Chapter 40
My first impression of Tae-sun was slightly disappointing.
He didn't match the image I had conjured up while reading his resume.
Instead of a checkered shirt over a stretched-out white tee,
Thick horn-rimmed glasses that made you wonder if he could even see,
Unkempt, shaggy hair,
And the finishing touch of a hunched, turtle-like neck...
I had been expecting the stereotypical developer image, like Myung-hoon when we first met.
But Tae-sun's appearance at today's interview was the complete opposite.
A neat, tidy hairstyle.
A clean, slightly oversized suit and wristwatch typical of interviewees.
A posture that was slouched, but not quite turtle-neck level.
And an expression brimming with confidence.
Well, I knew this was just prejudice.
Even during my time at ND Soft, I'd seen plenty of skilled developers who dressed sharply.
But that was about typical senior-level developers, and Tae-sun was different.
In the coding world, they say skill is everything, but most of the time, skill comes from experience.
Usually, it's the technicians with over 10 years of experience who earn the "senior" title.
But Tae-sun was 29.
For average developers, this would be the age when they've just landed a job and are taking their first steps as juniors.
Yet Tae-sun was a genius who had cleared our company's coding test—which even senior developers struggle with—in record time.
Maybe that's why I was even more disappointed by his unexpectedly polished appearance.
But this disappointment melted away like snow in the sun once the actual interview began.
First, I asked about the reason that intrigued me most: why he applied to our company when he could have gone elsewhere.
"To be honest, I wanted to make a game like Girls Memorial... you know, a game full of cute girls."
The moment I heard that first sentence, this thought crossed my mind:
This guy isn't normal either.
And I liked people who weren't normal.
"I've loved subculture since I was young. Right after coding. But as I grew older and was about to graduate college, I realized it was nearly impossible to make a career out of subculture."
"So I decided to get a job in the gaming industry, which was at least close to subculture, using my favorite skill: coding. But once I actually started working, I felt like this wasn't the right path for me."
As I listened to Tae-sun's story, I couldn't help but interject.
It was like seeing my pre-regression self.
Somehow, I couldn't stop myself from saying something.
"While working at the company, you wondered why you had to make these kinds of games. This wasn't the kind of game you wanted to make... right?"
Tae-sun nodded in agreement to my words.
"That's right. It wasn't easy pounding away at the keyboard, even working overtime, to develop games in genres I'd never tried before and didn't even like."
"When I was about to burn out and resign, Girls Memorial appeared like a comet."
After finishing, he asked for our permission and took out his smartphone to show us.
The screen on Tae-sun's phone displayed a very familiar sight.
It was the main screen that appears when you first open Girls Memorial.
Level... max.
Unacquired characters... 0.
Out of curiosity, I looked around a bit more and found that he had thoroughly enjoyed all the content. It was the account of a true veteran player.
Both Su-yeon and I were speechless as we stared at Tae-sun.
Noticing our gaze, Tae-sun scratched his head and continued.
"To be honest, my first impression of Girls Memorial was just okay. Even by social game standards, you couldn't say the content was abundant, even as a white lie."
"But as I played, I got sucked into the story, and after enjoying the story, I found myself empathizing with each character's individual stories."
"As I got more and more into the game and even enjoyed all the PVP content, I ultimately had this thought:"
I want to make a game like this too.
I want to make a game with the director who made this game.
"That's why I applied."
After hearing Tae-sun's entire story, the first thought that came to mind was:
We have to hire him, no matter what.
While it's possible to find developers who are simply good at development one way or another, finding a developer with this level of fan enthusiasm—or in vulgar terms, this level of obsession—was like catching lightning in a bottle.
Moreover, he seemed knowledgeable about subculture, which could be helpful in various ways during project development.
"I've heard your story, Tae-sun. I hope your love for our game won't change in the future."
"Does that mean...?"
"Tae-sun, when can you start working?"
*
Inside the conference room after the interview.
Once Tae-sun left, the room felt eerily empty.
That's how impactful this interview had been.
Glancing to the side, I saw Su-yeon wearing quite a satisfied expression.
"You must be happy, Ho-jin. Meeting someone who loves the game you made so passionately."
"Honestly, it's a bit embarrassing. But I do feel good."
Seeing my reaction, Su-yeon chuckled and, just like yesterday, pulled out a lollipop.
"Thank you."
I unwrapped the lollipop and popped it in my mouth.
This time, it was a refreshing cola flavor.
*
This is the conference room inside the RA Studio office, where Project RA will be developed.
It was the first gathering of the core personnel assigned to RA Studio.
Of course, the reason for gathering the team members was to introduce Tae-sun, who had just joined as the new TD.
Unlike Myung-hoon, he didn't seem shy around women, so there shouldn't be any major issues with him adapting.
"This is Director Lee Tae-sun, who will be our project's TD starting today. Tae-sun, could you introduce yourself?"
"Hello everyone! I'm Lee Tae-sun, and I'll be working with you all starting today. I look forward to working with all of you."
After a brief self-introduction, Tae-sun bowed his head in greeting.
The conference room immediately became lively.
Watching them exchange names and engage in various conversations, I eventually sent Tae-sun back to his seat.
"Alright, we'll have time to get to know Tae-sun better after the first meeting is over... Everyone received the proposal for the next project, right?"
They all nodded and held up their proposal documents in response.
"The name of our next project that we'll be developing is 'Reverse Arcadia.' It's a tower defense game set in a post-apocalyptic world."
"Unlike our previous game, Girls Memorial, which was a social game, tower defense is a genre where the quality of in-game play and strategic elements are crucial."
"That's why the roles of the planning team and development team are especially important this time. Of course, the art team is still vital since it's a subculture mobile game. Does anyone have any questions about this?"
Ye-rin raised her hand and asked a question.
"The proposal mentions that the World Tree from Girls Memorial also exists at the center of this world... Does this mean the worlds are connected?"
I shook my head in response to Ye-rin's question.
"No. While the World Tree, or the Primordial Tree, at the center of the world is indeed the central axis in all our game worlds, that doesn't necessarily mean the worlds are connected. Think of it more like parallel worlds."
"Parallel worlds?"
"Yes, parallel worlds. The idea that besides the world you live in, there are other worlds existing on parallel lines. Haven't you heard of it before?"
At my words, Ye-rin furrowed her brow slightly, as if trying to recall something.
Then, as if remembering, she spoke in a low voice.
"Ah, Paradox Gate. That's where it's from, right?"
"Well, you're not wrong, but..."
How should I put this? I was a bit surprised by Ye-rin's answer.
While it's true that Ye-rin was familiar with this culture, even doing doujin activities before, she wasn't the type to talk about it so openly.
But now, after being immersed in the subculture world for a few years, I could see how much she had changed.
If this were the Ye-rin from the ND Soft days, she would have mentioned a famous Western superhero movie franchise instead of Paradox Gate.
"Then, will the characters appearing be completely original?"
"Of course. Though if it becomes a hot topic among users, I'm thinking of maybe implementing one or two as event characters."
Ye-rin nodded at my explanation and scribbled something on her notepad.
She's probably brainstorming character designs... It's best not to interfere; she'll handle it well on her own.
"Alright, does anyone else have any questions?"
I waited a bit longer just in case, but no more questions came up.
"Okay, then let's wrap up today's meeting... Today is for preparation, so try to get to know Tae-sun and coordinate with each other."
"Oh, and starting tomorrow, the regular team members will also be coming to the studio, so please take care of them when they arrive tomorrow."