Chapter 65
G-STAR was a month away.
This meant it was the time when Participating Companies' exhibits and Booth Sizes were finalized.
Currently, G-STAR's status is merely that of a Domestic Game Festival, with only Domestic Game Companies participating.
While it couldn't be called an unpopular game show, its prestige wasn't comparable to the World's Top 3 Game Shows.
Naturally, interest wasn't that high, apart from fans of specific game companies or hardcore users truly dedicated to games, but this year was different.
Reverse Arcadia's G-STAR Participation this year is confirmed.
With this extremely simple sentence, the interest of Subculture Community Users began to focus on G-STAR.
And naturally, Jaehyeon was among those Users.
“Is Reverse Arcadia participating in G-STAR this year?”
Originally, G-STAR was a game show Jaehyeon had no intention of attending... but if Reverse Arcadia was participating, that was a different story.
Jaehyeon briefly checked his pending Freelance List and made a decision.
He would finish all accumulated Freelance Slots within a month and attend G-STAR.
Just as there were people who welcomed Reverse Arcadia's G-STAR Participation,
conversely, there were also people who did not welcome it.
A prime example was ND Soft, which had declared it would participate in G-STAR with *sharpened knives*.
ND Soft Employees, who had been enthusiastically preparing for G-STAR, were reportedly dumbfounded at the news of the *dinosaur's* participation.
Thus, the curtain was about to rise on G-STAR, with various emotions intertwined regarding Reverse Arcadia's G-STAR Participation.
Time flew by so fast that suddenly G-STAR was just one day away.
As we led Yerin, Chaeyoung, and Yumi, who had been selected as Booth Management Staff, out of Busan Station, a fierce sea breeze greeted us.
Of course, while it was windy, the temperature itself was much warmer than Seoul's, so it didn't feel particularly cold.
After leaving Busan Station, we dropped our luggage at the hotel and immediately headed to BEXCO, where G-STAR was being held.
Arriving with hurried steps at BEXCO, we joined the Management Support Team Employees who had already arrived.
After a full day of hard work setting up, we were able to complete the Booth Preparation.
And so, on the morning of G-STAR's Launch Day.
While the venue was certainly smaller than the Tokyo Game Show, it felt fresh and new, perhaps because it was a game show held in Korea.
It seemed I wasn't the only one feeling this way; Yerin, Chaeyoung, and Yumi were also looking around the venue with a somewhat peculiar expression.
The numerous booths set up inside the venue, the game industry professionals, and the venue staff all mingled together.
It was a sight not easily seen even by employees working at a game company, so I let them enjoy it for a bit.
But I couldn't let them linger forever, so I soon approached them from behind and spoke.
“It's good to be nostalgic, but shall we get moving?”
At that, the three of them flinched, then nodded to each other.
“Anyway, this time at G-STAR, we're planning to use staff for everything, so just focus on the meticulous finish of the booth. Once the booth opens, the event won't be as hectic as the Tokyo Game Show.”
As I was taking the three of them for the Final Check,
I noticed a group of women approaching our booth.
“You must be Director Ji Hojin, right?”
A voice was calling my name.
Turning around at the voice, I saw Cosplayers with various hairstyles and perfectly fitted costumes looking at me.
What was different from the Tokyo Game Show.
“We look forward to working with you during this event.”
It was the fact that we had hired Professional Cosplayers.
Actually, I had thought a lot about this.
The reactions to Yerin and Chaeyoung's Cosplay had been much better than I expected.
However, after G-STAR Participation was confirmed, I secretly brought up the topic of cosplay to them, but the murderous intent in their eyes forced me to quickly drop the idea.
In the first place, unlike back then, Reverse Arcadia now has no particular reason to gather public opinion through the Directors' Cosplay.
After coffee had been handed out to the cosplayers and the booth's final check had been completed, it was 9:30.
Leaving Yumi and Chaeyoung, who were exhausted from yesterday's and today's forced march and wanted to rest, I exited the Booth with Yerin.
The first thing I saw was ND Soft's booth on the opposite side.
The rumor that they were *sharpening their knives* for G-STAR seemed to be true, as several employees were busily moving around in their booth, which was slightly larger than ours.
Compared to our 80-seat Booth, theirs looked to be roughly over 90 seats...
Yerin looked at ND Soft's Booth and asked me if something had occurred to her.
“Speaking of which, Senior, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Will Senior Taeyun's project work, which he participated in, also be showcased at ND Soft's Booth this time?”
“Well... considering the Project Development period Senior Taeyun mentioned, it might be out..., but I don't know.”
If everything Senior Taeyun said was true, there was a high probability that the Project was already a *mess*.
As Yerin and I were chatting idly in front of the Booth,
A familiar voice came from the direction of ND Soft's Booth.
“Oh, aren't you Hojin?”
A voice was calling my name.
Turning around at the familiar voice calling my name, I saw a familiar middle-aged man waving at me.
His name was Choi Jeongsu.
He was a Senior Director whom I had been close to since my days as a Planner at ND Soft.
He was known for being a peculiar *gentleman* who, despite his seniority, remained on Site rather than becoming an Executive...
When I saw him here today, it seemed he was still the same.
“Senior Jeongsu, long time no see. You know this person, right? This is Yerin, who worked with me when I was at ND...”
“Ah, so this young lady left with you, Hojin? Nice to meet you. I'm Choi Jeongsu, still working as a Director at ND Soft.”
Yerin received Jeongsu's sudden greeting with a flustered expression.
“Ah, hello... I've heard a lot about you from Senior Hojin.”
“Really? He didn't say anything bad about me, did he?”
“N-no, of course not.”
Jeongsu nodded at Yerin's reply and turned his head to me.
“Your name is all over our Company, so I thought I'd run into you at G-STAR, but we met earlier than expected.”
“My name is being mentioned at the Company? Why?”
Jeongsu asked back with a dumbfounded expression at my question.
“Are you really asking because you don't know?”
“No, I generally know... but I still don't quite understand.”
“Well, the <F1>guy</F1> who went to a competitor company to make a game full of girls, even taking an artist with him, is now <F1>soaring to success</F1>, so the higher-ups are <F1>fretting</F1>.”
“When you put it that way, I don't have much to say. How's the Department Head doing?”
“That *gentleman* probably lost another handful of hair because of you. He was called in and got an earful the day you hit Number 1 in Sales in Both Major Markets in Japan—they say.”
The Department Head's *tale of woe* continued.
As I listened, I started to feel a little sorry for the Department Head.
He got scolded because of me, even though it wasn't his fault...
Just as I was about to reply to Jeongsu's story, a song echoed through the Event Venue.
It was the sound announcing the start of G-STAR.
*At the same time, perhaps because entry had begun, from the Entrance a murmur and signs of people started to be noticed.*
“Anyway, it's good to see you doing well. Don't just call, but come visit sometimes.”
“I'll contact Senior after G-STAR.”
“Alright, then I'll get going first. I have something I was asked to do.”
As if it were true that he had something to do, Jeongsu hurried away as soon as the conversation ended. I turned around.
“Alright, then shall we head back to our booth and start preparing to welcome our customers?”
It was the beginning of the G-STAR Event.
***
Jaehyeon, attending G-STAR for the first time in his life, was overwhelmed by the crowd filling the BEXCO Entrance.
“Why are there so many people...”
In fact, Jaehyeon had not expected such a large crowd at G-STAR at all.
Even though it was Korea's Largest Game Show, he had complacently assumed that fewer people would gather since Domestic Companies primarily participated, so he left his accommodation a little early.
and he was now bitterly paying the price for that complacent judgment.
A long line stretched from the BEXCO Entrance to the Plaza.
Despite Jaehyeon arriving relatively early, it seemed it would take at least another 30 minutes to enter BEXCO from where he was currently standing.
“I should have come earlier if I”d known this.'
But regret always comes too late.
In the end, he gave up and, as always, accessed the Reverse Arcadia Gallery and posted.
[Nickname: ㅇㅇ]
[Title: Wow, I just arrived at BEXCO and it's absolutely packed, damn lololololol]
[Current BEXCO Scenery Photo]
Seriously, I arrived a little before 9 AM, but what time did the *guys* in front of me get here?
Wasn't entry at 10 AM?
[Comment List][Newest]
-They're probably the Overnight Group lololol. Some *bastards* were even pitching tents.
Reply:Even if Busan is warm, it's around 0 degrees Celsius right now, are they crazy *guys*? lololol
-Wow, there are so many people lololol
*'Overnight Group?'*
Curious about the comments, he searched and found photos of people called the Overnight Group.
Photos showed people waiting, even pitching tents, in the BEXCO Plaza where he was currently standing.
Although he was dumbfounded, there was no way to protest, so he could only hope the line would move faster.
“Please, let me get in within 30 minutes...”