When it came to game development, Ichin had never thought about sticking to just one genre.
Focusing only on a single type of game was the easiest way to limit not just himself, but also the entire development team.
Ichin and his company members had the ability to create all sorts of different games, and he intended to make the most of that.
Right now, they were working on well-known, popular, and best-selling titles from his memories. But one day, those reserves would inevitably run out.
That was why he made sure to involve everyone in developing different kinds of projects—so that in the future, they could create brand-new games themselves.
And through this process, Ichin could constantly polish his own skills and grow stronger.
Just then, the office door opened. Utaha walked in with coffee, handed a cup each to Ichin and Haruno, and also brought along a freshly printed report.
"This is from Hazuki. She asked me to give it to you. It's the latest work report from the Shanghai studio."
"Alright, let me take a look."
Ichin picked it up and saw that there were two versions—one in Chinese and another in Japanese.
"Perfect. Haruno, you should take a look too. You probably don't know much about what's happening over there."
He passed her the Japanese version.
"The Shanghai studio, huh."
Haruno nodded and took the report. "Come to think of it, the last time I went to Shanghai was back in my first year of college, during a holiday trip. I wouldn't mind going again sometime."
"You could," Ichin said with a smile. "Summer vacation's coming up. Utaha and I were already planning to go back—partly to visit our parents, and partly to check on the studio's progress. If you've got free time, you could come with us."
Looking over the report, Haruno nodded. "Sure. I'll also ask Yukino if she wants to go. If she comes along, that would be even better."
"That might be a little difficult," Utaha analyzed. "Right now, Yukino's house is full of cats. Even if two of the kittens are already reserved for Kou and Eriri, there are still two adult cats and two kittens left to take care of. She might not agree to leave them behind."
"That's easy," Haruno waved her hand. "Kou's already planning on raising cats—just leave them with her. And you and Ichin won't be taking your own cats with you, right? You'll need to board them somewhere too. I'll just ask Yukino tonight."
The idea of traveling with her little sister again—something they hadn't done since childhood—actually made Haruno look forward to it.
Before long, the two of them finished reading the Shanghai studio's report.
"Not bad," Haruno said with a bright smile. "The person you put in charge there is really capable. Everything's so well organized. Even I can't find a single flaw."
"Exactly." Ichin nodded. "I was lucky to recruit him. He's worked on big projects at major Western studios, with plenty of management experience—perfect for running the Shanghai team. He also put in a lot of work during the initial setup. If nothing goes wrong, I plan to give him some shares. He's basically a founding member."
Haruno had no objections. If it were her own company, she would also reward founding members who made big contributions with a bit of equity—nothing unusual, and a great way to strengthen their sense of belonging.
In Tokyo, Hazuki, Kou, and Umiko already held small shares. It wasn't much, but with the company's growth, even a tiny percentage would guarantee them comfortable lives.
After chatting a while longer about company matters, Haruno left Ichin's office to play with the three cats there.
Aside from Hazuki's Mozuku, Ichin and Utaha had also brought their own cats—George and Peppa—into the office, once they were familiar enough with the environment. They were even planning to take the two for neutering in the next few days.
Once the cats recovered, Ichin and Utaha could head back home during the summer.
Alone in the office, Ichin opened his computer and searched for the games scheduled for release in July and August.
"So, _Breath of the Wild 2_ is finally releasing, huh. It got delayed once last year."
Rubbing his chin, Ichin checked the release calendar: July 20th.
Snapping his fingers, he picked up his phone and called his contacts at Nintendo.
Besides wanting to discuss the possibility of porting _Dark Souls_ to the Switch, he also hoped to use his connections to snag an early copy of _Breath of the Wild 2_.
The call went smoothly. A date was set, and by the time Ichin visited, they'd have a cartridge and a few digital codes prepared for him.
Hanging up, he turned to Utaha, who was reading nearby.
"Once finals are over, want to go to Kyoto with me?"
She looked up. "To Nintendo? You mean we can get _Breath of the Wild 2_?"
"Yep. Already confirmed."
Utaha smiled happily. "Sounds great. Just the two of us?"
Ichin thought for a moment. "You could ask Eriri. If she's interested, then while I'm talking business, she can keep you company around Kyoto. Once I'm done, I'll take you both on a tour of Nintendo headquarters. Who knows—you might even meet some big names."
"Alright, I'll go ask her."
Closing her book, Utaha left the office and went to find Eriri, who was busy working.
She walked up behind her and tapped her on the head.
Startled, Eriri pulled off her headphones and glared. "What is it? Can't you see I'm working?"
"Just a question."
Utaha smiled despite Eriri's annoyance. "Once exams are over, want to come with Ichin and me to Kyoto?"
"Kyoto? What for?" Eriri frowned.
"Ichin's going to meet with Nintendo about _Dark Souls_. He's taking me along. After he's done, he said he could take us to tour Nintendo HQ. Interested?"
The moment she heard that, Eriri's eyes lit up. She shot her hand into the air.
"Of course I'm going! Count me in!"
"Wait—Nintendo? I want to go too!"
From the side, Yagami Kou, who had overheard, looked just as excited and quickly rushed over.
***