That afternoon, the "Second Miss" arrived at the studio—but she wasn't alone.
"Hello, everyone! I'm Yukino's younger sister, Haruno. Nice to meet you all!"
Standing beside a stoic-faced Yukino was a fashionable and beautiful woman with shoulder-length hair.
Yukino's sister?
No one had expected Yukino to show up with her older sister.
But since she was Yukino's family, even if this Ojou-sama had a bit of a mischievous streak, Ichin still welcomed her.
After introducing herself to everyone, Haruno sat down on a chair, looking surprised. "I never imagined that Yukino would make so many friends without me knowing. Ichin-kun, thank you all for looking after her at school."
Ichin waved his hand dismissively. "No need to thank us. We didn't really do much. If you want to thank someone, you should thank Eriri instead. She and Yukino are in the same club. As for me and Utaha, we're usually busy with our own stuff and aren't always in the clubroom after school."
"Oh, I already knew that."
Haruno smiled and turned her gaze to Eriri. "I was actually worried when Yukino started high school, especially since she moved to Tokyo alone. I wasn't sure if she'd be able to make any friends. But now I can finally relax."
As for Yukino, she had already tuned out her sister and was busy playing with Mozuku, who was lazily lounging on the cat tower.
Haruno glanced around the studio, taking in her surroundings with interest. "On the way here, I looked up some information about your studio. I have to say, Ichin-kun, you're quite impressive. In just a few months, you've already made it to Gamescom. Your future looks bright. By the way, do you need any investors?"
Ichin chuckled. "Oh? You're interested in our studio?"
"Of course."
Haruno spoke with certainty. "I don't know all the details, but after briefly researching Steam, I saw that your first game, Slay the Spire, sold extremely well. It's reached about 600,000 copies by now, hasn't it?"
Ichin was caught off guard—her guess was almost spot on.
Seeing his surprised expression, Haruno snapped her fingers and smiled. "Since you developed your first game alone, all the revenue—aside from the platform's cut—belongs to you. That became your starting capital. Using that money, you built this studio and recruited a development team. Now, with your second game, Hollow Knight, I checked some forums, and the demo's reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Once the full version releases, the sales will be incredible. And knowing someone like you, I doubt you'd be satisfied with making just mid-sized games forever. Eventually, your studio will grow. And when it does, you'll need funding."
Haruno's analysis was spot on—100% accurate.
But Ichin wasn't too surprised. After all, as the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family, she was nothing like her younger sister. Unlike Yukino, Haruno had received extensive family training from a young age, which naturally included business management.
On top of that, Haruno had a natural talent for business. Yukino had even mentioned before that her sister was already involved in managing their family's company while she was still in school.
Now, looking at the ever-smiling Haruno, Ichin found himself genuinely intrigued.
"Everything you said is correct. But why are you so eager to invest in my studio specifically?" Ichin asked. "Since you've done your research, you should know that the gaming industry's profits are highly unstable. Take Hollow Knight, for example—it's still in development and will take more than half a year to complete. Some big studios take one to two years for a game, while others need three to five years. Developing a AAA game easily starts at tens of millions of dollars. Unlike mobile games, we can't rely on microtransactions to generate steady revenue. Even in the mobile gaming industry, only the top games survive—every successful hit is built on the corpses of countless failed projects."
"I know all of that, of course."
Haruno crossed her arms and said calmly, "But what if I told you that I'm investing in you, Ichin-kun, because I see your potential? You went from solo game development, selling over 500,000 copies, to establishing a studio and launching a game on the Nintendo platform. That alone proves your talent. My investment isn't about short-term returns—I'm betting on your growth in the next five, even ten years."
"Hearing that makes me a little proud."
Ichin scratched his cheek and exhaled. "Thanks for the confidence, Miss Haruno. But right now, my studio is still small, and I have enough funds to sustain operations. We don't actually need external investment. If we expand in the future and you're still interested, then we can talk seriously at that time."
"OK, it's a deal."
Haruno smiled in satisfaction. She never expected to close the deal today anyway—her main goal was simply to meet Yukino's friends and establish a connection.
Glancing at Ichin and the girl next to him, Utaha, Haruno sighed in mock disappointment. "Such a great guy, yet Utaha beat me to him. What a shame—I was wondering if I had a chance myself."
"Onee-san, stop joking around," Yukino interjected as she walked over with Mozuku in her arms. "With your personality, I doubt Senpai would be interested in you."
"Aww, Yukino, how could you say that?"
Haruno put on an exaggeratedly pained expression, covering her face with both hands. "Are you really fine with watching your dear sister stay single forever?"
Yukino, however, remained unfazed. Expressionless, she replied, "Don't worry. Mother will arrange a marriage for you."
"Yukino, you're so heartless."
Haruno dropped her hands, her expression returning to normal—though there was a slight hint of disappointment. "An arranged marriage, huh? That's going to be a real headache… Say, Ichin-kun, do you have any older or younger brothers? If there's someone suitable, introduce me, will you?"
"…"
Ichin stared at Haruno like she was some kind of rare creature. "I can understand asking about an older brother… but a younger one? Miss Haruno, that sounds a little off."
"Oh, come on, anything's better than letting my mom arrange my marriage. I know exactly what kind of men exist in my social circle."
Haruno waved her hand nonchalantly and grinned. "Besides, I don't mind a younger guy."
"Well, too bad. I'm an only child. The only younger male relative I have is my four-year-old nephew."
"Four years old, huh…"
Haruno actually took a moment to seriously consider it before sighing. "Yeah, that's too long of a wait. I'll pass."
On the other side, Eriri looked puzzled. "Haruno, you're so capable—why does your family still insist on arranging your marriage? Don't tell me… they're looking for a son-in-law to marry into your family?"
Bingo~~!"
Ko Yagami, who had been quietly listening, exchanged glances with Rin and muttered, "So this is what it's like in those big, wealthy families, huh? No freedom at all."
Rin nodded in agreement.
Not even being able to choose who you love? That's rough.
...
❇❇❇
Support me on Patreon - Read Up to 40+ Advanced Chapters There!
patreon.com/RedX43
❇❇❇