After Nene left the office, Utaha checked her phone calendar and said with a start,
"Ah, that's right. Everyone originally planned for Umiko to come back this month so we could celebrate her birthday properly. But in the end, she decided not to come, choosing to wait until the end of the year instead."
"In part, that's my fault too."
Leaning back in his chair with a wry smile, Ichin said,
"Remember the Titanfall gameplay demo video? To make sure it looked perfect, the Shanghai studio worked several extra days, finishing projects that weren't even due yet. That's why the final demo turned out so good. But because of that, Umiko canceled her plan to come back and just kept working. Sigh… I really need to give her a big bonus, and the rest of the team too."
As for the Shanghai office's retreat—summer there was even hotter. After his meeting, Ichin told them to plan it later. They kept discussing and eventually decided to push it to October, when the weather would be cooler.
With the scorching sun now, everyone preferred staying in the air-conditioned office anyway. Plus, most of them didn't like beach trips, so a summer outing was unlikely from the start.
Since the decision was made, Ichin didn't push further. Postpone it, then.
That afternoon, Nene quickly booked her own ticket for the same flight as Ichin and the others—first class as well.
By now, she was practically a little rich woman; booking first class didn't even make her blink.
When Aoba found out Nene wouldn't be joining the company retreat, she looked surprised.
"Nene, why not?"
"I already told you—I'm going to Shanghai with Ichin-kun."
Nene held up her phone, showing a chat with Umiko.
"I already told Umiko-nee I'd visit her next week! So you guys just go enjoy the retreat, don't worry about me."
"Oh, I see…"
Aoba finally understood. So that was Nene's plan—nothing to be done about it.
Kou, listening to them, folded her arms.
"Tsk, tsk. Such careful scheming. Makes me want to tag along too."
Nene laughed.
"You could, Kou-senpai. Want to come?"
"Forget it, I can't. As art director, I can't bail when the boss is skipping the retreat already. I have to stay with the team."
Without her supervision, the art team kids would go completely wild.
Hajime rolled her chair over, envy all over her face.
"Shanghai, huh? Doesn't that mean endless cheap watermelons? Even though I make good money now, I still feel guilty buying a whole watermelon!"
Nene gave her a sharp look.
"Hajime-senpai, I wouldn't even have thought about that if you didn't say it. You really only ever think about food! And come on, it's just a watermelon. Even Tokyo prices are nothing with your salary."
"No way! Instead of spending that money on a watermelon, I'd rather buy a new figurine!"
Watermelon? Can it compare to the fragrance of a brand-new figure?
Her words left everyone around shaking their heads with a sigh. Truly, she'd never lost her original spirit.
Just then, the office door opened. Ichin spotted Hajime hanging around the art team.
"Hajime, there you are. No wonder you didn't answer my messages. Come on, I've got some work to discuss with you."
"Oh! Coming!"
Hajime leapt up, her long legs flashing beneath her hotpants as she ran into the office.
Watching her leave, Aoba glanced at her own slender legs under her short skirt and sighed deeply.
"My proportions are fine, but compared to her height… I'm just too short."
Time passed quickly, and soon the day of Ichin's trip home arrived.
The company also finalized their retreat destination—not far, they chose Izu.
Beaches, hot springs, fun activities—everything they needed to relax for a few days.
8 p.m., at Ichin's house.
Like when they went home for New Year, everything they'd need was already there. So Ichin and Utaha barely packed—just a few clothes, laptops, and the Switch.
The Shanghai home PC had already been upgraded to the highest specs, powerful enough for any work.
With so little to bring, they didn't even need suitcases—just one backpack was enough.
Zipping it up, Ichin hefted it.
"Not bad. Not heavy at all. Utaha, do you need to pack anything else?"
"Nope!"
Sitting on the bed, Utaha gently swung her legs, then rested her left foot on Ichin's lap.
"Your mom already bought me skincare stuff, so I don't need to bring any. I can just use what's waiting at home."
"Perfect. Traveling light."
Ichin scratched her foot with a grin, making her pull it back quickly.
"So stingy, can't even let me rest it for a minute."
Rolling her eyes, Utaha lay back on the bed, grabbed her phone, and texted Haruno and Yukino, who were also preparing at home.
"Hey Ichin, let's have Haruno-nee, Yukino, and Nene come over for lunch tomorrow. Then we can all head to the airport together."
"Sure," Ichin nodded. "Ask if they're okay with it. We need to finish the leftover veggies anyway. By the way, what's Yukino doing with her cats?"
Typing, Utaha said,
"She's boarding them at Eriri's place. I already checked—Peppa and George are fine with my mom, no problem."
Ichin had no issue with his pets, but he never thought Eriri would dare take on Yukino's four cats.
Still, Eriri lived in a villa, and the cats were well-trained—they wouldn't make a mess outside the litter boxes.
A few minutes later, Haruno and the others replied. They'd come by before noon, have lunch together, then head off.
Lying on the futon, staring at the ceiling, Ichin murmured to himself,
"This trip home… I wonder what fun things will happen. Kind of looking forward to it."
*
RedX43's Note:
➤ Want More? Get up to +70 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ [email protected]/RedX43
➤ +300 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter Drop!
➤ Thanks for the support! 🙌