After a while, Yoda accepted the Tamago I handed him and confidently headed home.
A bit disoriented, the black Tamago Yoda had chosen instead was now back in my hands.
Despite the scratches on its exterior, probably from Yoda dropping it here and there, it didn't matter. Flipping the Tamago figurine again, the engraved sentence in the sunlight was unmistakably from the Dragon Emblem.
"Amazing. The pumpkin has rolled in, layer by layer."
It felt like a message in my mind saying, "I got the Dragon Emblem's Tamago."
Thunk. Thud.
Locking the front door and returning to my room, I sat on the bed and pressed the button on the black Tamago figurine. A screen appeared with a sleeping 'egg.'
"At first glance, it doesn't seem much different from the previous Tamago figurine, does it?"
In the 'egg' state, the Tamago figurine takes some time to hatch, approximately two hours in real time. Should I leave it in this state and continue with the figure work?
With the Tamago figurine on the desk, I put on the thin rubber gloves neatly and resumed the figure work.
"Alright, let's get started."
At that moment, an obnoxious alarm sounded from the Tamago figurine on the desk.
Beep beep beep beep beep.
"What? It can't wake up already!"
Scratching my head, I picked up the Tamago figurine on the desk, only to find that the newly started game was already in a game-over state.
"What? Why?"
This is strange. Did something go wrong? Where did I go wrong in starting the game?
Pressing the start button again, the game started again with the 'egg' state.
Now, feeling confident, I returned to my seat and picked up the figure's unfinished part again.
Then, a loud alarm rang out from the Tamago figurine on the desk.
Beep beep beep beep beep.
"Oh, why!"
Why does it keep doing this at crucial moments?
Helplessly checking the Tamago figurine again, once again, the game-over message was displayed.
"This is strange. Is it broken?"
However, didn't they say third time's the charm? I played the game again and this time kept a close eye on the screen.
The Tamago figurine leaves a 'dying message' until it dies. If the device is dropped on the ground, an 'Ouch!' message appears briefly.
After a while, another message popped up from the Tamago figurine.
As soon as I saw the message, I gasped.
"It's hot..."
Beep beep beep beep beep.
Hot? What? In my room?
Of course! It's summer now! I don't have air conditioning!
No, more importantly, how does this Tamago figurine know my room is hot? I've never seen such a Tamago figurine before!
With the Tamago figurine in hand, I stared at it for a moment and glanced around. There was one place that caught my eye while I was wandering my gaze. No matter how you look at it, there...
"Is it okay?"
After a brief moment of hesitation, I eventually opened the refrigerator door next to the sink.
If it's hot, cool it down. What else can I do?
Starting the game again, I placed the Tamago figurine in the egg compartment located on the refrigerator door where I usually put eggs.
"Even if it seems crazy, no one's here to say anything..."
Worried that the impact of closing the refrigerator door might kill the Tamago figurine again, I carefully closed the door.
"Let's get back to work. Let's work..."
Returning to my seat, I looked at the refrigerator for a moment but, fortunately, the alarm didn't ring anymore.
I sighed with relief and continued working on Miyuki's leg.
Looking at Miyuki's long and smooth leg, I grabbed a cutter knife after a while.
The line connecting to the buttocks felt a bit rough.
"If the leg goes back like this, it's normal for the bottom of the buttocks to fold slightly."
Although it's a part that won't be visible once clothes are put on, I have a strange habit of adding details to unnecessary places.
In the end, after spending tens of minutes with the cutter knife, I successfully expressed the slight fold of the buttocks in the wrinkles. I smiled satisfactorily.
"Is this okay? Surprisingly, do I have talent in this field?"
Admiring my own achievement, I once again picked up the brush and used the gradient technique due to the lighting, bringing out the smoothness of her leg.
Grrrr...
Feeling hungry, I glanced at the clock and realized that lunchtime had already passed.
"Time has flown by like this. I should get some sleep before going to work part-time."
I took off the gloves stained with sticky enamel, stood up while rubbing my numb legs due to the extended figure work, and looked at the refrigerator. Then, I remembered something I had forgotten.
"Oh, right, the Tamago figurine!"
Lost in concentrating on the figure, I had forgotten the time when the egg hatched.
Opening the refrigerator door carefully, I took out the Tamago figurine. The game-over screen was still there.
"It died again. What's with this thing?"
But after organizing my thoughts for a moment, maybe it was reasonable.
An egg that hasn't been widely known yet.
Moreover, it might be another Tamago figurine boasting the extreme difficulty of the 'Dragon Emblem' family game.
Each Tamago figurine has its own personality.
The Final Frontier Tamago figurine I exchanged with Yoda this morning was a lively one, eating well and playing energetically.
Compared to that one, the personality of this black egg seems to be 'extreme grumpiness.'
Moreover, it has a temperature system that I've never seen in other Tamago figurines.
Raising this one would require more effort than I thought.
"For now, completing Miyuki's figure is more important. I'll deal with hatching you later."
I put the Tamago figurine that had ended the game into the drawer.
&
And once again, a week passed...
"It's done!!"
In her original form, no, even more beautiful than that, she stood before me, evoking spontaneous admiration.
As I faced her radiant smile, I couldn't help but feel my eyes welling up with tears.
The previously shattered limbs and waist were seamlessly reassembled, including some additional gimmicks. Moreover, I upgraded her outfit to lingerie by repainting the bikini swimsuit she originally wore.
'But somehow, she looks more like Yuki-san that I saw at the event rather than Miyuki? Anyway, when my salary comes in next week, I'll dress her in pretty clothes. Just wait a little longer.'
That night.
Since it was my day off from part-time work, I watched the "The Streets Without Me" OVA from start to finish to celebrate the completion of Miyuki.
Produced as an original video animation, "The Streets Without Me" was meticulously crafted, with Morita-san personally overseeing the animation inspection, resulting in remarkable quality.
When I read the article about Miyuki being chosen as the main heroine through user surveys, narrowly defeating Nana-se with a 200-vote difference, I couldn't help but cheer.
"Even after watching it several times, it's still a masterpiece. I'm glad I decided to own it."
Putting the five-episode video tape of "The Streets Without Me" back into its case, I opened the drawer to take out the Dragon Emblem Tamago figure.
'Wait. I'll properly raise you soon. Let's see who wins when you hatch.'
&
"Good job this month, Uchimura. Now, your monthly salary."
"Thank you, Manager."
As I received the white envelope from the manager, I could feel the crispness of the bills inside.
Since late-night shifts paid a bit more than the day shifts, working four times a week for a month earned me around 160,000 yen.
However, after deducting the monthly rent of 40,000 yen, miscellaneous expenses, and transportation costs, I had about 100,000 yen left?
Thinking about the days when I ate instant noodles every day after buying Miyuki's figure, I felt a sense of relief that my financial situation had improved.
But at the same time, a thought crossed my mind...
'Now that things are going well, should I also get limited figures of Setsuna-san and Nanase, with the next month's salary?'
That night after finishing my part-time job, I took a short nap and woke up early in the morning.
I quickly got dressed and headed straight to the subway station.
Before going to Akihabara in the afternoon, there was a place I had to visit first.
A while later, I arrived at Ginza, known as Tokyo's luxury district.
I was looking for a concept to create Miyuki's costume as I walked around, sketching the costumes displayed in the windows.
But while searching for a bright pink fabric that would suit Miyuki, I hesitated when I entered a very high-end store.
"Excuse me, I'd like to purchase some fabric..."
As I cautiously spoke after opening the store door, the staff greeted me with a friendly smile.
"Are you getting a custom-made outfit?"
"Oh, um..."
I couldn't bring myself to say that I came to tailor clothes for a figure, so I awkwardly smiled and changed the subject.
"I'm studying traditional clothing, and I need some samples. Can I buy a small amount?"
The store clerk responded with a slightly disappointed expression and nodded.
"What kind of fabric do you need?"
"I'd like a fabric in a color similar to the kimono displayed in the window..."
"Oh, that's a top-quality kimono made in the traditional way. The main fabric is silk."
"Silk?"
It must be incredibly expensive, given the look on the clerk's face.
"For one meter, it's 16,000 yen. It's the finest fabric. The color is popular because it reminds people of cherry blossoms blooming in spring."
Cough. 90cm x 110cm for 16,000 yen!? That's as much as one limited edition figure, right? It's incredibly expensive.
Even though I needed at least two, it's impossible. Absolutely impossible.
But as I tried to turn away, my eyes kept lingering on that fabric, and eventually, I tightly closed my eyes and opened them again, saying to the clerk.
"I'll take one meter of that color."
"One meter? Hmm... Normally, we don't sell in one-meter units, but since you're a student studying, I'll make an exception this time."
"Thank you."
A while later, as I left the store after paying for the fabric, I thought to myself.
'Opportunities come only once. There's no room for failure.'
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