Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Project RA
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My first impression of Taesun was a bit disappointing.
It wasn't the image I'd pictured from his resume.
A checkered shirt over a stretched-out white T-shirt.
Horn-rimmed glasses with such thick lenses it was hard to see his eyes.
A bushy, unkempt mop of hair.
And to top it all off, a hunched posture with a turtle-like neck.
I'd been expecting the stereotypical developer image, like Myunghoon at our first meeting.
But the Taesun who showed up for the interview today was the complete opposite.
A neatly styled, tidy haircut.
A clean suit that interview candidates might wear, though it felt a tad oversized, along with a wristwatch.
A slouchy posture that wasn't quite a full-on turtle neck.
And an expression brimming with confidence.
Of course, I knew this was just prejudice.
Even back at ND Soft, I'd seen plenty of skilled developers who dressed sharply.
But that was for typical senior-level devs, and Taesun was different.
In the coding world, skill was everything, but most skills came with experience.
Usually, it was the ten-year veterans who earned senior titles.
Taesun was only 29.
For an average developer, that was the age when they'd just landed their first job and pinned on their junior badge.
But Taesun was a genius who'd cleared our company's coding test—the one that stumps even seniors—in record time.
Maybe that's why his polished look, so at odds with expectations, left me disappointed.
That disappointment melted away like snow once the real interview began.
First up: why apply to us when he could've gone anywhere else?
"To be honest, Girls Memorial... I mean, I wanted to make a game packed with cute girls."
The moment he said that, one thought hit me.
This guy's not normal either.
And I liked people who weren't normal.
"I've loved subculture stuff since I was a kid. Coding was a close second. But by the time I graduated college, I realized turning subculture into a career was next to impossible."
"So I went into the game industry, the closest thing to subculture that I could do with coding. But once I was in, it just felt wrong."
Listening to Taesun, I couldn't help but chime in.
It was like looking at my pre-regression self.
I just had to say something.
"Even while working, you kept thinking, 'Why am I making these games? This isn't what I wanted to create,' right?"
Taesun nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Grinding away at the keyboard late into the night for genres I'd never touched before, ones that didn't even match my tastes—it wasn't easy."
"When burnout hit and I decided to quit, Girls Memorial appeared like a comet."
After finishing, he asked permission and handed us his smartphone.
The screen that came up was all too familiar.
The main screen you see first when launching Girls Memorial.
Level... maxed out.
Unobtained characters... zero.
I poked around a bit, and he'd cleared every piece of content. This was a true hardcore account.
Suyeon and I stared at Taesun, speechless.
He scratched his head under our gazes and continued.
"Honestly, my first impression of Girls Memorial was meh. Even by social game standards, the content was barely plentiful, if that."
"But once I started, I got hooked on the story. After finishing that, I dove into each character's individual stories."
"By the time I'd sunk into the game and even grinded PvP, one thought kept coming up."
I want to make a game like this.
I want to make games with the director who created this one.
"That's why I applied."
After hearing his full story, my first thought was clear.
We have to hire him.
Competent developers were findable, but one with this level of fan passion? Like finding stars in the sky.
Plus, his deep subculture knowledge would be a huge help on the project.
"Taesun, we heard you out. I hope that passion for our game sticks around."
"Does that mean...?"
"Taesun, when can you start?"
*
The conference room felt eerily empty after the interview ended and Taesun left.
That said it all about how intense it had been.
I glanced sideways, and Suyeon looked pretty satisfied.
"Lucky you, Hojin. Finding someone who loves the game you made with that kind of passion."
"Honestly, it's a bit embarrassing. But it feels good."
She smirked at my reaction and, like yesterday, pulled out a lollipop.
"Thanks."
I unwrapped it and popped it in. This time, a fizzy cola flavor.
*
This was the conference room in the RA Studio office, where Project RA would take shape.
The first time all the core RA Studio members had gathered.
Of course, the reason for assembling was to introduce our new TD, Taesun.
Unlike Myunghoon, he didn't seem shy around women, so fitting in wouldn't be an issue.
"This is Lee Taesun, our new TD for the project starting today. Taesun, give us a quick intro."
"Hello! I'm Lee Taesun, starting work with you all today. Nice to meet you!"
After his simple self-introduction and a bow, the room buzzed.
I let them exchange names and chat for a bit before sending Taesun back to his seat.
"Alright, you'll have time to get to know Taesun after the first meeting. For now... everyone got the next-game planning doc?"
They nodded and held up their copies.
"Our next title is Reverse Arcadia. A post-apocalyptic tower defense game."
"Unlike Girls Memorial's social game genre, tower defense hinges on in-game polish and brainpower."
"That's why planning and dev teams are crucial this time. Art matters too, since it's subculture mobile. Any questions?"
Yerin raised her hand.
"The planning doc mentions the World Tree from Girls Memorial at the world's center here too... Does that mean shared lore?"
I shook my head.
"No. The Primordial Tree at the world's heart is a core element in every title's universe, but that doesn't mean connected lore. Think parallel worlds."
"Parallel worlds?"
"Yeah. Worlds on parallel lines beyond your own. You've heard of it, right?"
Yerin furrowed her brow, like something was on the tip of her tongue.
Then it clicked, and she murmured softly.
"Oh, Paradox Gate. That thing from there, right?"
"Well, not wrong, but..."
I was a little surprised by her answer.
Yerin was familiar with the scene from her doujin days, but she wouldn't have name-dropped it so casually before.
Years deep in subculture now, though, things had changed visibly.
Back at ND Soft, she'd have cited some big Western superhero movie franchise instead.
"So, all-original characters?"
"Obviously. Though if users hype certain ones, maybe an event or two with cameos."
Yerin nodded and jotted something in her notebook.
Probably sketching character ideas... Best not to interfere.
"Anyone else?"
I waited a bit longer, but no questions came.
"Okay, meeting adjourned for today. It's prep day, so coordinate with Taesun and get friendly."
"Oh, and starting tomorrow, regular team members report to the studio. Look after them when they arrive."