NOVEL NEXT Chapter 65
G-Star was only a month away.
This meant that the participating companies had finalized their exhibits and booth sizes.
Currently, G-Star was regarded as a domestic gaming festival where only Korean game companies participated.
While it wasn’t an unpopular game show, it couldn’t quite be compared to the world’s top three game shows.
Naturally, outside of specific game company fans and hardcore gamers, interest wasn’t particularly high—but this year was different.
[Nickname: Anonymous]
[Title: Breaking News) Reverse Arcadia Confirmed for G-Star Participation!!!!!!]
I just checked the list of companies and exhibits participating in G-Star, and they’re really there, haha lol.
Seriously, after they opened Hanseop, things seem to have clicked for them.
Please, keep up the good work like this.
[Comment List][Registered Order]
-Really?? Haha lol
-Anonymous: Go see for yourself {Link}
-I was so jealous seeing the guys who went to Tokyo Game Show for the Girls’ Memorial event, haha lol
-I already bought my G-Star ticket, haha lol
Reverse Arcadia’s participation in this year’s G-Star is confirmed.
This single, simple sentence began to draw the attention of subculture community users towards G-Star.
Naturally, Jae-hyun was among those users.
‘Reverse Arcadia is going to participate in this year’s G-Star?’
To Jae-hyun, G-Star was originally a game show he had no intention of attending, but with Reverse Arcadia’s participation, that was a different story.
Jae-hyun glanced over the list of subcontracted tasks that were on hold and made a decision.
He resolved to complete all the backlog of outsourced slots within the month and participate in G-Star.
While there were people looking forward to Reverse Arcadia’s participation in G-Star, there were also those who weren’t pleased about it.
NDSoft, for example, had loudly announced they’d sharpen their swords and prepared to dominate G-Star.
It’s rumored that the NDSoft employees, who were putting all their efforts into preparing for G-Star, were left dumbfounded upon hearing about the dinosaur’s participation.
Thus, the various emotions surrounding Reverse Arcadia’s participation began intertwining, as the curtain was about to rise on G-Star.
***
Before long, the day before G-Star arrived.
Leading Yerin, Chae-young, and Yumi, who were assigned to manage the booth, we exited the Busan Station and were greeted by a fierce sea breeze.
Of course, despite the strong wind, the temperature was much warmer than Seoul, so it wasn’t particularly cold.
After leaving our carry-ons at the hotel, we headed straight toward BEXCO where G-Star was taking place.
Upon arriving at BEXCO, we joined the pre-arrived staff from the management support team.
After a day’s hard work in setting everything up, we finally completed the booth preparations.
Thereupon, on the morning of G-Star’s opening day.
Though smaller than the venue of Tokyo Game Show, it felt fresh because it was a game show held in Korea.
This sentiment wasn’t exclusive to me; Yena, Chae-young, and Yumi also seemed to be looking around the venue with curious expressions.
The sight of countless booths, game industry associates, and event staff was something even employees in the gaming industry don’t easily get to see, so I decided to let them enjoy it a bit.
However, we couldn’t linger forever, and I approached them soon after.
“It’s nice to reminisce, but shouldn’t we get moving?”
At my words, the three of them slightly startled and nodded to each other.
“Anyway, we’re planning to rely on hired staff to manage the booth this time. Just be sure to pay close attention to the booth’s final touches. Once the doors open, it shouldn’t get as intense as it did at Tokyo Game Show.”
As we were conducting our last inspection,
a group of women approached our booth.
“Are you Department Head Jihojin?”
The voice calling me.
When I turned around, I saw a group of cosplayers with various hairstyles and perfectly dressed costumes looking at me.
The difference compared to the Tokyo Game Show event was,
“I look forward to your cooperation during this event.”
simply that we had hired professional cosplayers this time.
I had actually deliberated a lot about this.
The reactions to the cosplays by Yerin and Chae-young had been much better than anticipated.
But after confirming G-Star participation, I had hesitated to bring up the cosplay subject quietly to the two of them. I quickly decided to let it go due to the menacing aura I detected in their eyes.
Besides, unlike back then, Reverse Arcadia was now in a position where they didn’t necessarily have to rally public support through director cosplays.
After handing out coffee to the cosplayers and completing our final booth checks, it was already 9:30.
While Chae-young and Yumi rested from their tiring efforts yesterday and today, Yerin and I left the booth.
First, the opposing NDSoft booth came into view.
It seemed the rumor that they were sharpening their swords for G-Star wasn’t false. Slightly larger than ours, their booth was bustling with busy staff.
If we consider our booth has 80 seats, theirs probably has around 90 or more…
Yerin, upon seeing NDSoft’s booth, had something on her mind.
“Senior, while we’re on the topic, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Will the projects worked on by Senior Tae-yun also be featured in this NDSoft booth?”
“Maybe, if we consider the timeline of the project Tae-yun mentioned he was working on… I’m not sure.”
If everything Senior Tae-yun had said was true, there was a strong probability that the project’s state was already in disarray.
At that moment, while talking with Yerin near the booth,
a familiar voice came from the NDSoft booth side.
“Hey, isn’t that you, Ho-jin?”
When I turned around at the familiar sound of my name, a middle-aged man with a familiar appearance waved at me.
His name is Choi Jeong-soo.
He was a director senior I was close with during my time as a planner at NDSoft.
He was also known for staying on the ground despite having enough years to become an executive.
And judging by his presence here, it seemed he was still doing the same.
“Senior Jeong-soo, it’s been a while. Do you remember her? This is Yerin, she worked with me at NDSoft….”
“Ah, so this is the person who went with you, Ho-jin? Nice to meet you. I’m Choi Jeong-soo and I’m still working as a director at NDSoft.”
The sudden introduction left Yerin slightly flustered as she greeted him.
“Ah, hello… I’ve heard a lot about you from Senior Ho-jin.”
“Is that so? I hope he hasn’t said anything bad about me?”
“He-heaven forbid.”
Jeong-soo nodded at Yerin’s response and turned back to me.
“Since everyone at our company kept talking about you, I was planning to meet you once during G-Star, but it happened sooner than expected.”
“The company talks about me? Why?”
To my question, Jeong-soo responded with an expression that implied I should already know.
“Are you really asking?”
“Well, I know it broadly, but I still don’t get it.”
“Don’t you? With all the talk about you going to a rival company with your team to develop a game full of female characters, and your growing success, the higher-ups are quite anxious.”
“Ah, when you put it that way, I don’t have much to say. Is the Department Head doing alright?”
“That guy probably lost more hair because of you. I heard he got scolded heavily on the day you took the top spot in the Japanese market.”
Listening further, guilt for the Department Head started creeping in on me.
He got scolded because of me when it wasn’t his fault…
As I was about to respond to Jeong-soo’s story,
the sound of music rang out across the event site, signaling the start of G-Star.
Simultaneously, the entrance started, and murmurs and the sound of footfalls began to echo from the entrance.
“Anyway, it’s good to see you doing well. Don’t just call; visit sometimes.”
“I’ll reach out after G-Star is over, Senior.”
“Alright, then I’ll go first. I’ve got some things to do.”
And it seemed he really had things to do because as soon as our conversation ended, he walked away briskly.
“Alright, let’s head back to the booth and prepare to receive guests.”
This was the beginning of G-Star’s event.
***
Making his first ever appearance at G-Star, Jae-hyun was overwhelmed by the throngs of people crowding the entrance of BEXCO.
“Seriously, how are there this many people….”
In fact, Jae-hyun had not anticipated such a large crowd gathering for G-Star.
Even though it was Korea’s largest game show, he had assumed fewer people would come since it primarily featured domestic companies. He had started out with a relaxed mindset, leaving his accommodation slightly early.
Now, he was paying the bone-chilling price for that relaxed judgment.
A long line stretched from the entrance of BEXCO all the way to the square.
Even though he had arrived relatively early, it seemed like it would take Jae-hyun at least 30 minutes from this spot to enter BEXCO.
“If only I had come here a bit earlier…”
But regret always comes too late.
Ultimately, he let go of everything and, as he usually did, logged into the Reverse Arcadia gallery to post a message.
[Nickname: Anonymous]
[Title: Whoa, just arrived at BEXCO, and it’s packed ㅅㅂㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Current BEXCO scenery photo]
Seriously, I arrived a little before 9:00, but how early did the people in front of me get here?
Isn’t the entry at 10:00?
[Comment List][Registered Order]
-They probably stayed overnight lol. There were even guys with tents.
-Ha, even though Busan is warm, the temperature was around 0 degrees. Are these people crazy? lol
-Wow, there are so many people lol
“Stayed overnight?”
Out of curiosity at the word in the comments, he searched and found pictures of a group who had spent the night outside.
There were indeed photos of tents set up on the BEXCO square where he was standing.
While it was absurd, there was nothing he could do but hope the line moved quickly.
“Please, let me get in within 30 minutes….”
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