Chapter 266: Feels Like You Haven’t Grown Taller at All

Ichin still hadn't gotten a look at Utaha's new novel manuscript, but by now, he had a pretty good idea of what she was trying to write.

Even though she didn't have direct experience with the corporate world, Utaha could easily gather information from the studio, or consult her father or editor to learn what she needed. There were plenty of ways for her to understand how real workplaces functioned.

Of course, since it was a novel, there was no need to rigidly transplant real-world corporate life into the story. It could—and should—be written in a more relaxed, entertaining way to better engage readers.

Utaha didn't let Ichin's wandering hands continue for too long. After a bit of affectionate cuddling, she said she had to get back to writing.

Ichin didn't push his luck. He left the office and headed over to the Art Department.

Sliding over in a rolling chair, he stopped beside Yagami Kō and watched her working on the 3D model of one of the final bosses, Masayoshi Shidou. After observing for a while, he moved on to Aoba.

Unlike Kō, Aoba wasn't wearing headphones, so she immediately noticed Ichin coming over.

Seeing him, Aoba tilted her head curiously. "Ichin-kun, is something up?"

He shook his head. "Nothing special. Just came to see how everyone's doing. Don't worry—this isn't an inspection."

Aoba was currently working on a new area in Makoto Niijima's Palace. As her skills had improved, Kō and Rin had started assigning her more important tasks.

After watching her work for a bit, Ichin pointed at one spot on the screen and said, "Right here—there's a bit of an issue with the proportions. Did you notice?"

"Huh?"

Aoba blinked and looked at the area he was pointing to. Sure enough, there was a minor scaling issue.

"Ah! You're right—I totally missed that!"

Ichin smiled. "It's not a big deal. A little tweak and it'll be fine. Overall, it looks like you've made good progress. You only got this task a few days ago, right? You've already got most of the area laid out. It's great to have that kind of drive, but don't forget—we allocated a fair amount of time for map creation. No need to rush. Take it slow and get every detail right."

"Busted by Ichin-kun..."

Aoba scratched her cheek shyly. "This is my first time handling such a large-scale assignment. The map's size and complexity are way beyond what I've done before, so I really wanted to do a good job. But I might've pushed a bit too hard."

"It's good to want to give your best. No need to be embarrassed."

Ichin raised his hand and gave her a gentle pat on the head. "You've improved a lot. Seriously, you're doing great—already a key member of the team. What we need on this project isn't just speed—it's quality. If we take the time to polish every little detail, we'll make a game that's truly exceptional."

Aoba appreciated the praise, but she clearly didn't like the head pat. Blushing, she shook her head and muttered, "Ichin-kun, don't pat my head so casually! I'll never grow taller if you do that!"

"Uh…"

Ichin's mouth twitched slightly. He looked at her and said, "Hey, Aoba… can you stand up for a sec?"

Aoba stood up as asked, and Ichin stood as well. He raised his hand over her head and measured their heights.

Aoba's expression started to darken.

Then Ichin spoke bluntly, "You know, Aoba, we've known each other for over a year now. You're 20 this year, but… your height hasn't changed at all since last year."

"Mind your own business! I am going to grow taller!"

With that, she unleashed a flurry of twin-tail attacks—a move she'd learned from Eriri—whipping her hair at Ichin nonstop.

Their noisy exchange finally caught the attention of the rest of the team, who started turning around to watch the show unfold.

Seeing Aoba's reaction, Shinoda Hajime tilted his head curiously and asked, "What's up with Aoba?"

While fending off her twin-tail barrage, Ichin laughed and said, "Nothing much—just mentioned how Aoba doesn't seem to have grown at all this past year, and she got mad."

As he spoke, Aoba's cheeks turned even redder. Wearing slippers, she gave Ichin a little kick in the shin, then huffed and plopped back into her chair, returning to her work.

Ichin just shrugged helplessly toward the others, then walked over to Hajime's side to take a look at the boss monster animation designs.

He spent about ten minutes discussing with the action team, offering a few suggestions, and was about to return to his office to get back to work when—

A small hand reached out and tugged at his sleeve.

Turning around, he saw it was Aoba.

Still pouting, she stared at him. Ichin chuckled, "What is it? Still mad?"

"Hmph, obviously! Who told you to make fun of a girl's height?"

Well… wasn't it true?

Aoba's height wouldn't even stand out in an elementary school class, to be honest.

But Ichin wasn't about to say that out loud—he wasn't that tactless.

"In that case, I apologize," he said with a smile. "What must I do for the great Lady Aoba to forgive me? How about I treat you to dinner tonight? I heard you guys mentioned earlier that you're staying to work overtime."

"Did someone say treat?"

Yagami Kō instantly turned around, eyes sparkling as she looked at Ichin.

"Wait—you weren't wearing headphones?"

Flashing a bright grin, Kō replied, "Nope. I took them off a while ago and didn't put them back on. So? Ichin, if I heard it, doesn't that mean I'm included too?"

She wasn't the only one—everyone else had perked up and was now staring eagerly in his direction.

"Sure, sure," Ichin said, amused. "I don't mind treating everyone to dinner. Just tell Rin what you want to eat, and she can put it on the company tab."

A meal like this wasn't a big deal—if it could lift everyone's spirits, Ichin was more than happy to foot the bill. It didn't cost much anyway.

Aoba instantly beamed. "Then I won't hold back! I want a burger!"

Everyone began rattling off their dinner requests one after another. Ichin left it in Rin's hands—she could handle the ordering and report the expenses to accounting later.

As for himself, he didn't stay to eat with the team. Right around dinner time, he and Utaha headed home together.

---

In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.

It was finally time for Toyogasaki High's Spring Sports Festival.

Arriving early at school, Ichin noticed the school gates were beautifully decorated. Besides the students, there were already quite a few parents who had shown up with cameras in hand, clearly eager to capture photos of their children during the event.

Holding Utaha's hand as they walked into the school, Ichin asked, "So, your parents definitely aren't coming today?"

Utaha's lips curled into a subtle, knowing smile as she nodded. "Mm, Dad has work. And as for Mom—I told her not to come. It'd be too tiring for her to run around all day."

Of course… that was a lie.

Because today's sports festival was destined to become a day that Ichin would never forget.

...