"What the hell's this? It's so stupid!"
Looking at the words written by Seishu Hase, Nagoshi and the others were speechless.
Seeking a realism in the scenario, Nagoshi had requested that novelist Seishu Hase act as supervisor. Yokoyama had produced a lengthy scenario, the result of tens of hours of meetings. But when it was sent back by Hase, the scenario was smothered in comments written in bright red.
"A yakuza would never say something like this."
"Don't you think you're not treating this whole scene seriously enough?"
"The way you depict the red light district is so unrealistic!"
"You have no idea of the importance of doing your research!"
Countless harsh notes of guidance were written in red pen. They all followed a similar theme.
The charm of the novels of Hase, known for Sleepless Town, is their careful verification through research. In comparison, the scenario Yokoyama came up with seemed like a fabrication that lacked a sense of realism. At this rate, the players wouldn't feel the charm of a story based around organised crime. Realising that they hadn't done enough research, the three hurriedly headed for the red light district.
They found themselves in a high-class club with an expensive-looking façade. Simply opening the menu that was handed to him when he sat down brought home to Yokoyama just how lacking his own investigation had been. The contents and pricing were in a completely different league from the one he had written into the scenario.
"This alcohol costs 300,000 yen! I wonder what it tastes like..."
"Well, let's try some!"
Timidly the three of them placed their orders, and the woman who owned the club went outside. The place didn't have the drink in stock, so she had gone to the establishment of an acquaintance to borrow some.
"Ohhh, so when they don't have any in they go and borrow some!"
"We could use this for something in the game."
By actually undertaking research, they also came up with ideas for the story. As well as this, they saw the red light district in person. Hase's guidance had reaffirmed the importance of conducting field research.