Prologue
The day after I finished conquering Mami, I cautiously opened the classroom door and stepped inside.
Elsie followed shortly after, and after confirming that nothing unusual was happening for a while, I let out a big sigh of relief.
Then, gradually, laughter welled up inside me, and in the end, I was laughing heartily.
"Hahahahaha!! Finally, finally, I can play games in the classroom without being chased by runaway spirits!!"
"Hey, you're too noisy, Otamega."
"Hmph, a woman like you could never understand the joy I feel."
"You don't have to understand it, you know. You don't have to understand Otamega's feelings."
Kosaka said it as if he really didn't care.
Normally I'd talk back, but I'm in a good mood today. I'll just ignore them and start playing the game.
"Oh, God..."
I'm sorry, Chihiro-san."
"It's fine, it's fine. It's just an otaku's glasses."
Hey Ellie, let's go to Gakkan Land sometime! I heard a rumor that Kanon-chan might do a surprise live performance there."
It seems Gakkanland's ingenious plan is already proving effective. The rumors seem to be distorting things in a rather clever way.
...Speaking of which, I wonder what Nakagawa is up to these days? It's been a while since he wasn't being chased by runaway soul hunters.
It all started with a conversation I had with Mr. Okada during a short break between work assignments.
"Huh, a game?"
"Huh? Yes, that's right."
Mr. Okada was explaining the enormous schedule so smoothly that I mostly just ignored the important parts, but when I heard the phrase "game," I reacted.
"When you say 'work related to games,' do you mean voice acting?"
"But this time it's a little different."
"I'm talking about making a game based on you."
"You're going to use me as the subject!?"
"Yes. Nothing concrete has been decided yet, but it seems they want to make it something like a rhythm game."
"..."
"? what happened?"
"Do you have any detailed documents regarding this matter?"
"Yes, but... what are you planning to use it for? You can't show it to your friends or outsiders, okay?"
"I certainly don't intend to show the whole thing. I'll just give you a brief summary."
"There's someone I'd like to talk to about something."
"Well, I suppose nothing strange will happen with you."
Yes, here are the documents."
"Thank you. I'm sorry for interrupting. Please continue checking the schedule."
"Yes. The next appointment is..."
A game based on me...
Consulting with Keima might yield some positive results.
The meeting about this game is this evening, huh...
...I guess the only way to talk to them is to contact them right now?
01 To get a good game made
[♪♪♪♪♪ ♪♪～♪♪♪♪～ ♪♪♪♪♪ ♪♪～♪♪♪♪～]
Elsie's phone rang while she was chatting with Kosaka during break time.
It seems he's been using it normally since his mom bought it for him a few days ago. I'm glad he's not as technologically challenged as he is in the manga.
It seems like they've even changed their ringtone to one of Nakagawa's songs. I think it was... Happy Crescent?
"Oh, it's from the princess! Chihiro, I'll come out for a bit."
"Okay~"
Elsie toddles out of the classroom.
By the way, I wonder who taught him the proper etiquette for answering the phone? It seems there are communication devices even in hell, so it wouldn't be surprising if he learned it there.
"Hmm... hey Otamega"
"What is it? I'm busy right now."
"You say you're busy, but you're just playing games."
"I'm saying I'm busy with that game!"
So, get to the point already."
"Yes, yes."
Does this guy even understand the value of time?
If you think you still have plenty of time and are well on your side, it's something that can be snatched away from you in an instant!!
"I wonder who this princess Ellie sometimes mentions is. But when I ask her, she just brushes it off."
"But why are you asking me?"
"Well, that girl calls you 'God,' doesn't she?"
So I thought maybe they knew something."
I can't help but feel there's quite a difference between a god and a princess.
She's pretty perceptive, even though she's a woman.
But I have no intention of answering. If I tell them that the person on the other end of the phone was Nakagawa Kanon, it's definitely going to cause trouble.
"Sorry, but I don't know either. Maybe they're friends from another school or something?"
"I see. Well, that makes sense..."
"Oh God! The princess wants you to take her place!!"
"...I'm going now."
"Wait a minute, you definitely know something, don't you!?"
That idiot Elsie, she has no sense of the room!
Before Kosaka could give me a hard time, I quickly went over to Elsie, snatched her phone, and went out into the hallway.
"What's wrong with you? Couldn't you have just sent an email like usual?"
"Huh? Was it not okay to call?"
"There shouldn't have been a problem, but the timing was bad."
"I don't really understand... but I'll switch to email then."
"No, there's no problem with things as they are for now. What's the matter?"
"Oh, yeah. I have something I'd like to talk to you about regarding games."
"Oh?"
You want to talk about games?
That explains why they contacted me.
"Apparently, they're going to make a game based on me."
So, I was wondering if you could give me any advice.
"...I see."
Things seem to be getting quite interesting. I'd love to share my thoughts on various aspects.
However, although I am a god, in terms of social status I am nothing more than an ordinary gamer.
If I could go to the development company and ask to see their detailed plans, I could probably offer some input, but that's obviously impossible.
Let's try to do something, limiting ourselves to what we can say right now.
"First of all, what genre is it? It doesn't seem to be a typical dating sim."
"It's still undecided, but it seems like it's going to be a rhythm game."
"A rhythm game, huh? In that case, unless I make a really stupid mistake, I shouldn't fail."
To put it bluntly, rhythm games are games where you simply press buttons in time with the on-screen display and rhythm.
That "only" aspect is what makes it tricky for players, but it's probably easier for developers to create.
It completely lacks the flag management and variable processing for affection levels that are typical of dating sim games, or if there are any, they are very minimal, so strange bugs are less likely to occur.
...But even then, if a terrible company makes it, you can end up with a monstrously awful game. How on earth do those guys manage to make something like that?
"So, you want some advice?"
"Yeah"
"Well... it's about choosing a development company with motivation and expertise."
Given your level of fame, even if the game isn't particularly good, it's unlikely to end up in the red.
But if you end up ripping off your fans with a low-quality game, your own reputation could suffer, even if it's not your fault at all.
If you sense an atmosphere of "Let's just ride the wave of popularity for now" or "We're unlikely to fail, so let's just do it half-heartedly," you should quickly decline.
I don't think those kinds of people are capable of making a good game."
"That's true. If I firmly refuse, I think Okada will think about it properly, so I'll carefully consider it before giving my answer."
"Please do that."
"Is there anything else?"
"Well... I'm sorry, but I don't think I can say much."
You have a better understanding of what fans want than I do, right?
"So you're saying I should make a game that the fans want? Got it."
"I think there's only so much you can say about development from your position."
"That may be true, but..."
"Well, just do your best within your capabilities."
"Yeah!
"Hey, when the game comes out, do you want to play it too, Keima?"
"...I'm looking forward to a good game."
"Okay! See you then!"
A game based on Nakagawa... huh.
Hmm...
"God! Class is about to start!"
"Yes, I'm coming now."
I handed the phone back to Elsie and went back to the classroom.
I made eye contact with Kosaka at that moment, but I decided to leave it alone for now.
02 Family and lunch
Choosing a good development company... huh.
Is that the ultimate answer...? I wonder if there's anything more I can do?
The company makes the game itself, so maybe that's about all we can do...
...I guess all I can do is do my best with what I'm capable of.
"Mr. Okada, do you have a moment?"
All I can do right now is try to extract information from Okada-san, who made the schedule, I guess?
"What's wrong?"
"About that game project we were just talking about..."
"You seem unusually concerned. Is there something bothering you?"
What should I say to bring it up?
Since there aren't any people from the development company here, is it okay to ask some fairly direct questions?
"Can I trust this company?"
"Huh? Um... what does that mean?"
...Maybe that was a little too strong? Oh well.
"Oh, sorry. I meant, 'Will you be able to make it into a really good game?'"
"Oh, I see."
Unfortunately, I don't really understand."
"What? You don't understand?"
Even Okada, who is usually so knowledgeable, apparently didn't fully grasp the capabilities of the game companies.
It's obvious, but that raises a new question.
"So, why did you choose this company?"
Were there any other criteria for selection besides achievements and abilities?
"To put it simply, it's a matter of money. We received similar proposals from several companies, but their proposal offered the highest potential revenue."
"I see..."
That's just how the adult world is, isn't it...?
But that makes me worried. Is it a legitimate company?
"...Kanon, are you okay?"
"Uh, oh yes."
"This matter is pretty much settled, but we haven't signed a formal contract yet."
So, you can still refuse now."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. So let's check everything carefully today and make sure everything is okay before we sign the contract."
This is very helpful information.
I hadn't really thought about what I would do if the contract had already been signed, but now I don't need to think about that anymore.
If it's a really bad company, you can just refuse the offer.
"But is that really okay? If you back out when it's practically decided, won't it damage your reputation?"
"A bad reputation caused by a company of that caliber won't even begin to shake our reputation."
Mr. Okada is incredibly handsome. He's a truly reliable person.
I'm so glad this person is my manager.
"But what's the matter? Why are you suddenly worrying about something like that?"
"Um..."
Is it okay if I tell you the truth?
Yes, I'm sure it'll be fine.
"I 've recently become close to someone, and I'm constantly relying on them for help."friend(・)reach(・)
That's why I want to repay the favor, even just a little. That person really loves games, so I'd like to give them a good game as a gift.
"I may not be able to do much, though."
"Friends? When did that happen?"
"Some things happened at school."
"Hmm, I see. In that case, let's buy your boyfriend a good game as a present."
"Huh... what? Um, he's not my boyfriend, you know?"
"Oh, really? I had a feeling that was the case, but maybe I was mistaken."
I think I was being tricked just now...
It's not like they explicitly say "no dating because you're an idol!", but I doubt it would be well-received.
Apparently, even just having such rumors circulating can be quite damaging, so perhaps Mr. Okada wanted to be aware of it?
...I don't think they've found out that I've been staying at Keima's house... I'm pretty thorough about keeping that a secret.
"As I mentioned earlier, the game meeting is in the evening."
"For now, I'll just get on with the next job."
"Yes!"
"Hmm, I see."
During my lunch break, I received an email from Nakagawa.
So, you chose the company because of profitability issues...
I wanted to ask which company it was specifically, but apparently it would be inappropriate for an outsider like me to ask.
I mean, what does it mean to "expect" profits? I thought idols only made money when they first lent their names to the group.
Is it possible that a portion of the sales revenue will flow to the office?
Isn't that basically a threat along the lines of, "If this fails, our profits will decrease, so you guys better do your best to promote it"?
It could be seen as a good contract where the more effort the idol agency puts in, the more revenue they'll generate.
I don't know the details of how game development revenue flows, so this might actually be typical, but...it's a bit intriguing.
...Well, whatever. I'll just send in my opinion for now, and let Nakagawa decide what to do. If it seems too risky, I can just decline.
The problem is over here.
"Hey, hey, who is this princess?"
Kosaka is so annoying!!
Damn it, she's just a real woman.
"That's why I'm telling you I don't know either."
"No, we were just on the phone for a long time. There's no way you don't know."
"...I mean I don't know much about it."
I seem to recall one of my relatives being called something like that by Elsie...
I wasn't interested in women, so I don't know much about them."
Let's leave it at that.
"Hmm, so they knew about Otamega?"
"Apparently so. Seriously, I wonder how they got on my radar."
"Didn't you just say someone from another school?"
"I just forgot."
"Hmm... Oh well. That's that."
It doesn't seem like he's completely convinced, but he appears to have stopped pursuing the matter.
Phew, that was a relief...
"God! Let's eat lunch!"
Today's lunch is also homemade by the princess!!
"Okay, let's eat quickly. On the rooftop."
"Wait a minute!! What do you mean by homemade!?"
I'll get out of Kosaka as quickly as possible.
Elsie, you didn't do that on purpose, did you...?
Sigh... How am I going to explain this to Kosaka? Well, I don't really have an obligation to explain it to him, though.
No, at this point, it might be better to create a detailed backstory and make sure Elsie follows it thoroughly.
Damn it, why do I have to think about things like this?
After that, we ate our lunches on the rooftop.
It was actually pretty tasty, which made it a little annoying.
...Meanwhile...
"Arakanon, are you having a packed lunch again today? And it's homemade?"
"Yes, I've been trying a little harder lately."
"Oh, are you planning to give it to your boyfriend?"
"No, I'm telling you, I don't have a boyfriend."
"Really? That's something I'm curious about..."
Okada's intuition is sharp, isn't it? Although it's slightly off.
They're totally suspicious, right? I'd like to do something about it.
Should I just twist and distort the story as much as I can within the limits of what I can talk about?
"He's not my boyfriend, but it's true that there's someone I'd like to help."
"I thought so. A man? A woman?"
"Oh, he's a guy, and he's about the same age as me... but he's not my boyfriend or anything."
"Really?"
"Yes, it's true. It would only be a nuisance to him if I said I was his girlfriend."
"To complain about an idol being your girlfriend is quite a luxury."
"That might be the case."
But even so, they are very important to me. You could say they're like family."
"Family... huh?"
"yes"
"...Okay then, do your best."
I'm not particularly good at cooking, so I can't offer much advice, but I'm happy to help if you need it."
"Wait, so Okada-san can't cook?"
"It's not that I can't do it! I'm just not very good at it!"
"Oh, yes."
I had the impression that Okada could do anything, so this is a bit surprising.
Okada is human too, after all. That's obvious, I guess.
03 Negotiation Tactics
In the evening, I'll have a meeting with Mr. Okada before the meeting with the game company begins.
"The meeting will be between the two of us and one person from the other party, a total of three people."
"I think it's better if I...keep quiet."
"Yes, that's right. This is my job."
I do attend these negotiations, but there's almost nothing I can do. At best, I just smile politely.
I had been so pumped up and ready for anything, but I expected it to end up being the same this time around.
"...I might need your help this time."
"Huh? What should I do?"
"Yes, if the discussion stalls, I'll give a signal. Then..."
"...Okay, I'll give it a try."
"Ideally, we'll end up with a peaceful outcome without ever needing to use it, but if something does happen, I'll be counting on you."
And then after a while...
The meeting with the game company has begun.
"Hello everyone! Wow, it's such an honor to be able to talk to Nakagawa Kanon in person!"
"Thank you"
The first person to talk to me was someone from my company. They were unusually enthusiastic.
They seemed to be acting as if the deal was already finalized. Perhaps they intend to push through with that kind of atmosphere.
"With Kanon-chan's level of fame, it's sure to be a huge hit!"
Okay, I've prepared the contract, so please sign it..."
"Before that, may I ask you something?"
Okada stops the company employee who is urging him to sign the contract as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"What is it?"
"Before we sign the contract, could I please confirm a few things?"
"? Yes. Anything you like."
"Can you confidently say that your company can create the best games, superior to those of other companies?"
I've already told Mr. Okada that I want to make a good game.
Therefore, the main point of discussion naturally becomes that.
If they can make a good game, we'll keep the contract; otherwise, we'll terminate it. That's all there is to it.
"The best game? Of course! Ha ha ha."
"You seem very confident. Do you have any basis for that confidence?"
"There's no reason to believe that a game featuring Kanon Nakagawa wouldn't be the best game ever!"
I don't think that's a valid reason...
I could understand if they were arguing that this would be the best game in this person's company, but whether that's actually the case is another matter.
Is it just my imagination, or does it sound like they're saying, "If you use Kanon Nakagawa's name, it's guaranteed to be a huge hit, so sign the contract quickly"?
"Do you understand? Then please sign..."
"No, no, we're not finished talking yet. Based on that reasoning, it wouldn't make any difference if we hired another company."
We're asking you to tell us the benefits of contracting with your company."
The company employee, who had been smiling from the start, began to lose his composure.
They must have sensed that the conversation was heading in a bad direction.
"Um, so you'll be signing the contract, right?"
"That's up to your company."
"Wait a minute? This matter was practically settled, wasn't it?"
"We haven't signed a contract yet."
"W-what exactly happened? Why are you hesitating to come all the way here?"
"That's a trade secret. I can't answer that."
"Um, at least tell me the reason..."
"That's a trade secret. I can't answer that."
Should I say Okada is egging us on or teasing us?
The people at my company are looking increasingly pale.
"So? Shall I get to answer your question?"
What are the benefits for us in contracting with your company?
"Uh, that's..."
The fact that they can't even talk about know-how or enthusiasm here, even if only superficially, makes me think that's a big problem.
I glanced at Okada, silently asking, "What should we do?", but he gave me the signal to proceed with the plan.
...I'm sure it was just my imagination, but it felt like he was telling me to finish him off.
"May I have a moment?"
"...Huh? Yes, what is it?"
They were probably surprised that I, who hadn't spoken a word except for the initial greeting, had spoken to them. After a short pause, the person from the company replied.
"You just said this earlier, didn't you? 'A game featuring Kanon Nakagawa would be the best game ever.'"
"Y-yes, I did say that."
"So, do you really understand who 'Kanon Nakagawa' is?"
"Do you... understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
Since you're so certain about it, you must know, right? My height, weight, blood type, and birthday. Any fan should know that easily."
By the way, her height is 161cm, her blood type is AB, and her birthday is March 3rd.
Huh? My weight? That's a girl's secret. I don't think many fans even know.
"Huh? Well, um..."
"Also, the name of your pet and its favorite food. That's common knowledge, isn't it?"
Anything else... well..."
Okada asked me to "ask the game company staff for their knowledge as a fan once I give the signal."
At that time, they were also instructed not to mention the names of recent songs.
I was wondering what the intention was, but I understood it well after actually trying it.
If the person is a die-hard fan, they can answer questions like this without hesitation. Even a regular fan, not necessarily a die-hard one, could probably answer something. My birthday is easy to remember, after all.
In other words, this question is not just a way to gauge the other person's level of fandom...
How would someone like me, who only knows my name, feel about this question?
I was bombarded with questions I couldn't possibly answer, as if they were perfectly natural. And by a young girl who had remained silent the whole time. It was nothing but an object of anger.
Moreover, failing to answer at this point would upset the other party, and that would directly affect the success or failure of the contract. It would only be painful.
The person from the company in front of me was actually blushing. Perhaps because of their position, they weren't yelling or anything like that.
I'm not saying you can't make a good game unless you're my fan, but if you're directing your anger towards me even though I'm not making such unreasonable demands, I don't think you'll be able to make a good game. I think we can do without a contract.
"Mmm, guh, guh, guh..."
"...It seems you won't be able to answer either of those questions."
In that case, let's pretend this conversation never happened."
"Wait a minute! This plan should be perfectly profitable!"
So please, I beg you, sign the contract..."
"It's not a matter of profitability. We've simply determined that your company isn't capable of making good games. That's all there is to it."
Well then, excuse me."
Okada bowed with efficient movements before leaving the room.
I followed suit and left the room.
Just before closing the door, someone from the company glared at me intensely... but that's irrelevant now.
See you again someday
"Thank you, Mr. Okada."
"It's alright, you don't need to thank me."
"But it was actually profitable, wasn't it? I'm sorry for being selfish."
"It's fine. No matter how profitable that company is, it's no good."
Rather, we should be thanking you for being the first to raise that question."
"Oh really? That's a relief."
The meeting with the game company representative went smoothly (?).
It's over, but... the day my game gets made seems even further away now. It's still much better than a bad game being made, though.
"Um, I think there were other companies besides that one that talked about my game, right?"
"Yes, I think we've received inquiries from several companies, so if we contact them, they should be able to make it for us...but could you wait a little longer?"
"Uh, yes."
Could it be that because I was being selfish this time, they're putting the game development project on hold...?
"You don't have to look so worried, everything will be alright."
Wouldn't it be better to investigate the company's track record and other factors a bit more before making a decision?
"Yes, sir!!"
I don't know when it will be, but I wonder if I'll be able to give Keima my game as a present.
I hope he'll be happy, Keima.
After finishing my work for the day, I went back to Keima's house.
Going directly to her house without any preparation would cause all sorts of troublesome problems, so I meet up with Elsie at a suitable location, and she drives me there while I'm invisible.
"Thank you for your hard work today, Princess!"
"Yeah, thanks again today."
I could use Elsie's flying magic to get back, but there's about a 50% chance that using it will create a crater in the ground, so I usually go home on foot.
It's a little cramped, but there's no other choice.
"Oh, that reminds me! Something funny happened at school today!"
"Oh really? What kind of thing?"
"Well, we've decided on the princess's alias!"
"...Huh? What happened?"
...Going back a few hours, at school...
"Come on, just spill the beans! Who exactly is this princess?!"
Seriously, why does this guy care so much?
I could just brush it off since it's a hassle, but... if I leave it alone, it'll probably get even more troublesome.
I have no choice but to blurt out the settings I came up with during my lunch break.
"Her name is Maron Nishihara. She's my cousin on my mother's side and is staying with us for reasons I won't go into."
Her hobbies are singing and cooking. She's especially passionate about cooking, to the point that she forces her family to eat her packed lunch every morning and demands their feedback.
It seems he attends a different school, but he doesn't have many friends because he's not the type of person to easily make friends with others.
It's roughly like this."
There's no need to go to such lengths just to explain something, but when such a large amount of information flows smoothly, it becomes harder to be suspicious. Or rather, there's no time to be suspicious.
While blatant contradictions would certainly raise suspicion, something like this shouldn't be a problem at all.
"Huh, wait, what?"
"What? Do you still have something to complain about?"
"No, that's not it... um..."
"Th-that's right! Why were you trying to cover it up?"
"It was too much trouble to say it."
"Wait a minute? What do you mean?"
"It means exactly what it says, you idiot."
"Hey! What do you mean, stupid? What do you mean, stupid?!"
"It means exactly what it says, you idiot."
"Nooooo! That's not it, it's more like..."
"God! It's time to go home!"
Just at the right moment, Elsie called out to me.
I've changed my mind about you just a little, just a tiny bit, Elsie.
"See you later then."
"Hey, hold on! Just one last thing!"
"...Only one, okay?"
"Yeah. So, what's your relationship with this Nishihara person?"
"...She's my cousin, though?"
"No, I mean... I was wondering if they were dating or something."
"Oh, is that all?"
So that's why he was being so confrontational.
It's probably something like, "I can't stand the idea of Otamega having a girlfriend."
"He's just a roommate. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Okay... then I'll leave it at that."
"What do you mean, 'I'll do it'? Oh well, see ya."
...After hearing the whole story of what happened after school from Elsie, I went home and immediately confronted Keima.
"Keima-kun!? What's going on!?"
"Kosaka was being so persistent that I just made up a setting... Is there a problem with that?"
"There are a lot of things I want to say, but... first let me confirm something."
"What does it mean to 'force a bento box on someone'?"
"Is that it?! I just thought that if I made it that way, I wouldn't get questioned about it."
"So... then the bento box isn't a nuisance, right?"
"Ah, I see. I'm grateful for your lunches every day. If it's not too much trouble, I'd like you to continue making them."
"Oh, that's good to hear. I'll do my best then."
"You don't have to push yourself, you know? You're busy with work, right?"
"It's okay. I'm doing it because I want to."
...by the way..."
"Is there anything else?"
"...No, never mind."
"? ah..."
Could the reason Kosaka-san picked a fight with Keima-kun be...?
...I don't think I need to say anything right now. It might just be a misunderstanding.
"By the way, what happened to the game?"
"For now, we've decided to postpone it."
"I see. If that's what you've decided, then it must have been the right choice."
I'm looking forward to a good game."
"Yes! I'm sure I will someday."