Dov argues that Ichigo’s gender neutrality will hurt sales, citing market realities and Walmart audiences. He advises waiting for publishers to weigh in, prompting debate among Sam, Sadie, and Marx about whether Ichigo should be seen as a boy or remain ungendered.

Two offers arrive: Cellar Door proposes a modest advance, generous profit-sharing, and freedom to make a non-sequel next; Opus offers a much larger advance, a bundled holiday preload on new laptops, and demands a sequel. In Texas, Aaron Opus flatters Dov, mistakes Sam for the lead programmer, and declares Sam the game’s public face, which deepens Sadie’s mistrust.

Back in Cambridge, the group weighs money versus autonomy. Marx and Dov see Opus’s potential to make Ichigo huge; Sadie favors Cellar Door’s creative latitude. On the balcony, Sam discloses debt and medical bills and argues Opus will amplify the game. Despite her misgivings, Sadie concedes: they choose Opus.

After the deal, marketing fuses Sam’s biography with Ichigo, effectively making Ichigo a “real boy” and Sam the auteur, while Sadie’s role fades from public view. Sam tours conferences and excels as a charismatic spokesperson; Sadie stays at Unfair to supervise the sequel and finish MIT. At a Boca Raton event, Sam’s stage charm underscores Sadie’s growing sense of diminishment.