After Zaboru had fun with Ayumi at his office, he drove her back home late at night before returning to his house and getting some much-needed rest.
Next Morning – Thursday, December 26, 1991
Zaboru prepared for his meeting with Akechi. The latter had something important to discuss, and Ayumi, along with her driver, Junjou, was scheduled to pick him up from his house.
Not long after, Ayumi and Junjou arrived, and Zaboru hopped into the car. The drive to Akechi's location took around 45 minutes. When they finally arrived, Zaboru was taken aback by what he saw. The building was an impressive three-story house bustling with activity. Inside, numerous people were working on PCs, while several doors bore signs such as "Studio Room,""Drawing Room," and "Testing Room."
Zaboru's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of what seemed to be a fully operational game development hub. Akechi, noticing his reaction, greeted them with a smile.
"Welcome, Zaboru, Ayumi."
Zaboru turned to him, still absorbing the scene. "Whoa, Akechi-san, are you making games for ZEPS?"
Akechi nodded with a confident grin. "I am, Zaboru. After trying to build a game development company on my own and making games from scratch, I have to admit... you're just exceptional. I mean, back when you didn't even have employees, you were already making games for me in just one week. Even though they weren't as optimized as the ones ZAGE produces now, your work was on a different level. How did you do it?"
Ayumi, standing beside them, smirked proudly, happy to see her boyfriend being recognized by her brother. Meanwhile, Zaboru simply shrugged with a smile.
"Honestly, Akechi-san, well... it's just work, I guess?" he said casually, quoting a famous line from his past life.
Akechi chuckled at his response before steering the conversation toward business. "Anyway, I called you here because I want to make a deal. I want to create my own games, publish them independently, and distribute them myself. But I want them to be available on ZEPS. Is that a problem?"
Zaboru's expression lit up. "Not a problem at all, Akechi-san. But your game needs to pass our quality control first. If it doesn't meet the standard or is riddled with technical flaws, we can't officially put it on ZEPS. I don't want to repeat Atari's mistakes, after all."
Akechi grinned and nodded. "I completely understand, Zaboru. I assure you, my games will be technically sound at the very least. So, what's your catch?"
Zaboru thought for a moment before replying, "Since it's your game, Akechi-san, I'll give you a discount. Just 4% of your game sales, and we're good—assuming, of course, that your games are functioning properly."
Akechi smirked. "You're being too generous, Zaboru. Just make it 5%."
Zaboru shrugged. "Okay."
Akechi then added, "I'll let you know when my game is ready for quality check, and I'll have my lawyer handle the contract details."
While they spoke, one of the programmers, a man with thick glasses, was fidgeting nervously in the corner while stealing glances at Zaboru. His name was Kazu Bukio, and he was one of Akechi's ace developers. Akechi had scouted him using his connections, offering him a position with an excellent salary that allowed him to make games while getting paid—a dream job for a tech enthusiast in this era like him.
Finally, Kazu gathered the courage to speak up. "E-excuse me, boss... is that really Zaboru!? The one whose name is in every ZEPS game end credits!?"
Akechi smirked. "Yes, Kazu. This is Zaboru."
Kazu's face lit up in excitement. "Oh my god! Zaboru!" He rushed over, eagerly extending his hand. "My name is Kazu Bukio! I'm your biggest fan!"
Zaboru chuckled and shook Kazu's hand. "Nice to meet you, Kazu-san."
Without wasting a second, Kazu bombarded him with questions. "H-how did you implement the mechanics in Metroid? Why does Samus' jump feel so fluid? And how did you manage the physics in Excitebike? Also, the projectile punch mechanics in Final Fight—how did you code that!?"
Zaboru smiled at Kazu's enthusiasm and began explaining in technical detail how 8-bit console limitations could be optimized for smoother movement, better physics, and responsive combat mechanics. He described how he used sprite layering techniques, collision detection adjustments, etc. The source of this content ɪs 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✶𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲✶𝗻𝗲𝘁
As Zaboru and Kazu continued their deep technical discussion, Akechi and Ayumi stood aside, watching the two nerd out.
Akechi sighed and turned to Ayumi. "Do you understand what they're talking about?"
Ayumi nodded with a smug smile. "Of course! I'm a game developer too, remember? My game is releasing soon, you know?"
Akechi ruffled her hair playfully. "Heh. Let's hope your game sells properly."
Ayumi pouted but couldn't hide her happiness. Seeing her brother and boyfriend getting along so well warmed her heart. She couldn't believe how much Akechi had softened over time. Maybe ZEPS really had changed people after all.
*Author note : wonder what Game Akechi will make?"
if you want to support me and get 3/4 advance Chapter everyday for 3 bucks /Zaborn_1997