There's a story... 20

Uh... where am I?

 

 

 

 

I'm lost.

The Millennium campus is too big.

 

 

 

 

I was trying to go home...

 

 

 

 

So now I'm wandering around Millennium aimlessly.

 

 

 

 

If I run into someone...

 

 

 

 

Aside from those thoughts, there are a lot of students on the streets of Millennium.

 

 

 

 

They all have really unique hair colors and halos.

 

 

 

 

But... it feels like I'm getting more and more attention?

 

 

 

 

"Who's that girl?"

 

 

 

 

"She doesn't look like a Millennium student..."

 

 

 

 

"Is she someone's younger sister?"

 

 

 

 

"She's cute..."

 

 

 

 

Eek!

 

 

 

 

I quickly headed towards a less crowded area.

 

 

 

 

If I go this way, there shouldn't be anyone-

 

 

 

 

Thud-

Crash

 

 

 

 

"Ouch!"

 

 

 

 

"Ugh!"

 

 

 

 

I bumped into something that suddenly popped out of a side alley.

 

 

 

 

"Ugh..."

 

 

 

 

I checked the thing I bumped into.

 

 

 

 

A uniquely shaped halo that looked like a computer power button.

 

 

 

 

"Eek! I'm s-sorry!"

 

 

 

 

That thing, no, Yuzu, quickly got up and tried to run away.

 

 

 

 

"Wait!"

 

 

 

 

If it were any other character, I wouldn't bother, but if it's Yuzu, it's okay to catch her and talk.

 

 

 

 

She's not the kind of character who would cause any trouble.

 

 

 

 

Yuzu stopped when I called out to her.

But she tried to run away again.

 

 

 

 

I noticed that and quickly grabbed Yuzu's hand.

 

 

 

 

"Eek?!"

 

 

 

 

"Let's talk for a moment. I'm not trying to do anything."

 

 

 

Yuzu nodded frantically, maybe out of fear.

 

 

 

 

...This makes it feel like I'm threatening her.

 

 

 

 

Anyway, I took Yuzu to a place where there were no people.

 

 

 

 

And that place was the Game Development Department.

 

 

 

 

I've come full circle...

 

 

 

 

Momoi and Midori weren't around, maybe they were looking around Millennium.

 

 

 

 

Well, there's no need for them to stay here if the person they were looking for isn't here.

 

 

 

 

The person they were looking for is right next to me now.

 

 

 

 

"So... why were you trying to run away?"

 

 

 

 

I already knew the reason, but I asked anyway.

It was probably because of the terrible reception to the prototype of that legendary game, Tales Saga Chronicle, or TCS for short.

 

 

 

 

"That's..."

 

 

 

 

It must be hard to talk about.

It was a spectacular failure.

 

 

 

 

"I know you must have a reason. So I wish you would tell me."

 

 

 

 

Even if it wasn't me, Momoi and Midori would have helped Yuzu.

 

 

 

 

There's no reason for me to interfere and be nosy.

 

 

 

 

But... I saw Yuzu's expression.

 

 

 

 

That expression of having faced such great despair that she had lost all courage and passion to do anything anymore.

 

 

 

 

So somehow... it ended up like this.

 

 

 

 

"Y-you don't have to bother..."

 

 

 

 

"Really?"

 

 

 

 

"Ugh..."

 

 

 

 

"Wouldn't it be better to talk about it a bit? They say even brushing sleeves of a shirt is fate."

 

 

 

 

"Ugh..."

 

 

 

 

"Wouldn't it be better to talk about it a bit? They say even brushing the sleeves of a shirt is fate."

 

 

 

 

Well, I've hardly ever seen characters who say things like this actually form a proper relationship.

 

 

 

 

"..."

 

 

 

 

I guess I was being too forceful because Yuzu became silent.

 

 

 

 

Am I... more of a nuisance than I thought...?

 

 

 

 

"Then... will you listen...?"

 

 

 

 

Huh?

That worked?

 

 

 

 

Yuzu explained her situation in a trembling voice.

 

 

 

 

I already knew the story, but it was still heartbreaking to hear it again.

 

 

 

 

Yuzu almost burst into tears midway, overwhelmed by her emotions.

 

 

 

 

But she held it in and continued her story.

 

 

 

 

When she finally finished, Yuzu was looking at me with a face that looked like she was about to cry.

 

 

 

 

"Yeah... thanks for telling me..."

 

 

 

 

"Me, me too... I was feeling so suffocated... thanks to you, I feel a bit relieved... th-thanks..."

 

 

 

 

Yuzu seemed to be thinking after saying that. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she asked me in a determined voice.

 

 

 

 

"What's your name...?"

 

 

 

 

"It's Nito. Aoi Nito."

 

 

 

 

"I see... I'm Hanaoka Yuzu..."

 

 

 

 

"Yeah... Yuzu... let's be friends."

 

 

 

 

"...!"

 

 

 

 

Yuzu froze.

Was it too sudden for the timid and shy Yuzu?

 

 

 

 

"O-okay! L-l-let's be friends, Nito...!"

 

 

 

 

She must have been happy.

 

 

 

 

I successfully succeeded in communicating with Yuzu like that...

 

 

 

 

"I think we've seen all the places we wanted to go!"

 

 

 

 

"If we just meet 'that person' at the Game Development Department, we'll have accomplished all our goals for today..."

 

 

 

 

The voices of the bratty sisters came from outside the door.

 

 

 

 

Yuzu seemed to panic.

Yuzu tried to hide in the cabinet, but the twins opened the door and entered before she could.

 

 

 

 

"Huh? Nito? Why are you back here again... who's that next to you...?"

 

 

 

 

"No way..."

 

 

 

 

"Eek!"

 

 

 

 

"UZ...?"

 

 

 

 

They seem to have recognized her.

 

 

 

 

"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I won't make games anymore. So please forgive me...!"

 

 

 

 

"Eek?!"

 

 

 

 

"What are you saying! You made such a fun game! You can't just make a prototype and quit!"

 

 

 

 

"I'm so curious about what happens next! After setting it up like that! I'm disappointed in you as a developer!"

 

 

 

 

"...Huh?"

 

 

 

 

Yuzu was flustered by the unexpected words that weren't the criticism she was expecting.

 

 

 

 

It was a really good scene when I saw it in person.

 

 

 

 

It's my favorite part of the Game Development Department story.

 

 

 

 

"Excuse me! I really enjoyed Tales Saga Chronicle!"

 

 

 

 

"That's right. We played it all night."

 

 

 

 

"You were laughing along next to me while playing! Even though you weren't interested in the game!"

 

 

 

 

"Uh. Well. Even though it was pixel art, the characters were cute."

 

 

 

 

Playing such a terrible game all night long.

These two definitely have some level of madness in them.

 

 

 

 

"...?!"

 

 

 

 

"Anyway, you're UZ, right?!"

 

 

 

 

"Y-yes, that's right."

 

 

 

 

Yuzu answered, flustered.

 

 

 

 

"I'm a fan!"

 

 

 

 

"Me too! Midori and I want to make fun games like UZ!"

 

 

 

 

"...!!"

 

 

 

 

Yuzu was genuinely happy.

 

 

 

 

If you're a developer who poured your passion into your work and meet a fan who gives you one of the highest praises you could hear, it's only natural to react like that.

 

 

 

 

"But Nito, why are you back here again?"

 

 

 

 

"Yeah, why...?"

 

 

 

 

"Nito should know..."

 

 

 

 

I somehow got caught up in the moment and ended up coming back.

 

 

 

 

Then...

 

 

 

 

"Should we go again...?"

 

 

 

 

"It feels kind of awkward..."

 

 

 

 

But it's 3 o'clock now.

There's nothing else to do.

 

 

 

Since Sensei doesn't have any classes today, I really just want to go home and rest.

 

 

 

 

That's why I was trying to go home abruptly earlier.

 

 

 

 

But I ended up seeing the origin story of the Game Development Department in a roundabout way.

 

 

 

 

It's a shame Alice isn't here, so it's not a complete origin story.

 

 

 

 

"Then Nito..."

 

 

 

 

Momoi looked at me and said.

 

 

 

 

"Want to play Tales Saga Chronicle with us...? It's only the prototype, but..."

 

 

 

 

You want to play that crappy game?

 

 

 

 

I was about to refuse Momoi's ridiculous suggestion immediately.

 

 

 

 

"N-n..."

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I 'was about to.'

 

 

 

 

I failed.

 

 

 

 

How can I refuse when Yuzu is right next to me...?

 

 

 

 

"Okay... let's play..."

 

"Yay! Nito will definitely enjoy it too!"

 

 

 

 

And so, I spent the day I could have had without Sensei playing Tales Saga Chronicle with Momoi, Midori, and Yuzu.

 

 

 

 

...My life.