Chapter 14. The Deal
---
"Presidents, this game is truly a work we've staked the reputation and very life of Pokeni on," Kiyoshi Yuuma said earnestly. "Once you try it yourselves after going back, you'll definitely feel it's worth the price."
The several company presidents exchanged glances and smiled without saying anything.
Huh? Just because you say so, we should believe it?
Young people these days sure are arrogant.
What, are you saying Pokeni can make a better game than Nintendo?
"But I do have a question," President Hattori, who was sitting in the middle, asked while staring at the cartridge in his hand. "What price will your company be offering to us for this game?"
"If possible…" Kiyoshi Yuuma thought for a moment before replying, "I hope it'll be 5000 yen."
"5000 yen?"
Is this guy crazy?
If you're charging us, the distributors, this much, what are we supposed to make?
Actually, 5000 yen isn't considered expensive. Now, the games in Japan at this time usually retail around 6000 yen. For galgames, which are [niche] and [age-restricted], the price can be even higher due to the smaller audience, sometimes reaching 9000 yen.
Yes, you read that right. Even back in 1990, prices in Japan were already this high—not much different from 2023.
Correspondingly, Japan's average income and wages barely increased over the next 30 years, essentially three decades of stagnation.
But as a manufacturer, the price offered to distributors is always lower than the retail price, and sometimes much lower. A cartridge that costs 3000 yen will be sold to distributors, who will then retail it for 6000 yen, allowing them to earn roughly double.
If they buy at 5000 yen and sell at 6000 yen, there's hardly any margin left.
If it were a big company like Nintendo, distributors might still consider it—after all, small profit, big volume.
But this is Pokeni, a company nobody's even heard of. Why should anyone believe this game will sell well?
"Then what is the expected retail price?" Hattori asked tentatively.
"9000 yen," Kiyoshi Yuuma replied bluntly.
Hiss...
Several of the company presidents sucked in a cold breath at his arrogance, folding their arms in silence.
Should we say this young man has guts?
Or that he's just a baka?
A galgame at that price—aren't you afraid of it completely flopping?
How confident is this guy in his game?
"No, no, that price is too high. We're really concerned about the sales performance. Can't you offer it to us a bit cheaper?" asked President Mouri, the man in black-rimmed glasses.
"Right, my suggestion is to keep the retail price around 7000 yen," chimed in the younger President Sato. "Since this is your company's new product, it's better to establish brand recognition first rather than chasing big profits right away."
"4500. That's as low as I can go. Any lower, and we'll be selling at a loss," said Kiyoshi Yuuma.
This was mainly because the game included a special chip for handling graphics and memory, which increased costs by 500–800 yen per cartridge. Otherwise, he wouldn't have priced it so high.
"4000," Tsuda said with a smile as she gently pressed down on Kiyoshi Yuuma's hand. "If it doesn't sell, DUN will just buy it back."
"Hmm…"
"Well, since Nao-chan has spoken, let's go with that."
The men all nodded in agreement.
…
"Ah~ It's always such a joy to go drinking with Nao-chan. If only these moments lasted longer."
"Exactly. Nao-chan, next time let's have dinner—just the two of us," said the bald Hattori with a smile.
The presidents looked like they had a bit too much to drink.
But seeing their wandering hands reaching toward Tsuda, it was clear they weren't that drunk.
Just as Kiyoshi Yuuma was about to step in and help her out, Tsuda Nao effortlessly dodged their wandering hands.
"All right, all right," she replied with a graceful and dazzling smile. "Next time for sure. Oh, and by the way, I've prepared a small gift for each of you. Here, this is for President Hattori, this one's for President Mouri, and for President Sato. I look forward to working together more in the future."
With that, Tsuda bowed deeply to the group.
The men were completely entranced.
It had to be said that Tsuda Nao's figure was absolutely top-tier.
Watching her handle these older men so skillfully, Kiyoshi Yuuma finally let out a breath of relief.
…
Hattori Hiroyuki got into his car. After driving for a while, the driver in the front asked, "President, are you alright?"
Hattori, who had seemed completely drunk just moments ago, curled his lips into a smile. When he opened his eyes, the drunken haze on his face had completely vanished.
"How could anything be wrong with me?"
He chuckled lightly. "But what a pity that I couldn't get Tsuda drunk."
That woman was really cunning. Every time they went out for a meal, she always brought a few people along. It seemed like she was giving him a chance, but in reality, she remained perfectly safe.
But one day, I'll get her.
Hattori Hiroyuki clenched his fists silently.
He retracted the sharp gleam in his eyes and looked at the gift box beside him.
Opening it, he found a fine bottle of red wine inside.
On top of it was a card, which read: [I know this world is as fleeting as dewdrops. Yet with your company, this journey blooms bright with flowers.]
It was clearly handwritten, with a note at the end: [To President Hattori, with respect.]
Hattori gave a bitter smile. "Ah~ what a flawless woman. When she puts in this kind of effort, you can't even bring yourself to blame her."
Oddly, he felt unusually good.
"That's probably President Tsuda's charm," the driver chuckled.
"Yeah~" Hattori Hiroyuki nodded in agreement, picking up the Onmyoji cartridge made by Pokeni. "It makes it impossible to refuse her requests."
Should I go back and give it a try?
He stared at it for a while.
"Pull over for a moment."
"Okay." The driver stopped the car.
Hattori rolled down the window and casually tossed the Onmyoji game cartridge into the trash can on the roadside.
…
After sending off the company presidents, only Kiyoshi Yuuma and Tsuda Nao were left standing at the restaurant entrance.
The evening breeze gently brushed against Kiyoshi Yuuma's face—warm, ticklish, and rather pleasant.
He turned his head and glanced at Tsuda with concern.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, making her skin appear even more fair. The wind teased her long hair across her face, and the slight movement of her brows and eyes was filled with allure.
Kiyoshi Yuuma found himself momentarily entranced.
"President Tsuda, are you alright?"
Back at the table, this strong, capable woman had drunk the most and even volunteered to drink.
Those big shots had clearly tried to get her drunk, but none had succeeded in the end.
Thinking about Tsuda's appearance that night, Kiyoshi Yuuma couldn't help but frown.
One was the cold and competent female president.
The other was a charming beauty, full of flattering smiles, deftly navigating the world of business.
Which one is the real Tsuda Nao?
"I'm fine."
Tsuda straightened up, and the smile on her face faded, returning to her usual cold demeanor.
"I already went to the restroom earlier—to vomit before."
"Huh?"