[Game] Chapter 463-464

Chapter 463: Lunch

After finishing up with Kō Yagami, Ichin went to check in with the programming team. Their progress was a little slower, but still within the estimated schedule.

As for Fall Guys, there was no need to check. A big update had dropped in early August, and the game’s popularity remained sky-high. All they needed to do was steadily prepare the next wave of content. Future update plans were already laid out with generous cycles, and with Hazuki overseeing things, Ichin didn’t need to worry.

Back in his office, he returned to drafting the Tales of Berseria project plan.

By the end of the morning, he had finished it. That afternoon, he could finally dive into the battle system, building a rough demo.

“But before that, I need to finalize Velvet’s character design and 3D model… plus a few monster models for combat testing.”

Those, he would have to make himself. If they managed to negotiate a partnership with Capcom later, he would have to handle the talks personally. If not, then he had to rely on his own research all the more.

“Better to get a head start on the new project while development’s smooth and before optimization and integration eat up all the time.”

He was just about to begin when there was a knock at the office door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Hazuki appeared.

“Still busy? It’s already lunchtime. Take a break.”

Only then did Ichin glance at his watch—it was already noon.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

He got up and headed out.

In the break room, he grabbed his packed lunch from the fridge, heated it up in the microwave alongside the other employees, then went to the art department to eat with Hazuki.

Besides the two of them, Kō Yagami, Rin Toyama, and Hifumi had also brought lunches. Narumi, Momiji Mochizuki, and Ruri Gokou were still in line waiting to heat theirs. The others had gone out, or ordered delivery to avoid the sweltering summer sun.

Aoba and Nene had chosen delivery—just five minutes away, apparently.

As they waited, Aoba noticed Ichin opening his lunchbox. A mouthwatering aroma wafted out.

“Oh! That smells amazing!”

Kō twitched her nose and leaned closer.

“Squid! Ichin, let’s trade. Rin made sweet-and-sour pork ribs today. I’ll give you two pieces for some squid!”

“Sure. But my stir-fried squid’s pretty spicy—go slow, Kō.”

He took two ribs from her box while she picked some squid from his, no need for extra chopsticks since no one had started eating yet.

“No problem. After mooching from you this many times, I’ve built up my spice tolerance!”

She grinned and eagerly ate.

“Mmm~~ delicious! The squid’s fresh, isn’t it?”

“Yep, bought it first thing this morning,” Ichin replied, biting into a rib.

“Not bad at all. Honestly, Rin, your cooking’s already on par with my mom’s.”

Rin smiled softly at the compliment.

“Not that good. I still have a lot to learn. Your mother taught me plenty of dishes, but I haven’t mastered them yet. By the way, Ichin-kun, why the sudden bento today? That’s rare.”

“Blame Haruno.” Ichin ate a bite of rice. “She pestered me for one last night when I was making dinner. So I just made enough for myself, Utaha, and Yukino too. If you’re cooking, might as well make a few more, right? Speaking of them, why aren’t they back yet?”

Just as he reached for his phone, Utaha and Yukino walked in together.

“Ichin, we’re back~!”

“Hot out there?” Ichin asked. “Your lunches are in the break room fridge. Heat them up and come eat. Drinks are in the fridge if you need them.”

“Got it. Let’s go, Yukino.”

Soon, the two returned with their warmed lunches, along with Narumi and the others. The lunch circle grew even larger.

Opening her box, Yukino took a sip of chilled orange juice and smiled.

“Even though it’s summer and a weekday, the city library was still pretty crowded.”

“Did you find everything you were looking for?”

“Yes.” Utaha patted her bag. “I also borrowed two books on creative writing. I’ll read them tonight.”

“I found my references too,” Yukino added. “And borrowed a professional text.”

Opening her lunchbox, Yukino inhaled deeply, lips curving slightly. She murmured a polite itadakimasu and began eating small bites.

Seeing everyone eating happily, Aoba propped her chin on her hands, sulking.

“Nene, where’s our food?!”

“Soon… I think.”

She didn’t sound confident.

Luckily, five minutes later, the delivery call came. The two rushed out to the front desk to grab their meals.

“Woohoo! Cold noodles!”

Because of the heat, they’d ordered chilled noodle sets from a nearby restaurant. Ichin and the others had eaten there before—it wasn’t perfectly authentic, but the flavor was good and worth having.

After lunch, Ichin poured himself an iced coffee and returned to work.

Despite the early start, he felt fine thanks to a full night’s sleep—no nap needed.

Yukino, though, was a bit tired. She grabbed a blanket and lay down on the office sofa for a nap.

Utaha pulled her chair to Ichin’s desk. While he worked, she read the book she had borrowed.

Ichin had just sketched a rough line draft for Velvet’s design when his phone buzzed.

It was a message from Haruno—a photo.

In it, she sat with her coworkers, holding the bento he’d made.

Alongside it came a text:

Lunch was delicious! Make me another tomorrow, okay?

Ichin stared at it for three seconds, then quickly replied:

Cook it yourself. Self-sufficiency is the key to a full stomach.

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Chapter 464: Afternoon Tea Time

Ichin ignored all the follow-up messages Haruno sent, slipped on his headphones, and focused on work.

When she got no reply, Haruno turned her attention to Utaha instead.

Utaha! Ichin’s ignoring me!

Utaha chuckled at the complaint and replied:

Haruno-san, don’t bother him. Ichin’s working.

Haruno: Working already? It’s not even afternoon office hours yet, is it?

Utaha: He’s in good spirits today, so he skipped his nap. But Yukino’s resting right now.

Utaha then mischievously snapped a picture of Yukino’s sleeping face and sent it over.

Armed with her sister’s sleeping photo, Haruno the sis-con stopped pestering both Utaha and Ichin. She didn’t even reply again.

At last, Utaha could quietly enjoy her book.

It wasn’t until two o’clock that Yukino slowly woke from her nap on the sofa. Rubbing her eyes, she saw Ichin still working at his desk while Utaha was nowhere in sight.

Catching her stirring, Ichin smiled.

“Awake? Go wash your face. Afternoon tea will be here soon. Since you were sleeping, I went ahead and ordered you a taro milk tea, half sugar.”

“Thank you, Onii-san.” Yukino stretched her neck. “Where’s Utaha-san?”

“She finished her book and went to hang out with Hazuki. If you’re bored, you can join them—they’re brainstorming some weird skins again.”

That caught Yukino’s interest, but instead of going right away, she washed her face first and touched up her makeup.

Like Utaha, she was naturally beautiful with fair skin, but both of them still wore light makeup when going out. Especially in summer, with the sun blazing, even if they drove everywhere, sunscreen was non-negotiable.

After freshening up, Yukino told Ichin she was stepping out and headed over.

A quarter of an hour later, Ichin also left his office—afternoon tea had arrived.

Grabbing his milk tea, he strolled over to sit behind Eriri and Aoba, watching the two of them sip their drinks while playing Fall Guys in co-op.

Afternoon tea breaks were perfect for a couple of rounds.

Lately, Eriri’s luck in Fall Guys had been terrible. Her win rate was low, and out of the two GARO crossover skins, she’d only unlocked one—she still hadn’t gotten Garo’s. So today she dragged Aoba into teaming up.

The two were currently in the tail-tag minigame. On a trap-filled map, players were divided into red, yellow, and green teams. A set number of tails were on the field, and everyone had to grab tails from opponents and keep them until time ran out. The team with the fewest tails was eliminated.

“Ahhh! Three people are chasing me! Aoba, help!”

“I can’t, I’ve got people on me too!”

Their shouting drew a crowd.

Soon both girls scrambled onto a platform, each with a line of enemies on their heels. After a chaotic scramble, the tails they had worked so hard to snatch were stolen.

Just as the timer hit zero, their red team was wiped out.

“Lost again…”

Dropping her controller, Eriri slumped and took a sip of milk tea.

“I just want one win. Just one win so I can unlock the skin. Why’s it so hard?!”

From behind, Ichin chuckled.

“The longer a game’s been out, the more skilled players it attracts. And there’s no shortage of talented gamers these days. You two don’t grind for hours daily, so it’s natural you can’t beat the hardcore crowd.”

“Fair point…”

Eriri nodded, then asked:

“I heard from Hazuki-san that the first season pass will go live at the end of the month? And ranked mode next month? But why is the pass free? No paid content at all?”

“What, free’s not good enough?”

Ichin smiled.

“We discussed monetization, but decided against charging for the pass. The game’s not a hardcore competitive title—it’s more for fun. Paid passes would probably just drag down reviews. The pass will stay free. But bundled skin packs? Those will definitely come later.”

Running Fall Guys long-term would be costly. Game sales alone could cover the short term, but for ongoing support, they’d need extra revenue streams. Paid skin packs were inevitable—whether or not many people bought them, it was still income.

“Paid skin packs? Now that I like!”

Despite being a console gamer, Eriri was also a long-time gacha addict. She’d been playing FGO for years, and Ichin had often caught her charging quartz in the office. She’d had more disastrous pulls than lucky ones.

So of course she had no resistance to the idea of paid skins. And with her small-rich-girl status, spending a little extra on cosmetics barely registered.

After another sip of milk tea, she and Aoba jumped back into Fall Guys, determined to win before break ended.

But the more she wanted victory, the further it slipped away. Twice in a row, just before reaching the goal, griefers yanked her back, ruining her run.

“AAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Her wail of despair marked the end of the break.

Watching from start to finish, Kō Yagami gave her a sympathetic pat on the head before returning to her desk.

Eriri, meanwhile, stayed frozen in her seat, sulking with frustration written all over her face.

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