Ichin hadn't been working in the office for long when Utaha pushed open the door and walked in.
"Ichin, I heard from Hazuki-nee that you've added even more work for yourself?"
Hearing this, Ichin lifted his head, smiled, and said, "Hazuki really likes to exaggerate. Relax, it's not as much as it sounds. Most of it is just preliminary prep work."
Even though he said that, Utaha still looked worried. She came closer, poked his cheek with her finger, and said, "You're already the boss. Can't you delegate some of the tasks?"
"I do, but this time it's our very first IP adaptation project. I have to be extra cautious."
He took her hand, pulled her onto his lap, and hugged her. "You wouldn't want the money I put into this to go to waste, right? If it fails, it won't just be about losing money—it'll also hurt the reputation our company has built up. We're not a giant studio with dozens of IPs to fall back on. In the first five years of a company, every project is crucial for its future. That's why I can't relax for the next few years."
Utaha tilted her head, wrapped her arms around his neck, and said, "I don't fully understand all of that, but Ichin, you must take care of yourself. I'll be watching you closely."
"Sure, no problem. You can keep me in check."
After a bit of affectionate teasing, Ichin went back to work.
Like Utaha said, with her watching him, there was no way he could stay up late grinding away at tasks. So he made sure to finish as much as possible during office hours.
Fortunately, writing project proposals was one of his strengths, so it didn't feel difficult or draining.
For the GARO adaptation game, Ichin had already decided to use the first TV series as the base. The story would follow that arc, with additional content added in, possibly even material from the specials that came afterward.
He wasn't planning on making the game too large. The first one would serve more as a trial. After all, he had never worked on a tokusatsu adaptation before.
Unlike the Ultraman and Kamen Rider games published by Bandai, Ichin had no intention of making a shallow, fan-only cash grab. Every game he worked on, he wanted to treat seriously.
The tone could lean a little darker. Combat would be action-focused, with flashy skill effects, and the maps would need solid design.
As for gameplay structure, it wouldn't be open-world or even semi-open. Instead, he envisioned a level-based format—like tokusatsu episodes unfolding one by one.
"It's the story presentation that needs careful work. Can't just be characters standing around and talking."
Scratching his head, he muttered to himself, thinking about how to merge GARO's story and the game so players could feel fully immersed.
Utaha, who was busy typing away, heard his muttering. She glanced up, smiled, shook her head, and went back to her manuscript. His seriousness always rubbed off on her.
But no matter how serious the work, weekends were for rest.
Especially this Saturday—they had already booked appointments to take the cats for baths and grooming.
That morning, around ten, Yukino and Haruno arrived at the apartment, bringing along their cats too. Lunch was planned at Ichin's place, then afterward everyone would head out together.
Once all the cats were freed from their carriers, the living room instantly became a chaotic circus.
Normally two cats already made things lively, but now, with four more suddenly joining, the whole place was dizzying with activity.
Mochi and Sesame were used to visiting and didn't get nervous. The two younger cats, on the other hand, jumped right into exploring without any shyness.
Since the apartment was well-kept, there was no worry about kittens getting into dirty corners.
After chatting with Haruno and Yukino for a while, Ichin went into the kitchen to prepare lunch.
Seeing this, Yukino stood up wanting to help, but Utaha quickly pulled her back onto the sofa.
"It's fine, Yukino. Let Ichin handle it." Utaha smiled. "Better to have him cooking than spending all his time buried in work."
Yukino nodded. "So he's been really busy lately?"
"For a boss like him, it's easy to delegate if he wants to," Utaha explained. "But you know how he is. He loves game development. Plus, since the GARO adaptation with Tōhoku Shinsha is pretty much settled, he's been refining the proposal himself. And for the early prep and early dev phase, he insists on leading by example. That's why I keep such a close eye on him."
"I see." Yukino understood well. She knew the type—people who poured themselves endlessly into what they loved. Without someone to remind them, they could easily lose themselves in it.
Looking toward the kitchen, Haruno chuckled. "If he's that obsessed, will he even focus on going out with us this afternoon?"
"That's nothing to worry about."
Utaha said firmly, "If he dares to be distracted, he can sleep alone tonight."
There was no way he'd dare to slack when spending time with his girlfriend.
Her remark made both Haruno and Yukino laugh.
Hearing their laughter, Ichin poked his head out of the kitchen. "What are you all laughing about?"
"Nothing, nothing."
Utaha waved quickly. "Ichin, what's for lunch?"
"Sweet and sour spare ribs, shredded pork with green peppers, garlic stir-fried lettuce, and a fish soup. That should be enough, right?"
Haruno's eyes lit up at the mention of spare ribs. She gave a thumbs up. "Nice! You've got my favorite. Love you, little Ichin!"
Ichin rolled his eyes at her and went back into the kitchen.
Watching the kitchen door close, Haruno rubbed her chin. "Could it be my charm has faded?"
Utaha and Yukino exchanged a glance, then quietly turned to the TV, ignoring her nonsense.
After lunch and a half-hour break, they packed all the cats back into their carriers. Finally, it was time to head out for the grooming appointments.
Ichin had originally thought about inviting Yagami Kou and Eriri along, but Yagami was out with Toyama Rin, and Eriri had already taken her own cat for a bath last week. Today, she just wanted to stay home and play games.
Since no one else could join, the group decided to head out as planned.
*