Chapter 43
The ethereal BGM set the stage as the video began.
Peaceful sky islands surrounded by clouds drifted by.
As the tranquil scene faded, a majestic orchestra swelled, dramatically shifting the mood as the video truly began.
A blonde elven girl lay at the edge of a sky island, waiting for someone.
A dwarf blacksmith grinned after mining a brilliant sapphire amidst a dangerous volcanic zone with lava bombs flying about.
By a dreamlike lakeside, a mysterious female knight wiped away tears as she gazed at the water.
A hero-in-training perched on the railing of an airship, munching on an apple.
As the trainee looked down from the airship, a vast continent sprawled below.
The scene shifted, and a more urgent BGM kicked in as the characters we'd seen began hunting together as a party.
They battled familiar monsters like goblins and orcs, then moved on to a three-headed basilisk,
A fire-breathing Cerberus,
And finally, an enormous dragon raid.
The video concluded with the party joining forces to defeat the monsters, then boarding airships to depart for different cities.
My first thought after watching was simple:
This is no joke.
The crisp, overwhelming quality compressed an entire anime into a 5-minute package.
This single video showcased the capabilities Cyan Games possessed.
It made sense, given that before my regression, they'd maintained their top industry position with a triple home run of Bahamut, Cindefere, and Grand Arc Phantasm.
Now that Girls' Memorial had knocked them from the number one spot, leaving them to compete for second or third place, their pride must have taken a serious hit.
It was clear that this Japanese gaming juggernaut was sharpening its blade, determined to reclaim the throne.
I won't go down without a fight either.
As I pondered this while checking the PV's reception, a knock came at my office door.
"Senior, are you in?"
"The door's open."
Ye-rin entered, her expression noticeably more energetic. It seemed she'd fully overcome her slump.
"I've finished the main character design and a rough teaser image."
"Oh?"
"I sent them to your email, so please take a look."
"Just a moment."
I opened my inbox to find an email with attached images.
Let's see...
There were two attachments: the main character and the rough teaser image we'd discussed earlier.
First up was Henrietta, the main character that had caused Ye-rin's slump.
A secret two-tone hairstyle of black and red, with a teardrop mark.
Sharp eyes befitting a resistance leader, and an aura of danger.
A black zip-up hoodie symbolizing the resistance, paired with a tank top.
And to top it off, hot pants.
This was exactly the "Henrietta" I'd envisioned.
The biggest improvement from Ye-rin's previous rough sketches was the overall atmosphere.
While her earlier attempts during her slump made Henrietta look like a delinquent schoolgirl,
This completed version truly captured the essence of a resistance leader.
"Well done. This is perfect, isn't it?"
"Really?"
Ye-rin's eyes widened in surprise at my straightforward praise.
"Absolutely. The character's concept really comes alive compared to before."
"That's a relief..."
"But why is the teaser image incomplete?"
"Ah, I left that part blank for a reason."
"Why?"
"Well, the designs for the other two aren't finished yet, and I'm still figuring out the background composition."
"Hmm..."
Ye-rin's words reminded me of Seol's similar struggles. She had mentioned having trouble imagining the bleak post-apocalyptic setting, so different from Girls' Memorial's vibrant world.
I should give them both some input soon.
"Ye-rin."
"Yes?"
"Are you free the day after tomorrow?"
"The day after tomorrow? Um... what day is that again?"
"Saturday."
"I think I'm free then... why?"
"Want to catch a movie?"
Ye-rin looked at me with a surprised expression.
Then, narrowing her eyes suspiciously, she glared at me. I could practically read her thoughts.
"This isn't a date invitation or anything."
"Then what is it?"
"You mentioned having trouble with the teaser image background and composition, right? I'm trying to help."
"...Isn't that still a date?"
"I was planning to bring Seol along too."
Ye-rin's expression soured at that.
"Of course..."
But despite her grumbling, she didn't cancel the plans even as she left the office.
***
Saturday morning, the day of our appointment.
Ye-rin woke up earlier than expected.
Checking the clock on her desk with bleary eyes, she saw it was just past 6 AM.
Considering she'd fallen asleep around 1 AM after picking out clothes for today following overtime work, it was an extremely short night's sleep.
I could still sleep for another 30 minutes before work... oh, right. It's a day off.
Realizing it wasn't a weekday, she immediately buried her head back in her pillow.
Her appointment with Senior Ho-jin wasn't until 1 PM.
Even if she started getting ready at 11, there was still plenty of time.
As she stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought before drifting off again, her eyes slowly closed.
Just a little more sleep and then...
***
Outside the CGV near Pangyo Station.
Just in case, I texted Ye-rin 30 minutes before our agreed meeting time.
「You remember we have plans today, right?」
Her reply came within two minutes.
「Just woke up, be there soon ㅠㅠㅠ」
...Good thing I sent that text ahead of time.
Remembering her tendency to oversleep and be late, it was the right call to message her early.
On the other hand, Seol...
「I'll be there in about 10 minutes!! (❀╹◡╹)」
Unlike Ye-rin, Seol seemed to have a strict sense of time, quickly replying that she'd arrive soon.
The emoticon was a bit glitchy, but that was fine.
Even after working with my current team for over two years, I kept discovering new things about them.
With 10 minutes left until our meeting time, I waited at the theater entrance. Suddenly, I felt a finger poking my back. I turned to see Seol.
"Bon... uh... D-Director?"
"Just call me whatever you're comfortable with."
"Ah, okay! Then I'll stick with Director..."
"Sure."
Seol's appearance outside of work was... not much different from at the office.
Her tall stature of over 170cm for a woman, long black hair reminiscent of a doll,
And an ivory knit dress with a beret worn at an angle, likely due to the chilly weather.
It was the same stylish Seol I saw at work.
"Ye-rin is running a bit late, so should we head in when it hits the hour?"
"What about you, Director?"
"I'll go in with Ye-rin when she gets here. You can go ahead and find seats."
"Ah, then... I'll wait with you..."
I was about to tell her that wasn't necessary, but seeing Seol's expression, I nodded.
I knew that look – she wouldn't budge easily.
After about 5 minutes of waiting and chatting about the project,
I spotted Ye-rin running towards us from a distance.
She wore a simple outfit of jeans and a knit sweater, with a hat pulled down low.
That look confirmed she really had overslept.
"I'm so sorry... I did wake up early, but... I fell back asleep..."
"It's fine. You made it right on time."
"Still..."
"Ye-rin, here..."
Instead of scolding her, Seol pulled out a small water bottle from her handbag and offered it.
Ye-rin accepted it silently and took a sip.
"Now that we're all here, shall we go in?"
"Senior, what about the tickets?"
"Right here."
I pulled three tickets from my pocket and handed them out.
"Oh, is this the movie we're seeing? I've heard it's good."
"It's the closest genre to our project among the current releases."
"If you say so, Senior. Shall we go, Unnie?"
"Mm-hmm..."
Ye-rin had naturally linked arms with Seol as they entered the theater.
I followed behind the two of them into the cinema.
*
The movie we watched was a blockbuster climate disaster apocalypse film.
It depicted a climate catastrophe where global warming melted the polar ice caps, leading to an ice age, with a love story blossoming amidst the chaos...
Honestly, it was a typical melodramatic disaster blockbuster, but it was watchable thanks to its solid research.
"The visuals were impressive, clearly big-budget, but the story felt a bit... melodramatic. I wonder if the online reactions were just viral marketing?"
As we left the theater, Ye-rin offered her harsh critique. Seol nodded with an ambiguous expression.
"W-well... the CGI was decent, at least..."
"That's true. Senior, what did you think of the movie?"
Ye-rin turned to me, curious about my opinion.
After a moment's thought, I responded.
"The snow was beautiful."
"True, the CG snow scenes were a visual treat. The blizzard sequence and the depictions of people freezing to death were..."
"It made me wonder, 'What would happen if riots broke out in such extreme conditions?'"
"...Huh?"
"...What?"
Both of them looked at me strangely, as if I'd said something bizarre.
"Why are you reacting like that? Remember the storyline about survivor groups living in the underground spaces of snow-buried buildings in the latter half?"
"W-well, there was something like that..."
"The protagonists managed to claim the sunlit upper floors of the Empire State Building in the end, but could they really hold onto it forever?"
I paused briefly to gauge their reactions before continuing.
"Even if they secured the upper floors, they lack resources and manpower. Plus, there are the underground survivors who feel discriminated against. Don't you think a riot is likely?"
Ye-rin and Seol exchanged glances before cautiously speaking.
"Now that you mention it, I guess so... right, unni?"
"Y-yes... It's a perspective I hadn't considered at all until you pointed it out, Director..."
I couldn't help but sigh, realizing they had simply enjoyed the movie without considering the apocalyptic genre input I'd intended.
"This won't do. Let's watch it one more time."
"Th-that's not necessary...! We understand everything you said, Senior!"
"I-I'm fine too!"
"Quiet."
Ignoring their desperate attempts to avoid a second viewing, I led them back into the theater.
This was how we spent a weekend in November.