The news didn't arrive with fanfare.
It came in the form of a short call, mid-morning.
Kisaragi answered silently. Took notes. Asked two questions. Hung up without changing expression.
Then he stood.–"We have the first numbers," – he said.
The studio froze.No one celebrated.No one spoke.
Kisaragi took a deep breath.–"It's the best-selling software for NEC PC-9801 this month."
There was a second of absolute silence.
Then someone laughed.–"That's not normal," – said Sato.
Mori brought her hand to her mouth.–"Is he joking?" –
Kisaragi shook his head.–"No," – he replied.–"And not just this month. Projections indicate it's on track to be the year's best-seller."
Then everything exploded.Overlapping voices. Laughter. Someone hit the table. Another collapsed in the chair as if an invisible weight had been lifted.
The game hadn't just worked.It had dominated.
Specialized magazines requested interviews. Stores requested more copies. Distributors who had previously ignored the studio now called directly.
The game's name appeared in rankings.The studio's name, in larger letters.
That afternoon, Kisaragi closed the office early.–"No work today," – he said.–"Today we celebrate."
It wasn't an elegant party.It was bought food, canned drinks, improvised tables. Disorderly laughter. Repeated stories.
–"Remember when we almost didn't release the first version?" ––"When the map broke when we rotated the camera?" ––"When we thought no one would buy it?" –
I watched from the side, drink in hand.I didn't feel euphoric.I felt… calm.
Sato approached.–"Do you know what you did?" – he asked.–"Work," – I replied.
He laughed.–"No," – he said.–"You made everyone believe it was possible."
Mori raised her glass.–"To the engine," – she said.–"To Aoi."
Someone added:–"And because we didn't give up."
They toasted.I did too.Not for being number one.Not for the sales.But because the company that had been on the verge of disappearing was now alive.
More than that.It had a future.
At the end of the night, when the noise faded and the lights went out one by one, I stayed looking at the board where tasks used to be pinned.
It wasn't empty anymore.There were new ideas. Sketched projects. Names yet to be defined.
For the first time, it wasn't just about surviving.It was about continuing.
And as I walked toward the exit, I understood something simple:We had created the best-selling software for NEC PC.
But, for me, the important thing was something else.I had found the place where I wanted to keep making video games.