Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Securing the Space!
In the afternoon, after bidding farewell to everyone, Ichin and Utaha returned to the apartment building to meet his father's friend. Ichin didn't need to worry about spending money; all he had to do was confirm that the property was in good condition and sign his name.
The current apartment complex already had available units, so they went straight to the third floor to check them out. One of the units was previously owned and had undergone some renovations, so it only needed some rearrangement. The other unit was a fully furnished apartment, where they could simply keep the necessary furniture and start using it immediately.
After inspecting both, Ichin made his decision on the spot and went back to the sales center to sign the contract, purchasing the properties. He also finalized the company's registration, keeping the name the same as planned. Now, Ichin officially owned his own game studio and would have his team onboard starting tomorrow.
As they left the sales center, Utaha looked at Ichin with an amused expression, "Ichin-kun, your family's wealth is beyond what I imagined."
"It's not that much," Ichin shrugged. "It's all thanks to my parents' business doing well over the years. My family isn't on the same level as those super-rich people, but they can still afford a couple of properties. I could've used my own income, but my dad offered to sponsor me, so why not save my own money?"
Utaha nodded in understanding, then commented with a smirk, "Now your new game can start development right away. Just don't get too carried away with a studio full of girls, okay?"
"Come on, give me some credit," Ichin shot back, glancing at her. "Besides, I still have school, so I won't be at the studio all the time. Speaking of which, maybe I should adjust the work schedule. How about taking two days off and working weekends instead? I'll compensate with extra overtime pay."
Utaha was momentarily speechless. Why not just leave the work to the team? Why does he feel the need to do everything himself? In this regard, she couldn't help but acknowledge how similar Ichin was to Kō Yagami, except that Ichin wasn't obsessed with working overtime.
Returning to the apartment building with keys and documents in hand, Ichin and Utaha went up to the third floor and opened one of the newly purchased units. Since there was still work to be done in setting things up, they didn't bother changing into indoor slippers.
Ichin took out his phone and began snapping photos of the rooms, which he sent to the newly formed studio group chat.
Ichin: Hey everyone, here are some photos of the studio. Feel free to check them out and share any suggestions for the setup. If your suggestions are good, I'll take them into consideration!
Once the photos were sent, the chat came alive with enthusiastic discussions. People suggested things like adding extra display shelves for figurines or placing a large TV in the living room for game testing.
For a game development studio, maintaining a relaxed atmosphere was important. Although Ichin stayed quiet in the chat, he was carefully considering all of their suggestions.
Later in the evening, Ichin finally spoke up in the chat.
Ichin: I've pinned the address. Everyone, come to the studio tomorrow morning to sign the contracts and check out the future work environment. In the afternoon, let's go shopping for equipment together. How about we aim to set up the studio within two days and then start working right away?
Ichin's proposal was met with unanimous approval. The team was eager to experience building their studio from scratch, ready to take on the challenge.
After sending the message, Ichin let out a sigh of relief. Looking at the hand-drawn pictures on the wall, he revealed a smile filled with anticipation.
"A studio, huh? It feels surreal to finally have one."
After a few minutes of daydreaming, Ichin snapped back to reality, reopened his laptop, and connected his drawing tablet.
"Alright, focus up. Let's continue working on the parts for Slay the Spire!"
Although the studio would soon be operational and the development progress of Slay the Spire would pick up, Ichin still intended to contribute as much as he could since this was the first game he was developing.
---
With two days left in the holiday, Ichin had no reason to slack off. After eating breakfast, he went downstairs to the studio and waited.
By 9:30 AM, the seven members of the team arrived together.
"Oh! Is this the new studio? It looks really nice!"
Hajime Shinoda bounced into the living room. "The space is even larger than what we saw in the photos! We can set up all our computers here and work together! Ichin-kun, will this be the office area?"
"Exactly, it is the office area," Ichin replied with a smile. "The space from the living room to the dining area will primarily serve as our workspaces. The kitchen here can be used as a storage room for miscellaneous items, and the dining room and kitchen next door can be for eating and cooking."
Kō Yagami quickly glanced around the living room before darting toward the bedroom.
"I've decided! This will be my bedroom from now on!"
Rin Toyama, who followed closely behind, sighed at his friend's declaration. "Kō, are you really planning to live in the studio?"
"Eh? Not really!"
Kō laughed. "But you see, it's not uncommon to work a bit extra due to development timelines. Even though we're a small studio, we still need to have some time management."
At this moment, Ichin approached them, smiling as he said, "This room is meant for everyone to rest and recharge. But just to be clear, I personally don't advocate for overtime. During the day, it's important to stay focused. Even if we have a schedule, I won't enforce it as strictly as other companies do. Instead of working late during the final development phase, I'd prefer everyone to be energetic and dedicated while refining each project."
"Don't worry, Ichin-kun. We've always done things this way," Kō replied, which prompted nods of agreement from the others.
Umiko leaned against the doorframe and said, "An empty room? It's a shame there's no space on the rooftop for a simple shooting range."
"…"
Before long, the group finished checking out both units and quickly drafted some simple plans. Then the lawyer arrived with the finalized contracts. After everyone reviewed them, they signed their names, officially becoming partners in the studio.
At 10 AM, the renovation crew showed up. Ichin had previously informed the neighboring residents, so there were no issues with the renovation work. They quickly opened up the two units and connected them.
Next came the overall setup of the studio.
…
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