Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Worry Consultation
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A few days later, in the morning.
Taesun visited the director's office early in the morning.
He was carrying the equipment purchase request forms I'd asked him to submit a few days ago.
"Good morning! I brought the equipment purchase request forms you told me to submit a few days back."
"Oh? You got them back faster than I expected."
"The dev team is in a bit of a rush."
With that, Taesun handed me a few sheets of paper.
A few? Really?
Taesun must have noticed my bewilderment because he quickly added,
"Th-the team members told me that when the studio was reorganized, all the test devices got moved over to the GM studio."
"Ah, right."
Come to think of it, a few days ago, some dev team members had stopped by complaining that all the mobile test devices had been transferred to the GM studio.
Id completely forgotten about it because Id been so swamped.
"Sorry about that. I should have kept an eye on it, but with the tight schedule, it slipped my mind."
"No, its fine. We havent even finished implementing the prototype yet anyway."
"Thanks for saying that. Go ahead and get back to work."
Taesun nodded at my words.
"Got it."
"Alright."
After Taesun left and I was alone, I unfolded the equipment purchase report hed handed me.
A lineup of familiar, nostalgic brands.
Seeing stuff like this really drove home the fact that Id come back to the past.
Galaxy S4 and its variants, two each, Pantech, HTC, LG, Apple... thats a lot.
Hed probably requested two each, including for the art teams testing...
I couldnt help but shake my head at the Warring States-level array of smartphone manufacturers.
No wonder Android development is dragging.
I clicked my tongue and signed the approval section on the equipment purchase request form.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It was late at night, well past quitting time.
Id been tapping away at my keyboard in the office when I let out a deep sigh.
How long had it been since my last overtime session...?
Suddenly, Myunghoon had asked for help, trapping me into pulling an all-nighter.
From what hed said, there seemed to be a minor hiccup with the Girls Memorial collaboration,
but since no one was talking about burying their heads in it like back at launch, it probably wasnt a huge deal.
In the middle of assessing the local situation and drafting a report, I couldnt hold out any longer. I rubbed my gritty eyes and stood up.
I just cant hang on anymore.
Deciding to grab a coffee, I left the office and headed for the elevator.
As I passed other employees pulling overtime and reached the elevator, there was already someone waiting there.
It was Yerin.
"Yerin."
"Ah, sunbae..."
Yerin turned at my call.
Her expression was shadowed, unlike her usual self.
"Something wrong?"
"No, just... work isnt going well."
"Work meaning character design, by any chance?"
Yerin let out a deep sigh at that.
"Haa... Yeah. Not exactly just that, though."
"Why? Did something come up?"
"I dont know. I can draw, but when I finish, it just doesnt sit right..."
From what she told me, it sounded like shed been in a slump ever since that day a few days ago when shed looked down.
"You have an iPad, right?"
"Pardon? Oh, yeah."
"Ill take a look at the problem, so bring all the sketches youve done so far on your pad and come down to the Starbucks. Ill grab us a spot first."
"Got it."
Yerin nodded readily and headed back to the office. I went down to the first-floor Starbucks.
The shop looked quiet, a far cry from the daytime rush since quitting time had long passed.
I sat in a secluded corner with no one around, ordered coffee, and waited. Soon, Yerin walked in.
"Over here."
She came over at my call and sat down.
"Did you order a drink?"
"I already got two. Just pick them up when the bell rings."
"Sure. I should have bought them..."
"Dont worry about it. Anyway, got the pad?"
"Oh, yeah. Here."
I took the iPad Yerin handed me and opened the gallery with her drawings.
"Let me see."
Dozens of rough sketches filled the screen.
For reference, this was the character spec Id sent Yerin:
Height around 160cm, average build.
Human race.
Impression like a high schooler around 17.
Secret two-tone hair: black outer layer, red inner, long style.
As the leader of the resistance in an underground city, draw her sharp and gloomy.
Clothing suited to the hot geothermal underground: black hoodie (symbolizing resistance), tank top, jean hotpants.
It wasnt a lie about the slump—there were tons of roughs showing shed tried all sorts of things.
Minor tweaks like appearance, hairstyle, outfit design,
and major ones like tattoos or changing the race.
Mixed in were roughs with high-exposure outfits like bikinis, bunny girl suits, or cheongsams.
"This one..."
I angled the pad so only Yerin could see and showed her.
She freaked out and tried to snatch it back.
Of course, the physical difference meant she didnt get it.
"S-sunbae... Can I have the pad back for a sec...?"
"Why? I havent seen all the roughs yet."
"Ugh, seriously, sunbae...!"
Her voice rose a bit in panic, so I had no choice but to hand it back.
The moment she got the pad, Yerin frantically scrolled through the gallery, deleting the risqué roughs.
"Im not really bothered by them."
That made Yerin bristle.
"Thats what annoys me even more about you, sunbae."
She flicked through the screen, checking the roughs, then handed the pad back to me.
There was a little commotion, but after going through them all, I had a good grasp of the issue.
First off, her character appearance and outfit designs—her drawing skills were impeccable, no doubt.
Even as roughs, Yerins signature refined, restrained style shone through.
That was why Id said she had no problem finishing the art.
The problem was the concept.
I flipped through dozens, but none captured the vibe fitting for Last Arcadia.
If a stranger saw them, theyd swear it was a new Girls Memorial character.
No trace of Last Arcadias grim, post-apocalyptic feel.
At least it wasnt her drawing skills at fault, which was a relief.
If shed somehow lost her touch, that would have been a headache,
but this seemed fixable with some concept direction advice.
"Sunbae, any idea whats wrong?"
I set the pad down and slowly nodded at Yerins question.
"One thing first, Yerin. What were you thinking about while designing?"
She pondered my question for a moment before answering.
"That thing you told me last time."
"What I told you?"
"Yeah, the parallel worlds."
"Ah, you drew thinking about that?"
Yerin nodded.
"So, parallel worlds mean other worlds exist on a parallel line to the one youre in, right?"
"Yeah."
"Which means only the world is different—the people in it stay the same. Thats how I took it."
She took a sip of her frappuccino mid-sentence, probably frustrated, then continued.
"Even if the world changes, the essence of the people in it doesnt, right? So their vibe ends up similar."
"Exactly."
"Huh?"
"Thats why your finished drawings dont satisfy you."
"?"
Yerin looked puzzled, not quite getting it.
"Isnt that why these roughs arent clicking for you? They lack the post-apocalyptic, oppressed underground city vibe."
"Yeah. Its not gloomy... more like..."
"A bright Girls Memorial atmosphere?"
"...Yeah."
By this point in the conversation, the problem was crystal clear.
The root of Yerins slump.
It was a lack of experience.
The two games concepts were polar opposites, making it tough for her,
and without the characters backstory—just dry specs—she was bound to hit a wall.
Having to shape a character for an opposing concept based only on surface-level specs meant she couldnt nail the desired feel,
and that manifested as her slump.
"The fix is surprisingly simple."
"What is it?"
"Here, take this."
Yerin took the pad I handed her.
Soon, I airdropped the prologue and main story chapter 1 scenario.
"Read it, and youll see why you were floundering on the concept."
"...Really?"
She eyed me suspiciously, dubious about the solution.
But when I urged her again, she started reading the main story with a skeptical look.
"How is it? Starting to get a feel?"
"No way—the character plan you gave me didnt have all these details."
Yerin stared at the scenario on the screen in disbelief.
Then she burst out laughing.
"Seriously... I suffered for days because I didnt see this?"
Still incredulous, she kept venting like it was a complaint.
"This is all your fault, sunbae... If youd shown me these scenarios sooner..."
"...Sorry."
"Whatever. I suffered, but at least I know how to fix it now..."
After grumbling for a while, Yerin relaxed her expression and chugged her frappuccino.
"Guess Ill head out first. I think Ive got a handle on the design now."
"Alright."
It wasnt an empty claim—she hurried out of the cafe with purpose.
The shadow from before was gone from her demeanor.
Come to think of it, I forgot to tell her what the bad story parts were... Eh, whatever.