Game Market 1983

Chapter 72: To Korea

"Have you two ever been in a relationship by any chance?" I asked.

Upon hearing my question, Morita and Hayashi seemed to turn into mumbling bees. Well, it's not really my place to ask, but seeing them like this brings back memories of my life before the time slip.

"In fact, the new project is all about the topic of love. Unlike our previous games, we need to put a lot of emphasis on the story, so it won't be an easy task," I explained.

Morita, who was excited upon hearing the word 'love,' exclaimed, "If it's about love, we definitely need female characters!"

"It's not just about needing them, but they need to be the main focus. It's a game that immerses players in romantic emotions. If we had to classify it, it would be something like a 'cute girl dating simulation.'"

"Cute... girl dating simulation? What kind of genre name is that?"

Well, considering the only genres I've heard of so far are action, role-playing, adventure, simulation, and shooting, the term 'cute girl dating simulation' does sound rather unusual.

But in the era I've crossed over to, there was a genre called 'Bountiful Hyper Battle.' Can you imagine that? 'Bountiful' Hyper Battle...

I, too, had my doubts when I first saw that genre name.

"Director, I agree with that genre. So, you mean the game I draw characters for will be a dating game?" Morita said.

"Don't rush things. I thought of this genre after seeing Morita's character design, so I don't know exactly how it will shape up yet," I clarified.

"Just hearing your words makes me so excited I can't wait!" Morita eagerly responded.

As expected, Morita was completely fired up. But from the early stages of the dating game, it's crucial to create a wholesome storyline to make it enjoyable for female users like Yuki, who may not appreciate an overly sexy concept.

Then, Hayashi, who had been silently listening to our conversation, spoke up.

"I... need some time to think about it."

In line with his practical and analytical nature, is he carefully considering the pros and cons? I hope he becomes the talented programmer that gives Pentagon Soft a boost. We'll see if he transitions well.

&

"We'll take our leave for now," I said.

"Yes. It was nice meeting Morita-san and Hayashi-san," Kawaguchi said, offering a handshake with a friendly smile.

It seems both Morita and Hayashi have made a good impression on Kawaguchi.

"I've decided to accept President Kang Junhyuk's job offer. When I return to Kyoto, I plan to submit my resignation to Mintendo," Morita said.

"It would be an honor to have Morita-san, who is Amano-sensei's disciple, joining us. While Psych Battle's gameplay is important, what truly makes the game shine are Morita-san's character designs. There are even Morita-san fans among our company employees," Kawaguchi complimented.

That's a valid point. I'm certain that if Psych Battle featured muscle-bound men ripping off their gloves, it would have sold half as much. Indeed, female characters are crucial to catch the attention of male players.

"Furthermore, Hayashi-san's coding skills, which intricately handled the challenging bullet hell aspects, are exceptional. Our Pentagon Soft is currently short of programmers, and I hope Hayashi-san will consider joining us in a positive direction," Kawaguchi added politely.

Kawaguchi, leading by example, made his request first, bowing his head. Hayashi, taken aback, eventually reciprocated with a courteous bow, completing the exchange.

With the higher-ups setting the stage and vouching for Hayashi, it seemed that he wasn't opposed to the idea either.

...

Pentagon Soft had kindly provided a company car to drop us off at Shinjuku Station, so our way back was pretty smooth.

"Thanks to you today, Director, I feel like I've found new possibilities," Hayashi said, his expression thoughtful yet noticeably different from my content one. It seemed Hayashi was also considering a job change to some extent.

Then, a voice from behind called out to me.

"Junhyuk-ssi!"

"Huh? Yuki...san."

It felt a bit awkward to call her just "Yuki," so I added "san" belatedly, which seemed to make Yuki's expression suddenly deflate.

"Didn't we agree that you'd just call me Yuki?"

"Sorry, I'm not used to it yet. But why did you come so early? Our meeting was still an hour away."

"Well, I had some time to spare, and I thought I'd come early. But I didn't expect you to be here already. Who are the people behind you?"

"Oh, they are my colleagues, Morita-san and Hayashi-san."

"Hello. I'm Ishikawa Yuki. Nice to meet you."

"Uh, hi. I'm..."

With zero experience in dating, they both felt incredibly awkward in front of a woman. At this rate, I worried whether they could create a dating simulation with these two.

"I'm Morita Shinpei."

"I'm Hayashi Yosuke."

"Morita-san and Hayashi-san, I see. Nice to meet you," Yuki greeted, her smile making both Morita and Hayashi freeze in their tracks.

"While we're here, how about we have dinner together?" Yuki suggested.

"Sure, that sounds good."

"Should we go too? Didn't you have a... date planned?" I asked.

While I did plan to meet Yuki while in Tokyo, I didn't expect this turn of events. However, Yuki seemed okay with it, and occasionally treating subordinates to dinner is considered a good practice for a boss.

"Well, I came up to Tokyo with some business to attend to, and I was thinking of grabbing a meal before heading back to Kyoto. Is that okay with you, Yuki?"

"Yes, that's fine."

Dressed in a red coat and looking her best for our 'date,' she stood out even in the crowded streets of Shinjuku.

"By any chance, do you know of any good restaurants in Shinjuku?" Instead of randomly entering a restaurant, it was better to ask her directly about a good place. She skillfully took out her diary and started scanning the Shinjuku area.

"There are quite a few good places. What kind of cuisine do you like?"

Yuki asked Morita and Hayashi first, showing consideration for them rather than directly addressing me.

"If it's okay with you, I'm good with anything."

"Um... Rice is fine. Since it's dinner time..."

"Then, how about a traditional Japanese meal? Or would you prefer Western cuisine?"

Hayashi made the choice this time.

"Okay, Japanese it is."

"Rice or noodles?"

This time, Morita answered.

"I prefer rice. Especially since it's dinner..."

"Then, Junhyuk-san, would you like a set meal, or would you prefer hot pot?"

"I think I'll go with hot pot."

"Okay, everyone, please follow me."

This was an excellent way that left no room for complaints.

Morita, who followed behind us, suddenly looked at me and said, "I think I'm starting to get an idea of what the Director meant by the dating simulation game."

"Really?"

Thank goodness for that.

A little while later, we headed to a nabemono (hot pot) restaurant following Yuki's lead. Even in the crowded and complex streets of Shinjuku, she skillfully found the restaurant, consulting a map in her diary and asking passersby for directions. Yuki sat beside me inside the restaurant, trying to make the situation comfortable for Morita and Hayashi, who looked awkward in front of a woman. She shared various stories to ease the tension.

"Remember the event we had? You gave me a Dragon Emblem, right?"

"Yuki-san is into games, too?"

"Yes, I love games. I've already bought Psyche Battle, which was released by Mintendo."

"Phew! Cough... Cough... You bought Psyche Battle?"

"Junhyuk, really... Next time, when you release a game, please give me a heads-up. Do you know how much I struggled to get that game?"

"Well, it's just that... Umm..."

Even if control is a bit clumsy, a faulty illustration where parts fly off is...

It wouldn't be easy to brag about it to Yuki, so I decided to keep it to myself.

"It's a bit risque, but the characters are really attractive. I had a great time playing it."

"All the characters were designed by Morita. And Hayashi here is the programmer behind Psyche Battle..."

"Wow! So, you three are the ones behind Psyche Battle!"

"Well, you could say that."

"Amazing."

Yuki's sincere admiration made Morita and Hayashi blush and stir the hot pot nervously.

"Ah, could you pass me the dishes, please? I'll serve."

Yuki kneeled and handed the small dishes to Morita and Hayashi, serving them deliciously. While observing Yuki's actions, Morita looked at me and muttered enviously, "Now I understand why the Director suggested a dating simulation game."

"Morita-san, that's a misunderstanding."

Yuki overheard Morita's words and handed me a dish, asking, "A dating simulation game? Is that a video game?"

"I'm just brainstorming..."

"Wow, that sounds interesting!"

Yuki, a gaming enthusiast, began to show a keen interest after hearing just a bit about the genre.

Setting aside everything else, as we all shared a common interest in "games," Morita, Hayashi, Yuki, and I began discussing various topics related to dating simulations.

"What if we incorporate artificial intelligence to make the in-game characters act like real girlfriends based on the player's decisions?"

"That sounds like a good idea!!"

Yuki readily nodded in agreement to Morita's somewhat challenging idea. Hearing this, Hayashi, who had been silently observing the conversation, finally chimed in.

"AI doesn't change much. Anyway, those kinds of games are similar to adventures. The endings change based on choices. It's just one of the 0s and 1s in my code."

Morita and Yuki, who had been fired up, became as quiet as if they had received a cold shower from Hayashi's hopeless words.

"Hayashi, you're scary."

"I was just stating the facts."

Watching them, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Before we knew it, we finished our meal, and when we stepped outside, the surroundings had darkened. Hayashi checked his wristwatch for a moment, probably noticing that the train time was approaching, and quickly bid us farewell.

"The train will be here soon, so we should head off."

"Yes, see you at the office next week."

"Director, thank you for everything. It was nice to meet you, Yuki. Hey, Morita, hurry up. If we miss this train, we'll have to wait for two hours."

"Just a moment..."

Huh? Morita usually responded obediently whenever Hayashi spoke, but now, he called out to Hayashi with a sense of urgency. Then, he hesitated for a moment while looking at Yuki, as if he had something to say.

"Do you have something to say to me?"

"Well, um, you know... maybe... Yuki-san, would it be okay if we used your image for our next dating simulation game?"

...Honestly, I thought Morita was going to confess his love to Yuki at first glance.

Yuki also seemed uneasy in the strange atmosphere and relaxed her tense shoulders before answering.

"Yes, that's fine."

"Thank you!"

"But please draw me beautifully~"

"Of course~!!"

"Hey! Morita, what are you waiting for? Hurry up. We need to rush because of you!!"

"Sorry, Hayashi. Director, see you at the office next week~!!!"

"Yes... Haha..."

I watched Hayashi, who quickly disappeared with Morita, and Yuki giggled at the scene.

"It's fun. Those two. They really seem to get along."

"I think so too."

"Morita-san drawing me as the main character in a game... I'm looking forward to it. But..."

Yuki blushed slightly and added.

"Just, please don't draw it too explicit like Psyche Battle..."

That kind of stung...

"Well, I'll make sure to control that. It won't be too explicit."

"Kick~ Now that the intruders are gone, shall we continue our date?"

"What do you want to do?"

"To be honest, there's a movie I've been wanting to see, and I already made a reservation. I don't know if my big brother will like it, but..."

"What's the title?"

"La Bamba..."

...Wow, that's a title I haven't heard in a while...

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