Chapter 202: Social Activities
In the midst of a blissful slumber around 5 in the morning...
I reluctantly lifted my heavy eyelids at Yuki's urgent voice that seemed to echo from a dream.
"Junhyuk, wake up!"
"Mm...?"
"Quickly, wake up!"
"What's wrong? Why?"
"The whole house just shook, didn't you feel anything?"
Impressive how you felt the vibrations on this incredibly soft bed, but...
In no time, I found myself sitting up, embracing a concerned Seolhyun, reaching for the remote to check on what was happening.
As I was about to reach for the TV remote resting on a small table next to the bed...
Rumbling...
The remote on the table trembled and moved away from my hand.
"Did it just happen again?"
"Stay calm. We've experienced one or two of these earthquakes before."
"Still, they say the earthquake earlier this morning was a magnitude 7.2, the strongest in almost 30 years, so I can't help feeling uneasy..."
Trying to reassure the still jittery Yuki, I pressed the power button on the TV remote.
With a ticking sound, the TV screen dimly lit up.
Frozen in place, both Yuki and I stared at the screen, our bodies tensed.
"W-where is that?"
"If I'm right, that's near Kobe."
At the mention of Kobe, a single word popped into my mind.
Kobe earthquake!? Could this be happening so suddenly?
The scene on the TV displayed the aftermath of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that had just swept through everything.
The CCTV footage from within a broadcasting station during the earthquake showed severe shaking, followed by office supplies collapsing within seconds.
While I was transfixed by the TV, I could feel Yuki's trembling hand gripping mine.
"What do we do? Those people..."
The broadcast then shifted to show residential areas, painting a more gruesome picture.
In the dead of the night, due to the earthquake striking homes, many were left trapped without a chance to escape, a scene of sheer horror.
Moreover, ruptured gas lines leaked, and sparks from fallen utility poles turned the residential area into a sea of flames.
Helicopter shots illuminated the disaster zone, resembling a scene from a spectacular disaster movie.
Among them, what caught my attention was the sight of a massive elevated road bending and collapsing like a toy stick.
"Unbelievable..."
As the broadcasting helicopter seemed unable to fly further due to thick smoke rising from fires, a reporter, pale-faced, spoke into the microphone.
"Since further coverage is impossible, we'll update you on the details later. Currently, as you can see, fires rage on throughout areas like Hanshin, Awaji, and Kobe due to the devastating earthquake. Firefighters from Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, and surrounding areas are rushing to aid the affected regions. This concludes our emergency broadcast."
The reporter's transmission ended, but the TV continued showing footage of the disaster from CCTV and helicopter cameras.
After watching Yuki and the disaster broadcast for a while, I glanced up at the clock on the wall.
6:10 AM.
I rose from the bed, grabbed the phone, and immediately dialed Kawaguchi.
After a brief signal, a slightly flustered voice came through.
"Kawaguchi-san, did you see the news?"
"Yes, I just woke up and was watching the news. What on earth happened overnight..."
"First, use the emergency network to inform regular employees about temporary leave. Only those at manager level and above should gather in the conference room by 10 AM."
"Alright. Some of our staff have families in the Kobe area, so suggesting leave is a good idea."
"See you in the conference room."
At that moment, Yuki and Seolhyun emerged from the room.
"Junhyuk, are you also... going there?"
"Yeah, I think I should. Just to be safe. How about spending a few days with Seolhyun at her relatives' place?"
If the current situation mirrors what I know from the past, Tokyo should be safe. But today's earthquake happened about a month later than what I remember from the past.
Could that be why? I couldn't be absolutely certain that Tokyo would be safe.
Since Seolhyun's family home is a private residence, it's relatively easier to evacuate. Even if the house collapses, being a wooden structure, escaping should be feasible with people nearby.
However, with high-rise concrete buildings like the one that just collapsed on TV, there could be an immense loss of life if an earthquake like this hits...
"Alright. I'll stay at my parents' house for just today."
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Shortly after, having finished an early breakfast with Yuki, I escorted her to her parents' place.
Her mother, surprised to see her, welcomed Yuki and Seolhyun, visibly anxious. "You're here, thank goodness," she said, ushering them inside.
It seemed even Yuki's father-in-law was staying at home today, likely due to temporary leave.
"Heading to work today too?"
"Regular employees were given temporary leave, but the executives have a crisis meeting."
"A crisis meeting? At a game development company, discussing earthquake damage?"
Pausing momentarily at my father-in-law's question, I finally spoke up.
"Securing relief supplies for the affected areas in advance is crucial, and once there's some stability, we should consider volunteer work as well."
"Ah, yeah, that makes sense. Right now, with no electricity or water available, the affected areas will definitely need a lot of help. Your thoughts are admirable... Alright, you're busy, so go ahead."
"I'll assess the situation until evening and pick up Yuki."
After politely greeting the content-looking adult, I hurriedly got into the car.
Simultaneously, a somewhat old-fashioned ringtone echoed from the phone lying in the car. I started the engine and pressed the call button on the phone.
"Boss, it's Hayashi."
"Hmm, what's the matter?"
"Well, I heard about the emergency meeting..."
Unlike usual, Hayashi's voice trembled slightly, giving off an uneasy feeling.
"You don't mean...?"
"Yes. My family is in Awaji, and I can't reach them at the moment. I might need to visit home for a bit."
"Alright. Hayashi, you're originally from the police station, I remember. I'll talk separately to the CEO about this. Go ahead."
"Thank you."
"Everything should be fine, don't worry too much, and drive safely."
"Yes, understood. I'll contact you once I arrive."
"Okay."
After ending the call with Hayashi, I let out a small sigh and drove straight to the company.
The radio buzzed with discussions across all channels about the scale of damage and casualties from the Kobe earthquake, which seemed to be increasing as time passed.
Waiting at a traffic light, I nervously bit my fingertips, hoping Hayashi's parents were safe.
The Kobe earthquake had undeniably caused a massive tragedy, instilling immense despair among the residents of the affected areas. Moreover, as numerous Koreans also resided there, it was a heartbreaking situation in many ways.
Yet, the Japanese government seemed to consider the Kobe earthquake as an opportunity for economic revitalization.
Due to the extensive reconstruction needed in the devastated cityscape, there was a surge in job opportunities. This prompted many companies, including Nintendo, Sony, and NEGA, to rise and aim for the trickle-down effect.
&
Was it because of the Kobe earthquake? Passing through the unusually deserted central streets of Shinjuku, I parked my car in the company parking lot and headed straight for the headquarters' meeting room.
At that moment, I spotted Morita, who seemed to have just arrived at the company, hurrying towards the meeting room.
"Hey, Morita."
"Oh, sir. Good... well, it's not really a good morning. Actually, Hayashi..."
"Yeah, I heard on my way here. But Morita, are you alright? Your family's also in the affected area, right?"
"I'm fine. My family is in Osaka, and when I spoke to them in the morning, they said everything was fine..."
"Good. That's a relief. Hayashi promised to contact once he arrives; let's wait for that."
"Kaori from the design department went along as well, so everything should be alright."
"Kaori too? She's always teasing Hayashi, but she's quite reliable in times like this."
"That's true."
As Morita and I entered the meeting room and exchanged words, some senior staff members greeted me.
"If any of you have family in the affected areas, it's alright for you to go. Family matters more than this meeting."
It was Ueno, who had collaborated on 'Gift from the Gods,' who responded.
"I actually contacted beforehand and left this morning. They said it's okay."
"That's fortunate. Then, except for Hayashi, the team leader, it seems everyone else at the senior level is alright."
"Mr. Kawaguchi is arriving."
As Sayuri, the secretary, announced, all the employees seated in the room stood up.
As Mr. Kawaguchi entered the meeting room, he gestured for everyone to sit and sent a brief nod in my direction.
"For now, it's fortunate that none of the employees here have family directly affected by the earthquake. Let's hope there's nothing wrong with Mr. Hayashi, the team leader of our second development team."
With Mr. Kawaguchi's short greeting, the emergency meeting commenced.
The agenda was to discuss the list of relief supplies needed in the affected areas and which company to contract for this.
As electricity and gas were cut off, essential items like water and food were designated as priority relief supplies. Suggestions poured in for blankets, sleeping bags, and clothes, among other things.
Since everyone genuinely cared about the residents in the affected areas, it was decided to include all suggested relief supplies.
At that moment, Mr. Kawaguchi cautiously asked me, "Junhyuk, do you have any different opinions?"
Tapping my pen on the desk, I spoke up, "There have been great suggestions for essential items, and I don't disagree. However, I'd like to propose something slightly different."
"What is it?"
"For instance... offering free repairs for broken Laon consoles and game cartridges in the affected areas?"
"What? Are you suggesting we exchange damaged consoles for free due to the earthquake?"
Seeing Mr. Kawaguchi's bewildered expression, I smirked slightly and raised one corner of my mouth.
"Surely there are users in the affected areas who love our games. Companies sustain themselves with the support of such customers. Just as our Pentagon Games struggled during the days of 'Final Frontier 1' and '2,' yet the users trusted and bought our games... this time, I believe it's our turn to assist those users. That, I believe, is a social responsibility a company should rightfully take."
The employees in the meeting room wore somewhat surprised expressions at my words.
Amidst this, when Morita slowly clapped towards me, the employees followed suit, applauding.
"That's right. Relief items are one thing, but aren't we a gaming company? Moreover, portable devices like Laon could serve as a good distraction for the kids in the affected areas."
"Wow... that's a great idea. It's said that wandering around the earthquake-stricken areas is risky, so how about creating a play space for children at the shelters?"
The rather rigid atmosphere of the meeting suddenly began to shift drastically with my words.
Leaning back in my chair, I listened to the flood of ideas from the employees, sporting a satisfied smile.
Then, Mr. Kawaguchi, sitting near me, asked, "If we proceed as Junhyuk suggested, it might involve a considerable expense. Would that be alright?"
"It's fine. Consider it as a promotional budget for the upcoming 'Complete Laon' release..."
>
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