Haruno had a driver bring her over today, so the moment she sat down, she called a waiter over and ordered a glass of beer.
When the beer arrived, she picked it up and chugged a big gulp, then let out a satisfied burp.
"Burp~~~ Ahh, that feels great~~~"
Setting the glass down, Haruno picked up a piece of grilled meat that Yukino had passed to her.
"Thanks, Yukino~~ Ahh, so good. Having BBQ after work really is the best. Aren't you guys drinking?"
Seeing her like this, Ichin smiled.
"I'm driving."
"Let Yukino drive!" Haruno immediately turned to her sister. "How about it? Let Ichin drink a little, and you drive on the way back?"
"I don't mind driving, but you guys better not drink too much."
Seeing that her sister clearly wanted to drink and couldn't be stopped, Yukino took on the responsibility of driving after the meal.
The moment Yukino agreed, Haruno excitedly called the waiter over to order more beer.
"Oh right, Hazuki and Kō, are you two drinking? We can have Rin drive on the way back."
"Sure, sure. Look at how excited you are."
Yagami Kō smiled and shook her head, then finished the remaining cola in her glass. "Waiter, I'll have a beer too!"
The beers arrived quickly. After clinking glasses, Ichin took a big gulp as well, narrowing his eyes in contentment.
"Let me think… the last time I drank was probably when I went home during summer vacation. I had a bit with my dad, and haven't really drunk since."
Normally, Ichin would never drink alcohol. But for a gathering like today, having a little was fine. And it was just beer, at most two or three glasses, with the focus still on BBQ and chatting.
After taking a sip, Hazuki narrowed her eyes and looked at Ichin, Utaha, and Yukino with interest.
She was becoming more and more convinced that there was something going on between Ichin and Yukino, and the kind that Utaha clearly knew about and wasn't stopping.
Although Hazuki felt that, given how unconcerned the three of them seemed, it wouldn't matter even if she asked directly right now, she ultimately chose not to. Just quietly observing was interesting enough.
The next two hours were naturally spent leisurely eating BBQ, drinking beer, and chatting about everything under the sun.
From time to time, Haruno shared bits of gossip she had heard from team members at the company, occasionally throwing in some teasing complaints about Shizuka Hiratsuka, who would come to her to vent after yet another failed matchmaking attempt.
As for Ichin and the others, most of their conversation revolved around the company's game development and the current performance of Tales of Berseria.
With Berseria selling so well, Haruno was also very happy. Although the rapid development over the past few years meant that her and Yukino's shares had been diluted somewhat, that didn't stop the value of those shares from increasing.
And with annual dividends coming in, all of it going straight into her personal savings, she was in an even better mood.
Just thinking about how she barely had to do anything besides occasionally helping Ichin secure promotional resources, while her personal funds kept growing every year, made Haruno even more delighted.
Hazuki, Kō, and Rin felt much the same way.
After finishing a glass of beer, Kō said expectantly,
"If we keep working hard for the next two years and manage to develop two more games that sell over five million, or even ten million copies, Rin and I will achieve full financial freedom! Then, Rin, do you think we should buy a villa or something? Though… getting one in the same area as Ichin might be a bit difficult."
Ichin smiled.
"It's not that difficult. You've both been saving money, and you don't spend recklessly. And from what I know, not all the villas in our area are the same size. Some are smaller and cheaper. Of course, their locations within the area are a bit less prime."
Haruno added,
"You don't necessarily have to buy in that same villa district. Recently, our company has been considering acquiring a piece of land near it and developing another villa area there. The price would be much cheaper due to the location. Besides, the current prices in our villa district are also influenced by who lives there, so there's no need to force it."
The Yukinoshita family's company had been developing better and better, gaining plenty of resources in Tokyo over the past two years, and growing rapidly. They were even moving into villa development now.
Hearing this, Kō's eyes widened with excitement.
"Really? Then I'll be waiting for your good news, Haruno! If the land deal goes through and construction starts, I'll be your first customer! Hazuki, how about you move there too when the time comes?"
Kō was serious about buying a house. After all, she couldn't live in her current apartment forever. That place belonged to Ichin and was only being used as a shared dorm for her, Rin, Narumi, and Momiji.
In a couple of years, whether it was Kō and Rin or Tsubame and Momiji, they would all be buying their own homes.
And if they could all live in the same area, that would be perfect.
Hearing Kō's suggestion, Hazuki also showed a hopeful smile.
"If that opportunity really comes, it would be wonderful. My current place is nice, but it's quite far from everyone else. Visiting anyone takes a lot of time, even by car. So Haruno, whether we can all live in the same villa district in the future depends on you~~"
"Hehe, no problem. It's basically a sure thing already!"
Haruno confidently gave a thumbs-up, then took another big gulp of beer.
"Burp~~ Oh right, if you all end up buying houses from me, wouldn't that mean Ichin and I achieve perfect salary recycling?"
Ichin thought about it and realized that was actually true, so he laughed.
"In that case, Haruno, remember to reinvest that money. I'll agree to let you hold a larger share of the company, and I'll use that money to set up a new office and expand the company further."
"Oh!!! That's a great idea!"
The two of them exchanged glances and broke into identical mischievous grins, leaving Kō utterly helpless.
"Tch, you two are ruthless. But I really can't refuse to spend this money. Better to let Haruno earn it than someone else."
Beside her, Rin smiled gently.
"After all, Haruno is one of our company's shareholders. No matter what, she wouldn't take advantage of her own people, right?"
"Hehe, that's right. I won't rip you guys off. If you really decide to buy houses, I won't be able to give you the absolute lowest cost price, but I'll definitely offer you a big discount!"
As long as the land deal went through, there would be plenty of villas in the new development. Earning a little less profit on a few houses wouldn't affect Haruno in the slightest.
...
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