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[Game] Chapter 99: Everyone's a Workaholic
🕑 Added 2025-01-05 06:51:24 +0000 UTCIt was the early stages of Hollow Knight's development, and Ichin and Umiko, the two main programmers, had their hands full.
Fortunately, both were well-versed in Unity, the game development engine they were using. While the workload was heavy, they hadn't yet encountered any major roadblocks hindering their progress.
As Ichin reviewed Umiko's part of the project, he pointed at the screen and said, "Umiko, this logic here—could we simplify it? It feels a bit overly complex. Also, this section here might not even be necessary."
Umiko squinted at the screen thoughtfully before nodding. "You're right. This part does need adjustment. I'll make a note of it. Anything else that needs fixing?"
"Not for now. Let's go with this for the moment. I'll get back to my part," Ichin replied.
Returning to his own computer, Ichin buried himself in work again. The studio became silent once more, save for the rhythmic sound of keyboards being tapped.
At 10:30, the studio's doorbell rang.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been wearing headphones, took them off and glanced around. Seeing that the other three were too absorbed in their tasks to move, she reluctantly got up to answer the door.
Opening it, she found Toyama Rin standing there, holding two bags.
"Rin-san? What brings you here?" Utaha asked in surprise.
Rin stepped inside, smiling as she said, "I bought some groceries. Is Kō awake?"
"She is—working as usual."
After slipping on indoor slippers, Rin glanced at the workspace. She saw Yagami Kō deeply focused on her drawings and caught sight of Ichin and Umiko hard at work.
"You’re all so dedicated. Good thing I bought extra groceries," Rin said with a laugh. "Judging by this, if I hadn’t come, you’d probably have just ordered takeout. I’ll take care of lunch today!"
Hearing this, Utaha suddenly realized she had nearly forgotten about lunch entirely.
After a moment of thought, she followed Rin into the kitchen, saying, "Rin-san, let me help you."
"Aren’t you busy with your own work?" Rin asked as she placed the grocery bags on the counter. "Weren’t you saying yesterday that you’re working on the third volume of your novel? Writing’s not something you can do while distracted."
"It’s fine. My outline is well-organized, so I just need to write step by step," Utaha replied with a smile, putting on an apron. "Besides, I already wrote a bit this morning. I can use the break to relax and maybe learn some cooking from you."
"I see. That’s fine, then. You can assist me," Rin agreed.
And so, the two began preparing lunch.
While Utaha wasn’t skilled at cooking, she could manage simple tasks like chopping vegetables. She occasionally helped her mother with similar chores back home.
Of course, because her movements were slower, her mother usually only asked for her help in the kitchen when there was a significant amount of work to be done.
Fortunately, Rin Toyama knew that Utaha’s cooking skills were mediocre and didn’t expect too much from her speed, as long as she didn’t cut herself.
Utaha, for her part, didn’t let Rin’s trust go to waste. Although she was a bit slow, she handled the vegetables well enough.
Taking the plates of chopped vegetables from Utaha, Rin glanced at her, noticing she was wiping sweat and catching her breath. Smiling, Rin said, “Not bad at all. Leave the rest to me.”
“Ah, Rin, wait a moment. I’ll grab something,” Utaha said before dashing out of the kitchen. When she returned, she had a notebook and pen in her hands.
“I can’t just rely on memory—I need to write everything down,” she explained.
Rin chuckled at this. “It’s just a few home-cooked dishes; isn’t that a bit much?”
“It’s fine. You go ahead and cook. I won’t disturb you—I’ll just jot down the key points,” Utaha said confidently.
True to her philosophy that a written record beats even the best memory, Utaha diligently noted down the steps of each dish Rin prepared. Although they were indeed just simple home-cooked meals, as Rin had said, Utaha still found a few techniques worth learning.
"Alright," Utaha thought to herself, "I’ll practice these at home later. I can’t go through life not knowing how to cook at all."
Utaha wasn’t aiming to become a master chef, but she wanted to at least prepare a few decent dishes. After all, if she ever met Ichin’s parents, it would be embarrassing to show up with zero cooking skills.
When lunch was ready, Rin sent Utaha to the work area to call everyone over.
Quietly removing Ichin’s headphones, Utaha smiled and said, “Ichin, it’s time to eat!”
Ichin turned his head and, upon seeing the apron Utaha was wearing, froze for a moment. His eyes widened. “Wait... you cooked this?”
“...”
Utaha took a deep breath before replying, “It was Rin who cooked. You didn’t even notice she was here?”
“Uh, yeah, I didn’t notice,” Ichin admitted awkwardly, scratching his head. “I was busy dealing with some issues and didn’t pay attention to anything else.”
Utaha was used to Ichin’s intense focus when he worked and wasn’t upset. Gently poking his cheek with her finger, she said, “Alright, pause your work for now. Time to eat.”
Afterward, she went to inform Kō Yagami and Umiko as well.
Meanwhile, Rin brought the prepared dishes to the table. Unlike Ichin’s occasional attempts at cooking, Rin’s meals were classic Japanese home-cooked dishes, meticulously portioned and beautifully presented for each person.
As Rin set the table, Kō Yagami linked arms with her, grinning. “Rin, when did you get here? You didn’t even tell me!”
Blushing slightly, Rin replied, “I arrived around ten, but you were so focused on your work that I didn’t want to disturb you. I just went straight to the kitchen with Utaha to prepare lunch. Now, everyone, sit down and eat.”
Rin’s cooking skills were far superior to Ichin’s. While Ichin could only manage a handful of dishes, most of which he had learned on the fly, Rin had the ability to turn even simple home-cooked meals into works of art.
As they ate, Ichin remarked, “Thanks for the effort today, Rin. For dinner, let’s all go out. I noticed a new restaurant on the way to school a few days ago. We can give it a try—it’s my treat.”
With the boss footing the bill, no one had any objections.
While eating a piece of simmered meat, Kō asked, “So, are we not inviting anyone else?”
Ichin smiled. “Tonight is for rewarding the ones who’ve been working overtime. The others can join another time.”
Ichin wasn’t a proponent of constant overtime, but when the team voluntarily stayed late like today, he made sure to show his appreciation—not just with overtime pay but also with gestures like good food to boost morale.
...
