Tokyo: Oreimo

Two hundred thousand of the Cupid-shaped phone charms alone have been sold.

"Does Saori know about these data?"

"That person knew three days earlier than you."

A hint of helplessness appeared on Ritsu Saito's face.

"At this rate, this year's revenue may double compared to last year, but Miss Phoenix seems to think it's still not fast enough."

Recently, Saori has been particularly attentive to her work, especially focusing on revenue issues, something Saito Ritsu has mentioned more than once.

Not only is there a great urgency in game development, but other business operations within the company are also being accelerated.

"I'll talk to her about this. You just focus on animation production."

Ryosuke patted Saito Ritsu's arm without asking any further questions.

He knew Saori was hiding something from him, but he couldn't get the answer from the animation director.

...

A week later.

The system integration for Steins;Gate has been successfully completed, and the game has entered its final testing phase.

Phoenix Inu Saori and her programming team worked overtime for three consecutive days, running through all the branching paths to confirm there were no logic bugs or dead files.

"Okay."

She placed the test report on Ryosuke's desk, her dark circles standing out starkly against her fair skin.

"Thanks for your hard work."

Ryosuke looked at Saori's tired face and felt a little worried.

She didn't complain, nor did she tease him in her usual relaxed tone.

I just stood there quietly, handed him the report, and waited for him to speak.

"How long has it been since you had a proper night's sleep?"

Ryosuke took the report but didn't open it; his gaze fell on the dark circles under Saori's eyes.

Saori paused for a moment, then curled her lips into a smile that was no different from her usual one.

"What, are you worried about me?"

"Ah."

His answer was so straightforward that Saori's smile faltered for a moment.

She turned her head away, her long black hair slipping down her shoulder and obscuring half of her face.

"...How cunning! He's so direct at times like this."

Ryosuke didn't reply, he just looked at her.

The office was quiet for a moment.

"I will take a break."

Saori raised her head again, her tone regaining its usual composure.

"But not now. I've given myself three days off after Steins;Gate is officially released."

"You keep your word?"

Who do you think I am?

She crossed her arms, slightly raised her chin, and resumed her proper posture.

Ryosuke nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

He knew Saori's personality.

There's no point in pressing her about things she doesn't want to talk about, and she will definitely abide by the boundaries she sets for herself.

This is enough.

"Instead of this, when will you start working on a new project?"

"You just said you wanted to rest..."

"Just asking in advance."

"We should wait until at least May. You're in too much of a hurry, Saori."

.....

Ryosuke burned the final version onto a CD and took it home that evening.

After dinner, he knocked on Ling Nai's door.

"Come in."

The door wasn't locked.

Ryosuke pushed open the door and saw Ling Nai nestled in a computer chair reading comics, her Buffy Rabbit pajamas with the hood up on her head and her two long ears dangling on either side of her shoulders.

"what?"

She placed the comic book face down on the table and watched him warily.

"I promised you."

Ryosuke tossed the CD in his hand over.

Ling Nai caught it, looked down at it, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Steins;Gate?"

"You're the first player in the official version."

Ling Nai smiled immediately, but then realized that Ryosuke was staring at her, so she quickly stopped smiling.

"Hmph, you keep your word."

She inserted the CD into the computer's CD drive, and in the few seconds it took to boot up, her fingers tapped lightly on the table, unable to hide her impatience.

Ryosuke leaned against the door frame, watching her.

Do you want me to give you spoilers?

"you dare."

Ling Nai didn't turn her head, her tone carrying a warning.

"Then take your time having fun, goodnight."

Ryosuke chuckled and closed the door behind him.

...

The moment the door closed, Ling Nai turned to look at the installation progress bar on the screen.

Installation complete.

The game icon appears on the desktop; it's a gear-shaped pattern with an hourglass embedded in the center.

She double-clicked the icon.

The screen dimmed briefly, then lit up again.

Against a black background, a line of white text slowly emerges.

"The universe has an origin, but no end—it is infinite."

"Although planets have their origins, they are destroyed by their own power—and thus, they are finite."

"To possess wisdom is the greatest folly."

"Countless examples exist throughout history."

"This can also be seen as God's final ultimatum to those who resist."

Ling Nai gripped the mouse tightly.

The scene changes.

Street scene in Akihabara.

A man in a white coat squatted by the roadside, speaking seriously into an unanswered cell phone, reciting lines like "organization" and "classified mission."

Pedestrians cast strange glances at them.

Ling Nai: "...."

As expected, it was still very embarrassing.

She took a deep breath and clicked on the first line of dialogue.

On the screen, the game has just begun its prologue.

The protagonist, Rintaro Okabe, a man who calls himself "Hououin Kyouma," is attending a lecture on the theory of time travel at the Broadcasting Center building in Akihabara, Tokyo.

Ling Nai rested her chin on her hand, looking at the tall, slender man in a white coat on the screen, her lips twitching slightly.

Although she drew the character illustrations herself, she still felt uncomfortable when she saw these characters actually come to life and say those cringeworthy lines.

"A time machine, huh... Hehehe, how interesting."

Rintaro Okabe's voice came from the speakers, with a deliberately lowered and deliberately deep tone.

Ling Nai's toes involuntarily curled up under the table.

"...This guy is really something else."

She muttered to herself, but her finger didn't press fast forward.

"However, the courage to point out that the speaker has plagiarized theory in such a lecture is still commendable."

"Although this guy is full of fantasies, he has so much theoretical knowledge that he seems like a real scientist."

The lecture was disrupted by Okabe, creating an awkward atmosphere, when a girl came into view—Makase Kurisu.

Eighteen years old, a researcher at the Institute of Brain Science at Victor Condorliga University, and a prodigy who has published papers in American scientific journals.

She drew the character herself, and it was repeatedly revised at Ryosuke's suggestion.