"Kamiya, your mail."
The Landlady's voice was very loud, adding much vibrancy to the small alley.
From a small room on the second floor, a hand pushed the door open.
Kamiya Hideki, who was only 25 years old at the time, was not yet bald and possessed thick hair.
He wore a leather jacket, somewhat like a biker, with long, narrow eyes that slightly slanted upwards at the corners, and a Square, national-character-shaped face, bearing a slight resemblance to the future famous singer Jay Chou.
Who would have thought that this energetic young man would transform into a balding, overweight uncle resembling a murderer in just over a decade?
Upon hearing the Landlady's voice, Kamiya Hideki pushed the door open and asked impatiently, "Is it from Konami?"
The Landlady glanced down at the letter in her hand, "Not Konami, it seems to be called P, P… Oh, I can't read this English. Come down and see for yourself."
"Alright. Thank you."
Kamiya Hideki clattered down the iron stairs in his slippers.
It must be said that young university students possess an untamed vitality.
Can you imagine how it feels for a young man in a leather jacket, looking somewhat cyberpunk, to be wearing slippers with his toes exposed?
As Kamiya Hideki came further down, the Landlady couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The guy was wearing pajama bottoms underneath, and inside his leather jacket, he had a stand-collar red sweater.
"What kind of fashion style is that? Honestly, looking at you, I don't even know what season it is right now."
The Landlady chuckled.
Kamiya Hideki didn't mind at all, "Ah, it's all spontaneous. I didn't think too much about it. I was just eating instant noodles at home, and when I heard Kurokawa's voice, I just quickly put on a jacket and came down."
"Oh, I see."
The Landlady seemed very happy to chat with someone as easygoing yet interesting as Kamiya; it felt like her whole day would be much better.
April weather can indeed be unpredictable, with large temperature differences between day and night, and Kamiya Hideki's disregard for dressing appropriately was probably one of his signature traits.
"Here, your mail."
Kurokawa handed him the letter and then waved her hand, preparing to leave.
"Thank you."
Kamiya Hideki nodded slightly, took the letter, and then clattered back up the stairs.
Once in his room, he opened the envelope and couldn't help but let out a sigh.
It was a letter from Pokeni Company.
Kamiya Hideki had spent most of his university life playing game, and it was only as he approached graduation that he belatedly thought about finding a job.
If he couldn't find one this month, he would have to return to Nagano Prefecture.
Tokyo was a captivating place; everything was here, and Kamiya did not want to leave this prosperous city.
However, he also did not want to work in his major field; Kamiya only wanted to make game.
So, starting last month, he desperately sent resumes to various game companies, along with his proposals, hoping to get a job related to game.
Nintendo, Konami, Namco, Capcom, Square… he even applied to Pokeni Company.
Among these many game companies, Kamiya's ideal was Konami.
He really liked Konami, but unfortunately, he hadn't received a reply, so it seemed Konami was unlikely.
So far, Kamiya had only received replies from Namco and Capcom.
The only thing that gave him a headache was that while Namco and Capcom had reviewed his proposal, they seemed more interested in the illustrations he included, even sending him invitations for "Art" positions.
Although Kamiya Hideki was also skilled at drawing, his ideal was to design game, not to be an original artist.
Moreover, Kamiya was very clear about his own skill level; he only drew for fun, and if he were to truly enter a company to do very professional work, he would be exposed in no time.
So Kamiya was in a difficult position now.
If he didn't go to Namco or Capcom, he would have to return to his hometown; if he did go, he might be kicked out in a few months.
Very annoying.
Kamiya was anxious every day, couldn't sleep well at night, and wished he could smash the room to pieces.
Unfortunately, this house wasn't his.
…
Taking a deep breath, Kamiya Hideki opened the envelope.
Inside was an invitation letter from Pokeni Company:
"Dear Kamiya Hideki:
Hello.
We are pleased to receive your resume and proposal.
It is also an honor to meet such an excellent game designer as yourself, who harbors dreams and possesses extraordinary creativity and talent.
…"
The letter praised him thoroughly, directly touching Kamiya's heart.
But then, it candidly pointed out the shortcomings in his proposal and offered corresponding reasonable suggestions.
This surprised Kamiya quite a bit.
Because in the previous reply letters from Capcom and Namco, they hadn't written in such detail.
Kamiya himself could understand; after all, companies have many operations, so why would anyone specifically write you a long analytical letter?
However…
Pokeni Company was truly somewhat surprising.
Currently, Pokeni Company didn't seem to be inferior to other companies; it was a young company that had made rapid progress in recent years, emerging and subtly catching up.
Otherwise, Kamiya Hideki wouldn't have wanted to send his resume.
But it was such a young company that gave Kamiya the greatest respect; whether it was praise or pointing out shortcomings, Kamiya was completely convinced.
"I didn't expect Pokeni Company to be a company that treats newcomers with such care. No wonder it has risen so quickly; just this sincerity is very rare."
He continued reading.
"Based on our assessment of you, we believe you have greater potential and talent in game design and production, so we specially invite you to become our game Planner.
If you are interested, please proceed to…
Thank you for your application.
We look forward to working with you in the future."
The signature, in addition to the words Pokeni Company, also had a large "Shinji Mikami."
"Eh?"
Seeing the name Shinji Mikami, Kamiya Hideki was stunned.
After a second's pause, he couldn't help but open his mouth wide and exclaim,
"Nani?!"
"Did Shinji Mikami personally send me this email?"
Within Pokeni Company, there were two well-known game Producer: one was Furuhara Tsubaki, and the other was Shinji Mikami.
Although Furuhara Tsubaki was more famous, almost a god-like existence in the galgame field, Kamiya seemed to prefer the other one.
Because Shinji Mikami's leading productions of the Diablo series and The Witcher resonated deeply with Kamiya, allowing him to fully experience the charm of game, even giving him a sense of excitement.
Of course, Kamiya also liked Furuhara Tsubaki very much.
Because in his life, "making colors" was a very important tenet.
He hadn't expected that such a talented young Producer would personally write him an email. Kamiya Hideki was truly flattered.
However, he couldn't help but wonder—
Was Shinji Mikami especially gracious to him alone, or was this how he treated every newcomer Pokeni Company wanted to recruit?
At this point, Kamiya Hideki had already involuntarily started imagining his work scenario after joining Pokeni Company.
"Ah… what should I do, should I choose Pokeni Company?"
Kamiya Hideki placed all three invitation letters on the small table, looking down at them. Although he was troubled, he was ecstatic.
He had rarely been praised like this, and by a famous Producer personally inviting him.
On the surface, it seemed there were three choices, but in reality, the scales in Kamiya's heart had already begun to tip.
…
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, there was another knock at the door.
It was still the Landlady.
"A letter from Konami! Just received it. Isn't that a coincidence?"
"Thank you." Kamiya Hideki was overjoyed. He had been waiting here, hoping to gain Konami's favor.
He had originally thought it was a lost cause, with no hope, but he hadn't expected to receive a reply from Konami.
Kamiya Hideki was so happy he almost jumped up, feeling an urge to hug the Landlady and spin around on the floor.
But he suppressed it in the end.
Kurokawa smiled, seemingly infected by his excitement and joy.
"Are these letters very important to you?"
"Yes, because they determine whether I can stay in Tokyo. These are my job application replies."
Kamiya Hideki said.
"Ah… then they are indeed very important."
Upon hearing this, the Landlady's expression also became tense, not wanting to leave.
"Then, can I wait for a result here?" Kurokawa asked, clasping her hands in front of her chest.
"Hmm… that's fine."
Kamiya Hideki frowned. Since she offered to stay, he didn't feel right refusing.
However, Kamiya himself didn't particularly like girls like the Landlady.
Too gentle, too polite.
Kamiya Hideki preferred more uninhibited, cool, and handsome girls.
Preferably the kind who hold a whip and whip you hard.
Ah…
He accidentally revealed something.
Kamiya Hideki returned to the room and impatiently tore open the envelope.
It read:
"Dear Kamiya Hideki:
Congratulations on passing our company's assessment. Konami now offers you the position of 'game Planner.'
Specific salary will be discussed upon meeting.
If interested, please proceed to…
Konami Co., Ltd.
April 2, 1995"
"Awesome!"
Konami really invited him!
And just like Pokeni Company, they offered the position of game Planner, which was the job Kamiya Hideki had always longed for.
It was practically a dream come true.
However…
Although Kamiya Hideki said "awesome," his expression wasn't particularly happy.
This time, Kamiya Hideki was truly conflicted.
Although Konami was his first choice in his mind, however…
All of this was based on not having seen the letter from Pokeni Company.
Once he understood the content of both letters, Kamiya found it difficult to choose.
When he looked back at the Pokeni Company envelope, it was as if a passionate heart was placed there.
Moreover, the invitation letter from Pokeni Company was written by Shinji Mikami, and Shinji Mikami's evaluation made Kamiya feel like he had found a kindred spirit.
These two invitation letters were not formal offers, as the salary would only be discussed after going to the company, and the contract would be signed then.
But their expectations for him were clearly written there in black and white.
As long as Kamiya didn't ask for too much, he would likely be able to join successfully.
The only dilemma was, which company should he choose?
"Ah~ Damn it!"
"How great it would have been if I hadn't seen this letter from Pokeni Company!"
…
"Kamiya, have you been accepted?" The Landlady, Kurokawa, sat on the tatami mat, asking cautiously.
Because she had seen him quite excited earlier, and Kamiya had been constantly muttering about Konami.
Now Konami was right in front of him, but why was his expression so conflicted?
"Hmm… I guess so."
Kamiya Hideki said, frowning.
He looked up at the Landlady.
"By the way, Kurokawa, you help me choose. Between these two, which invitation do you think I should accept?"
"Eh?"
The Landlady trembled all over, instinctively sat up straight, and then waved her hands repeatedly.
"No, that's not right. How can such an important decision be left to me?
Kamiya, this concerns your entire future."
"That's right…"
Hearing Kurokawa's words, Kamiya Hideki became even more conflicted.
"It concerns my whole life."
The current mindset of Japanese workers is that entering a company means entrusting one's future to that company, and staying there for life.
Thinking of this, Kamiya Hideki was even more unwilling to return to Nagano Prefecture.
No matter what, he had to stay in Tokyo.
He had to do what he loved.
He had to choose carefully.
Kamiya's eyes suddenly became firm, and he nodded vigorously.
"It's okay, Kurokawa. Just take a look and give me some advice. I'll make the final decision myself."
"I see…"
The Landlady nodded silently, took the two letters, and read them carefully.
After reading them, a genuine smile appeared on her face, "Kamiya is a very charming and talented person, to be favored by two companies at once."
"Not really… I might just be more interested in this job." Kamiya Hideki scratched the back of his head, saying somewhat shyly.
"Kamiya is truly too humble."
Kurokawa lowered her head again to compare the two letters, then looked up and asked in a gentle voice:
"One is someone you like, and the other is someone who likes you. Can I understand it that way?"
"Hmm… not really."
Kamiya pondered for a few seconds, then said, "One is someone I liked from the beginning, and the other is someone I came to like later. It's something like that."
"So you like both of them?"
"Ah… this analogy is strange."
Kamiya Hideki explained to her again, "This company, Konami, is an old, established game giant. I used to really like their game, so I really wanted to go there from the start.
Pokeni Company, on the other hand, is a relatively new company.
Their Producer is amazing, and this letter was even written by a Producer I like."
"Oh, no wonder…"
Kurokawa nodded. She could feel the warmth of Pokeni Company's letter between the lines.
She also roughly understood Kamiya's dilemma.
"Are these two companies very different?"
"Hmm… they used to be quite different, but now, it's hard to say."
"If two boys were pursuing me at the same time, and their conditions were similar, then a girl would probably choose the one who is more proactive and more thoughtful," Kurokawa said with a smile.
"Eh?"
Kamiya Hideki was stunned for a moment, then an expression of sudden realization appeared on his face.
"Then I should choose Pokeni Company, right?!"
"Ah, thank you so much, Kurokawa!"
Kamiya Hideki pulled out the Pokeni Company letter, happily gesticulating, as if he had made a rather significant decision in that instant.
…
The Landlady looked at him and couldn't help but be infected, laughing happily.
However, there was one thing Kurokawa hadn't had time to say:
If it were me, I might insist on choosing the one I liked first.
After all, it's the feeling of a first love.
That feeling is irreplaceable.
Please Support me by becoming my Patreon member and get 20+ chapters.
[email protected]/Ajal69
change @ with a
Thank You to Those who joined my Patreon