With only a three-month production timeline, Fuyukawa Tetsu threw himself into a whirlwind of work the moment Surrounded by Beauties began filming.
Every day, he's at the office by 8 a.m., tweaking the game's UI with Sayoko, refining the script, and polishing dialogue. By 11 a.m., he's at the filming site, shooting non-stop until around 10 p.m. when the crew wraps up.
Excluding lunch breaks, that's at least twelve hours of work daily. And after leaving the office, he goes home to work on Fate with Sayoko.
Some nights, he passes out at his desk, and Sayoko drapes a blanket over him. Other times, it's Sayoko who falls asleep at the computer, and he carries her to bed, where they collapse in each other's arms.
This grueling schedule—mental and physical strain—would drive most people to burnout. Fuyukawa feels the fatigue, but his mental resilience keeps him going. The pressure exhausts him, yet it also fuels his drive, pushing him deeper into work.
His productivity is through the roof, but his appearance? Not so much.
He used to show up to the office in crisp suits, shoes polished to a shine. Now? Wrinkled suits and unwashed, messy hair. The receptionist, Miss Hatano, can't help but fuss over him, her heart aching at his disheveled state.
But someone's even more worried about him than Miss Hatano.
After a few days of this relentless pace, Fuyukawa noticed Sayoko's usual cheery "Dajyobu~" ("I'm fine!") wasn't holding up. Her face grew paler, her energy drained by the intense workload. So, he put his foot down: no overtime past 11 p.m. for her.
At first, Sayoko felt guilty.
Not just for being unable to keep up, but for feeling almost... unneeded. Abandoned, even. She'd lie awake at night, restless without his arms around her. But as Fuyukawa's work pressure mounted and his lifestyle deteriorated, she found a new purpose.
She started going to bed earlier but waking up at dawn, like a gentle, devoted wife. She prepares breakfast, helps him get ready, and even straightens his tie at the genkan (entryway) every morning.
Still, their happy routine isn't without its quirks.
Fuyukawa hates blow-drying his hair, convinced it'll make him go bald. He just towels it off after a shower. Sayoko, though, insists wet hair causes migraines and chases him around the bathroom with a hairdryer.
Mornings often turn into playful tussles. Sayoko, in her floral house dress, inevitably ends up pinned down, mumbling protests while crouching on the floor, legs apart, as he teases her.
It's a life full of pressure but brimming with promise—and warmth. Fuyukawa cherishes it.
As the days roll by and he settles into this rhythm—shuttling between the filming site and home—things at NTsoft take another turn.
...
"Total disaster! 4,327 copies sold. A ¥4.7 billion blockbuster, and it only moved 4,000 units on day one!"
"Division Four's in deep trouble now. I mean, we knew the fighting game market was struggling, but for a legacy studio like theirs to only sell 4,000 copies of a big-budget title like Dead or Alive? That's wild."
"Yeah, I heard the president was so pissed last night he smashed a cup reading the report! Minister Miyano's gonna have a rough time at the executive meeting."
"I don't think it's entirely her fault, though. Word is, a few days ago, Deputy Director Yamanaka from Dead or Alive asked Minister Miyano for more marketing budget, but she turned him down. They had a huge fight. Looking back, if she hadn't said no, Division Four might've crashed even harder. But still, when things go wrong, the president's coming for her."
"Getting chewed out is the least of her worries. The real issue is that even a legacy IP like Dead or Alive with a massive budget can't pull players anymore. The fighting game market's shrinking fast. She's gotta find a new direction for Division Four."
"Exactly. I bet the higher-ups won't fund another fighting game for them. But they're not gonna let Division Four's staff just sit around doing nothing. You think... they might dissolve the whole department?"
"Maybe! Honestly, with the market this bad, it'd be better if they just cut Division Four loose. Then we'd be safer—oh! Section Chief Fuyukawa!"
"Section Chief Fuyukawa, konnichiwa!"
"Konnichiwa!"
In the break room, a group of female employees gossiping over tea snap to attention when Fuyukawa walks in. Their greetings are polite, but their faces scream caught red-handed.
Ugh, gossiping women are the worst.
Fuyukawa mentally rolls his eyes. He's got no time for these nobodies. Ignoring their greetings, he grabs a tea bag and starts brewing a cup of black tea.
His aloof attitude only makes the women more nervous. They bow repeatedly, stammering apologies.
So annoying.
No situational awareness at all.
Already stressed from work and Division Four's mess, Fuyukawa's in no mood. He slumps onto the windowsill, waving them off. "Go do your jobs. Don't bother me."
"Hai, hai! Sorry, Section Chief Fuyukawa, we—sorry!"
One woman, maybe 25 or 26, with a bit of charm and probably no shortage of suitors, freezes. She's the one who said, "It'd be better if they cut Division Four." Just moments ago, she was gloating, but now she's bowing frantically, apologizing. When Fuyukawa glances at her with a slight frown, she trembles, grabs her colleague, and bolts.
"Women who do nothing but gossip behind people's backs are such a pain."
Sighing, Fuyukawa watches their hurried retreat, shaking his head. He sips his warm tea, legs crossed, staring out the window with a mix of frustration and resignation.
Normally, he's barely at the office since most of his work is on-set. But today's Friday, the end-of-month company meeting. Not only do ministers like Miyano Mitei have to attend the executive meeting led by the president, but Division Four also has an internal meeting to report on monthly progress.
It's not a big deal. The intense workload and the fact that it's the weekend meant he needed to submit some financial documents and progress reports to the company's system anyway. So, he gave the film crew a day off and brought Sayoko and the team back to the office.
Surrounded by Beauties is progressing smoothly and hasn't hit the marketing phase yet, so Fuyukawa thought today's meeting would be a formality. But now...
"Miyano's moving too fast."