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[Game] Chapter 142: Time to Get Ready for Vacation
🕑 Added 2025-02-15 16:06:23 +0000 UTCIchin had no idea how late the girls stayed up causing a ruckus in the studio. After taking a shower and reading for a bit, he had gone straight to bed.
The next morning, when Ichin woke up, he found Utaha and Eriri having breakfast in the living room.
"Good morning, Ichin. Breakfast is ready, so wash up and come eat," Utaha said, pointing to the coffee table where breakfast was laid out—two sandwiches, most likely made by her mother.
Stretching his body a little, Ichin checked the time and said, "You two are up pretty early. It’s only 8:30."
Eriri took a bite of her sandwich and sighed, "I had no choice. I got strangled awake this morning—this girl was clinging to me like her life depended on it! Usually, when I'm on vacation, I sleep until at least nine."
Eriri never had trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places, but sharing a bed with Utaha had been a different experience—it had downright scared her.
Looking at Ichin, Eriri sighed, "You really have it rough. Her sleeping posture is… honestly terrifying."
"... "
Utaha’s lips twitched slightly before she fired back without hesitation, "Hmph, and who was the one calling for their mommy in their sleep in the middle of the night? And you have the nerve to complain about me?"
"LIES! Stop slandering me!!!"
But seeing Eriri’s flushed face, Ichin figured there was probably some truth to it.
Shaking his head, he left the living room to wash up.
After breakfast, the three of them headed to the studio on the third floor.
Inside the elevator, Ichin glanced at Eriri. "You're not heading home?"
"Isn't it a workday? I already told my mom, it’s fine," Eriri waved her hand dismissively. "I actually thought about inviting Yukino to come too, but her family called her back to Chiba for something. No idea what’s keeping her so busy these days."
Utaha tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe a family banquet? Or perhaps they’re arranging a marriage meeting for her? Big families always have that sort of thing, don’t they? Political marriages and whatnot. Actually, with your looks, I wouldn’t be surprised if people tried to set you up for an arranged marriage too."
"...Huh?"
Eriri froze for a moment before blushing and snapping back, "No way! My parents hate that kind of thing! They fell in love on their own—why would they force me into some arranged marriage? You’re overthinking it!"
"Really? That’s a shame," Utaha said, looking genuinely disappointed. "I was hoping for a chance to watch you awkwardly go on a blind date with a complete stranger. That would've been hilarious."
"You little—!!!"
Fuming, Eriri clenched her tiny fists. If they weren’t in an elevator, she would've already smacked Utaha.
The elevator reached the third floor, and Ichin quickly stepped in to prevent another argument. Together, they entered the studio.
Inside, the people who had stayed overnight were already awake.
Ahhh~"
Still looking half-asleep, Yagami Kō let out a yawn but wasted no time in stuffing a bun, freshly made by Toyama Rin, into her mouth.
"Oh! Ichin, you guys are here! Have you eaten yet?"
"We already did."
Ichin pulled out an empty chair and sat down, glancing around. "Umiko and Shinoda didn’t go home last night either? That’s rare."
Umiko nodded. "We were playing ranked matches together last night. It got late, so we decided to just crash here."
Shinoda, already halfway through her first bun, grabbed a second one and mumbled through her food, "Mmphh, we all keep some spare clothes here anyway, so it’s not a big deal."
It seemed like having the studio in this building had its perks. At least when they pulled all-nighters, no one had to worry about walking home alone in the middle of the night—they could just sleep in the studio's rest area.
Rin poured tea for Ichin and the other two, letting out a sigh of resignation. "I tried telling them to get some rest earlier, but they wouldn’t listen. I had to wake them up this morning, or else they’d still be sleeping in. And we still have work today."
After eating something, Yagami Kō perked up a little and grinned. "It's fine! With Gamescom happening, our game got announced and even has a demo out. It’s okay to relax a bit. Oh, right, Ichin—aren’t we getting ready for our Izu trip soon?"
"Yeah, it's about time we start preparing."
Ichin nodded. "I'll give you all three days to get ready. I’ll also go ahead and book the hotel, and then we can set off. Hollow Knight has been released, so we can slow down on development tasks for now and focus on gathering player feedback on the demo. After that, we can finally take a proper vacation and unwind."
The thought of the Izu trip made Ichin feel excited as well. He hadn't taken a real break all summer—at most, he had gone out with Utaha for some casual outings. But with the summer heat, even stepping outside felt exhausting.
But in Izu? Sun, sand, bikinis—it was the perfect way to relax.
Utaha took a sip of tea and smiled. "Don't forget to pack your swimsuits. If you wait to buy one on the spot, you probably won’t find anything you like."
"Oh, right!"
Shinoda clapped her hands together. "My swimsuit is from two years ago, and I haven't worn it in over a year. No idea if it still fits—I should probably just buy a new one. How about we go shopping after work? Utaha, Eriri, have you two gotten yours already?"
Utaha smiled and nodded. "I already bought mine when I went out with Ichin, so you two can go ahead without me."
Ichin chimed in, "Let's wrap up work early over the next few days so you all have more time to prepare. Oh, and Eriri, do you want to ask Yukinoshita if she’d like to join us?"
"Yukino?"
Eriri thought for a moment before nodding. "Good idea. She’s always been a loner at school and barely talks to anyone—who knows what she’s been up to during summer break? I’ll give her a call later. I don’t think it’ll be a problem."
By 9:30, the rest of the team had arrived. Once they heard about the trip, everyone started discussing what they needed to buy.
Sunscreen was a must, of course, and then there were swimsuits.
After some back-and-forth, the girls decided to go shopping together after work to pick up swimsuits and sunscreen.
Meanwhile, Eriri had already contacted Yukino. According to Eriri, Yukino didn’t seem to be in a great mood, but she was still willing to come. She’d be arriving in Tokyo that afternoon.
Ichin figured Utaha might have been right—Yukino had probably been dragged into some formal family gathering or event she hated.
...
