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[Game] Chapter 70: The Competition Begins (6/10)
🕑 Added 2024-12-26 17:36:56 +0000 UTCAt exactly 10:00 a.m., Ichin and Utaha finally left their apartment.
Holding Ichin’s hand, Utaha beamed with a playful smile. “Mm-hmm, I’m certain now. Ichin-kun has definitely never dated a girl before."
"You’re so inexperienced.”
Rolling his eyes, Ichin replied helplessly, “And you’re not much better yourself.”
“That’s true,” Utaha admitted without hesitation, “but that doesn’t stop me from judging you, Ichin-kun.”
Hugging his arm, she leaned in closer and teased, “Although you were clumsy at first, your performance just now was impressive. But your hands—hmm, they seemed to have a mind of their own.”
“Ahem, okay, stop. Let’s just get in the elevator.”
Ichin’s face flushed bright red as he quickly pulled her into the elevator.
Seeing his embarrassed expression, Utaha’s mood soared. Usually, Ichin was calm and composed, whether it was in academics or game development. This flustered side of him was refreshing to witness.
Upon reaching the third floor, they found that everyone else had already arrived: Eriri Sawamura, Yukino Yukinoshita, Shizuku Hazuki, and even Aoba Suzukaze’s childhood friend, Nene Sakura.
As expected in this anime-like world, Nene Sakura was another blonde girl. She wore her hair in two small pigtails and was even shorter than Aoba—so petite that one might mistake her for a middle schooler at first glance.
When Ichin and Utaha entered, Kō Yagami, who had been chatting with Hazuki, immediately stood up. “Ichin-kun, you’re so slow! I was about to call you.”
“Relax, it’s just now 10:00,” Ichin said with a smile, setting down the ingredients he had brought. He glanced at Yukino and asked, “I see everyone’s acquainted already?”
Yukino nodded but glanced uneasily at Hazuki, who was edging closer to her. Feeling uncomfortable, she shuffled a step away. “I just met someone… unusual. I’m not used to it.”
Aoba chuckled at Yukino’s reaction. “Haha, yeah, Hazuki-san’s personality is a bit overwhelming at first. I struggled with it too, but you get used to it over time. She doesn’t mean any harm.”
“Exactly! I’m harmless!” Hazuki said enthusiastically, inching even closer to Yukino. “Yukino-chan, you’re so adorable! I’d love to base a game character on you!”
Her words were cut short when a toy gun barrel appeared against her forehead.
Holding the model gun steady, Umiko coolly said, “Pipe down, or do you want me to ‘blow your head off’?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Hazuki mumbled, immediately retreating.
Though the model gun wasn’t dangerous, Hazuki had learned her lesson after Umiko had once pelted her head with several consecutive shots. She quickly dropped her antics and turned her attention to Ichin instead.
“Ichin-kun, during my days off, I realized I just can’t stay away from the team. When can I come back to work?”
Ichin couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth, responding helplessly, “I think you just can’t stay away from cute girls, can you?”
“Haha, you caught me!” Hazuki admitted with a laugh.
Shaking his head, Ichin chuckled and said, “How about Monday? I’ll prepare the contract, and you can officially start. The computer setup has already been arranged, and you can continue in your director position.”
“Oh, no need for the director title. Let Ichin-kun handle that. I’ll focus on coding and external affairs,” Hazuki said, extending a hand toward Ichin. “You’re planning for this game to go beyond just the PC platform, right? I’ve got contacts at Sony and Nintendo—whether it’s for dev kits or distribution, no problem! I even know people in overseas publishing.”
“That’s fantastic!” Ichin happily shook Hazuki’s hand. “But today’s for fun. Let’s discuss work starting Monday. The project’s still in the early stages.”
“Okay, no problem!” Hazuki agreed.
Kō Yagami, standing nearby, smiled and teased, “It’s great that we’ll all be working together again. I thought you were planning to laze around for a while longer.”
“Couldn’t help it,” Hazuki replied with a shrug. “Not seeing everyone suddenly felt so strange.”
She then grabbed her phone and snapped a few photos of Kō, and the two quickly got into their usual playful banter.
After the lively chatter, Ichin decided it was time to get down to business. “Alright, let’s begin today’s cooking competition!”
The participants included Ichin, Aoba Suzukaze, Kō Yagami, Yun Iijima, Hajime Shinoda, Hifumi Takimoto, and Umiko Ahagon. Rin Toyama, being the best cook among them, was appointed as the judge instead of competing, ensuring fairness and entertainment value.
Once everyone had laid out their ingredients on the table, Ichin addressed the group: “I’ve prepared all the seasonings and utensils you might need. The kitchen here has two stoves, and there are two more in the adjacent kitchen. I also brought two pots and an induction cooker from home, so we should have enough. If not, we can borrow Utaha’s kitchen. Now, let’s get started! I’m looking forward to everyone’s creations!”
With that, Ichin took out his pork ribs and began preparing.
The competition kicked off. Aoba and Yun, having prepared in advance, were a bit nervous but confident. Umiko, being a disciplined programmer, was also well-versed in cooking.
Hajime and Hifumi, however, seemed less prepared despite bringing ingredients. The no-recipe rule left them feeling uncertain.
Kō, on the other hand, appeared confident, having learned a few tricks from Rin. She was already skillfully working on the shrimp she had brought.
Meanwhile, Nene Sakura clung to Utaha, fangirling and requesting autographs for her novels.
Yukino, to Eriri’s surprise, took out a notebook and pen, carefully observing and documenting everyone’s actions.
“Yukino, you’re really taking this seriously?” Eriri asked, astonished.
Nodding, Yukino replied, “Cooking is challenging. I can only manage simple dishes now, so this is a good opportunity to learn.”
Hazuki, on the other hand, had set up a digital video camera early on and started recording.
“This is great! Why didn’t we think of hosting events like this back at the company?” Hazuki mused aloud. “With so many girls there, it would’ve been so much fun.”
Rin chuckled from the side. “Well, game development is demanding. There wasn’t exactly much time for this kind of thing. Besides, not everyone likes cooking. Most of us just grab whatever’s convenient outside.”
After that, Rin moved to Ichin’s side, watching his preparations with curiosity. “Ichin-kun, what are you planning to make?”
“Sweet and sour pork ribs, a Chinese dish,” Ichin said as he rinsed the ribs. He smiled and added, “I think everyone will like it. It’s not too complicated to make.”
“Ohhh~” Rin said, her interest piqued. “I’d better learn this properly, then!”
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