sent a message to a friend to make an appointment.

"I still can't... give up over something like this."

◇

Outside the window, the sound of a train passing by can be heard.

It was a bargain property close to the station, but this noise was a bit of a nuisance.

"Sorry, the sound of the train might have gotten in, but can you hear me?"

When I asked,

"It's fine, I can hear your proud handsome voice clearly."

Hayakawa answered teasingly.

"Well, if I lose my job, maybe I'll start streaming."

"That's a great idea, if your subscriber count exceeds 100,000, come work with us."

Although it's a complete joke, well, even if I were to lose my job, I don't think I could become a streamer.

Back at my previous job, I had the chance to talk with a certain YouTuber as part of a promotion, but it was nothing but things that made me think it was a job at the opposite pole of being carefree, like filming and editing, as well as regular uploads and posts on social media.

There's no such thing as an easy job in this world. Everyone has their own merits and demerits, and they live by balancing them.

"My bad, it would have been nice if we could have gone for a meal together."

"No, I knew you were busy."

"So, what are you going to do? Are you going to give up and come to our place soon?"

I had already told Hayakawa about that incident via a message earlier.

In his judgment, it was better to quit immediately and change jobs. Indeed, if I explained that situation, most people would say so.

"Well honestly, I thought about that too... but I'm going to struggle a little more."

But, I didn't choose that option.

"Why? For that cute boss or the junior in your department?"

"There's that obligation, but if anything, it's also my own pride."

On the surface, it's probably for Sakurai-san's sake, but more than that, the feeling of wanting to do something about this situation was boiling within me. Perhaps my true intention is my feelings towards craftsmanship, or the feeling of not wanting to betray my former self.

In any case, it was certain that the matter was not for just one or two reasons.

"So, I thought that Hayakawa, who has been through various tough situations, might come up with something, so I decided to consult you."

"I don't know if I can satisfy you, but... I'll do my best."

He agreed to consult with me in a strangely formal way.

"First, we'll need to do some research."

"About what?"

"That is, whether that department consolidation plan is a company-wide thing, or if it's something being pushed by one faction."

Hayakawa's assessment is this.

A company can be classified into two types: either a complete one-man show, or composed of several factions.

Succeed Soft is a listed company, and although it is hereditary from the founder, it seems there is some trouble with the generational change, and there might be a chance of victory there.

"That place is now largely divided into two factions... I'll pull up some documents."

Hayakawa sent me something like a research report.

"Previously, I had a research company come in for the development of our advertising. I've sent you that report, so after you read it, please take responsibility and delete it."

"...Got it."

I open the file and read from the first page.

Succeed Soft was founded in 1980 based on a mail-order business for personal computer software established by the founding president, Matsuhira Shigeru.

At that time, personal computer software was in a bubble period, and software sold like hotcakes, but Matsuhira thought about the future and decided to start in-house development as well. At first, they developed historical simulations, but they were far from the industry leader, and from 1995 they entered the adult software market. Initially, they were looked down upon in the industry, but their beautiful graphics, robust system, and successful collaboration with a talented writer on the scenario side made them a hit maker in no time.

From the 2000s, they entered the consumer industry with great anticipation. Here too, they achieved great results, went public in 2005, and thereafter quickly discovered the potential of social games, consistently achieving high profits, and became one of the leading blue-chip companies in the game industry.

"Well, if you only look at the public story, there are no particular problems to be seen."

"That's right. Because they don't stick to one business model, the transition seems to be succeeding smoothly."

Both bishoujo games and consumer games saw former hit makers disappear one after another. The reason for this was mostly due to "knowing the good times too well."

"Yes, the transition went well... that's precisely why that place is in turmoil now."

"Why?"

Hayakawa pointed to the relevant page and told me to look there.

As I was told, I turned the page, and there was a profile of one person written there.

"Matsuhira Kou--the president's only son, huh."

After graduating from university, he joined Succeed Soft as a new graduate, and currently held the position of Managing Director.

(Managing Director... I see, so that was him.)

I remembered the person I passed in the elevator hall the other day.

"It's amazing, right? He's the same age as us and a managing director of a listed company. That's something you'd only see with a founding member of a hit venture company."

That's true. But he's someone who joined the company after it had already grown large.

The connection of being the president's heir is certainly strong, but when it's this blatant, it would naturally provoke resentment.

"In short, he's in conflict with the executives who oppose that hereditary succession?"

"As expected of Hashiba, you catch on quick. But that's not all."

"Meaning...?"

Hayakawa sent another document.

It was an article from an economics magazine. There, Matsuhira Kou was featured prominently with a photo as the key person in Succeed Soft's entry into social games.

(No doubt about it, that's him.)

Ignoring my internal agreement, Hayakawa continues to talk.

"Soon after joining the company, he pushed through internal opposition and created a social games department. Naturally, the long-time employees resisted, and an atmosphere of non-cooperation with him filled the company."

"...But, as it turned out, his assessment was correct."

"That's right. The social games business, which started with only Development Department 12, with one manager and two subordinates, now accounts for half of Succeed Soft's development division."

They were making fun of the unknown business started by the rich heir, but before they knew it, they were greatly out-earned, and there was even a danger of a reverse takeover...

For the old guard, that must have been infinitely unamusing.

"And so. If this Managing Director is the one who proposed the department consolidation, then honestly, you probably have no chance of winning."

"Probably, since the momentum is different."

"But, if it's the other way around... you get it, right?"

Hayakawa's voice is bouncing with glee.

"If I can get in with the Managing Director, a reversal is possible, is that it?"

"That's right. So first, let's do that research."

For detailed internal information, Kawasegawa would probably know, so let's ask her. As for the department members... well, I guess I'll just ask them for reference.

"So, Hashiba, that plan you're thinking of now... does it have a chance of winning?"

"Yeah, I might not be able to win big, but I don't think I'll lose big either."

The most ideal way to run a business is to invest small and recover big. But such convenient stories are not so easy to come by.

In that case, we should first think about making a small profit. Then gradually expand the frame, and it will be fine if the result is that it has grown large before we know it.

"Alright, then solidify the plan firmly. Write clearly that it is low-risk and has the potential for high returns, so as not to give the other party any room to take advantage."

As expected of someone in the advertising industry, where evil spirits roam, Hayakawa's points were on the mark.

"Thanks, you were a big help."

"You helped me out a lot in college. I hope this can be a repayment."

Come to think of it, I remembered that Hayakawa often asked me for things when we were students.

If he really meant that as repayment, as his words suggested, it's a very loyal thing to do.

"Those were fun times."

"Yeah, we were able to do a lot of things we can't do now."

Hayakawa paused for a moment there, and then,

"The other day, I was just thinking."

as if he'd just remembered, he changed the subject.

"I told you I played baseball all through high school, right?"

"Yeah, I remember. You got a scholarship, right, if I recall."

Hayakawa was a baseball boy in elementary, middle, and high school, and a fairly well-known player at that.

To say that his name was mentioned, albeit in a small way, as a player to watch in the draft in specialized magazines, he must have been quite amazing.

"Actually, I passed the selection for W University."

"Eh, that's incredible..."

Speaking of W University, it's a powerhouse among powerhouses in college baseball, and has produced many players for professional baseball. Even if you didn't go pro, there was a rumor that being a graduate of their baseball team would be a significant advantage in job hunting.

"But well, in the end, I didn't go there."

Not only did he lack that much confidence, but considering the pressure of always playing baseball, he apparently thought that even if it would be advantageous in his future life, it would put him under excessive stress.

"Well, as a result, I was able to meet Hashiba and get a job like this, so I don't have any regrets or anything, but..."

I heard a small chuckle.

"If I had chosen that path... I wonder what would have happened. I sometimes think about it."

He was laughing self-deprecatingly, but I couldn't laugh.

Even after ending the call, I thought about what he had just said for a while.

Hayakawa had potential. If he had pursued the path of baseball, he might have even been able to go pro. The "if" fantasy he thinks about probably lies there.

Again, I apply it to myself and think. If I had chosen the path of going to art school back then. Naturally, I wouldn't have met Hayakawa, and I think I would have had completely different friendships.

In fact, I might have even become friends with the members of the Platinum Generation and created something together.

"Haha, maybe that's too much of a fantasy..."

But, you really never know where life will take you. A world where the "unthinkable" I'm imagining now was reality could exist.

Working hard with Kawagoe Kyouichi to create scenarios,

collaborating with N@NA to make songs,

and commissioning Akishima Shino to create illustrations.

Such a future might have been possible.

"...Well, let's leave the fantasies at that."

Now, as a reality, I have to think about what to do with my own place. To be able to have fun expanding my fantasies, I need to create ground I can stand on.

First, tomorrow, I'll meet the person who will be the key to creating a concrete plan.

I opened LINE again and checked that person's schedule.

"From here... I'll recreate the route no matter what."

To remake a development that seems headed straight for a bad end into a happy end.

◇

Near the head office building flows a river called the Meguro River. Along its banks are rows of cherry trees, and every spring, the full blossoms delight people... or so it seemed.

As we walked together down the road that continued from the side of the company, I asked Kawasegawa about it,

"Cherry blossoms? Now that you mention it, I guess they were blooming."

very unfortunately, it seemed she herself had no interest in cherry blossoms in the first place.

Perhaps she sensed my disappointment,

"Sorry for not being very girly."

"No, I didn't say that at all."

"Your eyes and your pause said so. 'Not cute,' they said."

She pouted her lips with a scornful look and muttered discontentedly.

It had been a while since I talked with Kawasegawa alone, but I felt she had become more of a pain than the last time we spoke.

However, I do feel that the distance has subtly shrunk, so maybe she's the type of girl who acts that way when she gets close to someone.

(I mean, these clothes...)

I glance over at her.

What she was wearing over her blouse was a light pink cardigan, just right for what one would call cherry-blossom pink.

If I wasn't mistaken, it was definitely the one she bought when we went shopping together the other day.

(Even though she didn't seem to like it that much...)

I don't know if it was out of consideration, but I was strangely happy.

But, I'm sure if I mentioned it, she would make this or that excuse. I felt like I wanted to hear that too, but today I had more important business.

"...So? You didn't call me here to talk about cherry blossoms, did you?"

"Yeah. Though I wish we could have just ended it with talk of cherry blossoms."

I told her little by little about the consolidation of the department in question. As for the internal factions, since it wasn't confirmed information, I decided not to touch on it here.

When I finished speaking, Kawasegawa let out a big sigh.

"...I see, so you've learned that much already."

Kawasegawa herself seemed to understand everything.

"I'm truly sorry. When I invited you to the company... that talk hadn't come up yet."

There was talk of increasing staff in her Department 2, but it wasn't confirmed at that point. So, to secure me as a talent, they apparently decided to put me in Department 13 as a stopgap measure.

"But, from there, talk of department reorganization came up. I thought they would just make cuts in the unprofitable consumer development division, but it turned out to be a company-wide matter."

I somehow sensed what she was talking about.

Looking at it from a revenue-only perspective, it would be fine to just cut the employees in consumer development, which is becoming a burden, but if that were to happen, the important people in the old guard would lose face, and the internal division among employees would worsen. So, that's not possible.

"So, not only was the initially planned increase in staff for Department 2 postponed, but in an effort to cut where they can first, Department 13 is being made a scapegoat... is that it?"

Kawasegawa nodded.

"The board of directors is arguing, partly because of that. The so-called President's faction, the people who originally made profits from consumer games, and the people led by the Managing Director, who focus on social games."

Surprisingly, the research material Hayakawa had shown me had grasped the information quite accurately.

Kawasegawa continued to talk and also mentioned her current position.

"Right now, I'm in a very delicate position."

"Why? If you're the manager of Department 2, isn't your position stable?"

She shook her head and said,

"Department 2 is a mixed team that does both consumer and social games. So I'm caught in the middle, and it's very difficult to work."

I see, that is indeed tough.

"Kawasegawa, do you have a preference for which side you'd like to be on?"

"...Honestly, I hate factions. I don't want to join either side. But..."

A calm gaze looks straight ahead.

"The President's faction has no future. The Managing Director... he's not just looking at social games, he's looking at what's next, so I think he'll win in the end."

"You can say that with such certainty."

"Yes. He's a smart person. Frightening, but--"

Saying that, Kawasegawa trembled slightly.

I don't know what kind of person he is, but he must be quite a go-getter.

"But, I don't intend to work under him. For me... the consumer game I'm working on now is important, and I want to concentrate on completing it."

Is it about that collaboration project with the Platinum Generation?

"Why are you so passionate about it? It can't be just because you're the same age, right?"

To my question, Kawasegawa took a breath and said,

"You see, I went to the same university as them. And not just that. We were in the same department, and we've been making things together all this time."

"...Is that so."

That made sense. Strangely enough, it matched what I had fantasized about yesterday.

If these were feelings from her student days, it couldn't be helped that they were special.

"'We can finally make something together,' we said at the first meeting. But since then, we've had nothing but interference, and the plan has been changed over and over. It was supposed to be a dream project, but now, I'm just thinking about how to end it."

With a deep, deep sigh,

"I've had enough of being misled by unnecessary politics...!"

Kawasegawa said, as if squeezing the words out.

Surely, a pile of frustrations that she can't tell me has built up inside her. The fact that she drank until she was wasted, even though she's not a strong drinker, is probably because of that, and the fact that she's talking about the internal situation like this now probably means she's nearing her limit.

"...I'm truly sorry. That's why I think it's better for you to leave our company."

She said to me, looking down.

"I know it's rude of me to say this after I was the one who invited you... but, any more than this, I just can't."

I was thinking about many things.

As expected, the company was in the midst of turmoil. But this kind of thing can happen at any company, and it's almost rare for it not to.

It would be easy to quit here, but if I do, the reforms I had started, however short a time, will all be for nothing.

(More than anything, after Sakurai-san worked so hard...)

The proposal that she, who has always been losing until now, is finally about to get her hands on.

If that were to be trampled on just because of internal company matters, it would be too unbearable.

"Hey, Kawasegawa."

I stopped and turned to face her.

She also stopped and looked at me.

"I have a favor to ask."

"...What is it?"

I tried to force a smile to reassure her a little.

But it might have come off as a fearless smile, or a smug look.

That's how reckless, or rather challenging... well, to be frank, what I was about to say was not something well-mannered.

"Honestly, I'm going to ask you for something troublesome. But I believe... this is necessary for the company."

"What are you... trying to make me do?"

Kawasegawa didn't try to hide her anxious expression.

While facing her looking like that, I began to explain a certain strategy.

A strong wind blew as if passing through the Meguro River. It seemed as if it were foreshadowing the turmoil to come.

◇

After finishing my talk with Kawasegawa, I returned to the office again.

It was already well past closing time, but I had things to do today.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

As I entered the underground workplace I had become all too familiar with,

"Ah..."

it was just as Charaji and the Queen were about to leave the room.

The situation was awkward for both sides, and we just stood there in silence.

"Um, for today..."

Perhaps sensing my unspoken question of "Are you leaving now?"

"That's right, we're leaving."

Spitting it out bluntly, Charaji slipped past me and pushed the door open.

"It's useless anyway, no matter what you do..."

I heard him say in a small voice as he was leaving.

"Eh...?"

By the time I turned back to ask again, they were already gone.

"Hashiba-kun, welcome back~"

"Good work. You were talking for quite a long time, weren't you..."

The two who were still remaining offered words of comfort.

"I'm fine. More importantly, those two... they've gone home."

When I said that, Takoyaki-san stroked his smooth head as usual and said,

"I understand that you're dissatisfied, but I want you to try and understand them."

He showed me a slightly lonely expression that he didn't usually show.

"Did something... happen?"

"Yeah, well, various things."

I was curious about the reason, but for now, there were other things to attend to first.

After preparing properly, I'll try talking to them again.

"Anyway, was it alright for you, Manager? To stay with us like this."

Sakurai-san and I had decided to stay late, but we hadn't intended to make Takoyaki-san stay with us. That's why when he took the initiative and said he would stay, I felt like I was seeing something unbelievable.

"Of course. If I don't cooperate with something that could lead to the department's survival, then what am I even a manager for?"

"...Thank you."

Honestly, I didn't think any good ideas would come out just because Takoyaki-san was here, but being able to do this kind of activity with the department leader present was, after all, reassuring.

"Well then, shall we move?"

We left our usual work desks and moved to the conference space.

On the shelves in the back, numerous game consoles and a large number of packages stored in cardboard boxes were piled up. Thinking that all of them were born as a result of repeated meetings and discussions like this, I felt a deep sense of emotion.

"Well then, let's begin──the planning meeting for the planning meeting."

◇

"Mmm."

With a pen tucked behind her ear and her arms crossed, Sakurai-san was groaning.

The topic on the agenda was how to incorporate aspects like monetization and the implementation of a production system into the new game proposal she had compiled the other day.

But, a good improvement plan was hard to come by. Finding the best solution with no budget and no personnel was a difficult proposition in the first place.

"Regarding the brand, would it be okay to create a sub-brand?"

"That's right, doing so probably won't damage the Succeed brand."

It seemed we could somehow clear concern number one.

Regarding the composition of the staff, including programmers, it also seemed we could still somehow clear it on the premise that it was a sub-brand.

"In that case, the problem is here, isn't it?"

When I pointed to the relevant part of the document,

"Here, right...?"

Sakurai-san also let out a big sigh.

There, written in large letters, was "Profitability."

"Because it's a challenging project, it's wrong to seek profitability from the start. But, since we'll be taking a certain amount of budget, we need a minimum number of units we can sell."

"...But, it's embarrassing for me to say it, but this project..."

It has strong meta-elements, doesn't follow the royal road of RPGs, isn't sold on its graphics, and has no celebrities involved.

"It doesn't look like it'll sell, does it?"

We said in unison and sighed.

When it comes to games made by a small team that can expect high profits, it is generally bishoujo games, and among them, those with high "practicality," that fit the bill.

However, we can't ask that of the game we're making now. We've seen a mountain of examples of chimera-like games that added more and more elements, only to end up with nothing and die.

"Making games for work is really difficult, isn't it?"

Sakurai-san sighed and looked up at the gray ceiling.

"Back in elementary or middle school, I never even thought about this kind of thing."

"...That's right, I just found fun games and played them, over and over."

"It was~. I especially loved RPGs, so I'd think up stories and make books, upload fan art online and get flamed, I was just doing whatever I wanted!"

She laughed nostalgically, and then,

"Of course I understand now, since I'm doing it for work, I have to make money. The circumstances of feeling safe if you make something similar to what sold well..."

Her eyes, which had been looking at the ceiling, suddenly fell downward.

"...But, I started to feel like I was gradually losing sight of what I was doing."

I understood what she wanted to say very well.

I was supposed to have come to this world because I loved it. I could say cool things with my mouth.

But as of now, I'm not even standing in the ring to fight. I fell in love with her plan and said we could fight with it, yet I haven't been able to procure a horse to ride into battle, nor have I been able to make any armor.

The helpless feeling Kawasegawa had confessed. Even someone who seems to be working so brilliantly on the front lines couldn't always move as she pleased. What in the world can someone like me, who can do nothing, accomplish by continuing to struggle like this?

"...Let's think. That's all we can do right now."

I said it, as if to convince myself.

"If we have the confidence that it's good, let's rack our brains to be able to make it as is as much as possible. There might be something we haven't thought of yet."

Sakurai-san also nodded at my words.

"Yes, I'll try that. This is so hard, but it's also the most fun thing I've ever done in my life."

"Well then, we definitely want to make it happen."

We nodded at each other. We still have the will to fight.

However, if things continue as they are, it will end with nothing we can do.

Is there not something that could be a breakthrough, without greatly changing what Sakurai-san thought of?

"What do you think, Manager... hey, what are you doing?"

When I looked, the manager had some kind of toy in his hand and was making clinking sounds with it.

"It's a model gun. I've always liked these."

It's not about whether you like it.

"I'm not that knowledgeable about it, but this one was the main weapon in a game I made a long time ago, so it's a favorite of mine. Do you know it too, Hashiba-kun? The Desert Eagle."

"Oh."

I'm not that familiar with firearms either, but I know the name well. It's a gun of Israeli origin, if I remember correctly.

"A long time ago, I used to shoot this in the office after everyone had left~ like this."

When he pulled the trigger, a few BB pellets hit the wall, making a sound.

Even Sakurai-san seemed to have nothing but questions about the manager's actions.

(Hashiba-san, what in the world is the manager doing...?)

(I have no idea either.)

I guess it was an action born from not having any particular ideas and not having anything to do... but it was just too mysterious.

Takoyaki-san continued to gaze at the gun happily and said,

"Before you guys came here, we all used to talk about games and guns a lot."

"Eh," I almost let out a cry.

If "you guys" refers to me and Sakurai-san, then that means...

"With the Section Chief and the others...?"

"That's right, those two love games too. How nostalgic."

It was an unexpected story.

It's a bad way to put it, but I had the impression that Charaji and the Queen had no particular passion for games and were just at this company for no real reason.

"You look surprised."

"Yes, honestly, I did."

"I get it. They certainly don't look that way now."

Takoyaki-san lets out a sigh.

"Hashiba-kun, I understand that you don't think well of them. But..."

On his face, the cheerful expression from before had vanished, and something lonely was floating there.

"I want you to understand that they had their reasons for becoming that way."

"...Is that so."

Takoyaki-san gave a small nod.

"They would never talk about it themselves, so it might be better if I say it."

"This will be a little long, but is that okay?" Takoyaki-san said quietly.

When we nodded, he began to speak slowly in his usual gentle tone.

"You know we have a publishing department, right?"

Of course I know. It's a department with a reputation for its comic adaptations of popular works, and above all, because of its high quality, it has been called a successful example of a media mix.

I also own several of their comics, and I had personally felt their high quality.

When I told him that, he nodded deeply and said,

"The one who made a huge contribution to that quality improvement was our section chief, him."

"Eh... is that so."

Section Chief Charaji came to Succeed Soft's publishing department as a transfer editor.

"Apparently, he joined the company to reform the manga adaptations of our games because he found them uninteresting."

At that time, he rebuilt the poor-quality manga based on games from a quality perspective and came to handle many well-regarded works.

"He was soon promoted to a desk position and began to train new editors. The number of young people in the department who revered him increased, and the overall morale improved greatly."

At that point, he paused the story with a "but," and said,

"A group of people in the department started to find it annoying. The bosses who were originally there thought their own positions were being threatened, and they shunned him."

"...No way."

He was removed from the main business of comic adaptations and was put in charge of an original manga editorial department, under the pretense of being entrusted with a new business.

"A department with just one editor-in-chief and no subordinates. It was clear to everyone that he had been sidelined."

Even so, he explored things that seemed like they could lead to something, such as app development and discovering new manga. But none of those plans were ever approved.

"It was probably on the premise of crushing him from the start. And when he had lost his motivation and was wavering, I called out to him."

Anyone would lose their motivation if they were treated like that. His always careless, completely resigned attitude was created in this way.

--Miyamoto Kanji. Section Chief of Development Department 13. Behind that flashy and lazy attitude was a deep despair from having fought so hard and been left with nothing.

Next, Takoyaki-san also talked about the Queen.

"The current accounting system at the head office, she's practically the one who made it."

The Queen's original profession was a programmer. However, because there were few opportunities to utilize that skill, she changed jobs to accounting based on her bookkeeping certification.

"After joining Succeed's accounting department, she immediately found waste in the system, organized it, and improved its efficiency."

At that time, the software used by the accounting department was the source of many complaints for being difficult to use and slow, and furthermore, things like financial statements and processing were all bottlenecked at the accounting manager's desk, a situation where improvement requests were coming from the entire company.

It was she who improved it in no time.

"Everyone in the department also praised her, and even though overtime was the norm, they were able to start going home on time. However..."

There was actually a reason why the accounting department's system was so poor.

"The manager at the time was making a backroom deal with a certain accounting software company, trying to get a kickback for introducing it to the company. That... was thwarted by her success."

It was an all-around good plan for him: solve the much-complained-about accounting system by introducing software, and get a rebate for himself.

"However, the rebate naturally didn't come in, he got sarcastic remarks from the accounting software company, and the manager lost his standing. So, he began to treat her harshly."

"That's, but..."

"Of course, there's no doubt she was a person of merit. So, instead of attacking her directly, he just left her to dry up by not giving her any work."

It was an extremely malicious method, but the effect was immediate.

The story that she wasn't well-liked by the manager quickly spread within the department, and the employees who had initially celebrated her began to distance themselves and treat her as an outcast.

And she, too, became isolated. When she had lost her place, Takoyaki-san called out to her and brought her to Department 13.

--The all too unreasonable past of the Queen, Kojima Miyuu-san.

"A company is a creature that moves in a herd. If you stick out, you'll be cornered until you have nowhere to go. Even if you're an incredibly talented person."

Takoyaki-san spoke dispassionately and continued, "That's why."

"This Development Department 13, you see, I made it as a refuge for people who have gotten tired like that. A place far from unnecessary conflicts, so that they can return once their wounds have healed."

Startled, I looked at his face again.

I realized now, after all this time, that the reason this person was so calm and never argued with anyone was because of his feelings for those who had been hurt.

"Is that so..."

"Well, it was supposed to be that kind of place, but now it's about to be crushed."

Before Takoyaki-san--no, before Development Department 13's Manager Horii Kazuhisa, who was smiling sadly in front of me, my chest tightened at the thought of the unreasonable events they had shouldered, and the ironic reality.

The department that Manager Horii had prepared as a last resort had, at some point, come to be called by the dishonorable name of the Execution Chamber.

And that name is about to become a reality.

"Something like that... happened?"

The manager's story ended, and I was at a loss for words.

Because the story of those two was more serious and terrible than I had expected.

"I had heard bits and pieces, but I didn't know it was that bad."

Sakurai-san is also nodding with a sorrowful expression.

"A company, you know, has all sorts of things."

The manager strokes his smooth head, as he always does.

"Did I end up giving you unnecessary information...?"

"No, if that's the case, I thought we absolutely have to get this proposal approved."

Rather, I feel like I've heard a good story. But well, that's not to say that the proposal itself has moved forward.

The manager is still fiddling with the gun even after the conversation is over.

"Originally, the Desert Eagle boasts high accuracy, but I'm so bad at it that I can't hit the target at all."

He said, and fired a few more rounds at the wall.

"...You're right, it doesn't hit."

The plastic container he seemed to be aiming at sat there without even budging.

"Right? So now, all I can do is shoot a lot."

The manager is still aiming the gun at the wall.

We are keeping our eyes on the documents in our hands.

"There's no use thinking about it if we're just firing blanks, anyway..."

The documents I'm looking at with my eyes, and the manager's voice coming in through my ears.

In that instant, they blended together in my mind.

(Eh... ah, wait a minute...)

I might have been greatly mistaken.

"Sakurai-san, about the proposals... there were still a lot more, right?"

"Eh, yes... what about them?"

I opened the file I had received from her again.

After flipping through it and closing it, this time I checked the lineup of a major download site on my smartphone.

This time I hurry back to my desk where my PC is, and clatteringly tap the keys to check this and that.

"That's it, that's what it is..."

Gradually, I could feel the heat entering my fingers.

"Um, Hashiba-san...?"

"Hashiba-kun, what's wrong, so suddenly?"

Ignoring their voices, I grasped a hint there.

"With this... it might just work!!"

Without thinking, I was shouting, gripping my smartphone.

"Wah!"

"Eek!"

At my sudden shout, the two of them fell over on the spot.

"I did it, finally... I've grasped a lead."

My voice still trembling on the spot.

"Did you find it? A way for this project... to be profitable?"

I turned around.

"No, I haven't found that. But... I've cleared it."

Both of them looked at me with faces that had big question marks floating on them.

"You've thought about it way too much, Hashiba-san..."

"Maybe you should rest a bit...?"

To the two whose anxiety was turning into worry, I stated clearly.

"It's alright, I haven't gone crazy, and I still have the ability to think properly."

I took the manager's Desert Eagle in hand and aimed it at the wall.

"All that's left is to shoot."

I pulled the trigger, and several rounds were fired towards the wall.

The bullet hit the container from before and rolled onto the floor with a dry sound.

"Just as the manager said, if you shoot... you'll hit."

◇

And then, Friday.

The members of Department 13 were gathered for the regular planning meeting.

"Well then, let's begin the planning meeting."

After saying that much, I turned my face towards Charaji.

"Section Chief, the other day... I said something very rude. I am truly sorry."

I said, bowing my head deeply.

"............Hmph."

Charaji, without changing his sullen demeanor, was leaning back in his chair.

"Even if you apologize, my intention to change jobs won't change."

"Yes. But... could you please at least listen to this proposal?"

"You never learn, do you? It's fine, but my opinion on that plan hasn't changed either. No matter what you do, I think it'll just be a useless struggle."

I also nodded.

"That's right, if it had stayed as it was, even if we had fixed the minor points, I think it would have been difficult to get it approved in the end."

"So you finally get it, well then..."

"That's why."

I sent a signal to Sakurai-san and the manager, and had a panel projected onto the wall in front of us.

Development Department 13, Proposal "New Plan," was written on the cover.

"A new plan, you say...?"

To the surprised Charaji, I nodded deeply.

"That's right. We reviewed the plan from the very beginning... including its scale. Therefore, this is not a revision of the previous plan, but a completely new one."

If what was fixed is no good, then just think from the beginning.

I thought so, and consulted with Sakurai-san, knowing it would be quite a task.

She overcame that difficult task and, without breaking the original concept, created this proposal as a more refined plan.

"...You've come that far."

Charaji nodded and sat down in his chair.

For now, it seemed he was willing to listen.

"Doesn't it sound interesting? I'll listen too."

The Queen also nodded and sent her gaze to the panel.

"Well then, let's begin the presentation. Sakurai-san."

"Yes!"

When I spoke, Sakurai-san came forward and began her explanation of the new plan.

◇

"...That is all."

Sakurai-san's presentation was over.

As she repeated it over and over, her explanation became more and more confident.

Now, if she can just experience the phase of giving the plan shape, she should become even more confident.

"What did you think?"

Both of them were staring at the screen with serious expressions.

It was completely different from the last time, when they watched while tilting their heads. Clearly, they seemed to have some solid thoughts about what they were seeing.

Charaji let out a sigh and looked at the document in his hand.

"This, did Sakurai put it all together?"

"Yes, of course there are points that Hashiba-san and the manager taught me, but I put most of it together myself."

The parts I helped with were just the outer framework of how to produce this work and release it to the world; the detailed creation of the plan's content was by her own hand.

"I see."

Charaji looked off into the distance and said,

"It's been two years since we started working at the same place, and I couldn't teach you anything. And yet, in just about three months... you've changed."

"That's... I still can't do anything at all."

"You can. This proposal says so, and more than anything, your presentation was confident."

He gave a wry smile, and then stood up.

"Sakurai, and Hashiba. You guys... are amazing. I think it's become a good plan."

"Ah... thank you so much!"

At Charaji's words, Sakurai-san's expression instantly brightened.

"But."

The face of Charaji, who looked at us, was somehow very tired.

"I, to you guys who have worked so hard, can surely do nothing. I'll just be in the way as a nominal boss who only talks big."

He averted his eyes and made a bitter face.

"I knew it all along. When it came to reforming the department, I knew I was nothing but useless. That's why I talked trash and tried to run away quickly. The feeling of wanting to change jobs is also all from the bottom of my heart."

At Charaji's words, the Queen also nodded.

"I agree. You've brilliantly resolved the previous concerns and, on top of that, made the plan even bigger and more promising. But that is your achievement."

She too stood up and tried to return to her seat.

"I can't find anything I could be useful for in this plan either. It seems it's better to say goodbye here."

"No..."

Sakurai-san looks at the two who are about to leave, flustered.

If things continue like this, the two of them will definitely leave here. There might be a judgment that that's fine. The decision to move forward only with comrades who share the same beliefs, rather than trying to force a persuasion.

"--Wait."

But.

"That's just running away, both of you."

I didn't choose that option. No, I couldn't choose it.

"...That's why I said I'm running away, right? I can't go along with it, and more than anything, I can't be of any use, so isn't it better that I leave?"

"That's right, don't embarrass me any further."

I moved to get around the two of them and stood in front of them.

"If you two were really... people with no motivation or spirit, I might have left you alone. But."

And then, I look at the manager.

"...Now that I know that the result of your struggles is what we have now, I can't do that."

Charaji, and then the Queen, showed clear signs of being shaken.

"Manager, did you talk about that?"

"I told you not to tell anyone else..."

"I'm sorry, Hashiba-kun really wanted to hear it, and besides..."

The manager's serious eyes turned towards Charaji and the others.

"I thought, maybe it's about time."

"...Is that so."

Charaji looked up at the sky as if remembering something, and the Queen sighed deeply, as if resigned.

I told the two of them again the story I had heard from the manager.

The story of how the two of them had fought and won, yet received unreasonable treatment, and had come to despair of everything.

"That is the story I heard."

Charaji... no, Miyamoto-san, and Kojima-san, after quietly listening to my story, both gave a wry smile.

"It's a stupid story, isn't it? There was a time when I thought that if you work hard, you'll be rewarded. Me too."

This was the reason why she, despite being brilliant, didn't get involved with others at all. That what she had done for the best had ended up tightening the noose around her own neck.

"I was angry at first, but now it just feels stupid. Here, as long as I do the bare minimum of what I'm told, I can get a salary."

Kojima-san said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Yeah. I just... stopped caring."

Miyamoto-san also gave a dry laugh and sighed.

I wonder, what is a company?

It binds people who desperately tried to make something better with these shackles and ruins them. It doesn't even have a function to purify such tainted parts.

It's supposed to be about creating a system to accomplish big things, but what's actually happening there is a fierce battle of tripping each other up, and the act of constantly hammering down any nail that sticks out.

For someone's foolish pride or obstinacy, the people working on the ground are not allowed to work to their full potential, and they have no choice but to either endure and fight, or give up like this.

This crappy reality, if we don't change it somewhere, it will rot.

That's why I said it.

"Let's stop doing that, shall we?"

And I looked at the two of them.

"I don't want to see any more people who tackled their work properly, but whose results were not fairly evaluated."

I glanced over at Sakurai-san.

"If you two quit the company now, she will surely end up like that too. Are you... okay with that?"

Both of them fell silent at my words.

"It's not like anything we do is going to solve that."

"We will, no matter what."

"A company is a real pain, you know? I can't imagine that anything will change no matter how hard you try, Hashiba-kun."

"To make it work, I've thought about it like crazy, that's why!"

I bowed my head from the waist, at an angle where I could only see the floor.

"Please lend me your strength, I beg you!"

Silence dominates the room.

Neither of them moved a muscle.

I couldn't see what kind of expressions they were making. Because I kept my head bowed and continued to stare at the floor.

"............Sorry."

So, I only knew that he said just one word and was leaving by the sound of his footsteps, and

"What should I do? Will it be done by the end of the day?"

Kojima-san's sigh-laced words, I couldn't even make out her expression.

"Thank you so much!"

But finally, I knew that my words had reached them.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to move Miyamoto-san's heart.

"Section Chief Miyamoto... will he be alright?"

Sakurai-san murmured sadly.

"For now, we can only do what we can do. Just being able to talk... let's call that good enough."

He, who had been sullen the whole time, had at least shown his true self for a moment just now.

Even if it's no good now, I didn't think it was a negative.

"Ah, everyone, um~. Quite a bit of time has passed."

At the manager's voice, I looked at the clock and saw that the work day was long over, to the level where we'd get a scolding from the security office.

"Well then, shall we move to a coffee shop for now?"

At my suggestion, Kojima-san sighed and said,

"In lieu of overtime pay, you can treat me to a drink."

"Then, shall we go to a place that serves alcohol?"

We can talk at an izakaya, and I had no objection to that.

The plan seems to be coming together somehow, and we've succeeded in adding one more "development department member." Now, if we can just persuade the section chief, the form will be firmly in place.

(With this... have I managed to get to the starting line?)

Nothing has actually been solved yet, but the feeling of having taken a step forward came through.

◇

At the same time, on the 26th floor of the same building.

Inside the door with the plate reading "Managing Director," two voices were echoing quietly.

"The call for the special meeting has finished without any issues."

"Thank you, Managing Director. I apologize for the trouble."

The woman said, bowing her head deeply.

The man who had been spoken to sat down deeply in his chair and let out a light laugh.

"It's fine. It is a request from none other than the manager of Development Department 2. I can't very well not listen."

"...I appreciate your consideration."

Kawasegawa Eiko knew. That he was using this as an opportunity to further strengthen the influence of his faction over Development Department 2.

However, if she were to easily accept his intentions, the entire department would in the blink of an eye become his puppet. He possessed that kind of charisma and overwhelming strength.

"Even so, Hashiba-kun... was it? You think very highly of him."

Her body trembled with a jolt.

"If he's that brilliant, maybe I'll have a proper talk with him next time. He seems like he could be useful in various ways."

"Um, Managing Director... he has only just joined the company, and is still in the process of gradually learning..."

"I know that."

A cold-hearted echo ran through the room.

"That's why I just thought I should say it first. Before he starts talking about dreams or likes, like someone else."

"............"

I felt as if my vision had flashed white for a moment.

Is this what it means to be struck by words? Lights flickered on and off in my head, and I felt so dizzy it was hard to stand.

"What's wrong? You look pale."

"No, it's... nothing."

Hashiba... him alone, I don't want him to change.

The way I once was, tainted.

"Managing Director, at the meeting, please... I beg you."

"Ah, of course. I'll judge it fairly. According to my own standards, though."

I nodded, holding myself back from falling over again.

The Managing Director lightly raised his right hand.

It was a sign that this was the end. I bowed my head again and left the room.

The moment I closed the heavy door, exhaustion weighed down on my whole body.

I couldn't help but fall to my knees, taking deep breaths over and over.

"Hashiba, you really..."

As he wished, I negotiated with the Managing Director and created an opportunity for a "formal proposal."

But that could also lead to his own destruction.

There is a danger that everything will be reduced to nothing for the sake of a huge organization and ambition.

That alone, I must stop no matter what.

"Please, be safe..."

I whispered, as if in prayer.