Game Developer in the World of Anime

After exiting the elevator, Utaha followed Ichin to his apartment door. As Ichin took out his keys to unlock the door, Utaha stopped him.

Ichin turned around and saw Utaha smiling brightly. "What's up?" he asked.

"Ichin-kun," Utaha began, looking at him, "I almost forgot something. You just mentioned that we've known each other for two months now. Don't you think it's about time you change the way you address me? It feels a bit distant to keep calling me Kasumigaoka, don't you think? I've noticed that when you're talking to the people in your studio, like Aoba Suzukaze, you just call her Aoba."

"Uh…"

Ichin hadn't expected her to bring up something like this, especially when they were already at his door. But thinking about it, she had a point. Even though he'd only recently met the people at the studio, he'd started calling them by their first names at their request. They were all going to be working hard together as a team. As for Utaha, it was just a habit of his to use her family name without giving it much thought.

But now that she mentioned it, a change in how he addressed her did seem appropriate.

"How about... Utaha?" Ichin suggested.

Hearing him call her by her first name, Utaha's heartbeat quickened, and with a faint blush, she responded, "Not bad. Let's leave it at that for today. Good night, Ichin-kun. Oh, and let's head to school together tomorrow morning."

"Sure. Good night," Ichin replied. He opened the door with his keys and walked into his apartment.

After standing there for a couple of seconds, Utaha turned around and headed to her own home.

The moment she stepped inside, she was met with the dual gazes of her parents.

With a gentle smile, Mrs. Kasumigaoka said, "Utaha, you're home a bit late. I was just about to call you."

"It's nothing," Utaha replied, immediately reverting to her usual composed self. She picked up her cup from the coffee table and took a sip of water. "Ichin-kun got too absorbed in his work, so I had no choice but to drag him away."

Hearing this, Mr. Kasumigaoka chuckled, "Was it the first day of Ichin's studio's operation? If so, I can understand. It seems he's quite confident in the future of his studio."

Utaha nodded. "Yes, he's already laid out the plans for what comes next. As long as everything goes according to schedule, making money won't be an issue."

Although Ichin hadn't yet completed his second game, Utaha had an unexplainable confidence in him.

Taking her cup, Utaha stood up and said, "I'm going back to my room to read."

As they watched their daughter head to her room, Mrs. Kasumigaoka turned to her husband. "Honey, do you think Utaha and Ichin are…"

Mr. Kasumigaoka pondered for a moment before shaking his head, "Not yet, I think. Remember, Ichin is from China, and from what I know, they have stricter rules about romance at a young age. They don't let their kids get into relationships too early. We shouldn't interfere too much. If the two of them like each other, we should let things develop at their own pace. And don't forget, Ichin mentioned that he plans to attend university here."

Seeing her husband so convinced, Mrs. Kasumigaoka had no choice but to agree.

Meanwhile, in her room, Utaha turned on her computer and began searching for ways to increase a guy's affection for her. However, after a few minutes of browsing, she remembered that Ichin wasn't quite like the average guy. It wasn't that he was dense, but rather, he was more composed and rational. Especially when it came to matters of romance. Despite her going all out with a confession, he still thought her actions today were impulsive.

"Damn it, he totally sidestepped me earlier. If I hadn't agreed to his idea and kept pushing forward, wouldn't I have gotten to see an even more interesting expression from him? Ugh, I miscalculated," she muttered to herself.

Utaha shut off her computer and flopped onto her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Next door, Ichin's mind was far from calm. After taking a shower, he returned to his bedroom, contemplating his relationship with Utaha Kasumigaoka.

The two of them were undeniably friends—good friends, at that. He genuinely held quite a bit of affection for her. But dating…

Ichin scratched his head in frustration. Just like Utaha had done, he opened his laptop and started searching for information on relationships. He didn't know much about this kind of thing before, so he needed to fill in the gaps now. Furthermore, he didn't have much time to deliberate. Procrastinating on such matters would be disrespectful to her, so he needed to respond promptly.

The next morning, Ichin woke up on time. After having breakfast and tidying up his backpack, he pondered for a moment before deciding to bring his laptop with him. It was a lightweight one, so carrying it wouldn't be an issue.

With everything settled, Ichin checked the time and sent a message to Utaha. Upon receiving her reply confirming she was ready, he finally left his apartment.

As soon as he stepped out, the door of the Kasumigaoka residence next door opened as well. Utaha stepped out, dressed in her Toyogasaki school uniform and wearing a white headband.

After locking the door, she approached Ichin with a smile, "Good morning, Ichin-kun."

"Good morning, Utaha," Ichin replied.

Hearing him call her by her first name, Utaha smiled brightly. "Good job, you didn't mess it up."

Ichin chuckled, "My memory's not bad enough to forget something like that. Let's head to school."

"Mm-hmm." Utaha nodded, picking up her backpack and walking alongside Ichin.

As they descended the stairs, Utaha noticed that Ichin wasn't heading towards his bicycle. Curious, she asked, "Aren't you going to ride your bike?"

"Nope. Didn't we agree to go to school together?" Ichin pointed towards his parked bike and explained, "My bike doesn't have a seat for a passenger, and it's not allowed to carry someone. If we get caught, it could be troublesome."

"Hmm... right, there's no back seat." Utaha glanced at his bicycle, her tone hinting at mild disappointment. "I was hoping to experience what it's like to be given a ride by a guy."

"It's better not to try that," Ichin said as they walked. "I've never carried anyone on my bike before, so I'm not sure I could balance it well. If I accidentally caused you to fall, that would be terrible. Let's take the bus. If you want to experience a ride, I can get a driver's license once I'm old enough. With my earnings, buying a car won't be an issue."

"Oh, a drive? That sounds lovely! I'm looking forward to it!" Utaha replied with excitement.

Before long, the bus arrived, and the two of them got on. The bus was fairly crowded in the morning, leaving no empty seats, so they had to stand in the aisle.

As soon as the bus started moving, Ichin felt Utaha wrap her arm around his. The sensation made him freeze in place, unable to move even an inch.

…

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