The Light Bird Studio has been on break for a few days. Not only were Kawaguchi and Aunt Nogiki absent, but Sayoko didn't come to the office today either—she'd signed up for a yoga class instead.
"Make yourself at home."
Tetsu Fuyukawa turned the key in the lock, stepping into the quiet, dust-moted office. Instead of heading to his cubicle, he tossed his laptop bag onto a table and casually rummaged under Kawaguchi's desk, pulling out a bottle of cola. "Want some?"
"Pepsi? Even dogs wouldn't drink that."
Mitei Miyano closed the door and lowered the blinds, her arms crossed as she sauntered over to Aunt Nogiki's desk and sat down. A slight ache in her chest made her wince.
Damn it! This guy grabbed too hard earlier!
The lingering soreness turned her appreciative glance into one of embarrassed irritation. She shot Tetsu a sharp glare but then elegantly crossed her legs. "Alright, tell me—how do you think we should handle this?"
"Handle it? Just wait it out. You already know the answer, so why ask me?" Tetsu took a sip of cola, shrugging nonchalantly.
Seeing his calm demeanor, completely unfazed by President Tsume's sudden withdrawal of support for Department Four, Mitei's lips curved into a faint, appreciative smile. She leaned back slightly. "Fair enough. President Tsume's sudden move at the shareholders' meeting to drop her support for me is probably her way of keeping me in check while paving the way for her successor. But that means…"
"You're getting dragged into the battle for the CEO's seat, right?" Tetsu crossed his legs too, lighting a cigarette, his expression turning thoughtful. "You're a blade in President Tsume's hand, just like she's a blade in CEO Asai's. Tsume has run NTsoft for years, with stronger connections inside and outside the company than Asai, who's only been CEO for a short while. Most importantly, she's in her eighties—she can't take the helm again. That's why Asai felt safe bringing her back to handle this reform. But…"
Tetsu glanced at Mitei, chuckling. "Tsume's like you—she's not content being just a tool. Back in her day, she was a powerhouse, known for her dominance and hunger for control. Asai was arrogant to bring her back; it's like inviting a wolf into the house. Sure, Tsume can't vie for the CEO spot herself due to her age, but her loyalists on the board still can. Her sudden withdrawal of support for you is just a power play to rattle you. Then her faction's loyalists will swoop in to 'comfort' you, pulling our thriving Department Four firmly into their camp, making it easier for her successor to 'inherit' us."
"That's it?" Mitei raised an eyebrow, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. But before it could settle, Tetsu smirked. "Keep testing me, and I'll have to spank you."
"! Spill it!" Mitei's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, her high heel tapping his shoe.
"No flirting now."
"...!"
Seeing Mitei about to lose it, Tetsu laughed. "There's more, of course. Our next game is huge—high risk, high reward. Tsume isn't just weighing the project's risk-to-return ratio; she's testing your loyalty. If her faction takes on the risk of pushing this game through the board, only for you to jump ship to Asai's camp after it succeeds, she'd lose everything. That old fox is clever—this is an open scheme. NTsoft's stock is sliding, and our department's riding high with I'm Surrounded by Beautiful Women. The company needs us to churn out new projects—or at least get them greenlit fast—to calm the shareholders. Tsume isn't the CEO, so she doesn't face that pressure directly, but Asai does. It affects how long he stays in power. So, she steps back, delaying our project, forcing Asai to step forward and negotiate with you. Your response to his envoy will determine how much support she gives you moving forward. You need to burn bridges with Asai's faction—publicly, irreconcilably, at least in the short term—for her to fully bring you into her fold."
After his long spiel, Tetsu stubbed out his cigarette. Mitei frowned, her eyes showing both admiration and frustration at the situation's complexity. "So, what kind of scenario do you think she'll set up for us?"
"Scenario?" Tetsu raised an eyebrow, grinning. "That's for them to figure out. We just need to decide which side has more clout and better perks."
"You're saying I should consider jumping ship?" Mitei's brows furrowed.
The workplace isn't as cutthroat as politics, and switching teams or companies is fairly normal. But jumping factions risks Asai thinking you're "disloyal." You need stellar results to back you up, proving your worth, or you'll just be a pawn used to annoy Tsume, then discarded. Mitei clearly caught Tetsu's subtext. Looking at his easy smile, she crossed her arms, her brow quirking playfully. "You're that confident I'd ditch NTsoft and all those big corporate offers to start from scratch with you?"
Her tone was teasing, playful, with a hint of intrigue.
"Maybe not with someone else, but with you? I'm certain." Tetsu stood, glancing at her sharp, alluring face. "I don't know your past, but your hunger for power—for being on top—goes way beyond most people. SATE couldn't satisfy that, and neither can NTsoft. There's no room at the top of these big companies—not for ten, maybe twenty years. You realized that when Tsume didn't take you seriously, even after Department Four's hit with I'm Surrounded by Beautiful Women. She's still looking down on you. Your only paths are starting your own company or betting on a rising star. But you're a management and marketing expert—you can't create the product yourself. You need a golden goose to lay the eggs. And the best goose…" Tetsu leaned in, one hand in his pocket, the other lifting her chin, his eyes locking onto her captivating gaze. "You've already picked it, haven't you?"
Their noses were inches apart—he could feel her breath! But Mitei didn't flinch like a shy schoolgirl. Her eyes gleamed with admiration at his confidence.
After a beat, she pushed his hand away, plucked a cigarette from his pocket, and lit it elegantly. "You're definitely a standout. Market insight, steady personality, sharp read on corporate factions, and proven game-making results—you're miles ahead of the pack. I'm not saying I wouldn't follow you to start something new, but a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Everything hinges on this next game's success. Tsume's faction and Asai's have different strengths, so we need to choose carefully."
"We?" Tetsu raised an eyebrow.
Mitei rolled her eyes, puffing on her cigarette. Not denying the "we" meant she'd already made some decisions deep down.
The office fell quiet, only the ticking clock breaking the silence. After a moment, Tetsu took her cigarette, took a drag, and said seriously, "Forget the rest. Whichever side can offer us a better game dev team—one we can poach—we side with them."
Light Bird Studio only has four people; it can't handle Sekiro alone. Once the project's greenlit, we'll need to recruit, and Tetsu was very particular about the team for Sekiro. Big single-player games need more than money—they need talent. Or rather, talent is money. Leading a team new to Souls-like games, even with Tetsu steering, would take longer without systemic missteps. Longer dev time means higher costs, and mid-to-high-end game dev talent isn't cheap.
Mitei nodded, understanding. "Got it. But one more thing—be ready. For a big-budget project like this, whichever side we choose, they'll plant their loyalists to piggyback on our success."
"Let them. I just want the credit."
Tetsu shrugged. It's common in big companies, and he didn't care. They'd want internal clout, but to avoid a flop or whistleblowers, they'd likely just slap their names on the project, contribute nothing, and stay out of the way—paving their own cautious paths. Tetsu didn't mind losing some credit; he was planning to leave NTsoft after this anyway. As long as players and industry insiders remembered Tetsu Fuyukawa, that was enough.
"Alright, I get it." Mitei nodded, the big picture set. Then her phone rang.
"Asai's people?" Tetsu's brow furrowed.
But he was stunned when Mitei answered, and a loud, fiery voice blasted through the quiet office. "Mitei! What the hell are you up to? Sending a pile of maid outfits to my place—what's the deal?! Tsk, tsk, tsk, and this deep-V mini-skirt one? This wouldn't even cover your fat butt! Are you jobless now, planning to work at a maid café or something? Though, with your killer curves, it's not a bad gig—beep beep beep—"
"…"
"…"
The brash voice echoed in the empty office. As the call ended with a series of beeps, Mitei's glamorous face turned apple-red under Tetsu's amused gaze.
"That Futaba jerk dared to open my package…" Mitei muttered, gripping her phone so hard it creaked, her face a mix of embarrassment and fury. Tetsu's teasing look only grew.
What's that look? Does he think I can't handle this?!
She shot to her feet, her long legs in sheer white stockings flashing before Tetsu. Her eyes glinted with a mix of ferocity, seven parts embarrassment, and ten parts defiance. She opened her mouth to say something, but her phone buzzed again.
Glancing at it, her eyes widened, and she turned to Tetsu. "It's a message from CEO Asai. He wants me in his office."
"Asai?" The playfulness in Tetsu's eyes vanished, his face turning serious. "Go. I'll wait in the cubicle."
"Got it."
Business mode kicked in. Mitei's expression snapped back to cool confidence. She tucked her phone into her office-lady uniform, tossed her wavy, sensual hair back, and swayed her hips toward the door. But then, realizing Tetsu had heard the maid outfit fiasco, her cheeks flushed again. Biting her lip, she hesitated, then leaned down, planting a soft kiss on his Adam's apple, her eyes a mix of shame, annoyance, and mostly shyness. "The bet starts when I get back."
"No rush. I'm patient—you're not getting away."
"…Hmph! Pervert! Next time I win, I'll crush the Fuyukawa family line with one kick!"
"Talk big when you win. Next time, you'll be calling me something else."
"Ugh, you—! I'm out!"
Stung by his retort, Mitei's brief shyness vanished. She boldly pinched his stubbled chin, glared, and sashayed out, slamming the door so hard dust fell from the ceiling.
Tetsu didn't mind. He leaned back in Kawaguchi's chair, sipping his cola and spinning lazily, puffing on his cigarette.
"She's dying to play along but always needs an excuse. Such a tsundere," he mused, recalling Mitei's shy look. His smile faded into seriousness. "Asai reaching out directly? Looks like NTsoft's in for another earthquake."