Game Market 1983
Chapter 200: Idol Project

"Wh-what?! Terada from HaranQ!?"

Matsuo Terada, currently enjoying immense popularity in Japan, is a musician who's earned fame as both the vocal and producer of the group sound, HaranQ.

The reason Morita was so taken aback is that after listening to the song 'Single Bed' released by HaranQ last year, he became an ardent fan of Terada.

The song 'Single Bed' that Morita adores portrays the longing for a woman whom a famous singer had parted ways with during their unknown days. Initially, it didn't gather much popularity, but gradually, through word of mouth, it lingered on the Oricon charts for quite some time, becoming one of HaranQ's representative songs.

But wait. Now that I think about it, Morita. You're perpetually single, right? You didn't have a departed lover in the first place, so how can you relate...?

"Take your time and get ready. I'll be waiting in the lounge."

"Yes, understood~!!"

Morita, brimming with excitement at my suggestion, headed towards the development room.

As I watched him go, grinning to myself, I diverted my gaze to the TV installed in the lounge after a while.

*Kiiing...*

In this place, designated for employees to smoke and equipped with vending machines for drinks, along with various consoles, there was also a large TV.

Since it was still early in the morning and there were no employees in the lounge, I picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

"This is odd..."

Lately, I've been keeping an eye on a certain event set to happen in Japan.

That event is none other than the globally notorious 'Kobe Earthquake' incident.

Originally set to occur in January 1995, which means it should have happened last month, but the earthquake hadn't occurred yet. Of course, it's not that there's dissatisfaction about the disaster not happening.

But if, in the ongoing economic recession, the Kobe Earthquake were to coincide, it could significantly impact the sales of the upcoming console that Pentagon plans to launch.

Even the coordination of the release date for the Complete Laon is due to this reason.

This incident, also known as the Hanshin or Kobe Earthquake, was a colossal quake of magnitude 7.2, which razed the Kobe region of Japan to ruins in just 14 seconds.

Having lived in Japan for the past decade, I've grown accustomed to earthquakes big and small. But the one that was to happen in 1995 was genuinely something to fear.

Over 6,000 casualties.

Around 43,000 injured.

A colossal tragedy causing about $140 billion in property damage.

If possible, I'd have wanted to prevent the earthquake, but honestly, even with all the money in the world, it's not something I, as an individual, could handle.

Even if I were to inform the media, being someone without a geology background, how could I possibly convince them?

Moreover, the area where the earthquake occurred was originally constructed on reclaimed land above a vast tidal flat, making the ground inherently vulnerable to quakes.

All I could do in such a situation was to advise those I knew to try to avoid the Kobe area in Osaka for the time being.

"I was aware it was around mid-January, but why is it still so quiet?"

Somehow, a peculiar sense of unease washed over me, as if my knowledge of the past had been twisted.

"Could it be that it's not Kobe but another region that's experiencing an earthquake?"

As I flipped through news channels to catch up on events, Morita knocking on the lounge door made me switch off the TV.

"Shall we, Chief?"

"Yeah."

As Morita picked up the bag I was holding, leading the way towards the elevator, I followed him.

"Chief, is meeting Terada related to the idol project you mentioned before?"

"When I asked Ueno, she mentioned that she's not specialized in popular music, so she recommended Terada..."

"Oh~ As expected of Ueno. She has an eye for talent. I really love HaranQ too."

"I know. You sometimes hum HaranQ's songs alone. Was it 'Single Bed'...?"

"Yes, that's right~!!"

Morita seemed thrilled at the thought of meeting Terada, hanging onto every word.

As we chatted about Morita and HaranQ, exiting the company and heading towards the parking lot, suddenly, I felt a tremor beneath my feet.

"Huh...?"

Morita also sensed something amiss and stopped, glancing around.

Looking at the slightly swaying parked cars, both Morita and I naturally looked at each other.

"Was that an earthquake just now?"

"Yeah, it seems like it?"

Even the people walking around seemed puzzled, scanning their surroundings with vacant expressions, evidently sharing the same feeling.

"This one feels a bit stronger, but luckily, it didn't last long."

"Yeah..."

Moments ago, I had been contemplating earthquakes, so the sudden unease crept in, but for Morita, who considers earthquakes as part of daily life, it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary, and he resumed his steps.

"Hey, even if it's just this level of quake, it might reach around magnitude 4. It's not advisable to move suddenly...!!"

That's when it happened. *Rumble...!!*

"Huh!! What's happening!?"

With a short scream, Morita lost his balance and stumbled forward. I, too, lowered my posture swiftly due to the sudden quake and scanned the surroundings. The cars in the parking lot started blaring loud alarm sounds, creating a commotion.

*Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep...!!*

*Screech!! Screech!!*

Even the road signs on the street trembled. Seems like this quake's on a massive scale?

"Hey, Morita, are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Are you alright, Chief?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..."

Among the people around, not just Morita but several others seemed to have lost their balance and fallen.

Nevertheless, since there were no accidents involving signs falling, everyone looked bewildered but safe.

*Woong, woong...*

Feeling a vibration around my waist, I opened my phone and heard Yuki's voice.

"Junhyuk, are you okay? There was quite a big earthquake just now!?"

"Oh, I'm fine. How about Seolhyun?"

"She was startled by the bed shaking but otherwise is okay."

"Really? Phew... That's a relief."

Exhaling a sigh of relief, I helped Morita back up onto his feet.

Though Yuki's worried voice echoed through the receiver, I calmly reassured her before getting into the car.

"Yeah, I see. Okay. I'll try to get home early today."

While securing my seatbelt, Morita, who had taken the passenger seat, stared intently at his phone.

"What's up? Why the look?"

"Family's precious, isn't it? As soon as the quake happened, I received a safety call... I wonder why I even bought this expensive phone. I only get calls from Uchimura and Hayashi..."

"······."

You rascal, hang in there...

&

After the earthquake we experienced, thankfully, there were no further aftershocks.

But even then, my heart continued to flutter, perhaps due to suddenly experiencing something amidst thoughts of the earthquake.

"Breaking news. At 11:13 AM today, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Tokyo Strait. A high wave measuring 3 meters emerged due to this earthquake, hitting the nearby strait. As a result, three individuals, including 42-year-old Matsutaka, who were involved in fishing activities, have gone missing. Rescue teams are currently conducting search operations."

"Wow... the earthquake was larger than I thought. Almost reaching a magnitude of 5..."

Morita, too, was taken aback, his voice trembling slightly.

"Even though it was the same magnitude of 4.8, this earthquake felt markedly different."

"From what I saw, I felt the ground shaking. It might not have been just lateral trembling."

As Morita mentioned, there are two types of earthquakes: lateral shaking and vertical shaking. Even at the same intensity, vertical shaking feels much stronger.

If it's hard to grasp, imagine gently shaking a wide, thin pudding from side to side and then shaking it up and down. That might help you understand.

"Still, it's fortunate there are no more aftershocks."

"Indeed, do you really think so?"

"Huh? What do you mean...?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Just talking to myself."

Morita slightly tilted his head at my words before quickly shifting his gaze out of the window.

&

Finding the office of HaranQ located in a complex neighborhood on the outskirts of Tokyo was no easy feat.

"Though my phone's sorted out with time after the earthquake, who knows when the navigation will show up..."

Driving around, I relaxed unconsciously and parked the car in a nearby public parking lot, finally locating the office.

Despite the exterior of the building, HaranQ's office interior was neatly arranged, albeit feeling slightly cramped as it was a sound group's dedicated office rather than a large agency.

"Welcome, employees from Pentagon. We've been expecting you. Are you okay after the sudden earthquake?"

As Morita and I entered the office, a slightly petite and rough-looking person, Terada, greeted us.

But why in the world is this person wearing sunglasses indoors in broad daylight? Isn't it dark enough?

"Hello. I'm Kang Junhyuk, here with Ueno's assistance."

After exchanging pleasantries and business cards almost habitually with Terada, he guided us to the couch placed in the middle of the office.

"Oh, I heard from Ueno, but I didn't expect Director Kang Junhyuk himself to visit our place. I thoroughly enjoyed 'Gift from the Gods,' released by Pentagon last December. Especially, the fact that it was themed around the 'Classic Genre' was incredibly fresh."

"Thank you for your kind words. Actually, I came here to meet Terada for a similar reason. Have you heard anything about that from Ueno?"

"Yes! Absolutely. After hearing from Ueno about 'Virtual Idol,' I too am incredibly excited. I believe it's going to be a monumental plan, not only in the gaming industry but also in the entertainment industry."

"······."

Why is this person so overly enthusiastic?

Ueno had mentioned that Terada always maintains high energy, and I could truly feel that. Terada didn't spare any praises for Pentagon and 'Gift from the Gods' as he continued with his self-promotion.

"In fact, if you're looking for a producer for female idols, you've come to the right place. Because I'm also a huge fan of Kikuchi Momoko, an upcoming idol."

Indeed... someone with enough passion to become the head of Hello Project, a specialized female idol planning agency.

If a thirsty person sells a well, then creating the idol group they desire is the perfect fit...

While scrutinizing the proposal I handed over and the profiles of audition passers, Terada asked me,

"By the way, do you have any songs in mind? For instance, if it's a female idol group, emphasizing a first love atmosphere... a slightly lively feeling would be good, right?"

"...I'd prefer a powerful anthem."

"A-an anthem?"

"A song that uplifts those in hardship... For instance, if there are areas affected by today's earthquake, a song that can rush in and boost people's spirits there, wouldn't that be great?"

"A morale-boosting anthem... that's a bit challenging. If you have any sample songs that could serve as examples..."

Nodding in agreement with Terada's response, I smoothly retrieved a tape from my belongings.

I anticipated this and brought along a very fitting sample song.

Looking at the music tape laid out on the table, Terada adjusted his sunglasses.

"What's this?"

"It's a Korean song that I really like."

"Oh~ I see. The title...?"

"'To You on the Infinite Orbit.'"

"Oh~!! Thank you. Let me listen to it right away."

Terada inserted the tape into the stereo system in the corner of the office and immediately pressed the play button.

Babababam bam babababam bam~

Babababam bam babababam bam~

Ching ching

Bam bam bam babababam bam babababa~~

Oh~ Yes~!! Ohhh wow~!!

"Ah... this is..."

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