Chapter 83: The Empty Street
If, I may say,
If a couple were to part ways suddenly due to a terminal diagnosis...
Would the one leaving behind their loved one feel more sorrow?
Or would the one left behind bear the heavier burden of grief?
The concept behind "The Empty Street" begins with these small questions.
Though the main plot has not yet been fully developed, "The Empty Street" leans more towards a high-quality visual novel enriched with beautiful illustrations rather than a typical cute girl dating simulation.
As a result, it differs significantly from the genre of dating simulators that involve school settings and guys chasing girls while dating, with "The Empty Street" focusing on the protagonist's unique journey through the town, tailored to the date time.
There is only one out of three beautiful female characters with whom you can reach an ending.
"The Empty Street" is divided into three major scenarios:
The first one occurs before the protagonist receives the terminal diagnosis. In this part, players must select one heroine among the three by experiencing various significant and minor events.
The second scenario takes place after the terminal diagnosis. At this stage, the heroine who was not chosen by the protagonist disappears, and the protagonist builds memories with the chosen one as time passes.
Lastly, the third scenario follows the protagonist after the chosen ending, exploring what happens next.
The most significant highlight of "The Empty Street" is the third scenario, as at the point of the player's death, the protagonist transforms into the heroine they loved. Depending on the amount of accumulated memories, her reactions while strolling down the street, reminiscing about the player, change gradually.
"Director, this story is really..."
Just by looking at the intended concept, Morita's heart crumbled, and his eyes turned red.
Hayashi, who always appeared composed, kept blinking nervously while flipping through the planning document.
This tsundere guy, he gets moved, and instead of accepting it gracefully, he vents his frustrations on the documents.
Hayashi looked at the sequence from part 1 and 2 to the third part of "The Empty Street" and threw the planning document onto the chair, leaning back.
"Oh... Maybe it's because the lighting is dim, but my eyes suddenly feel a bit tired."
In the end, Hayashi, too, wiped away tears under his glasses and irritably gestured at the store's lighting for no reason.
"What's wrong?"
Morita, who was wiping away tears with a tissue, asked me.
"Director, who wrote this scenario?"
"Why? Don't you like it?"
"No, it's not that. If we follow the planning concept exactly, it will be a huge hit, but... Each heroine has to have individual event scenes, then in part 2, as time passes, the appearances of all three characters need to change. And in part 3, after the player is gone, it feels like we need to redraw the art style with a nostalgic touch, but with three characters, that's nine basic illustrations. Adding expressions and backgrounds for each... It's daunting."
Morita quickly realized the amount of work on his plate and his face turned pensive. I continued sipping my green tea, watching him.
"Don't worry. We have plenty of time, and you can take it slow. But if you really want to draw cute girl sprites until the moment of the protagonist's death, I'll grant your wish."
"No, Director, that's..."
"I'll take that request. But you have to complete all the sprite work before you leave."
I smiled and spoke in a teasing tone, and Hayashi and Morita fell into silence. Graphic novels were relatively easier to create than other games because they didn't require complex coding. There were no hit detection rules, and no need for pattern A.I. to be inserted since no enemies would appear. All you had to do was find the right branching points and connect the script.
However, "The Empty Street" had so many branching points that it became a problem.
"What do you think? Even at a glance, the story and event branching seem complex, right?"
"If Mr. Careful Hayashi is in charge, I trust that it will be well done without any errors."
"No... Director, that's..."
"Wait a moment. I know what both of you are thinking. I know you're wondering how you're going to handle such a heavy workload on your own. But, like you, I also have the same question. With so many events and scenarios, who should be responsible for creating them?"
Upon hearing my words, the two who had just raised objections were left speechless.
"Don't tell me... You plan to do it yourself?"
As I nodded discreetly, Morita and Hayashi remained silent. No matter how complicated the coding and artwork seemed, all of the main story would be my responsibility. I had to create scenarios for each character for parts 1, 2, and 3!
I smiled and spoke calmly.
"Let's take it slow. We have over a year until the next-gen launch, after all."
"That's right. It's not like it's a family project. It's a title for the next generation that's just started development..."
'Of course, it could be pushed forward a bit...'
Unintentionally, a smile began to spread, and I quickly took a sip of my green tea.
At that moment, a restaurant staff member came over to our table, holding a tray with bowls of ramen.
"Here's the ramen."
Timing was perfect, and each of us picked up chopsticks and began to eat our meals.
Morita continued to examine the proposal I handed over while eating. It seemed like he was already envisioning the heroine in his mind.
"Morita, just in case, I'll say this: we can't have a sexy character this time."
"Of course not. We should go with a slightly sad-looking girl, right?"
"Since there are three heroines, let's have an older, same-age, and younger character."
"Right, Director Kang, you always seem to know what you want. Then maybe an older character with a mature vibe."
"Just don't overdo it."
"I'll keep that in mind."
At that moment, Hayashi, who was sipping his ramen, had a somewhat puzzled look as he asked me, "But Director, this game 'The Empty Street,' is there a gaming element in it? Something that changes based on the player's actions? It seems too linear, doesn't it?"
"Well, of course, there is a gaming aspect."
"What is it?"
"In your opinion, which part of this game is the most important among the three scenarios?"
Both of them thought for a moment, their chopsticks held still as they pondered. After a while, Hayashi was the first to speak.
"Probably part 1, where the protagonist hasn't received a terminal diagnosis yet. Choosing which heroine out of the three is crucial."
"Well, that part is important, but it's not the most crucial."
"Is it part 3, then? Since the protagonist has died, we can directly experience the heroine's emotions..."
"Well, that's a valid point, but it's not the right answer. In fact, the most important scenario in this game is after the player receives a terminal diagnosis, which is part 2. You see, in part 2..."
Morita and Hayashi stared at me impatiently, as if they couldn't stand the suspense any longer.
"Because in part 2, the protagonist's actions determine how the heroine in part 3 will behave. If, for example, Morita, you were the one with a terminal diagnosis and you had someone you loved, what would you do?"
"I... I'd want to spend more time with that person, building more memories. Even if I were to leave this world, I could rely on those memories, right?"
At that point, Hayashi, who was sitting beside Morita, interjected abruptly, "You fool. You mean you'd just spend your last moments with that person? This guy is so selfish."
"So, what would you do?"
"Me? I wouldn't meet anyone. I wouldn't even tell them about my illness, and I'd treat them coldly so they'd stop coming to see me."
"So, you'd just face the end all alone? That's very much like you. Typical."
I couldn't believe they were having such a discussion in front of me.
I smiled and looked at Morita this time, saying, "Morita, you said you'd like to build many memories before you leave, right?"
"Yes..."
"Well, let's assume you've built a lot of memories, and think about the game we're developing now."
Morita replied slowly to my question, "The Empty Street."
"What do you think she would think in 'The Empty Street' when you're not around? Even if she wanders around everywhere, she'll only see you because she'll miss you as much as the memories you've given her, right?"
"Well... That's..."
"This is the gaming element in 'The Empty Street.' As you both mentioned, in part 2, the player has to make a choice. Will they tell her about their illness and build good memories, or will they forcibly detach her from them to spare her from sadness?"
Hayashi, still looking slightly skeptical, asked, "But as you mentioned earlier, if we reject her too much, you said there might not be a part 3 scenario at all. So, in the end, to progress in the game, we have no choice but to build good memories, right?"
"Well, of course, maintaining some distance from her in part 2 is important to see part 3. But if you complete all the event scenes and achieve 100% of memories with her, then..."
"If we achieve that?"
"The heroine who can't forget the player will eventually be unable to bear those memories and take her own life."
"What did you say!?"
My games, like Dragon Emblem and Psych Battle, are known for not allowing users even a glimmer of hope...
Of course, it's the same this time.
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