The Blind Love Life of the Returning Hero: The Companions I Lost in Another World Resurrect in the Modern Era and Indulge Me - Episode 28

The office was buzzing with activity as preparations for Hayato and the others’ debut reached their peak. Staff members hurried through the hallways with documents in hand, while technicians were busy conducting final checks on the streaming equipment. It wasn’t a battlefield like the one in another world, but Hayato could feel a similar kind of tension hanging over the entire office.
Hayato looked around the spacious workspace. Riri was deeply engrossed in the final adjustments to the programming, her delicate fingers tapping away at the keyboard as she stared at the numbers and code on the monitor.
Takeshi was on the phone having a meeting or reviewing project documents with the staff, clearly passionate and focused.
Seika, meanwhile, had taken on another major project with an overseas pharmaceutical company, so she was prioritizing that. She had agreed to join important meetings via video call whenever necessary.
Amid all this, the one working most quietly was Josuke. He sat deeply in a custom-made luxury chair, silently typing away on his keyboard while checking multiple monitors.
Hayato walked over to the seat next to him, wondering if there was anything he could help with.
“Josuke, what are you working on?”
Josuke briefly glanced up from the monitor at Hayato before returning his gaze to the screen.
“Hm? Oh, I’m checking this.”
He pointed at the screen, where rows of text were displayed. Hayato sat beside him and looked at the screen together.
“This is a message board, right?”
“Yeah. I’m checking public reactions.”
Josuke explained further.
“These threads are about IVE’s announcement. A lot of people are posting their thoughts on it.”
“What kind of things are they saying?”
With a faint smile, Josuke clicked through and highlighted several comments.
“Look. Overall, it’s pretty positive. There’s a lot of excitement. The fact that the Tetsumura Group is launching a Vtuber production company is making waves in the industry. People are curious, especially since a major conglomerate known for manufacturing is suddenly entering the scene.”
Josuke moved to another thread and continued.
“Also, the character design by Sawa is getting a lot of attention. ‘A Vtuber designed by Sawa’ is trending on social media. It’s clearly drawing a lot of interest.”
“I see. So expectations are really high.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Hearing this, Hayato put his hand on his chin and furrowed his brows slightly.
“But… is that okay?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
Hayato voiced his concern plainly.
“With all this hype, if we can’t meet expectations, the disappointment will be just as big. I’m worried we might end up letting people down.”
Josuke leaned back in his chair with a confident smile.
“Well, I think we’ll be fine.”
“Why?”
“Because we’ve got an undeniable advantage.”
Josuke raised a finger as he began listing his reasons with confidence.
“First, there’s the character design. The illustrations created from our memories have a unique vitality that sets them apart from typical Vtubers.”
He switched the monitor to display the completed avatars.
“Look at this avatar. Just look at the level of detail.”
From the design to the 3D model—these were the avatars Riri had completed.
“On top of that, Riri’s software performance is astounding. The fluidity of movement, the subtlety of facial expressions, and the overall ‘presence’ it creates.”
It truly was an impressive sight. The tiny changes in expression and natural gestures made it feel as if someone was really there in front of you.
“Yeah. It’s amazing.”
Compared to the other Vtubers they had studied before debut, this was not just a step ahead—it was several levels above.
“It doesn’t feel like just a 3D model. It’s so lifelike, you’d almost believe the character was alive inside the screen.”
Josuke activated the motion capture system, and the avatar on screen began to move exactly as expected. Even the smallest gestures were captured perfectly, with no lag or unnaturalness.
Knowing they had created something like this made Hayato appreciate Riri’s skill even more.
“The staff were amazed too. One of the engineers said, ‘This goes way beyond the precision of the latest motion capture systems.’ They even said, ‘This will revolutionize the industry.’”
“Yeah, I remember that.”
Thinking back on that moment, Hayato smiled.
“To achieve Riri’s original goal—to share the memories of our otherworldly experiences as a story—we need to draw a lot of attention.”
Josuke nodded insightfully.
“Exactly.”
Hayato agreed. He truly hoped Riri’s wish would come true.
Having finished his explanation, Josuke gave Hayato a light pat on the shoulder.
“So, there’s really nothing to worry about. Just focus on getting yourself mentally ready for the debut.”
“Got it.”