Game Developer in the World of Anime

Since Utaha wasn't around, Eriri pulled over Utaha's computer chair and moved it next to Ichin.

"What's going on? It sounds really interesting!"

"What could possibly be interesting about it?"

Ichin didn't quite understand Eriri's excitement and explained plainly, "I'm not going back home for the summer because of the studio's development project. So, without telling me, my mom just showed up here. Last night, our families had dinner together. Earlier, I introduced my mom to everyone at the studio, and then Utaha and her mom took her out for some fun. Meanwhile, I stayed here to work. That's all there is to it—nothing particularly special."

"How is that not special?!"

Eriri's eyes widened as she eagerly asked, "Tell me, how did Utaha react when she met your mom? She must have been super nervous, right?"

Hearing Eriri's question, the others nearby also turned their attention to Ichin, curious.

Thinking back, Ichin replied thoughtfully, "Hmm, she was a little nervous, I guess. But only for a moment. After talking with my mom for a bit, she wasn't nervous anymore. They actually got along really well."

"Ugh, boring!"

Eriri pouted, clearly disappointed. She had been hoping for some embarrassing story about Utaha messing up. Giving up on prying further, she went back to Utaha's desk, booted up the computer, and connected her tablet.

"Rin, is there any unfinished work? Assign me something to do."

After finishing her doujinshi project for the upcoming fan convention, Eriri had come to Ichin's studio for a part-time job as a temporary art assistant.

Although she kept her identity as Eri Kashiwagi under wraps, her impressive drawing skills had everyone, especially Yagami Kou, pestering Ichin to let her join the team. Thus, she began working as a summer hire.

Eriri's main occupation as a doujinshi artist wasn't known to anyone there, but it didn't affect her work. Plus, Hollow Knight was a 2D side-scroller, so it wasn't particularly challenging for her. She adapted to the tasks quickly.

Since no one was cooking lunch that day, Ichin ordered takeout for the team. He chose a great bento delivery service, and everyone enjoyed their meal before getting back to work in the afternoon.

Around 4 p.m., Utaha and the two moms returned.

Utaha's mom went home to prepare dinner for her family, while Ichin's mom accompanied Utaha to the studio.

As soon as Utaha opened the door to the studio, she called out, "Ichin, come help us!"

Ichin, who wasn't wearing headphones at the time, immediately got up and went over. He saw both his mom and Utaha each holding two large bags.

"What did you buy? That's a lot of stuff."

"Groceries!"

His mom stepped inside, changing into slippers as she smiled and handed him the bags. "Put these in the kitchen. I'll rest for a bit and then start cooking. Let's all have dinner together tonight!"

Opening one of the bags, Ichin saw a whole chicken, a pile of chicken wings, beef, pork belly, a variety of seafood, and plenty of vegetables—everything imaginable.

"You bought this much?"

Ichin glanced at the work area, scanning the studio members. On second thought, maybe it wasn't that much after all.

After putting away the groceries, Ichin returned to the workspace, where his mom immediately noticed Eriri sitting at Utaha's desk.

It was impossible to miss—her bright golden twin tails stood out too much.

Utaha had been quite loud when she returned, so even with headphones on, Eriri had heard her. Finishing the last stroke on her current work, she set down her stylus and turned, locking eyes with Ichin's mom.

Although Eriri was a hardcore otaku who spent her days drawing doujinshi, watching anime, and gaming, she was, on the surface, still a polite, well-mannered young lady from an affluent family. Standing up immediately, she greeted warmly, "Hello, Auntie! I'm Eriri Spencer Sawamura, a junior to both Ichin and Utaha."

"Spencer Sawamura? Are you half-Japanese?"

Eriri nodded with a smile and explained, "Yes, my mom is Japanese, and my dad is British. They met during their university days!"

Ichin chimed in to add, "Eriri's mom runs a successful business, and her dad's a diplomat. She's the real deal when it comes to being a proper young lady."

Eriri frowned, clearly displeased. "Stop emphasizing the 'young lady' thing! Compared to Yukino, I'm way more down-to-earth and approachable!"

"Yukino?"

Ichin's mom caught the unfamiliar name, another girl's name. She couldn't help but wonder why her son seemed to be surrounded entirely by girls. Ever since she'd arrived yesterday, she hadn't seen a single male friend his age—not even one he hung out with.

Her son's luck with women was starting to seem almost excessive.

Oblivious to Ichin's mom's thoughts, Eriri continued, "Yukino's in the same grade as me. We're in the same club. Compared to me, she's the quintessential young lady—her family's a renowned household in Chiba, her dad's a politician, and not only is she beautiful, but she's also the top student in our grade. On top of that, she's skilled at housework, cooking, Aikido, and even horseback riding. She's the perfect black-haired beauty. Except for her cold personality, she's practically the ultimate heroine."

"The more you talk about her, the more curious I get."

Ichin's mom turned to her son. "Do you have any pictures of her, Ichin?"

"Of course not," Ichin replied, baffled by the question. He pointed at Eriri. "She probably has some."

"Yup, I do!"

Eriri took out her phone and found a photo she'd taken with Yukino during club activities. She handed it to Ichin's mom.

Ichin, having never seen a photo of Yukino with Eriri, leaned in out of curiosity. The others quickly gathered around too.

In the photo, Eriri was clinging to Yukino's arm, their faces close together. Eriri was smiling brightly, while Yukino, looking away from the camera, had an unnatural blush on her face, clearly uncomfortable with being photographed like that.

Looking at the picture, Ichin's mom smiled. "She really is a beautiful girl. Has she been here before?"

"She has! I brought Yukino over once, but her family's busy these days, so she went back to Chiba. She did promise to visit the day after tomorrow, though. I even invited her to my house. Her family is strict, but if it's my invitation, they don't usually object. Otherwise, she'd probably spend the whole summer cooped up at home. Ichin, I'm bringing Yukino over next time, okay?"

"Sure, anytime is fine."

If it had been someone loud and overly dramatic, Ichin might have been hesitant. But Yukino, aside from her cold demeanor, was polite and well-mannered.

Plus, her club room was right next to his at school, so there was no reason to refuse.

...

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