Another world Game Developers in Japan`s 1991

Friday, 28 March 1994

With just two days remaining until the official release of ZEPS 2, excitement among gamers has reached a fever pitch. Ever since the trailer dropped last Sunday, anticipation has been building rapidly. ZAGE has distributed additional flyers and promotional material, teasing details about the console and its upcoming game library. Most fans are counting the hours, hyped beyond belief.

In high schools across the city, boys were buzzing with excitement. "I can't believe I can play Street Fighter at home!" one exclaimed.

"Yeah! But still, playing at the arcade is super fun, bro," another chimed in.

Then a third added, "Well, knowing ZAGE, they'll probably drop another insane arcade machine soon. Zaboru is nuts, man—dude has no limit to his creativity."

The group laughed, one of them nodding. "It's almost funny how in most ZAGE games, the credit scenes are just dominated by the name Zaboru Renkonan. It's like he's the entire dev team or something!" 

Players already trust ZAGE with all their hearts, and of course, they're willing to spend more on ZAGE products. ZAGE always delivers and isn't greedy—unlike the majority of game developers in Zaboru's previous life who were driven purely by profit.

On Friday night, the Bakudan Boys—Sakaki, Sawada, Kumogi, and Rikki—gathered again for their usual post-work hangout. After a long and hectic week, they were ready to kick back, talk games, and trash-talk each other over arcade battles.

"Hey, Sakaki, Sawada," Rikki began, looking hopeful, "you two work at ZAGE, right? Can you… you know, get the console early? I don't want to stand in a crazy line. It's going to be a madhouse!"

Kumogi nodded, looking equally anxious. "Yeah, man, remember what it was like when the ZGB handheld dropped? Pure chaos! This time it's gonna be even worse. The fanbase has exploded. You guys gotta hook us up!"

Sakaki and Sawada exchanged knowing glances. As ZAGE employees, they had a nice perk: early access to the console at a discounted price. But it came with a firm restriction—only one unit per employee.

"Sigh… Sorry, guys," Sawada said. "Yeah, we get early access, and it's cheaper, but we're only allowed to buy one each. I already used my slot."

"Same here," Sakaki added.

Rikki groaned. "Figures... Guess we're lining up with the masses, huh Kumogi?"

"Yup," Kumogi replied, resigned to his fate. "If only I worked at ZAGE."

Sakaki chuckled. "Hey, there's always next year. You never know, man."

Rikki huffed. "Whatever. I'm taking out all this frustration on you ZAGE employees right now. Let's settle it with a round of Marvel vs. ZAGE! The winner gets full bragging rights—and dinner's on the loser!"

Sakaki and Sawada grinned. "Bring it on! Four-player tourney?"

"Absolutely," Kumogi said, his eyes lighting up.

The Bakudan Boys often played Marvel vs. ZAGE using their own football-style league format. Each player faced off against the others in a round-robin bracket. Winners earned 4 points per match, and the one with the most total points at the end of the night claimed the crown—and full bragging rights until next week. What started as a casual pastime had grown into a sacred Friday tradition: work hard all week, then game even harder.

Meanwhile, across the city at ZAGE headquarters, Zaboru remained in his workshop late into Friday night. With the product launch just around the corner and a mountain of tasks still on his plate, the atmosphere should have been intense. But tonight felt different. His mother Keiko and his sisters, Sanika, had come by to spend some rare family time together. Even his father, Zanichi, chose to stay at the office instead of heading home, sensing the importance of this quiet reunion.

Zaboru smiled when he saw them all arrive. He hadn't spent much time with his family lately, and even though they were just visiting his office, it felt good.

Sanika, now nearly 13 and a middle schooler, still carried her deep love for video games. Over the years, she had blossomed into a confident, charismatic girl—already the center of attention at school, the kind of "primadonna" her classmates admired and envied.

She dashed up to her brother, eyes wide with excitement. "Nii-san! Don't forget—I want ZEPS 2 and all the launch games!"

Zaboru chuckled, gently patting her head. "Of course. What could I possibly say no to, my beautiful sister?"

Sanika pulled away with a mock glare. "I'm not a kid anymore, Nii-sama!" she pouted, crossing her arms.

Zaboru laughed. "Oh no, my adorable little Sanika is growing up on me!"

He grinned. "I bet you're super popular with the boys at school, huh?"

Sanika blushed. "Hmph, of course I am! I'm great at games too, remember?"

Zaboru nodded with mock seriousness. "Well, if any of those boys want to date you, they'll have to beat me at Street Fighter first. No exceptions."

Sanika gasped. "That's totally impossible, Nii-sama! You even beat Hayabusa—the Street Fighter national champion overwhelmingly! No normal guy has a chance!"

Zaboru burst into laughter. "Then I guess they're out of luck." 

Zaboru messed with her hair and He reached out and pinched her cheek. Sanika yelped and swatted at his hand. The two started chasing each other around the office, Sanika furiously trying to catch him, while Zaboru ran away laughing.

Keiko, watching from the side, laughed warmly. She handed Zanichi a snack and leaned gently against his shoulder.

"Heh… It's been a while since I've seen our son this carefree," she said softly.

Zanichi chuckled. "Yeah, he's been buried in work—being a CEO, making games, dealing with other companies… I'm just glad he hasn't forgotten how to laugh. I'm proud of him."

Keiko smiled, resting her head against her husband. "Yeah… me too."

The Renkonan family spent the rest of the night at ZAGE headquarters, sharing stories, food, and laughs. It was simple, but it meant everything. By the time they left, it was already very late.

For once, it wasn't about the technology or the strategy or the upcoming product launch. It was just about family—and that was something Zaboru cherished deeply.

To be continue 

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