Chapter 190: Singer-Songwriter
"Hey, Nakamura...?"
"Yeah?"
"What day is it today?"
"It's the release day for 'Gift from the Gods.'"
Phew~!!
Hmm... Honestly, I think Nakamura went a bit too far this time.
Despite Mayumi swinging her bag at Nakamura and even kicking him, he was trying hard not to leave the line amidst the chaos.
I glanced at Mayumi and Nakamura for a moment, then apologized to Mayumi.
"Sorry, Mayumi, for causing all this..."
"No need, Kanna. Even if you weren't here, he'd have come today anyway."
"Hmph~!! Of course!"
"Seeing that he's still alive, you haven't hit him enough yet!?"N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter's release on N0v3l--B1n.
"."
"A girlfriend who'd come to buy games with her boyfriend on Christmas Eve, there's only me..."
Indeed. Today, as Mayumi said, is Christmas Eve, known as Lovers' Day.
Normally, couples would go for KFC chicken together, visit a cozy caf, or watch a movie, but for Nakamura, who loves games, today marked the release of a game he'd been eagerly anticipating for a year.
"Anyway, how much longer do we have to wait? Don't forget, after buying the game, we're going shopping in Shibuya in the afternoon."
But looking at the never-ending queue, I wasn't sure if Mayumi's plan would work out...
Despite Nakamura rushing here, it's hard to believe this many people gathered just to buy a game.
He always said the day a new game releases from Pentagon Soft is like a festival for gamers, and now I could see it was true.
"Wow... Looks like there are almost a thousand people here?"
"They say there were over 500 waiting since last night, so we've likely surpassed a thousand by now."
As we overheard gamers' conversations ahead, a long line had formed behind us too. Can a game really attract this many people?
To ordinary folks like Mayumi and me, this situation was simply incomprehensible.
"Nakamura, does 'Gift from the Gods' only sell today and then never again? How can so many people gather on the release day?"
"Well, everyone wants to play the game before others. And once you miss the timing, you'll have to wait until they produce more cartridges. Well, you can download it cheaply through terminals, but owning a physical cartridge is the best. But usually, the first batch of cartridges sells out within a day or two. I've said it before, but among all the games Pentagon released, only 'Valentine's Day' didn't surpass a million copies. But even that one sold over 530,000."
"Ah! Is that the game that everyone was playing at school!?"
Seeing Mayumi's strong reaction to 'Valentine's Day,' I asked her curiously.
"Seems like you know about it too, Mayumi. Was it fun?"
"Fun!? I thought I'd faint watching my brother play that game! Kanna, don't you dare buy that game today."
At that, Nakamura chuckled and replied to Mayumi's words.
"Even if you wanted to, you couldn't try it because you have a different console."
"Huh? 'Valentine's Day' wasn't a game released by Pentagon?"
"No. It was developed by Pentagon but released under Mintendo's Super Family. That was before Laon was launched... So, the cartridges were only produced for exactly a year after its release, a tragic work."
53,000 copies for a game that didn't go out much for a year...
The gazes of the waiting gamers around us started shifting toward us.
Seeming to notice, Nakamura lowered his voice slightly and said to us.
"It seems like we're getting some heat for this."
"Why? What did we do wrong?"
Seeing Mayumi's irked reaction to people's responses, Nakamura pointed to his mouth, speaking in a hushed tone.
"It's because of you and Kanna."
"Huh? Because of us?"
"Look around quietly."
At Nakamura's words, I slowly turned to look around. All we could see were men around us. Sure, there were occasional female gamers in the line, but they didn't seem to have come with boyfriends.
From somewhere, a mocking voice was directed at us.
"That guy, pretending to know everything with two clueless girls."
"Yeah, if it's about Pentagon's history, we know way more than them. Coming here and acting all knowledgeable with surface-level knowledge..."
Seemingly hearing their conversation, Nakamura smiled wryly at us.
"Did I boast too much about coming here to buy games? Sometimes, when you bring your girlfriend to buy games, this kind of thing happens. Honestly, I used to be like that too. I came alone once to buy a game, and it bothered me seeing a lovey-dovey couple in front of me..."
A while later, at 10:30 AM, the front door of Pentagon Premium Shop opened, and employees dressed in pristine white uniforms lined up like department store greeters, offering polite greetings to the customers gathered.
Among them, a man in his mid-thirties climbed onto a small podium, holding a prepared microphone in his hand. 'Is he a staff member from Pentagon Soft? He doesn't look like the Kang Junhyuk I saw before...'
"Hello. I extend my deepest gratitude to the customers who've come today to purchase 'Gift from the Gods,' prepared by our Pentagon. I am Kawaguchi, the CEO of Pentagon Soft. As previously announced, we had plans for a Dragon Emblem series and a fan signing event with Kang Junhyuk, the director of 'Streets Without Me,' but due to unforeseen circumstances, we cannot participate in today's event."
"Whaaat!?"
"Oh, we brought the items we wanted to get signed..."
"What's happening? Is there something more important than the director's commitment to the users?"
A few users, who had spent the night waiting and were now wearing blankets given by Pentagon, shouted out.
"Huh? Until last night, he was with us, right?"
"That's right. He even shared coffee and thanked us. What could be more important than this event?"
The puzzled expression on Kawaguchi's face mirrored the confusion of the crowd.
"Apologies. Director Kang Junhyuk was here until dawn, fulfilling the commitment to all of you, but around 5 in the morning, he had to rush to the hospital due to his wife going into labor. Please understand."
As Kawaguchi, the representative, spoke, the waiting crowd seemed to nod in understanding, some slowly opening their mouths to comment.
"Can't do much if it's his wife's childbirth."
"True. Staying here until dawn with a pregnant wife, that alone impresses me."
"Oh, I want that blanket. Should've come here in the early morning, huh?"
On the day of the release of the game titled 'Gift from the Gods', a child supposedly called a 'gift from the gods' was born... I closed my eyes briefly, silently wishing Yuki unni a safe delivery.
&
'Gift from the Gods' explosively flew off the shelves as soon as it hit the market. Though we were about two-thirds down the waiting line, the counters scattered across various areas helped shorten the queue rapidly.
There were those rushing home with joyful smiles, clutching the game, while some who received it immediately opened it, slotting the cartridge into their Laon.
Yet, amidst them stood someone notably different.
"Nakamura, why is that person's purchased game box so large?"
Curious myself, I inquired of Mayumi to Nakamura.
"Ah, that's... the limited edition."
"Limited edition?"
"Yeah. It's a custom-made order available only for those who pre-ordered in advance."
Curious, I asked Nakamura.
"Does it contain different game content?"
"Of course. Besides the main game, it includes components beyond that. This limited edition of 'Gift from the Gods' was limited to 500 copies per heroine, on a first-come, first-served basis. So, about 2,000 in total?"
"Wow... 2,000!?"
"Even with 2,000, they're not selling all of them here; they've been distributed to Pentagon shops nationwide. But if someone bought all four versions, it would cost them quite a bit. Each box is priced at 14,800 yen."
Taken aback by Nakamura's matter-of-fact explanation, Mayumi and I were astonished.
"14,800 yen!? What on earth is inside?"
At that, Nakamura, with a serious and solemn expression, meticulously detailed the components of the limited edition package like a machine.
"One cartridge containing the main game, eleven sheets of piano solo scores from 'Gift from the Gods,' an illustrated book of each heroine's contribution in the game consisting of 68 pages, one BGM OST, one piano instrumental version of the OST, and an organ with each heroine's theme song. And..."
"And...?"
"The most crucial part: an 1/8 scale heroine figure."
"The figure... you mean the character doll?"
To Mayumi's question, Nakamura, with a tone of pity, muttered as if it was trivial.
"Gosh... paying double just for that!?"
"Insane. Absolutely... really."
"Is it? But when the price was announced initially, gamers actually thought it was quite cheap."
"Considering almost reaching 15,000 yen?"
"Yeah. It's said that the 1/8 scale figure is inspected by an artisan named Uchimura, referred to as 'God's Hands.' The figures he personally crafts hold significant value."
After concluding the explanation confidently, Nakamura strode away towards the thinning crowd. Mayumi, catching up, addressed Nakamura's earlier comment.
"Isn't it just a simple sales pitch?"
"To the ordinary eye, perhaps. But to us, it's almost like a blessing."
In that moment, Mayumi's eyes sparkled upon hearing Nakamura's response. Then, she grabbed Nakamura's shoulder and asked.
"Are we included in 'us'?"
"Huh...?"
"Answer properly. Did you also reserve that limited edition!?"
"Uh... well..."
&
"Thank you, sir. Enjoy your gameplay."
A while later, Nakamura, leaving the Pentagon shop with the game in hand, was happily grinning, holding the large box close.
Though Mayumi had practically torn his hair out, causing a mess, at this moment, was he basking in happiness?
I, too, had purchased one Laon main body and a 'Gift from the Gods' cartridge.
"Kanna, want to have lunch with us?"
Mayumi, playfully blowing Nakamura's hair between her fingers, asked me. Nakamura, with a forlorn gaze, wished for my company, but not wanting to further interrupt their date, I shook my head and replied.
"Um... no. I have to practice early for a performance on Harajuku Street tonight."
"Okay. Have a great vacation, and let's keep in touch!"
With that, Nakamura, glancing at Mayumi, said to me.
"If you have any questions about Raon, feel free to call us. Do you have our home number?"
"Yeah. Thank you, Nakamura."
As we bid farewell, I climbed the subway stairs with brisk steps, looking at the Raon box inside my shopping bag.
"Did I make a good purchase?"
It was my first time buying a gaming device. Unsure about tech gadgets, I had thoroughly asked Nakamura before buying, so it should be alright...
Smiling at the 'Gift from the Gods' package visible in the shopping bag, I smiled faintly.
"I'll play that piano solo from that day till the end."
But at that moment, I truly had no idea.
That a handheld gaming console and a cartridge called 'Gift from the Gods' would completely change my life...
>
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