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T/N: There is one Translation mistake from my side... GARO is owned by Tōhoku Shinsha not New Northeastern Pictures. I changed it now. Sorry :crying_face: && Throw some powerstones, ok?
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On Ichin's side, the meeting and negotiations with Hazuki at the Tōhoku Shinsha offices had taken quite a bit of time.
Thanks to Hazuki's connections smoothing things over, plus the strong sales of their games—especially Persona, which had already sold over ten million copies—the discussions went smoothly. Although some issues still required further detail, the cooperation was basically confirmed.
After finishing business, both sides headed to an izakaya, where they shared dinner, chatted freely, and enjoyed themselves.
Coming out of the izakaya, Ichin checked the time.
"It's already close to nine o'clock. Hazuki, let's call a designated driver to take us back."
Since they had come in Ichin's car, he first needed to send Hazuki home.
Hazuki's cheeks were slightly flushed from drinking, though she wasn't drunk.
She nodded. "Sure, I need to get some rest early anyway. Still have work tomorrow."
"No rush. If you're tired, just rest more at home tomorrow morning and come to the office in the afternoon."
As he spoke, Ichin booked a driver through his phone app, then let Hazuki rest inside the car while he leaned against the door, enjoying the night breeze to clear his head.
Ten minutes later, the driver arrived. They dropped Hazuki off at her apartment before Ichin finally returned home.
Taking the elevator upstairs, Ichin glanced at his phone—it was already past 9:30.
"Even though I called Utaha before dinner, she hasn't sent me a single message or called. She's that confident in me?"
He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.
When the elevator arrived, Ichin stepped out. Passing by the neighboring apartment, he noticed the door had been replaced—the renovations were even more thorough than he'd imagined.
At his own door, he unlocked it and stepped inside. The lights were on, and the sound of the TV floated from the living room. Looked like Utaha was already home.
In the living room, Utaha stood up from the sofa and walked toward the entrance.
"Welcome back, Ichin."
She smiled and embraced him tightly.
Savoring the warmth of her hug, Ichin replied with a smile, "Yeah, I'm home."
After releasing him, Utaha sniffed faintly. "You've been drinking?"
"Mm, just a little. Don't worry, I'm not drunk. I called a driver to bring me back."
Pinching her cheek playfully, Ichin changed into slippers and followed her into the living room.
"So, how long did you and Yukino stay out?"
"Earlier than you. We came back around eight." Utaha leaned against Ichin's arm without minding the faint smell of alcohol on him. "After class we went shopping and checked out a new pet supplies store. Haruno-nee joined us later at dinner. Look—that toy over there is what we bought this afternoon."
Ichin looked over to see George clutching a mouse toy in his paws.
"It's remote-controlled. We let them play with it after coming home, and they went absolutely wild."
"Ha, that's great."
"And that's not all." Utaha shook his arm lightly. "That store also does pet bathing and grooming pretty well. So Yukino and I booked an appointment for Saturday to take the cats for a spa day. You'll come with us, right?"
"Of course. I've got nothing planned this weekend anyway."
After Utaha finished talking about her day, Ichin told her about the meeting with Tōhoku Shinsha.
"So most things are settled," Utaha said happily. "When their team visits our company next week to finalize details, we can sign the contract?"
"Pretty much. Over the next few days, I'll refine the game proposal further. I already have ideas for the gameplay—the main work will be on the story. Since we're adapting it into an ARPG, the narrative will be just as important as the combat system."
Though he'd said he had no plans for the weekend, he still needed to draft the proposal. It wouldn't be too exhausting, though.
Since it was late and he'd had some drinks, Ichin didn't plan to keep working. Instead, he went to shower and turned in early.
---
Friday, after class, Ichin arrived at the company.
He gathered the middle and senior management into the meeting room and explained the results of the negotiations with Tōhoku Shinsha.
"That's the situation. Next week, they'll come here for final discussions, then we'll sign the contract. After that, once Fall Guys development wraps up, aside from those maintaining live service, everyone else will join the new project's early preparations. The Dark Souls team remains unchanged and continues their current work. As for HR, once the contract is signed, start recruiting according to the requirements I'll send."
The HR manager quickly nodded and took notes.
Looking around the room, Ichin continued:
"That's all for now. While this project won't be our company's main focus compared to others, it is our very first collaboration with another company—an adaptation project in a new field—so it must be taken seriously. I'll personally oversee it. Once Dark Souls is finished, Kou, you'll also help me out."
Yagami Kou nodded. "Got it. But Ichin, aren't you stretching yourself thin? Between Dark Souls development and preparations for the new project, plus your university work… that's a lot of pressure."
Ichin waved it off casually. "It's nothing. I'll manage fine. Alright, that's it for the meeting. Everyone back to work."
After the others left, Hazuki, Yagami Kou, and Toyama Rin stayed behind.
Hazuki looked at Ichin seriously. "Are you sure you can handle so much? The company isn't as small as it used to be—the workload is huge."
"Relax, I'm not going to gamble with my health."
Ichin stood with a grin. "Even if I wanted to overwork, Utaha wouldn't let me. So there's no need to worry. Come on, Kou, Rin, let's check your progress these past two days."
Since Ichin said so, Hazuki and the others didn't press further. Still, they thought to remind Utaha later to keep a closer eye on him.
Ichin was the company's leader—their core. He couldn't afford to break down.
*
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