Back at the company, Eriri and Yagami Kō were already excitedly chatting with the others about the visit to the pet clinic.
Eriri said with enthusiasm,
"The doctor said there might be three or four kittens! I wonder if, after another month, we'll be able to confirm the exact number before the birth."
Aoba was just as curious.
"Ohh! A month will fly by. So when the kittens are born, will it be at Yukino's place, or at Ichin's?"
"At Yukino's," Eriri answered.
"She's got cameras at home, so even while she's at school, she can keep an eye on them. Plus, she told me that when Sesame gives birth, Utaha and Ichin will be staying with her for a few nights to help with the care. And if it's a school day afterward, Ichin and Utaha can drop by at noon to help out."
Toyama Rin, who had been listening, nodded in agreement.
"That's a good plan. Now that Ichin and Utaha are in college, they've got more free time. But Yukino's still in her senior year of high school—her time is much tighter. At Toyogasaki, students aren't even allowed to leave campus at lunch."
As a third-year, even though Yukino's grades were always excellent, distractions still weren't ideal.
"One more month… I can't wait. I'll finally have a cat of my own!"
Yagami Kō clasped her cheeks with both hands, glowing with anticipation.
Eriri looked just the same. Both of them were full of excitement for the pet-raising days ahead.
But Aoba poured some cold water on them.
"Don't forget, when the kittens are born, they'll still need to stay with their mother. You won't be able to take them home right away. If Sesame gives birth in May, you'll have to wait about three months until they're weaned—so not until August."
"Oh… right. Totally forgot that part."
Yagami Kō and Eriri exchanged looks, then sighed together.
Still, it wasn't too bad. They could always visit Yukino's house in the meantime, playing with the kittens and getting familiar with the ones they'd eventually take home.
Grabbing her pressure-sensitive pen, Yagami Kō cheered herself up.
"Then I'll just have to work harder—so I can buy them the best food and toys later!"
Just then, Ichin pushed open the office door, overhearing her declaration. He couldn't help but smile.
---
April slipped by quickly.
Ichin and Utaha had fully settled into university life, handling their respective coursework easily and getting along well with classmates.
Utaha in particular, while not close to everyone, had made a few good friends. They had gone out shopping and eaten together. Ichin had met the three once himself—they had pleasant personalities, and all three were fans of Kasumi Utako's novels. Of course, they didn't know Utaha's true identity.
If they ever found out, they'd definitely become her biggest fangirls.
---
By late April, with Persona's release imminent, Ichin arranged for several popular streamers and video creators to visit the Shanghai studio. They spent two full days hands-on with the game.
Although bound by NDA agreements, meaning they couldn't upload raw gameplay with spoilers, they were allowed to show non-story segments and publish their impressions. As part of the arrangement, each also received a Steam key and a physical Switch copy afterward.
At the same time, review outlets worldwide dropped their scores the day before release.
The results immediately lit up the community.
On a 100-point scale, every outlet rated the game above 85, with several giving 95 or even a perfect 100.
On a 10-point scale, all scores were above 8—one even gave a full 10.
The flood of high marks sent anticipation soaring. Ever since the first PV, players had debated whether the game's quality would match its hype. Some skeptics doubted.
Even now, a few grumbled that Ichin must have "paid off" the media.
But in truth, Ichin never bribed anyone, nor did he care to. The media scores were just something to glance at.
More important were the streamer and creator impressions—and those, too, quickly silenced doubts.
If critics could be accused of bias, the streamers' footage spoke for itself. Real gameplay clips smashed holes in the skeptics' claims.
Nearly every influencer praised the game to the skies, lauding its visuals, systems, and sheer polish.
The only mild criticism concerned length.
"I played for two whole days," one streamer wrote, "and I didn't even finish one-third of the story. The amount of content is staggering. Honestly, I can't imagine it. After launch, my channel's basically going to be streaming Persona for half a month straight."
The turn-based combat, often a sticking point for some audiences, drew no complaints. Instead, reviewers praised its seamless integration with the game's style, the slick UI, and above all, the music—which made every battle feel exhilarating.
---
In the final two days before release, every forum buzzed with Persona discussions.
In Japan, thanks to Haruno's connections, offline ads had greatly boosted visibility. Preorders at physical stores were nearing full capacity.
On release eve, the whole team gathered in Yagami Kō's dorm with her roommates.
Hazuki, just off a call with a major retailer, smiled.
"It's 10 p.m. now, and customers are already lining up outside the store to wait overnight. Other stores are fully booked too. Tomorrow morning's launch is going to explode."
Cheers erupted in the room.
Sakura Nene took a sip of cola, grinning.
"This is amazing! Our sales are going to break records! We've already hit three million preorders just for the PC and Switch digital versions!"
Ichin snapped his fingers.
"Exactly. Once the physical release hits, boosted by streams and word of mouth, sales will skyrocket again. Based on projections, total sales should break five million within a month."
Everyone froze at the number, breath caught in their throats.
If they actually pulled it off—two million more units in a single month—the studio's reputation in the industry would soar to an entirely new level.
*
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