After passing through security and boarding the plane, Ichin and Utaha found their seats and sat down.
Because Utaha didn't think it was necessary, Ichin hadn't booked first class—he opted for business class instead.
As for economy class, since they had enough funds, there was no real need for that. Ichin still preferred a relatively quiet and spacious environment.
Having flown many times before, both Ichin and Utaha were quite used to the process.
The plane soon took off. Once it had stabilized mid-air, Ichin stretched lazily and turned to Utaha beside him, saying, "It's a two-hour flight. If you get sleepy, feel free to nap. Want something to drink?"
"Mm, I'd like some hot tea."
Ichin called over a flight attendant and ordered two cups of black tea. Then, he and Utaha put on their headphones, quietly chatting while listening to music.
"Ichin-kun, is Auntie picking us up after we land?"
"Yeah, and my dad's coming too."
"Eh? I thought Uncle still had work?"
Ichin chuckled. "Work's not too demanding these days. My dad's company is pretty stable now, so he doesn't have to worry much. It's almost the end of the year—most companies aren't busy and are just waiting for the New Year holidays. If I were going back alone, he probably wouldn't bother coming. My mom might not even come either. But since you're coming home with me this year, of course he'll be there."
"I see."
Utaha nodded. Over the past half-year since summer break, she had frequently video-chatted with Ichin's mother and had come to know just how fond both parents were of her. They treated her kindly, which gave her a deep sense of reassurance.
Snuggling into Ichin's arm, Utaha rubbed her head against his shoulder and said, "Ichi, I'm going to nap for a bit. Wake me when we're about to arrive, okay?"
"Sure, go ahead and sleep."
As a small gesture, Ichin stopped a passing flight attendant and asked for a blanket, which he gently draped over Utaha.
In business class, most passengers were suited businesspeople. Young couples like Ichin and Utaha were a rare sight. Because of that, the flight attendants couldn't help but glance over at them now and then, their expressions showing clear admiration.
Occasionally, some of them overheard bits of the couple's conversation and gathered that the girl was traveling with the boy to meet his parents—and judging by the tone, the family seemed quite pleased with her.
To these busy flight attendants, a relationship like that was something they truly envied.
With Ichin beside her, even on an airplane, Utaha quickly fell asleep.
Ichin helped tidy her hair a little, gently removed one of her earbuds, and then closed his own eyes, planning to get a bit of rest as well.
Two hours passed quickly, and as the landing announcement played, Ichin woke up and gently roused Utaha too.
The plane was about to land.
Rubbing her eyes, Utaha pulled the blanket off herself and glanced out the window. "We're really here, huh."
"Yeah, we're landing now."
It was already early evening. Since his parents were picking them up, they'd probably eat out tonight—there likely wasn't any time to cook.
Before long, the plane landed smoothly. Ichin and Utaha disembarked and retrieved their luggage.
As soon as they stepped off the plane, Utaha immediately felt it—she was already clinging to Ichin's arm, shrinking her neck into her scarf.
"It feels like it's colder here in Modu(Shanghai) than in Tokyo."
"The temperature's about the same," Ichin explained, "but because of the geography, the wind here is stronger in winter. That makes it feel colder. When I was a kid, if you weren't careful in the winter, your ears could get frostbitten pretty easily."
While explaining, Ichin led Utaha out through the terminal. At the arrival area, they quickly spotted his parents.
Since there weren't many people coming out at the moment, Ichin's parents also immediately spotted their son—and their future daughter-in-law.
"Dad, Mom!"
Ichin smiled and waved, walking over with Utaha.
Taking a glance at the girl beside him, Ichin noticed that Utaha's expression was a little stiff.
Utaha whispered, "Well, this is the first time I'm meeting your dad in person, outside of video calls. Of course I'm nervous."
"Don't worry," Ichin reassured her, "my dad's not strict at all. He's easy to talk to."
When they reached his parents, Ichin gave both of them a hug, then gently pulled Utaha forward and said to his dad, "Dad, this is Utaha. You've chatted with her over video before."
Utaha, a little nervous, greeted politely, "Hello, Uncle."
"Good, good! Hello, Utaha."
Ichin's father was clearly very pleased as he looked at the girl standing beside his son. Smiling warmly, he said, "Alright, let's not stay here. Let's head to the restaurant—it's dinner time."
Outside the airport, Ichin's dad pulled the car around, and the whole family got in, heading toward the restaurant they had booked.
Ichin took the front passenger seat, leaving the back seat for his mom and Utaha.
"Dad, things not too busy at the company?" Ichin asked.
"Not at all."
His dad chuckled as he drove. "After the year-end party, it's just been wrapping up work from the past year. I gave everyone the rest of the time off starting today. How about you, Ichin? Been tired lately?"
"Not really. I outsourced some simpler projects to another club, so it's lightened the load. I'm also thinking about acquiring and merging with that club after I get back. It's a solid team of nearly twenty people. Plus, it's run by a classmate's family, so in every aspect, it's the ideal partner."
Ichin's father nodded as he listened to his son's recent work plans.
"Mhm. You should only take on projects that match your team size. Expansion is inevitable for you, though. Have you thought about doing anything on the domestic side? For game development, what you mainly need are artists and programmers, right? There's no shortage of new graduates in those fields from universities here every year."
"I've definitely thought about it," Ichin said, rubbing his chin. "I plan to set up a branch company after I enter university. I can't manage both sides while still in high school. A team of 30-plus people is already enough for me to handle development over the next year or so. Once I'm in university, I'll have more time and a better reputation, which will make recruitment a lot easier too."
Though Ichin didn't plan to create his own gaming platform like Ubisoft, he definitely wouldn't be sticking to just one game at a time.
Setting up multiple studios to work in parallel was something he knew he'd need.
Triple-A titles, high-quality indie games, pixel-style games—he still had tons of ideas for different genres.
His vision was clear: he'd take charge of the flagship projects, while the other studios would handle the rest. Multiple projects blooming at once, each bearing fruit.
Just imagining that scene was enough to make his heart race with excitement.
...
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