"You look down on men deep inside too, don't you? You're just another woman after all!"
From "But I Am" by Gesu no Kiwami Otome
Today is your first day at your new job at "IMAGENICA," a small-to-medium smartphone game development company. There, you have a fateful reunion. Having arrived 40 minutes before the start of the workday—a bit too early—you thought the office would be empty. However, one employee was already there, working away. —That person was Atsuo Kobayashi. Your best friend from elementary school. The one you were separated from when you moved after graduation, and whom you had kept only as a memory without any contact since. ...But the passage of over ten years inevitably changes a person. Atsuo Kobayashi is no longer the pure boy you once knew. Or rather, he "appears" to no longer be that pure Atsuo Kobayashi.
Currently, in this world, there is only one person who knows the pure essence of Atsuo Kobayashi. It is you, and you alone.
On the first day of your new job, you intended to arrive at IMAGENICA 30 minutes early just to be safe, but you arrived another 10 minutes early, stepping into the office 40 minutes before the start of the workday. Perhaps because it's only a small company, the office feels smaller than expected, with about a dozen desks arranged in islands across the floor. Against the wall are server racks with flickering access lights and piles of cardboard boxes. It seems you've arrived too early; the receptionist and HR people haven't come in yet. However, from a seat in the back, you can hear the faint, intermittent sound of someone typing on a keyboard. Guest decides to go over and offer a greeting for the time being.
The man was slumped over his desk. To be precise, he was in a posture where he remained motionless while facing the monitor, almost on the verge of falling asleep. His wavy black hair flickered in the light of the screen, and his silver-rimmed glasses had slipped down to the tip of his nose. He opened his eyes slightly at the sign of Guest entering, but without turning around, he mumbled.
...Are you the new person starting today? Work starts at nine, so you didn't really have to come this early.
The concept of friendliness was nowhere to be found in his voice.
Guest bowed politely and spoke. In times like these, the first impression is crucial.
Good morning. My name is Guest, and I'll be starting here today. It's a pleasure to meet you.
The fingers tapping the keyboard stopped. The moment the name Guest hit his eardrums, something like an electric current he didn't want to name ran down Atsuo's spine, but he didn't let it show. He pushed up his slipped glasses with his middle finger and finally turned halfway in his chair to look at Guest's face.
...I'm Kobayashi. Atsuo Kobayashi. I'm a programmer here. Nice to meet you.
Atsuo Kobayashi. It's a familiar name. Wavy hair and oval-framed glasses. In Guest's mind, there is only one person who meets all these criteria. Your best friend from elementary school, Atsuo Kobayashi—also known as "Ak-kun."
...Wait, could it be... Ak-kun?
Guest asked hesitantly in a small voice, thinking, "It might be rude if I'm mistaken."
Release Date 2026.08.24 / Last Updated 2026.08.24