"Aoba senpai!"
Aoba felt like she was in a dream and it was a very good dream hearing her first name being called with the senpai suffix. A new, fluttering sensation stirred within her, and she bashfully peeked at Shido, who looked back at her, confused.
"Um… should I not call you by your first name?"
"Ah! No, no… y-you can call me Aoba-senpai, S-Shido-kun…" Aoba felt a flush of embarrassment at their exchange. After all, it was her first time being this close to a member of the opposite sex, and they were already using each other's first names. She couldn't help but wonder when she had gotten so shameless.
On top of that, recalling how Shido had casually patted her head so smoothly without startling her, Aoba couldn't help but pout, wondering just how skilled he was in that area.
'Hmmp! I'm sure this guy has plenty of experience with women like me. However! I won't be swayed so easily!'
Random thoughts swirled in her head as she puffed out her small cheeks. To Shido, however, she looked like a child throwing a tantrum, which only amused him.
"By the way…"
"Hmm? What is it? Ask me anything! As your senpai, it's my duty to educate and guide my junior." Aoba puffed out her chest slightly, wearing a smug expression.
She was trying to act like an adult, but it was hard for him to take her seriously given her youthful appearance and playful behavior.
"Erm, it's just that…"
"Yes?" Aoba asked, her eyes shining brightly, making Shido feel a little helpless.
"Well… I just wanted to say, aren't you running late?"
Seeing Shido's smiling yet slightly helpless expression, Aoba suddenly remembered she was already late. In that moment, she felt as if she had turned to ash, slowly drifting away with the wind.
"Ah! I'm late!"
Suddenly, she scream as she finally realized her situation.
"Sorry, Shido-kun! I'll go on ahead! There's a receptionist inside, you can ask her anything you need. Bye…!"
With that, Aoba dashed into the building, leaving Shido alone in front of the building.
"What an energetic girl."
Shido watched her retreating back until she disappeared from sight. Then he followed her into the building, pulling out his phone and dialing a number.
"Hello, Shizuku? Yes, I'm already in the receptionist area. Alright, I'll be waiting."
After hanging up, Shido decided to browse the news on his smartphone, looking for any business opportunities he could acquire to expand his company.
As he scrolled, a live news broadcast caught his attention. The large screen mounted in the reception area happened to be showing the same channel, drawing the eyes of several passersby.
On screen, a reporter stood in front of a grand hall, his tone brimming with energy.
"Today's report focuses on Kirisaki Hana, the renowned business consultant whose strategies have been credited with stabilizing global markets and preventing multiple financial crises. Recognized by leaders worldwide, she continues to establish herself as a cornerstone of modern economics."
The camera shifted, revealing a striking woman with long, dark purple hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a fur-lined coat around her neck over a sleek black jacket, with a white shirt underneath. A belt with a circular buckle held a short skirt, paired with floral-patterned stockings and zippered boots. She would occasionally adjust her dark sunglasses while a cigarette resting between her lips.
Kirisaki Hana could be seen sitting while exuding cold and intimidating aura causing those who know her to tremble.
"Hmm...?" Shido
...
"It's rare for you to be late, Aoba. Did you oversleep again?"
The moment Aoba reached the floor where their team was located, she immediately apologized to their team leader, Yagami Kou, for being late.
Yagami Kou was in charge of creating characters for the game they were currently working on. As the Character Team Leader, she was Aoba's boss, directly overseeing her work.
Unlike Aoba, whose appearance didn't quite match her age, Yagami Kou had the look of a cool, professional female boss. Her blond hair fell to her waist, with bangs draping over the left side of her face and she also had a light blue pupils.
She wore a plain black t-shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes, giving off the impression of a dedicated and serious leader. In truth, however, she was awkward, laid-back, brutally honest, and somewhat dense traits that had left her isolated during her early days.
Unlike the first time when she became late together with two employees of Eagle Jump under the Character Design Team where Kou tried to act strict by scolding them for being late without asking the reason. Kou was more reasonable this time and softly asked Aoba's reason for being late.
"N-No! I didn't oversleep like last time!"
"Hmm? Really?" Kou eyed Aoba suspiciously, scrutinizing her to see if she was telling the truth.
"Of course!" Aoba said confidently this time, and Kou let the thought drop.
"Well… the truth is, I met a new employee in front of the building. We introduced ourselves, and I just lost track of time…"
"New employee?" Kou was surprised; she hadn't heard anything from the higher-ups about another hire. Still, she listened as Aoba explained how she had met him.
"So… he's a man…"
"Ah, un." Aoba nodded, lowering her head to hide her flushed cheeks as she recalled how close they had been.
"A man? Really?! Is he handsome?!"
"Y-Yes… he is…"
Shinoda Hajime who asked her was Aoba's friend and coworker, had short brown hair and green eyes, with a tomboyish appearance. Despite her boyish demeanor, she couldn't hide her womanly charms, especially with how big and lewd her breast was.
While she was in the same area as the character designer team, Hajime was actually in charge of motion designing of the characters, but as there are no more space in the area of the motion designing team, Hajime was temporarily put in the character designer's area.
Now, she became excited and gossip hearing that a male entered the company. After all, while the company only shows female employees in the original series, males were actually still present, though there are only few of them so hearing that another male was getting accepted, Hajime couldn't help but become excited and asked Aoba curiously.
"Hajime-chan, don't scare Aoba-chan."
"Ow! Eh~ But you're curious too, right, Yun?"
Iijima Yun.
Like Aoba, she was in charge of character design and had joined the company at the same time as Hajime.
Yun had blonde hair styled into pigtails on either side of her head, tied with ribbons that matched her outfit, and light pink eyes. She often wore elegant dresses to work, most frequently a cream-colored one with black frills and bows and chocolate-colored cuffs, giving her a cute, refined appearance.
"W-Well, that's true... But still, you can't act so shameless like that." Even though she was embarrassed to admit it, Yun was also curious about him.
"Maa, maa, let's just ask Aoba-chan about the guy." Hajime patted Yun's shoulder before turning to Aoba, with Yun following, eager to hear about his appearance.
"...Those girls," Kou muttered, at a loss as she watched the three of them start chattering about the new guy.
Yet, in her mind, Kou wondered if they had really hired another employee this year.
"Maybe the higher-ups did recruit someone new. After all, the workload keeps piling up as we get closer to finishing the game."
"...You're right." Kou nodded and turned her head toward the person who had just arrived beside her.
It was another female and her name is Tomoya Rin.
Unlike the others, who each had distinct personalities, Rin was perhaps the most normal and considerate among them. She had a petite, slender build, with neck-length dark purple hair and bangs framing either side of her face. She wore a pink top and a black skirt. Though she appeared ordinary, she was regarded as the mother figure of the group, someone the girls relied on heavily, especially Kou, who knew her best.
"Well, let's talk about that later. Hazuki-san called a meeting since the new president is here," Rin said gently, smiling at the still slightly frowning Kou as she thought Kou was just too cute.
"Yeah, I kno—" However, hearing her words, Kou suddenly thought of something which made her dumbfounded.
"Ah! Is it him?"
"What are you talking about? Are you feeling okay?" Rin looked at her best friend with concern, reaching out to touch Kou's forehead.
"Geez, don't treat me like a child." Kou's face softened despite herself, feeling helpless under Rin's caring gesture.
"Fufufu, but you're just so cute, Kou-chan~. Anyway, it looks like you're fine."
"Hmmp! I'm always healthy, so I'm immune to sickness." Kou patted her chest proudly, as if to prove her point.
"You say that, but you look like a zombie when you overwork yourself."
Everyone was busy with their own conversation, forgetting a certain figure in the corner who watched them with pitiful eyes, as if she also wanted to join in but was too shy to talk.