079. When an Otaku Encounters Hard Science Fiction

After finishing his explanation, Jiang Yu felt his mouth was a bit dry. He picked up the kettle on the table and poured himself a glass of water, gulping it down. Letting out a long breath, Megumi Kato still seemed somewhat puzzled, but she felt her thoughts were much clearer than when she first read the project proposal. She turned to Jiang Yu with gratitude and said, "I think I understand a bit now. Thank you for your explanation, Jiang Yu."

Jiang Yu waved his hand dismissively. "No need to thank me—after all, we're in the same club. Though, it's probably a bit early to be discussing club matters."

Megumi Kato smiled gently. "Even so, it's only right to say thank you, isn't it?"

Jiang Yu replied helplessly, "Suit yourself..."

While Jiang Yu and Megumi Kato chatted idly, Lun Ye Aki was fully engrossed in the project proposal, his eyes gradually lighting up and his expression growing more excited.

Then, Jiang Yu suddenly heard a loud bang, startling him. He turned his head in confusion toward the source of the sound.

Lun Ye Aki had jumped up, rushed over, and grabbed Jiang Yu's shoulders, speaking with excitement, "How did you come up with such an idea, Yu?"

Jiang Yu broke free from Lun Ye Aki's grasp, rubbed his shoulder, and spoke in a calmer tone, "Take it easy, Lun Ye. No need to get so worked up. Besides, I didn't think this project would interest you so much."

"Ah, sorry..." Lun Ye Aki took a step back, apologized, then continued with renewed excitement, "What do you mean it wouldn't interest me? This is a masterpiece, a masterpiece!"

Jiang Yu stood up, took a few steps forward, and placed his hands on Lun Ye Aki's shoulders, saying helplessly, "That's why I told you to calm down, Lun Ye!"

Hearing this, Lun Ye Aki paused, took a deep breath, and waved his hand to indicate he was now calm. Jiang Yu released his grip on Lun Ye Aki's shoulders at just the right moment.

They both returned to their seats. Jiang Yu watched as Lun Ye Aki seemed to be organizing his thoughts and smiled. "It might not be very modest, but I have high hopes for this project. So, tell me, what is it about this proposal that attracted you?"

Lun Ye Aki pondered for a moment, then spoke earnestly, "Do you know what it feels like for me to be able to organize this club and participate in such a project?"

He swallowed, and without waiting for Jiang Yu to reply, continued, "I feel 'honored'! If this work can be completed to a high standard and released..."

"I'm sure of it—the impact this game would have on the current galgame scene, even the entire gaming industry, would be nothing short of nuclear. Especially in the galgame world: while the heroines remain adorable and the youthful love stories are still captivating, we can't deny that the whole galgame scene is becoming increasingly stagnant. Many game companies are recycling old formulas, swapping out artists and writers to produce supposedly new works."

"To be honest, it's starting to scare me. If the whole ACG community turns out like this, I don't know how much longer I can keep going, relying on cute anime heroines as my motivation to live..."

"Lun Ye! What do you mean by that?!"

"Well... Maybe my words caused some unnecessary misunderstanding, so let me clarify. When I say 'to live,' I mean as an otaku, being active in the ACG community," Lun Ye Aki explained, seeing Jiang Yu's look of horror.

Jiang Yu scratched his head and gave an awkward smile. Of course, even Lun Ye wasn't the type to get so desperate over anime girls he'd lose all will to live...

After signaling Lun Ye Aki to continue, Jiang Yu settled comfortably into the role of a listener.

Lun Ye Aki cleared his throat and went on, "Back to the game itself. Its core isn't particularly crowd-pleasing—it's the kind of work with a niche audience but likely to inspire die-hard fans. And besides ACG players, with so many elements of physics and concepts of space and time woven in, it should attract a group of sci-fi enthusiasts as well."

"Though I'm not very familiar with these theories, based on the annotations you included in the proposal and my limited knowledge of physics, at the very least, the game gives off a vibe of, 'I don't fully understand what's being discussed, but it feels really impressive.'"

"Ah, a side note: I belong to the group of people who find things 'amazing even if I don't get them.' By the way, Yu, where did you learn all these strange concepts? Stuff like 'world line convergence theory,' 'time machines,' and that obviously wild 'D-mail.' Are light novel writers really this knowledgeable nowadays?"

Jiang Yu smiled awkwardly at this, outwardly silent but inwardly grumbling, "Why don't you go ask the 5pb. and Nitro+ team from my previous life who co-developed this work... And while you're at it, see if you can figure out what Chiyomaru Shikura was thinking when he came up with this idea?"

Lun Ye Aki didn't dwell on the question, but took a sip of the water someone had poured for him at some point, and continued, "Moreover, as a galgame, your proposal has incorporated plenty of ACG elements: Akihabara, chuunibyou, emotionless characters, childhood friends, and the classic falling-from-the-sky trope."

Jiang Yu nodded noncommittally. He himself wasn't sure why, in his previous life, this game ended up being released in the form of a galgame.

Perhaps it's because text-based adventure games better satisfy the creator's urge to express themselves, and more effectively convey the emotions they want to share?

With this thought, Jiang Yu asked, "So, Lun Ye, do you think these ACG elements are necessary?"

"Of course! Nothing beats the two-dimensional world! Besides, don't you think, judging by your synopsis, the story is a bit too serious? It's just right to use cute anime heroines to lighten the mood. And from my perspective, Yu, the biggest difference between your project and other galgames is that it doesn't rely on cute heroines as its main selling point."

Jiang Yu couldn't help but smile and pressed, "How so?"

Lun Ye Aki adjusted his glasses, placed his hands together in front of his chest like a pyramid, projecting utter confidence in what he was about to say.

"You want to create an ensemble cast, don't you? Unlike typical galgames, aside from the main heroine, the other girls tend to be less developed. Though there are cases where a secondary heroine surpasses the main in popularity."

"Even though you haven't finished writing all the characters, from what you've shown, Rintaro Okabe—or rather, Hououin Kyouma—and Kurisu Makise are both outstandingly well-crafted."

"From my current impression, it feels more like a story about a group of protagonists, set against a particular backdrop, where themes of rescue and sacrifice unfold."