Game Developer in the World of Anime

After looking through more of Eriri's photos with Yukino, Ichin's mom decided it was time to start cooking. She pulled Ichin into the kitchen to help her out, despite Rin and Utaha offering to assist. Instead, she politely but firmly shooed them out before closing the kitchen door behind her.

As she worked on preparing the ingredients, she turned to Ichin and said, "I never expected you to be so popular with women. You've got classmates, studio members, and even juniors interested in you. Let me remind you—although they're all excellent girls, you're already in a relationship with Utaha. I really like her, so don't even think about being two-timed, okay?"

Ichin, who was rinsing vegetables, rolled his eyes at the remark. "Don't worry. I'm not even considering it," he said with a sigh.

His mom glanced at him briefly, ensuring he wasn't just brushing her off. Satisfied with his genuine reaction, she turned her focus back to cooking.

As they continued working on dinner, she began asking about the studio.

"I don't know much about video games, but after hearing you started a studio, your dad and I looked into it a bit. The domestic market seems tough. Can you consistently make successful games?"

"Making hits all the time? That's a tall order," Ichin replied with a chuckle. "But I think we'll be fine for the next ten years at least. Right now, our team is updating Slay the Spire, our first game. Meanwhile, our second project has been under development for a while, and we've already partnered with Nintendo. Besides releasing it on PC, it will be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. We're also set to showcase it at Gamescom in Germany at the end of August. It's a renowned expo, and domestic platforms will likely livestream it, so exposure isn't an issue."

The mention of Nintendo caught her attention. She was familiar with the name, having bought her son their consoles when he was younger. Over the past few days, while learning Japanese, she had also read about some of Japan's major game companies, including Nintendo, and understood its prominence in the industry.

Hearing that Ichin had secured an exclusive partnership reassured her. "You're doing well, but don't let it get to your head. There are always skilled people in every industry," she advised.

Ichin listened attentively. Although the gaming industry was going through a rough patch, with many companies stagnating and frustrating their players—especially giants like Blizzard and EA—he was determined to do things differently. Even Capcom, despite producing excellent new titles, still clung to its habit of milking old franchises.

Ichin had no such intentions. He was driven to make a name for his studio, expand its scale, and create exciting, innovative games that would shake up the complacency of the industry.

---

By 6 PM, the lavish dinner was finally ready.

The table was filled with an array of dishes that left the girls astonished. Unlike Ichin, who could only make a few staple dishes, his mom's culinary skills were on another level. She had prepared a feast, with many dishes the Japanese girls had never even seen before.

After pouring drinks and making a toast, everyone began eating.

As they enjoyed the food, Ichin's mom happily explained each dish. Being surrounded by so many girls while eating together was a first for her, and she found the experience both fun and refreshing.

---

After dinner, Ichin's mom didn't want to disturb the group's work further, so she left with Utaha. Ichin stayed behind to finish up the day's tasks.

By the time he wrapped up the day's work, it was nearly 9 PM, and he was finally able to call it a day.

Stretching lazily, Ichin glanced at Eriri, seated one chair away, and asked, "Eriri, is it okay for you to head back at this time?"

"Hmm~~~"

Eriri checked the time and replied, "It's 9 PM. It's fine; I'll just grab a taxi."

At that moment, Hazuki entered the room with Mozuku in tow. Smiling, she said, "Forgot about me, huh? Leave taking Eriri-chan home to me. I was already planning to drop off Umiko and Aoba anyway. Let's go, Eriri-chan; we'll head down together."

With Hazuki around, there was no need to worry about Eriri's safety on her way home.

---

Once the girls had all left, only Ichin, Kō Yagami, and Rin Toyama remained in the studio.

Rin had decided not to go home tonight and planned to keep Kō company. Given their close friendship, it wasn't surprising.

After shutting down his computer, Ichin turned toward Kō, who was still at her desk, and casually took off her headphones.

"Hey, Kō, work's over. Time to rest!"

Startled by the sudden removal of her headphones, Kō rubbed her ears and replied, "It's only 9 PM. No worries, I'll keep drawing for another hour. Dinner was way too filling—I need to stay busy, or I'll start gaining weight."

Rin, sitting nearby, nodded in agreement. "Auntie's cooking was amazing. I feel like I learned so much today."

During dinner, Rin, who loved experimenting with cooking, had eagerly sought tips from Ichin's mom and picked up several culinary techniques. Ichin's mom, appreciating Rin's enthusiasm, shared the recipes for a few of her signature dishes.

Seeing that the two were still determined to keep working, Ichin knew there was no stopping them. Instead, he said, "Just don't stay up too late. We've got plenty of time in the development schedule. We'll optimize the demo within ten days, no problem. Alright, I'm heading back. Rest early, okay? Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Ichin-kun!"

---

When Ichin returned to his apartment upstairs, he found Utaha and his mom sitting on the living room sofa, watching TV and chatting.

As soon as Utaha saw him enter, she stood up excitedly and ran over. "Ichin, are you tired? I brewed some tea. Let me get you a cup."

Smiling, Ichin playfully pinched her cheek. "I'm fine, not too tired. I barely worked for two hours. Were you two watching TV?"

Holding his hand, Utaha led him to the sofa. "We were chatting with my parents earlier while having tea. They left around 8 PM."

His mom turned to him and asked, "Everyone at the studio gone for the day?"

"Yeah, except for Kō and Rin. They said they overate and wanted to keep working a bit longer. I'll check on them later to make sure they don't get too absorbed in work."

It was rare to find a boss like Ichin, who actively discouraged his employees from working overtime of their own accord.

...

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