Chapter 50
D-7 until launch.
With just a week left until release and most of the schedule wrapped up, the office should have been in a festive mood. Instead, an inexplicable tension hung in the air.
The reason? The surprise video shoot for the launch celebration.
I'd asked the publisher if we could skip the shoot, given that the trailer release and CBT's record-breaking success had already provided enough publicity. But...
Their response was that users were looking forward to it too much to cancel.
After Girls Memorial's success, these broadcasts for every milestone had become the norm. Talk about being hoisted by our own petard.
In the end, I needed to bring one more person besides myself for the broadcast shoot. That's why all the team members were eyeing each other nervously.
The condition for the broadcast? Cosplay.
When I mentioned this, Ye-rin, who had already done cosplay twice, turned her head away as if to say "absolutely not."
Even those who weren't Ye-rin seemed reluctant to cosplay, avoiding eye contact and busying themselves with other tasks.
"One of us has to go anyway... So how do you want to decide?"
I asked again, but the team members just kept exchanging glances.
"Since no one's volunteering, why don't we just decide by playing a game?"
At my suggestion, they looked at each other and nodded.
And so began the game to choose the broadcast recording participant.
We decided on a simple game of drawing lots.
It was the easiest, most convenient, and least controversial method.
After putting slips with everyone's names into a container and shaking it, I said,
"Alright, shall I draw?"
Feeling the team's eyes focused on my hand, I rummaged through the box and pulled out a crumpled slip.
"Let's see... huh?"
"What is it? Who got picked?"
As I paused for dramatic effect, Ye-rin approached curiously.
I shrugged and unfolded the slip to show everyone.
[Han Chae-young]
With this result, all the team members breathed a sigh of relief.
All except one.
"W-what? Why me... This has to be a joke!"
"Senior, get a grip. This is reality."
"Ah, aah..."
Leaving Senior Chae-young to despair over the slip with her name on it, I turned to the remaining team members.
"There's not much left to do until launch day anyway, so tell everyone in your teams to skip overtime and conserve energy. There'll be more to do after the launch. And Ye-rin, you come with Chae-young and me to the conference room for a bit."
"Oh, me? Okay."
Watching the team members return to their desks, I entered the conference room with Chae-young and Ye-rin.
Their expressions were polar opposites.
Ye-rin, who had finally escaped cosplay, was all smiles.
Chae-young, stuck with the punishment of cosplay and recording, looked like death warmed over.
"Senior, cheer up. It's not like you're going to your execution."
That comment seemed to strike a nerve with Chae-young, who snapped,
"How is this any different from social suicide, cosplaying and recording at my age...!"
Baffled by Senior Chae-young's words, I retorted,
"Come on, if anyone could pull this off, it's you..."
Truth be told, judging by Chae-young's appearance alone, cosplay wouldn't look out of place on her at all.
Even compared to Ye-rin, who was trying to console her, there didn't seem to be much of an age gap.
If anything, they looked like sisters born a year apart.
"That's right, sis. Once you try cosplay, you'll see it's really not a big deal!"
Seeing Ye-rin cheerfully trying to comfort her, Chae-young asked with an incredulous expression,
"...If it's no big deal, why were you so happy earlier?"
"W-well, that's..."
At this, Chae-young clicked her tongue and asked Ye-rin again,
"Then why don't you do it instead, Ye-rin?"
"Ah, no..."
Ye-rin fell silent at Chae-young's unusual demeanor.
She probably thought she could joke around because of Chae-young's usually relaxed personality when half-drunk.
In reality, Chae-young's true nature, with her sharp features and personality, made her hard to approach.
It was only because she was often half-drunk these days that she'd softened up...
"Alright, alright, both of you stop. Senior Chae-young."
"...What?"
"I promise I'll do my best to cut these cosplay events from now on, so could you just bear with it this once?"
At my sincere request, Chae-young closed her eyes as if she had a headache.
After a moment of silence,
Chae-young finally steeled herself and said with a sigh,
"...This is the last time. Got it?"
"Of course, absolutely."
"Haah... you really cause trouble sometimes."
"I'm sorry..."
"Forget it. If I have to do this... So what's the cosplay?"
"It's... Henrietta."
The conference room fell silent at my words.
"Henrietta? You mean that Henrietta?"
"Yeah, that's right... Our game's main..."
Chae-young looked at me with an expression of disbelief, as if Henrietta's image had just popped into her head.
"...You're really lucky, you know that? If you'd told this to anyone else, you wouldn't have gotten off so easily."
"I know, that's why I'm grateful to you, Senior."
"If you know, then do better... So when's the shoot?"
"We need to go to a studio in Japan in three days."
"At least there's plenty of time. Is alcohol... not allowed? I don't think I can do this sober, no matter what..."
"I'll see what I can do about that."
Chae-young's expression softened a bit at my words, seeming somewhat relieved. I watched her for a moment before standing up.
"I'm going to call the publisher now. Ye-rin, why don't you give Senior Chae-young some tips?"
"Tips?"
"You're the only one on our team besides me with video shooting experience."
"Okay, sure."
With that, I left Chae-young in Ye-rin's care and exited the conference room.
***
Three days flew by, and the big departure day arrived.
I picked up Chae-young in front of the company to take her to the airport. Her expression was sour.
"Lighten up. Your makeup's going to smudge."
"Shut up."
Chae-young grumbled at my words.
But knowing she'd already come around, I teased her playfully.
"You should've drawn a better lot, you know."
"Haah... Maybe I should've just stayed at the broadcasting station instead of transferring here based on your suggestion a few years ago."
I just shrugged at Chae-young's lament and kept driving.
Chae-young didn't seem to expect a response either, leaning against the window and watching the scenery pass by.
We arrived at Incheon International Airport, went through departure procedures, and in the blink of an eye, we were in Tokyo.
Of course, since it was Chae-young's first business trip, I helped her out in various ways.
"You're a natural at this, huh?"
"Anyone would be if they traveled for work as much as I do..."
After that, I led Chae-young from the airport to Shinjuku.
After walking for about five minutes in Shinjuku, a familiar studio came into view.
"Is this it?"
"Yeah. Let's head in."
"By the way, what about the cosplay outfit and makeup?"
"The publisher said they'd prepare everything, so don't worry about it."
"Really?"
With that, Chae-young's expression softened as she entered the studio.
I followed behind her into the studio.
"Welcome. Are you Director Ji Ho-jin and Director Han Chae-young?"
"Yes, that's us."
"Thank you for your cooperation in confirming."
Then, just like last time, they handed us visitor passes.
After putting on the passes and heading up to the second floor, we met Tanaka, who was waiting for us.
"It's good to see you, Director Ji Ho-jin and Sound Director Han Chae-young."
The waiting room Tanaka led us to was empty, unlike last time when voice actors and the host had greeted us.
Confused, I turned to look at Tanaka.
"Haha, I heard it was Director Han's first time cosplaying, so we scheduled things a bit earlier."
"Ah..."
"Once you're both ready, please let us know, and we'll send up the makeup staff right away."
"Understood."
Tanaka nodded at my response and left the waiting room.
Checking the room as he suggested, I saw two boxes placed on a table.
"I guess those are the cosplay outfits?"
"Seems like it."
Chae-young and I approached to check, and the boxes were labeled with the characters' names.
One said Henrietta, the other Commander.
However, since Henrietta's outfit was simpler, her box was noticeably smaller than the Commander's.
"You go in first, Senior. I need to figure out how to put this on. It looks more complicated than I thought."
"Really? Alright, I'll go first then."
"Okay."
Chae-young took the box from the table and entered the women's changing room.
Following suit, I checked the cosplay outfit instructions and entered the men's changing room.
First, I put on the suit pants and dress shirt, then the vest and the long black coat with the Resistance logo.
Finishing up with the tie and shoes, I looked exactly like the Commander I'd only seen in illustrations.
I'll put the gloves on during the shoot...
After double-checking my appearance, I stepped out into the waiting room and saw Chae-young sitting with her back to me.
"Oh, Senior, you're already out...?"
Hearing my voice, she swirled her chair with a creak to face me.
I was at a loss for words when I saw Chae-young's appearance.
That image of her looking up at me with a slightly flushed face, embarrassed, was the spitting image of Henrietta from the illustrations.