"Sora, the company is holding a party tonight. The situation is a bit special this time, so I might be back late if I attend. Can you handle dinner on your own?" During breakfast the next day, Kamiyā Yuu said this while watching Kamiyā Sora nibble on her bread in small bites.
Since he usually gave Kamiyā Sora enough pocket money, he wasn't too worried about that aspect.
Kamiyā Sora looked at him calmly. Only after slowly swallowing the bread did she ask in a flat tone, "What time?"
"Not entirely sure. It'll probably end around nine," Kamiyā Yuu replied after thinking for a moment. Company parties were usually held around seven in the evening. The venue wasn't an izakaya or a large hotel, but the rooftop of Kyoni Animation Co., Ltd.'s old, worn-down building.
The main reason was that this party would very likely announce the company's dissolution, so Kamiyā Yuu wanted to be there as much as possible.
Kamiyā Sora nodded. "Mm, I'll take care of dinner myself."
······
Just like the day before, time at the company passed leisurely. After enduring an entire day of boredom, Kamiyā Yuu was finally called up to the rooftop at seven in the evening for the gathering. This event was organized by the production department. In addition to takeout food, there was also on-site BBQ, and drinks—both soft and alcoholic—were plentiful.
As soon as he arrived on the rooftop, Kamiyā Yuu saw a densely packed crowd. A rough count showed at least dozens of Kyoni Animation employees squeezed onto the not-so-spacious rooftop. Aside from a few familiar faces, many were staff from other departments he had never interacted with before.
"Bro, give me a skewer of grilled meat—and take off the green peppers on top, add some BBQ sauce too. Mm~ not spicy." Kimura Jirō held a large plate piled with various grilled foods, urging Fujiwara Tora, who was tending the grill. His eyes were fixed on the dripping meat skewers in Fujiwara Tora's hands, practically drooling from how greedy he looked.
Fujiwara Tora, in charge of the BBQ, had veins bulging on his forehead. With so many people around, he couldn't lash out, so he placed a skewer onto Kimura Jirō's plate and said with a stiff smile, "Kimura, eating this much grilled meat at night isn't good for your stomach. It's more nutritious if you pair it with vegetables."
Kimura Jirō, the carefree fool, clearly didn't notice the anger in Fujiwara Tora's expression. Scratching his head, he sighed, "Can't be helped. Since you say so, bro, I'll reluctantly eat it with the green peppers."
*Crack!* The wooden skewer in Fujiwara Tora's hand snapped instantly.
—Those two are definitely true love.
Speechless, Kamiyā Yuu turned his head to look elsewhere. Uehara Etsuki was chatting and laughing with a circle of company executives he didn't recognize. Dressed in her usual kimono, she appeared completely at ease in any formal setting.
"Director Uehara, the company has relied on you for all these years. I'm very sorry we ultimately couldn't keep it going." A kindly-looking old man said with a smile. He was the founder and president of Kyoni Animation. Despite the company's imminent dissolution, he didn't seem particularly dejected.
Although Kamiyā Yuu had never interacted with him, he had heard rumors—simply put, he was a cheerful old man who liked assigning tasks to others and never directly interfered with company management.
Uehara Etsuki maintained a proper posture, gave a slight bow, and replied in a calm voice, "No, it is I who has caused you trouble all these years."
At this moment, a chubby man beside them spoke awkwardly while chewing on a fried chicken leg, "Mm~ mm~ Uehara, about last time, I'm sorry."
"Director Takagi, if you want to apologize, shouldn't you show a bit more sincerity? That unreasonable request kept our key animation department busy for an entire week. Also, please don't talk while eating." Morishita Aoi, who understood Uehara Etsuki's personality well, spoke coldly. She knew what Uehara wanted to say but couldn't say it in front of so many people, so she stepped in as the bad cop.
"Ah—ah—cough cough! So—sorry." Unable to handle the pressure, Director Takagi hurriedly put down the chicken leg and apologized.
The matter he referred to was probably the revision of the original drawings after Kamiyā Yuu returned from the hospital.
"Hey… hey… I'm talking to you! You, the one in the black suit!" A delicate voice called out several times near Kamiyā Yuu's ear. At first, he thought it was directed at someone else, but when "black suit" was mentioned, he realized it was him.
Looking around in confusion, Kamiyā Yuu couldn't find who was speaking.
"Are you picking a fight on purpose? I'm right here!" The tone shifted from mature to annoyed. Only then did Kamiyā Yuu notice, with a strange expression, who was calling him.
It was a blonde loli who looked even younger than Kamiyā Sora. She wore flashy, fashionable children's clothes paired with black-and-white striped stockings. Her twin ponytails were tied with red ribbons, framing a slightly babyish but adorable face. For gentlemen with a fondness for lolis, this outfit was as destructive as a nuclear bomb. Yet despite her small and cute appearance, her behavior and speech were as rough and rude as a middle-aged man.
The blonde loli glared at Kamiyā Yuu and scolded in a childish voice, "I'm talking to you—if you're not drinking, why are you blocking the drinks table? Hand me that bottle of sake behind you, will you?"
—This isn't a place for kids. That would be the normal reaction. But I'm a man who knows that legal lolis exist!
"Ah, sorry."
Kamiyā Yuu smiled awkwardly, handed her a bottle of Japanese sake from behind him, and joked, "Director Yūki, if the police saw this, they might arrest me."
Yūki Chinatsu, the 3D animation director at Kyoni Animation, is also in charge of special effects and other computer-based visuals. Essentially, a loli in body with the heart of a middle-aged man. She was about twenty-eight years old, and it was said that her appearance hadn't changed at all since she joined the company eight years ago.
Yūki Chinatsu hugged the bottle with her small hands and raised a tiny, unconvincing fist in threat. "You cocky brat—careful, or I'll beat you up. Since you're hanging around the key animation department, you must be one of them, right?"
"Yes. My name is Kamiyā Yuu."
She set the bottle down, placed her hands on her hips, and snorted disdainfully. "Go on, go on. I'm not interested in your name. Birds of a feather flock together—people from the key animation department are all as annoying as that Uehara. Well, since you handed me the sake, I'll let it slide! Be grateful for my generosity!"
Humming to herself, she walked off to a quiet corner, slowly poured sake into a disposable paper cup, downed it in one go, and swung her legs contentedly while admiring the rooftop scenery.
······
After several rounds of toasts and speeches, the old president, representing the company, finally stepped forward to announce the most important part of the gathering. He removed his reading glasses, and as he stood on the platform, the smile on his face turned solemn.
"Many of you may have already heard some news about our company's impending dissolution. Some of you may still not believe it, but I'm sorry to say—it's true."
"Our Kyoni Animation Co., Ltd. was founded on April 3rd, 1976. It has now been about thirty years. Without a doubt, we are one of the oldest companies in the animation industry. During this time, we have endured many storms and gone through several rises and falls."
"We managed to get through those times… but reaching today, this is likely the company's limit."
"I am deeply grateful for the outstanding contributions all of you have made over the years. As the company president, no matter how many words of thanks I say, they cannot fully express how I feel right now."
"We…"
...
The employees gathered below listened attentively. Their expressions were varied and complex—confusion, sorrow, regret, loneliness. Quite a few female staff members had already begun to sob quietly, comforted by their colleagues beside them.