Chapter 71
I couldn't help but be surprised after hearing the team member's story.
After all, the controversy happening now was something that should have occurred at least half a year later, during the Summer Vacation season, not at the current point in time.
In other words, what exploded now wasn't something that was supposed to happen, but a Butterfly Effect caused by my Regression.
Feeling a Headache coming on, I first parted ways with Yumi and returned to the Director's Office.
First, let's find out if this controversy is the one I remember.
I accessed the Community of 'Justice,' a game operated by PC Game Development Team 3, to Check the reason for the controversy.
Amidst the raging chaos, I began to collect information.
While Hojin was busy collecting information about what had happened,
Seungjin was clutching his head at his desk.
*Why did things get so tangled up, seriously...?*
No matter how much he thought about it, there had been no problems in the Development process, making him feel like he was going crazy from frustration.
The Character Design by the Art Team's New Employee appeared, which he hadn't even expected.
He had no doubt it would be a huge hit until that design received an unprecedented response from the Community and entered Development.
In his 10 years as a Team Leader and 12 years as a Developer, he could count on one hand the times he'd felt this good.
Based on the highly praised New Character Design, 2D Illustration and 3D Modeling were produced.
Even as he poured effort into the completed character, giving it things other characters hadn't received, a Personal Narrative and an Awakening Cutscene, Seungjin hadn't anticipated the future.
Instead, he was merely thinking, “The heavens must finally be helping me,” as Development was progressing so smoothly.
He was confident that the new character 'Nita,' developed in top secret, would achieve record-breaking sales with the January Peak Season Update and even humble those Mobile Game Guys...
But that grand dream was shattered in an instant.
And for a reason Seungjin had never anticipated.
What shattered Seungjin's dream and the hopes of PC Game Development Team 3 was none other than the Voice Actor for 'Nita'... no, a single Bluebird tweet posted by the Voice Actor.
<F1>[Lee Jiyeon]</F1>
<F1>(@JY___01)</F1>
<F1>[A photo of Jiyeon wearing a T-shirt with *Girls Do Not Need A PRINCE* written on it]</F1>
“I don't need a prince. I need a friend.”
<F1>[Replies: 72][Retweets: 1.2k][Likes: 450]</F1>
To someone unfamiliar, it seemed like an innocuous Bluebird message.
When Seungjin first heard the news, he couldn't grasp what the problem with this message was at all.
It was only after a young employee on his team explained what the issue was that he roughly understood why there was such an uproar.
Not that he understood it, though.
Honestly, what kind of petty nonsense are these guys up to? And the organization that distributed that T-shirt is a Women's Violence Victims Relief Organization, so what's the problem with it?
Even after learning the full story, Seungjin hadn't been particularly worried until now.
From Seungjin's perspective, it seemed like a controversy with no real issues, so he expected it to die down quickly.
However, contrary to Seungjin's expectations, the fire, once ignited, showed no signs of dying down and engulfed the Community.
The public sentiment was so volatile that not only Seungjin's record sales but even the Update itself became uncertain.
From Seungjin's point of view, he couldn't even understand why such a fuss was being made, and it was driving him crazy.
*What should I do...?*
*At that moment, as he was clutching his head, unable to see a breakthrough even with 10 years as a Team Leader and 12 years as a Developer,*
Beyond the partition, the Office Entrance, invisible from Seungjin's line of sight, began to stir.
At first, he dismissed it as just team members chatting, but as the presence drew closer, he began to feel a sense of doubt.
*Did the Department Head come because of this uproar?*
Seungjin frowned deeply and stood up, imagining the approaching Department Head.
Of course, his face twisted in dismay when he realized who the approaching person was.
***
*Inside the PC Game Development Team 3 Conference Room.*
I was facing the Team Leader of Team 3 there.
I had come down to help, as the situation the Team Leader of Team 3 was in was a considerable part of the Butterfly Effect I had unintentionally created...
But seeing the Team Leader of Team 3's reaction, I was already starting to regret my decision.
“...Director, what brings you all the way here?”
“I heard there was a problem, so I came to help out a little.”
Seungjin asked back, looking dumbfounded at my words.
“It's true there's a problem, but that's our department's business. There's no need for a Director from another department to concern himself.”
Seungjin's grumbling tone made me abandon my intention to speak nicely.
“Originally, I wouldn't have thought of helping the Team Leader of Team 3 either. But what can I do? Your Department Head practically begged me.”
“I-is that so...?”
Even with his inferiority complex, the news that his superior had pleaded with a superior from another department seemed to leave him no choice, and Seungjin's tone became noticeably more submissive.
“Our side only went as far as an attempt, so Team Leader Lee, whose department is different, might not have heard, but we also almost had a similar controversy last year to Team 3's.”
“Almost exploded, you say?”
“It didn't explode. We succeeded in stopping it before it could.”
“How did you stop it?”
“Before I tell you that, please explain the entire incident from beginning to end. I was out of the office all day.”
At my request, Seungjin nodded and began to explain what had happened.
“So, there were no problems until Development, but this whole mess happened because of a single Bluebird message posted by the Voice Actor in Charge right before release?”
“Y-yes, that's right.”
“Hmm...”
Listening to Seungjin's story, it seemed to me the controversy itself hadn't changed from Before Regression, which was a relief.
Because it had erupted more than half a year earlier due to the Butterfly Effect, I had worried that the content of the controversy itself might have changed... but it hadn't, which was at least a relief.
Now, if I just tell him how to resolve it like Before Regression and give him a few pieces of advice...
“Director, I've looked into this controversy, and it's clearly the work of Hired Trolls from a Competitor Company.”
“What? What do you mean...?”
“I looked into it, and the controversy itself was forced. They're saying wearing a T-shirt from a Women's Violence Victim Relief Organization is the problem. Does that make sense to you, Director?”
“That's not the problem...”
“Besides, it's obvious that women are at a disadvantage compared to men, but nowadays these guys are so easily swayed.”
“...”
Listening to the Team Leader of Team 3's remarks, I felt dizzy.
Seriously, with this kind of mindset, how did he Before Regression resolve the controversy?
“...I understand what you're saying, Team Leader of Team 3, but you can't approach it that way. And no, a competitor company didn't deploy hired trolls either.”
Seungjin frowned, seemingly offended by my rebuttal, and asked back.
“Are you saying I'm wrong?”
“Yes. If you approach it that way, you'll never be able to suppress this controversy. You need to recognize that Gender Conflict is a more serious issue than you think, Team Leader.”
“Even if what you say is true, Director, it doesn't make sense logically. Aren't those who are making a fuss over a T-shirt given out for donating to a Women's Violence Victim Relief Organization the crazy ones?”
“First of all, the organization that made the T-shirt the Voice Actor wore isn't just a Women's Violence Victim Relief Organization, but a Radical Feminist Organization that Hates Men, so its very nature is...”
Seungjin raised his hand, as if he didn't want to hear my explanation, and cut me off.
“So, Director, how do you think this controversy can be resolved?”
“...First, before that, one thing. Is the contract with Voice Actor Lee Jiyeon terminated?”
“Yes, well... she was Outsourcing, and the Dubbing was finished, so the contract was naturally terminated.”
“In that case, the simplest solution is to discard voice actor Lee Jiyeon's dubbing, find a new voice actor, and re-dub.”
“...What?”
“The contract fee has already been paid in full, and the contract was cleanly terminated. So, if you discard the controversial Work and re-dub, taking action to show you have no association with them, it can be resolved with minimal fuss.”
In fact, before regression, Seungjin had resolved the problem this way.
However, Seungjin didn't seem to want to listen to me at the current point in time After Regression.
“There's no getting through to you.”
Ultimately, after the conversation went nowhere, it was Seungjin, not I, who couldn't stand it any longer and stood up first.
“You want me to discard the work of a voice actor I personally selected, just because of online public opinion incited by a few hired trolls? I can't listen to this anymore. Let's stop here.”
Seungjin left the Conference Room after finishing his words.
But I didn't try to stop him or persuade him.
It was clear that in his current agitated state, nothing I said would get through to him.
I could only watch with regret.
If he had just swallowed his pride once and done as I said, he could have resolved the current situation without major problems.
***
After we returned to the Studio Office unfruitfully, time passed relentlessly.
Contrary to Seungjin's words that he would handle it himself, his continued silence allowed the fire to spread uncontrollably, and unexpectedly, sparks began to fly our way too.
The reason for the sparks flying was quite a sight.
It began with the revelation from SONYA, a Misandrist Illustrator who had been denied a Congratulatory Illustration Release by us.