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[Game] Chapter 169: Progress on the Commission
🕑 Added 2025-03-13 17:48:04 +0000 UTCOn Monday afternoon, Utaha took the day off to visit the publishing house, not only to bring the contract but also to meet with the people from Kyoto Animation.
With Kyoto’s reputation for high-quality animation, there was little to worry about. But as the original author, Utaha wanted to be involved in the process to ensure the script stayed true to the original work.
After all, deviations from the source material had occurred in some of Kyoto’s previous projects. While those instances could partly be blamed on the original material being weak, Utaha wanted to be cautious, even if Kyoto Animation claimed to love her novel.
Though Utaha took the day off, Ichin didn’t accompany her. Instead, he entrusted the lawyer who had previously reviewed the contract to assist her.
Ultimately, Ichin wasn’t directly collaborating with Fushikawa Publishing, so it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to go along.
Moreover, with Sonoka’s help, there was little to worry about. That editor, who had a strong friendship with Utaha, certainly wouldn’t allow her to be taken advantage of.
After finishing his afternoon classes, Ichin received a message from Utaha. The discussions with Kyoto Animation were still ongoing, and she would be back later than expected. She told him not to come to pick her up since she and Sonoka would have dinner together, and Sonoka would drive her home afterward.
Packing his things, Ichin muttered to himself, “Since I don’t have to go pick her up, I’ll just head home. I’ve still got some character designs to finish from the weekend.”
However, as soon as he left the classroom, he received a call from Eriri asking him to come to the Service Club. Apparently, there was progress with the Komatsu situation.
Ichin blinked in surprise.
“Wait, it’s only Monday. It’s only been a couple of days since Friday. How did things progress so quickly?”
“Yeah, so hurry up and get over here. Yukino and I were planning to go shopping afterward!”
“Alright, I’ll be there right away.”
So, heading straight home was out of the question. Instead, Ichin turned and made his way to the Service Club’s clubroom.
When he arrived, Eriri and Yukino were already there, having arrived a few minutes earlier. Despite Eriri’s earlier phone call about going shopping, the two were making tea instead.
Handing Ichin a cup of black tea, Yukino said, “We just finished our afternoon classes. Taking a brief rest is necessary.”
It almost felt like Yukino was being influenced by Eriri’s habits.
“Thanks.”
Taking a sip of the tea, Ichin looked at the two of them and asked, “So, what’s the situation? Where’s Komatsu?”
“Komatsu’s at the soccer club right now.”
Eriri, holding her teacup and swaying her twin tails, explained, “After meeting us last Friday, she immediately submitted a membership application to join the soccer club. Conveniently, several third-year girls quit the club due to academic reasons, so Komatsu stepped in and secured the manager position, handling the soccer club’s logistics and management. The school’s sports clubs usually have training sessions on weekends, so she went there on Saturday and already got familiar with the club members. And since two other girls joined around the same time, it didn’t raise any suspicion.”
Ichin remarked in surprise, “Wow, I didn't expect that. She seemed so shy at first, but she’s acting so quickly and efficiently. That's impressive. Did she mention what her next steps are?”
“She didn’t say much about that.” Eriri chuckled. “But she did come to me during lunch and asked for advice. So, I used my many years of playing gal games to suggest that she help out during club training—handing out water, towels, and stuff like that. As long as she controls her expressions, she can naturally interact with him more.”
Seeing Eriri’s confident expression, Ichin couldn’t help but laugh. “You sound pretty confident she’ll succeed.”
Eriri responded bluntly, “Not confident at all!”
“Then why give her advice?”
“She already joined the soccer club, right? I just told her to do things that fit her role as a club member. I can at least provide that kind of advice! Whether she can adjust her mindset or not, that's not something I can control.”
Yukino nodded in agreement. “Yes, when it comes to mindset, that’s something only she can work on. From here on, it all depends on her own efforts. I also told Komatsu-san that if she needs further help, she can come back to the Service Club.”
Rubbing his chin, Ichin looked at the two girls and thoughtfully said, “Well, compared to these love-related requests, I feel like other types of requests would be more suitable for you two.”
Eriri, sounding dissatisfied, said, “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you looking down on us? Even if you don’t believe in us, the advice we give is way more reliable than Hiratsuka-sensei’s!”
Hey, Hiratsuka-sensei is already having a hard time. Let’s not drag her into this!
Sighing, Ichin said, “Alright, as long as you two are having fun. But just so you know, my game development is heading into its final stages, so I won’t have much free time soon. As for Utaha, besides writing her novel, she might also need to get involved in the animation production process. If Komatsu comes back for help, we might not have the time to assist her.”
Yukino spoke confidently, “After learning more about this last week, I’ve already figured out some methods. Even if you and Utaha aren’t around, I believe I can provide good enough advice. You can trust me.”
No, no, no... To be fair, all you did before was gathering information about Satou. When it comes to raising affection points or confessing, you two might not be up to the task!
Still, Ichin didn’t want to crush their enthusiasm. After giving them a few words of encouragement and finishing his tea, he said his goodbyes and left.
Returning to his studio, Ichin quickly got back to work. Since Utaha wouldn’t be back for dinner, he and the rest of the team decided to just order takeout at the studio.
When the food arrived, Aoba happily picked up a burger, unwrapped it, and took a big bite. With her cheeks puffed out, she looked at Ichin and said, “This is rare. It’s unusual for you not to have dinner with Utaha.”
“It’s nothing special.”
Ichin sipped his cola, grabbed a couple of fries, and popped them into his mouth, his eyes still glued to his computer screen. “You guys know, Utaha is busy with the animation discussions today. She’s having dinner with Editor Sonoka, but she’ll be back later. We each have our own work to do, so of course, there’ll be times we focus on our own stuff.”
Kō Yagami commented from the side, “It’s a natural thing to wonder about. After all, you two have been practically inseparable these past days, haven’t you?”
Momoji, who had nearly finished her burger, finally joined the conversation. She nodded and said, “Yeah, you two have been showering everyone with lovey-dovey moments all the time. It’s almost made me lose my appetite.”
Her close friend Tsubame immediately retorted, “That’s only because you were already full. Personally, I think it’s just a sign of how well they get along!”
Hazuki, watching Tsubame and Momoji, couldn’t help but grin. “If we’re talking about couples, you and Momoji are practically inseparable, too. You always do things together, you live together, and your relationship seems great. So, when’s the wedding invitation?”
Hazuki’s teasing instantly turned both girls bright red.
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