Chapter 31. The Warrior of Love
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"Um..." A cold sweat broke out on Kiyoshi Yuuma's forehead.
"You're Urobuchi Gen, right? You should report to Pokeni tomorrow."
"Really? Thank you so much!" Urobuchi Gen gave a deep bow to Kiyoshi Yuuma, his face lighting up with joy.
Beside him, Maeda Jun looked at Kiyoshi Yuuma with eager, hopeful eyes.
"You're too young," Kiyoshi Yuuma told him. "Please focus your time and energy on studies for now."
"Okay—" Maeda Jun replied, though the light had already faded from his face.
But what he was thinking inside was something else—
Stop treating people like kids.
"But," Kiyoshi Yuuma added, "after you graduate from high school—be sure to graduate—come report to Pokeni then."
"Yes!" Maeda Jun immediately perked up again.
He can't hire child labor, after all. And Maeda Jun needs to gain more knowledge first. In his past life, Maeda Jun was a proper university graduate too.
I want them all.
That was Kiyoshi Yuuma's current thought.
…
The next morning, Urobuchi Gen reported to Pokeni right on time.
Kiyoshi Yuuma introduced him to the team.
Everyone was silently thinking:
Huh?
[Is the President out of his mind? He actually hired someone straight from a player forum?!]
[This Urobuchi Gen guy has never made a game before, right? He doesn't seem very reliable.]
[Why not just hire someone with actual experience?]
[Seriously, there are talented people everywhere right now. Wouldn't it be better to pick a more ideal candidate?]
Although no one voiced their doubts out loud, their expressions said it all.
Still, Kiyoshi Yuuma didn't care much about that.
You all don't know what it means to spot a hidden gem.
To be honest, Kiyoshi Yuuma wouldn't have known either—if not for the fact that he could see the future.
I've seen this guy's creative stat hit 99. What's there to hesitate about?
…
Kiyoshi Yuuma called Urobuchi Gen into his office.
The latter sat nervously in the chair, looking both excited and uneasy.
"For the next few days, you should spend some time getting familiar with the work environment and build good relationships with your coworkers."
"Yes, President." Urobuchi Gen smiled stiffly.
Japan is quite different from other countries. Most companies here operate on a lifetime employment system. Once you become a full-time employee, you're basically part of a family. Very few people change jobs, and they typically stay at one company until retirement.
There's a benefit to that: a strong sense of belonging and loyalty.
Companies are also more inclined to train their own recruits.
A blank slate is the easiest to mold, and their loyalty is usually higher too. In contrast, outsiders or lateral hires often find themselves isolated in a new workplace.
Now that Kiyoshi Yuuma had this rare gem in hand, he was very much looking forward to Urobuchi Gen's future performance.
"Oh, by the way..."
Kiyoshi Yuuma pushed a project proposal across the desk toward Urobuchi Gen.
"This is the preliminary plan for Onmyoji 2. Take a look. The details haven't been finalized yet."
"Mm, okay, President." Urobuchi Gen received the document like it was a treasure, his eyes lighting up.
"I want you to be the main scriptwriter for Onmyoji 2," Kiyoshi Yuuma said casually.
"Huh?" Urobuchi froze for a moment, his fingers trembling slightly.
"Really, President?!"
Normally, new hires spend some time doing grunt work. This is partly to gain experience and learn how game development works, and partly to humble themselves. Only those who prove their talent are promoted.
But here he was, just onboarded, and already being handed the responsibility for scriptwriting. Urobuchi Gen felt dizzy.
It was a dizziness of happiness.
And at the same time, a mountain of pressure.
"Really." Kiyoshi Yuuma nodded. "You're a big fan of Onmyoji, right? I really appreciated what you said on the forum. I hope Onmyoji 2 can carry on the brilliance of the first game in your hands. Ganbatte."
To be honest, in his previous life, the story of The Legend of Sword and Fairy 2 was often criticized—not because it was terrible, just because it lacked brilliance.
With The Legend of Sword and Fairy 1 being such a masterpiece, The Legend of Sword and Fairy 2 felt underwhelming and dim in comparison.
But if Urobuchi Gen handled the script, maybe he could craft something truly breathtaking.
Kiyoshi Yuuma was seriously looking forward to it.
And there was another very practical reason—
The company now had two ongoing projects, but only one writer: Mika Ishino. That wasn't enough. Kiyoshi Yuuma had already planned to hire another scriptwriter anyway.
Now that Urobuchi Gen was here, Ishino could serve as his personal scriptwriter, focusing entirely on Prestigious Academy's narrative.
At that thought, a small smile crept onto Kiyoshi Yuuma's face.
…
"Are there any specific requirements for Onmyoji 2, President?" Urobuchi Gen asked, clutching the proposal, unable to hide his excitement.
"As long as the worldview fits Onmyoji, that's fine. If you can continue the story from the first game, even better, but if not, that's okay too. No other requirements," Kiyoshi Yuuma Chihara replied.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Actually, not only are there no requirements, you're completely free to create on your own. I want you to fully unleash your talent without any restrictions."
"Eh?!"
Urobuchi Gen was stunned.
The President actually trusts me this much?
Ugh… I'm so moved I could cry.
But… can I really do it?
While thrilled, Urobuchi Gen also couldn't help but fall into self-doubt.
Kiyoshi Yuuma, on the other hand, had a very clear idea in mind.
Someone like Urobuchi Gen, a creative genius, should not be limited. Instead, he should be given as much creative space as possible.
Mika Ishino was the obedient and technically proficient type, so she was suited to serve as an executor of ideas.
That was Kiyoshi Yuuma's philosophy in employing people.
…
Urobuchi Gen happily flipped through the Onmyoji 2 proposal, but when he read the brief introduction at the beginning, he looked up in shock.
"Eh?! Onmyoji 2 isn't going to be a galgame?!"
"Uh…"
It seemed he had forgotten to mention that.
"Yes," Kiyoshi Yuuma nodded. "Precisely because it's not a galgame, the script requirements are even higher. I hope you can write a story that will truly satisfy the players."
"I see..."
Visible disappointment appeared on Urobuchi Gen's face.
"Pokeni's goal isn't just to make galgames. We want to create more outstanding works that can be enjoyed by players of all ages."
Kiyoshi Yuuma frowned slightly and said earnestly, "This is actually a challenge for you. Galgames have their own built-in appeal, which can mask or dilute the quality of a story. I hope you can write something powerful even without relying on galgame elements."
Also, galgames are far too niche, with limited market potential.
Not to mention, this was still 1990, and galgames didn't exactly leave a good impression on most people.
Huh?
So that's how it is?
Urobuchi Gen was stunned for a moment, but quickly understood the President's good intentions.
It's like playing a game—if your gear is too good, no one sees your real skill.
Only when you take off the training wheels can the true gold shine through.
"Alright, I understand now!"
Urobuchi Gen stood up and gave a deep bow to Kiyoshi Yuuma. "I won't let your expectations down, President."
"Mhm, very good. I'm also really looking forward to your work." Kiyoshi Yuuma smiled and patted him on the shoulder.