Kosaka Akane didn't use famous swords like Dōjigiri or Muramasa to describe it; instead, she used the legendary Three Sacred Treasures, showing just how persistent she was.
—Don't use such a terrible expression!
Kiyono was speechless, feeling as if he had run into a pervert.
"Don't you want to see Kashiwagi Eri's complete form after she matures? Or do you want other artists? I've prepared several styles; just say the word, and you can pick any artist in the industry. I can even find traditional artists from prestigious art schools for you," Kosaka Akane uttered lines that would make Eriri wail.
Artist?
Kiyono's heart suddenly stirred. For a national-level game like this, the art strength had always been robust. As a side "secret realm," it should yield a lot of experience, and he had almost completely absorbed Eriri's side.
He tried to re-plan his time and career arrangements and found that this painting secret realm could be explored a bit.
After thinking quietly for a while, he had already made a decision.
"I still can't join Miss Kosaka's project because I can't fully dedicate myself to writing the script. If I agreed, it would be irresponsible. However, I can help simply write and guide the script outline. Of course, there are a few conditions."
"Do you want Sawamura Eriri or Kasumigaoka Utaha? I'll create opportunities for you."
Akane Kosaka was not entirely satisfied, but she didn't have many options, so she could only force a smile.
"I need Miss Kosaka to temporarily give me a position, one that is not subject to any constraints and allows me to come and go as I please. This is the direction I want to work towards recently," Kiyono changed roles.
"What is it?"
Kosaka Akane took a sip of wine indifferently. It was normal for young people to be interested in games. Usually it was just voice acting for a certain character, right?
Then, she saw the young man flash a bright smile.
"Original art."
"???"
---
July 1st.
The weather was clear, the sky was as blue as if freshly washed, and even the sunlight was clean and transparent.
On the streets under the scorching summer sun, a low horn sounded, and a square sedan stopped below the apartment.
"Kiyono-sensei, let's go," the woman with a neat high ponytail in the driver's seat said with a smile.
Although Kiyono had only agreed to help as a reference, the next day, Akane Kosaka enthusiastically came to act as his driver and housekeeper. He thought about it and didn't refuse, simply taking the time to communicate with others and discuss ideas, then he wouldn't bother anymore.
Speaking of which, did he count as becoming a villain? After all, the protagonist of this work was Aki-kun, and Akane Kosaka's company was positioned as the Chief of the NTR tribe. He wondered how Eriri and his senior were doing now…
Kiyono pulled open the back car door.
His thoughts stopped.
"So slow."
At that moment, it was as if vibrant flowers bloomed. Dazzling gold and black intertwined, and the air was filled with a faint, elegant fragrance.
In the rearview mirror, Kosaka Akane showed a mischievous smile, as if asking whether he was satisfied with this gift.
Kiyono's mouth twitched, his face expressionless. He knew he should have refused this woman yesterday!
However, they really joined, didn't they…
His gaze fell upon the two heroines. As their eyes met, each had their own thoughts.
Kasumigaoka Utaha's leg, clad in sandals, couldn't help but start to tap, making a clicking sound. She was probably the most conflicted among them. As a writer, she was the least valued, and her relationship with the others wasn't close. Despite her calm exterior, she was incredibly anxious inside.
Eriri flicked her ponytail, feeling both a strange sense of impropriety and happiness—I'm not some eroge heroine!
As Kiyono looked at them, the folder deep in his mind opened, and memories slowly resurfaced. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly spoke:
"Sawamura, could you come with me for a moment? There are some things I want to discuss with you."
At these words, the expressions of the three women all changed. Eriri's pretty face flushed, her gaze shifting. Kasumigaoka Utaha raised an eyebrow, thoughtful. Akane Kosaka simply cheerfully told her to get out of the car.
Kiyono bought two bottles of iced soda from a roadside vending machine and handed one to the girl. Eriri followed him quietly like a kitten, and the two walked to a cool spot.
He looked at the steaming asphalt road and the slightly reflective metal casing of the vending machine, opened the bottle cap, thought for a moment, and casually found a topic to start with.
"Hmm, did you join Miss Kosaka's company?"
Considering that the following conversation was not suitable for others to hear, he had called the girl out.
"…Not exactly joined yet. She said it's just a trial period, and if I don't qualify, I'll have to leave."
The blonde girl also knew that he had called her for something serious and honestly explained. Because she had just walked out of the air-conditioned car, her pretty face appeared a bit flushed.
Doesn't that mean you've joined… Even if he considered him, that shrewd woman wouldn't let her go.
"What about your other work?" Kiyono asked his second question.
"The doujinshi for the comic convention is almost finished. After I complete it during this period, I'll take a break for a while." Eriri vaguely sensed his meaning and gulped down some soda.
Cicadas chirped.
Kiyono looked at the girl's fair profile and spoke to her in as lighthearted a tone as possible:
"By the way, you also joined your childhood friend's game club, didn't you? Have you properly explained this to them?"
If he remembered correctly, in the original story, a similar thing had happened once, where the girl struggled to choose her dream, making the most painful choice.
Perhaps the world line had changed now. Their game had just started, and the villainous demon king had come to block the beginner village. The various emotions it brought were not as intense, like a band that hadn't yet performed kasuga kage. But he felt that the essence was not much different.
He had no opinion on Eriri's choice. Everyone has their own ideals and goals, and there's nothing wrong with choosing any path. But at least she should inform her original team—let alone a childhood friend, even a friend should be honest. Otherwise, what about this relationship in the future?
He also had no intention of intervening in the relationship between the girl and her childhood friend, merely pointing out her mistake as a friend.
"That's just playing around at school, there's no need to…"
Her sensitive spot was poked, making Eriri like a startled kitten, raising her head somewhat angrily to look directly at him. But when she saw the young man's calm and distant gaze, she felt a strange panic.
The young man's gaze was like his brushstrokes, piercing through her disguise and exposing her true self before him.
Perhaps because of the intense summer heat, sweat seeped from her forehead. Her throat, having just drunk soda, was parched. The blonde young lady pursed her lips and ultimately said nothing.
"Looks like there wasn't."
"I can't stand it," Kiyono said helplessly.
Huh? What do you know about me now!
Eriri angrily clenched her fists. She hadn't made such a simple decision; she had been constantly caught in a dilemma. How could someone as sunny and straightforward as him understand this feeling?
Then, she heard Kiyono say:
"You're in the same club, aren't you? And you're good friends who grew up together, right? Don't you usually love to boast about the advantage of being a childhood friend?"
Kiyono gazed at her. She saw her reflection in the boy's eyes. She wanted to look away but couldn't bear to.
"Do you think that joining another game company and saying so would make your good friend feel disappointed and resentful? No, you should be more confident in your judgment of people. I believe that as long as you speak sincerely and properly, your childhood friend will definitely respect you and offer you sincere blessings."
Kiyono patted her shoulder.
"True friends always bother each other. Everyone usually walks their own path in life, but when they encounter difficulties and choices, their paths briefly intersect. As long as you speak up in person, you will definitely understand each other."
Perhaps because the midsummer sun was too strong, the young man's smile also looked bright and dazzling.
He didn't choose to gently let the girl avoid the problem. Some problems, if not corrected, would definitely cause more painful harm in the future. Although he didn't think the girl's tsundere could easily change, important matters must be faced.
"…"
I can't stand you. When a normal boy tries to counsel a girl, shouldn't he say some gentler sweet nothings and take the opportunity to win her over?
Although it sounded a bit boastful, she was a beautiful girl who had been secretly admired by countless people since childhood. But this person not only didn't take the opportunity to conquer her, he even spoke up for her former childhood friend!
Eriri lowered her head, a faint smile quietly appearing.
But it was precisely this point that…
She knew there had always been a knot in her heart. She chose to ignore this conflict, just as before, but the sadness and pain it brought did not disappear.
It wasn't entirely about complex feelings for her childhood friend; there was also a self-loathing for choosing to escape. For the past two nights, before falling asleep, her mind would be filled with thoughts like, If only I had done this then, or, If I had been a little braver, would the situation have been different?
She didn't like this version of herself. Somewhere deep down, she also hoped someone would give her a push. Now that person had appeared. His attitude might be a bit strong, but still.
Eriri let out a long breath and said:
"I understand. I'll explain the reasons to that guy later."
The sharp thorn deep in her heart didn't melt away, but it was quietly pulled out a bit. Even so, she felt a slight sense of relief.
At the same time, Eriri also understood that Kiyono lived his life this way.
He didn't shift responsibility to others, wouldn't blame the environment, and actively solved problems. He had always walked steadily like this.
These were just a few thoughts… She also wanted to live like that.
"Wait? How long do you want to drag it out? Go resolve it today!" Kiyono said, seemingly dumbfounded.
Looking at the young man, Eriri burst out laughing.
"Today is the first day of work! Do you want me to leave a terrible impression of absenteeism on others right after starting?"
"Hmph, then you figure it out yourself. I'm not getting involved."
"Oh, right," the young man added, for some reason giving her a wary look.
"This isn't some strange task I'm giving you, okay? It's you who was moved and made this decision of your own free will. It has nothing to do with me!"
"You've ruined the atmosphere I worked so hard to create!"
"And another thing, don't let your favorability increase easily just because of a few words of banter. I believe you're not that kind of simple heroine!"
"N-no way! Idiot!"
The chirping of cicadas surrounded them, further enhancing the summer atmosphere. The girl's forehead was slightly beaded with sweat, but she felt surprisingly refreshed.
---
The light novel author, literary writer, and doujin artist arrived at her company in the producer's luxury car.
Although they were curious about what the two had discussed, seeing Eriri's charming smile when she returned, they weren't the type to ask directly.
The moment they pushed open the glass door, it was as if they had stepped into another world. Outside was a bustling concrete jungle, but inside, it was like an ancient temple frozen in time. Everyone was like an ascetic monk nailed to a monitor, and the incessant sound of keyboards was their wooden fish during their penance.
Kiyono instinctively held his breath. This was not a game development sanctuary; it was clearly a cursed code monastery!
Even more terrifying was that they still wore enthusiastic smiles, and he wondered what grand promises Akane Kosaka had made them.
"Good thing I didn't join."
Thinking this, Kiyono also showed a refreshing smile.
"You all have two hours to get familiar with the work."
Kosaka Akane said this to Kasumigaoka Utaha and Eriri. She herself planned to discuss face-to-face with Kiyono, as he was a big shot, and these two days were her only chance to catch him—many people saw Akane Kosaka as a ruthless businesswoman, but she was also a creator, an even more formidable author than Eriri and her senior.
As her words fell, Kiyono inexplicably glanced at Kasumigaoka Utaha beside him.
The quiet senior frowned, her anxiety having turned into agitation—her role in the game was to write the main storyline, and as a massive RPG, various textual settings naturally required brainstorming, meaning she needed to communicate with people she was completely unfamiliar with.
She had always been terrible at this. At school, she had never communicated with others. In her creative work, she was an extremely persistent person; even when discussing with editors, disagreements and arguments were more common.
This was the price of joining a large project… She quietly sighed.
But just then, she suddenly heard Kiyono's voice.
"Kasumigaoka-senpai is also a scriptwriter responsible for the main storyline, right? Let her join our discussion. Most of the work will have to be handled by her later."
Kiyono smiled and said it matter-of-factly. Others might not dare to voice opinions to Akane Kosaka, but he didn't need to worry. His status with this woman was like her status with everyone else.
He didn't need to think to know how much pressure his senior and Eriri were under now. After all, their experience was still shallow. If he could use his privilege to help them, he would help more—No! I just want to finish this outsourcing as soon as possible!
He argued in his mind.
Hearing this, the quiet girl turned to look at Kiyono, a strange glint in her eyes… Was he helping her?
Akane Kosaka, however, saw through Kiyono's intentions at a glance and let out a light click of her tongue, but still complied. Her mind was currently only focused on dancing with her beloved Ame-no-Murakumo.
As for Eriri… as the main artist, she could only resentfully go to the other side for now.
Inside Kosaka Akane's private office, the producer thoughtfully had Kiyono sit at the head of the table, while she merely sat beside him.
The conversation abruptly ceased. Akane Kosaka and Kasumigaoka Utaha, as if by prior agreement, held their breath, placed their hands on their laps, and straightened their backs—this was the respect due to a literature teacher, and moreover, they genuinely admired his talent.