Tokyo: Oreimo

With the date of the CM exhibition drawing ever closer, Ryosuke received an invitation from Hououin Saori and prepared to travel to Akihabara.

It is said that the first edition of the CDs has been packaged and confirmed to be in good condition. Mass production will begin today, and the vendor responsible for burning the CDs will help deliver them to the exhibition on the day of the event.

Before leaving, Ryosuke made a point of greeting Lingna and asking her if she wanted to come along.

"Don't go, don't go."

"You can decide this yourself."

When I opened the door, I saw this guy holding a keyboard, typing away furiously. He seemed to have been pulled into an online chat room by Gokou Mao and was speaking enthusiastically.

Ryosuke noticed that all the IDs in this group seemed to be female.

As expected, single-player gamers have found their community.

Just as Ryosuke was about to close the door and leave, Takashiro Ryouno suddenly turned around.

"Don't come back too late, there's something I want to discuss with you."

"Hmm? If there's something you need to say, you can say it now."

"Can't you see I'm busy?"

Ling Nai didn't turn her head, but Ryosuke saw a defiant expression on her profile.

He was probably arguing with his friends in the chat room.

He could guess what Takashiro Ryouno was doing just by guessing.

.....

After leaving home, Ryosuke boarded a train bound for Tokyo.

At the same time, his phone vibrated. After confirming the caller's name, he pressed the answer button.

"Congratulations, Mr. Shi Yuze, your new work has won the gold prize of the Dengeki Bunko Award."

The voice of Rumi Hayakawa came from the other end of the phone, sounding even happier than the original author himself.

"If you have time, please come to the company to sign the contract as soon as possible. This way, we can publish it quickly, and it should be quite close to the release date of your game, right?"

“…”

"Today? Sure, you can come anytime."

Ryosuke hung up the phone and let out a long sigh of relief.

The result was better than he had expected; he had thought he would be lucky to get a silver medal at best.

The official Bunko Award and the Newcomer Award are two completely different levels. Although he thinks he has done a good job of recreating "Fate/Zero", it is only the first volume after all.

The highlights of this work are concentrated in the last two volumes, including the King's Feast, masturbation, and backstabbing—all enjoyable parts that Ryosuke doesn't plan to release too early.

We have to wait until he finds a channel to sell it, otherwise the hype will be wasted.

In addition, the popularity of this work in my memory is also due to the existing fan base.

In the current market, winning the gold award is truly due to the advantage of having a novel subject matter.

"So, the gold prize is worth one million yen, isn't it?"

If that's the case, it seems like we can print an additional 500 copies.

With this in mind, Ryosuke went to the Kadokawa Building to sign the contract after arriving at Shinjuku Station.

.....

By the time Ryosuke Takagi arrived in Akihabara, it was already 1 p.m.

I notified Phoenix Inu Saori in advance and we arranged to meet at the entrance of the LTC computer store.

In their previous meetings, the other party had always worn a well-fitting employee uniform, but today he had changed into the otaku outfit he had worn when they first met. This sudden change made Ryosuke feel a little uncomfortable.

Phoenix Inu Saori extended her index finger, pulled down her glasses on the bridge of her nose, and winked at him.

"Long time no see, Shi Yuze. Judging from your expression, are you surprised by my outfit?"

"It would be strange if you said you didn't. I thought you only dressed like this for trade shows."

"Hehe, if you don't like it, I can go to the store and change my clothes."

Phoenix Inu Saori made a move to turn around.

"No need, this is fine as it is. There's no need to go to such lengths..."

"Are you sure you don't need to?"

Phoenix Inu Saori turned around, tilted her head to look at Ryosuke, and slightly raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a sly smile on her face.

"I thought you were like most men, that you would like the career woman type."

"Didn't you come here today with any expectations? Like, that I'll charge you interest or something?"

Phoenix Inu Saori crossed her arms over her chest and touched her lips with her index finger.

This scene immediately reminded Ryosuke of the time he was pinned against the wall in the computer store, and he covered his face in shame.

He's incorrigible.

"That's enough joking around, we have serious business to attend to."

"Well, I'll let you off the hook this time. I'll collect my due interest after the CM exhibition ends~"

Phoenix Institute let out a triumphant chuckle and turned to lead the way.

.....

The CD burning shop is not far from the LTC computer store; it's within walking distance and also within Akihabara's boundaries.

Before entering the store, Ryosuke took a special look at the store's signboard.

—Toshiba Akihabara Electronics & Trade.

"Oh my! Uncle Yamazaki!"

"Oh, it's Saori."

The shop was small. At the front desk, there was a middle-aged man wearing a plaid short-sleeved shirt. When he noticed Saori enter, he stood up and greeted her.

The other person also noticed Ryosuke, their gaze carrying a rather meaningful meaning.

"Brought a friend? Is this the employer this time?"

Phoenix Inu Saori put one hand on her hip and nodded.

Yes, that's right.

She grinned, and then, taking advantage of Ryosuke's inattention, reached out her right arm, hooked it around his neck, and pulled him toward her side.

"Huh?"

When Ryosuke finally realized what was happening, he felt a cool and soft sensation on his forehead, a touch against the girl's cheek. Looking down, his vision was completely blocked by a towering figure.

"Let me introduce you, this guy's name is Takashiro Ryosuke."

The sudden intimate gesture almost made Ryosuke lose his composure, and he hurriedly broke free from the other person's control.

"..."

Ryosuke felt a slight tingling sensation on his scalp in front of the shop owner.

I was careless. I didn't expect Phoenix Institute to launch a surprise attack. I was caught off guard and fell for it.

"Is that so? Mr. Takashiro, nice to meet you. I am the owner of this shop. My name is Yamazaki Hisatsuka."

The shop owner, Yamazaki, seemed oblivious to Phoenix In's frivolous behavior and greeted him with a smile.

Ryosuke nodded in return.

"Then, please take a look at the sample first."

Yamazaki Hisatsuka handed over a CD case, which Ryosuke took.

The overall size is square. The cover illustration was designed and drawn by Ryosuke at Ryouno's request. It includes CG illustrations of most of the important characters, and the Fate logo is drawn in the center.

Just looking at the colors and materials of the packaging, it feels quite high-quality in your hand. After opening the box, the front of the DVD is covered with a thin, transparent film with Artoria's sleeping face drawn on it.

"How about this design I proposed?"

Ryosuke's nose twitched slightly as he caught a whiff of a rich fragrance, only then noticing that Phoenix Inu Saori had somehow moved closer.

“The film printing on the CD is Yamazaki-san’s specialty. He used five versions in total, corresponding to the three heroines in your work, as well as the character Emiya Shirou and Illya Einzbern.”

"It's quite exquisite, much better than I expected. The cost of this packaging...?"

"Including DVD, burning, and packaging, the price is the same as originally agreed: 2000 yen per copy."

"If there are no problems, we will burn the discs in batches according to this standard. On the 12th, our store will send someone to deliver the goods to your designated location three hours before the opening."

"The quantity is 2000 copies, right?"

"Can we print an additional 500 copies? Sure."

Yamazaki Hisatsuka took a POS machine from the counter and held out his hand to Ryosuke.

"Maekei 500 yen."

Ryosuke paid the money readily.

After entering the password and clicking confirm, all he had left was the monthly allowance his father gave him.

Phoenix Inu Saori escorted Ryosuke to the shop entrance.

"That's all for today. Thank you so much, Phoenix Institute, you've been a great help."

To be honest, without such a capable programmer, it would probably have taken him another six months to develop this game on his own.

The project cannot officially start until the royalties from the Cardcaptor Sakura anime are received.

Even so, money alone cannot guarantee finding such a reliable partner.

"If you want to express your gratitude, words alone are not enough."

Phoenix Institute took off his thick glasses and took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe them.

But those eyes remained fixed on Ryosuke, and the smile they held made Ryosuke's cheeks feel hot.

"...Don't joke around, I'm genuinely grateful."