Aoki Haruhi thought it over briefly. Ayase Akane was right.
Since Pokeni didn't have that much fame yet, it didn't hold as much appeal for the average game developer, at least not compared to Square.
It was imperative to add some weight to the offer by acting as company president.
As for Yoko Shimomura, those not in the gaming industry might not be very familiar with her, but in reality, she was already quite well-known by now.
Born in '67, Shimomura was only 26 years old, yet she had already been responsible for the music in many of Capcom's excellent games.
The most famous among them were "Final Fight" and "Street Fighter II".
Given the severe limitations on music support in hardware at the time, the fact that Shimomura could still create such remarkable and stirring scores through excellent electronic arrangements was, in itself, a testament to her talent.
It was hard to imagine that a woman could have such a fiery soul within her.
But that was exactly what Aoki liked about her.
Shimomura's foundation in music was incredibly solid; she had studied music since childhood, beginning piano at four or five years old, and had displayed exceptional talent.
She worked in the gaming industry simply because she loved games just as much.
You could say that Shimomura was born to create game music.
"This is an opportunity," Aoki said to Ayase Akane. "Then, I'll leave the contact arrangements to you."
One week later, the little HR, Ayase Akane, returned to Tokyo from Osaka.
"President, regarding Miss Shimomura, I've managed to get in touch with her, and I've brought back news that I don't know whether to call good or bad."
"Huh?"
Aoki Haruhi was a bit bewildered.
What did she mean by not knowing if it was good or bad news?
His heart sank, and he quickly looked up, asking the little HR nervously, "Is Shimomura going to reject us to join Square? Is that it?"
Shirakawa Atsushi had done the same last time.
No matter how one looked at it, Pokeni couldn't possibly compare to Square right now. Final Fantasy was already on its fifth installment; Square's reputation was resounding.
Although Pokeni had seen some success recently, a world-class game like Pokémon hadn't really flexed its muscles yet.
Choosing between a future "potential stock" and a currently popular big company—that didn't seem to be much of a dilemma, did it?
Thinking this, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened. "It's okay. No matter what choice Miss Shimomura makes, I accept it and wish her all the best."
Tsk, tsk.
Ayase Akane rolled her eyes internally.
"President, that sounds so weird, it's like you're wishing your ex-girlfriend well. Miss Shimomura has absolutely nothing to do with you, okay?"
Uh...
Aoki Haruhi's brows furrowed deeply.
This sharp-tongued little HR!
"I wouldn't wish my ex-girlfriend well; I'd just curse her to hurry up and die, okay?"
Ayase Akane frowned in disgust. "President, do you really have to be so petty?"
Sorry, Scorpios are just that petty.
"But President, the truth might be completely the opposite of what you're imagining.
Miss Shimomura has nothing but praise for Pokeni, and she indicated that if it was an invitation from President Aoki, she would definitely take a look. She said the games our company makes, especially the Onmyoji series, are her absolute favorites.
Plus, receiving an invitation from such a rapidly rising company like Pokeni is truly flattering."
Huh?!
Aoki Haruhi was completely bewildered.
"Isn't that good news?" He smiled, unable to contain himself. "Shimomura has great taste. I originally thought she might not even know about Pokeni, so I even specially prepared a speech to persuade her, ready to explain to her what a promising company Pokeni is."
"I'm not saying we'll surpass Nintendo in the future, but at least taking down Square shouldn't be a problem."
"I didn't expect Shimomura to already understand us so well."
"This is practically mutual interest."
Pfft...
The little HR puffed out her cheeks, looking at Aoki Haruhi with an expression of disdain.
"President, could you please have a clear understanding of yourself?"
"Square is currently the most prominent company in Japan, okay?"
"Pokeni might be rising quickly, but we haven't reached that level yet."
Ayase Akane changed the subject, "Having said that, it is true that Miss Shimomura spoke highly of us. Regardless of whether she was just being polite, she has decided to get in touch with us. However..."
"However what?"
"Miss Shimomura has a request." Ayase Akane took out her notebook, flipped to a page, and spread it out in front of Aoki Haruhi.
On it was a date and location.
The time was next Sunday at 8:00 PM, and the location was Expo Commemoration Park.
Below it, a small line of text read—Alph Lyla band performance.
"What does this mean?" Aoki Haruhi frowned, not immediately understanding.
Capcom's headquarters is not in Tokyo, but in Osaka.
In February, Yoko Shimomura will hold an open-air performance with the company's internal jazz band, Alph Lyla. This used to be a routine performance for the band, but this time it is a farewell for Yoko Shimomura.
As everyone knows, Shimomura is leaving Capcom, and the time they will be able to get together to make music in the future will certainly be less and less.
It might even be their last collaboration.
Aoki Haruhi arrived on time to keep the appointment.
In the open-air plaza, a row of lights was lit.
There was no stage to speak of; just a circle of musical instruments and sound equipment set up on the large lawn.
The passersby were actual pedestrians, who just stopped to watch because of the band's performance. If they were interested, they would listen for a while; if not, they would just walk away.
This band's main style was being casual.
However, the audience on-site was quite polite. To avoid blocking anyone, they sat on the grass in a circle.
Seeing this, Aoki Haruhi found an empty spot and sat down as well.
Not long after, the band began their performance for the day.
Yoko Shimomura, 26 years old this year, was slim and wore a pale yellow knit sweater with a knee-length skirt.
From her appearance, one could say she was dignified and gentle, seemingly having nothing to do with a band, let alone a jazz band.
Shimomura's face was rather broad; no matter how you looked at her, she definitely didn't fit the image of a beauty. Yet, when she appeared in everyone's view, the band members smiled happily.
It was as if a beam of light had shone upon her.
The band members took their places, waiting for Shimomura to sit at the piano.
She opened the piano lid and placed her hands on the keys.
As the first note rang out, Shimomura's fingers swept rapidly across the keys, playing a stirring melody.
Immediately after, the electric guitar, bass, and drums joined in.
The scene instantly became explosive.
Just hearing it for a moment, Aoki felt inexplicably excited.
This was the theme music for Ken from Street Fighter II. It hadn't been this moving when played on a game console, but hearing it live, with the instruments interweaving, it was hard to believe it was the same piece of music.
One could only say that Shimomura's music was written too well. This full, passionate performance was truly exhilarating live.
So cool.
That was Aoki's first impression.
At the venue, regardless of whether they had played video games or Street Fighter before, everyone became joyful and exuberant.
At this moment, it seemed that all troubles had been cast to the nine heavens, leaving only the joy of the scene and the company of the music.
Music is truly the most international language; anyone can feel it and immerse themselves in it.
Ken's theme finished playing, immediately followed by Ryu's without the slightest pause, as smooth as flowing water, as if these BGM tracks had been composed into a single piece.
The Street Fighter II soundtrack was performed for about an hour, and Aoki Haruhi enjoyed himself thoroughly.
He had come with a heavy sense of purpose, but he hadn't expected that once he sat down and was baptized by the music, he would almost forget why he was there.
But as Shimomura continued to play, the style of the music changed as well.
The electronic performance evoked a traditional feel, even giving Aoki a strange illusion.
Was this using piano and electric guitar to perform a traditional Japanese style?
Listening more closely, Aoki's eyes widened in surprise.
What the hell...
This is "Snow Poem" from Onmyoji.
"Snow Poem" itself has a mournful, melancholic, and healing style, but when performed with electronic music, it took on a different flavor.
It became a bit more upbeat, yet within that joy, a trace of sorrow flowed through, stirring the heart.
After the performance ended, Yoko Shimomura and her band members embraced each other, weeping with joy, while saying their goodbyes and wishing each other all the best for the future.
The surrounding audience, regardless of whether it was their first time seeing them, was deeply moved by the genuine emotions shared among the group.
Afterwards, Yoko Shimomura wiped away her tears and walked over to Aoki Haruhi.
"Hello, you must be President Aoki, right? I'm Yoko Shimomura. Welcome to Osaka."
"Hello, I am Aoki Haruhi."
Aoki bowed slightly and shook hands with Yoko Shimomura.
"Excuse me for making you come all this way," Shimomura said with a smile. "It was our band's final performance, so I wanted you to see it."
"Hmm, it was impressive," Aoki exclaimed. "As expected of Capcom's genius composer."
"No, no, not at all."
Shimomura laughed.
She glanced at her watch and extended an invitation, "President Aoki, let me treat you to a meal."
"What did you think of our performance just now?" Yoko Shimomura asked.
"Well, it was amazing. Even though it's the background music from Street Fighter, hearing it live gives a completely different feeling than in the game."
Sipping red wine and chatting about music, Aoi Haruhi, though not formally trained, was well-versed and could talk about anything, which delighted Yoko Shimomura.
The two chatted for a while.
Aoi Haruhi extended an invitation: "Miss Shimomura, to be honest, Pokeni may not have the fame of Square.
But I believe we can offer you the best platform instead.
At Pokeni, you'll be able to fully unleash all of your talents.
So, I sincerely invite you to join our company."
"Thank you, President Aoi," Yoko Shimomura replied politely, giving a slight nod.
"Then, I'd like to ask, what are your company's future game development plans? What would I be able to do at Pokeni?"
"Our future... we plan to..."
That evening, Aoi Haruhi and Yoko Shimomura had a very pleasant conversation. Of course, as a gentleman, he didn't let her pay the bill; he had taken the opportunity while going to the restroom to pay for it in advance.
"Well then, President Aoi, thank you for taking the time to come. I will make a decision as soon as possible."
A week later.
"Miss Shimomura has already called to decline," said Ayase Akane.
"Huh?"
Aoki Haruhi looked astonished.
"How is that possible?"
We had such a good conversation, so why was I rejected in the end?
Shimomura had seemed so happy at the time.
"I don't know either, but that's what Miss Shimomura said. She thought about it for a long time, and ultimately decided to go to Square."
Dammit.
Where exactly did things go wrong?
This wasn't a meeting of the minds; it was clearly me being the one who was interviewed.
Aoki felt incredibly frustrated.
A dignified company president, and yet he was the one who got interviewed.
However... he carefully replayed the events in his mind. He felt he had done everything right. Why did it end this way?
Was Shimomura a masochist? Did she not like being flattered?
Or was she just a strong-willed woman, and my paying the bill actually annoyed her?
He didn't understand.
"Yoko Shimomura, you heartbreaker!" Aoki frowned deeply.
Leading someone on and then running away—it was infuriating.
If you intended to reject me from the start, why go through all that trouble?
And you even played the Onmyoji soundtrack back then; how do you explain that?
Wait.
Onmyoji.
Just then, a spark of inspiration flashed through Aoki's mind.
He had overlooked a very important point.
No wonder she asked that question at the time, and ultimately made that decision. Aoki suddenly understood—
It was because I didn't give her the answer she wanted.
In fact, that was exactly why she chose to go to Square.
Aoki smiled slightly; everything had suddenly become clear.
So, Aoki Haruhi made a phone call to Yoko Shimomura.
"I am very sorry, President Aoki, but I have already decided to go to Square."
"Did you decide this before I came, or after?" Aoki asked.
There was a silence on the other end of the line. After two seconds, Yoko Shimomura spoke, "To be honest, I originally had higher expectations for Pokeni."
"But I didn't feel your passion."
"At the very least, Square is much more passionate than you are, and they gave me high praise and encouragement."
"So, I'm really very sorry, I just..."
"Ms. Shimomura," Aoki said, "please don't rush to refuse. I only want to say one thing."
There was no more talking on the other end. After a silence of two seconds, she seemed to be waiting for what Aoki had to say next.
Aoki smiled slightly, "What I want to say is, it's not just that Pokeni needs you, it's also that you need Pokeni."
Yes, this is what you call a two-way journey.
Before, I only expressed that I needed Shimomura, but I ignored the most crucial point—
There must be a reason why Shimomura left Capcom.
She also needs Pokeni, that is the key!
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