Game Developer in the World of Anime

Evening, Kasumigaoka Residence.

After finishing dinner and taking a bath, Kasumigaoka Utaha was sitting comfortably on the living room sofa, munching on half an apple while watching TV.

At that moment, Mrs. Kasumigaoka emerged from the kitchen, looking at her daughter. "Utaha, you're not busy, right? Could you do me a favor and take this container to Ichin-kun next door? And also, bring these pastries along; I bought some extra this afternoon."

In addition to the container, Mrs. Kasumigaoka was holding a box of pastries from a nearby pastry shop.

Hearing her mother's request, Utaha frowned, "Mom, I just finished my exams today. Can't you let me rest for a bit longer?"

"Oh, what's this? Are you complaining about a simple task? I've been cleaning all day and still cooked dinner for you two!" Mrs. Kasumigaoka started to lecture, and Utaha quickly set her half-eaten apple aside. She took the items from her mother and sighed, "Alright, alright, I'm going. Happy?"

She headed out of the house with the items in hand.

Watching her daughter leave, Mrs. Kasumigaoka nodded in satisfaction and muttered softly, "This is how it should be. It's rare to have such an outstanding boy of the same age living next door, but this girl doesn't know how to be proactive at all. I have to step in as her mother."

Just then, Mr. Kasumigaoka came out of the bathroom and overheard his wife's words. Smiling, he asked, "Did you send her over?"

"Of course. If I don't do something, who knows how long it'll take this girl to find a boyfriend with her personality."

"That's true," Mr. Kasumigaoka agreed, nodding. "That boy next door, Ichin, even though I've only met him a few times, he's excellent in every way. He's modest, polite, and clearly well-raised, not to mention very independent."

If Ichin hadn't been living next door, allowing them to get to know him better, Mr. Kasumigaoka wouldn't have been comfortable letting his daughter go over alone.

"But wait, if those two do end up together, wouldn't that mean our daughter would get married abroad?" he suddenly realized.

"Isn't that fine? A flight back and forth isn't that long these days," Mrs. Kasumigaoka replied.

"That's true, but it's way too early to even think about that," Mr. Kasumigaoka chuckled.

While the couple continued chatting, Utaha had already rung the doorbell at the house next door.

Ichin, who was busy in the kitchen, quickly came out when he heard the doorbell. Upon opening the door, he saw Utaha standing there with the items, looking elegant and composed at the entrance. Her hair, still slightly damp, made it clear she had just taken a bath.

With a gentle smile, Utaha greeted him, "Good evening. I came to return these, and also brought some pastries from my mom."

"Auntie's really too kind, giving me pastries," Ichin felt a bit touched. He had often brought homemade treats to Utaha's house, and now even the store-bought ones included something for him.

"Well, you've brought us delicious treats several times, after all," Utaha said.

"Then, I won't be shy," Ichin replied. Remembering what he was cooking in the kitchen, he looked at Utaha and asked, "Are you not busy? If you have time, would you like to come in for a bit? I'm cooking something, and I'd like to offer you a drink."

"Hm?" Utaha seemed curious. She nodded, "I don't have any homework today, so I'd be happy to accept the invitation."

Although they had known each other for a month, this was the first time Utaha had actually stepped inside Ichin's home.

The boxes in the living room from earlier had all been cleared away, and the house now had a much more lived-in feel. After bringing Kasumigaoka Utaha inside, Ichin said, "Take a seat in the living room for a bit. I'll be done soon."

"Alright," Utaha replied.

She wandered around the living room with her hands behind her back, eventually noticing Ichin's laptop on the dining table, surrounded by papers filled with sketches and notes. Although it felt a bit impolite to peek at other people's things, Ichin hadn't made any effort to hide them, so it seemed okay.

Walking over, Utaha glanced at the computer screen, which displayed lines of code that she couldn't make sense of. The papers scattered on the table mostly featured sketches of various characters and monsters in different styles, seemingly drafts or concept art.

Just then, Ichin came out of the kitchen, holding two cups in his hands. He smiled at Utaha and said, "This is the game I mentioned before that I'm developing. It's still in the early stages, though."

Utaha immediately straightened up, "Sorry, I didn't mean to look."

"It's no big deal. If I left it out here, I don't mind people seeing it," Ichin said with a smile, shaking his head. He handed one of the cups to her, "Here, it's homemade brown sugar milk tea. Most girls like this, right?"

"Milk tea?" Utaha looked at the cup in surprise, inhaling the fragrant aroma from within. "You can make this yourself?"

"It's a lot easier than cooking," Ichin replied. He motioned for Utaha to sit, then sat down in front of the computer and continued, "Plus, it has less sugar than what you'd buy outside, and I can choose better tea leaves. I chilled it with ice, so it's ready to drink. Luckily, I bought a few extra cups the other day, or I wouldn't have been able to serve guests properly."

The cup wasn't too hot to hold, and Utaha took a small sip. The rich taste of milk and tea made her eyes narrow in delight.

"It's really good! Much better than what I've had at shops," she praised.

"I'm glad you like it," Ichin said, clearly pleased with her compliment.

After taking another sip, Utaha placed her cup down and watched as Ichin started typing away on the keyboard. "The game isn't quite ready for a test version yet, but there's some basic gameplay you could try out. Want to give it a go?" he asked.

"Huh? It's already playable?" Utaha was surprised.

"Only a very basic version," Ichin explained as he launched the software. He pointed at the screen, which displayed a rough diagram.

"See, the opening and background are still under development. For music, I've only got simple background tracks and basic sound effects for now. I'll need to invest a bit in that area because free music resources don't really fit what I have in mind. As for characters, I've only made one so far, and there aren't many monsters yet. But it should still give you an idea of the gameplay."

"But I'm not very good at games," Utaha hesitated.

"No worries, this one's a card-based strategy game where you just have to calculate values. I can guide you through it," Ichin assured her. He turned the computer screen towards Utaha and moved his chair closer to hers.

"Try it out and think of it as helping me with some testing. I'd really appreciate your feedback," Ichin added.

With that kind of request and her growing curiosity, Utaha nodded and reached for the mouse.

...

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