"Huh? Didn't you say you'd never make another galgame after you went indie? Why did you agree to this now?"
Tsuda Nao asked while driving, her long eyelashes flickering as she kept her eyes fixed on the road.
Aoki Haruhi choked, momentarily speechless.
Ah...
This wretched woman, why does she always poke at my sore spots?
He had already decided he wouldn't make any more galgames.
But The Mermaid's Heart shattered that initial resolve, leaving a sour taste in his stomach.
"Mainly because the script is truly exceptional," Aoki Haruhi admitted honestly. "It would be a waste not to make it. And outside of the galgame genre, there doesn't seem to be a more suitable format."
"Moreover, The Mermaid's Heart isn't like traditional galgames."
If earlier galgames were like harem novels, then The Mermaid's Heart has become a single heroine story.
It's not particularly sweet.
But it's certainly a unique flower in the history of galgames.
If it can truly succeed, The Mermaid's Heart might be a divine work that could make players come ashore with the mermaid.
"Hmm?" Tsuda Nao drawled, then smiled. "Oh, alright, alright. You always have your reasons."
Hmph!
Aoki Haruhi was so angry his teeth itched.
Just then, Tsuda Nao's eyes lit up, her voice rising several octaves. "Wow! We're here! Tong Tong! We're here!"
A large sign for Ueno Zoo appeared ahead.
The car turned into the parking lot.
The two walked to the zoo, where Tsuda Nao bought tickets and linked arms with Aoki Haruhi as they entered.
Seeing her excited demeanor, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but wonder if this was the real Tsuda Nao. Her usual aloof and cunning demeanor was completely at odds with her current enthusiasm. Could he have encountered a completely different person today?
Tong Tong was the name of a giant panda.
Born through artificial insemination in 1986, Tong Tong was the first giant panda to be born and raised in Japan. Its parents were Fei Fei and Huan Huan, giant pandas gifted to Japan by China.
The Japanese people have an inexplicable obsession with giant pandas. Lines of eager visitors queue daily to catch a glimpse of them, stretching from the Giant Panda House all the way to the zoo's entrance.
In Japanese anime history, numerous panda characters have been created, but none are more memorable than the one from Jujutsu Kaisen.
Japan itself is quite schizophrenic, in a way.
Despite producing dark and twisted series like Ave Maria and Blue Comic, it can also give rise to heartwarming, tearjerking romance anime.
It can be wildly permissive at times, yet rigidly conservative at others.
The Japanese people harbor deep-seated resentment toward China, yet they adore Chinese giant pandas to the point of obsession.
If you hate China so much, then stop accepting their giant pandas!
Seriously.
The thought made Aoki Haruhi roll his eyes involuntarily.
Upon entering the zoo, we found a long queue outside the Giant Panda House. Tsuda Nao exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, there aren't many people here today! We should be able to see them in about four or five hours."
Huh?
This is considered "not many"?
Aoki Haruhi instinctively thought Tsuda must be out of his mind.
But then again...
To be able to see the former national treasure of China in a foreign land was undeniably thrilling.
Fine, let's just queue.
He glanced at Tsuda Nao beside him. The usually poised beauty was now radiating an unprecedented girlish charm—or perhaps more accurately, childlike enthusiasm.
Aoki Haruhi had never seen Tsuda Nao so vivacious and adorable before. Her cheeks were flushed crimson as she animatedly recounted the history of giant pandas, her big, sparkling eyes brimming with excitement.
He found himself utterly captivated by this side of Tsuda.
"Nao-chan."
Aoki Haruhi reached out and gently wrapped his arm around her waist.
Tsuda Nao froze for a moment, then found herself swiftly pulled into his embrace.
Their bodies pressed together, and a faint blush appeared on Tsuda Nao's cheeks.
In that moment, Aoki Haruhi saw a hint of girlish bashfulness on her face.
"Naoko, you're so cute," he murmured.
"Huh! What's that supposed to mean?" Tsuda Nao gently pushed against him, but he didn't budge.
She tucked her hands into her down jacket and calmly met his gaze, letting him hold her.
"You're really adorable today," Aoki Haruhi said earnestly.
"Today..." Tsuda Nao lifted her head, staring at him with wide eyes.
Their eyes locked, and it felt as if the air around them was filled with pink bubbles.
The next moment, Aoki Haruhi moved to kiss her.
But Tsuda Nao interrupted, "There's crust in the corner of your left eye."
"What?!"
Aoki Haruhi quickly released her and rubbed his eye.
When he finally realized what had happened, he saw his neighbor shaking with laughter.
Ah~ damn it.
That sly woman.
While waiting in line, Tsuda Nao chatted with Aoki Haruhi, showing great interest in the two games Pokeni was planning to develop.
"Should you consider seeking investment from DUN again? Same terms as before—half the funding for a 55% stake."
"In your dreams," Aoki Haruhi rolled his eyes. "We're not short on cash anymore."
At least for the next year, development funding wasn't an issue, unless both games flopped completely.
But Aoki Haruhi considered that unlikely.
Besides, collaborating with you guys would turn Diablo into a Little Blue Game. I'm not that foolish.
"By the way, are you planning to rebel against Nintendo?" Tsuda Nao asked calmly, hands in her pockets.
"Huh?"
"Don't you think?" Tsuda continued. "Nintendo is practically a tyrant in the gaming industry. You have to pay them just to burn a single cartridge, and they decide whether your game even gets released on the Super Famicom."
"Aoki-san, Nintendo might have allowed Pokeni's games on the FC before, but they might not in the future."
"Hmm..."
Hearing this, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but frown.
This was a major concern for him.
Tsuda Nao was absolutely right: Nintendo was the tyrant of the gaming industry.
Yamauchi Hiroshi, the current leader of Nintendo, had imposed extremely stringent conditions on third-party developers and established a rigorous approval process for development licenses. This was all to maintain market control and suppress unwanted competition.
Every game released on Nintendo's platforms, whether it was the FC or the Super Famicom, required Nintendo's explicit approval.
Developers couldn't sell games independently, and regardless of whether a game sold well or not, Nintendo demanded a fee of 2,000 yen for every cartridge burned.
No matter how other companies protested or argued, Nintendo ignored them all.
If you angered Yamauchi Hiroshi, Grandpa Yamauchi would say to you, "No one forced you to sign with me. If you're unhappy or unwilling, you can get lost!"
The reason developers endured this bitter treatment was primarily because Nintendo's home consoles had a massive user base. To make money, many third-party developers had no choice but to swallow their anger.
From this perspective, Pokeni was actually quite pitiful.
Once a game was developed, developers had to sign a one-sided contract with Nintendo.
For every cartridge sold, Nintendo would exploit them for 2,000 yen, practically forcing them to pay a minting tax.
Moreover, to eliminate and limit competition, each company was restricted to releasing no more than five games per year on Nintendo's consoles.
With Nintendo dominating 90% of the home console market, everyone dared to be angry but remained silent.
The world had long suffered under Nintendo's tyranny.
It wasn't until the rise of the Sega Mega Drive in 88 that the old dog Yamauchi was forced to relax the third-party approval conditions. Otherwise, Pokeni's two Onmyoji games might never have been released on the FC.
"Hmm... now that you mention it, I'm starting to hesitate," Aoki Haruhi said, frowning.
Should we actually submit [ Diablo ] to Sega instead?
Or maybe the PC Engine?
Even if they switched platforms, they'd still have to pay royalties, and the user base would be significantly smaller than Nintendo's.
"Oh, right, Aoki-san, there's one more thing," Tsuda added, interrupting her thoughts. "I don't understand games, but I do understand men."
"Aoki-san, have you considered making Diablo a woman?"
"Huh?!"
Aoki Haruhi was stunned speechless.
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