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[-Continuation-]
[-Location(:Orgo Gaming Studio)]
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[Kenji Jim(:aka Mr. Jim's) POV]
"Are you crazy? No, I know you are."(Ryota)
["....So, what do you think?"]
"...Why do you want to change it?"(Ryota)
["Just felt like it."]
"HELL NO, BASTARD!!"(Ryota)
–tut!(:call ended)
Damn, why is he being so loud?
Leaning against the railing of the office building's terrace, I gazed out over the cityscape below. The smoke from my cigarette curled lazily into the air with each drag I took.
Ryota stood a few feet away, and just as he hung up, his expression was clearly irritated.
But I was not the least bit interested in his tantrums right now.
Trying to keep my voice steady and professional despite the lingering frustration, I asked. "So, how much progress did you make on the marketing campaign?"
I am Kenji Jim. Twenty-five years old. A half-Japanese and half-American.
....and an employee for one of the industry's behemoths – Orgo Gaming, a multinational video game conglomerate.
The person before me is my colleague, and his full name is Arigoro Ryota - which I found out very recently.
Ryota frowned, waving his hand to disperse the smoke drifting his way. "First of all, aren't you smoking a little more than usual today, Jim?"
It was true, and there is no denying it.
I had been lighting up one cigarette after another, hoping the nicotine would calm my racing thoughts.
They say people smoke more when they're stressed, and right now, I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.
And who the hell do you think the source of my tension is...?
It is you, jerk!
I glared at Ryota, my mind seething with unspoken curses and profanities. If this kept up, I would be bald before I even had a chance to get married.
Ryota and I had joined the company at the same time as junior associates, but I had been given a secret mission from the Director himself - keep an eye on Ryota and report anything when asked.
At first, I thought Ryota must be some sort of big shot to warrant such attention.
A year and a half had passed since then. I had been promoted to team leader, a milestone I was proud of, while Ryota, seemingly content to do only what was asked of him, remained stuck in the same position….
That all changed about four months ago.
Out of nowhere, Ryota was promoted to a team manager as well. It was a move that left many, including myself, scratching their heads. Had he been hiding his true potential all this time? Or was there something else at play?
In the cutthroat world of corporate life, anyone who didn't push themselves would fall behind. Yet, despite Ryota's apparent lack of ambition, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something wasn't right.
Sometimes, it felt like I was the one being watched, not Ryota. It was a ridiculous notion, but the thought nags at me, refusing to go away.
I always used to brush it off, thinking - there's no way that's possible.
But alas, my suspicions came true just a month ago. It turns out he is actually the owner of this damn company, or will be in the future.
"So... I was asking how the game launch is coming along." I said, snapping back to the present conversation, as just today our team had been tasked with assisting his team's marketing efforts.
"Well, the game is long finished with all the testing. So now it is all about effective promotional strategy." Ryota replied in a professional tone.
"Guess we are now in the most challenging phase then, with the bare minimum resources." I remarked.
I meant that developing a relatively small-scale game was never a particularly difficult task for our company, with its abundant pool of skilled coders and developers.
"The team is constantly posting as much gameplay footage in every gaming forum as possible. And since the game concept itself is relatively straightforward, we have managed to generate a modicum of interest." He explained.
He added with a slight smile. "Now that I think about it, that kid expected pretty much the same reception."
Kid, huh?
Hikigaya Hachiman - the one who initially conceptualized the whole game's mechanics and narrative. He doesn't seem like anything particularly special or remarkable to me.
"Aren't you crediting him too much?" I questioned.
Ryota gave me a small smile. "Do you remember what you were doing in your high school days?"
I was busy chasing after a girl I crushed on and maybe playing games…
I didn't answer his question, and he didn't press any further.
But before I could dwell on that, another memory surfaced - one I didn't particularly like to recall.
What triggered all of this occurred a few months ago, during what was seemingly a minor game concept competition our department conducted, likely intended more as a publicity stunt than a legitimate talent search.
At the time, I never could have imagined that such a small, apparently insignificant internal event would catalyze a complete transformation in our entire departmental structure and personnel dynamics.
Especially for our poor 'old' ex-boss…
The main shift was Ryota being promoted to lead Team-[2], and the individual who had previously been in a managerial position overseeing Ryota was reassigned to head up our Development division - which was actually a very well deserved one.
Our ex-boss was transferred(:demoted) to the management department.
It was like - we blinked, and a small storm had just passed by…
And all of this happened because of what Ryota called a 'mess-up.'
I scoffed inwardly. At the very least, come up with a more convincing reason, if only for appearance's sake.
Despite the promotion Ryota gained, I am still superior to him, which shows the company's low expectations for the game that was selected from a random competition.
–creak!
That's when the door to the terrace creaked open.
A man in his 50s stepped out, his face lighting up with a broad smile.
"Ryota, if it isn't my lovely junior! What are you doing here?" He called out, his voice full of enthusiasm.
"Senior, I am just taking a small break." Ryota replied, standing and bowing slightly in respect.
"Good afternoon, Department Head Tanaka." I greeted him too, quickly tossing away my half-finished cigarette in an attempt to appear more professional.
He was the newly promoted head of our development department and a genuinely nice person, a well-liked figure within the ranks.
"Well, well, if it isn't the illustrious Team-[1] project lead himself." He said to me with an acknowledging nod.
"So, what are the two esteemed team leaders discussing out here?" He inquired jovially, pulling out a cigarette for himself.
Ryota immediately lit it up for him with a lighter, as if he were a professional smoker. The dude is always quick at things like these.
"Don't tell me you are teaching your bad habits to your colleague." He inquired, eyeing me with a squint of his narrowed eyes.
"Of course not, sir." I responded quickly. "We were discussing the collaboration between our teams to launch the project smoothly, as you suggested."
The boss took a drag from his cigarette and nodded. "What is there to ponder? As I said before, Ryota is responsible for the game. Your Team-[1] just needs to assist Team-[2] to facilitate the game's punctual delivery."
"Yes, sir."
In moments like these, he seemed like a completely different person, radiating an aura of crisp authority and command that belied his approachable exterior.
Guess, like Senior, like Junior. I thought, looking between him and Ryota.
He pressed on, his tone taking on a keener edge. "Or do you think my Ryota is not capable of leading you, and you want to lead instead."
No. Not at all. I understood better than anyone what Ryota was truly capable of, and I hate to admit it, but he is more of a better leader than me…. of course, only if he wanted to.
"Anyway, don't waste too much time. I am really expecting stellar results from this project." He said firmly.
I knew it, he was deeply invested in this project. He had pitched the concept as a potential winner from the start, but our previous boss's ego had gotten in the way, leading to its initial rejection.
That moron.
"Don't worry, Senior. Kenji and I are quite compatible colleagues, I assure you." Ryota reassured him.
"Well, if you put it like that, it's okay, I guess." The boss said, taking another puff before heading back inside. "Don't waste too much time." He called out as a final reminder.
As the boss left, I pulled another cigarette from my pocket and lit it up, ignoring a pointed sigh of disappointment from Ryota's direction. Taking a deep inhale, I leaned my back against the railing, trying to relax a bit.
After a few minutes of silence, I broke it.
"Honestly, sometimes you scare me." I stated openly, staring sidelong at Ryota with a trace of uneasiness.
Even without knowing about his possible connections with the headquarters, he was intimidating enough on his own.
"Me?" He feigned innocence, his expression unreadable.
"Anyways, I will be in your care from now on. So please take care of me, team leader." I said, trying to lighten the mood.
So, yeah, until this game was finally launched and released to the public, he would be the one effectively taking the operational lead.
"I should be the one saying that." He replied politely.
"Don't worry, I may not look like it, but I will take good care of people that I like." He said with a smile.
That's not something you should be saying to a man, I thought, shaking my head slightly. His dating sense was so low.
Is this why he is still single, even with all those looks and that body? What a waste.
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[To be continued….]
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