Game Developer in the World of Anime

Since it was just Ichin and Utaha, there wasn't much need for separate servings. After placing three dishes on the table and serving the rice, they were ready to eat.

Looking at Utaha sitting across from him, Ichin smiled and said, "Go ahead and give it a try."

Utaha nodded, picking up a piece of braised pork. Admiring its rich, appetizing color, she said, "Itadakimasu!"

Ichin hadn't cut the braised pork into very large pieces—each piece was perfectly bite-sized for Utaha.

As she took a bite, the salty and savory flavor, combined with its tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that was rich but not greasy, made her eyes narrow in delight.

"This is delicious! No wonder it's your mom's specialty dish!"

"Hey, hey, I made this, thank you very much!" Ichin retorted with a playful smile.

After his lighthearted complaint, Ichin started eating as well.

The flavor was spot on. He was confident he had mastered the dish completely.

As for the other two vegetarian dishes—stir-fried cabbage with vermicelli and sautéed asparagus lettuce—they were far less challenging to make than the braised pork, so there was no worry about their taste.

Bite after bite, alternating between dishes and rice, Utaha's mood soared. Her eyes gleamed with happiness as she sat there swinging her legs lightly beneath the table.

Seeing her in such a cheerful state, Ichin remarked with a grin, "You're so different from how you usually are at school."

"Am I?" Utaha replied nonchalantly. "Do you think I should act the same way I do at school all the time? That'd be exhausting. I just don't enjoy noisy environments that much. Your studio is mostly girls, so I can tolerate it."

Ichin thought about it and realized she was right. Utaha was usually quieter at school, but she seemed much more at ease in the studio.

Apart from the environment itself, it probably had to do with the personalities of everyone at the studio.

Yagami Kō and the others weren't like typical game developers. Their personalities were diverse, but working with them was relaxed and uncomplicated—no unnecessary drama.

The most important factor, though, was what Utaha mentioned: they were all girls.

Just like her interactions with Eriri, being around other girls seemed to put Utaha more at ease.

Ichin himself didn't find it particularly troubling. Well, maybe it was a bit unusual—after all, this was his first time working in a studio composed entirely of women. But he got used to it after two days and even found it somewhat refreshing.

Of course, the main reason was that everyone's game development skills were excellent. That allowed him to focus on work most of the time without worrying about gender dynamics.

As he watched Utaha happily pick up another piece of braised pork, Ichin decided not to overthink it. As long as she was happy, that was all that mattered.

The three dishes were prepared in just the right portions for two people.

After finishing the meal, cleaning up the dishes, and brewing some tea, the two of them moved to the living room and settled on the sofa to rest.

As Utaha took a sip of hot tea, she leaned against Ichin's shoulder and gently patted her slightly rounded stomach. "I'm stuffed, Ichin-kun. You go jogging in the mornings, right? Tomorrow, I'll join you. I need to lose some weight."

While eating, she hadn't thought much of it, but now that she was full, Utaha couldn't help but start worrying about her figure. She had eaten quite a bit today, and if she didn't manage her diet properly, her perfect figure might not stay that way for long.

"Jogging?" Ichin raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. He chuckled, "I'm fine with it, but can you keep up? During the long-distance runs in gym class, you've never finished once."

"That's why I said jogging—just light jogging!" Utaha replied earnestly. "I'm not aiming for peak athletic performance; I just want to maintain my figure."

Ichin glanced at Utaha's impressive figure and nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, then let's start jogging together tomorrow. We won't go for too long at first—just take it slow. Of course, if you can't get up in the morning, I did mention I'd be setting up a treadmill in the studio. You can always use that."

"Deal," Utaha declared confidently.

Seeing her so determined, Ichin smiled and shook his head. "Don't get too cocky now. If you can't get up tomorrow morning, don't blame me for teasing you."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely wake up," Utaha said calmly. "I don't have any plans to stay up late writing tonight, so if I sleep early, I can get up on time. Ichin-kun, what time should we start?"

"Let's meet at 7:30 a.m.," Ichin suggested after some thought. "It's the weekend, so we shouldn't wake up too late. I already skipped jogging today, so I need to make up for it tomorrow. By the way, you do have workout clothes, right?"

"Yep, the ones from school."

"That'll work."

After settling their jogging plans, the two continued to relax on the sofa, watching a cliché idol drama on TV.

Ichin wasn't interested in these kinds of shows. Even though the leads were attractive and their acting was decent, the story just didn't appeal to him.

Utaha, however, watched intently—not because she liked it, but because she was analyzing the plot aloud as she watched.

"The leads are probably going to have a misunderstanding soon, and the second male lead will start making his move. Honestly, this female lead is something else—she likes both the first and second male leads. Ichin-kun, don't you think the second male lead looks even better than the first?"

"Huh?" Ichin, lost in thought, glanced at the TV. After a moment of frowning contemplation, he said, "They're both average. Besides, doesn't the male lead seem a bit short? About 170 cm?"

"Let me check."

Utaha picked up her phone and searched. "Yeah, the actor playing the male lead is indeed only 170 cm. He's not exactly tall."

She turned to look at Ichin, who stood at 180 cm. Compared to her boyfriend, 170 cm did seem short.

Ichin didn't notice Utaha's gaze and continued analyzing the show. "He looks okay on TV, probably because of camera angles. Plus, the female lead is even shorter—probably around 150 cm. A tall figure like yours, Utaha, is pretty rare around here. And you're only 17; you might still grow taller."

"Grow taller?" Utaha gently pressed her hand against her head. "My height already surprises my mom. If I grow any more, I might hit 170 cm."

"Well, when you wear heels, you're already over 170 cm, aren't you?" Ichin teased. "Don't worry. I'm still growing too—another 5 cm shouldn't be a problem for me."

Unlike the typical preference in Japan for petite girls, Ichin actually preferred Utaha's tall and elegant figure.

....