Chapter 100

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Translated by Sylph

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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I woke up and my boss was gone.

‘Is it a dream.’

It wasn’t a dream.

The head of division, who had been fighting with the fans for the past few days, had disappeared.

Of course, it wasn’t a resignation. He just went back to the place where he originally worked.

As it turned out, the head of division seemed to have already been looking for an opportunity to flee with his portfolio.

According to the content I picked up from the practical staff via rumors, he had originally intended to stay for only a year.

In the meantime, when a dispute with the fans occurred, he used that as an excuse, talked to the higher-ups well, and quickly flew away.

And naturally, the ‘TeStar and Game Collaboration’ that was included in the head of division’s portfolio…….?

It was continued. They had already stamped all the contracts.

‘F*ck.’

That said, I couldn’t whine to the fans who liked that the head of division was sent away, asking them to also do something about this.

I accepted the reality and started preparing to go out.

Today was precisely the Friday when the meeting was set.

* * *

“Hello~ I’m really a fan!”

“Hello!”

“Greetings!”

The two people I met at the meeting place were, unexpectedly, a man and a woman with an unassuming impression.

It was to the extent that I felt sorry for anticipating an impression like a swindler based on my feeling.

Furthermore, perhaps because the talk of a collaboration was sudden for them too, they looked a bit dazed.

“Well… shall we explain from our game first?”

“Yes, yes!”

“I will listen attentively.”

“Yes, then……”

The following contents… sounded quite distinctive and interesting.

That was also unexpected.

‘Ho-oh.’

“…So, the main story of the game is the story of a protagonist who explores a Seoul ruined by a mysterious substance that came from a meteorite. It’s a roguelike-style adventure where the companions and abilities change depending on choices while meeting various factions in Seoul.”

“It sounds very interesting!”

“Ah, thank you!”

Kim Raebin was the first to clap and come forward.

This was… a signal that it might really be okay.

Does it mean that what the head of division threw and left behind might not be trash but high-quality beef?

Furthermore, these people were quite favorable. It doesn’t mean they were favorable only in words, but it means they have favorability that can be used for work.

“Actually, this collaboration… since we also received it suddenly, the time for investigation was a bit insufficient, but still, when we checked fundamentally… the ‘Magic Boy’ that you made was really cool.”

“Ah, thank you. We also want to check the game quickly. It sounds really interesting.”

“Ah, then for a moment… would you like to try playing once?”

“Yes?”

“We are in the middle of fixing bugs, but it’s already at a level where play is possible! There won’t be any difficulty in proceeding.”

A smartphone device popped out from the arms of the person sitting on the left. It was a large-sized Android model.

The person who turned on the game execution screen while stroking the smartphone handed it to Ryu Chungwoo.

“Ah…….”

“Me! I’ll do it!”

Ryu Chungwoo, who received it a bit awkwardly, became a troubled face at Cha Yujin’s earnest request.

However, thinking it would be better for a person who is good at and enjoys it to do it, he soon handed over the smartphone with words of caution.

“Use it carefully.”

“Yeah!!”

Cha Yujin quickly received it and started the game with shining eyes. The rest of the members began to look into the screen with expressions full of curiosity.

‘…That side also seems excited.’

While being conscious of the two people watching TeStar with eyes full of excitement and tension, I also looked into the screen.

Thinking that it was difficult to implement everything in detail due to high freedom and being mobile, the game proceeded with text, graphics, and illustrations appearing alternately.

However, it was very sophisticated and conceptual.

Furthermore, it was fun. The composition of gathering companions and clearing story chapters was quite good.

‘This… could work.’

It was a quality that made me understand why T1 acquired it.

‘…But just where do you insert an idol promotion here.’

Just thinking about that, I am completely speechless.

In any case, Cha Yujin, who finished Chapter 1 in an instant, shouted excitedly.

“It’s really fun!”

“Oh~”

“Thank you.”

The two people with difficulty retrieved the smartphone from Cha Yujin, who was feeling regretful. And they spoke with smiling faces.

“How was it? By any chance, is there a part like ‘it would be good if we do the collaboration like this~’?”

“……Umm.”

“I think we should ponder about that from now on.”

“…As expected, right? We will also ponder.”

Since everyone had expected the situation, there was no becoming solemn.

Still, in any case, it was a great harvest just by the fact that the game was not a failure.

“Thank you~”

“See you next time.”

The first meeting ended with an ambiguous conversation of ‘let’s think for ourselves.’ However, perhaps because the outlook wasn’t bad in its own way, the atmosphere was okay.

“I wonder how it would be to arrange the BGM of that game and use it as a title track.”

“…Since that’s an advertisement, wouldn’t we be unable to appear on public broadcast music shows?”

“Hut.”

Kim Raebin, who was drawing a picture as if he gained inspiration in his own way, was lost in thought at Lee Sejin’s pointing out.

And I was a bit relieved.

‘At least there won’t be any shattering of the brand image.’

I might be cursed at for it being a far-fetched move and the results might drop, but it didn’t seem like it would become an object of ridicule to the extent of causing a hindrance to releasing the next album.

‘Now the problem is just what the hell do we collaborate with.’

Regarding this topic, a discussion was held as soon as we entered the dorm.

First, Ryu Chungwoo delivered the proposal he heard from the practical staff at the company.

“The current opinion is that exchanging b-side tracks and game BGM is the cleanest.”

“Hmm, it’s safe.”

It meant that since there was no head of division fellow to interfere, let’s just make it a collaboration in name only and finish it moderately.

‘I can feel the sorrow of a salaryman.’

But unexpectedly, Big Sejin shook his head with a smile.

“Eyy~ then only we would be working too much.”

“Uh…?”

“Aren’t both related to music! Probably only the AR team people and we will end up suffering……. Hmm, I think there should be something that this side brings as well, for me~”

I see.

‘It means we have risen to the point where we shouldn’t just not take a loss but should see a gain.’

Certainly, if we go like that, only the work will be increased and the gain will only be taken by the game company.

The game receives a promotional effect, but there is no gain in recognition that TeStar would obtain by collaborating with a game that hasn’t even been released.

‘…It’s also rare for people who play games to become fans of an idol because of the BGM.’

“Then what is the alternative opinion?”

“It’s that we should think about it from now on~ In any case, if we have to work, the side with a reward is more enjoyable and better.”

“Umm.”

And at the moment people were about to fall into thought, Lee Sejin opened his mouth with a groan.

“…Let’s just leave it to the company people. We are busy even preparing for the album, so isn’t it strange to tell us to decide even what to collaborate with in the first place?”

“Hyung, then the amount of work…….”

“That’s something for the AR team to take care of. We just need to say we will only do the recording.”

Lee Sejin cut it off flatly.

“In the first place… this situation is strange. Why does a rookie make and decide even these things? It’s not like the company doesn’t have money.”

“…….”

Since it was so correct, I feel like just agreeing.

Lee Sejin, who rarely spoke a lot, was catching his breath. He probably poured out what he had been thinking all along.

And Cha Yujin answered brightly.

“But I want to do something else! BGM is not fun.”

“…….”

Lee Sejin ended up closing his eyes.

‘Oh dear.’

Still, seeing that he didn’t run away, he has improved a lot.

“Now~ then shall we do it by majority vote? Raise your hand if you want to think of a new collaboration theme!”

Surprisingly, everyone except for Lee Sejin and me raised their hands.

‘Stubborn fellows.’

Except for Big Sejin, that would definitely be for reasons like ‘because I want to try a challenge’ or ‘because I want to make a cool piece of work’ rather than trying to see a gain.

In the meantime, Big Sejin pretended to be surprised.

“Heol, Moondae doesn’t want to do it?”

“No, I’m pending. If a good opinion comes out, we go with that, or else let’s just make BGM.”

“Right. Let’s proceed like that for now.”

Ryu Chungwoo turned the conversation again.

“Now, then what would be the advantages our group can obtain by collaborating with a game.”

“…W-we can appear in the game?”

“Money? …That’s already gone. The contract has already finished too.”

“Yes. It seems neither is applicable this time. Since the release is just around the corner, there’s no way they could put us in.”

Hmm, that was correct.

Even if by any chance there were enough time, a game that seemed to have painstakingly woven a world-view like that wouldn’t want to put in characters taken from celebrities as soon as it’s released.

‘…Wait.’

……Couldn’t we think about this in reverse?

“How about this.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t ask them to put in our characters, but let’s take characters and use them.”

“……??”

I pointed at the smartphone with my finger.

“How about picking the game characters that resemble us the most and releasing one sub-song with that.”

“…!”

“Since it’s not the title, it doesn’t matter even if we can’t get on public broadcast, and even if we only target cable and Wetube, the scale is large these days.”

It meant we should suck up a well-made game IP into our world-view.

* * *

“Well… you mean you’re asking for a list of the companion characters?”

“Yes.”

“Uh…….”

The people from the game company side, whom we met again, looked flustered at the unexpected proposal.

They exchanged glances and then answered with a somewhat reluctant voice.

“Umm… we do have a companion character gacha system for revenue generation.”

“Yes.”

“The, elements are all random, you see……?”

“……!!”

It meant picking randomly generated characters.

“But I saw that there were illustrations.”

“Those were pulled with cartoon rendering… well, in any case, you can consider that those were also made randomly!”

“…….”

I didn’t expect it would be blocked here.

At that time, Kim Raebin raised his hand.

“…Then even the companions Cha Yujin used are not fixed and their names change every time?”

“Ah, those friends… the, as the next chapter starts, they actually all die.”

“……!!”

“Because we have to make the protagonist explore Seoul alone…… hahaha.”

Saying they were the only fixed companions, the people sitting in front laughed.

“I don’t like dying…….”

Cha Yujin became rapidly depressed. It seemed he had grown attached in the meantime.

And I realized.

‘……? Then can’t we just use them?’

Turning my head, everyone except for Cha Yujin had faces that came up with that thought.

‘…There were precisely seven of them.’

This game, thanks to the party being composed of four people, had set the tutorial personnel precisely to eight including the protagonist.

Ryu Chungwoo cautiously spoke out.

“……Would it be okay if we use those friends for a bit?”

“Uh, yes?”

“Ah, I mean… our members would each take on the role of those friends and try making a song and a stage.”

“…….”

‘They might hate it.’

If this side also received the collaboration contact suddenly, they might say they don’t want to be intertwined this deeply.

‘Then let’s just talk about BGM quietly…….’

“Heol!”

“……?”

“I love it so much!”

“…!!”

“If we had the time and budget, we would want to try such a project!”

Following the excited woman, the man shouted while clenching both fists.

“To think our kids would come out in 3D…!”

“…….”

I’m glad our hearts seem to coincide.

Unexpectedly, the collaboration seems like it will proceed smoothly.