Chapter 61: Chapter 62: Mail

One afternoon, after completing the main character modelling, there were two women chattering away in Rewind’s office, and a man listening to them.

What could we say? It was the lively duo of Kim Hyeji and Jo Yumi

“Isn’t the detail here amazing? I spent three hours just sculpting the inner thigh!”

“Check out the buttocks too! There’s an aesthetic to this sculpting, you know! You have to think about how to capture the gaze, and that’s what this line is all about!”

Creators, for the most part, were like that.

When they create something, they seek a place where they can satisfy their need for recognition.

These two were no different. They had chosen their models thoroughly, but they were stuck with an embargo preventing them from showcasing them to the public. So, they had to find a way to get feedback on their work, and Myungkyu seemed like the perfect choice to come and listen to their verbose explanations.

Myungkyu understood this to some extent.

Thus, he responded with a somewhat formulaic statement, “It looks… good!”

In truth, Myungkyu didn’t know what was good about it.

The only assessment he could offer was, “It’s a muscular male character.”

What else could he say? Being a dedicated nerd and a programmer by profession, the modelling they had shown him looked like nothing more than a collection of data fragments to him.

So, in this situation, all he could do was nod his head, and he knew that it wasn’t the most appropriate response.

But that’s how it often went.

If you were explaining diligently, saying things like “this is like this, and that is like that,” then the appropriate compliment should focus on the pursuit of those intricate details.

Whether they knew this or not, the two women were ecstatically pleased with Myungkyu’s seemingly sincere compliments.

“Right? Myungkyu, our oppa, knows what he’s talking about!”

“So, Myungkyu, how about the abdominal area?”

“The chest too!”

The eyes of the two women sparkled.

Myungkyu’s body tensed up.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to him: “This time, it has to be different.”

While his eyes were darting around, Myungkyu’s uniquely sharp mind began weaving together a fairly lengthy review based on the model’s chest and abdominal area.

“The curves are so smooth. Especially, the details of the contours from the abdomen to the chest are outstanding. Usually, when you look at the chest of a muscular male character, the nipples stand out, and that’s where your gaze is drawn, right? But this model doesn’t have that. Your gaze is immediately captivated by the well-defined muscle lines. I think I understand what you mean by ‘the aesthetic of sculpting’ that you’ve been talking about!”

Alright.

If he just kept talking like this, he could satisfy the high expectations of the two women to a considerable extent.

All he had to do was keep talking.

However, Myungkyu overlooked one thing.

His tongue was slower than his thoughts.

In other words, the faster his thoughts, the more he struggled to convey that information in a concise and coherent manner.

Of course, having graduated from a technical high school, a technical college, and then worked as a programmer for four years, with no dating experience or experience with ambiguous relationships, and with the only women he knew being Kim Hyeji and Jo Yumi, Myungkyu, a 29-year-old with no experience in such matters, didn’t know any of this.

Keywords were condensed.

The understanding of the aesthetics of sculpting and the captivating muscle lines that draw your gaze to the abdominal area – these two propositions were what timid Myungkyu managed to convey in a brief, disjointed manner at this moment.

“What the hell did he just say?”

Bam!

Without even knowing what he had said, Myungkyu energetically raised his thumb, and then he belatedly realized what he had said.

“Huh?”

As Myungkyu froze, Hyeji and Yumi, who were blinking their eyes absentmindedly, came into his view.

“Uh…”

Behind the petrified Myungkyu, outside the window, autumn leaves were falling with the chilly wind.

It was autumn.

***

“Okay, confirm it as it is.”

It was well into the middle of autumn when the modelling of the tutorial chapter was finally nearing completion.

I had been spending time looking at the next chapter for several days now.

The direction was gradually decided, and now it was just a matter of reviewing the details.

So, I should start specifying the structure of Chapter 1.

As I was thinking, Han Seorim spoke up.

“By the way, sunbae.”

“Yes?”

“Have you been sleeping well these days?”

“All of a sudden?”

“It seems like your dark circles have gotten darker.”

Han Seorim approached suddenly.

First, her perfume scent became stronger.

Then, her face, which narrowed the gap between our foreheads, came into view, revealing a stern look.

“Let me see. Geez, you should cut your hair a bit. It’s already covering half of your eyes.”

Han Seorim’s hand lifted my bangs.

Her hand was cold, and as I gazed at her, my vision suddenly brightened.

I wondered if my hair had grown that long.

“Sunbae, you don’t look in the mirror much, do you?”

“Do I have time for that?”

“If you don’t have time to look after yourself, it’s a problem. Look at this, your under eyes are so dark. It’s not just because of the shadow from your bangs. What did I tell you? No matter how busy you are…”

She started scolding me.

There had been times like this before.

Times when I became negligent in self-care due to being too busy, and Han Seorim would give me a piece of her mind.

I couldn’t easily recall how many times this had happened so far.

It happened too frequently in this century.

“I’ll leave work early today. And you make sure to have lunch.”

“I already ate.”

“It’s probably that bibimbap from the snack bar again.”

“It’s good enough to eat.”

“Good enough to eat my foot. It tastes like dog food.”

I was about to respond with words that would make Yang Gilsang profoundly sad if he heard them.

“Are you taking your supplements regularly?”

“Probably?”

“I knew it. Bring them out.”

I swallowed my words.

Han Seorim clenched her fist and tapped her chin.

It was a form of protest, declaring that she wouldn’t leave until I took the supplements.

Once it came to this, there was no way I could just let it go.

I opened the drawer and took out the supplements.

There were eight different kinds.

All of them were given to me by Han Seorim, and I usually forgot to take them.

Her young voice echoed in my ears.

“You haven’t taken them for three days?”

“Is that a reason to be angry?”

“Because you’re not taking care of yourself while working. Can you imagine what will happen to my job then?”

She touched a sore spot.

I had actually worked myself to exhaustion.

I would tell myself to take a break, but whenever I thought of work, I just couldn’t stay still.

Just as I was about to respond, Han Seorim said, “That’s a symptom of anxiety, you know?”

“I don’t want to hear that from you.”

“What does that mean?”

Gulp, I swallowed the pills.

Han Seorim crossed her arms and nodded in satisfaction.

It felt a bit like being scolded like a child, but it wasn’t that bad.

It was reassuring to know that there was someone who would take care of my neglected health.

That should be enough.

“I’ve taken them all. Now, I should get back to work.”

“Not yet. Sunbae, clear your schedule from 7 to 8 starting today.”

“For dinner?”

“For exercise.”

Exercise, huh? That didn’t sound too bad.

“Come with me. I’ll teach you.”

I blurted out words that I couldn’t easily take back.

“You’re going to teach me? A senior like me?”

I knew Han Seorim made time for exercise even during her busy periods.

But still, I was an army veteran who had completed my military service as an artillery soldier.

Teaching me about exercise from a rookie’s perspective… it was almost embarrassing.

“It’s common for beginners to be like that.”

“Do I really need to prove that I don’t need to learn?”

“Seeing a senior who is deluded is just pathetic.”

“I don’t need to stay until dinner. If you’re not busy, let’s go now.”

I got up from my seat.

No matter how long I sat at my desk, I didn’t think I could be beaten by Han Seorim through exercise.

Furthermore, it was something that touched my pride, so I felt like I had to confront it rather than just letting it go.

It felt like being told, “You’re useless.”

I needed to toughen up.

“That’s good. The gym is just a 10-minute walk from here. Come with me.”

Han Seorim shrugged and grabbed her bag. Three minutes to get ready, ten minutes to reach the gym, and then we started working out for twenty minutes.

I had to face a harsh truth that day.

“Already done?”

“I couldn’t go on.”

I thought about it.

When did I let myself go like this?

No, when did I lose so much muscle?

“Your bench press is barely 100 pounds.”

“…”

“In other words, you’re weak, right? Let’s start with cardio because your stamina seems to be the most concerning. I mean, you’ve grown tall like a beanpole, but you’re weak, aren’t you?”

I had nothing to say in response.

It was a cruel world of survival of the fittest.

The loser just had to follow the winner’s lead.

“Good job, let’s add one more minute.”

That day, I was completely defeated by Han Seorim in the gym.

The next morning, my body felt surprisingly refreshed.

Of course, I had some muscle soreness, but my head was clear as a result.

I blinked my eyes and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling of my new house (I had moved in three months ago).

I pressed my thigh with my hand and sat up, realizing, “Ah, so this is why people exercise.”

I had an epiphany.

Along with it, my understanding of the shackles of some evil routine skyrocketed.

Yes, this refreshing feeling after exercising must be circulating somewhere in my body, and that’s why I would go through that terrible moment again.

And when I regretted it during exercise, I would forget the pain in the refreshing and satisfying feeling the next day.

It’s like a rat running in a wheel, isn’t it?

What’s scary is that while thinking like this, I keenly felt the need for an increase in physical fitness.

Well, now that things have turned out this way, I’ll have to follow Han Seorim for a while.

Muscle soreness will become familiar, and I’ll gradually improve.

I got up with my weary body, showered, dressed, and left my house.

About a 15-minute walk, and I arrived at the office after greeting my colleagues.

“…Ouch.”

Walking to work was more exhausting than I thought.

It was the moment I buried my back in the chair.

“Good morning, Jo…!”

Jo Ahyoon, who only occasionally came to work due to her school schedule, approached me.

“Yeah, did you have a good day at school yesterday?”

“Yes, but… what’s wrong with the CEO…?”

Jo Ahyoon blinked her eyes and looked at me closely.

Yeah, I’m a bit more hunched today.

“…Because of muscle soreness from starting to exercise.”

“Oh!”

Jo Ahyoon widened her eyes in surprise and then came closer, placing her hands on my shoulders.

“I’ll give you a massage!”

She began to tap my shoulders with a level of force more like gentle patting than a massage.

Her grip didn’t seem to be that strong either.

“Hehe…”

From behind, the sound of Jo Ayoon’s cheerful laughter could be heard.

Despite everything, she had a kind heart.

She worried about me like this.

But Ayoon, Ayoon…

“…It’s not the shoulder; it’s the leg.”

The pain was in my leg.

My upper body was sealed after the three sets of measurements.

“Ah…!”

“It’s okay. Sitting down might help a bit.”

I gently stopped Jo Ayoon from reaching out to my leg and patted her on the head, sending her back to her seat.

“We’ll have the graphic-designed tutorial layout today. Check that out. You should also familiarize yourself with the work in progress.”

“Oh, okay!”

“Yes, let’s work hard today.”

It was while I was speaking.

Ding!

A text message alert sounded.

I checked it, and it was from Yang Gilsang.

[Check your email! Urgent!]

It was a rare occurrence.

Yang Gilsang usually discussed most matters during lunchtime.

So, why was he being so urgent now? I turned on the computer, curious about the reason, and I quickly understood.

“It’s been a while since we last contacted. Director, I’m Ayado Goro, the one you met before. I hope you’re doing well. The reason I’m sending this email is…”

It was an email from Sony.

More precisely, it was an email from Ayado Goro, the director of the sales team that we had a contract with.

I narrowed my eyes.

Why would they send an email from there at this time? Could it be to put pressure on us regarding the schedule as an investor? Or perhaps related to the upcoming release of Hellic 2 on console?

I scrolled the mouse wheel while thinking.

In the end, I was half right and half wrong.

No, even the half right was half right and half wrong.

“I’m contacting you regarding the 2013 E3.

It seems that we can secure a booth space for Hellic 3 at the event.

So, I would like to ask if it’s possible to get a demo of the game.”

It was a polite request, but it could also be seen as pressure.

Sony was hoping to unveil Hellic 3 at next year’s E3, which was about three quarters away now.

Of course, there were conditions.

The condition was to show them the progress of the game so far.

If it met their criteria, they would allocate a booth space at E3 for Hellic 3.

It was indeed a great opportunity for us.

So, when I received the email, I couldn’t help but think, “They’re already confirming this?”

A large-scale event that was still three quarters away.

And they were asking for a booth space for a game that hadn’t been properly tested.

And it wasn’t just any small distributor; it was Sony, one of the top players in the industry.

It was strange.

“This is…”

It seemed too kind.

It raised too many questions to the point of suspicion.

***

In the head office of Sony in Japan, Ayado Koro from the sales team was holding onto the phone once again.

The person on the other end was Aldred Russo.

“So, what’s the answer?”

“Yes, as soon as Chapter 1 is completed, I will contact you. I plan to go there personally to confirm.”

“Hahaha! You don’t refuse, huh! So, how about the game? Maybe I…”

“It’s not possible. Since Rewind is now under our company, we plan to maintain strict security.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so stingy.”

“It’s a matter of professional ethics.”

Ayado adjusted his glasses and continued, “We’ve already made concessions. We’ve designated one of our booths for Hellic, as you requested.”

The reason they referred to it as a concession was clear.

It was because Aldred had requested Hellic’s booth as a condition for unveiling Valhalla’s new work at E3 2013.

In Ayado’s view, it was likely a matter of personal fandom. Aldred Russo had an enormous interest in Rewind’s director.

Well, he was making such a troublesome request, wasn’t he?

With a year to go until the release of Valhalla’s new work, Ayado was working hard to meet his demands.

Whether Aldred knew about Ayado’s feelings or not, he replied shamelessly, “I hardly ever get a chance to meet that guy! I’m curious about Hellic 3 too.”

“I believe so.”

“So, if a tutorial comes out…”

“We’ve gone along with your demands so far, so I trust you will consider our circumstances now.”

It was a strong expression of intent without a direct answer.

Since Ayado was not one to use such strong language, his meaning was conveyed even more clearly.

Fortunately, Aldred stopped pressing the matter.

Instead, or should I say, after a period of silence, he finally asked that question.

With a very ominous laugh.

“What if, hypothetically.”

“Yes.”

“Hypothetically speaking.”

“Stop beating around the bush and just say it.”

“What if you go to Korea to inspect Hellic 3 and find that it exceeds your expectations?”

It was a strange question, and an irritating one at that.

Aldred’s overestimation of Hellic was making Ayado nauseous.

But it didn’t affect the sincerity of his answer.

“We will expand the booth. It will bring in money, after all.”

Businesses pursue profit.

Sony is a business.

So, if Hellic makes money, it was only natural to support it.

Listening to Aldred’s demands was in the same context.

Of course,

“It’s about when Hellic is fun to play.”

It meant that it should be enjoyable when evaluated solely as a game, without any biases.

Upon Ayado’s response, Aldred chuckled softly.

“That’s right, remember those words.”

And with that, the phone was abruptly disconnected.

Ayado pressed his throbbing temples as he thought once again today.

“Just as I thought…”

Directors, they all seem to lack social skills, without /RomanceMTL