Tokyo: Oreimo

Ryosuke made a special trip to the company today to obtain the master copy of the demo version.

This time, he doesn't plan to wait until the summer CM exhibition to release it. Instead, he plans to promote it in advance through publishers and distribution networks. The official version will be taken offline and released in mid-April.

After waiting a few minutes, Phoenix Inu Saori took out the already burned CD and handed it to Ryosuke.

She had also arranged the mass production of promotional materials; all she had to do was go find Uncle Yamazaki.

"Shi Yuze".

Ryosuke was about to leave when his friend behind him suddenly called out to him.

"I will be away for a while, about two months. Don't worry, I will do the game testing elsewhere even if I'm not at the company. Once it's done, I will send the official version to the company by mail."

"Huh? So suddenly?"

Ryosuke was taken aback.

"Yes, there's been some trouble at home that I have to deal with."

Phoenix Inu Saori's face showed a somewhat complicated expression.

Home?

Ryosuke Takagi had never heard her mention her personal affairs before. If she needed to be away for so long, could it be that something had happened to a relative?

"It's alright, go as soon as possible."

"How cold-hearted. I thought you would at least try to keep me here."

“…”

Phoenix Inu Saori suddenly laughed, and the ensuing teasing didn't make Ryosuke uncomfortable; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief.

It doesn't seem to be the kind of accident that would cause sadness.

In that case, let's consider it as giving this friend a slightly longer vacation.

"What's with trying to persuade you to stay? It's not like you're not coming back."

Ryosuke shrugged.

“That’s true.” Phoenix Inu Saori smiled, shifting her gaze from Ryosuke to the gray sky outside the window. “But two months is still quite a long time. I’ll miss you if I don’t see you.”

She withdrew her gaze, turned her head to look at him, and her black hair slid down her shoulder. The look in her eyes sent a chill down Ryosuke's spine.

"I'll miss you too."

As if by some strange twist of fate, Ryosuke gave an answer.

To be honest, he had gotten used to Phoenix Inu Saori's presence. Ever since the company was established, he had always felt quite at ease entrusting any matter, big or small, to her.

The other party is too versatile, as if she has studied company management since childhood. If it weren't for her, I would probably be overwhelmed if I wanted to keep the company running smoothly.

Some even think that if they could actually marry the other person, it would be the greatest blessing in their lives.

After all, apart from the age difference, Ryosuke believed that the other person was the best marriage partner, considering everything from physical appearance to personal qualities.

Of course, he would never say such a thing out loud.

Because the other party is most likely making fun of you.

As expected, Phoenix Inu Saori visibly trembled upon hearing these words.

Then, as if he couldn't help it, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"This is so funny. You always think about me no matter what. Shi Yuze, are you confessing your feelings to me?"

"I won't agree easily if you don't make a proper offer."

Phoenix Inu Saori clutched her belly, laughing so hard she was shaking.

"Well, it's just that I'm reluctant to part with my good friend."

Ryosuke's lips twitched slightly.

This guy has such a terrible personality. Even if I had a brain fart and confessed seriously, I'd probably be laughed at until I doubted my existence.

I treated you like a brother, but you tried to attack me.

They'll definitely be teased like that.

Just thinking about this scene sent chills down Ryosuke's spine.

"In short, I'm giving you a long vacation this time. Come back after you've finished dealing with things. The company doesn't need to worry."

"How kind of you, President. I shall accept your kind offer."

Phoenix Inu Saori cupped her delicate face in her hands, rested her arms on the table, and gazed at him with tender affection.

Ryosuke couldn't stand the blatant stares and had no choice but to flee.

Chapter 119 It's dangerous not to watch where you're going!

After receiving the Clannad demo, Ryosuke went straight to Akihabara.

The goal this time was to promote the product through distributors. We visited several large stores and received high-level treatment from them.

These game stores are backed by large trading companies, which generally have sales networks covering the entire country.

Last year, the popularity of "FSN" was not limited to Tokyo; its sales were quite considerable throughout the country.

With such a great work already established, discussing collaborations for a new project becomes much easier, as helping to promote the free trial version is mutually beneficial.

The negotiations didn't take long. After a simple signing of the agreement, Ryosuke went to Toshiba Akihabara Electronics Trading Co., Ltd., which is Yamazaki's store.

"Takashiro-kun, I've already heard about your business from Saori. You're going to burn CDs in bulk, right? I'll give you a discount."

Uncle Yamazaki greeted them warmly, and after a brief discussion with Ryosuke, they reached an agreement.

There were 20,000 trial CD sets, priced at 500 yen each. Since it wasn't the first time they had collaborated, Ryosuke prepaid the full amount and asked them to deliver the CDs in batches to several large stores in Akihabara after production was completed.

CD burning is cheaper and much faster than DVD burning, and can be completed within a few days.

Ryosuke handed the master disc to the other party and asked Yamazaki to burn two discs on the spot, intending to take them home and give them to Ayano.

If she knew that the demo version was released and she didn't get it right away, she would definitely complain.

While burning the disc, Ryosuke chatted casually with Yamazaki.

"That's really impressive, Takashiro-kun. You've started a company at such a young age through your own abilities."

Yamazaki praised him generously, saying that the boy in front of him was still in high school, and that he could achieve this level at such a young age. There were probably only a handful of such people in the whole country.

Moreover, he had heard from Phoenix Inu Saori that the other party had built her business entirely on her own, starting from scratch.

When he was this boy's age, all he could think about was playing.

"Uncle Yamazaki, please stop teasing me. I just happened to be lucky."

"You're being modest."

Yamazaki smiled.

Take luck with a grain of salt. You're an adult now. While success certainly has an element of chance, the courage to commit everything to something from the very beginning is something not everyone possesses.

"Alright, these two CDs are a bonus, no need to pay."

"Thank you, Uncle Yamazaki."

Ryosuke thanked him, took the CD, and prepared to leave.

"By the way, I heard that Saori is planning to go home, right?"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Ryosuke stopped and turned around to look.

"Yes, I heard they won't be back for the next two months."

Yamazaki paused for a moment, then waved to him and handed him a slip of paper.

Ryosuke took it and saw a phone number on it, but nothing else.

"Uncle Yamazaki, what's this?"

"Here is my personal contact information. You can call me if you need anything else later."

Yamazaki lit a cigarette and looked at Ryosuke with a hint of melancholy.

"What was the number you left before?"

Ryosuke already had Yamazaki's phone number; they had established contact during their previous collaboration, so he was somewhat confused about the other party's intentions.

"That's a work-related phone number. You can contact me anytime using this number."

"No need to ask any more questions, you'll need it soon."

The meaning is unknown.

Ryosuke didn't ask any more questions. There was no harm in adding another contact method. He saved the phone number in his phone's address book and then left.

Yamazaki watched him leave, taking a deep drag on his cigarette.

"It seems that Saori is getting impatient and is preparing to confront the old man."

"Well, this was expected, but it's still quite surprising that this kid seems to know nothing?"

When Ryosuke got home, it was already 2 p.m.

On the way, he also received a text message from Saori Phoenix Institute.

"I'm leaving now. See you in a while. Remember to miss me."

This guy has absolutely no sense of restraint.

Ryosuke stared at the text message on his phone screen, his finger lingering on the reply box for a moment.

He thought for a moment and replied simply, "Have a safe trip, and we'll be waiting to celebrate your success when you get back."

Judging by the timeline, Clannad should have already been released before the other party returned.

Last year's celebration banquet couldn't be held properly because of Ling Nai, but this year we should be able to have a lively and fun one.

After sending the discs, Ryosuke put his phone in his pocket and carried the two discs up the stairs.

Just as they reached the top of the stairs, Ling Nai's door suddenly opened, and a figure rushed out.