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"Don't tell me you're actually broke, Tomoya?"
Leo let out a short, dry laugh, leaning back in his chair until the front legs lifted off the floor. The sound cut through the classroom chatter like a knife.
"I don't know much about the dating sim market here, but I know basic economics. Games cost money. Servers, assets, electricity, coffee... it all adds up. Without a few million yen in the war chest, this whole 'dream project' is just a hallucination. Unless..." Leo paused, his blue eyes gleaming with a predatory amusement. "Unless you know some absolute idiots who are willing to slave away for you for zero pay? But people like that don't exist in the real world."
The words hit Tomoya like a physical blow. He flinched, his hands gripping the strap of his schoolbag until his knuckles turned white.
Leo was right. It was a sharp, brutal deconstruction of his entire strategy. He had planned to rely on the goodwill of others—on Eriri's lingering childhood attachment and Utaha's inexplicable interest in him. Hearing it said out loud, framed as exploiting "fools," made a knot of shame tighten in his chest.
Ping.
In the corner of Leo's vision, a translucent notification flared to life.
[Target: Aki Tomoya. State: severe self-doubt. +500 Points.] [Current Balance: 500 Points. System Shop Unlocked.]
Leo suppressed a smirk. Five hundred points wasn't a fortune, but it was seed money. The bread was baking, and the milk was on the way. He wasn't in a hurry.
Seeing the devastation on Tomoya's face, Leo decided it was time to pivot. He let the chair drop back onto all four legs with a loud clack, shifting his demeanor from "arrogant critic" to "generous ally."
He reached out and clapped a heavy hand on Tomoya's shoulder. The grip was firm, grounding.
"Hey, relax. I'm not trying to crush your soul," Leo said, his voice softening into a casual, brotherly tone. "Us otaku have to stick together, right? Look, I'm flush with cash. If you're really tapping out on funds, I can step in. I'll sponsor the project. Call it an angel investment."
Tomoya's head snapped up, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "Invest? You mean... you'd pay for it?"
"I don't need you to pay me back," Leo continued, waving a hand dismissively. "I'll cover the production costs. In return, I take a cut of the profits based on my equity share. Standard business."
The color rushed back into Tomoya's face. It was like watching a drowning man catch a life preserver. With actual capital, he wouldn't have to beg or trick people. He could offer legitimate contracts. The project wasn't just a dream anymore; it was a startup.
"But," Leo added, his tone sharpening just enough to cut through Tomoya's relief. "I have conditions."
"Conditions?"
"I don't know much about dating sims, but I know quality," Leo said, crossing his arms over his chest. "If I'm putting my money down, I need to know the team isn't going to embarrass me. I want veto power on personnel."
Tomoya blinked, surprised. "You want to handle the recruiting? Isn't that... kind of a hassle for an investor?"
"It's my right," Leo said smoothly. "I'm a professional-grade illustrator, remember? I need to make sure the other artists—if we hire any—aren't going to drag down the visual quality. Plus, I've got a background in classical music. Piano and violin certifications back in the States. I'm not going to let some amateur garage band ruin the soundtrack."
Tomoya looked at the tall, handsome American boy in front of him and felt a sudden, bitter pang of jealousy. Leo wasn't just rich; he was talented, confident, and seemingly perfect. He was everything Tomoya wasn't. But that jealousy was quickly drowned out by the sheer necessity of the situation.
Leo watched the internal struggle play out on Tomoya's face. He needed this control. Vetting the members meant he could manipulate the team dynamics, isolate his targets, and maximize his point farming. As the "money man," he would be the king of the castle.
"Leo-kun..." Tomoya swallowed hard, suppressing his ego. "Are you saying... you're joining the circle? Officially?"
"I'm putting up ten million yen as initial seed funding," Leo dropped the number casually, as if he were talking about buying a sandwich. "That's about ninety thousand U.S. dollars. If we burn through that, I'll inject more. But I'm a perfectionist, Tomoya. If I do something, I do it to win. I'm going to supervise every yen to make sure it's not wasted."
Ten million yen.
The number hung in the air like a thunderclap.
Tomoya's jaw practically unhinged. To a Japanese high school student, ten million yen was an astronomical sum. Most elderly people spent their whole lives saving to have that kind of nest egg. For a teenager? It was fantasy money.
"Leo-kun..." Tomoya stammered, his voice trembling. "Why? Why would you invest that much in a project like this? It's just... it's just me right now! What if we fail? That's ten million yen down the drain!"
Tomoya was desperate, but he wasn't stupid. He couldn't figure out the angle. Why would this perfect, talented guy bet a Porsche's worth of cash on a vague idea about a girl on a hill?
Leo laughed, a relaxed, easy sound that made the classroom feel smaller.
"Because it's interesting," Leo lied, his smile dazzling. "And honestly? I'm bored. I've always wanted to make a game, but doing a AAA title like The Witcher or GTA V takes hundreds of millions of dollars and armies of people. A small team can't touch that. But a visual novel? That's within my budget. It's low risk, low manpower."
He leaned in, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "Think of it as me playing house. Even if we don't make the next Skyrim, I get to experience the thrill of being a game dev. That's worth the price of admission for me."
Tomoya stared at him, stunned into silence.
The gap between them was terrifying. Tomoya had been agonizing over spending a few thousand yen on a limited edition figure. Leo was treating ten million yen like it was pocket change for a hobby. It was a "rich kid's compromise"—settling for making a dating sim because he couldn't buy a studio to make Grand Theft Auto.
Tomoya thought about his own bank account. He had maybe two hundred thousand yen saved up from years of part-time jobs—barely enough to buy a high-end gaming PC, let alone fund a company.
He took a deep breath, bowing his head in a gesture of profound respect and surrender.
"Thank you for your support, Leo-kun!" Tomoya said, his voice thick with emotion. "I won't let you down. I promise I'll deliver a result that's worth your investment!"
Internal Monologue: Hook, line, and sinker. The circle is mine now.
PLS SUPPORT ME AND THROW POWERSTONES .