That evening, Aoki Haruhi met Tsuda Nao at a Ginza bar called "Cat's Eye."
It wasn't a formal meeting, nor was it in their capacity as collaborators. Tsuda Nao was dressed casually, as if they were meeting between a professional acquaintance and a friend.
The two sat on high stools at the bar, Aoki Haruhi staring dejectedly at his small glass.
And Tsuda Nao beside him?
Having heard about Pokeni's predicament, she was laughing so hard she could barely straighten up.
"So? What are you thinking now, President Qing?"
Seeing her laugh so gleefully, Aoki Haruhi wanted to punch her in the face.
"I..." What else could I be thinking? Aoki Haruhi thought.
Tsuda Nao rested her hands on the bar and stared silently ahead.
"President Qing, if the next game is also a failure, what will you do? Accept investment from DUN?"
"Ah, this... please don't say such unlucky things," Aoki Haruhi felt a tightness in his chest.
To be honest, the failure of Elite Academy had kept him up all night.
If Onmyoji 2 also flopped...
Aoki Haruhi couldn't even imagine the consequences.
Pokeni had poured all its funds into the development of Onmyoji 2. If the game failed to earn enough to fund their next project, the company might be forced back onto the path to bankruptcy.
He glanced sideways at Tsuda Nao.
A bitter taste rose in his mouth.
At this rate, I'll be at this woman's mercy again!
Damn it!
Damn it.
"President Qing, your dark circles are quite noticeable," Tsuda Nao said with a smile.
"That's because..."
Aoki Haruhi didn't want to talk. He raised two fingers to signal the bartender. "Check, please."
The two strolled through the streets, carried along by the night breeze.
After September, the weather had gradually cooled, and even after a drink, it felt a little chilly.
Tsuda Nao wore a short women's trench coat, one hand tucked into her pocket. Aoki Haruhi glanced down, finding no place to put his hand.
He reached into her pocket, took her hand, and intertwined their fingers.
She smiled faintly, offering no resistance as he drew her hand out and clasped it tightly.
The street was bustling with shops, their shelves brimming with dazzling merchandise.
In Ginza, young women in maid outfits or revealing clothes were everywhere, beckoning to passersby.
Through the transparent windows of some red-light establishments, girls struck provocative poses.
Mayu Matsuoka had played a similar role in Hirokazu Kore-eda's film Shoplifters.
These girls displayed themselves in exquisite, roughly fitting-room-sized cubicles. One side of each cubicle faced the street through a clear glass window, allowing customers to admire them from a distance without physical contact.
If a customer is satisfied with a girl, they can step forward and inquire about the price. Different experiences and levels of intimacy come with different prices. After settling on a price, they can enter the establishment and engage in more intimate exchanges with the girl.
In the film Shoplifters, a regular customer simply wanted to use Mayu Matsuoka as a lap pillow.
Young people in modern Japan face immense pressure. Sometimes, having a sanctuary like this provides a sense of inner peace.
Aoki Haruhi turned his head, his gaze lingering with interest on the girls in the display window.
The girl wearing bunny ears in the window looked slightly taken aback.
It wasn't for any particular reason—
Mainly because she had never seen a customer bring his girlfriend to view the girls.
The key was—
This customer's girlfriend was truly stunning.
Long, slender legs, a curvaceous figure that even her trench coat couldn't conceal, and a face that could launch a thousand ships, complete with a tear-shaped beauty mark at the corner of her eye.
She was an absolute stunner.
And she exuded an air of noble elegance.
"Ah~ This is outrageous," Tsuda Nao muttered beside him, her brow furrowed. She wanted to smack the back of his head. "You're holding someone else's hand, and you're openly ogling these sex workers? Is that really okay?"
"So what?"
As he spoke, Aoki Haruhi pulled Tsuda Nao closer to the display.
The mannequin girl's face flushed slightly, but she dutifully sat down on her chair, twisting her body in a dance.
"DUN makes blue films too, right? Surely President Tsuda hasn't seen anything more extreme than this?" Aoki Haruhi asked casually.
DUN's blue films had a modest reputation in the industry, with rumors of increasingly interesting plotlines in their recent releases.
"President Tsuda used content from our Onmyoji series in her blue films, didn't she?" Aoki Haruhi said.
Tsuda Nao rolled her eyes, but seeing Aoki Haruhi's earnest curiosity, she regained her usual composure.
"I don't mind," Tsuda Nao said with a smile. "But President, watching you like this, it makes you seem like a guy who's never experienced that kind of life."
"..."
Aoki Haruhi paused before replying, "I'm doing this for research. To make a good game, you have to observe and understand life more."
He wasn't lying.
He'd always wanted to experience Japan's red-light district in his past life, and now that he was here, he couldn't help but marvel at the Japanese people's boundless imagination.
And their deep understanding of human nature.
The things you can see but can't touch are the most alluring.
Moreover, the window girls always reminded him of the anime Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai.
Hmm... I wonder if making an anime into a game would sell well?
"I see~ Then, President, would you like to... take a closer look at me?" Tsuda Nao asked with a sly smile. "Come to my apartment and I'll show you my body."
"Huh? Cough, cough—Are you serious?" Aoki Haruhi nearly choked on his own spit.
Tsuda Nao stared at him for a moment, then chuckled and rolled her eyes dramatically.
"Pervert~"
With that, she yanked her hand free from Aoki Haruhi's grasp, shoved it back into her pocket, and strode away without looking back.
Leaving Aoki Haruhi standing there, utterly bewildered.
Huh?
What was that...
Was she serious about that?
Tsuda didn't keep his promise to "check my body." Instead, the routine remained the same as before, and we parted ways at the apartment door.
However, today Tsuda seemed somewhat angry.
As Aoki Haruhi left, his lips curled into a smug smile.
I never expected that Tsuda, who normally seemed so flawless and composed, could actually get angry.
I thought she'd maintain her calm and collected demeanor until her dying breath.
But, truth be told, Tsuda's angry face is quite cute.
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