Game Developer in the World of Anime

After Ichin and Utaha's relationship deepened further, Ichin found himself thinking about her more often, even during class. His daydreaming increased to the point where he nearly missed answering the teacher's questions on several occasions.

During breaks, a few of his male classmates teased him about his distracted behavior.

After finishing school for the day, Ichin stopped by the supermarket to pick up groceries before hurrying home.

At home, Utaha was already up, sitting in the living room with her laptop, typing away.

After putting the groceries in the kitchen, Ichin walked over to her and gently hugged her from behind. "How are you feeling now?"

"Perfectly fine," Utaha replied, turning her head to kiss him on the cheek. She smiled and said, "I was fine by noon."

"What did you do for lunch?"

"I ate at the studio with everyone. Rin made lunch," Utaha said with a grin. "Oh, and Mom told me we're having dinner at my parents' place tonight."

"Eh?" Ichin froze for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I understand."

"What's wrong? Nervous?" Utaha turned to face him, her eyes narrowing playfully. "After all, you've already taken full responsibility, haven't you?"

"I wouldn't say scared—just a little tense," Ichin admitted, gently pinching her cheek before sitting down in a nearby chair. "Do your parents know everything?"

"Of course they do. I didn't come home last night, after all."

Utaha shook her head lightly, her hair flowing elegantly. "But don't worry. My parents are pretty open-minded—they won't be angry."

"That's a relief."

Reassured by her words, Ichin felt more at ease. He returned to the kitchen to put the groceries in the fridge, saving them for the next day's bento.

When he came back out, Utaha had closed her laptop and extended her arms toward him.

Ichin immediately understood, laughing as he walked over. He lifted her into a princess carry and brought her to the sofa.

Sitting down with Utaha on his lap, Ichin wrapped his arms around her waist. "Are you sure you're feeling fine now?"

"I've told you, I'm fine. I've been able to move around freely since the afternoon," Utaha said, leaning against his chest. "I even thought about coming to class, but in the end, I decided to stay home and write instead. By the way, Ichin, no underclassmen brought you any gifts today, right?"

"After the way you confronted me after school yesterday, there's no way anyone would think they had a chance anymore," Ichin explained, then paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. "Wait… yesterday, was that why you—?"

"That was part of it," Utaha admitted, holding up her fingers to show a tiny gap between her thumb and index finger. "Just a little bit. But mostly, it's because I'm a bit greedy. I wanted to deepen our relationship even more, so I took the initiative. Though I was sore all morning, I'm very satisfied with the results. Oh, and Ichin, I'm staying over again tonight!"

"You..."

Ichin couldn't help but smile as he looked at Utaha's beaming face. Though the events of the previous day had taken him by surprise, he had no complaints. When faced with Utaha's boldness, Ichin couldn't help but take the lead in response.

Although Ichin was a rational person, he was far from an ascetic. Utaha was his girlfriend, and with her being so open about her feelings, there was no way he could remain indifferent.

Holding Utaha close, Ichin leaned his head back against the sofa and murmured, "I should find a chance to tell my parents about our relationship."

"Hm?"

Utaha looked at him with sparkling eyes, clearly delighted, though she didn't say much. Ichin's reaction alone already spoke volumes.

---

Friday Afternoon

After school, Ichin returned home.

After changing clothes, he and Utaha prepared to head down to the studio.

Inside the elevator, Utaha clung to Ichin's arm and asked, "Today's the day for the new hire interviews, right? Did Hazuki mention how it went?"

"Yeah, she did," Ichin replied with a nod and a smile. "All three candidates passed. They're still at the studio right now."

"Three? Who are they?" Utaha asked, surprised.

"Two of them are people we didn't know, but the third one is someone you're familiar with—Sakura Nene."

"Her?"

Utaha was taken aback. "Isn't she a law major?"

"She is," Ichin confirmed. "But last year, she worked at Eagle Jump as a bug tester, and that sparked her interest in becoming a programmer. She's been self-studying ever since. She even included a small game she made in her resume. For a beginner, it's impressive—she's very talented."

"Wow, I didn't know any of this. You've been keeping secrets, huh, Ichin?" Utaha teased with a smirk. After a moment's thought, she added, "Does Aoba know? She'd definitely be talking about it at the studio if she did."

"Nope, Aoba doesn't know," Ichin replied, unable to suppress a laugh. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to seeing her reaction when she finds out Nene came in for an interview."

As they chatted, the elevator arrived on the third floor. They made their way to the studio door.

Ichin unlocked the door, and as they entered, everyone inside looked up.

Hazuki waved enthusiastically. "Ichin-kun! Utaha-chan! You're back! The new recruits are here!"

Holding Utaha's hand, Ichin stepped inside and smiled. "Hazuki, you didn't make things difficult for them, did you?"

"Of course not~~ I'd never do something like that!" Hazuki replied cheerfully before pointing to the three standing newcomers. "Come on, let me introduce them! Well, I guess Nene-chan doesn't need an introduction. These two are Tsubame Narumi and Momiji Mochizuki."

[Insert Image of Tsubame Narumi]

[Insert Image of Momiji Mochizuki]

[Insert Image of Sakura Nene]

Sakura Nene puffed her cheeks in protest. "What do you mean I don't need an introduction? I'm a new recruit too!"

Unlike the familiar Sakura, the other two seemed more reserved. They bowed politely and greeted Ichin, "Hello, boss!"

Ichin laughed. "No need to call me 'boss.' Around here, nobody does. Just call me Ichin. I'm the founder of the studio—nice to meet you all."

He asked everyone to pause their work and gathered them in the lounge area next door for a quick meeting.

Looking at the expanded team, Ichin smiled warmly. "It's great to see our team growing. Welcome to the three of you. I've reviewed your resumes, and Hazuki and Umiko have filled me in on today's interviews. Since you're joining us, we're confident in your skills. That said, we're a small studio, so I'll be upfront—there's not a lot of time for easing into things. You'll be assigned tasks soon, so be ready!"

All three, including Sakura, nodded earnestly, ready to take on the challenge.

...

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