NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28: The Past of Furina and Ayaka
Two special guests were waiting.
One is dressed in a sophisticated, deep blue and black outfit.
Although their posture and etiquette are impeccable, for some reason, they seem a bit lacking in confidence.
The other is dressed in a cool, youthful light-colored outfit, wearing a small round hat.
Their posture is proper but more casual.
Coincidentally, both have white hair.
-------------------------------------
"Miss Ganyu is waiting for both of you."
Invited by the receptionist, the two women entered Mihoyo together.
As they walked, Kamisato Ayaka glanced at Furina beside her. Before the secretary arrived, they had exchanged names.
"Miss Furina, may I ask, are you here to discuss a collaboration?" Ayaka inquired politely.
Furina, who had been silently hoping to go unnoticed, suddenly tensed up. The socially anxious Furina forced a smile.
"Ah... I... I am, of course, here to discuss a collaboration! I am quite talented!" Furina's voice rose from low to high, as if she were trying to hypnotize herself.
"Oh~"
"Then, Miss Furina, you and I might have more in common. Perhaps we'll have more common ground later," Ayaka replied with a polite smile.
"Haha, I think so too!" Furina quickly echoed Ayaka's words.
The atmosphere fell into silence again.
"God, does she think I'm just an unemployed artist?"
"No, maybe she thinks I'm a hypocrite!"
"Furina, you need to have confidence. As long as you exude strong presence, no one will see through you!"
Amid the silence, Furina wrestled with her inner turmoil. She had significant talent in classical music and opera, but her skills had gone unrecognized in her hometown. The operas and music she arranged had barely any audience.
She performed in empty venues, often pretending there were people watching her, even though no one was there. Despite the option to stop performing, Furina always felt that continuing would eventually attract an audience.
In this cycle of hope and disappointment, she grew into the somewhat insecure but highly concerned person she was today.
The opportunity to come here was thanks to her distant cousin, Neuvillette, who had always taken care of her and also skilled in using a high-pressure water gun to clean away all nearby filth and strange things, would always say, "Are you done? I need to start cleaning now," whenever Furina asked difficult questions. This left Furina feeling helpless.
Under her cousin's advice, Furina decided to try her luck here.
Before "Honkai: Star Rail" officially released, Furina had been following the exciting previews. The high-quality production had dazzled her, especially the perfect integration of visuals and music, which felt like she had found a kindred spirit.
But after the recent success of the Honkai series, Furina's old insecurities resurfaced.
"Cough, cough, even though this is such a great company, I'm not a pushover. They should be able to see my talent right away, right?"
"If I don't get the job, I'll... I'll go have a huge meal of macaroni!"
Yes, Furina was here for a job interview. Among the recruitment positions posted by Ganyu were roles such as assistant director. That was what she had applied for.
As for Kamisato Ayaka, she had decided to formally join Mihoyo after seeing the official series. She also longed to be as brilliant as the other characters in the previews, but that was only one of her wishes. The other was to bring Honkai: Star Rail to her hometown. A great work should be seen by as many people as possible.
Two people with similar feelings approached the reception room.
Ganyu had already called Xia Wen. Upon seeing Furina and Ayaka, Xia Wen was slightly surprised but then smiled slightly.
It was quite normal to meet Furina and Ayaka, given that his sister was Ningguang.
"Boss, these two are Miss Furina and Miss Ayaka."
"They are both from the list I filtered for you."
"Hmm... Miss Furina is here to apply for the assistant director position."
"Miss Ayaka, on the other hand, wishes to join Mihoyo as an artist."
Eh!?
Furina's eyes widened in shock. Ganyu's words made her break into a sweat.
She stood frozen on the spot.
"What to do, what to do! I've been exposed!"
"How embarrassing! Think of something quickly, Furina!"
Her reaction made Xia Wen immediately recognize that Furina was struggling internally again.
He cleared his throat.
"Oh? An interview? I wasn't aware of this."
"Miss Furina wasn't invited here?"
"It's precisely because I learned of Miss Furina's deep expertise in classical composition, classical music, and gourmet dessert tasting that I invited her to join Mihoyo."
Xia Wen, with a smiling face, helped Furina save face.
"Eh?"
"It's like this... hmm..."
Ganyu, puzzled, looked at the document in her hand, placing a hand on the back of her head as she murmured, "Perhaps I made a mistake because I've been staying up too late recently."
Furina was stunned when Xia Wen spoke. Although she didn't understand why the boss would suddenly help her, she straightened her posture immediately.
"Yes, yes~ I came to Mihoyo because of the invitation!"
"Cough, cough, rest assured."
"With my addition, Mihoyo will surely become more successful!"
She put her hands on her hips, and her exaggerated confidence and pride made Xia Wen's smile even more pronounced.
It would definitely get more successful. After all, he hoped Furina would contribute more memorable scenes in the future.
"And Miss Ayaka."
"Welcome to Mihoyo as well!"
Xia Wen, having gained two key recruits, couldn't suppress his satisfaction.
After handling the contracts and other formalities, the two officially joined Mihoyo. Xia Wen took the opportunity to introduce them to Mihoyo's new team members.
On the way, Furina quietly tugged at Xia Wen's sleeve.
"Um, thank you."
Furina averted her gaze, feeling guilty.
Although she often pretended to be incredibly capable in front of others, she frequently made herself and others near her uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Xia Wen was here today.
"He must already know that I'm just an unpopular artist," Furina thought sadly.