"Please continue to take care of us in the future," Hattori Yuji said, raising his glass with a smile. "Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Aoki Haruhi and Tsuda Nao clinked glasses with him, the sound ringing clear.
Hattori Yuji had completely abandoned his earlier cold demeanor. Not only had he treated them to dinner, but he also became remarkably enthusiastic, even proposing to reorder 20,000 copies of Onmyoji from Pokeni.
His ability to change his tune so quickly was truly remarkable.
Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but admire President Hattori's sheer audacity.
After bidding farewell to Hattori Yuji that evening, Aoki Haruhi, familiar with the route, walked Tsuda Nao home.
Though he said he was walking her home, they went on foot. Tsuda's place wasn't far from the restaurant.
The night breeze gently caressed their faces as they walked, one behind the other. Tsuda Nao, carrying her heels, wore a white, sheer, long dress. Her silhouette was both pure and alluring.
Between her shoulder blades, her smooth, delicate back swayed in the moonlight.
Seeing her, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but recall the final scene of Operation Love, where Nagasawa Masami walked along the beach.
Sometimes, simply gazing at a beautiful woman filled one's heart with boundless warmth.
For a fleeting moment, Aoki Haruhi felt a pang of attraction.
But—
He frowned.
Tsuda was like a fox. Seemingly charming at first, getting close revealed her prickly nature. One might end up getting hurt.
With that thought, Tsuda Nao ahead seemed less appealing.
"President Hattori is quite shameless," Aoki Haruhi said, following behind her.
Not that it mattered. He was in high spirits.
For businessmen, there were no eternal enemies—only shared interests.
"That's just how he is. Or rather, how most people are—driven by self-interest," Tsuda said with a smile.
"Are you the same way, President Tsuda?" Aoki Haruhi asked casually.
Tsuda suddenly stopped and turned around.
Aoki Haruhi was taken aback.
"Yes," Tsuda Nao said, tucking her wind-blown hair behind her ear, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she looked at him. "Me too."
Aoki Haruhi froze, seemingly unable to believe she was telling the truth.
Upon reflection, he realized Tsuda might indeed be someone who fully embraced this principle, and his heart grew colder.
But the next moment, Tsuda threw away her high heels, walked up to him, and cupped his face in her hands.
"Mmm..."
Tsuda Nao steadied him again.
Huh?
Why did I say "again"?
Aoki Haruhi licked his lips, finding them incredibly soft.
He couldn't help but tighten his embrace around Tsuda Nao.
After a while, they separated.
Aoki Haruhi pointed to his lips and grinned. "Is this... also profit-driven?"
"Yes," Tsuda laughed. "Completely profit-driven. Please don't misunderstand."
"Then I'd like a little more."
As he spoke, Aoki Haruhi gently tugged her arm, pulling Tsuda Nao back into his arms.
There they stood, kissing deeply in the wind.
"Let's stop here."
Tsuda Nao gently pushed Aoki Haruhi away and slipped on her high heels.
"Oh? You're not going to let me come up again?" Aoki Haruhi pointed at Tsuda's apartment nearby.
"That's right," Tsuda Nao said with a sly smile. "I have absolutely no intention of inviting the President up."
"Ah... too bad," Aoki Haruhi frowned.
This fox is too good at teasing, stirring up someone's fire and then refusing to put it out. So damn annoying.
"But you can walk me to the door."
Tsuda Nao came closer and linked her arm through Aoki Haruhi's.
The two leaned against each other as they walked up the slope.
The night breeze blew, and the bright moon shone like sand.
Their shadows stretched long across the ground, and the trees swayed.
On this summer night, amidst the chirping of cicadas, the atmosphere grew even more serene.
"By the way, Onmyoji is doing really well. The profits should be enough to develop our next game. Do you have any plans?" Tsuda Nao asked.
By this point, Onmyoji had sold over 80,000 copies, and Pokeni's sales had reached an astonishing 320 million. Even after taxes and their revenue share with DUN, Pokeni still had nearly 100 million in profit.
In 1990, this sum was more than enough to fund their next game.
As long as they avoided the so-called AAA blockbusters, Aoki Haruhi felt they were practically swimming in riches.
Meanwhile, thanks to Pokeni's success, DUN had made a substantial profit on their investment.
"What are your plans?" Aoki Haruhi pondered for a moment before smiling. "Of course, we're going to go mainstream."
"Go mainstream?" Tsuda Nao looked up at him, puzzled.
"Exactly," Aoki Haruhi nodded with a grin. "I don't want to make any more galgame games."
"Huh?" Tsuda Nao was slightly taken aback. "Are you going to waste such a great talent?"
"..." Aoki Haruhi was speechless.
Who praises someone's talent for making galgames?
Besides, the success of Onmyoji had nothing to do with its galgame elements.
If our story and combat hadn't been so good, we never would have achieved this level of success.
How can this woman still not grasp that?
"My talent isn't for making galgames," he replied. "President Tsuda might not understand, but I'm a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to making games."
Having foreseen the evolution of the gaming industry for the next few decades, Aoki Haruhi was certain he could never fail again.
In fact, he was already planning his next game.
After all, galgames were still too niche.
Aoki Haruhi's ambitions extended far beyond that.
"Ah~ that's such a shame," Tsuda Nao said, drawing out her words and looking at him with a hint of displeasure. "I was hoping we could collaborate in the future."
"Collaboration is fine," Aoki Haruhi said with a smile. "But we won't be making galgames."
Now that he had earned enough money, he needed to quickly wash away the galgame brand on his soul. After all, once it set in, he'd never be able to escape it.
"Then there's no need for cooperation," Tsuda Nao replied with unusual decisiveness.
Aoki Haruhi: "..."
"However..." Tsuda Nao released his hand and took two steps forward. Just as she reached the apartment door, she turned back, smiling at him.
"President Qing, if you ever need investment again, please don't hesitate to contact DUN."
"Hey! Don't just casually set such a flag, President Tsuda!" Aoki Haruhi protested.
Tsuda Nao paused, her expression shifting.
"A flag? You're quite amusing, President Qing."
"Good night then," she said, turning and entering the apartment building.
Watching her solitary figure disappear, Aoki Haruhi clicked his tongue.
"Don't worry, I definitely won't repeat my past mistakes."
"There's no reason this next game should fail."
Please Support me by becoming my patreon member and get 20+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon