"Drinking?"
"Yeah, not too much. Just a little to loosen up your emotions."
"Got it…"
Outside, the sun dipped below the horizon. Kawauchi Sayoko studied Fuyukawa Tetsu's eyes intently, then nodded shyly. "Alright… I'll give it a try."
"Cool."
Fuyukawa twisted the corkscrew, popping open a bottle of red wine with a clink as he poured it into glasses. "Your issue is tricky. Without diving into the story, you can't fully immerse yourself in its world or bring a character to life from just a few lines of description.
But when you do engage with the plot, you get so absorbed that when you snap back to reality, you overthink. You worry about my criticism, or that the project might fail because of you."
"Y-Yeah…"
Sayoko's confidence sank the more she listened, her hands nervously squeezed between her soft thighs. Red numbers signaling her dropping mood floated above her head. Just then, Fuyukawa handed her a glass and gently pinched her soft cheek, his thumb brushing over the beauty mark near her lips.
"I'm not saying this to doubt your talent. You've got an incredibly sensitive and empathetic heart—perfect for the arts. Plus, you've built up solid professional skills. But the more sensitive someone is, the more rational they become as they age and gain experience.
Being rational is great for navigating the workplace, but for creative work, it's a problem. Your mind starts weighing pros and cons, hesitating. So, you need to learn to stay in the story's world—let your emotions guide your thoughts."
"Let my emotions guide my thoughts…" Sayoko murmured, taking the glass and sipping the wine. The sharp taste made her shiver adorably, her eyes still clouded with uncertainty.
Fuyukawa poured himself a small glass and leaned back, crossing his legs. "Exactly. Thinking too much 'wakes' you up. Whether it's movies, novels, or games, they're all about using emotions to connect with the audience's soul.
A philosopher once said, 'Human joys and sorrows don't align.' It's true, but not entirely. I'd say, 'Human joys and sorrows don't fully align.'
If they were completely disconnected, people wouldn't laugh together at the same movie or feel the same mood reading a haiku like, 'Faint thunder, cloudy skies, may the rain come and keep you here.'
The issue is, only works with strong emotions can connect people. And to create that, you need to pour your emotions into it.
So, stop overthinking. If you feel a character should act a certain way, draw it that way. Don't worry about what users might think or if I'll critique you."
Leaning forward, Fuyukawa pinched Sayoko's soft cheek again, flashing a squinting smile. "At least when you're with me, I want you to relax. Even… let loose a little. It's totally fine."
Relax completely. Let loose a little.
Sayoko froze, her glistening eyes trembling wildly.
+10000!
[Kawauchi Sayoko's emotions are undergoing a massive shift, entering a phase of emotional transformation. Proceed with caution!]
[Transformation paths: Admiration → Affection (Normal); Admiration → Affection (S); Admiration → Affection (M)]
The system alert popped up, but Fuyukawa ignored it, simply watching her.
After a moment, Sayoko seemed to make a decision. Gulp, gulp, gulp—she downed half her glass of wine in three big sips. The alcohol hit her nose, making her shiver again, but her eyes steadied. Patting her chest, she declared, "I get it, Tetsu-kun."
"Good, but—hey, what are you doing?"
Fuyukawa had been a bit pleased, ready to get back to coding, but the next second, he was dumbfounded.
Whether it was the wine or something else, Sayoko's flushed face glowed as she undid the tie holding her low ponytail. Biting the hair tie, she lifted her arms, twisting her silky hair into a bun.
They say the test of a man's looks is a buzz cut, and for a woman, it's pulling back her bangs. Sayoko's features were stunning—tying up her ponytail and bangs didn't diminish her beauty; it made her look brighter, almost like an anime character "unleashing" after removing glasses.
But she wasn't done.
Under Fuyukawa's wide-eyed stare, Sayoko reached behind her back.
Click.
A soft sound, and then… a white 36D lace bra appeared.
Not just that. In Fuyukawa's utterly stunned gaze, she neatly folded the bra alongside matching white panties, placing them beside her wine glass. Exhaling deeply, she smoothed her floral dress, sat on the computer chair, and looked up at him with a cute, determined expression.
Trying to stay composed, her trembling eyes and clenched hands betrayed her unsteady emotions.
"Tetsu-kun, is this… too much? But at home, this is how I feel… free."
Her watery eyes darted away, her thighs rubbing together nervously. Wearing just the floral dress, the cool leather of the chair pressed through the fabric against her skin, hitting sensitive spots. This wasn't just about feeling "free."
Her mind raced, green numbers floating above her head, but Fuyukawa had no clue what she was thinking.
He was a little dazed. Sure, he was interested in Sayoko, but work was work. His whole speech was just to help her relax, not… whatever this was—an "unrestrained shock"!
Noticing the faint outline under her dress, he took a sip of wine to steady himself. "If this makes you feel more comfortable, then it's fine."
"Thanks, Tetsu-kun. I'll get back to work."
Sayoko was, without a doubt, incredibly dedicated—or rather, someone who easily sank into her imaginative world. Despite her bold move, once she reopened Fate's script, she dove right in.
And clearly, after her "unrestrained shock," her focus was sharper than ever. Her big eyes locked onto the script on the screen, unblinking.
This was a good thing. But as the saying goes, happiness doesn't vanish—it shifts. So do troubles.
Now Fuyukawa was the one feeling restless.
Glancing at the now-unrestrained curves and her focused profile, he sighed. No sneaky moves from behind—he just swiveled his chair back to his computer and started coding. As lines of code filled the screen, his focus returned. But he didn't notice the wine bottle nearby slowly emptying, bit by bit.