Chapter 28

“Wow….”

Realizing the implication of the odd phrase “M4 Agabang Security Guard,” Arin momentarily stared at Jin Ho with an intent gaze, as if looking at a wild animal.

“Anyway… Is this the extent of the prepared source code? And has the story been developed up to the demo level?”

“That’s correct.”

In an effort to suppress the creeping sense of shame and focus on the story with Hayoon, Jin Ho redirected his gaze away from the current situation.

“When is the demo release schedule?”

“For now, we’re aiming for the end of March to early April. And it’s not just about the release but the official public unveiling that’s the target.”

“What’s the difference between the two?”

“Because we aren’t just releasing a plain demo; we plan to unveil related merchandise on crowdfunding platforms along with opening the demo.”

“Ah.”

And Hayoon—

at every turn, she displayed moves that surpassed Jin Ho’s expectations.

Frankly, at this point, the domestic non-novel game market left a strong impression of being more enthusiast-driven, focusing on the release itself rather than profit, often using voice actors casually.

Additionally, teams that actively utilize crowdfunding systems were scarce, so it was understandable that Jin Ho had not quickly thought of utilizing crowdfunding.

“But if we’re going to use the crowdfunding system, don’t we need to design various merchandise? The time until the end of March and early April is a bit tight.”

“What’s hard about that? There’s no need for deep thought. As long as we extract similar illustrations to what we sold at the previous expo, it works fine.”

“You… already had a plan, didn’t you?”

“Of course. Since we only need to disclose about half of the merchandise concepts, it’s not as tight as it seems.”

Fact is, no matter how fast one is with their hands, when prioritizing quick work, sacrificing a certain degree of quality is inevitable.

But, if you’re copying the exact composition from your own previous drawings you’ve already worked on?

Then it becomes possible to maintain a swift work pace while also ensuring quality.

Given that the demo source is mostly complete, aiming to finalize the merchandise by the end of March to early April isn’t an overly difficult task.

“Then, let’s exchange contact information. Once you send me the source, I’ll start the work at home.”

With that, Jin Ho naturally prepared to leave the meeting.

Of course.

Because—

Arin’s gaze had been unsettling ever since a while ago.

Jin Ho had the feeling that if he stayed any longer, his dignity as a person would be jeopardized, and he was eager to rush home and work in the peace of his own room.

And Hayoon—

“Alright. Let’s exchange contact info first. That makes sense. My number is…”

She noticed Jin Ho’s discomfort and subtly helped wind down the meeting.

Though she couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Jin Ho who had been glancing nervously at Arin since before.

‘Well, I’ve finished my coffee. I need to go home too. Staying too long would only make me inconvenient.’

Truthfully, Hayoon wanted to head home as well.

Ultimately, this all ended up being a good opportunity for Jin Ho.

“Exchange… numbers?”

At this, Arin threw a look at Hayoon, seemingly wondering why she had to exchange numbers with ‘that person.’ However….

“Of course we need to exchange numbers for communication.”

“Hmm, makes sense. Got it.”

Thanks to Hayoon’s smooth handling, Arin and Jin Ho exchanged numbers without much issue.

Hayoon could mediate a few more times between them, but obviously, this couldn’t go on forever.

Despite the unflattering impression of Jin Ho created by the shocking nickname “M4 Agabang Security Guard”…

“Send a text to confirm.”

“Uh, yeah… it’s sent.”

“I’ve confirmed it.”

“Eh, eh…”

Ultimately, this step was inevitable.

Having confirmed the exchange of numbers between Arin and Jin Ho, the process was concluded.

“Alright, let’s get back to work.”

Now it’s time to earn some money.

#

The grace period shown on the status window was tied to a high school commuting date, and though Hayoon’s first day as a Grade 1 student was postponed until May, there’s still a bit more time before the deadline.

Still, Hayoon wanted to aim for perfection whenever possible.

Especially since in cases like this, where the status window does not specify clear penalties, caution becomes even more important.

Thus.

For the purpose of generating steady income this time around through crowdfunding, Hayoon would mobilize every available means.

Starting now, the goal is to prepare thoroughly, gaining support for the merchandise crowdfunding.

And the best means to achieve this preparation is—

[LIVE] Freshman Shopping Network Season 2 (51)

Nothing else beats this.

– What kind of shenanigans are you planning today…?

– Didn’t we already do this once?

– It’s getting a bit old.

In seconds, 50 viewers had gathered, and today Hayoon didn’t waste time, diving straight into the subject.

“We’re brainstorming ideas for the merchandise.”

– What kind of merchandise?

– With just a few hundred followers, what merchandise could it possibly be?

– Oh, you mean that thing?

– It’s serious business, huh?

Initially, viewers who had been excited quickly corrected their attitudes as they understood what Hayoon was really talking about.

[1,000 won donation]

– Are we incorporating three sacred relics?

– Of course, the three sacred relics must be included. A keypad, acrylic stand, scroll holder. Plus, we’ll need to consider what else to add…

– I prefer an oil painting over acrylic stands.

– Let’s make mochi balls, mochi balls!

– Don’t think mochi balls are a bit… well, they scream fujoshi in a male-oriented visual novel…

– What the hell?

– Honestly, it does kind of fit.

– Scribble this down… fujoshi…

– How about we prepare some perfumes for our fujoshi friends to hand out during events? Maybe something sweet from the berry series?

– Will this stuff make them smell so good they don’t need to shower?

– That actually sounds pretty appealing…

– No, you still need to shower even if you have perfume, you guys!

After that, the chat continued with frivolous nonsense, but through the chatter, useful ideas kept surfacing.

Taking it a step further, Hayoon categorized the merchandise into tiers.

There are five editions: VVIP, VIP, Platinum, Normal, and the game alone.

It might seem a bit sparse, but truth be told, Hayoon isn’t exactly well-versed in this industry, though she might possess more knowledge compared to others. She hasn’t yet had the experience of actual game sales.

Given the limited time, she planned to start simple for this round, concentrating on the product’s quality and the quality of the merchandise…

After tidying up during the broadcast, Hayoon organized the editions’ components and prices in an Excel file and shared it in the group chat.

What’s next is…

“Come on, those who received request tickets the other day.”

– What about those who don’t have one?

– Then just watch.

– But, what about those who have tickets and aren’t here?

– Hmm… You’ll be disappointed…

– Understood.

[1,000 won donation]

– I hold a personal wish ticket but am curious about a 2V scenario where a man grips a woman’s legs and gazes at her.

– That fits. Checked the nick; this person has three tickets.

– Got it, and by 2V do you possibly mean Nier: Automata? The one wearing an eye patch?

– Yes, that one. Can you give a sort of pleading feel that’s a little mushy?

– Alright, I’ll give you the choice to have all your wish tickets painted in high quality or used one wish ticket to get something broadcast-quality. Choose wisely.

– I’ll use all three then.

– Noted.

– Okay, understood… Could you provide more details on the composition…

Hayoon had planned to settle a backlog of drawing requests and then wrap up the broadcast.

Time management in art is essential. She’d sold quite a lot of blank promises to viewers recently, so she calculated that spending one day clearing those promises would avoid potential issues, whether for game development or for the broadcast side.

#

Time flows swiftly.

Hayoon focused on art broadcasts for the weekend, dedicating the weekdays to the art source and storywriting of Cosplay Holic.

Routines were starting to set in.

Of course, this intensive routine has a downside where a project collapse might lead to an overwhelming burnout.

But currently, it’s more important to have the perfect environment to pour everything into work during the week.

Even if the Cosplay Holic doesn’t make money and flops, there’s enough room for a month of burnout, without jeopardizing planned schedules.

This way, Hayoon has been working tirelessly for nearly two weeks.

The second month of 2020 has begun, and already about ten days have passed.

“Whoa, there’s an increase of confirmed cases daily….”

“This feels different from regular flu….”

Min Jeong-kyun and Yusoohee exchanged concerned looks while watching the news.

The rate of increasing confirmed cases and the press’ attitude were both serious—something never seen before.

“Could this suddenly escalate to hundreds more cases?”

“Nah….”

Min Jeong-kyun foresaw the pandemic landscape impressively.

“Hey, what’s this?”

“What is it?”

“KF94 masks? Out of the blue?”

Hayoon handed a box of KF94 masks she ordered online to Min Jeong-kyun and Yusoohee.

“Please put them on before going out. It’s been uneasy lately.”

“Alright, let’s stock them in the car.”

“Thanks.”

With this, she’d secured a basic safety measure for her parents’ health.

“Phew…”

It’s time to work again.

Hayoon started another art session as she powered on her graphic tablet…

– Demo UI creation complete.

– Text insertion rate at 60% completion.

– Image scripting expected to begin after text insertion completion.

– Please reach out if you want to confirm.

And Jin Ho,

Diligently doing his part, finally reached out after some time.

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