Initially, Shinji was abruptly awakened by the strong, burnt smell of cheap instant coffee.But his mind hadn't fully escaped a chaotic dream, and his eyelids felt as heavy as lead.His head throbbed, and his temples pulsed rhythmically.
Struggling to lift his eyelids, his vision was a blur of indistinct colors.A few seconds later, an unfamiliar ceiling came into focus.It wasn't the ceiling of his usual rental room plastered with game posters.This ceiling was deathly white, a bit too flat, and in the corner, a faint map-like pattern formed by water stains was visible.
His body felt stiff and uncomfortable against the hard surface beneath him.Shinji tried to move, and the bed beneath him emitted an overburdened creak.It wasn't a bed.
Fully awake now, Shinji abruptly sat up.The movement was too sudden; his vision blacked out for a moment. After a few seconds, he could finally see his surroundings clearly.
This was… a place that could tentatively be called an office.The space wasn't large, about twenty square meters, and the lighting was somewhat dim.A few computer towers were piled against the wall. The monitors were brand new, but power strips and tangled data cables were scattered beside them.
On several simple desks lay unfinished original art drafts and printer paper covered in messy code.A few crushed soda cans were scattered around.In the corner, a half-dead pothos plant had leaves with edges starting to yellow and curl.
He had just been curled up on the only old sofa in the office that looked suitable for sleeping, its armrests worn down to the sponge.He was covered with a wrinkled jacket printed with a blurry anime character.
Memories hit him like ice water, sharp and stinging.This world… was not his original world.This body was also named Shinji, the owner and lead designer of a small independent game studio.
The studio had a rather down-to-earth name: "Under the Starry Sky."And it seemed he had a somewhat undignified nickname circulating only in university: "Captain."
But what made his heart tighten were other memories that followed immediately—about this world and its "games."There was no MiHoYo. No Honkai Impact 3rd. No Genshin Impact.And certainly no Astral Express traversing the galaxy with its Namelesss.
Those worlds that had once kept him fighting through the night, laughing and crying, and investing untold time and money… here, there wasn't even a trace of their existence.
Instead, the mainstream games in this world were: realistic simulation management?Hardcore historical strategy?Or some reskinned mobile games with gameplay so monotonous it was appalling.
He—or rather, the self of this world—had exhausted his passion and…Well, judging by this environment, he had probably spent much of his family fortune to assemble this Under the Starry Sky studio.
There weren't many members, but…His gaze swept over the figures either slumped over or leaning back in the office.
At the desk by the window sat a young man, perfectly straight.He frowned at the lines of code on the screen, his profile sharp and clean.Dan Heng.Memory told him this was his university roommate, his best friend in tech, and now one of the technical cores of the studio.
According to reliable rumors (mostly from March 7th), Dan Heng had already privately contacted a future employer.He had even reserved positions for this "Captain" and everyone else in the studio—a true model of a Chinese brother.
Next to Dan Heng, a gray-haired girl's head was nodding, almost hitting the keyboard; her hair was messy and sticking up.Stelle. Originally, Shinji had used lines like, "We are going to create an unprecedented galactic epic,""You are the most crucial morning star of our studio,"—typical chuunibyou rhetoric to convince her to join.
Looking at her now, the morning star seemed about to flame out.
Directly facing his sofa, a pink-haired girl, March 7th, rested her chin on her hand.She boredly twirled a stylus, occasionally glancing at her phone.Her face screamed: "Who am I, where am I, when can I leave this crappy job?"Stelle had dragged her in with the promise of meals (meaning occasional takeout) and the boss's "pie-in-the-sky" promises.
There were three more girls…Memories flooded in, bringing more complex, subtle emotions: Kiana Kaslana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya Zaychik.
Nominally, they were the studio's artists and designers, but in reality…Kiana was slumped ungracefully in a chair, wearing headphones, fingers tapping rapidly on her phone screen.Mei sat quietly beside her, a sketchbook spread out, but her pen hadn't moved for a long time; she just stared out the window, lost in thought.Bronya sat in a distant corner, silver-gray hair covering part of her face, lake-blue eyes focused intently on her keyboard.
They were all Shinji's childhood friends.To be more specific, Kiana and Mei were super-rich young ladies with multinational corporations awaiting them.Their staying here was less for ideals…And more for certain blurry fragments in his memory, and their occasionally meaningful glances.
They seemed to be waiting for the "Captain's" studio to fail, then "reluctantly" pick him up.And perhaps, solve some emotional "multiple-choice questions" along the way.
Bronya's case was different; her love for games seemed purer.But the studio's bleak state clearly worried her too.
Finally, his gaze fell on the mottled desk in front of him.Several documents were scattered there.On top, bold characters on the cover made his eyes sting:"Preliminary Opinion on Asset Liquidation and Debt Assessment of 'Under the Starry Sky' Studio."
Beneath it were bank collection notices, a landlord's ultimatum, and a handwritten note.It was Dan Heng's handwriting, listing names and contact information for several companies that might take them in.The last one even had a small asterisk: "The benefits at this one are decent; I've had preliminary communication—you can contact them anytime."
Bankruptcy. Closure. Packing up. Splitting up.
…
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