"Well, recruiting? Sure, we can hire a few people, but there's no rush. Let me share my thoughts first."
Ichin noticed everyone looking at him and smiled as he spoke. "My plan is pretty simple. For the next year or two, we're not likely to move to a new office space. During this time, while our current workspace won't allow us to bring in a large number of new hires, we should be able to accommodate three to five people. With such a small number, I'm considering hiring only female employees. That way, you'll all feel more comfortable working together.
Once we need to scale up and hire more extensively, I'll divide the team into several development groups. Your group, as the core, will follow the current model and only hire female staff, while the other groups will be open to all. How does this arrangement sound to everyone?"
Yagami Kō was the first to respond, "Sounds good! Once the company expands, it won't be feasible to have an all-female team like we do now at Eagle Jump. Given that most of us aren't used to working with guys, having separate development teams seems like a good compromise. It'll also let us handle different projects simultaneously."
The others visibly relaxed, especially Hifumi. With Ichin still juggling school and spending limited time in the studio, she could stay composed for now. But if a few male employees were suddenly brought in, she'd definitely feel overwhelmed.
Shinoda was excited as she chimed in, "So, when do we start hiring? It'd be great to get someone to help me with action design!"
Before she could continue, Umiko interrupted, "No, I think we need another programmer first. I can manage on my own for now, but once Hollow Knight enters mid or late development, debugging will be too much for just the two of us."
"True enough."
Ichin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We do need to hire for programming, but finding the right person isn't easy. Here's the plan: I'll post a job listing online and see if we can attract suitable candidates. We'll also look for someone to assist with action design. Rin, Kō, do you need extra hands for the art team?"
Yagami Kō confidently waved her hand. "We're good for now. The tasks are already assigned, and everyone's schedule is manageable."
"Alright, then."
Clapping his hands, Ichin concluded, "Let's get back to work. I'll figure out how to draft the job posting."
Everyone returned to their tasks, while Ichin and Hazuki began brainstorming the recruitment strategy. Utaha joined them, pulling up a chair next to Ichin to join the discussion.
Hazuki whispered, "Since we're hiring only female employees, we should be upfront about the studio's situation. Otherwise, people might question it. We should also mention that our team consists of former employees from Eagle Jump."
"Good point. We'll definitely include that."
Ichin logged into a job recruitment website, registered the studio's details, and began drafting the job descriptions.
"For the programmer position, let's not specify an age range. We'll just emphasize the gender requirement. Candidates should have some experience in game development. While we're open to fresh talent, it'd be great if they could showcase work that reflects their skill level. Let's start with this."
As Ichin typed out the requirements, Utaha suddenly suggested, "Ichin-kun, should we include a preference for appearance? Since the team is all girls for now, why not hire someone good-looking?"
Ichin's hands froze over the keyboard. Smiling, he replied, "Let's not. This is a game development studio, not a talent agency."
"Is there really a difference?"
Utaha glanced around at everyone hard at work and chuckled softly. "Take any one of us here, and an agency would jump at the chance to sign them. I don't even know how it happened, but all of you ended up diving headfirst into game development."
After Utaha's remark, Hazuki chimed in with agreement, "Exactly, exactly! Everyone here is such a beautiful girl. When this team first came together, I was really surprised. For example, Kō—when her interview for that gaming magazine came out, so many people were shocked that the character designer, Yagami Kō, turned out to be so stunning. Even though she doesn't have a public account, she still has plenty of fans online."
"I've heard a bit about that too," Ichin said, glancing over at Kō, who had clearly overheard the conversation since she wasn't wearing headphones. "Kō, it's such a waste not to use your popularity. How about making a guest appearance during one of our game promotion livestreams?"
"What? Me?!"
Kō was already flustered from Hazuki bringing her up, but Ichin assigning her to a livestream made her cheeks flush even redder. "No way! Why would I have to do something like that?!"
Rin, her longtime friend, didn't come to her rescue this time. Instead, she slid her chair over with a grin and said, "That's actually a great idea. Kō's shyness hasn't improved even after all those years at Eagle Jump. It's time to try something different. Ichin, if there's a livestream, let Kō handle it. I'll even help her get all dressed up!"
"Rin, how could you betray me like this?!" Kō groaned, slumping face-first onto the table with her hands covering her head. "Why me? Why not someone else? And anyway, I think Hifumi has it worse than I do. If anyone needs help overcoming shyness, it's her!"
Ichin and Hazuki exchanged a glance before Hazuki laughed softly. "Hifumi's case is entirely different. If we actually made her go on camera, she'd be 100% speechless, or worse—she might faint. But if you're too shy to go alone, you could always bring someone along. How about Aoba?"
At her desk, Aoba Suzukaze felt a sudden chill and turned to look at Ichin's group, taking off her headphones. "Um, what's going on?"
Before she could get an answer, Kō dashed over to her, wrapped her arms around her, and pleaded, "Aoba, you have to save me! Don't let them send me to my doom alone!"
Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, Aoba blushed furiously, her hands flailing in confusion. "W-wait, what's happening?!"
After Kō's frantic explanation, Aoba fell silent for a moment. Then, with a serious expression, she placed her hands on Kō's shoulders, looked her straight in the eyes, and said, "Kō-san, give it up. When the boss gives you a work-related order, there's no way to refuse."
"Why do you sound more like an experienced working adult than I do?!" Kō exclaimed in frustration.
...
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