Bokutachi no Remake Ver. β V2 Chapter 2 By: thai130898

"The situation our department is in is, frankly, not good."

The day's meeting began with Miyamoto-san's grim face.

"That's because the general affairs work we used to do is gone. Well, if we're really not doing anything, the criticism will get stronger."

Kojima-san said calmly, as usual.

If you don't have work, the image of slacking off inevitably follows you. If word gets around that "they're getting paid for doing nothing," it will lead to having fewer allies.

Originally, the time saved from not having to do general affairs tasks should have been allocated to development work. However, with the project itself being shelved, no budget is approved, and we can't move forward with anything concrete.

"Are all projects currently frozen?"

"Yeah. Without a budget, we can't mobilize the freelancers."

They have lives to live, of course. It's impossible to ask them to spare time for a project that may not even make money.

"We need to think of some countermeasures urgently."

At my words, Miyamoto-san grinned and said,

"We're already on it. For now, Department 13 has decided to become planning demons."

"Planning demons... Ah."

Then it all made sense.

Due to the company's nature, any submitted proposal must be returned after some kind of formal deliberation. Since Succeed Soft's public image is that of a company that plans and produces, it's impossible for them to just say no. Therefore, even a proposal from Department 13 has to be handled formally. Even if it's never accepted.

"You're spamming them with dummy proposals."

By doing so, they can prolong their survival for the time being. If asked, "Are you even working?" they can confidently retort, "What about the review for the proposal we submitted the other day? Is it done yet?"

"You catch on quick. That's right. We have a mountain of them in stock."

Miyamoto-san even seemed somewhat happy. He might be the type who gets fired up by these kinds of emergencies.

"Well, that's the situation in Department 13. So, how are things in Department 2?"

"Over here... well..."

I told them that although it was hard to fit in at first, I broke the ice by working; that even in the star development department, the team was exhausted from being used as a tool in factional disputes; and that Kawasegawa had formally requested my cooperation.

"It seems Department 2 has its own share of troubles."

Miyamoto-san showed his concern, but compared to the hardships of Department 13 that I just heard about, my story still had a future.

"Well, including the Misukuro matter, let's continue to look for potential allies. It doesn't seem like we can make any big moves right now. Let's think without any taboos about what means we have to get Grape approved."

We all nodded at Miyamoto-san's words.

Since the situation isn't improving much, we tend to want an immediate solution, but moving carelessly now could ruin everything we've done so far.

So for now, we'll gradually increase our allies in Department 13. Not just the five of us in the department; we have to find strong allies.

"Hey, by the way, where's Horii-san?"

Five members of the department, and yet, there are only four of us here now. That's right, the crucial top person is absent today.

"Oh, apparently he's busy with some personal work he's taken on."

Kojima-san answered nonchalantly.

"Personal?"

"He was originally a master programmer, you know. Now that word is out he's free, he's in high demand from other projects."

"Wow, is that so."

Once again, I learned a surprising side of Horii-san. Just how many faces does that man have?

"Well, I don't have anything to do either, so I'm taking on outsourced programming work. Horii-san was probably in the same boat, wasn't he?"

"Is that so... huh."

It's not that Horii-san would point something out at times like this, but still, the absence of someone who was always there makes one feel somewhat uneasy.

In any case, today's meeting was adjourned.

"Alright, dismissed. Good work, everyone."

At Miyamoto-san's word, everyone stood up and prepared to leave.

As everyone was leaving the room, I stared at my RINE screen.

(I wonder if Kawasegawa is okay.)

I heard on the way out that Kawasegawa had to report her progress to the Managing Director today. Because Misukuro is running a bit behind schedule, it seems they've been meeting in person more often recently.

But thinking about it normally, that's something that should be done in a meeting including other departments, so it's strange to call only Kawasegawa to make a report.

"It's probably harassment."

Not by email or phone, but being summoned to report a delay is mentally taxing, no matter the reason. On top of that, is he trying to make her understand that he is superior and holds the power of life and death, thereby forcing her into submission?

I want to find a way to save Misukuro somehow. With just Grape being in a tough situation, the goal was becoming even more difficult to achieve.

◆

"That is all for the progress report."

I finished the usual unpleasant report.

I was in the Managing Director's office on the 26th floor of the head office. I stood stock-still in front of the Managing Director, who was idly flipping through documents in his hand.

"Hmm, I see. To put it simply, well, you're behind schedule."

"Yes... I am very sorry."

The project's progress was not good. And no wonder; with specifications changing on a whim from above as if for harassment, even things that should be progressing wouldn't.

However, I am also aware that the game industry itself is at a turning point. The era when you could make a big console title and effortlessly sell hundreds of thousands of copies is long over. To shift the initial project policy in accordance with the times, considering integration with social games—I am not opposed to that in itself.

However, the specification changes handed down almost forcibly from above were one-sided and selfish, taking no account of the team's progress or motivation. Even if I, as the head of the department, tried to make adjustments, I was not given a second thought, being told "this has been decided." With a bitter heart, I communicate the result to the team. Naturally, there is backlash. With each repetition, the team's motivation continues to decline, until finally, key personnel begin to resign.

As a company, that can't possibly be good. Competitors in the same industry naturally won't leave talented people alone. They quickly join other projects and begin to demonstrate their abilities. The staff who see this become even more discouraged and rebellious, wondering why they alone have to draw the short straw. The criticism, of course, is directed at me, the head of the department. But there's nothing I can do. All I can do is apologize.

My head is spinning.

Do these people not care about the team on the ground? Or rather, are they trying to crush the game itself?

The situation had been so terrible that I couldn't help but think that.

"It says here that the scenario is late and holding things up."

Tapping the written part with his finger, the Managing Director said boredly.

"Just get a substitute writer and have them do it instead. Why don't you do that?"

"That's..."

It is true that the scenario is behind schedule. However, the reason for that is the repeated specification changes, which have caused numerous pointless rewrites.

The costs for that are of course being paid, but that doesn't mean it covers everything. Naturally, the writer's motivation declines.

What's more, the person writing that scenario is the most popular author of our time, Kawagoe Kyouichi. If he, a creator with a sufficient track record, were to be treated like that now, he would naturally think he was being slighted.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that."

"Why? What's the reason?"

"Originally, the cause of the delay was the inconvenience we caused the other party with specification changes. Yet, if we were to bring in a substitute at this point, it wouldn't be strange for it to lead to him quitting. In the worst case, we can expect this to be made public and for us to face criticism."

"Isn't that why we pay good money and have contracts, to prevent that kind of thing? You have a contract that says you'll claim damages if they publicize things during production, right?"

"Yes, that's certainly true."

Of course, if he were to write about it on social media, it would be subject to compensation. We could probably win if we took it to court.

But that's not what's important. The act of treating a writer like Kawagoe Kyouichi with such disrespect and carelessness will remain forever. It's conceivable that no creator will ever work with Succeed again in the future.

"Let me make this perfectly clear."

The Managing Director tossed a bundle of documents onto the desk and, in a tone one might use with a junior club member, said,

"All that special attachment and fussiness, just get rid of it, okay? It's nothing but a waste of time."

"!"

A deep, strong pain, as if my insides were being gouged out. Even though I'm not being physically hit, this person's words, his voice, all of it attacks me like a blunt weapon.

"Kawasegawa-kun, I'm counting on you."

"Counting on me, for what...?"

With great effort, I squeezed out a reply. It felt like my churned-up insides were about to be spewed out with hatred.

"You're excellent. So you should understand, and knowing that, you have no choice but to do your best. You understand, right?"

I want to kick the desk and ruin everything.

Every time I come here, I think that. I was not a person who would put up with this kind of thing. I was a person who would say what couldn't be done, and who would boldly point out what was wrong.

But now, I am in this company, kept alive by this person.

"...Yes."

The Managing Director nodded with satisfaction.

"Don't waste your life or career on a moment of sentimentality."

As expected, I couldn't bring myself to reply out loud. I bowed my head slightly, as if to say, "that's enough," and left the room.

The moment I left the room, pressed the elevator button, and stepped inside, I pressed my hand against the door and let out a faint groan.

"Why... did it come to this?"

The world of film that I loved was bound and shackled by old conventions. Fed up with a world with no visible future, I jumped into the game industry, where there was still room to make a mark.

But that place, too, was a place infested with the ghosts of past glory. My path was blocked by stubborn middle-aged and old men, and my attempts to do new things were all rejected.

It was the Managing Director who extended a hand to me as I cried tears of frustration.

"I understand how you feel. So let's do something new together."

At that time, under him who was the manager of Development Department 2, I successively launched new projects. I brought quality and a solid worldview to the still-immature world of social games, creating a foundation that could be operated as an IP. At the time, it also matched the trend of console games, which were said to be in decline, and was hailed as one of the few success stories for a game maker.

Around that time, I truly respected the Managing Director. I believed that with his promotion to director, I would also be promoted and that we could create a new trend.

But that was soon betrayed.

He was just using me. His only goal was to generate revenue exceeding that of the old factions for his own promotion.

So, when I eventually tried to adopt a creator-focused policy, he eliminated them one by one, telling me not to do useless things.

Even the grand project using the Platinum Generation, he and I had different ways of looking at it.

All he wanted was the creators' names. He just wanted to raise the company's profile by announcing it and making it a topic of conversation.

In fact, since that goal was achieved, he has been constantly telling them, who have not produced results using quality as an excuse, to strip them of their practical duties and make them figureheads.

I want to create the best work with them. The dream I had envisioned since my college days is now, in this way, on the verge of disappearing.

I let out a deep, deep sigh. I don't know how many times I've done so.

◆

The day after the Department 13 meeting, I was unusually nervous.

And no wonder. I was going to actually meet and have a meeting with a writer whose work I have followed for a long time and whom I have always respected, even though we are of the same generation.

"Things have gotten crazy... really."

The new task I was told about by Kawasegawa.

It was to be the progress manager for the main writer of the Platinum Generation project, Kawagoe Kyouichi.

Originally, Kawasegawa was in charge of that role, partly because they were alumni. However, she herself became busy with other duties, making it difficult to hold both positions. Kuroda, who was running around as a director, was in the same situation.

However, you can't just assign any random staff member to a big name. This position can't be filled by someone who isn't able to properly oversee progress while also considering the creator's position.

Kawasegawa thought of placing me in that position. I thought it was a terrifying thing to do, but it's true that if you were to ask who else could do it, it would be difficult.

"Alright, let's get fired up..."

I slapped both my cheeks in front of the bathroom mirror, then briskly opened the door and jumped outside.

"Herr Hashiba! Guten Morgen, gutes Wetter. An einem solchen Tag möchte ich spielen, ohne zu arbeiten."

I almost tripped in front of the door.

"Good morning, Ichikawa-san. Is that a greeting in German?"

"That's right! You got it~! It means something like, 'Good morning Hashiba-san, nice weather isn't it, on a day like this I want to play without working!'"

Ichikawa-san has been studying German recently because she needs it for work. But since she just recently said she was memorizing words by writing them on sticky notes, I think she's improving quickly to be able to give simple greetings already.

"It is nice weather, but I can't go out to play today."

"Oh, why is that~?"

I explained the simple circumstances to Ichikawa-san.

"I see, I see, so today you're meeting someone you admire, Hashiba-san~"

"That's right, though of course it's work, so I'll be professional."

Actually, I was a little worried about that point. When I meet Kawagoe Kyouichi, how should I act? I asked Kawasegawa and Kuroda, but they only gave me the obvious answer of "just act normal," so I was wondering what to do.

Would things go more smoothly if I told him I was a fan before working, or would it be better to treat it strictly as a job?

"What should I do about that...?"

I somehow felt like talking to a senior in life. I thought Ichikawa-san had a lot of knowledge about the ins and outs of human relationships.

"Hmm. Let's see~"

Ichikawa-san was thinking with a broom in her hand, and then,

"You know, before, when we talked about whether or not to use first names, we talked about roles and relationships, right?"

"Come to think of it... we did."

I think the flow was that I was too particular about such things.

"It's not just about interpersonal relationships, but if you don't use 'roles' and 'relationships' correctly, they can really get in the way."

"Get in the way...?"

Rather, I feel like it's easier to communicate when you're within those frameworks, but maybe I'm wrong.

"I don't know Mr. Kawagoe, but if someone came at me first like 'I'm a fan,' I feel like I would take a step back~"

"I see..."

Indeed, that might be true.

"So, maybe try not to say you're a fan, and instead, during a break in your work, when you're talking about things like 'this kind of scene...' or 'this kind of line...,' you could casually recite something from his work... He might be happy about that... what do you think?"

Amazing. That would certainly be natural, and since I'm not pushing it, the impression would likely be better.

"Thank you, that's a great idea... I'll try it."

"I can't guarantee it~. Please decide for yourself after thinking it over, Hashiba-san."

But still, Ichikawa-san is amazing. We're only supposed to be one year apart, but I feel like she's far ahead in life experience.

"Ichikawa-san, did you come up with that talk about 'roles' and 'relationships' yourself?"

To my question, Ichikawa-san tilted her head and said,

"It's my idea, and also my father's idea~. I was raised being told things like that."

I see, so she was well-educated....

"My father often said that. When you put people in boxes and create relationships, they become complacent and stop thinking. If you do that at a company, that person will not grow."

"Wow, that sounds like a famous quote from a book."

It's the kind of phrase that would be in a P●P Bunko book.

"But I prefer being a manager, and I don't really understand difficult things!"

Ichikawa-san smiled cheerfully.

"I'm glad you're the manager, Ichikawa-san. If you were a rival at work, I probably would have been crushed."

"That's not true, I'm always kind~"

In the end, I made her look a little dissatisfied.

◇

I came to work earlier than usual and was preparing for today's meeting when Kuroda, passing by, popped his head over to my desk to tease me.

"Heheh. Hashiba, you're nervous."

"Of course I am. I told you how many of his works I've seen."

I think it was my second year of college when I first saw his work, and it was truly shocking.

Before the genre known as "isekai tensei" became popular, he crafted that setting into a novel work for a newcomer's award.

At the time, Gakuoukan's light novel label was famous for not awarding a grand prize in its newcomer awards, but it became a hot topic all at once when all the judges recommended it for the first grand prize.

Since then, his works have always been a topic of conversation among his generation. His own dedication and love for creation became a motto among aspiring creators, and eventually, it was compiled into a book as a textbook on creativity.

The reason I continued to admire the game industry and couldn't leave despite the hopeless situation was because of his existence.

"I'm dealing with someone like that. Of course I'm nervous."

"Oh, is that so? To me, he just seems like a stubborn guy who has a hard time living."

Kuroda tilted his head, but that's because he's known him and Kawasegawa for a long time.

For me, who has only been exposed to his works and the words he left behind, only a deified image has always been in front of me.

(For now, I need to make sure I don't miss anything.)

I had already gone through all the documents I received beforehand. The progress chart, the approved settings and text, and even the things that were rejected due to specification changes—it's all in my head.

Now, it's about what to talk about with him in person.

"Kawasegawa, for today, what kind of──"

For the time being, I asked her.

"Huh? Uh, yes, ah, about the meeting?"

"Yes, but, you know, is a greeting enough for today, or should I delve into practical matters..."

She said we should talk about it beforehand, but I still hadn't heard anything from her.

"Right, yes... just a greeting should be fine, I think."

"Is that okay? Well, I'll do that then."

When I answered, Kawasegawa nodded hastily. It seems her replies have been absent-minded since this morning, as if she's not really into it.

(I wonder if something happened...)

I could guess. Was she told something again during yesterday's report to the Managing Director? Or did a major problem occur in her other duties?

In any case, it was frustrating that I couldn't cover for her myself right now. I would if I could be of any help, but having just become a staff member, I would only be a bother.

"Well, shall we go?"

Kuroda said, and we all stood up. The meeting with Kawagoe Kyouichi was, as expected, held in the visitor's conference space, not the cluttered development department's meeting room.

We all went to the elevator hall and waited for the elevator to go to the lower floor.

"By the way, Kuroda, did the PR illustration from Shino arrive?"

Suddenly, Kawasegawa spoke up.

"No, she said she'd bring it sometime today, but as usual, I don't know what time──"

In that moment, the elevator doors opened.

"Ah."

The person inside let out a surprised voice.

She was a petite woman. She wore a light-colored cardigan and a fresh green skirt that suited her well; a very cute-looking person.

At first glance, the woman, who looked young or even childlike enough to be a student, noticed us and gave us a bright smile.

"Eiko-chan, Kuro-chan, good morning~. Perfect timing, here you go."

And then, she casually handed Kuroda an envelope containing some kind of documents.

"Shino, cut it out with that 'Kuro-chan,' it makes me lose my focus."

"Ehh, but I've always called you Kuro-chan, so I can't stop now."

She had a fluffy way of speaking. She seemed somewhat detached from the world, a mysterious person who was there but at the same time seemed not to exist.

"I mean, you could have just sent it by data transfer, why did you come all the way here?"

"I bundled all the work data up to now, so it wouldn't fit on the server~"

"Shino, thanks for the delivery. You have a meeting now?"

"Yep, good work to you too, Eiko-chan~"

With that, she headed towards the development department, as if switching places with us, and then,

"Oh?"

she stopped next to me.

"A new staff member?"

She turned her big eyes towards me and stared intently.

"That's right. I'll introduce you properly later, so for today, you know."

"I see. Um, it's nice to meet you."

"Ah, l-likewise."

She gave a little bow, and I bowed back.

"Well then, see you later."

And then, still with that somewhat fluffy feeling, she left and went into the development department.

I stared intently after she had gone.

"That person, could she be..."

Kuroda nodded at my question.

"Yeah. That's Akishima Shino. I see, so this is your first time meeting her, Hashiba."

My heart pounded loudly.

To meet the person who changed me so unexpectedly in a place like this.

Considering the situation, it was of course a plausible story, but it felt somehow unbelievable.

And even after getting on the elevator, I was still in a bit of a daze.

"She really hasn't changed at all since she was a student."

"That's right. Even though the things she creates get more amazing every year."

What the two of them were saying didn't register in my head at all.

The person who drew those amazing pictures was right in front of me until just a moment ago.

And what's more, she recognized me as an individual and spoke to me.

It was so shocking that it evoked a strange feeling, beyond just happiness or other such emotions.

(She really... exists.)

Yes, as if a mythical creature had been proven to truly exist, I somehow couldn't imagine that Akishima Shino was a real person.

But she was actually there. As someone I would be working with from now on.

Even if the current situation in the 2nd Development Department isn't very good, I thought I would try not to forget this moment.

To create something together with the person I had dreamed of.

That feeling of excitement would surely help me at some point.

Including Kawagoe Kyouichi, whom I was about to meet, I decided in my heart to firmly engrave everything.

◇

When I entered the conference room, someone was already inside.

The documents were neatly placed on the desk, and on the other side, a tall man stood alone.

The man had his back to us. With both hands thrust into his jacket pockets, he stared intently at the scenery outside.

"Hey, you're early. You finished your previous work already?"

When Kuroda called out in a friendly manner,

"...Yeah."

In a voice devoid of any particular emotion, he answered and turned towards us.

A tall, thin man with a sharp gaze that clearly held strong emotions—that was his appearance.

(It's the real Kawagoe Kyouichi.)

I stared anew at the person in front of me.

I had seen his face before, at a signing event or something. But at that time, he had a much softer face, spoke to each fan, and acted cheerfully.

But the Kawagoe Kyouichi in front of me now had, in contrast, a very sharp face, his work face, turned towards us.

(As expected, he has charisma... or rather, he has a certain presence.)

Before coming here, I had heard about the current work with him.

From what I heard, it was certain that he didn't have very good feelings towards us.

"Let me introduce you. This is Hashiba Kyouya-kun, our new person in charge. He's the same age as us."

I was a little surprised. I was genuinely happy that she introduced me, someone who had no connection to them before, with the nuance of being a comrade.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Hashiba Kyouya. I don't have a business card yet, but I've recently joined the 2nd Development Department──"

In the middle of my sentence, a displeased sigh interrupted me.

"What, so in the end Kawasegawa is stepping down and leaving it to a newbie? Was everything you said about Kuroda maybe doing it off the table too?"

He didn't go so far as to raise his voice, but it was a strong, spitting tone.

"Hey, you get it, right? I'm also looking at the art and sound for direction. If I have to do the text and planning too, I'll burn out and ruin everything."

"Ruin it? Are you saying it's not already ruined in the current situation!"

Kawagoe unleashed his anger. Kuroda fell silent, scratching his head awkwardly.

"Before we started, I was looking forward to it as a dream project, the best product, but do you know how many times I've had to flip the table because of your company! Every time, I rewrote it and rethought it countless times, but then you'd send it back to square one. What more do you want me to do!"

He must have been extremely fed up, as his words of anger were conveyed to us with utmost clarity and brevity.

What was supposed to be a first-meeting greeting, and what was supposed to be my first interaction with a creator I admire, had suddenly turned into something outrageous.

I learned such a good stance to take as a fan from Ichikawa-san, but it seems like it's going to be over before I can even use it.

(What are you two going to do about this...?)

I secretly glanced at Kawasegawa's and Kuroda's expressions. However, rather than being flustered by the unexpected situation, they had expressions that seemed to say, "I knew this would happen," as if it were expected.

(They must have been at a standstill.)

If that weren't the case, they probably wouldn't have passed it to me in the first place.

(Alright.)

I took a deep breath and composed myself. I don't know what will happen, but first, I'll try to improve the current situation, even if it's little by little.

"For now, may I confirm the current situation?"

My words were met with a suspicious gaze.

"The current situation? It's just as I said. We can't move forward with anything, and we haven't done anything."

Although his tone was quiet, it was easy to understand that it was filled with anger.

But I continued without being intimidated by it.

"Understood. Then, please allow me to discuss your future writing."

This time, eyes clearly filled with hostility were directed at me.

"H-Hey, Hashiba..."

Kuroda showed a momentarily bewildered expression, but...

"..."

Kawasegawa, who was next to him, stopped Kuroda and gave me a slight nod.

"Did you hear what I just said? This isn't about the writing stage or anything like that. The whole premise is messed up, so I'm telling you to come back after you've fixed that."

"It is true that our company's decided specifications have changed back and forth, causing you trouble. However, considering realistic progress, there are parts we can move forward with now."

I took out my tablet PC and turned it towards Kawagoe.

"Regarding the parts related to the game's specifications, such as the prologue, it's true that we are not in a state to proceed. I understand that as well."

"So you do understand. Then there's no reason for me to write."

"However, regarding the character-specific scenarios, we have not made any changes from the original plan, so it should be possible to proceed with those."

I change the screen from the progress chart to documents such as settings.

The documents showing the game system and so on had been updated many times, but the characters had already been approved from the first submission.

That date was six months ago, and there is also a signature indicating it's okay to proceed with the sub-stories and episodes related to the characters.

"I have confirmed that we can proceed with this scenario regardless of the specifications. Therefore, I would like to postpone the prologue part, which has caused confusion regarding the specifications, and proceed with this scenario. What do you think?"

Kawagoe made a face as if he'd bitten into a bitter bug. This wasn't anger, but rather, something you could call "hitting a sore spot."

This might be a point I can push.

"...I see. That makes sense."

His expression changed. Looking at the chart, he began to speak in a calm tone.

"But there's a premise to a story. It's difficult to write character stories when you can't even write the prologue. If later on you tell me to fix this too because the opening scene has changed, I really can't agree to that."

I see, he's certainly right. But I also knew that counterargument was coming.

"That's right, that might be the case for the character-specific episodes."

"Then I can't write this part."

"But that's about episodes whose timeline is after the prologue, right?"

"What...?"

To Kawagoe, who seemed to be caught off guard, I pressed on.

"The character-specific episodes in this part are all ones that delve into the characters' pasts. It is noted that they were originally included at your suggestion, Sensei, in order to add depth to the characters and worldview."

That's right, the scenarios indicated here were all ones that were not affected by the main story, meaning they took place after the prologue.

I knew from the documents I had checked beforehand that we could proceed with this content.

I sent a glance to Kuroda, who was at my side, and he also nodded deeply.

"Yeah, that's right, I did say that. But you know, that was originally something I proposed out of necessity because the specifications just wouldn't get decided. You can't tell me to write something that was squeezed out because of your squabbles, can you?"

Kawagoe said bitterly.

"You're absolutely right. Honestly, when I came to this project and looked at the materials, I thought it was unreasonable to ask someone to write a scenario with this."

Both Kawasegawa and Kuroda looked down awkwardly.

"But if we do nothing, production will remain stagnant. I first saw this project from a user's perspective. I was very surprised and very much looking forward to it. To see it go down in flames like this... is unbearable to watch."

I stepped forward in front of Kawagoe and bowed my head.

"Now that I'm on this team, I will do everything in my power to finalize the specifications and improve the production environment. So, Sensei, I would like to ask for your cooperation as well."

The air instantly fell silent. Kawagoe contorted his face awkwardly, repeatedly starting to say something and then stopping, but eventually,

"...Kuroda, keep this room reserved for the day after tomorrow as well."

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm not in the mood today. I'll make arrangements for a meeting and come back."

With that, he packed up his things and left the conference room as if fleeing.

Watching the door slam shut loudly, I let out a deep sigh.

"...Sorry, did I overdo it?"

However, they both gave a wry smile in unison and,

"Good work."

they said, praising my efforts.

◇

"Man, you really did it, Hashiba, that was amazing!"

At lunch after the meeting, Kuroda suddenly started praising me.

"I wonder if it's okay, he seemed angry..."

"I was aware of the progress on that part, but it was hard for me to say anything because of my position. So, it was honestly a big help that you, the new guy, said it."

...I see, so that's how it was.

If it's just that much, pointing it out is easy if you've read the documents. I was wondering why Kuroda didn't do it, but if that's the reason, then I understand.

"He properly specified the next meeting, and he must have felt awkward being pointed out for not writing what he could."

Next to Kuroda, who was nodding repeatedly, Sakurai-san, who didn't know the circumstances, looked anxious.

"Was it that... amazing...?"

"Facing Kawagoe Kyouichi, Hashiba didn't back down an inch. That was magnificent!"

"A-amazing, Hashiba-san!"

Kuroda said with exaggeration, and Sakurai-san was also exaggeratingly impressed.

"But to be honest, that was sophistry."

Most of what Kawagoe Kyouichi was saying was undeniable. Having been hit with specification changes for the prologue part many times and not knowing what kind of introduction to make, to tell him to think about only the character episodes first was, in the end, just for the production side's convenience.

"Well, yeah. If he had really pressed that point, we wouldn't have had a leg to stand on."

Kuroda, of course, seemed to understand and nodded deeply.

"Nevertheless, you succeeded in getting Kawagoe Kyouichi into the ring. In that respect, Hashiba did his first job well."

Kawasegawa breathed a sigh of relief.

"He was at the point where he might quit, you know."

"Huh... to that extent?"

She nodded and told me about the recent flow of events.

Due to the repeated specification changes and the accompanying increase in workload, it seems there had been very strong complaints not only from Kawagoe himself but also from his editor at the publishing house.

"'We have been lenient because you have been friends since your student days, but if you continue to lower the author's motivation any further, we will withdraw him after publicly naming your company,' they said."

"Wow..."

I couldn't say anything.

But from the publisher's point of view, I could understand why they would want to say that. From the position of trying their best to have a writer who sells millions of copies write comfortably, even if it's a different job, it's unbearable to have their mood ruined by being messed around with specification changes.

And yet, with no sign of improvement, and if the game company has its own reasons, the other side will surely come to protect the author with all their might. They would probably want to say, "Who cares about your position."

"There's no doubt we're at the very edge. But that's exactly why Hashiba's presence, looking at the project with fresh eyes, was so welcome."

Kawasegawa's eyes, looking at me, were filled with apology.

"Please, Hashiba."

I didn't think I was in a position to say anything, but if she, who was this cornered, was relying on me, then there was only one answer.

"Yeah, I'll do my best."

Our first meeting wasn't great, to be honest, but I get to work with that Kawagoe Kyouichi. Thinking about it again, there's nothing happier than this.

"Alright, then I'll have to properly greet Shino sometime soon."

That's right, I was curious about that too.

"Akishima Shino, huh."

Greeting the person I admired up close, talking about making things together from now on. It's a dream-like time, but reality is approaching with surprising speed.

I'll do my best──only a cliché comes to mind, but since that's all I can do, I thought, I'll just do my best.

◇

In addition to being in charge of Kawagoe Kyouichi, I was also assigned to handle the promotion for Misukuro. That said, the decision-making authority was, as expected, held by the manager, Kawasegawa, and my position was more of a 'sub-charge,' handling only communications and interactions that wouldn't have a major impact.

Today's meeting was a discussion about the game presentation event we are planning with the public relations department. Succeed Soft always built a huge booth, one of the biggest at the venue, and it was their custom to make a grand announcement about their new work in production there.

"Now, let's get to the main topic. Regarding the event to be held early next term..."

The employee from the PR department began to speak dispassionately, showing no sign of noticing the sense of unease I felt.

The event, Game Expo, to be held in three months, was an event held at one of Japan's largest convention centers in Chiba, and considering the expected number of attendees and media attention, it was clear that it would be a major point.

"This time, as the public relations department, we would like to have the creators of this work on stage for a talk show or similar event, in conjunction with a Niconico Live broadcast..."

The promotion proposed by the PR department was, to put it nicely, solid, and to put it badly, uninteresting.

"If there are no problems on your end, we would like to proceed with the arrangements. What do you think?"

Of course, I couldn't just say it was fine, so I replied, "I'll let the manager know." From what I heard, there didn't seem to be any major problems, but still, it wasn't something I should make the final decision on. This is an important part of being in a large company.

(Looking at it again, this is a work of incredible scale.)

Just glancing at the page where the budget is written is enough to make one feel dizzy.

It's a matter of course, but the budget for this is on a whole different order of magnitude than that for Project Grape.

"Well then, we will notify you again once the details are finalized."

Even after the PR department left with those words, Sakurai-san and I were busy with preparations. The PR department would handle the booth setup and appointments with the cast, but we had to prepare everything related to Misukuro. And since we couldn't compromise on quality, the selection process seemed like it would take time.

As I was checking the overall schedule and sharing the schedule adjustments with the freelance creators, the sun had set before I knew it.

"Well then, Hashiba-san, I'm heading out first."

Sakurai-san, who had finished cleaning up first, bowed her head and left the development room. Today, there was a regular meeting in Department 13. "Heading out first" meant she was going there.

"Phew, I guess I'll call it a day too."

Looking around, I saw that most of the staff had already left the office. Since development wasn't in its final crunch phase yet, many people left at the scheduled time.

"I'm a little late for this."

I quickly left the development room and walked down the hallway. It was like having another job after my regular duties, and with one of them having an uncertain future, it was honestly exhausting.

It was only natural that it would turn out that way, since we gathered every time without any concrete measures coming up, and it was about time we found a clue, or it would affect everyone's motivation.

"But still..."

Compared to when I was thinking about the previous project, this time my hands were too full. Moreover, time was limited and my movements were restricted.

It was sad that I myself was naturally becoming whiny.

I got on the elevator with the same momentum, and the moment I looked up, my feet stopped.

"Ah..."

For a body tired from work, there was the most exhausting face imaginable.

"Hey, Hashiba-kun."

It was Managing Director Matsuhira.

I got on in silence and closed the door. With a quiet operating sound, the elevator descended at high speed.

"You seem to be having a tough time~. How's work at the new place?"

"Yes, well... somehow."

While giving a perfunctory reply, inwardly I was filled with indignation. I wanted to blame him, thinking it was all because of the personnel change he had orchestrated.

(If only he weren't here.)

If I could hurt people by glaring at them, I might have done so. That's how much intense anger I looked at him with.

The person in question seemed not to care about me at all, turning away with a cool smile. In reality, he probably didn't think anything of it.

So I didn't say anything more either. I was afraid I would say something unnecessary if I opened my mouth, so I intended to end it there.

And yet.

"It must be fun, right? The elite course."

"...Huh?"

That freezing smirk was turned towards me.

"How does it feel to do a good job by using your colleagues as stepping stones?"

A rapid anger, as if my brain were about to boil over, welled up inside me.

I even thought about just forgetting about work and yelling at him and punching him right here.

But I couldn't do it yet. The faces of Kawasegawa and everyone in Department 13 came to mind. If I let my emotions get the best of me here, everything would be ruined.

(I will never forgive you.)

The feeling of "I'll do something about this" was rekindled more than enough.

◇

After an unexpected encounter with my nemesis, I participated in the Department 13 meeting while still unable to contain my anger.

I want to channel this momentum into some kind of action, but unfortunately, there's no way to do that right now, and we're just continuing in a phase of enduring.

"Okay, first, I'll report on our situation."

Miyamoto-san stood up and began to explain the current situation of Department 13 in a quiet tone.

"Regarding the dummy project I mentioned before, we're somehow managing to get by with this strategy for now. Some of the people at the approval desk give me suspicious looks, sensing my intentions, but well, an individual's intentions don't matter. As a matter of corporate appearances, they have no choice but to accept it."

It really is a brilliant idea, I thought again.

As a company, making a new proposal is something that cannot be refused, and if they were to reject or restrict the reception of such proposals, it could lead to a discussion about the entire business and develop into a major problem. In that case, even if they know the purpose is to prolong the life of the troublesome Department 13, it's better to just keep putting it through the approval process to avoid a public problem.

It's a way of turning a large company's policy of avoiding trouble to one's own advantage.

"But there's a limit to how long we can keep doing this. Needless to say, this isn't a cure, it's a life-prolonging measure. We're not doing this just to stay at the company. Right?"

"...That's right."

I nod at Miyamoto-san's words.

Just because it's going well doesn't mean we should just continue with it. If we keep this up, it's clear that we'll eventually lose all motivation and become living corpses.

I want some kind of measure that will lead to hope. But I still can't find a clue for that now.

"How about it, Hashiba, have you found anything that could be a hint?"

"No, I'm sorry... nothing I can point to yet."

At my cold reply, Miyamoto-san's shoulders slumped.

"I see... this is tough."

Miyamoto-san nodded and fell into thought.

While we work our regular jobs, Miyamoto-san and Kojima-san have been enduring on a bed of needles for us. Both of them could find work anywhere if they wanted to, yet they are still enduring for the sake of getting Department 13's project approved and executed.

And yet, I still haven't been able to propose a plan.

(Damn it... isn't there something, some way...!)

I clenched my fist tightly on my lap and tried to rack my brain desperately. However, as if to mock my efforts, not even a fragment of an idea seemed to be forthcoming.

"Lamenting about things not moving won't change anything. Let's put that energy into thinking about the next move."

At times like this, Kojima-san's calmness is a great help. If everyone gets gloomy and depressed, it feels like you can't move forward even a millimeter.

"Yeah..."

Miyamoto-san also nodded painfully. I think it's a terrible story myself. It's too apologetic to report that there's nothing after making them wait so long.

I want to somehow repay everyone who has followed me. Even if there are no results yet, the only way is to keep thinking.

"For now, I'll give a report from the Development Department 2. We're currently in meetings with the PR department about promotional activities for Misukuro──"

Trying to change the mood of the place, Sakurai-san started the regular communication. She is giving a brief report on the movements of the PR team that she and I had been working on.

In the middle of it, I suddenly noticed one empty seat.

"Even at a time like this, I wonder where the manager is."

Kojima-san muttered with a sigh.

"I know, right... really."

The manager who used to be here was not here now. It seems he has been busy with personal matters ever since, and has completely stopped showing up at these meetings.

(At a time like this, if only Horii-san were here, he might say something.)

Looking back now, Horii-san would give us some kind of hint when we were in trouble. I don't know if it was intentional, but as a result, we used it as something that would lead to the next step.

But now, we couldn't even find that clue. Suffering under the Managing Director's tyranny, we, who were trying to crawl out of it, were still struggling in the cauldron of hell.