After hearing Aoki Haruhi's story that evening, Tsuda couldn't help but be astonished.
"Huh? Do you think you're the protagonist of a Japanese anime?" She glared at him reproachfully. "If that's the case, you should have gone with Sega from the start."
"Don't be so rash. You still have a chance to develop games for Nintendo in the future, but this move cuts off even that last resort."
"You're letting your emotions get the better of you, young man."
Aoki Haruhi's lips twitched violently.
"But... it's very cool."
"If Pokeni goes bankrupt, why not come work for DUN?" Tsuda Nao suggested.
"Hey, don't just throw out random predictions like that!"
June 4th, 1991.
Pokeni's The Mermaid's Heart successfully signed a deal with Sega, securing the license to release the game on the Mega Drive.
The game officially entered its pre-order phase.
Tokyo.
Ginza.
Bagus Billiard Hall.
Naoe Mika was an ordinary employee at the Bank of Tokyo, 23 years old, and strikingly beautiful.
Tonight, she was attending a company mixer. After dinner, her colleagues insisted on continuing the night at the billiard hall.
She wasn't particularly interested in her assigned mixer partner, but out of politeness, she followed her companions to the hall.
"Naoe, aren't you going to play?" a colleague called out.
"Mm~mm~" she shook her head. "You guys go ahead. I don't know how to play, so I'll just watch."
Of course, claiming she didn't know how to play was a lie; she was simply there to observe.
Her assigned mixer partner was an unremarkable man.
An ordinary office worker in a standard striped shirt, wearing ordinary shoes, and sporting a watch that couldn't have been more ordinary.
His conversation was equally unremarkable.
Naoe Mika had absolutely no interest in what was happening.
But next door...
She glanced over at the neighboring table.
Standing by the pool table was a tall, handsome man in his early twenties. His gentle eyes and overall aura exuded an inexplicable charm.
Facing him was a balding middle-aged man.
The younger man's clothes weren't designer-brand, but his watch was decent.
The middle-aged man, however, was clearly wealthy, wearing a Rolex worth at least ten million.
Like her, these two men had brought three women with them.
The women were all quite pretty, but as a woman herself, Naoe could instantly tell that these girls reeked of prostitution—likely hostesses from some nightclub.
Now it was the handsome man's turn to play, but the three women weren't even watching him. Instead, they were telling vulgar jokes to the balding man beside them.
Though loud and boisterous, none of their smiles seemed genuine.
"President Hattori, The Mermaid's Heart is definitely going to be a hit this time. Instead of buying more tickets later, why not purchase extra now?"
The handsome man spoke as he leaned over, aiming his cue at the white ball.
There weren't many balls left on the table, and his angle looked perfect.
Seeing his serious posture, Naoe Mika couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat.
Clack!
A sharp, crisp sound rang out.
The white ball shot out like lightning, striking the red ball straight on.
Clack...
The red ball bounced off the corner pocket but failed to sink, rolling for a few seconds before coming to a stop.
"Ah~ so close!" Aoki Haruhi sighed softly.
Huh!
What was that?
His stance looked impressive, but his skill was surprisingly poor.
"Hahaha, President Qing, your pool game is terrible."
The bald man beside him grabbed the cue, preparing to take his turn.
Naoe was startled.
President?
Huh?
He looks so young to be a President!
He doesn't even look like one.
Could he be a second-generation heir?
"President Qing, we're old friends now, so I'll definitely look out for you," Hattori Yuji said, his eyes fixed on a red ball.
Click!
With a soft sound, the red ball dropped precisely into the pocket.
He surveyed the arrangement of the balls on the table, then moved to the other side.
"But why did Pokeni choose Sega's Mega Drive this time instead of the Nintendo SFC? I'm genuinely curious."
Aoki Haruhi's lips twitched. He couldn't possibly reveal that Yamauchi Hiroshi had kicked him out of Nintendo.
After all, given Nintendo's influence, Hattori might never have been able to get his game published if that were the case.
"Of course, it was a decision based on careful consideration. The Mega Drive has its own advantages—high processing efficiency, speed, and excellent support for game performance. That's why Pokeni chose Sega," Aoki Haruhi replied smoothly.
Hattori Yuji didn't press the matter further.
Cases like Pokeni's were common. A developer might release their previous game on Nintendo and then switch to Sega for the next. Some even managed to straddle both platforms, releasing essentially the same game under different names and with slightly altered graphics for both Nintendo and Sega.
However...
Based on the information he'd gathered, Pokeni was definitely facing some trouble.
Nintendo's Super Famicom was selling well, so they were sure to be stricter with their approval process.
As a galgame publisher, P Corporation's game would inevitably face numerous hurdles during the approval process.
Hattori Yuji understood this completely.
Everyone in the industry had been through it; it was an unspoken understanding among them.
They played for about half an hour.
Hattori Yuji won overwhelmingly.
"Ah~ I picked the wrong sport!" Aoki Haruhi sighed dramatically. "I never imagined President Hattori's pool skills were so impressive! It's like I'm playing against a professional!"
"Not at all," Hattori Yuji replied modestly, though he clearly looked delighted.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave now."
Hattori Yuji draped his arm around several beauties. "Oh, and President Qing, come to Dongrun tomorrow to sign the contract. We'll pre-order 5,000 copies of The Mermaid's Heart."
"Yes! Thank you so much!" Aoki Haruhi bowed slightly.
Watching Hattori Yuji depart with the three beauties, Aoki Haruhi finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. Another one taken care of."
In Naoe Mika's eyes, Aoki Haruhi stood up and re-racked the pool balls on the table.
Bang!
A violent strike scattered the balls across the table.
Then...
The young President seemed to transform, his gaze sharpening.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Clack!
With each shot, he sank a ball.
Naoe's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Huh?!
He was acting so weak just now...
So this young President is actually such a skilled player?
Hattori Yuji climbed into the hotel car with several beautiful women, the same familiar driver behind the wheel.
"Aoki Haruhi has grown," Hattori murmured, leaning back in his seat.
The first time they met, Aoki Haruhi was a brash, impulsive hothead, speaking his mind without filter.
But during their game earlier, despite his clearly superior skills, he had repeatedly let Hattori win, whether intentionally or not.
This showed that Aoki Haruhi was starting to understand the complexities of human relationships.
Some things were more important than simply winning a game.
Truthfully, the grown-up Aoki Haruhi was beginning to frighten Hattori Yuji.
What a detestable fellow...
He's becoming more and more like Tsuda.
With that thought, Hattori Yuji pulled the cassette tape from his bag.
He fiddled with it for a moment.
This time, the driver obediently pulled the car over to the curb.
After about five seconds of silence...
"President, do you have anything to throw away?"
Damn it...
Hattori Yuji stared at the The Mermaid's Heart cassette tape in his hand.
I don't even know if I should throw it away.
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