Game Developer in the World of Anime

On the last day of the break, Utaha Kasumigaoka planned to head next door right after breakfast.

Seeing her daughter emerge from her bedroom all dressed up, Mrs. Kasumigaoka asked, "Utaha, you were busy all day yesterday. Are you going out again today?"

"Yes," Utaha replied. "Ichin's studio is finally set up. He bought two apartments on the third floor below to use as an office. A lot of things are being delivered today, so I'm going to help out."

"Really? That sounds impressive," Mrs. Kasumigaoka said, somewhat surprised. Though she didn't fully understand the world of game development, she knew enough to realize that setting up a studio required quite a bit of money. It seemed Ichin's game sales were doing quite well.

Mrs. Kasumigaoka didn't object. She smiled and nodded, "Alright then, go ahead and help. By the way, what are you all doing for lunch? Would you like to eat here?"

"I'm not sure," Utaha shook her head. "There are seven people in his studio, and everyone's coming today. We'll probably go out or order something in. You and Dad should just eat together. Don't worry about me."

"Alright, then go on."

Since it was just on the third floor, it wasn't that far away.

"Wait… he bought two apartments?" Mrs. Kasumigaoka finally processed what her daughter had said, wanting to ask more, but by then, Utaha had already opened the door and left.

Mr. Kasumigaoka had just come out of the bathroom and saw his wife standing there. "I heard you talking to Utaha. Where'd she go?" he asked curiously.

The couple then began discussing the matter among themselves.

Unaware of her parents' conversation, Utaha had sent a message to Ichin before leaving. Knowing that he was already downstairs, she headed straight to the studio on the third floor.

As she arrived, she noticed that the door was open, and the inside was bustling with activity.

Since the place hadn't been cleaned yet, Utaha didn't bother changing shoes and walked right in.

In the living room, there were several large boxes, and Ichin, along with a few others, was setting up computers and monitors on the office desks.

When Ichin noticed Utaha entering, he handed off his task to someone else and walked over to greet her, "You're here early. I thought you'd come by a bit later."

Nodding, Utaha brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and surveyed the lively scene before her. "Are these the computers you bought yesterday?" she asked.

"Yeah, we picked them up yesterday. It cost me quite a bit," Ichin replied with a wry smile. "But these will be the core tools for game development over the next two or three years. I even got two extra units as backups. Once we have the new game demo ready, you can test it here anytime."

"Good morning!!!"

A cheerful voice suddenly rang out from the entrance. Both Ichin and Utaha turned to see a girl with short hair, dressed in a short-sleeved top and hot pants, energetically bounce into the room—this was Hajime Shinoda.

As Hajime practically bounced into the studio, Utaha's gaze involuntarily fell on the girl's impressive figure, comparable to her own.

Just from her build alone, Hajime Shinoda seemed like a formidable threat. Combined with her outgoing personality, she appeared to be the type to get along well with everyone.

While greeting everyone with a cheerful "Good morning," Utaha was quietly calculating things in her mind.

As Hajime Shinoda entered the living room, her eyes lit up at the sight of all the computers and monitors on the desks. She rushed over to one of the desks, brimming with excitement, and marveled at the setup.

"New computers! Playing games on these would be awesome!"

"Hey, hey, I didn't get these computers just for you guys to play games on," Ichin said, walking over and giving Shinoda a light tap on the head.

Rubbing her head, Shinoda laughed without a trace of fear, "Hehe, just kidding. But if I finish my tasks, playing a little should be okay, right?"

"Of course, that's fine. As long as you finish your work, I won't care even if you all gang up and play together," Ichin replied.

He then headed to the kitchen and returned with a rag and a mop, looking at Shinoda, "Since you're here, get to work. Do you want to mop the floor or clean the windows?"

"I'll clean the windows!" Shinoda eagerly responded, taking the rag, setting her backpack aside, and getting right to work with swift efficiency.

Utaha took the broom from Ichin and offered, "I'll help too. The living room still needs organizing, right?"

Ichin nodded, "If you don't mind, could you mop the bedroom floor? But wait until we finish setting up the computers. Then I'll go out and buy a vacuum cleaner."

Saying that, he took the broom back from Utaha and returned it to the kitchen. Although she came to help, Ichin wouldn't make Utaha do anything too strenuous. Instead, he asked her to tidy up some trash in the living room while he focused on organizing the cables for the computers.

As time passed, more people gradually arrived, joining in to help organize the studio.

True to form, the girls brought things from their work routines. They came with seat cushions, mousepads, and even other small items. After finishing the windows, Shinoda opened her bulging backpack and pulled out a bunch of figurines and game-related merchandise, arranging them on desks and shelves.

While setting up her items, she chirped, "This way, I can work more efficiently!"

Utaha, slightly puzzled, tugged on Ichin's sleeve and whispered, "Is this really okay?"

"No worries," Ichin replied with a smile and a shake of his head. "Game development is a unique kind of work. Without genuine passion for games, I wouldn't even want to hire someone."

Treating game development as just a job is entirely different from seeing it as something you love. The energy and motivation that comes from the latter are incomparable. Of course, maintaining that passion requires dedication.

Hearing this, Utaha seemed to understand. She nodded thoughtfully. After all, if she didn't genuinely love writing novels, she wouldn't endure her editor's constant nagging and persistently revise her work.

Throughout the entire day, they cleaned and organized, set up the network, and installed various software on the computers. One by one, all the tasks were completed successfully.

During lunchtime, Ichin took the opportunity to go out and buy a vacuum cleaner, along with a bunch of snacks, drinks, and everyday supplies to make working at the studio more convenient for everyone.

Looking around at the transformed space, Ichin exhaled in satisfaction.

"Finally, we're ready to officially get started!"

…