A week has passed since the shocking announcement.
Since then, Development Department 2 has
seen a succession of staff resignations.
The reason was, of course, clear. It was to
participate in the production of Be-Craft's new work, which was to be made with
almost the same team as the game they had been making until a little while ago.
"It seems there are also those who are
resigning simply because they've grown to hate this place."
Kuroda says, looking somewhat lonely.
"In truth, it would be great if we
could all transfer over in one go, but that would obviously cause friction.
This kind of thing is difficult."
In fact, due to resistance to producing it
within Be-Craft itself, it was decided that a new, 100% funded production
company would be created to handle the production there.
"But it's really great. Since it's
been decided that we'll do both Misukuro and Grape. There couldn't be a better
conclusion than this, could there?"
"That's right, yeah."
Just as Kuroda said, I think it was the
best possible conclusion.
Originally, I had proposed only a new work
by the Misukuro staff, but in the subsequent exchanges, I found there was room
to proceed with Grape in parallel, and when I pushed for it on a long shot, the
budget for that was also approved.
For now, it still feels like Sakurai-san's
one-person project, but it's possible to increase staff as things progress
concretely.
"So, when are you heading over there,
Kuroda?"
"A little while longer, after I've
finished up the remaining tasks. I think it'll be after all the other guys have
finalized where they're going. Since the manager isn't here, I have to take
care of that stuff."
As for Kawasegawa, I think a softness has
finally returned to her expression. For the past while, she probably hasn't had
a moment's peace.
"Has she calmed down a bit?"
"Yeah, she's finally able to start on
her next job."
I remember meeting her yesterday.
The new office prepared by Be-Craft. There,
she was to work as the head of the new "Development Department 1".
With the staff still sparse, I went to
check on the situation.
"Oh? Is it alright for you to be here?
You're still technically an employee over there, aren't you?"
As soon as Kawasegawa saw my face, she said
in surprise.
"I've submitted my resignation, and
right now is like a grace period, so it's fine. More importantly, can we talk
for a bit?"
"Okay," Kawasegawa nodded and
stood up.
We went out to the rooftop break space.
Unlike a skyscraper like Succeed Soft's, the new office was in a small,
three-story commercial building, and the space was about two-thirds the size.
Although it had been renovated, it inevitably felt cheap compared to the
state-of-the-art old office.
"But this place is comforting. It
seems I can work while properly seeing everyone's faces."
Kawasegawa seemed to have completely taken
a liking to this place, and its age didn't seem to be a problem at all.
"Hey, Kawasegawa. Again, about that...
I want to apologize."
"Apologize? For what?"
To her questioning face, I bowed my head
and said,
"If we're going back to the beginning,
it's the matter that I stirred up so much. If I hadn't done anything, you
should have been able to stay at Succeed, and the fact that it didn't turn out
that way is my responsibility."
Certainly, the development environment for
Misukuro improved dramatically. Kawasegawa's situation, where she was caught in
the middle, also improved.
But that's an improvement in the
environment from our perspective. From the standpoint of corporate stability,
Succeed is still a large company, and compared to that, this Be-Craft-funded
company is, in the end, just a subsidiary on the sidelines. If any major
problem arises, it's in a position to be mercilessly cut off by the main
company.
I was the one who created a situation where
the entire development department had to go there. If it weren't for my barging
in, she surely could have lived a more peaceful life.
I apologized to her for that.
"That's true, come to think of it, you
have put me through some terrible things."
"Yeah, so, my apology──"
As I continued to lower my head, Kawasegawa
suddenly grabbed it and gently returned it to its original position.
"Huh...?"
"There's no one here now, right?"
There was no time to answer
"why."
The next moment, Kawasegawa's body was
pressed against mine. It was the complete opposite of the night the development
freeze was announced, when I had pulled her into an embrace.
"K-Kawasegawa...?"
An arm wrapped around my back. I was
stroked so lovingly that I thought I would lose my mind from that alone.
"You know, I've been saying all along
that there's something I want to ask of you."
"Yeah, you did."
From the moment I joined Succeed Soft, she
had always talked about something she wanted to ask, and another important
promise.
To keep loving games.
It was only recently that I finally
realized that this was the complete opposite of that Managing Director's way of
thinking.
"While at that company, I was always
thinking about whether I could get production into a good shape. After meeting
you, someone who can take action, I started to think it might be
possible."
"Someone who seems like they can make
things happen, huh."
"Yes," Kawasegawa nodded.
"But things kept getting worse. It
became harder for you to move, and I felt like I had reached the end of the
line. So, on the day of that development freeze, it was really painful and sad,
but there was a part of me that felt relieved."
Kawasegawa let out a deep breath.
"I thought, 'I don't have to make
games anymore.'"
"..."
So Kawasegawa was cornered to this extent.
Even though she cherished games so much,
and the project called Misukuro.
I noticed that Kawasegawa's words were
slightly tearful. But of course, I pretended not to notice.
"I learned that as a leader, no matter
how tough things get, you have to have the mindset that you'll see it through
calmly to the end. So, after everything you've done for me, I won't cry
anymore. I'll fight. That's... what I wanted to say."
The hand on my back tensed with strength.
"Thank you, Hashiba... I look forward
to working with you from now on."
"Likewise... it's a pleasure."
Something hot was welling up inside me too,
and I was desperately trying to hold it back.
Honestly, I don't know if I was able to
repay her in the best possible way. There might have been a better way, and
it's certainly possible that I couldn't achieve it due to my lack of ability.
But, if she's thanking me like this now, I
thought that maybe I was able to fulfill that first promise just a little.
"But well, things have been a bit too
rough lately."
She said, pouting her lips in
dissatisfaction.
"S-Sorry."
And so, Kawasegawa Eiko moved to a new
stage. Having escaped from the Managing Director who had bound her, this time
she should be able to make games in a good way.
"I see, then Kawasegawa is safe
now."
Hearing my report (though I of course
omitted the part where I was embraced), Kuroda nodded repeatedly as if
relieved.
"That girl, Kawasegawa, she loses out
because she seems strong at first glance, but in reality, she's incredibly
delicate and takes on a lot, so she's actually not suited to be a leader."
Kuroda said something unexpected.
No, I had also vaguely noticed that. To be
a leader-like figure, she lacked a certain insensitivity. I think she often
tried to see everything, raising the resolution too high, and ended up getting
tired from it.
"So, in reality... I think someone
like you, Hashiba, becoming the leader and her being the assistant would be a
good fit."
"My assistant? That's such a
waste."
I had never thought about it, but perhaps
such a timeline could have existed. If, when choosing a university, I had
chosen the same art university as her.
There might have been a dynamic where I, as
the leader, pulled the team around, and Kawasegawa, while complaining,
perfectly supported me.
"Wait, huh...?"
I was surprised at how well the image fit,
more than I expected.
"Heheh, not bad, right? I may not look
it, but I have more skill than anyone in judging the right person for the right
job."
I returned a wry smile to the laughing
Kuroda.
A small misunderstanding can change
everything significantly. If you try to move forward by ignoring the
distortions created that way, those distortions naturally grow larger.
I thought that the series of events that
happened at Succeed Soft was probably an extension of that. Before it was about
what the Managing Director did, the systems and thinking were old, creating a
gap with the people working there. Trying to fill that gap with spiritual
arguments creates stress.
(From now on, I'll probably have to see
that in my new workplace.)
"But well, I don't think the Managing
Director will back down quietly after this, and there's a mountain of things to
do."
Kuroda says with a grave face.
"Probably."
I also didn't think that this had solved
everything.
Having lost face in front of so many
people, the Managing Director will surely plot his revenge, and he will
undoubtedly come at us with a vicious method.
(I should probably prepare myself
mentally.)
I should probably talk to Kawasegawa too.
Though, it's a name she probably never wants to hear again.
"By the way, is the new president
coming next week? Have you met them yet, Hashiba?"
"No, not yet. I only heard that it's a
woman."
I don't know what kind of person she is,
but I think it would be better to confirm things about the Managing Director
beforehand. Well, maybe she's already aware of that.
Amidst a mix of anxiety and expectation, I
quietly proceeded with preparations for work at the new office.
◆
On the display in front of me, the search
results for social media are shown. Since the day of that announcement,
Be-Craft's new work has been so hyped that not a day goes by without it being a
topic of conversation.
"Everyone's got too much time on their
hands, getting all worked up over a mere game every day."
The mass transfer of the Mystic Clockwork
staff became a perfect topic in the game industry, which had been lacking in
news, and it was trending every day.
Moreover, perhaps because they had
carefully prepared their media strategy, a trend had been established where
Succeed Soft was being criticized in connection with the freezing of Misukuro's
development, and we had no choice but to just watch from the sidelines and
pretend not to see.
We could have taken retaliatory measures.
We considered, for the time being, making employees who were still enrolled at
Succeed at the time of the title announcement write a pledge not to transfer to
a competitor, or demanding compensation in a way that would make them take
responsibility for the previous development freeze.
However,
"As expected, they were well-prepared
in that area."
They had a lawyer experienced in this kind
of response ready from the start, and had them watch so that no disadvantageous
conditions were put forth. The cost was borne by Be-Craft, but the one who
negotiated for it was undoubtedly him.
"Hashiba Kyouya──huh."
His resume from when he joined the company.
I take it out of the envelope and look at it again. He has an ordinary-looking
face with no particular distinguishing features.
It's true I underestimated him a little.
After the development freeze, when I called him in, his spirit was completely
broken, and he showed no signs of defiance. I don't know now if someone gave
him the idea, or if he had obtained enough material to go on the offensive.
"Well, that doesn't matter."
Honestly, I don't care what they do at some
other company. I should be happy that I got rid of a nuisance, and this will
also help in sweeping away my old man's faction.
"But, you know."
I crumpled the resume I was holding in my
palm.
"I won't forgive you... I'll teach you
what happens when you defy me, Hashiba."
It's boring if they don't resist a little,
but there's a limit to that. Even a pet gets punished if it bites, so it's
probably necessary to give him and his companions a suitable punishment.
Whether they transfer to another company or
flee overseas, there are plenty of ways to do it. I need to make them tremble
with fear anew, to hurt them so they never think of defying me again.
"I can't afford to lose to
anyone."
I say it as if to confirm it to myself. I
want to make those idiots, and the people who believe in them, understand the
suffering of that time.
For that, I can't just stop in a place like
this yet.
I put down the crumpled resume and pressed
the call button on the intercom.
"Meeting today at 17:00. Gather the
department and section chiefs from corporate planning, HR, and sales."
"Understood," a tense voice
replied. They must have sensed from my tone that something was unusual. I sit
back deeply in my chair and think of Hashiba again.
"I don't like it, those eyes full of
hope."
From the beginning, I felt something shady
about him, separate from his abilities. He could do it if he tried, yet he
insists on the game industry, wasting time, and tries to act on sentiment
instead of taking on a suitable job. If someone like that were to overflow into
the world, it would be extremely troublesome.
"Shall I overwrite and erase those
infuriatingly positive words with overwhelming power? The things he likes, the
people he likes, everything is my enemy."
A smile naturally appeared on my face. I
couldn't help but look forward to how I would break this sturdy-looking toy.
"Hashiba Kyouya──I'll hurt you so
much you'll never be able to get back on your feet."
◆
The weather is very nice today. The air is
refreshing, which is very nice, but the dust inevitably flies, making it a bit
of a difficult weather for cleaning.
Also, I've been on the phone all morning,
so the cleaning hasn't progressed much. I know there are a lot of things to
confirm, but I already told them everything beforehand, so I wish the people at
the company would handle it soon.
"Yeah, I'll be at that office from
next week, so just do the setup, okay? As long as you connect the line, I'll do
the rest myself. Huh? What about greeting the new staff? I'll handle that from
here too, so it's fine~ Well then, talk to you later."
I ended the call, put my smartphone in my
pocket, and started sweeping again. It was a daily routine I always did in
front of the apartment I manage.
Still, I picked up a real bargain in an
unexpected place.
My dad suddenly told me he wanted to bring
in some outside blood to strengthen our development, and I was wondering what
to do, but since they came to us with a project, I thought, maybe I'm lucky!
And what's more, it's Kyouya-san's group.
"Well, the old men on the board of
directors turned pale and opposed it, but when I said, 'Then I'll create a
separate company and do it there,' they quieted down. They're so easy~"
Humming, I gathered the fallen leaves into
a bag and tied it tightly. At the regular trash collection point, there were
already several bags filled with fallen leaves.
"Kyouya-san, I said I don't believe in
things like fate, but..."
I carried the trash bags in both hands and
put them out together at the collection point.
The courtyard, which had been littered with
fallen leaves, became clean all at once and was transformed.
"If you go and grab it yourself, luck
will surely follow... there."
Even with social game gachas, if you keep
pulling until you get it, the appearance rate is 100%, right?
What's important in drawing lots isn't the
luck to draw a winner, but how strong your pulling arm is; it all depends on
that. My dad says some good things.
"Kyouya-san would probably be
surprised to see me at the company~. Maybe I should call him by his first name
from behind all of a sudden. 'Hashiba Kyouya-san... right?' like that."
For some reason, I continue to practice my
greeting.
"Nice to meet you. I am Ichikawa Mika,
the president of the new company, Be-Craft Creative. It's a pleasure to meet
you, hehe."
I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
I wonder how I'll play with that
quick-witted, cute boy from now on.
The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't help but look forward to work starting next week.
