Final Episode | The Day Link Web Disappears

Spring.

Asakaze Market.

One year ago.

A town where no one knew the word Web.

The blacksmith only made good swords.

The baker only baked.

The florist only waited.

Even though bridges were built,

the maps remained old.

But now it is different.

There were more smiles in the market.

Morning.

The Link Web office.

Everyone gathers as usual.

President Sakamoto stood up quietly.

Everyone.

I have something to tell you.

Kamiya and the others look up.

President Sakamoto was smiling.

As of today.

"Link Web is finished."

The room falls silent.

Only Gobusuke remains frozen with his mouth hanging open.

"Eh...?"

"Are we going bankrupt?"

Fujiwara gives a bitter smile.

"You always jump to that conclusion."

Even so, no one laughed.

President Sakamoto looked out the window.

"Lately."

"The number of consultations has decreased."

Takahashi panics slightly.

"That would be a problem."

"Our sales..."

President Sakamoto shook his head.

"Is it really a problem?"

At those words,

no one could answer.

Kamiya went out to the market.

The blacksmith in Gald.

There is a line again today.

No one looks at the sign.

Everyone,

"Because it's Gardo's shop."

They say that as they go in.

Marco's bakery.

The regulars are laughing.

"The usual."

That one phrase is all it takes.

Fio's flower shop.

Starting from the market stall,

more people have started visiting the flower field on the hill.

Lulu's honey.

Business days are still few and far between.

Even so,

it sells out every time.

Roto was redrawing the map again today.

"It's a new path again."

Without being told by anyone,

he walks it to confirm.

Kamiya smiled quietly.

Everyone.

They are already thinking for themselves.

Afternoon.

Returning to the office.

Gobusuke still had a look of disbelief on his face.

But.

What will they do if they get stuck?

President Sakamoto replied.

If they get stuck.

They will come to consult us again.

But.

I don't want to make this a town.

That asks for everything from the start.

Kamiya nodded as well.

It's not a job of handing over answers.

It was a job of handing over ways of thinking.

Evening.

In front of the office.

Gardo.

Marco.

Lilia.

Morg.

Fio.

Lulu.

Roto.

The people I had met until now were gathered there.

Gald laughs.

"Kamiya!"

"A new apprentice has arrived!"

"I told them to look at the shop first!"

Marco laughs too.

"Me too."

"I taught them to cherish the regulars."

Fio holds out a bouquet of flowers.

"You gave me the courage to go out to the market."

Roto spreads out a new map.

"I am updating it every day."

Morg bows deeply.

"Delivering to those who need it."

"I still cherish it even now."

No one,

"Please tell me."

said that.

Everyone,

was speaking in their own words.

On the way home.

Gobusuke walks quietly.

"Kamiya-san."

"Link Web."

"Is it really ending?"

Kamiya looked up at the sky.

"The company isn't ending."

"Huh?"

"Its role is changing."

Gobusuke thinks for a moment.

Crossing the bridge.

Looking at the market.

People laughing.

People working.

The city began to move without needing to be consulted.

Seeing that scenery,

I finally smiled.

Ah.

That's why.

It's not that the work disappeared.

The work has finished, hasn't it?

Kamiya nods slowly.

That's right.

Takahashi also smiles quietly.

The most successful company,

might be the one that is no longer needed at all.

Onodera, who was walking behind us, said briefly as usual.

Truly good work,

doesn't make people dependent.

It enables people to walk on their own.

The setting sun dyes the city red.

A year ago,

this was an unknown world I knew nothing about.

Now,

Everyone is thinking a little bit,

devising a little bit,

and moving forward a little bit.

What Link Web changed was

not the city.

It was how people think.

And,

that change,

will surely continue from here on out.

Afterword

In this story, while set in another world, I have depicted concepts of web production and marketing.

SEO, SNS, flow design, targeting, branding, repeaters, design, and operation.

These are all important techniques.

However, after finishing 36 episodes, the thing I felt was most important was not the techniques.

"Trying to understand the other person."

"Thinking about why things are the way they are."

"Searching for a better way together."

In the end, web work and business are both built upon relationships with people.

Perhaps that is why the protagonist of this story was not Link Web, but the people living in this city.

Thank you so much for staying with me until the very end.

Bonus