"What kind of bet?"
Miyano Mitei froze for a moment, but the word "bet" sparked a glint of excitement in her eyes.
Fuyukawa Tetsu glanced at her voluptuous 93cm "peaches" and grinned. "If my game sells 100,000 copies…"
"If your game sells 100,000 copies, I'll let you kiss me anytime you want!"
Miyano Mitei cut in, her face still carrying a skeptical smirk, though now tinged with a hint of shyness. But skepticism dominated.
Joking aside, the best-selling interactive movie game in history barely hit 200,000 copies, and that one had a budget of over 3 billion yen!
A 3-billion-yen investment only sold a little over 200,000 units—a colossal flop!
This genre had no precedent for explosive success, and Miyano had done her homework on Fuyukawa Tetsu. Sure, his skills were top-notch, but his past projects were all ARPGs. That's one reason she'd recruited him for Department Four—to work on ARPGs. She hadn't expected Department Three to cling to him so stubbornly.
A niche genre, no experience in this type of project, a tiny budget, low production costs, and minimal marketing funds—how could anyone make a product that sells 100,000 copies under those conditions?
Sure, she could tell Fuyukawa had researched the genre thoroughly, but Miyano didn't believe I'm Surrounded by Beautiful Women could hit 100,000 sales.
Kiss me anytime?
Fuyukawa paused, his gaze sweeping over her curvaceous figure.
All I was gonna ask was for you to call me 'Onii-san' a couple times…
Bet or no bet, he was determined to make a great product. But this unexpected perk? Fuyukawa wasn't about to say no. "Deal."
"Wait!"
"Hm?"
Thinking she might back out, Fuyukawa raised an eyebrow. But then, Miyano's lips curled into a sharp, icy smile. She crossed her arms under her ample "snow pomelos," her gaze turning predatory, like a snake eyeing its prey. "What happens if you lose?"
"If I lose?"
"Yeah. If you lose, I want you to kneel and lick my feet! And from then on, every time you see me, you bow 90 degrees and keep your eyes on my toes!"
"Fine. But your conditions are piling up, so I'll add one too. If I win, you'll be my housekeeper for a week—wearing a maid outfit and calling me 'Master.'"
"Tch, you pervert. Don't tell me you actually think you've got a shot!"
---
When someone pours all their focus into one thing, they either get fired up or spiral into anxiety.
Before heading out that morning, Miyano Mitei was in a dark mood, radiating a chilling aura that felt almost menacing. But after an hour of boxing and some playful teasing from Fuyukawa, she'd loosened up considerably.
Back at the company, though, she reverted to her fearsome "ice queen" persona. Her mere presence made the receptionist, Miss Hatano, tremble. Word of the bet she'd made with Department Three during the morning meeting had clearly spread like wildfire.
"I heard from Department Five that if she doesn't deliver a hit this time, they'll team up with Department Three to pressure her."
"She's not wrong to try something new. Our company's market share is shrinking, and it's about time we explored new directions. But she's overestimating her position. Those kinds of bold moves are for executive-level leaders, not her."
"Yeah, she's just a newcomer. She should've kept her head down and played nice for a while. Instead, she's always got that icy face, acting all high and mighty."
"And I bet her bad days are coming soon. When she took over Department Four, their flagship studio, Firefly, was already in the late stages of developing Dead or Alive. But I heard yesterday the beta testing went poorly. Firefly's deputy director, Yamanaka, was raging in his office. Tsk, tsk, tsk. A 4.7-billion-yen investment down the drain? She's in deep trouble."
"Serves her right. She's too cocky. Her name wasn't even on the Dead or Alive project list. If the game flops, she won't get any blame officially, but the board will still make her the scapegoat."
"She loves the spotlight, huh? Let her have it, haha."
"These people… they're like hyenas."
Following behind Miyano, Fuyukawa could feel countless eyes and hushed whispers enveloping her from all directions as they entered the company lobby. Most were mocking, gleeful, or reveling in her potential downfall.
A billion-yen budget, 100,000 sales, and no hot trends to lean into!
The constraints were brutal, success near impossible. And with Department Four's flagship project teetering on the edge of failure, despite Miyano's clean record with employees, her cold, haughty demeanor made plenty of people eager to see her crash and burn.
As the stares and whispers grew, Fuyukawa frowned, noticing Miyano's body tense slightly. But she quickly regained her composure, standing taller, her aura sharpening into something even colder and more formidable.
She hates this feeling but forces herself to channel that disgust into a drive to win?
What an interesting woman.
Fuyukawa, initially annoyed by the gossip, felt his eyes widen slightly, a spark of amusement and growing admiration in his gaze.
They stepped into the elevator, the doors closing and shutting out the world.
The ride up was silent in the confined space. But as the doors slid open at their floor…
"Don't feel pressured."
"Don't feel pressured."
Their voices overlapped. Miyano's eyes widened as she turned to Fuyukawa, who was equally surprised. A warm smile spread across his face. Under her stunned gaze, he reached out, ruffling her hair gently. "Don't stress. I'll help you take them all down."
His hand slid from her silky hair to pinch her cheek lightly before he strode out of the elevator. The doors stayed open even as he walked into Lightbird Studio's office.
This guy…
Miyano stood there, dazed, her cheek stinging faintly from the pinch. The elevator's voice prompt snapped her back to reality. Inhaling the lingering scent of men's shampoo, her lips curved into a sweet smile.
Just then, two male employees rushed into the elevator.
Her smile vanished instantly, replaced by her signature icy expression, her gaze indifferent.
"Yah! Minister Miyano!"
"Good morning, Minister Miyano!"
"Hm."
The two men froze, intimidated by her cold beauty and commanding presence. They turned their backs to her, standing stiffly, almost shrinking. Once their backs were turned, Miyano lowered her head slightly, and her lips curved into a faint, unconscious smile.