On a weekend in Shibuya, the streets were packed with people, all out enjoying their holiday.
Ichin glanced at Kasumigaoka beside him and asked, "Where should we go first? The mall or just walk around?"
"The mall," Utaha replied, pointing toward a large shopping complex ahead. "There are a lot of clothing brands there, and I need to pick so outfits for the upcoming sumr. My novel earnings just got credited at the end of April, and I haven't really spent much yet."
Ichin nodded. "Yeah, you've earned it, so you should treat yourself. Let's go."
They started heading toward their destination, but with so many pedestrians around, Ichin soon felt a gentle tug on his sleeve as Utaha lightly grabbed hold of it.
Ichin didn't resist and spoke softly, "It's really crowded today. Be careful not to get bumped into. Stay a bit closer."
Utaha nodded and moved a little closer to Ichin.
"I didn't expect there to be so many people," Utaha remarked. "Is everyone really this free?"
Ichin chuckled. "Well, it is a holiday. Office workers have exhausting schedules, so naturally, they'd want to unwind when they get the chance. And I've heard that in Japan, it's common for employees to work overti, right?"
"Probably," Utaha replied, "even my dad has to work overti occasionally, and he's in middle managent. It's probably worse for younger employees who just joined the company."
"Yeah, the world is a tough place nowadays," Ichin said, shaking his head. "I'm glad I'm planning to start my own studio in the future. It'll be hard work, but at least I'll be doing sothing I love. What about you, Utaha? Do you plan on continuing to write novels? You're in your second year of high school, so you'll be thinking about future career plans soon, right?"
"Yeah, probably after the midterm exams," Utaha replied. She hadn't really considered this topic before, but now that Ichin brought it up, she pondered for a mont. "I do enjoy writing novels. There's sothing about creating stories with my own hands that I find fulfilling. But I'm not sure if I can keep doing it forever. I've already faced quite a few challenges, and I'm just getting started."
"That's true. Everything's just beginning, so there's no need to rush. With your grades, getting into a good university won't be difficult, and you'll have ti to figure out what you really want to do in the future," Ichin encouraged.
"Yeah, I'll definitely aim for a university," Utaha agreed, then smiled at Ichin. "But Ichin-kun, you seem to have already decided on your future path. You're pretty determined."
"Of course," Ichin said confidently. "I've had this dream for a long ti. I want to beco a world-renowned ga developer. But this is just the start. Although, there's one thing that's been on my mind a lot lately."
"What's that?" Utaha asked.
"The issue of setting up a studio," Ichin explained, sharing a thought that often crossed his mind. "Look, Slay the Spire is out now, and sales are great. Once the updates are done and it transitions to the official version, I'll be ready to start developing a new ga. But the new ga's overall production complexity won't be comparable to this one. I might be able to manage it on my own, but the progress would be excruciatingly slow. Like, really slow. But if I set up a studio now, by the ti I graduate high school or even college, I'll have to decide whether to return ho or stay here. What would happen to the studio's staff in the future?"
"Oh, right," Utaha realized. "You ca here to study abroad."
Utaha also realized this issue and began to analyze it. "If you recruit talented developers here, it'll be hard to manage if you plan to return to your ho country later, Ichin-kun. Oh, what if you establish studios in both locations? I've been researching ga companies these days, and many of them have developnt studios around the world, like Ubisoft."
"Setting up studios in both places, huh? That's actually a good idea," Ichin nodded, smiling. "But thinking about this now feels a bit arrogant, doesn't it? I don't even have a shadow of a studio yet, and I'm already planning to open multiple branches."
"What's wrong with that? You need to set ambitious goals. Didn't you say you wanted to beco a world-renowned ga developer? I have faith in you, Ichin-kun."
"You have faith in ?" Ichin muttered softly, then smiled at the girl beside him. "Thanks, Kasumigaoka. That gives even more motivation."
Utaha's cheeks turned slightly pink as she smiled charmingly and t Ichin's gaze.
"Freshly made croquettes! Get your fresh croquettes here!" a vendor's call from a nearby shop interrupted their pleasant mont.
Ichin quickly snapped back to reality, cleared his throat, and said, "Ahem, we've reached the mall. Let's head inside."
Utaha, her face still slightly flushed, responded, "Yes, let's go in." Her grip on Ichin's sleeve tightened just a little.
The mall was bustling with people, just as lively as the streets outside. After entering, Ichin took a look around and saw that the mall was primarily filled with clothing stores, so of which he recognized, while others were entirely new to him.
Once inside, Utaha's attention shifted, her mood visibly brightened. She eagerly pulled Ichin onto the escalator, heading straight to the second floor.
Before long, Utaha led them into a won's clothing store on the second floor. "I co here often. Let's see if they have any new arrivals," she said.
The store was busy, with several custors browsing for clothes. Many of the female custors were accompanied by male partners, so Ichin's presence didn't draw much attention.
Soon, Utaha picked out two dresses. "Ichin-kun, I'm going to try these on. Wait here, okay?" she said happily as she headed into the fitting room, leaving Ichin waiting outside.
During the wait, Ichin glanced around the store.
Hmm, he noted to himself, I'm the youngest one here. The other guys seem to be in their twenties or thirties.
He also observed that, although many of the female shoppers were stylishly dressed, none quite matched Kasumigaoka in terms of looks or figure.
A mont later, the fitting room door opened, and Utaha stepped out wearing a fitted floral dress with a cinched waist. The style was entirely different from the simple white dress she had worn earlier.
Seeing her now, Ichin was reminded of the lead actress in a Korean drama.
Of course, her face wasn't so dramatically unrecognizable.
…
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