Game Director from Hell

Chapter 36: Perfume

Go Myungkyu, 27 years old, programmer.

3 months into his job, extremely satisfied with his work environment.

"Myungkyu Myungkyu oppa! Good morning!"

"Myungkyu Myungkyu oppa! What's the design on your t-shirt today? I get so excited every morning at this time!"

"Uh, yeah... It's a unicorn."

One could say with certainty.

All the past times of humiliation and persecution were moments of patience for today.

Every moment he had lived had been to reach today.

It might sound crazy.

But still, he said it.

"It's fun!"

The company is fun!

Mondays were too good, and going to work was so joyful!

He didn't need to explain the reason.

Myungkyu was just so excited about each day in the new environment, even though he thought he wasn't naturally inclined to be a challenge-seeker.

Of course, it was still work.

Even in the middle of summer, it was work, despite having a cool office and good colleagues.

Now, let's talk about the workload, setting aside the satisfaction with the working environment.

"Hyung, please check this part. When you're done with that, this, this, and this too."

The difficulty level was hardcore.

No, it was impossible.

"So much!"

The workload in the studio was at a murderous level.

It wasn't an exaggeration.

Myungkyu asserted that if someone were to endure this workload alone for even a few years, they would surely die of exhaustion.

"It's not humanly possible."

It had only been 14 months, but Myungkyu, who had worked in an IT company before, knew it well.

The amount of workload was something that should be handled by a team, and even then, it was barely possible to meet deadlines by returning on weekends.

This was assuming the debugging time was extremely short.

No one in the world worked like this.

Or rather, they didn't try to handle this amount of work alone.

Even then Myungkyu didn't express any complaints to Yeonho.

"I've slightly improved the algorithm. It still feels awkward, right? Please bear with it a little. If it were you, you'd get used to it quickly."

"Ah, okay."

As he replied, Myungkyu glanced briefly at Yeonho, who was returning to his seat.

The more he saw, the more amazed he became.

"How did he manage to handle this workload alone all this time?"

Certainly, during the development process of the demo version, Yeonho was the only programmer.

But Yeonho was not only a programmer; he was also the studio's CEO, responsible for overall planning, external marketing, and running the company all by himself.

Even though he was still a student, he managed it all.

It seemed like he used his days as if he had 48 hours.

It suddenly occurred to Myungkyu.

"He's different."

As a colleague and a human being, Yeonho was undoubtedly quite different from ordinary people.

It was as if he was born for work.

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Although his first impression of Yeonho was not very good, he saw him differently now.

Even though he was three years younger, his junior in the same major, in the professional world, there were aspects of Yeonho to be respected.

With such passion, it was no wonder he could accumulate programming knowledge at the young age of 24.

It was no wonder he could create a meaningful career like "Hellic."

"Ah..."

Yeonho let out a small yawn. Although his face irritated him.

"Let's work hard."

Doing well in the tasks assigned is the duty of a professional.

Moreover, it wasn't just any company; feedback on the company's success had been quite satisfying.

Above all, the studio's work came with definite rewards.

"Myungkyu! Myungkyu! Let's go have udon for lunch today!"

"Today, let's have Japanese food!"

"Yeah!"

Today too, Myungkyu was fumbling at the Honey Trap.

***

In late August, even though the seasonal summer was coming to an end, the sweltering heat continued to dominate. Of course, most of the time was spent in the cool office, so the heat didn't bother much. It just made one think about work, both the tasks completed so far and those that lay ahead.

During this time, as I was finishing up programming Chapters 1 and 2, I was pushing forward with the implementation of the weapons for the next chapter, which Myungkyu had already completed implementations. During this process, I noticed several weapons that needed to be removed or changed, so I paid close attention to that situation. Additionally, when testing the chapter's mechanics, I encountered some technical issues, which required adjustments in the planning.

The art team had already completed the designs for Chapter 3, "Hell of Decay," and Chapter 4, "Hell of Destruction," and were now working on modelling.

As for Jo Ayoon, well, she was in the midst of preparing for the college entrance exam. Simultaneously, she seemed to have started sound work for Chapter 2, which was nearly completed.

In conclusion, progress was going smoothly.

Moreover, there was some good news on the external front: budget-related news. We managed to secure more funding than initially projected, which was largely thanks to the success of the previous installment.

"Did you enjoy Hellic 1? Helilic 2 demo is great, but it's too short." The demo version had amassed nearly 600,000 downloads, and there was a noticeable influx of interest in the previous instalment.

When considering actual sales figures and future trends, it was estimated that we could secure an additional budget of approximately 700 million won until the development was completed.

It was a positive development, especially since I had always been concerned about marketing costs.

In any case, work continued in this manner.

On a personal note, there was a change.

"What? What is happiness?"

"Yes."

"I can't explain it in words. No one can define it for you."

It was a dream.

Lately, quite often, perhaps every day, I had been having the same dream. What I always saw was the girl from hell that I remembered.

"You have to find it yourself. Happiness has a thousand faces for a thousand people. Only when you realize which face is for you can you truly prepare for happiness."

"I don't know."

"I see... Then let's talk about a happy life. I can tell you this. Someday, when you look back on a certain moment, try to remember it, and if you can smile at that moment, your life must have been happy. If you can't, it was a life filled with regret!"

I wondered why. Why did I have such an experience? The experience of watching a scene from an interesting game or drama all day and then dreaming about that scene when I fell asleep. This, too, was probably just such a thing.

Anyway, it wasn't bad. It allowed me to sharpen vague inspirations or memories that were becoming diluted. Whatever it was, it was a phenomenon that helped with development.

But enough about that, let's get back to the dream story.

When Alice took a break, the butterfly taught her things like that.

Life, happiness, the future, and how to hold onto them.

"When you go back, try the best-tasting food first. Oh! There's something called a cheeseburger, you know? It's the most delicious food humans can eat, and I'm sure you'll love it!"

"A cheeseburger?"

"Yes! It's so delicious that you might cry, right? Then whenever you think of a happy moment, you'll remember the memory of crying."

The butterfly's laughter tinkled like bells in her ears.

He remembered that scene again for a moment. The discomfort he felt when he first heard the butterfly's words.

"I don't know."

The butterfly didn't know. What happiness was, what life was, what the future or happiness meant. It felt as if the butterfly had never truly grasped such things.

The teachings of the butterfly felt as though she was reciting someone else's famous saying or words from a book. On the other hand, the words reflecting on experiences felt somewhat bitter.

Now, from his current perspective, things were becoming clearer. These were things he could only see clearly now.

"Go back and try many things. Run forward so that you won't regret a single moment. You can do it because you're a special person."

When the butterfly said things like that, the girl would simply nod her head absentmindedly. Then she would get up again. The butterfly always said something like, "Let's go. It's too dark here."

With that scene, the dream ended.

"...Ah."

His back was sore. When he looked past his half-closed eyelids, he saw the office scenery.

"I must have dozed off."

His eyes felt heavy, and it seemed as if he had fallen asleep right in the office.

There was no one else in the office. Outside the window, the sky had already turned pitch black, and the clock showed 8 PM.

Come to think of it, today, I had let the employees leave early.

As I realized this, I straightened my back. And then...

Ssshh...

Something flowed down from my shoulders. It was a dark-coloured blanket.

I held it in my hand and smelled a faint fragrance.

"It's Seorim."

The scent that Han Seorim wears, it's the same fragrance.

A gentle floral scent that subtly but not too strongly asserts its presence, wrapping around like a warm embrace.

As I was in the middle of organizing and contemplating whether I should keep the blanket she had placed over me while I was asleep or return it, the door to the office opened.

Click―

"Oh? Sunbae, you're up?"

Han Seorim entered, holding a cup of coffee in her hand.

"What? If I knew you would be up, I would have bought yours too?"

"...Didn't you go home?"

"No, I wanted to make some design adjustments. But why are you hugging the blanket like that? Are you a pervert?"

Ignoring her insinuation, I replied, "Did you not leave work yet?"

"Nope."

Han Seorim took a seat.

After taking a sip of coffee, she turned on her computer.

Ah, it seemed like she was working on concept art for the ending.

It was the beach from the prologue.

The difference this time was the golden door and the crescent moon that turned the dark red sky into a shade of blue.

There was a charm in it that erased the stuffiness.

I was still half asleep.

And the time was ambiguous, making it seem like there was more work to do.

So, I quietly observed Han Seorim's work.

As she scribbled with her tablet pen, it felt like watching a drawing show. The more I watched, the more I wondered how, when we both drew the same lines, it turned into artwork for her, and when I did it, it turned into scribbles.

I got lost in such thoughts while clenching my fist.

"But, Sunbae."

Suddenly, Han Seorim spoke up.

"Yeah?"

"I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Why did Alice fall into Hell?"

Han Seorim looked at me, her face somewhat puzzled.

"Out of the blue?"

"No, I mean, it's strange when you think about it, right? In this world, hell is where you fall if you commit a sin. Well, the criteria for that sin are a bit strange, but anyway, it just doesn't seem to fit. Something feels off."

Tock, Han Seorim tapped the Alice on the screen.

"Anyway, she's, what, barely 11 years old? Why did she fall into a hell-like place in the first place?"

"Yeah."

"Right from the start, it's like that. The kid fell into a place where she has nothing to do with it. Does this game have anything to do with making her suffer in a hell for no reason?"

"The context is similar, but it's different."

I stood up from my seat.

"Then what about you, not taking a break on a Friday?"

"I don't like noisy places, and even when I try to rest at home, I can't relax because I think about work. Plus, you're paying me, right? Think of me as coming to drain the money."

"Just leave work right now."

"I refuse~."

Han Seorim remained seated.

After taking a sip of her coffee, she asked, "By the way, Sunbae."

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever thought about why Alice fell into hell?"

She suddenly opened the topic again.

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason, it just crossed my mind. Alice is innocent, right? So, why would she be sent to a place like hell in this world? Well, I know the criteria for sin is a bit strange."

I walked away from her, silently observing the screen. There, I saw a girl resembling Alice from my memories.

Come to think of it, I hadn't explained anything about the ending. The script to reveal the narrative was always inserted at the very end.

I said without going into too much detail, "Yeah, Alice never committed that kind of sin. That's why the butterfly is trying to bring her out."

"Huh?"

Han Seorim's expression turned into a frown.

"What's that? She never committed that kind of sin from the beginning?"

"Well, she didn't commit that particular sin. But that doesn't mean she didn't fall for a reason."

"What kind of nonsense is that? So, she was dropped into a place that has nothing to do with her? Is this what this game is about?"

"It's not as simple as that."

I stood up from my seat.

"Alice did commit a sin. She fell into that hell as a result."

"This innocent kid?"

"She didn't intend to commit it. Of course, it's not a legal crime either."

But she had indeed fallen into hell. Because the criteria for hell in their world were different from those of humans.

"In fact, it's a cruel story. From a human perspective, Alice was truly wronged and pitiful."

But it had happened.

My phenomenon of regression had proven the existence of that world.

"It's just..."

My lips hesitated for a moment.

But in the end, I didn't say it.

There was something I was contemplating.

"...That beach is also a part of hell. It's the Hell that questions Alice existence herself, her only sin."

To that, Han Seorim pondered for a while, then eventually replied, "Being born? It sounds like what the butterfly said."

I didn't go out of my way to provide an answer.

I needed to determine the direction of the ending and tell her clearly. I couldn't risk giving Han Seorim too much information at this point, as it might confuse the final product. It wasn't even the right time to provide detailed information for the ending design.

I handed the blanket to Han Seorim and said, "I'll tell you more clearly once we finalize it. Finish up your other work first. And I used the blanket well. I'll be turning off the electricity, so you should go home too."

"Oh, wait!"

"I'm leaving."

I left the office.

I wondered if the dream I had just dreamt was the issue, or maybe it was the conversation with Han Seorim.

• Sleep well.

The words I had heard at the end of that hell reverberated in my ears.

It seemed to overlap with the scent of the perfume that lingered at the tip of my nose.

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