"But wait—what are you even doing here?"
Lin Zhi suddenly remembered to ask.
At that, Aki Tomoya's eyes lit up with a spark of excitement. He grabbed Lin Zhi's hand and said with infectious enthusiasm,
"Lin Zhi! Let's make the greatest game in the world together!"
"…"
"What now…? Are you out of your mind again?"
Lin Zhi sighed helplessly, looking at Aki with disbelief.
"Make a game? Do you even have an artist? A writer? A planner? A programmer? A composer?"
"I do!"
To Lin Zhi's surprise, Aki nodded quickly, still full of energy.
"Eri can handle the art, the script can be done by Kasumigaoka-sensei, I'll take care of planning, programming can go to Ryuuunosuke, and as for music… well, that can come later."
Lin Zhi blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn't expected Aki to actually have people in mind for each role.
He did know that Aki and Eri knew each other.
In fact, Lin himself had met Eri through Aki—he'd introduced them when Lin was looking for illustrators for his novel. Since each hero had a different look, multiple artists were needed, and some of the characters had been drawn by Eri Kashiwagi.
Though she'd started out as an adult illustrator, her talent was undeniable.
After they entered middle school, they'd lost touch, so Lin hadn't expected Aki to have contacted her again.
But Kasumigaoka…
"What about Kasumigaoka? How does she fit in?" Lin asked curiously.
"You don't know? Kasumigaoka-sensei is actually a student at our school—she's a senior."
"I see!"
"Wait… you mean that Kasumigaoka Utaha?"
A flash of realization crossed Lin's mind—he remembered Issei Ayaha once gossiping about the school's top beauties.
"Yeah! Kasumigaoka-sensei's real name is Kasumigaoka Utaha."
"What a coincidence," Lin said, a little amazed.
He'd met Kasumigaoka a few times before. It was he who had recommended her to his editor, so he knew she was an undeniably beautiful girl.
But since they'd always met under their pen names, he'd never known her real one.
The world was really too small—so small that you could bump into acquaintances anywhere.
Still, Lin had to admit that Aki had managed to gather quite the lineup, even if it was small. It covered all the major roles in game production.
But, as Lin knew too well, things in the real world were never as easy as they sounded.
He'd learned that much from building a website—what looked simple always took more time, money, and frustration than expected.
So, although Aki was bursting with confidence, Lin couldn't let him get carried away.
"Have you actually thought this through, Aki?"
Lin looked at him seriously.
"Making a game takes a lot of time and money. Have you really considered that?"
"I… I have!"
Aki's voice wavered a little, but he forced himself to sound sure.
"Oh? You're sure you've thought it through?"
Lin's gaze deepened. He'd known Aki mostly through online exchanges—enough to understand the guy's personality.
"I think the only thing you've thought through is your own enthusiasm," Lin said, sighing.
"Let's talk about the money first."
"Number one: You said you want Ryuuunosuke to handle the programming. Sure, he can do it—he's got the skills.
But he's not going to work for free. That's a major expense—tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands. Do you have that kind of money?"
"This…"
Aki stammered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"You don't. Sure, the website pays you a bit, but you spend plenty on figures, games, and novels, right?"
"So even if you have some savings, it's not much."
"Number two: Are you planning to pay Eri Kashiwagi and Kasumigaoka Utaha?"
"Maybe Eri will help out since you're friends, but what about Kasumigaoka?"
"Kashiwagi Eri is a big name in the doujin world, and Kasumigaoka is a rising star in the light novel scene. Their market rates aren't cheap. Have you thought about that?"
"Or were you planning to have them work for free from the start?"
Aki's face turned pale. He clearly hadn't thought about any of this.
Lin continued calmly, ignoring the growing discomfort on Aki's face.
"And then there's the matter of time."
"You realize how much time it takes to make a game, right?"
"Even professional studios take ages. And you're talking about pulling together a team on a whim."
"So tell me—have you thought about Kasumigaoka's situation?"
"She's a senior. She has to focus on college entrance exams and her own writing career. Do you think she has time to work on your game script too?"
"This…"
Aki fell silent, then forced a bitter smile.
"You're right. I was too impulsive. I didn't think things through at all."
He rubbed his forehead helplessly, his expression full of frustration and regret.
Seeing that, Lin asked, "Then what made you suddenly want to make a game in the first place?"
"A destined encounter!"
Aki suddenly perked up again, his face lighting up with excitement.
"A… destined encounter?" Lin muttered, staring at him in disbelief.
Dog, you've changed.
"You're actually acting normal for once. That's… unexpected."
"Huh?"
Aki blinked, confused. Then, realizing what Lin meant, he waved his hands frantically.
"It's not what you think! I'm still not into 3D girls, okay? I just… felt something."
"That's still an improvement. At least it proves you're human."
"What's that supposed to mean? You saying I wasn't before?"
"I never said that," Lin said lightly, dodging the jab.
"So? How did this 'fateful encounter' happen? Was she beautiful?"
He was genuinely curious—what kind of girl could make Aki Tomoya, a diehard otaku, feel a spark for someone real?
"On the slope—Detective Hill, I remember it perfectly!"
"The weather was beautiful that day—the sky was clear and blue, cherry blossoms drifting in the breeze. Then I heard her calm, serene voice…"
"When I turned, she was standing at the top of the hill, her white beret carried by the wind…"
"She was so… um… well…"
Aki's dreamy expression froze, then twisted into horror and despair.
"I… I forgot what she looked like!"
Lin's face darkened. "…You idiot."
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T/N:
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