June 21, 1991: The Mermaid's Heart was officially released.
Gen Urobuchi was restless, even more anxious than he had been during his first time writing a script.
His palms were sweating with nerves.
After all, this was his first game where he was in complete control.
He had written the entire script by himself.
Onmyoji 2 had been more constrained, like writing to a prompt, but The Mermaid's Heart gave him free rein to let his imagination run wild.
Even with such a reckless project, President Aoki Haruhi had given him full support.
He couldn't help but feel fortunate to have such a supportive president.
At the same time, Urobuchi was deeply worried about whether his work would live up to the president's trust.
He was so nervous he felt his back was drenched in sweat.
"Here."
Just then, a can of cola appeared before him.
He looked up to see President Aoki Haruhi.
"It's too hot today. Have some cold cola to help you calm down," Aoki said, pulling up a chair and sitting down beside him.
Gen Urobuchi nodded gratefully and accepted the soda.
Pop!
Bubbles immediately surged to the surface.
He quickly took a sip.
"Wow~! So refreshing!"
Aoki Haruhi smiled inwardly at his reaction.
Throughout the entire company, except for the members of the Mermaid's Heart project team, everyone was busy with their own tasks.
Even Yokoyama, the artist for Mermaid's Heart, had been immediately reassigned by Sakata Taiji, the lead artist, to the Diablo project team after completing his work on Mermaid's Heart.
The two programmers, including Shirakawa Atsushi from the sound effects department, were now fully supporting the Diablo project.
Compared to Mermaid's Heart, Diablo desperately needed more manpower.
If they wanted to finish and release the game this year, they would have to work even harder.
To better train Mikami Shinji, Aoki Haruhi had also transferred him to the Diablo project.
With his abilities, he would surely catch on quickly.
Who knows? After working on Diablo, Mikami Shinji might even be able to handle a project independently.
Aoki Haruhi secretly looked forward to this possibility.
Clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack...
The relentless rhythm of keyboard strokes echoed throughout the entire Pokeni office.
Everyone was deeply immersed in their work, seemingly oblivious to the impending release of The Mermaid's Heart.
In truth, only a few people in the company had the time to worry about the game's launch: Aoki Haruhi, Gen Urobuchi, and Kazuma Takahashi from the marketing department.
That's it.
Meanwhile, it was only natural for Gen Urobuchi to feel immense pressure.
Aoki Haruhi tilted his chin, nodding toward something. "See HR over there?"
Gen Urobuchi followed his gaze—
Ayase Akane was glancing around at her colleagues while scribbling in her notebook.
"What do you think she's doing?" Aoki Haruhi asked with a smirk.
Gen Urobuchi shrugged. "I don't know. Probably just as nervous about the project's success as I am."
"No, she's calculating who she can fire if the project fails."
"What?!" Gen Urobuchi's eyes widened in disbelief.
"President!" Ayase Akane's voice rang out from across the room.
The young HR manager shot Aoki Haruhi a glare. "Stop assuming the worst about people, okay?"
"Hey, hey, I heard Pokeni released a new game."
"Yeah, yeah! It's called The Mermaid's Heart."
"When does it come out?"
"Today!"
"Want to go together later?"
"Definitely!"
Hirozawa Furukawa stared at his colleagues in disbelief. Hayamigawa and Kinoshita used to be all about their real lives—how did they suddenly turn into hardcore gamers like him? He wasn't sure whether to feel happy or annoyed. He used to treasure his gaming time alone, digging up hidden gems and playing games by himself. But ever since he shared Onmyoji, the number of gaming enthusiasts in the company had suddenly surged, leaving him a little bewildered.
Still...
As long as we share a love for games, we're all friends. Every extra person to share the joys and sorrows with only adds to the fun.
"Count me in!" Furukawa quickly raised his hand.
After work that evening, the group eagerly rushed to the game store.
"Welcome."
The middle-aged clerk smiled warmly when he saw Furukawa.
But when he saw the two friends behind him, he suddenly froze.
Huh?
This guy actually has friends?
"Hello," Furukawa said, bowing slightly. "These are my colleagues, Hayamigawa and Kinoshita."
"Welcome!" the shopkeeper greeted politely, rushing forward. "Please look around at your leisure."
As the shopkeeper watched the group wander through the store, he couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat—
Ah...
I thought Furukawa would end up alone, all by himself.
I never imagined he'd have friends.
This is such a relief.
Turning away, he discreetly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes before facing them again with a polite smile.
"Pokeni's latest release is here—The Mermaid's Heart."
"Where is it?!" Hirozawa Furukawa's entire demeanor lit up.
"It's on that shelf over there, second row from the top," the shopkeeper pointed.
A different shelf, but still a decent spot.
The group crowded around, and their brows furrowed simultaneously.
Hirozawa Furukawa stepped forward and picked up the Mermaid's Heart game box.
Their eyes scanned the box, clearly marked with a "16+" label.
But—
"Ah~ why is it a Sega Mega Drive game?"
"Exactly." Kinoshita looked troubled. "I don't have a Mega Drive; we have a Super Famicom at home."
"Can you play Mega Drive games on a Super Famicom?" Hayamigawa, a newbie gamer, asked a rather obvious question.
"Of course not! The hardware interfaces are completely different. They're not compatible," Kinoshita replied sharply.
Sega and Nintindo had been arch-rivals for ages. Allowing the other company's cartridges to work on their systems was a matter of principle.
That's why there were endless comparisons between the two.
But neither company seemed to grasp a fundamental truth:
If they were compatible with each other's games, wouldn't players be even more likely to choose their system?
Of course, compatibility required obtaining the other company's authorization first.
Given the stubborn nature of both Sega and Nintindo, that was simply impossible.
"I see." Hayamigawa nodded, sensing Kinoshita's frustration.
"How about buying a Mega Drive for Kogahara Tsubakiaki?" Furukawa suggested.
"Are you crazy?" Kinoshita blurted out, "A single Mega Drive costs 20,000 yen!"
"But... this is Kogahara Tsubakiaki we're talking about!"
"Ummm..."
The group fell into an awkward silence.
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