Corrupting the Half-Elf
"Om nom nom."
"…Tasty?"
"Yeah!"
Our immature half-elf art director candidate, Lumine Primal, was chowing down at the student cafeteria. Me and Melody were sitting across from her, digging into our late lunch.
I glanced quietly at Lumine's tray.
Steak, huh.
Steak set meal.
"Can a half-elf eat steak?"
"I'm half, though."
"……."
I stared at Lumine in disbelief, but she just kept om-nom-nomming away at her delicious meat. Me? I was having the regular discounted Western set.
She seemed recharged, her fork and knife moving non-stop. Of course, she was still sneaking peeks at me.
Clink!
I hadn't planned to ask while she was eating, but Lumine suddenly spoke up.
"By the way…."
"Hm?"
"What favor were you gonna ask?"
"Oh, I wanted to recruit you as our team's art director."
"Phew, good. Not trying to bury me socially or anything… Art director?"
Lumine blinked her eyes. Turns out she was majoring in graphic arts.
That should be enough to snag her for the team.
Sure, her head was full of lewd demons, but she was talented enough.
Lumine straightened her posture and adjusted her glasses smugly.
"Don't underestimate me—I'm a pretty successful illustrator. Sure, I'm just an undergrad, but I've got a name in the underground scene!"
"…Pro ero artist, right."
Melody, slicing her steak beside me, muttered pityingly.
"Wh-what?!"
Bam! Lumine's berserk button got hit. She slammed her tray down hard, drawing every eye in the cafeteria—students and staff alike.
"Oops!"
Lumine went pale, sweating bullets.
Sigh…
I sighed, stood first, and gave a quick bow to everyone.
"Sorry about that. My friend got a bit excited while eating."
"Ah, no problem."
People looked away like it was nothing, but we still got some side-eye. Lumine's eating sped up double-time. Then she choked, coughing and rubbing her throat.
"Kek!"
"Eat slower. Want some water?"
She waved her hands frantically, then snatched my glass and gulped it down.
"Hoo, thanks."
She timidly checked my expression. The stares from her noise were clearly weighing on her.
"Anyway, you need portfolio pieces to graduate, right?"
"Yeah."
Lumine rolled her eyes, then nodded. Her deep blue hair shifted as her gaze dropped briefly, then lifted.
"Since you need graduation works anyway, how about doing it with us?"
"What makes you think…."
Lumine muttered timidly, glancing at Melody next to me.
"…Working next to that senior? I'd die of overwork."
"Hey, I'm not that harsh."
Grind! Melody gripped her fork tight, growling through clenched teeth.
"Eek!"
Lumine yowled like a bristling cat. Melody the "blonde witch" had a rep that spread even to other departments.
She chased out three others this semester alone, excluding me.
…Yeah, she kinda was a demon by normal standards.
Anyway, eyeing the tsundere Lumine, I smiled gently.
"We've got a sample Use Map game made. Wanna try it?"
"Huh? Y-yeah!"
Flash! Dodging Melody's sharp glare, Lumine nodded frantically.
Illustrators really are the weakest link in game dev.
We finished eating and headed straight to Melody's dorm.
It's closer.
But after days of all-nighters, her room was littered with energy drink cans and snack trash. Lumine pinched her nose the second the door opened.
"Ugh. First time in a guy's dorm, and it's this filthy? Senior, clean up before you live like this."
"……."
Grind!
It was unfair—she mistook it for my place—but Melody behind her was grinding her teeth, face twitching menacingly.
She looked ready to yell "This is my room!" but couldn't admit a girl's room looked like this.
Team drama already? Can't have that.
"Haha! All solo guy rooms look like this."
I laughed awkwardly, passing it off as my dump to smooth things over. Unfair to Melody, but better than a fight.
Her dorm just got demoted to my trash heap.
Brushing past uncomfortable Melody, I tapped her Crystal Orb. The familiar game screen popped up. I created a room.
Arena of Special.
"Alright, give it a shot."
"Okay! But if it's no fun, no art director for you!"
"Deal."
Lumine perked her ears and grabbed the Crystal Orb.
"Let's see how fun it is, then."
**
Lumine didn't let go of the Crystal Orb until lunch turned to dinner. Veins bulging on her neck, she yelled.
"This game's trash!"
"What?"
Melody snapped irritably at Lumine's complaint. While Lumine played, we'd been resting off our fatigue and chatting about engines and dev details.
But Melody's face crumpled fast.
Glare!
Lumine flinched under the sharp stare, shoulders hunching.
"Eek!"
But even scared, she stuck to her guns.
"For real, it's no fun!"
"Sour grapes 'cause you lost?"
"No way!"
Amid Lumine's loud denials and Melody's barbs, I quietly checked her record.
[0 Wins 10 Losses]
…Even for a newbie, was this pathetic in a game not even days old?
"…Did you play with your feet?"
"No!"
Lumine clutched the Crystal Orb, protesting my mutter.
"I'm super smart!"
"…Brains don't make you good at games."
"Why stab my sore spot like that?!"
Her whiny vibe screamed "can't-game person." But trash-talking it while her hand naturally drifted to "Start Game"?
"It's so trash there's no fun, but one more round. Gotta win this time!"
"……."
Melody gawked at the bizarre hand-mouth disconnect, but Lumine was glued to the Orb. Her long half-elf ears quivered.
Could leave her be, but I poked her shoulder and pointed out reality.
"It's 7 PM now."
"Huh?"
Lumine looked up blankly; I nodded at the wall clock. Clearly evening 7. We'd come at 1 PM—six hours gone.
"Eat dinner and head to dorms, you'll hit curfew spot-on."
"No way!"
She stared holes through the clock, but the hands didn't budge. Pouting, she fiddled with the Orb.
"Just one more. Skip dinner, you've got time for two-three more."
"…Let's eat. Not exclusive to my dorm—you can play at yours."
"Gah!"
Lumine snapped to, yanked her gaze off, bolted to the door.
"Dinner time! You're paying, right?"
"…Yeah."
Seeing her casually mooch instead of commit? Kinda pissed me off.
Join up, and I'll work you properly!
Shiver!
Lumine trembled at the ominous chill. But a weak newbie art director wouldn't spot the lead planner's dark intentions.
We three hit a nearby joint for dinner. To picky Lumine:
"So…."
"…Y-Yes?!"
She jolted, thinking I'd caught her game-obsessed brain.
"You joining our team?"
"…Game's kinda meh."
Melody exploded at her grumble.
"After sitting six hours straight?"
"Th-that was…?!"
Glancing at me, Lumine squeaked excuses.
"…Not that I'm bad, just researched deep, so I tried hard."
"Sure, sure."
"What's with that tone?!"
Lumine shot up to argue; Melody bristled too.
I mediated quick.
"Whoa, sit. We'll work together a lot."
"…Haven't agreed to join…."
To grumbly Lumine, I cut clean.
"Fine. Won't join? No biggie."
"Huh?"
Her eyes bugged—she hadn't expected me to drop it coolly.
"We'll find someone else. Not some underground ero artist, but a legit graphic artist with a real portfolio."
"……."
Crack. Lumine's pride stung; her fists clenched.
"Take that back! I'm…!"
"Nameless ero artist. Unknown in mainstream, underground nobody."
"……."
I stabbed facts sharp; she just lip-flapped, no comeback.
"Won't call you nameless ero anymore. But how long you gonna rot drawing smut underground? Graphic arts major? Make bold works you can show proudly."
"B-but…."
Lumine muttered timidly.
"Can… I really do it?"
"Everyone starts somewhere. This chance? Once-in-a-lifetime. You know from playing—the game's got mid-tier potential at worst."
"Yeah, but……."
To hesitant Lumine, I grabbed both her hands.
"Eek!"
Sudden skinship jolted her shoulders. Her face flushed beet-red.
I locked eyes with flustered Lumine, flashing my warmest, trust-inspiring smile.
"Lumine. Wanna make the best 'first time' together?"