Chapter 1
“Kou…”
Yagami groaned as a soft voice stirred her from her maddeningly blank dreamland. She mumbled under her breath:
‘Let me sleep, darn it…”
A disappointed sigh resounded in the otherwise silent cubicle, before being exchanged for the sound of light footsteps slowly disappearing in the background. Yagami gave a relieved sound as silence once again enveloped her, the depressing white landscape in her mind slowly beginning to form transparent outlines that almost looked like humans, yet just failed to convey a full image.
While she struggled to concentrate on them, she failed to hear the sound of footsteps returning. As a soft hiss escaped the room, she felt her bare foot get struck with a small, yet painfully distinct projectile. The shock was enough to rip her eyes wide open, jolting up and hitting her forehead against the underside of her table.
“Oww!” she yelped, before groaning and rubbing the sore spot. A more gruff, yet distinctly female voice beside her muttered:
“Told you it’d wake her up.”
The softer voice from before spoke up, concern evident in her hesitant tone:
“Umiko, there was no need to be so harsh with her…”
“Nonsense, Toyama. This is a perfect example of how bad work ethic ruins efficiency.”
Yagami opened her eyes to find herself being stared down by a pair of familiar cyan eyes without any form of remorse in them. Grumbling quietly while nursing her foot, she spoke up into the otherwise empty room:
“Good morning to you too, Ahagon.”
Irritation flashed briefly behind Ahagon’s eyes, before the cocking of a softball gun echoed in the air. Trained to an instinctual level, Yagami raised her hands:
“No shooting people there! What if I go blind?”
“Not my concern. You should work on this inexcusable work attitude of yours. It’s a bad example for the other co-workers.”
Yagami sighed as she sensed the danger passing, lowering her arms and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. At the same time, she heard a mug being put down on the desk, turning to see Rin gazing down at her with a commendable effort at being angry:
“Kou, you should have woken up when I told you to. Don’t tell me you were up all night again.”
Rin said that while glancing at Yagami’s workplace, which was littered with half-finished designs and concepts from last night’s feverish failures.
Yagami refused to act mature, puffing her face in a pout while answering:
“Not like I can help it. The deadline for the competition is tomorrow and I can’t get a single character drawn the way I want it. What the heck is that Hazuki thinking, asking us to do this right as we’re in the middle of such an intense work period?”
Hazuki had arranged a briefing a week prior regarding their new upcoming game, requesting that the Character Team begin immediately with adapting the prepared script with the characters. Out of nowhere however, she had also tossed the idea of a character design competition, with the winner having their design incorporated into the game as a main character with their own role in the plot. Naturally, it had made everyone incredibly eager to win.
Rin tried to look unsatisfied, only to give a sigh. Umiko, meanwhile, stood up and began walking away, turning her head back briefly:
“If you’re done making excuses, I have important assignments to complete. Please hurry and get dressed so you do not continue to deteriorate our work environment.”
“I have a right to sleep where I want, Ahagon!” Yagami snapped, both sour about the softball pellet and the unsatisfying sleep. Umiko however had already left the cubicle for her own, her departure coinciding with the opening of the entrance doors. A bubbly voice resounded from it:
“Sakura Nene reporting for duty, sir!”
The familiar blonde pigtails and blue eyes passed the cubicle just as Yagami gave a yawn, still stripped down to her underwear and her usual black t-shirt. Nene gave a bright smile as she waved to the two women:
“Good morning, Yagami, Toyama!”
Rin gave a surprised sound from herself.
“Nene! What are you doing here so early? Your internship starts in two hours.”
A lighthearted giggle escaped the girl.
“I thought I’d make a good impression and show up before Aocchi this time. She always tries to make herself look so grown-up so I thought it’d be fun to…”
Nene fell silent as a tanned hand popped behind the cubicle wall and grabbed her ear.
“Sakura,” Umiko said with no small degree of apprehension in her voice, “If you have the diligence to appear so early, then I have the perfect assignment for you.”
“Ow!” Nene yelled as she vanished behind the cubicle walls, “You don’t need to pull my ear for that, I can walk myself!”
Her pleas fell on deaf ears as she vanished amongst the back. Yagami gave another extensive yawn as she reached for her usual beige skirt, being held out by Rin. She mumbled a thanks as she finished getting dressed and began drinking from her mug, Rin settling down on her chair with her own. As the workplace became silent apart from a faint call for help from Nene, Rin suddenly spoke up:
“Kou, maybe you should drop from the competition.”
Yagami’s answer was a glorious brown spray from her mouth, forming a dirtied rainbow. Coughing to free her throat, she croaked out:
“Are you crazy? Why should I do that?”
Rin’s expression showed she was earnest.
“I think you’re pushing yourself too much with this. You’ve already spent four nights straight here with barely any sleep. It’s not healthy.”
“Healthy?” Yagami repeated, “Did you forget how many nights I stayed here back when we developed Fairies Story 1?”
Yagami felt a bit taken aback as a shadow passed Rin’s face.
“It’s exactly why I don’t like this. You’re not a freshman trying to learn the workplace. You’re the Art Director and Character Team Leader, you shouldn’t burden yourself with a competition. Even if it's for Aoba’s sake.”
Giving a small cringe at her accuracy, Yagami grumbled and looked away, sipping at the half-empty cup in silence. Yet Rin wouldn’t budge.
“Kou, it’s obvious you’re exhausted. You look awful, whatever you might say. Please, try to think about yourself.”
Yagami knew she meant well, as she always had since their days in school. Even if she wouldn’t admit it, the last few nights had been torture for her. She even had to secretly shred half her sketches. Even more frightening than the prospect of it being exposed however was the idea of having to disappoint Aoba. Her expression when she had decided to not take the Art Director position had been too painful to look at. Even if Aoba had made a good attempt at motivating her, Yagami knew she had made the decision partially for Aoba’s sake as well.
Giving a tired sigh, she uttered into the half-deserted room:
“I can’t Rin. Aoba’s too good to be let down. I can’t let her motivation and drive get damaged because of me not being able to design a single character. Without Aoba, I wouldn’t even be here as Art Director.”
“Kou…”
Yagami gathered the rest of her energy and placed a hand on Rin’s shoulder, failing to see the latter’s blush at the gesture.
“I’m going to get this done, don’t worry. I have until tomorrow. I’ll make a character that will make you weak with awe, I promise. Just leave it to me.”
Yagami released Rin’s shoulder, not noticing the brief flash of disappointment across her face. She spun in her chair and began sorting out her failed sketches, pulling out fresh papers while booting up her computer. Rin’s voice momentarily rose behind her, only to be replaced with a sigh as she returned to her own work. Yagami slowly felt herself become drawn into the murky wasteland of before, the misty figures again circling her while she tried to grab their essence. After her first few tries, Yagami gave a low groan and resigned herself for another long day.
