Chapter 53. Beam of Light
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"Damn it… rejected again… Am I really not cut out for making games?"
This was probably the tenth company to turn down Mikami Shinji since his university graduation earlier this year.
Much like in his previous life yet still different, Mikami Shinji had no real aptitude for written exams—his test results were always disastrous—but he was stubbornly obsessed with game creation.
However—
In this life, luck didn't seem to favor him. Since graduating in March, he hadn't received any job offers from any company.
Normally, many companies would hold recruitment events at universities the year before graduation—similar to graduate job fairs at many universities.
Most students would connect with different companies during this period, and if they passed the interview and were hired, that was called a "naitei" (unofficial job offer).
After graduation, they could directly report to their new company.
In his previous life, Mikami Shinji majored in business administration and was interested in martial arts as a hobby. His job search had nothing to do with his studies and was unusually difficult.
At first, Mikami Shinji wanted to work in manufacturing. Plenty of people went into factory work, but to him, "manufacturing" meant "creating." When applying, he aimed for planning positions at Nippon Steel, but was rejected again and again.
Mikami himself loved games. From the age of twenty until the time he finally entered the game industry, he was practically a game addict, wasting away like a monkey glued to the screen.
During job hunting, he even tried Nintendo, but something felt off. That company already seemed complete, with its own established channels. For him, the best path would be finding a place where he could carve out a space with his own strength.
As for Capcom—honestly, Mikami had never even heard of it before.
It was through his love of Ghosts 'n Goblins that he first learned about Capcom. Their recruitment briefing was held at the Hilton Hotel in Osaka. Listening to the president's speech about future goals moved him deeply, so Mikami decided to apply.
He was eliminated in the written exam "very beautifully."
In his previous life, despite failing the written test, he somehow still managed to stumble into Capcom. But this time, luck wasn't on his side.
Job-hunting while constantly being rejected, he unknowingly graduated from university.
With no hope of entering the game industry, he didn't know where else to go. So he stayed home all day playing games, becoming a complete otaku.
Then in July, he happened to come across Pokeni's newly released Onmyoji. Mikami Shinji was struck by the thought: So galgames can be made like this? They can actually be this moving?
That reignited his desire to work in games.
Driven by that thought, he once again began sending out resumes to different game companies, starting a new round of job hunting.
But…
Every written test was a disaster. To this day, Mikami still couldn't understand why.
Isn't creativity the most important thing in making games?
Why were the tests always full of math problems, psychology questions, and reading comprehension?
After being eliminated so many times in a row, Mikami's confidence was utterly shattered.
…
Especially today.
For Mikami Shinji, applying to Pokeni was his truest desire since July.
The more he failed at other game companies, the stronger that desire grew.
Pokeni felt like a wall tied to the other end of a spring—the farther he stretched away, the harder it pulled him back.
If he didn't try Pokeni at least once, he feared he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
Before applying, he had thoroughly researched Pokeni and made it his number one goal in life.
Compared to Nintendo and Capcom, Pokeni was insignificant.
But it was precisely that insignificance that attracted him. He believed that joining a small company just starting out would allow his talents to shine most brightly.
Unfortunately…
He was eliminated once again, in the written exam.
"I really am a useless failure. Maybe… this is all I'll ever amount to in this life." Mikami Shinji lowered his head in despair, dragging his heavy steps toward the exit.
Damn it!
Unwillingness, frustration, disappointment—all these emotions weighed down on him, as though the entire world had turned dark.
…
The future looked bleak, waves of pessimism surging in.
Mikami Shinji truly didn't know what to do anymore.
What should he do with his life? What kind of talent did he even have?
He didn't know.
"Mikami-san."
Just then, a warm voice called his name.
Mikami Shinji froze and turned around.
Behind him stood a man in a black sweater, handsome and refined in appearance.
He glanced around, doubting that the man was actually calling him.
"Yes, you're Mikami Shinji, right?"
Kiyoshi Yuuma smiled as he stepped forward.
Only after hearing his full name did Mikami Shinji snap back to reality, as if waking from a dream.
"Eh?"
Pointing at himself, Mikami Shinji suddenly realized it was rude, so he quickly bowed. "Hello, I'm Mikami Shinji. May I ask what this is about?"
"Hello, I'm the president of this company. My name is Kiyoshi Yuuma."
Kiyoshi Yuuma bowed and respectfully offered his business card with both hands.
Overwhelmed, Mikami Shinji hurriedly accepted it, still completely bewildered, not understanding what was happening.
He glanced at the card. Sure enough, it read:
[Pokeni Co., Ltd.
President: Kiyoshi Yuuma]
"I am deeply honored. Please take care of me," Mikami said.
"No, it's me who should say that." Kiyoshi Yuuma returned the bow.
Among Japanese producers, Mikami Shinji easily ranked in the top ten.
Even if some didn't recognize his name, the moment Resident Evil was mentioned, everyone had heard of it.
And it was Mikami Shinji who first turned Resident Evil into a game, affectionately known by players as the "Father of Resident Evil."
He was famous for his diligence, creativity, and his extraordinary ability to handle Western culture and horror elements.
In Resident Evil, the fragmented details and layers of suspense pushed the horror atmosphere to its absolute peak—elevating Mikami Shinji to legendary status.
Now, such a producer was standing right before Kiyoshi Yuuma. How could he not be excited?
"Mikami-san," Kiyoshi Yuuma took a deep breath and extended his hand, "Congratulations, you've been hired by Pokeni."
Mikami Shinji's mind couldn't process it right away.
Two seconds passed.
"Huh?!"
His eyes widened in sudden, overwhelming joy.
Like a beam of light, Kiyoshi Yuuma had illuminated his entire world.