[Game] Chapter 376-380

### Chapter 376: The Possibility of Dark Souls on the Switch

BattleBlock Theater was already confirmed for a full multi-platform release. Even Sony’s platform had been settled—Hazuki had handled all the negotiations.

The game’s scale and hardware requirements weren’t demanding. On every current-gen console, running it smoothly at 60 FPS was practically guaranteed.

As for Dark Souls, Ichin was also considering bringing it to consoles.

But porting Dark Souls to the Nintendo Switch—that was a much bigger challenge.

After all, the Switch’s hardware really wasn’t that strong, and the version of Dark Souls he was currently developing had graphics far superior to what he remembered. Even if it could be ported over, the in-game visuals and special effects would have to be heavily cut.

Especially the particle effects for large bosses’ attacks—like the Abyss Watchers, the Twin Princes, the Vordt of the Boreal Valley, the Dancer… Any one of them, if not stripped of most of their battle effects, would tank the framerate until it was unplayable.

In Ichin’s eyes, even stabilizing it at 30 FPS would be extremely difficult.

And he really didn’t want the end result to look like the Switch port of The Witcher 3—where everything was downgraded so much it barely resembled the original. If it came to that, he’d rather not put Dark Souls on the Switch at all.

“Sigh… what a headache.”

Sitting in a library chair, arms folded, Ichin let out a quiet sigh.

Beside him, Utaha, who was reading, heard and bumped his shoulder lightly.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Ichin?”

“Nothing much. Just thinking about how tough it’d be to bring Dark Souls to the Switch, and whether it’s worth it at all.”

“Ah, that.”

Hearing his troubles, Utaha couldn’t think of a good solution either. After all, the Switch’s hardware limitations were obvious. Breath of the Wild might look great at a glance, but even that had gone through tons of trade-offs—and still only ran at 30 FPS.

If it were on another platform, its graphics and framerate would’ve leapt to another level entirely. But there was no changing that.

So… should they release on Switch or not?

Ichin genuinely couldn’t decide.

In his memories, Dark Souls Remastered did make it onto the Switch—but that was thanks to its age, and the fact it only needed to target 30 FPS. That was doable with enough optimization.

But for the Dark Souls he was making now? Even the best optimization studio would likely struggle.

Shaking his head, Ichin muttered, “For now, let’s just keep developing as planned—focus on PC and Xbox…”

Seeing his conflicted expression, Utaha gently took his hand and smiled.

“Alright, don’t dwell on it. When the boat reaches the bridge, it’ll straighten itself out. With your brains, Ichin, you’ll figure something out in the end.”

Her words made him laugh. He pinched her cheek softly.

“You really know how to flatter me. I’m not omnipotent, I can’t do everything. But you’re right—worrying about it here won’t change anything. No more brooding!”

Their playful exchange caught the eyes of nearby students studying in the library.

Three months into their time at Todai, Ichin and Utaha had gradually become well-known. Utaha’s secret as Author hadn’t been exposed yet, but her talent in the literature department had already earned her plenty of recognition.

And Ichin? No need to mention it—hardly any young people didn’t play games, and it didn’t take long for most students to discover who he was.

Their relationship was even labeled by classmates as “the most enviable couple on campus.”

---

By 4 PM, with plenty of eyes on them, Ichin and Utaha walked hand in hand to the parking lot, got in the car, and drove off toward the company.

“Crazy, isn’t it? He’s not even 20 yet, and already runs such a massive game company. Do you know how much his assets are worth now?”

“If you go by media estimates of game sales and company valuation, easily three to four hundred billion yen.”

“That much?!”

“I’m studying economics—I even asked my professor. We calculated it together, and honestly, that’s a conservative number! Just Persona alone has already sold around 8 million copies!”

These discussions among students never reached Ichin’s ears. He never bothered with valuation reports. He had no plans to sell his company, nor was he looking for extra investors.

The company was running smoothly. Revenue from Persona’s launch was more than enough to support operations and the development of future projects.

Driving into the company lot, Ichin spotted not only Eriri—who came over after class to help with development—but also someone he hadn’t seen in days: Haruno.

“Hellooo~~ Ichin, Utaha! Big sis is here to hang out!”

Dressed in stylish fashion, Haruno leaned casually against Yagami Kou’s desk, looking dazzling as ever. Even after being surrounded by Utaha and the many beautiful women in the company, Ichin still found himself struck by Haruno’s radiance every time.

As the Yukinoshita family’s eldest daughter, Haruno carried an aura honed since childhood. With her natural beauty and excellent sense of style, she was a woman who simply couldn’t be outshined.

Her sister Yukino might edge her out in pure looks, but Yukino didn’t care for makeup or fashion, and without Haruno’s ever-present smile, she gave off a less striking impression.

And then, there was the matter of figure.

Haruno’s body surpassed even some gravure idols, while Yukino’s nickname “Flat-nose” wasn’t given without reason.

“Haruno, what brings you here today?”

“Not busy.” Haruno grinned. “The family company’s projects don’t need me right now, and I’ve stepped down from student council this semester, so I’ve got way more free time. After class I thought I’d drop by, and later I’ll grab dinner with little Yukino.”

Following Ichin into his office, Haruno settled comfortably onto the sofa.

“So, how’s development going lately? You’ve got two teams here, plus one in Shanghai, right?”

“Don’t worry, everything’s on track.”

After asking Utaha to fetch some coffee, Ichin smiled.

“BattleBlock Theater’s demo is done, and the results are very promising. We’ve already finalized its full multi-platform release. As for the company’s future direction, it’ll stay similar to now: small but polished titles, large-scale single-player games, and online multiplayer projects as the three main pillars.”

***

### Chapter 377: Summer Vacation Plans

When it came to game development, Ichin had never thought about sticking to just one genre.

Focusing only on a single type of game was the easiest way to limit not just himself, but also the entire development team.

Ichin and his company members had the ability to create all sorts of different games, and he intended to make the most of that.

Right now, they were working on well-known, popular, and best-selling titles from his memories. But one day, those reserves would inevitably run out.

That was why he made sure to involve everyone in developing different kinds of projects—so that in the future, they could create brand-new games themselves.

And through this process, Ichin could constantly polish his own skills and grow stronger.

Just then, the office door opened. Utaha walked in with coffee, handed a cup each to Ichin and Haruno, and also brought along a freshly printed report.

“This is from Hazuki. She asked me to give it to you. It’s the latest work report from the Shanghai studio.”

“Alright, let me take a look.”

Ichin picked it up and saw that there were two versions—one in Chinese and another in Japanese.

“Perfect. Haruno, you should take a look too. You probably don’t know much about what’s happening over there.”

He passed her the Japanese version.

“The Shanghai studio, huh.”

Haruno nodded and took the report. “Come to think of it, the last time I went to Shanghai was back in my first year of college, during a holiday trip. I wouldn’t mind going again sometime.”

“You could,” Ichin said with a smile. “Summer vacation’s coming up. Utaha and I were already planning to go back—partly to visit our parents, and partly to check on the studio’s progress. If you’ve got free time, you could come with us.”

Looking over the report, Haruno nodded. “Sure. I’ll also ask Yukino if she wants to go. If she comes along, that would be even better.”

“That might be a little difficult,” Utaha analyzed. “Right now, Yukino’s house is full of cats. Even if two of the kittens are already reserved for Kou and Eriri, there are still two adult cats and two kittens left to take care of. She might not agree to leave them behind.”

“That’s easy,” Haruno waved her hand. “Kou’s already planning on raising cats—just leave them with her. And you and Ichin won’t be taking your own cats with you, right? You’ll need to board them somewhere too. I’ll just ask Yukino tonight.”

The idea of traveling with her little sister again—something they hadn’t done since childhood—actually made Haruno look forward to it.

Before long, the two of them finished reading the Shanghai studio’s report.

“Not bad,” Haruno said with a bright smile. “The person you put in charge there is really capable. Everything’s so well organized. Even I can’t find a single flaw.”

“Exactly.” Ichin nodded. “I was lucky to recruit him. He’s worked on big projects at major Western studios, with plenty of management experience—perfect for running the Shanghai team. He also put in a lot of work during the initial setup. If nothing goes wrong, I plan to give him some shares. He’s basically a founding member.”

Haruno had no objections. If it were her own company, she would also reward founding members who made big contributions with a bit of equity—nothing unusual, and a great way to strengthen their sense of belonging.

In Tokyo, Hazuki, Kou, and Umiko already held small shares. It wasn’t much, but with the company’s growth, even a tiny percentage would guarantee them comfortable lives.

After chatting a while longer about company matters, Haruno left Ichin’s office to play with the three cats there.

Aside from Hazuki’s Mozuku, Ichin and Utaha had also brought their own cats—George and Peppa—into the office, once they were familiar enough with the environment. They were even planning to take the two for neutering in the next few days.

Once the cats recovered, Ichin and Utaha could head back home during the summer.

Alone in the office, Ichin opened his computer and searched for the games scheduled for release in July and August.

“So, Breath of the Wild 2 is finally releasing, huh. It got delayed once last year.”

Rubbing his chin, Ichin checked the release calendar: July 20th.

Snapping his fingers, he picked up his phone and called his contacts at Nintendo.

Besides wanting to discuss the possibility of porting Dark Souls to the Switch, he also hoped to use his connections to snag an early copy of Breath of the Wild 2.

The call went smoothly. A date was set, and by the time Ichin visited, they’d have a cartridge and a few digital codes prepared for him.

Hanging up, he turned to Utaha, who was reading nearby.

“Once finals are over, want to go to Kyoto with me?”

She looked up. “To Nintendo? You mean we can get Breath of the Wild 2?”

“Yep. Already confirmed.”

Utaha smiled happily. “Sounds great. Just the two of us?”

Ichin thought for a moment. “You could ask Eriri. If she’s interested, then while I’m talking business, she can keep you company around Kyoto. Once I’m done, I’ll take you both on a tour of Nintendo headquarters. Who knows—you might even meet some big names.”

“Alright, I’ll go ask her.”

Closing her book, Utaha left the office and went to find Eriri, who was busy working.

She walked up behind her and tapped her on the head.

Startled, Eriri pulled off her headphones and glared. “What is it? Can’t you see I’m working?”

“Just a question.”

Utaha smiled despite Eriri’s annoyance. “Once exams are over, want to come with Ichin and me to Kyoto?”

“Kyoto? What for?” Eriri frowned.

“Ichin’s going to meet with Nintendo about Dark Souls. He’s taking me along. After he’s done, he said he could take us to tour Nintendo HQ. Interested?”

The moment she heard that, Eriri’s eyes lit up. She shot her hand into the air.

“Of course I’m going! Count me in!”

“Wait—Nintendo? I want to go too!”

From the side, Yagami Kou, who had overheard, looked just as excited and quickly rushed over.

***

### Chapter 378: Summer Vacation

As both a gamer and a developer, Yagami Kou was of course just like Eriri—she loved Nintendo’s games.

The moment she heard they could visit Nintendo, she lit up with excitement.

“When are you leaving? I’m coming too!”

As soon as Kou declared she was in, Rin, Aoba, and Hifumi all crowded around as well, staring at Utaha with hopeful eyes.

“Ehhh~~ this is getting a little crowded.”

Utaha quickly pulled out her phone and messaged Ichin. This was something he had to decide.

Before long, Ichin stepped out of his office. Seeing the group surrounding Utaha, he chuckled.

“What’s this? You all want to tag along to Nintendo?”

“Of course we do!” Kou crossed her arms, full of anticipation. “We grew up on Nintendo games—getting the chance to see it in person, no way we’re missing that!”

Her words made Aoba, Rin, and even the usually-shy Hifumi nod in agreement.

Ichin hadn’t expected even Hifumi to be so eager. Clearly, Nintendo’s pull was stronger than he thought.

After rubbing his chin in thought, Ichin said, “Hmm, I suppose I can take you guys. But not too many. I’ll have to check with them first. Hold on while I make a call.”

With that, he returned to his office and dialed.

Watching the door close, Aoba nervously whispered to Hifumi, “Do you think we’ll be allowed?”

“I’m not sure,” Hifumi murmured, shaking her head. “But considering how well Ichin-kun’s been working with them, I doubt it’ll be a problem.”

Kou, on the other hand, was certain. “No way it’s a problem. Persona on Switch has already sold close to three million copies—it’s made Nintendo a ton of money. Something like this will be easy.”

Among Nintendo’s third-party collaborations, Ubisoft had Mario + Rabbids, Capcom had Monster Hunter, Bethesda had Skyrim, and then there was Minecraft. All million sellers. A few other third-party games had gotten close to that mark too.

But overall, the Switch sales charts were dominated by Nintendo’s own first-party titles—or long-running exclusives like Pokémon.

Even so, Ichin’s past two titles, Hollow Knight and Slay the Spire, had both passed one million on Switch this year. And Persona? Its sales were even crazier—topping the weekly charts for the entire first month after release.

Even now, sales of Persona on Switch were steadily climbing.

With the console already past 100 million units sold, its long-term numbers would only go higher.

Five minutes later, Ichin came out of his office.

Before he could even speak, Kou rushed up eagerly. “It’s fine, right? Definitely fine?”

He pushed her head back lightly and looked at everyone.

“It’s fine. When they heard you were my dev team, they immediately agreed to let me bring a few extras. But listen—no huge groups. Besides Utaha and Eriri, I can only take three or four more at most. And we’re going on a weekday, so you’ll need to finish all your work in advance. If you don’t, you’re not going. Understood?”

The group exchanged glances before Kou declared decisively, “Alright, then it’s settled. Me, Rin, Aoba, and Hifumi. Just the four of us!”

“Wha—! I want to go too!”

Nene, who had just come out to grab coffee, looked frustrated.

“I wanted to meet the Mario dev team and learn from them!”

“Don’t worry,” Ichin reassured her. “It’s not like I won’t be going again. There’ll be plenty of chances. Next time, I won’t bring Kou and the others—I’ll bring you instead. Deal?”

That instantly cheered Nene up. She nodded happily. “Okay, it’s a promise!”

With her spirits lifted, she carried the coffee back to work.

Glancing at the calendar, Ichin told the group, “Next week I’ve got finals. After that, vacation starts, and then we’ll head to Kyoto. So push a little harder these days and get extra work done, otherwise you’ll just have a pile waiting when we get back.”

With that, Ichin left for the programming department to hold a short meeting.

---

The first university finals arrived on schedule.

Ichin and Utaha had both prepared thoroughly, and the few days of exams passed without a hitch.

Since it was his first finals, Ichin didn’t hand in early—he finished his papers and patiently waited for time to end before submitting with the rest.

After the last test, he stretched and exhaled in relief.

“Finally done. Summer vacation starts now.”

As he packed up, a few male classmates came over, asking about his plans and if he wanted to travel with them.

Ichin smiled and declined. “I do have a trip planned, but since I’ve got a company, it’s with my team—a kind of company retreat. Plus, I’ve got a business trip and then I need to go home, so I can’t join you guys this time. Maybe in the future. Thanks for the invite.”

The guys knew about his business, so they weren’t surprised or too disappointed.

After saying goodbye, Ichin left the classroom and headed to the literature department’s exam hall, where Utaha was waiting outside the building.

They met up, and Ichin took her hand as they walked toward the parking lot.

“How was the difficulty, Ichin?” she asked.

“Not hard,” he replied with a grin. “First-year computer science is stuff I already know. Just had to review some theory. What about you?”

“Not hard either,” Utaha leaned gently on his shoulder with a smile. “I should get a scholarship if nothing goes wrong.”

“Same here, I think.”

Leaving the school by car, they drove straight to the company.

With vacation underway, the next step was getting ready for their trip to Kyoto.

Kou and the others had already gone the extra mile to finish their work early, and now they were buzzing with excitement for their Nintendo visit.

***

### Chapter 379: Summer Vacation and the Trip Back Home

Nintendo—a century-old company in the truest sense. It started with making hanafuda, those traditional Japanese playing cards. Later, it entered the video game industry, and in just fifty years grew into one of the world’s top developers of both hardware and software—one of the “big three” in gaming today.

For any veteran gamer, Nintendo games left deep impressions. Ichin and many in his company were no exception.

They weren’t hardcore fanboys like some on the internet, but their fondness for Nintendo was undeniable.

The business trip to Kyoto ended up including seven people: Ichin, Utaha, Eriri, and four others. What was originally planned as a single day stretched into two.

Ichin and Utaha didn’t think much of it, but for Yagami Kou and the others, stepping into Nintendo headquarters was beyond exciting. Their luck was especially good—they even ran into one of Nintendo’s legends, Shigeru Miyamoto, and managed to get his autograph.

After their visit, the group spent an extra day sightseeing around Kyoto before finally returning to Tokyo.

Since they got back in the afternoon, Ichin decided to invite Aoba, Hifumi, and Eriri over to his apartment for dinner. He picked up some groceries on the way.

Back at the dorm, Yagami Kou flopped happily onto the sofa and waved lazily at the three girls.

“Make yourselves at home. Dinner’s on Rin and Ichin. We just sit back and wait to eat~~~”

Rin sighed helplessly at Kou’s posture, poked her forehead, and scolded,

“Kou, a girl should have some manners. That’s way too rude! And go unpack your luggage while you’re at it!”

“Ehh~~ fine.”

Kou puffed her cheeks but still dragged her suitcase back to her room.

Rin moved to the kitchen to prepare ingredients, while Eriri, Aoba, and Hifumi sat on the couch, relaxing with the TV.

A while later, Ichin and Utaha came back downstairs after dropping their things upstairs. Ichin joined Rumi in the kitchen, while Utaha chatted with the girls in the living room.

Utaha glanced at Kou and Eriri. “Kou, Eriri—those kittens at Yukino’s place, it should be about time for you two to take them home, right?”

Kou’s face lit up instantly. “That’s right! We’re planning to pick them up this weekend! In the meantime, we need to buy cat beds, litter boxes, kitten food, all that stuff!”

Eriri was just as excited. She was finally about to have her own cat.

She wasn’t worried about raising one—between the wealth of information online and the cat owners around her (Ichin, Hazuki, Yukino), advice was always close at hand.

“Take me along when you go shopping,” Eriri said eagerly. “I want to buy stuff too!”

“Of course.”

Kou grinned, ruffling her hair. They agreed to go shopping together that weekend.

“Utaha, want to come too?” Kou asked.

Utaha thought for a moment, then shook her head. “I probably won’t have time. Ichin and I are planning to fly home for a few days to visit his parents.”

“Ohh, right.” Kou snapped her fingers and teased, “Naturally, meeting your future in-laws is more important!”

Utaha didn’t even blush—she just smiled calmly.

Curious, Aoba asked, “If you go back, does that mean you’ll see Umiko too?”

Utaha nodded. “Yes. Aside from visiting family, Ichin will be meeting up with his old high school classmates, and we’ll also check on the Shanghai studio. Of course we’ll see Umiko. And this time it’s not just us—Haruno and Yukino are coming too. As shareholders, they’ll visit the Shanghai studio, but mostly the sisters are treating it as a vacation.”

“Yukino too?!” Eriri exclaimed. “But what about all her cats?”

“They’ll stay at my house with our cats, Peppa and George. My mom will take care of them,” Utaha explained with a smile. “We’ve already installed cameras at home to monitor the cats, and my mom helps out often anyway. No problem at all. Oh, and before we leave, we need to have Peppa and George neutered—can’t forget that.”

“Ah, poor little boys,” Eriri sighed.

Utaha shot back without hesitation, “Don’t forget—Yukino’s kitten, the little orange one, is also a boy. And so is the white cat. Only the two calicos are female. Which means when your cats grow up, they won’t escape the snip either.”

“Uhh…” Eriri had no comeback for that.

Well, at least it was still a year away. No need to worry yet.

After dinner, Ichin drove Eriri, Aoba, and Hifumi home one by one.

Back at the apartment, Utaha told him she had already booked an appointment at the vet for the cats’ surgery.

“Even though it’s vacation, there’s still so much to do,” she mused. “Business trips, the cats’ surgery, and then going home.”

Sipping juice on the couch, Ichin glanced at the two cats playing with Utaha.

“Leaving so many cats with your mom—are you sure it’s okay?”

“Don’t worry, Ichin.” Utaha set down the toy wand and scooped up the cats, placing them on the sofa. “Mom can handle it, and Kou and the others will gladly help too. Besides, we’re only gone for four or five days.”

Since Tokyo’s projects demanded more attention, and the Shanghai studio had an experienced leader, Ichin really only needed a short trip back. Four or five days with his parents was plenty. If he tried to stay for a whole month, his parents would never allow it.

Taking George from Utaha, Ichin scratched the kitten under the chin with a smile.

“They’ll be under anesthesia for the snip—their faces will definitely be hilarious. We’ve got to take pictures.”

The little guy didn’t understand, of course. He just purred happily in Ichin’s arms, eyes half-closed in comfort.

Two days later, Ichin’s phone was filled with pictures of Peppa and George looking dazed and tongue-lolling after their surgery.

***

### Chapter 380: The First Lunch After Arrival

Boarding the plane and settling into his first-class seat, Ichin opened his phone and looked at the photos again. Even though he had already laughed at them for two days straight, seeing them now still made him chuckle.

Utaha, watching him, shook her head helplessly.

“Ichin, those two poor little guys are already like that, and you’re still laughing.”

“Can’t help it, it’s just too funny.”

Ichin shrugged, then turned to the opposite seat where Yukino was adjusting her seat, and showed her his phone.

“Yukino, look at this.”

She glanced over—and immediately saw the photo of Peppa with his tongue lolling out. Her expression nearly cracked.

Forcing back her laughter, she said, “Senpai, please don’t just show me things like that out of nowhere!”

Haruno leaned over with a grin.

“Exactly, exactly. Making Yukino laugh is supposed to be my job as the big sister, Ichin. You’re stealing my role!”

At that, Yukino’s smile instantly vanished. She shot her sister a glare, shut off her phone, and pulled out her MP3 player and noise-canceling headphones. Clearly, she intended to rest once the plane took off.

Haruno knew Yukino had stayed up last night preparing things for the cats being left at Ichin’s place, and that she hadn’t rested well, so she didn’t push further. She sat back quietly.

Ichin also powered down his phone and stretched.

“Still a little while until takeoff. By the time we land it’ll be about lunchtime. Utaha, anything you want to eat?”

Leaning against his shoulder, Utaha thought for a moment.

“Nothing specific. I’m fine with whatever. Ask them.”

So she turned to the two sisters.

“Haruno, Yukino—any preference for lunch once we reach Shanghai?”

The sisters exchanged a glance before Yukino replied,

“Something local?”

Haruno nodded in agreement.

“Sounds good. I’ve been before, but I’m not very familiar with food here. Ichin, why don’t you decide?”

“Local specialties? Sure, leave it to me.”

That was easy enough. Shanghai had restaurants from all over the world, but its own native dishes and snacks were excellent—scallion oil noodles, soup dumplings, wontons.

He knew several small traditional shops he’d gone to since childhood. Just thinking about it made him hungry. The plan was set, though he didn’t say it out loud yet—he’d just take them there directly.

Before takeoff, Ichin messaged his father to confirm that a car would be waiting at the airport. Only then did he switch off his phone.

He already had his driver’s license, having gotten it during New Year’s. With a car waiting, he could drive himself and save his parents the trouble of coming all the way to the airport.

Soon, with the in-flight announcement, the plane took off.

After climbing into the sky, Ichin and Utaha stopped chatting. They had woken up early, so they both used the flight as a chance to nap.

Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. By the time they woke up, the plane was preparing to land.

The landing was smooth. After collecting their luggage, the four of them left the airport.

Ichin quickly called his dad’s contact, found the arranged driver, and picked up the car keys.

It wasn’t an expensive car, just something his father had prepared for him to use in China—perfectly adequate for daily driving, especially since Ichin wasn’t planning to stay long-term. At least not until after university graduation.

“Alright, load up the luggage.”

He opened the trunk, and the three suitcases went in: one each for Haruno and Yukino, and one shared by Ichin and Utaha.

Most of the suitcase was Utaha’s clothes, a few cosmetics and skincare items, plus a laptop and two Switch consoles. Nothing more. After all, Ichin was going home—he didn’t need to pack clothes.

Strictly speaking, Utaha didn’t need to either, since Ichin’s mother had already planned to take her shopping. But Utaha still packed some, just as Ichin had bought a car: not strictly necessary, but practical.

They got in the car, with Haruno and Yukino in the backseat. Haruno looked out the window at the scenery and sighed.

“It looks completely different from the last time I came. So, where are we having lunch?”

“A little shop I’ve been eating at since I was a kid. Scallion oil noodles, soup dumplings, wontons—they’re all delicious. And if you want stir-fry, they’ve got that too. We’ll order when we get there.”

With that, Ichin started the car and headed off.

As he drove, he added, “After lunch, Haruno, I’ll take you to my place to settle in. Then in the afternoon, do you want to see the studio? Or if you’re tired, we can go tomorrow instead.”

Haruno tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“It’s fine, I’m not tired. I don’t take naps anyway. Let’s visit this afternoon—then I’ll have time to sightsee the next few days.”

“Got it.” Ichin nodded. That fixed the schedule.

Looking into the rearview mirror, he asked Yukino,

“And you? If you’re tired, you can stay home with Utaha. Haruno and I will go to the studio—it won’t take long.”

Yukino really was tired, so she didn’t object.

“Yes, I’ll stay home this afternoon.”

Utaha smiled back at her.

“Good idea. Rest first. After a nap, we can go check out the mall near Ichin’s house.”

Half an hour later, the four of them arrived at the small restaurant Ichin had chosen.

It wasn’t a grand establishment, but it was bustling and very clean.

Each of them ordered a bowl of scallion oil noodles, along with two baskets of soup dumplings and two bowls of wontons. That was their first meal in Shanghai.

Simple as it was, Haruno and Yukino both ate happily.

After finishing, Haruno took a sip of cola and sighed in satisfaction.

“Small shop or not, that was delicious. No wonder Ichin brought us here.”

Yukino dabbed her mouth carefully with a napkin. She’d eaten more than usual—enough to make her stomach feel full.

“Yes, the flavor was very good.”

Having often gone to Ichin’s house for meals with Eriri, Yukino had gotten used to all kinds of Chinese food. This place wasn’t the best she’d ever had, but the homestyle taste was excellent.

As soon as they finished eating, she pulled out her phone and immediately connected to the cameras at Ichin’s Tokyo apartment—checking in on the cats.

***