A guy with good looks naturally draws more attention from the opposite sex. But once you step into the real world, it's a man's charisma and skills that matter more.
It's like how high school girls might go crazy over a heavily made-up pop idol, screaming their heads off, while women with a bit more depth and experience tend to prefer mature, talented actors.
Once he got into work mode, though, Tetsu Fuyukawa didn't care much about what others thought of him. His mind was entirely on the job.
"Everything for the process has been delegated. As soon as the funds come through, we can officially start," he said.
Sitting at the boss's desk, Tetsu's eyes darted across the computer screen, scanning images of tourist attractions.
"It's early October now. If all goes well, we should have Surrounded by Beauties ready by March next year. That's perfect timing—students will be on spring break, and the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom."
He mused, "With a backdrop of cherry blossoms, spring, and beautiful girls in the game's opening, it'll really pull players in."
Surrounded by Beauties was a full-on romance game, and its appeal lay in fulfilling the romantic fantasies of guys too lazy to chase girls in real life. Fulfilling fantasies—that was the key. And for Japanese men, or honestly, any guy who's watched Japanese anime, who could resist a meet-cute with a pure, gorgeous girl under cherry blossom petals drifting down the street?
As for whether localizing so much of the story might cause issues, Tetsu wasn't too worried. As long as the focus stayed on "fulfilling romantic fantasies," it'd be fine.
"But the cherry blossoms aren't blooming yet," he noted.
"That scene will have to wait until next spring for filming. In the meantime… maybe the hot spring plot."
When it comes to Japanese films or things Japanese guys dream of doing with their girlfriends, a one-night, two-day hot spring trip is a must. Back in the day, even the famous actress Takizawa-sensei shot to fame with her mixed-race charm and a hot spring scene.
"For the hot spring plot, maybe Hakone?" Tetsu considered.
The hot spring scene was slated for filming around December. Snow, moonlight, hot springs, beautiful girls, and cherry blossoms—throw those together, and there's no way Japanese guys wouldn't eat it up. The exact location wasn't set yet, though.
Tetsu's middle finger scrolled the mouse wheel, and soon a map of a hot spring town appeared on the screen.
Hakone—a quirky name, but this town in southwestern Kanagawa Prefecture is Japan's hot spring haven and a renowned international tourist destination. In many Japanese manga, that iconic torii gate half-submerged in the sea? That's from Hakone.
"The scenery's pretty great. Definitely a solid backup option," Tetsu thought.
With a quick Ctrl+C, he copied the Hakone webpage link into a spreadsheet, took a sip of the goji berry water Sayoko had brewed for him, and continued browsing other locations.
As he worked diligently, the office clock struck nine, and the entire building buzzed with activity. The team at Hikari Bird Studio got to their tasks. Sayoko was on the phone, dialing agents for actors one by one. Mrs. Nogi and young Kawaguchi were running around with documents, chasing stamps from various departments.
Unlike Sayoko's confidence or Mrs. Nogi's seasoned efficiency, chubby Kawaguchi looked nervous as he clutched his folder and approached the finance department.
In terms of hierarchy, the finance department was independent but on the same level as other departments. To put it simply, the finance department head's rank was equal to Miyano Mitei's, and even Tetsu, a section chief, would sit at the section chief or deputy chief's table at a finance department dinner—not with the regular staff.
Kawaguchi was technically on the same level as the finance department's regular employees, but because finance had the power to approve or reject other departments' processes, their staff often acted superior. A simple "I don't see it" or "You're missing documents" could delay someone's work for a day—or even days.
"Here's hoping nothing goes wrong," Kawaguchi muttered.
Having been hassled by the finance department before, he was a bit on edge as he knocked on their door.
"Come in," came a sharp voice from inside.
Kawaguchi's body tensed slightly as he pushed the door open. A woman in her thirties sat at a desk, applying hand cream. She wasn't particularly striking, but her figure was impressive, her makeup heavy, and her hair neatly pinned up.
She barely glanced at Kawaguchi, continuing to rub in her hand cream, giving off major "difficult coworker" vibes.
This could be trouble, Kawaguchi thought, growing more anxious.
Clutching his folder, he forced a smile and approached her desk, glancing at her nameplate. "Ms. Matsushita, sorry to bother you. I'm Kojiro Kawaguchi from Hikari Bird Studio. This is our funding proposal. Could you please take a look?"
This was where the finance department's power came in.
The proposal already had Tetsu Fuyukawa's and Miyano Mitei's signatures, but it still needed the finance section chief or deputy chief's initial approval, followed by the finance department head's final sign-off. Only with all four signatures would the proposal enter the company's system for funding approval.
Before the section chief's review, though, regular staff would give it a once-over—not to check the budget amount (they didn't have that authority), but to ensure no documents were missing, saving the higher-ups' time.
In a way, even regular finance staff held significant power. A single word from them could send someone running in circles.
Sure enough, as Kawaguchi watched with a nervous smile, the woman kept applying her hand cream, barely looking up. "Just leave it there," she said dismissively.
Kawaguchi froze, but his chubby face quickly forced another smile. "Um, our team leader said this proposal is a bit urgent, so if you could—"
"I got it. I'll deal with it later," she cut in, her tone impatient. "Oh, good morning, Section Chief Owada!"
"Morning, Section Chief Owada!" she repeated, her demeanor shifting.
Just then, a short, stocky middle-aged man strode in with a briefcase, exuding authority. He had a distinctly retro Showa-era look—hair slicked with pomade, parted to the side, a large head, and a face that resembled a grumpy bulldog.
"Morning, Matsushita-san," he said, nodding with a smile to her and Kawaguchi's respectful bows. But the moment he turned away, his smile vanished, replaced by a stern, almost perpetually displeased expression. Just before turning, though, his eyes caught the proposal on the desk.
He paused, backtracked, and picked up the document. Seeing "Hikari Bird Studio" on the cover, he raised an eyebrow at the nervous Kawaguchi. "You're one of Fuyukawa's guys, huh?"