“Ah, the aftertaste of that game really sticks with you!” swoosh
After finishing the broadcast, Claire said as we lay side by side on the living room floor, staring at the ceiling.
“Yeah, it tends to do that. That’s why when a new installment comes out, we’re always waiting for the sequel. The production team said there’s still more story left, after all.”
“Do you think Rena will appear in the sequel?”
“Since I heard the setting is changing, there’s a good chance.”
“By the way, didn’t you write a speculation post about the Riclant Autonomous State once?”
“……”
I was at a loss for words in response to Claire’s teasing question.
“Well, all the speculations I wrote before were completely wrong, though.”
“……There’s no need to bring that up, is there?”
When I asked in disbelief, Claire chuckled.
“Maybe the reason this story lingers is because it’s ours.”
Alice, who had been listening, chimed in.
“……Honestly, I’ve loved that series for a long time. Even before I met all of you.”
At my words, both Alice and Claire fell silent.
It seemed Charlotte was still awake, but Mia… well, I wasn’t sure. She might have dozed off?
“So when I first met you guys, I vowed that we’d make it a happy ending without anyone dying. Looking back, the last time we lost characters, we just brushed past it like this. I think I understand why this installment is getting criticized.”
I thought there might be a chance to revive them, but I never expected they’d just throw in an overpowered character and reset everything.
For those who were hoping for a happy ending, it might have been a decent work, but for fans who had been sticking with the series and hoping for answers, it was probably unsatisfactory.
I hope everything gets resolved in the sequel, but since the setting is supposed to change, I’m not sure what to expect.
“But thanks to that, we were able to reach a happy ending in a different way,” Charlotte said softly.
“Yeah, I think it’s fortunate,” I replied with a smile.
*
The next day.
[I talked to the game company, and they said they can film for us!]
“Ah, really?”
I received a call from the broadcasting station’s writer.
[Yes, they were super curious! They said if we weren’t from the broadcasting company, they wouldn’t have believed it!]
I looked around.
The voice blared from the speaker, and everyone’s eyes sparkled.
“So… does that mean we’re going to Japan?”
[We’ll need to discuss it further with the higher-ups at the broadcasting station, but it seems likely! I’ll let you know the details as we get more information!]
This was exciting.
I thought this person was more thrilled about the fact that they were going to Japan for a business trip than about broadcasting something amazing.
Well, I could see why. I would be pretty excited too.
After just a little bit of work, I’d be wandering the streets of Japan doing various things. Though I had no experience working at a broadcasting station, so I wasn’t sure how it actually worked.
At the very least, we’d definitely have some time to relax.
Let’s see… where was the Millennium headquarters again?
I think they said it was in Tokyo.
“What do you all think? Are you interested in going?”
“Of course!”
Claire shouted with excitement.
Without realizing it, a smile formed on my face at her innocent expression.
“Alright.”
Seeing that there were no opposing opinions, I nodded.
“Since we’ll head back after the broadcast anyway, it shouldn’t be a problem to take a relaxed trip to Japan. How about we spend a bit more money while we’re there and stay a little longer?”
“That sounds great!”
Alice said with a smile.
“You’re lucky to have a wealthy friend,” Charlotte teased playfully.
“There’ll be different foods and sights here, right?”
Mia’s eyes sparkled as she said this, and her cuteness was so overwhelming that I unconsciously ruffled her hair.
*
As some time had passed since they came to film at our house, the broadcasting station hurriedly arranged the schedule.
Luckily, since we weren’t working for any company, we were able to negotiate a few extra days on our own schedule.
Fortunately, we had already applied for our passports well before our trip to Jeju Island. Usually, it takes about two weeks, but it seems that demand skyrockets at the end of the year, causing delays of up to a month.
Timing was on our side, indeed.
“Wow… this is amazing,” Alice said, looking around.
“It seems the same yet completely new at the same time. It feels different from just walking around a familiar country.”
“Just looking at the signs shows it’s in a different language.”
Plus, in Japan, cars drive on the opposite side of the road compared to Korea.
As I gazed down at the street from the hotel, at first, I didn’t notice much difference, but slowly I began to spot the things that were different from where I lived, and I realized, “Oh right, this is another country.”
It felt like looking at a magic eye.
By the time we arrived in Japan, it was already past afternoon, and by the time we took the train to Tokyo, even more time had passed.
Naturally, most regular companies had already closed.
Well, in a city like this, plenty of people are still working at night, but we couldn’t show that in a broadcasting station.
“Shall we step outside for a bit?”
At my suggestion, they all turned their heads toward me.
Their eyes sparkled as if they’d been waiting to hear that.
We had already had dinner, but well…
To be honest, aren’t we all a little unrealistic when it comes to activity levels?
Eating a bit more wouldn’t cause any harm.
*
When it comes to the preferences of travelers, they can generally be categorized into two types.
Not just busy movers versus leisurely movers.
There are those who seek out local food and those who prefer to spend the day enjoying luxury meals at fancy hotels.
I fell into the former category.
The images I’ve seen in Japanese manga and anime since childhood tend to depict teenage kids from ordinary families rather than the ultra-rich.
Of course, I know that’s not the complete reality. Just as there is a discrepancy between Korean dramas and the reality of family life, I imagine the gap between manga and reality is even greater.
However, restaurants are almost always depicted similarly.
As we barged into a street vendor stall, the owner looked taken aback.
He appeared surprisingly young, maybe only ten years older than the kids there. When he saw a sudden influx of foreign girls, he tried to communicate in English as best he could. However—
“Five ramen, please.”
Upon hearing Claire speak fluent Japanese, he seemed to momentarily short-circuit.
Truth be told, we weren’t really good at Japanese; it just translated in our ears like Korean does.
“Are you Japanese?”
The owner asked, startled.
“Not at all, we’re Korean. All of us,” I said with a smile.
The owner looked both amused and skeptical as he began preparing the menu.
At the food stall, the only option was tonkotsu ramen. There was one pot bubbling with broth, and it looked like that was the only item on the menu since he probably only sold it after boiling it.
Adding chashu would cost extra.
The weather was a bit chilly. Not as cold as Korea, but still, it was winter in Japan.
On such a day, having rich, flavorful ramen from a tiny stall outside… what a luxury.
Well, there was a faint smell of pork simmering, but that couldn’t be helped.
“How did you end up in Japan? Just here for tourism?”
The owner couldn’t help but ask.
“We came here for work. We have a broadcasting shoot planned,” Alice answered.
The owner looked at her with a confused expression again.
“Are you perhaps an idol?”
That question made us all laugh.
The ramen was delicious. To be honest, the taste was quite different from the food I had in Korea. If I had to eat it for the rest of my life, it would be a different flavor, but that’s just a matter of taste.
After all, we weren’t here for just a week-long trip.
“It’s delicious!”
Mia said, her eyes sparkling.
At first, everyone was hesitant about foods that smelled like this. But it seemed that bringing them around to try various foods instead of just Western dishes paid off.
“It’s good, so I’m glad.”
Whether or not we were really Koreans or idols, the thought that we were still foreigners evidently remained.
I thought it might be rare to see a foreigner speak Japanese this well, but who knows if that even matters in the end?
After thoroughly enjoying our ramen, we stopped by a convenience store nearby to pick up various things we had never seen before and headed back to the hotel.
Ah, really.
Already so much fun!
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