Chapter 8
The Friday of the same week, Yagami received a call from Futaba during her lunch break. En route towards the coffee station, she answered:
“Yo, Fuba. What’s up?”
“Hey Yagi. Officially, I’m making a status report on your progress for the overlord.”
Interrupting her briefly by giggling, Yagami let her continue:
“But in reality, I want to make sure we haven’t done a terrible mistake pushing this on you. I know you were the one who offered, but it’s still a huge job.”
“Oh regarding that,” Yagami answered while balancing the phone between her cheek and shoulder to have her hands free,”I already finished the designs for you. I just haven’t gotten around to handing them to you yet.”
“I see, that’s certainly...wait you finished them?” she yelled into the phone, causing Yagami to cringe. She had never heard her junior so loud before. The contrast was startling.
“Yeah. The difficult part was merely planning out what to place where. Once we got that out of the way, it was no big deal. How do you want me to send it to you?”
“Hold on, just wait a minute!” Futaba continued yelling into the phone, Yagami thankful that she could now hold it at a distance, ”That was enough work to keep our whole group occupied for over two weeks! And you did it all in four days?”
“It wasn’t that much. Compared to the amount of work we do here daily, it was a cakewalk for me. Ahagon and the rest had to pull an all nighter, but we also completed the commercials on time. Silent of course, but you mentioned it wouldn't be an issue."
She could hear Futaba physically deflating as a chair squeaked in the distance. After a silent minute, she pressed on with a more controlled tone.
“Alright. If you really have the designs done, could I ask you to come over to us personally? Boss is gone with the car and I don’t get to own one myself yet. Plus, who knows what could happen with the post.”
Yagami pondered the offer for a moment, realising that she could finish her remaining workload within the afternoon.
“Sounds good. Does the evening work for you?”
“Not a problem. Just make sure to show the granny at the entrance my card and that you’re here to see ‘Uncle’.”
“Uncle?” Yagami repeated in confusion. Futaba giggled on the line.
“That’s Boss’ unofficial nickname in the branch. Don’t tell him I said that or….”
The call got cut off suddenly by a piercing yelp, leaving Yagami confused as to what happened. As she sat down at her desk though, the truth hit her and she couldn’t suppress a laugh, confusing Rin behind her.
Later that day, Yagami found herself standing before a commonplace building in the city centre, Anders’ branch clearly marked on the wall. Sure that she had checked the address correctly, she entered through the glass doors of the building to find herself in a wide entrance hall that screamed ‘generic’. She crossed the mottled yellow floor to the reception desk, behind which sat who Futaba must have meant with ‘Granny’.
Age-wise, she certainly fit the description, her silver hair pulled up into a bun not unlike Maria’s. Yet her face showed none of the virility that the latter had, having aged well along with a sweet demeanor. Her eyes glinted with discipline however as she noticed Yagami, clearing her raspy throat to ask:
“Welcome to the reception hall. How may I be of assistance?”
Yagami pulled out Futaba’s card and handed it over:
“I’m here to see ‘Uncle’.”
She failed to suppress a smile as she mentioned the nickname, the receptionist brightening upon hearing it:
“Oh, I understand. Elevator’s are on the right, twelfth floor. Oh, and tell Anders thank you for the flowers.”
She pointed to a light blue vase filled with white daisies, seemingly bought today. A tiny thought crept into Yagami's mind whether Anders was a natural womaniser, before being quenched by her previous experience.
“I will. Thank you.”
“No, thank you dear. You know, Anders has been much more cheerful as of late.”
“Has he?” she asked with genuine interest. Now that she was here, it was natural of her to inquire a bit into who Anders was. He had indirectly done the same earlier this week while visiting.
“Yes. He usually comes in here with such a tired expression. Since last week though, he’s been coming here with nearly a spring in his step. You wouldn’t happen to be part of Eagle Jump, would you?”
Surprised by her awareness, Yagami merely nodded. The receptionist chuckled.
“Futaba, I win next lunch. Now go on, he’s awaiting you.”
Slightly perturbed by the comment, Yagami departed for the correct elector and traveled up to the twelfth floor. As she exited the metal box, the first thing that struck her was the immense layout of booths before her.
The staff count in their office had never been low, plentiful members working in different sections of the building and each brightly decorated with colors and plants. Anders’ office however had every single member pressed into the same room without such decoration.
The cacophony of voices was deafening, staff phoning with customers at every decibel and shuffling papers back and forth in a massive wave of pressed trees. She nearly suffered a fatal crash with a female employee carrying a stack of folders almost taller than her, who spun around and asked:
“Who are you looking for, if I may ask?”
“Oh, I’m here to see…’Uncle’.”
The woman’s shoulders sunk a bit as a smile danced on her face.
“He’s on the other end of the room and left into the hallway. His office and Futaba’s are connected so just go through hers.”
“Sure…” she answered back as the secretary vanished among the masses of bodies and sheets. She carefully navigated the edge of the chaos, soon reaching the far end and the obvious hallway. A door stood at the end, a brass plate giving Futaba’s and Anders’ name with their positions. She knocked on the door politely, before having it torn open by a distraught Futaba.
“Yagi!” she exclaimed, panicked for some unknown reason,” I completely forgot you were coming! Quick, we have to hide you!”
“Wait, what?”
Yagami failed to say another word as Futaba dragged her in, revealing a comfy office with standard decoration. Another door stood in the corner, voices audible behind it and coming closer. Just as Futaba tried to push her into a full-sized closet, the door swung open with an angry crash:
“...and don’t think I haven’t forgotten the humiliation you caused for me last week! I’ll have you hung up on your mute tie and see whether you can croak like a frog!”
Yagami spun around as she came face to face with a toad of a man in a dark red suit slamming the door shut, his red skin glistening with sweat. His eyes, burning with unbridled anger, focused themselves on the two women in the office:
“And you Futaba! Get going on filling those forms out for me! I won’t have my precious investments ruined by your boss’ incompetency! You’re lucky I like you for being cute! And who’s this then?”
His beady eyes settled on Yagami with the intensity of a hurricane, herself completely overwhelmed as Futaba uttered:
“This is Yagami Kou of Eagle Jump, Mr. Takamura. Your next appointment is within fifteen minutes, you should…”
“Eagle Jump?” the toad roared, making Yagami cringe in response, “So you’re the troublemakers who went and caused all this chaos! Such a bunch of ingrates, the lot of you. I want to speak with your superiors immediately and tell them what a pile of…”
“Mr.Takamura, please! Your car is waiting for you!”
Takamura's nostrils flared in anger as he took heavy steps towards them, the door behind him opening calmly to reveal Anders. His eyes widened as he saw Yagami, quickly coming to stand between her and Takamura. The latter blew up again as he focused on Anders:
“You! I better expect this festival to be a complete success, otherwise I will make sure to have you all punished for it! Now get out of my sight!”
Anders merely sighed, pulling out his notebook and writing on it so the others could see:
- This is my branch, Mr.Takamura. Please attend your next appointment, they are awaiting you.
Takamura huffed as he turned and exited through the office door, slamming it hard enough to rattle the frame. As his stomps faded into the background, Futaba began screaming herself:
“I hate that guy so much! Now he even went and accused you without reason, Yagi! I’m so sorry you had to be here.”
“N-no, it's alright.” she responded, though she couldn’t help but feel a bit weak. The way he had handled at her reminded her of how she had been treated in the office back during her first few years. The memories forced a shudder down her back. It must have been noticeable, for Anders wrote to her:
- Please come in. You need a drink and something sweet. Futaba, go grab a snack from the bakery.
Futaba didn’t discuss, bowing and exiting the room while Anders guided Yagami into his office, only lightly touching her shoulder for guidance. As he closed the door behind her, she immediately picked up the light scent of tea in the room.
Anders’ office had, in comparison to the rest of the floor, firmly separated itself as a sort of safe haven. Comfy dark blue seats stood before a modern white desk, laden with semi-neat piles of paper and folders while a black laptop sat in the middle. The carpet was a light blue hue, nicely contrasting with the white walls on two sides while glass covered the rest. Massive bookcases stood on either side of the walls, filled with finance and marketing books along with items Yagami presumed personal. A traditional tea set stood in the corner, alongside a modern coffee machine. As she sat down on one of the blue seats, sinking comfortably into the fabric, Anders pulled open a page from his notebook:
- Coffee, I presume?
“Yeah, thanks.” she exhaled, sinking further into the seat. It was comparable to her own bed in terms of softness. Anders busied himself with the machine, steam rising from the steel nozzle. As Yagami searched the office though, she sensed another scent in the air, one that wafted like silk through the air.
The source turned out to be Anders, who was pouring himself a cup of tea from the set, a light green shine glinting from the infused water. As he finished the tea the coffee machine beeped, allowing him to bring both cups to the table. He allowed Yagami to grasp the steaming mug before moving over to his seat behind the desk, the sound of squeaking leather audible as he took the first sip. Yagami followed his example, the milky coffee unusually tasty for being automatic.
“Tastes great, what did you do for that to happen?”
Anders smiled as he pointed to a small box beside the machine, writing out on the notebook in the meantime:
- I poured some drops of herb extract and condensed milk in it. I’ve learned they make the coffee taste stand out a bit more and make it more wholesome. Do you like it?
“Yes, I do in fact.” Yagami murmured over the rim of her cup, still busy inspecting the rest of the room. She noticed a row of picture frames on the windowsill, one having toppled over on its front. She barely recognised one with Anders among a group of people. Out of all of them, him and another stood out the most.
“Your father?” she asked, nodding to the frame. Anders’ eyes tracked hers towards it, giving a relaxed nod.
- Yep. Weird imagining someone taller than me, right?
She gave a nod of her own, indeed having been surprised by the middle- aged man a good few inches above Anders himself. The hair was distinctly blonder than Anders, cut short and standing upright. Though his eyes carried the same blue of Anders, who eyed the image with a pleased look.
He was the one who introduced me to business, you know. Said it would help me stand above everyone else and be my own boss. Pity he forgot how traditional Japan is. Ten years in the company and branch manager for four of them.
Yagami gave an impressed whistle.
“Still, impressive nonetheless to reach it in four. Most people work their whole lives to rank up the ladder.”
- You’re no different in that regard. I know how you became Lead Character Designer in your first year.
She noticed the scent of his tea again, the smell stronger now and distracting her.
“What flavor is that?” she asked, aware of the change in topic but curious nonetheless. He gave a surprised look before placing the cup down.
- Rosemary. Bit too effeminate for someone like me, right?
He punctuated his sentence with Boldur’s face, Yagami smiling upon seeing it.
“Welcome back.” she said out loud, “And no, I don’t think so. I just found the scent pleasant.”
- Would you like to try?
Giving a nod, she jumped in surprise as Anders passed the opposite end of the cup to her. She gingerly accepted it, his expression conveying he held no ill intentions, and took a careful sip. The strong aroma that struck her tongue and nose simultaneously was enough to make her gasp in surprise. Anders gave a silent chuckle as her ears turned bright red for a moment, before she returned the cup and retreated to her own mug.
“It was good, thank you.”
He merely nodded in acceptance, quietly sipping as he looked out through the glass wall. She followed his example, the two of them remaining in a silent moment of bliss where the only sound was the suppressed chaos of the main office and their breathing. It felt like an eternity had passed when Futaba came by with a freshly baked pastry, leaving it before Yagami and excusing herself with a cheerful tone in her voice. Unable to discern what she meant with it, Yagami let her fingers trace the contours of her seat absentmindedly. It was only barely audible as Anders scratched on the paper with his pen:
- I heard from Futaba how you finished the designs. You truly hold your weight with your reputation.
Tickled by the compliment, she answered while digging into the pastry:
“It wasn’t much. I usually have far worse workloads to handle while developing our games. You should know that the Programming Department expects a special mention. Otherwise I’ll be hunted down by Ahagon for an eternity.”
Anders’ eyes glittered in the light of the lamps, evidently amused.
- I think I can arrange something. If you don’t mind, could I have a look at the designs?
“You’re the one in charge, aren’t you?” she said amusedly while handing him the thumb drive. He inserted it into the laptop and inspected the first design she finished, giving an astonished look. Yagami grinned as she saw it, wiping her fingers with the napkin Futaba had left behind.
“I thought we might go ahead and use our best design for the front.”
- You seriously want to use this?
He spun the laptop around, showcasing the largest banner that would be hung up on the streets. It showed none other than Boldur himself, expertly redrawn by Yagami from the design she had on their conversation sheet from last Thursday. He was holding a number of items from Anders’ company, along with promotional slogans around the sides for their worth. In fact, as both he and Yagami skimmed through most of the designs, it was clear that Yagami had prioritised putting Boldur in every surface. The selected characters from their own game were also there, hand-picked by Hazuki to represent the game in its entirety. They played a secondary role however in most cases, only showing up in grandeur where Hazuki had asked her to consider it. She had been strangely lenient with the portrayal of Boldur everywhere, giving Rin an occasional glance and comment that made her jump in response. While unable to figure out the reason why, Yagami at least felt happy with her work. Anders meanwhile looked troubled.
“What is it?”
- I feel conflicted about having Boldur. It will be clear to the other long-running fans that it's not the original Boldur design that they saw in the sketchbook. It could raise questions whether or not it will be an actual character in your game, which I doubt.
“Who said it was my design? I simply used your drawing as reference. Boldur Woodsing doesn’t exist here. This is your design Anders. Your creation. Be proud of what you made.”
He gave her another astonished look. Undeterred, she continued:
“And there is something else. Look at the first movie.”
He pulled up the video and producing a silent gasp in response. Pride welled up inside Yagami as he watched the short clip, including both Boldur and her Pinocco, this time with a smile painted on him. It had cost her dearly with Ahagon and Hajime to have it produced the way it was, the pain however worth it to see his face.
- Why? Why go so far with this? Shouldn’t you give your characters more presence for your company’s sake?
Yagami shook her head.
“No Anders. There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, your company needs to get represented just as much with its own mascot. Second, it's to thank you.”
- Me?
As she gathered the words she had prepared over the last few days, she bowed and said:
“Thank you for your advise last week and for all the effort you have made to make this partnership happen. I understand this must have been hard for you as well to achieve.”
Her politeness spent, she looked up to see a light blush adorn his face, before retreating into a mischievous smile:
- Your apology is kindly appreciated, but I already received my reward last week.
Now she was the one to give him an astonished look, before recalling the kiss. Her face burned up in red as she waved her hands before her in a panic:
“Th-That was just a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ thing! I was drunk and had no control over my actions!”
To her surprise, her comment seemed to cut deep, his eyes acquiring an odd expression of listlessness as he shook his head.
- I thank you for that as well, but I was referring to the mere fact of having met you.
Aware that she had been tricked, she covered her face while maroon decked every inch of her features. A quiet rocking made her look up to see Anders shaking slightly, realising that he was laughing. The way he did it was surreal, the lack of sound removing the normality of the action. As he calmed down, a phone call echoed from Yagami’s phone. She picked it up to hear Rin’s concerned voice:
“Kou? Are you alright?”
“Yeah I’m fine Rin. Just in the middle of going over the designs with Anders. What’s up?”
As she waited for an answer, she noticed Anders beginning to pull aside a slip of paper he had tried to pass to her. Grabbing it before he could, she read:
- Would you like to go out to the Masked Glass and continue discussing the designs?
As she pondered it, Rin’s voice echoed in the speaker:
“W-well, I was wondering if perhaps we could go for something to eat tonight. It's Friday after all and you’ve worked hard this week.”
Torn between both choices, Yagami remained silent, Rin’s worried voice echoing in the call:
“Kou? You there?”
“Yeah. I’m there.”
“Well?”
She glanced towards Anders, who was busying himself with scrolling through the list. He couldn’t help but glance at her though, his eyes flicking back and forth. She bit her tongue as she contemplated what to do.
