"But seriously though, what are you doing here?"
Sato suddenly remembered to ask.
At the question, Ryuya's eyes lit up with a blinding glow. He immediately grabbed Sato's arm excitedly and declared,
"Sato, let's make the greatest game in the world together!"
"..."
"I mean… what kind of nonsense are you spouting again?"
Sato sighed, looking at Ryuya speechlessly.
"Make a game? Do you have an artist? A scriptwriter? A planner? A programmer? A composer?"
"I do!"
Surprisingly, Ryuya nodded without hesitation, full of enthusiasm.
"Eriri can handle the art, Utako-sensei can write the script, I'll take care of the planning, programming can go to Ryuunosuke, and as for music… well, we can figure that out later."
Sato's mouth opened slightly in surprise, he hadn't expected Ryuya to actually pull together that many talented people.
He already knew Ryuya was acquainted with Eriri.
In fact, Sato had met Eriri thanks to Ryuya, who had introduced them. Back when he needed illustrations for his novel, due to the large number of characters with very different designs, he had required several artists. Kashiwagi Eri-sensei had taken on a few of those.
Even though she had started out drawing adult-themed art, her skill was undeniable.
Still, ever since middle school started, they hadn't been in touch much. Sato hadn't expected Ryuya to keep pestering her.
And then there was Kasumi Utako...
"How do you know Kasumi Utako?" Sato asked curiously.
"You don't know yet? Kasumi Utako-sensei is actually a student at our school, she's a third-year."
Ah, that explains it!
"Wait… don't tell me, you mean Kasumigaoka Utaha?"
A flash of realization hit Sato. He recalled Isshiki Iroha once mentioning some of the most beautiful girls in the school.
"Yep! Kasumi Utako-sensei's real name is Kasumigaoka Utaha."
"What a coincidence."
Sato shook his head, a little stunned.
He had met Kasumi Utako-sensei a few times before. He was the one who introduced her to his editor, after all. So he knew she was a top-tier beauty.
But their interactions were brief, and they always addressed each other by pen names, so he had never known her real name.
This world was way too small. It felt like you could run into a familiar face anywhere.
Honestly, it was kind of amazing Ryuya had managed to piece together such a team. Even if it was still a small framework, it covered nearly all essential roles.
But the world doesn't run on dreams. Things are never as easy as they sound.
Sato had learned that from building his website.
So even though Ryuya was brimming with confidence, Sato felt the need to give him a reality check.
"Ryuya, have you really thought this through?"
He looked at him seriously and said slowly,
"Making a game takes time and money. Have you considered those costs?"
"Of course I have!"
Ryuya's reply was a bit forced, his voice stiff.
"Oh? You really thought it through?"
Sato's eyes deepened. Most of his communication with Ryuya had been online. The internet might be full of flowery lies, but it also revealed people's true nature.
He knew Ryuya all too well.
"I think the only person you've thought about is yourself."
Sato sighed and began to break it down.
"Let's start with money."
"First, if you want Ryuunosuke to handle programming then sure, he can do it. He has the skills."
"But he's not going to work for free. That's a huge expense. Tens or even hundreds of thousands of yen, easily. Do you have that kind of money?"
"Uh…"
Ryuya faltered, sweat starting to bead on his forehead.
"You don't. Even though the website pays you a little, you blow a lot of money on figures, games, and novels, don't you?"
"So even if you have some savings, it's probably not much."
"Second. Are you planning to pay Eriri and Utaha?"
"Maybe Eriri would help since you're close. But what about Utaha?"
"She's a rising star in the light novel world. And Eriri's a big name in the doujin scene. Hiring either of them at market rates is expensive. Did you think about that?"
"Or were you planning to get them to work for free?"
Ryuya's face turned pale. Clearly, none of this had occurred to him.
But Sato didn't stop. He calmly continued,
"Then there's the time cost."
"Making a game takes a lot of time."
"Even professional studios take ages to finish development. And your team? A few friends pulled together on a whim?"
"And what about Utaha?"
"She's a third-year student, balancing college entrance prep and her own writing career. Do you really think she has time to write game scripts too?"
"Uh…"
Ryuya fell into silence. After a long pause, he smiled bitterly.
"I was too impulsive… I really didn't think this through."
He rubbed his forehead, frustrated and full of regret.
Seeing this, Sato asked,
"So what did make you suddenly want to make a game?"
"A fateful encounter!"
Ryuya instantly snapped out of his gloom, his whole body glowing with renewed energy.
"A… fateful encounter?"
Sato repeated in disbelief, staring at Ryuya's face in shock.
Doggo, you've changed!
"You… you're acting normal for once. That's honestly kind of shocking."
"Eh?"
Ryuya looked completely confused at Sato's remark.
Then he quickly waved his hands and explained,
"No, no, it's not what you think! I'm not into 3D girls!"
"I just… felt a sudden stirring, that's all."
"Well, that's still something. At least it proves you're still human."
"Ha?! Are you saying I wasn't before?!"
"I didn't say that."
Sato chuckled, then asked curiously,
"So what was this fateful encounter? Was she really that pretty?"
He was genuinely curious, what kind of girl could've pulled Ryuya away from the 2D world?
"It was on the school slope. I remember it clearly!"
"That day, the weather was perfect, the sky was clear and blue, the cherry blossoms fluttered in the breeze… and then I heard her calm, soothing voice…"
"I turned, and there she stood at the top of the slope, her white beret flying in the wind…"
"She looked… uh… um…"
Ryuya's dreamy expression gradually twisted into confusion, then into horror and despair.
"I… I forgot what she looked like?!"
Sato facepalmed.
"…This guy."