Chapter 188: Singer-Songwriter
"Ah, is that really you!?"
"Ahaha... Please don't misunderstand. I just came because I was hungry."
"Welcome! What are you doing, Kanna? If a guest arrives, we should seat them."
Startled by the voice of a big man dressed as a chef, she slightly lowered her head and guided me to a seat.
"Don't get distracted during busy times."
"Sorry, Dad."
Dad?! That giant in the kitchen is her dad?
But as he said he was busy, the small shop was packed with customers.
Steam from the hot broth inside the kitchen filled the place, creating a misty atmosphere.
Later, after receiving a cold towel and water, I opened the menu, driven by hunger.
"What will you have, sir?"
In response to the cheerful chef, I ordered tonkotsu ramen, gyoza, and a light drink called a highball.
With a total of four staff, including Kanna and the kitchen crew, the small ramen shop was like a steam engine, roaring as they shouted out orders and cooked.
Sizzling oil and people's chatter...
This place was like a sanctuary for office workers to unwind after a day's work.
"Here's your tonkotsu ramen and highball. Please wait a bit for the gyoza."
As I slurped the noodles, I couldn't help but smile at the rich broth.
"Wow, this ramen is amazing."
"Thank you. Is this your first time here?"
"Yes. I live near Roppongi. I've lived in Japan for a while, but I don't often come to Harajuku..."
"Welcome! Actually, our shop was featured in episode 5 of 'Where to Go Today?' After that, more and more customers started coming. Even people from the nearby area and these hidden alleys come here. It's busy, but each day is so enjoyable."
No wonder the place felt familiar...
Drinking the highball with ice, I noticed pictures of the drama's protagonist and the owner hanging all around the shop.
Looking at one picture in the corner, I burst into laughter. The owner, noticing, asked me with a smirk.
"Do you know her?"
"The woman in this picture... is she a drama writer?"
"Oh? You're right. How did you know?"
At that moment, Kanna returned from the counter.
"She's someone from the broadcasting industry."
"Really? You're..."
Wait... Why is this conversation taking an odd turn?
&
Eventually, with additional treats added to my gyoza, I finished my meal, ordering another highball.
"Did you enjoy your meal?"
"Yes, it was delicious."
"Ha ha, you surprised me, thinking you were Yuki's husband. By the way, what brings you to Harajuku? Some other scoop?"
"I came to see musicians performing on Takeshita Street."
"Oh, those young indie bands or something. Ugh, not much to say about them. They make noise from early evening, not even singing proper songs. At first, we could tolerate it, but now it's unbearable. They even disturbed Tokyo Tower. Such a disgrace to Harajuku."
"Doesn't this man know that his daughter sings on the streets?"
Glancing at Kanna, her anxious expression confirmed my assumption.
After finishing the highball, I stood up.
"Could I have the bill, Kanna?"
"Oh, sure."
Hurriedly, she came to the counter. Fortunately, there was some distance between the counter and the kitchen, so I opened my wallet, taking out my card and a business card I forgot to hand over yesterday.
"I'm Junhyuk Kang from Pentagon Games."
"A game company?"
Huh? Doesn't he know our company?
Still, despite being quite recognized in the gaming world, I wondered and asked her again.
"Laon makes handheld gaming devices. Don't you know about it?"
"Ah, I've heard my friends talk about it, but I'm not really into games..."
Hmm... Well, it's not exactly the era of advanced internet news, and if she's not into games, it's understandable she might not know.
I handed her a business card along with some money, saying, "Our company is planning a game, and we absolutely need Kanna-san's voice for it. Please consider and get in touch."
Then, glancing back at the owner, I added, "I can assure your father we'll keep it completely confidential. Don't worry."
"Ah..."
&
"Oh, really!? You had Kishimori Ramen for dinner tonight?"
"Yeah, and I was just as surprised when I heard it from the owner."
"I was going to tell you to check out Harajuku too. You got the message?"
Yuki, giggling all day, seemed to recall the broth of Kishimori Ramen, swallowing hard before continuing. I chuckled at her response, flipping through a magazine.
"Ah, I want Kishimori Tonkotsu Ramen too~"
"By the way, the dumplings were delicious."
"Argh!! Dumplings!! I want dumplings too~"
"And the Karaage (fried chicken)..."
"Ugh!! Seriously, stop it!! I'm already holding back!!"
"Haha, sorry."
"But, wasn't Junhyuk looking for someone related to Kishimori Ramen? What a funny coincidence. She was in high school last year, and so pretty."
"Yeah, Kanna was something..."
"What did you just say?"
"What did I just say?"
Whoosh!! Ouch!!
As I flicked away a cushion that flew in, Yuki, the fierce warrior of cushions, dropped her weapon and strolled towards me.
This is why they say you shouldn't have random thoughts during a conversation, right?
&
December 23, 1994...
It had been almost a month since I met Kanna, exchanged business cards, but there had been no contact from her.
With the office and mobile numbers written, maybe she's just not considering the singer path?
I wanted to visit Kishimori Ramen again, but somehow felt it might bother her, so I decided to hold back.
Announcing an open audition through Famitsu and popular gaming magazines for a new project, many applicants were flooding in. It seemed like it would take some time just for auditions.
"Let's not rush. If it's meant to be, she'll come forward herself."
I strolled through Akihabara, trying to suppress my growing anxiety.
Japan's gaming market recently seemed like an abyss of chaos.
With Sony's 'Gear Station' released in early December, users hesitated between Gear Station and NEGA Saturn, causing a market split.
Sony's Gear Station, a newcomer in the gaming industry, boasted powerful specs but had some uncertainties.
How much would Sony, a dominant corporation, invest to conquer the gaming market?
Even in the early 90s when Super Family and NEGA Drive were flourishing, new console companies emerged but faltered due to a lack of third-party support. Therefore, Sony couldn't ignore the possibility of a brief success followed by business closure.
Doesn't that say if there's no tiger, the rabbit becomes king?
With no detailed information on Nintendo's Project 64, the console market was subtly shifting toward the competition between Sony and NEGA.
Though Sony's Gear Station seemed formidable, NEGA believed in Suzuki Ryu of Real Fighter and Takahashi Yuji of Sonic, coupled with their game-making expertise.
However, unexpectedly, a competitor emerged for NEGA - NANCO, who had abandoned Nintendo and joined Sony.
Just before Nintendo's Project 64 realization, NEGA's plan was to pull third-party developers from Nintendo.
Yet, NANCO, with considerable user recognition, released 'Rage Racer' and 'Iron Fist,' 3D fighting games, coinciding with Gear Station's launch.
Especially with 'Iron Fist,' frequently compared to 'Real Fighter' at arcades, released for Gear Station, users flocked to it as it was 10,000 yen cheaper than Saturn and offered better performance.
Due to this, Saturn, with a price tag of 34,800 yen, faced a shaky start due to negative reviews and Sony's market dominance.
In this hellish market environment, our Pentagon was slowly making its way. And as proof, there was a rush of users outside the Pentagon Premium Shop since early evening.
"Dear customers, please stay in line, we will distribute blankets in order~!"
Even though we prepared 500 specially made blankets...
"Looking at the atmosphere, it feels like this won't be nearly enough..."
Tomorrow is December 24, 1994...
The official release day of 'God's Gift,' categorized as a graphic novel with a classic genre.
>
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