Momo wants to head to the ruins, but Midori, annoyed, demands an explanation first.
"Welcome to the Game Development Department! I'm Momo Saiba, scriptwriter!" Momo announces.
"I'm Midori Saiba, illustrator, handling all visuals," Midori adds.
"There's also Yuzu, our planner, but she's not here," Momo says.
"Nice to meet you all. Here's some cream puffs," Mash offers.
"Yay, cream puffs!" Momo grabs one, munching eagerly. Midori hesitates.
"Where'd you pull those from, Sensei?" Midori asks.
"My pocket."
"Pocket!?"
"Midori, his bag's stuffed with cream puffs!" Momo exclaims.
"Get it together, Sis! No way they stay intact like that!" Midori retorts.
"Really?" Momo shrugs.
"Yes!" Midori insists.
"Not eating?" Momo asks, chewing.
"I'll eat… but," Midori mutters.
"Pick a flavor: custard, strawberry, matcha, chocolate, lemon, grape, melon…" Mash lists.
"So many!?" Midori gapes.
"How'd you fit them all?" Midori wonders.
Mash hands out cream puffs—Momo takes strawberry, Midori melon. They eat and explain the ruins plan.
"We were peacefully making 16-bit games until the student council attacked!" Momo says.
"That's rough," Mash replies.
"Two days ago, Yuuka, one of the council's Four Heavenly Kings, gave us an ultimatum," Midori adds.
"Butterfly?" Mash asks.
"Ultimatum. Basically, 'your club's done,'" Midori clarifies.
"Really rough," Mash says.
As Momo speaks seriously, a familiar voice interrupts.
"Let me explain," it says.
"That voice! Yuuka, the ruthless accountant of the Four Heavenly Kings!" Momo shouts.
"Don't give me weird nicknames like I'm a monster! And what's that sweet smell?" Yuuka snaps.
"Hey, Yuuka-chan," Mash greets.
"Your cream puffs again! You stuffed them in your bag, didn't you?" Yuuka accuses.
"Better than carrying by hand," Mash says.
"That's not the point!" Yuuka retorts. "Eat?"
"Sure," Yuuka grabs a custard puff, then glares at Momo.
"I'd love to chat with Sensei, but later. Momo, you're stubborn, dragging Schale into this to save your club. It's futile. Even if the federal student council president returned, club operations are up to our school's council."
"Why the sudden disbandment notice? It wasn't planned, right?" Mash asks.
"Right," Yuuka admits.
Finishing her puff, Yuuka explains.
"The Game Development Department has fewer than four members and no proven results for months."
"So… you've just been playing games, not developing?" Mash asks.
"W-Well…" Momo stammers.
"Objection! We've been working hard! We deserve… uh, cabinet status!" Momo declares.
"You mean leniency, Momo-chan," Midori corrects.
"Not that either! Circumstantial consideration!" Yuuka snaps.
"That's it!" Momo agrees.
"Working hard? Give me a break!" Yuuka scoffs.
"Eek!" Momo squeaks.
"Angry Yuuka's scary," Midori whispers.
Mash recalls Yuuka's fury over the cream puff machine spiking Schale's electric bill.
"You built a weird casino-like building, held gambling tournaments, and attacked the Ancient History Club for 'retro games'!" Yuuka lists.
"Attacking's no good," Mash says.
"Exactly! Your 'efforts' are misguided, and you keep requesting club funds!" Yuuka adds.
"Ugh…" Momo shrinks.
"Calm down, Yuuka-chan," Mash soothes.
"Sorry, Sensei, I got heated. Got a real excuse, Momo?" Yuuka asks.
"Sometimes effort matters more than results…" Momo tries.
"No loser excuses!" Yuuka cuts in.
"Do you want to hear it or not!?" Momo snaps.
"Easy, easy," Mash says, stopping Momo's lunge.
"Results are everything at Millennium!" Yuuka declares.
"Easy," Mash says, holding back Yuuka.
Momo, desperate, speaks up. "We have results! We're developing games!"
"Yeah! Tales Saga Chronicle won an award at a contest…" Midori adds.
"Tales Saga Chronicle?" Mash asks.
"Yes, their only achievement," Yuuka says. "You don't know it, Sensei. Check the reviews."
Mash looks, wincing.
"The most 'hopeless' RPG ever. Not the story, but the game's completion."
"What's missing? Sanity, mostly."
"After this, Dead Crimson seems like a masterpiece."
"The heroine was cute. Everything else? Trash."
"Hellish reviews," Mash says bluntly.
"Don't say it like that!" Momo cries.
"We won't bow to internet hate!" Midori insists.
"Countless reviews converge on truth. Your only result is topping the worst-game rankings," Yuuka says. "Sensei, read the top-liked review."
"World-building and ideas are decent, character and enemy art is cute, but instant-death button mistakes, random enemies, unclear mystery characters, and a vague ending are disappointing."
"Your club continuing only harms the school's reputation. Funds could support meaningful activities. Understand?" Yuuka says.
The Saiba sisters sniffle. Mash comforts them.
"Yuuka-chan, can't the disbandment be undone?" Mash asks.
"They'd need to prove their worth," Yuuka replies.
"Prove…?" Midori hiccups.
"Like I said, show real achievements—inter-high wins, Engineer Department inventions, or a GOTY award."
"Then!" Momo starts.
"Even then, your track record proves your limits," Yuuka cuts in.
The twins look down, near tears. Mash, an only child with a big-brother streak, feels his heart clench.
"Let's make this easy. Clear out and toss this junk—" "It's not junk!" Momo interrupts.
"Then what is it?" Yuuka asks.
"We'll prove it with results," Momo declares.
"Oh?" Yuuka raises an eyebrow.
"We're ready!" Momo says.
"Really!?" Midori gasps.
"Why are you surprised!?" Momo snaps. "We've got a trump card. We'll enter Tales Saga Chronicle 2 in the Millennium Prize!"
Mash interjects, "A sequel to a flop won't sell."
"Shut up, Sensei!" Momo yells.
"What's the Millennium Prize?" Mash asks.
"A contest where Millennium clubs compete with their achievements. Win, and no one can complain," Momo explains.
"It's like high schoolers jumping to the Major Leagues," Yuuka scoffs.
"How hard is that?" Mash asks.
"Like you acing a math test," Yuuka says.
"Nearly impossible," Mash says, dead serious.
"Sensei!?" Momo gasps.
"Sorry, that made me really nervous," Mash admits.
"Don't give up, Sensei!" Midori pleads.
"You both want to save this club, right?" Mash asks.
"Yes!" they nod.
"I'll help as much as I can. I get how much this place means to you."
Mash stands, facing Yuuka. "How long till the Millennium Prize?"
"Two weeks," Yuuka replies.
"Got it. We'll make the perfect game by then."
"It's a tough road," Yuuka warns.
"No matter the wall or path, no happy ending comes without overcoming it," Mash says, placing hands on the twins' heads. "I'll protect them and this club."
The twins gasp. Yuuka nods. "Fine. I'm curious what you'll achieve in two weeks. Embarrassing to show this side in front of Sensei, but it's my job. Let's meet calmer next time." She leaves.
"Thanks, Sensei!" Momo says.
"No biggie," Mash replies.
"Let's brainstorm!" Midori urges.
"Yeah!" Momo agrees.
"One question," Mash says.
"What?" they ask.
"What's a computer game?"
"From there!?" they exclaim.
Next: Mash's first-ever game.
Thanks for the poll responses! Mash playing an action game… fun, right?
Comments and ratings keep me going! Please share!
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