"Ahaha, you don't look happy," I commented, glancing at Eriri's gloomy expression as the car rolled down the quiet street.
"Of course," she muttered, arms crossed. "Right now, we're supposed to be focusing on raising our levels, not... doing that kind of thing. We need to strengthen ourselves first, individually." Her voice carried that defensive edge she used whenever she was hiding frustration.
"Hm, that's true," I replied, my tone turning more serious. "But this is also quite important, you know."
That made her blink, clearly not expecting me to sound so firm. "Really?" she asked, hesitation creeping into her voice.
"Yeah," I said softly, keeping my eyes on the road. "I know what happened yesterday shook you up. You looked... rattled. And it's not just about the dungeon or that monster. It's about what came after, right? You didn't even talk to Tomoya-kun and went straight home without saying a word."
Eriri looked down at her lap, fingers gripping her skirt. "I just... don't want something like that to happen again," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"That's natural," I said gently. "No one wants to feel powerless. But... you don't have to shoulder it alone. You can rely on me too."
"Adi…" she murmured, her blue eyes flickering with a mix of gratitude and guilt. For a moment, she looked like she wanted to argue, but instead, she just sighed softly.
"Yeah, because this is important too!!" I said, raising my voice slightly with a grin that probably didn't match the seriousness of my words. "Of course, I'm doing this to make money in this world—not just from working for the Sawamura family. But money is important!"
Eriri blinked at me, still caught between confusion and disbelief. She had been emotionally touched just seconds ago, only for me to throw her off completely.
"Huh!?" she snapped, her eyes widening. "You were being so serious just a second ago! And that's what this is about!?"
"I understand you're a little surprised," I continued, keeping my tone calm but firm, "but once again—money is very important." I pointed at her for emphasis, as if delivering a great truth of life. "We should take advantage of your skills, your family political position and also start building a name for ourselves, right? Because we don't know what kind of danger might be lurking in this world yet. What I do know is that there's chaos—or maybe even miasma—lurking, eyeing you and other people in this world."
Eriri tilted her head slightly, her earlier irritation fading into curiosity. "So... you're saying we need to make a game because... money will save the world?"
"Of course not—but it'll definitely help us tremendously!" I said confidently, slapping the steering wheel lightly. "Money, name, and power—those three things power stuff in this modern world after all. Think about it. Connections and influence can move mountains, and with funds, we can buy or even bri… lobbying for anything. So, what we need right now…" I paused, giving her a dramatic glance.
"...is a money-making machine. And the best one we can build is a game!"
Eriri stared at me in disbelief, her mouth half open. "Well, that all sounds reasonable..." she murmured, though a faint smile tugged at her lips. "But why games?"
"Well, of course, not just any ordinary game, but a gacha game! Because Japanese people love gacha games, right? cAnd I think that you, as an artist, must love making games rather than other stuff, so I think the best choice is to make a game. Plus, while I was waiting for you, I checked that this world isn't much different from mine, so I think the gacha game I have in mind will work smoothly in this world!" I said with full confidence, puffing my chest like I'd just discovered a divine revelation.
"Haaa... so you want me to make a game that exists in your world? A successful one that we'll recreate here?" Eriri asked with an incredulous tone, staring at me as if I had just suggested we conquer the world through the power of gacha games.
"Yep, that's right! Of course, we won't be able to make it perfectly the same, but we can take the core concept—the system, the art style, the idea—and build on that. I've even written down a draft concept for it already!" I said excitedly while pointing to a folded stack of papers sitting on the back seat of the car.
"How about we stop by the family restaurant and talk it over?" I pointed toward the cozy restaurant just across the street from her school.
Eriri crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, eyes narrowing in mild suspicion. "Hm... will that really be okay? What if we suddenly get pulled back to Orario while we're still here?" Her tone was half serious, half worried.
"It's fine," I said, waving my hand reassuringly as I started the engine. "We fought like crazy yesterday, so taking a short break won't hurt. We deserve a calm moment before the next battle happens."
After parking in front of the restaurant, I quickly got out and walked to her side, opening the door like a proper gentleman—or in my case, a slightly ridiculous maid in a Victorian uniform. "Come on, Eriri-ojousama," I said with a grin, offering my hand to her like some loyal butler out of an otome game.
She blinked at me, her lips twitching as if she was torn between amusement and embarrassment. "You're really committed to this 'maid' thing, huh?"
"Well, when your employer's mom is an otaku who pays hourly and provides premium uniforms, commitment comes naturally," I replied with a smirk. "And honestly, seeing you blush and smile while I do this makes it totally worth it."
"Geez... I don't know if I should laugh or cry at that," Eriri muttered, but still placed her hand in mine as she stepped out of the car.
The moment our hands touched, a faint warmth ran through me. I didn't remember ever holding Eriri's hand like this before. It was such a simple thing, yet my heart beat faster. After all, this was someone who had only ever existed as a character I watched or read about—that's why I can't help being excited even for a small interaction.
"Ahaha, just enjoy our time before we head into battle, alright? Though it looks like we're becoming the main attraction here," I said as the two of us entered the family restaurant. I could immediately feel people's eyes on us the moment we walked in.
We sat down, and Eriri quickly focused on the concept I had written—a visual novel idea, which would become one of the most popular IPs and became one of the most popular gacha games in Japan, Fate/Stay Night.
I ordered drinks and some food for Eriri while watching her comment on the concept I'd given her, unaware that there was a reason I'd chosen this particular family restaurant. I didn't want to waste the chance to meet Utaha-senpai. After all, I was pretty sure the events of this world would still follow the original anime... right?
[author]
Each chapter is about 1,000-1,200 words,
Monday to Saturday, every 5.00 AM in my country and maybe 3:00 PM in UTC since my reader lot from US. Thanks for reading!!!
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