Chapter 6
Well I have decided that Kou is a go!! Haha lol, but I still have no idea about Rin! Well anyway's enjoy the chapter!
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Kou Pov:
'Why do I feel so frustrated?' Looking at Kobayashi's departing back Kou couldn't help but think this.
'Why should I care about what she does in her private life? Unless I am...jealous?' Trying to make sense of her feelings Kou was truly grasping at straws.
'Do I see her as more than just my friend? And if so when did it start?' Thinking back through her memories Kou could only think of one specific moment. And even though it didn't last very long the memory never failed to bring a smile to her face!
Flashback/Kou PoV:
Some time after Kou became Art Director.
"I apologize Hazuki-buchou, but I don't think I can work under Yagami-San anymore. I have come to give my three weeks notice." Having got up for a quick break from drawing, Kou had managed to overhear a disheartening conversation.
"Ara? Are you sure? If you are that incompatible with Yagami we could move you to a different team?" Hazuki questioned worriedly.
"I-I am sure." Painfully and full of regret the person replied, having their confidence shattered by Yagami wasn't something they could handle. Maybe even opting out of the art industry all together.
"Sigh. Very well then thank you for working with us up to this point----" Having already heard enough of this conversation Kou decided to leave before she got caught.
'A-am I really that bad? Or am I just doing something wrong?' On the point of a breakdown Kou decided to get some fresh air, and head to the roof.
When having a great a talent as Kou does, one begins to affect their surroundings without even knowing or trying to.
'After I clear my head a little I'll get some advice from Rin, she always knows what to do' Kou reasoned with herself.
And as she finally reached the top of the stairs and opened the door. She found a strange sight waiting for her, Kobayashi leaning against the rail seemingly spilling out her frustrationins to the air.
"Haaa and what is with all of those stupid seniors pushing their work on me. Can't they just get off their lazy butt and do it themselves?" And to say Kou was surprised was an understatement.
While her and Kobayashi hadn't gotten to know each other all that well(because although they were on the same team when they first started, Kou had almost immediately became lead charecter designer and then later on the Art Director they never got the chance to get close) she has always seen her as a straight laced person, so seeing her complain about her colleagues was a shock.
(A/N: Fyi they are both around 19 now(as it has been a year sense they joined) otherwise Kobayashi totally would have been drunk for this conversation! lol anyway continue on.)
Seemingly hearing rhe door open Kobayashi turned around mid speech. "I mean you would think they would have better work ethics ..with... them... being.. older than me?" Stoping after her speech Kobayashi came face to face with Kou and had no idea of What to say. Kou could figuratively see the gears turning in Kobayashi's head!
"E-Eh! Yagami-San! Er-senpai? Buchou?" Seemingly worried at first then just plain old confused at to what to even call her old teamate, Kobayashi stopped her sentence half way through.
"Boss-Man?" Kobayashi said with a cute head tilt.
That was the last straw and Kou just couldn't hold it in anymore. "Pff! K-Kuhum! P-Pfffft hahahahahah" She really couldn't help it anymore, recently she was super stressed. Everyone was either telling her she wasn't trying enough or she was trying to hard! Heck even Rin wasn't helping with her whole 'It will all work out in the end' spiel.
This! This is exactly what she needed! Someone else that could see how unreasonable the seniors were and wasn't afraid to talk to her like just another person!
But seriously just thinking about the seniora made Kou livid! You couldn't be better than them, you couldn't be worse and apparently they were even now dropping their work on other people! How unreasonable! How irresponsible! It really made her think that Hazuki just hired anyone as long as they were a pretty girl.
"Urrrm Yagami-Senpai?" Kobayashi started. "Haha no-no just call me Kou ok? And ill call you Kobayashi if that is alright?" Seemingly starting to loose her laughter Kou decided it would be a shame not to befriend a fellow senior hater.
"Umm sure?" Not knowing how to reapond Kobayashi just agreed dumbly.
"Sigh, but it must suck with everyone leaving their work up to you" Kou said as she walked over and leaned up against the rail next to Kobayashi.
"Hmm well it is not all that bad" Kobayashi said as Kou turned to give Kobayashi a 'What the heck' kinda look. I mean you can't blame her she was just complaining about it right? "Oi dont give me that kinda look! Hmmm well how to explain it...aha I got it! You see while it will always be a bummer to have to do extra work and not get paid, this is diffrent."Kobayashi said happily.
"I always have and always will love my job. Drawing up a character, 3d modeling it, and then getting to watch the motion team bring it to life is awesome!" Kobayashi said with a certain enthusiasm that made her seem like a kid.
"So yeah while having to do other's work isn't fun and will never be fun I see it as a win! Haha because when the game launches and somebody chooses one of my designs as their favorite characters, well it will always be a heart warming sensation!"
Kobayashi said with a captivating smile and a so much self fulfillment, that it blew away some of Kou's doubts. And she also had a feeling that what Kobayashi was about to say next might stick with her for life.
"Say Kou? I can guess why you are here, all depressed as you are. Even on my side of the office we get the gossip of someone else quitting while blaming you for either too high expectations or unreasonably high demands." Kobayashi explained.
Before suddenly shouting. "But I say who cares!" With her fist raised high and an encouraging smile.
"Eh?" Kou said stuned. "I said who cares! Your doing your best right? Your trying to make the game as realistic and enjoyable as possible right? And you know what! That is what being an artist or a game designer is all about! It's all about following your dreams and having fun!" Kobayashi said excitedly and with a freverent expression.
"If you can't put your all into something, it will never turn out good. No matter what it is! Either if it is a kindergartens drawing or a professional artist's. As long as you do your best it is alright. Because in the end you will look back, with either success or failure, and be glad that you at least gave it a shot!" Kobayashi ended her speech with an self satisfied expression.
Thoroughly stuned Kou didn't know what to say for a while. "D-Do you really think so?"Kou stuttered out. "Of course!" Kobayashi said with a smile.
At that second Kou could have sworn she saw Kobayashi shine like a light. But more than that, she realized something that made her feel a little disappointed in herself.
Kou had recently been drawing trying to satisfy others and live up to their expectations, not for fun or because she enjoyed it. But because she thought she had to.
She had lost the one thing that lead her to becoming an Art Director. Her love for art! The second she realized that Kou decided she would never lower herself again just to try and gain others approval, and that she would be indebted to Kobayashi for a long time.
"Thank you." Kou said with a closed eyed, head tilted smile. Not realizing that she had unknowingly given out her most charming smile to date.
"D-Don't mention it" Kobayashi said with her head turned to the side. And only if only Kou had her eyes open, she would have seen the dazed and blushing Kobayashi.
And unknown to either of them was that their was a certain gray haired bespectacled woman eavesdropping. "Arara~ looks like I don't have to give Yagami a pep talk at all now!" Hazuki said out loud with a happy expression.
That's right Shizuku Hazuki, the director of 'Eagle Jump' and our characters boss. Hazuki is a beautiful woman with waist length gray hair, amber brown eyes and round crimson-rimmed glasses.
Before she suddenly uncharacteristically serious. " But still people are pushing their work off on Kobayashi?" Hazuki questioned herself with scrunched up eyes and a frown on her face, knowing herself that Kobayashi would never lie about something like this.
"Looks like I have some work to do! Sigh! Such a shame I will have to fire a beautiful girl." Hazuki said as she started to pout, while heading out to find the slackers who thought they could pull the wool over her eyes.
Leaving Kou and Kobayashi up on the roof to have their moment.
Flashback end:
Kou PoV:
Thinking back on in it Kou realized that after they had their talk all of Kobayashi's team were fired except Kobayashi herself leaving her all alone.
'Well until I asked Hazuki to move her to my team.' Kou thought to herself.
'Hmph! Shortly after i realized that being the Art Director wasn't my kinda thing and stepped down.' Kou mused before becoming exasperated.
'But look were that lead! Kobayashi becoming the new Art Director and putting myself directly under her!' Kou thought realizing how unfair the world is even to those who worked hard! How the tables have turned!
"Well whatever not like I truly mind anyway." Kou said with a faint smile. 'But huh feeling's for Kobayashi? Well they will probably go away with time.' Kou thought to herself. Not knowing how wrong she was and that these feelings of hers were only going to get stronger and stronger until she couldn't hold them anymore.