Saturday, February 8, 1992—another busy day for Zaboru. As usual, he continued working on his game projects, fine-tuning every detail to ensure the February releases met the highest standards. His negotiations with Miyagi Batteries had concluded successfully, with Sai Miyagi officially agreeing to make them the ZEPS' exclusive battery supplier. The only thing left was to finalize the contract, which Zaboru's legal team was already preparing and would be ready by Monday.
Meanwhile, his deal with Nanco was also progressing smoothly. Nando Michio, Nanco's CEO, had already received the official licensing contract, allowing Nanco to publish their games on ZEPS while paying ZAGE a 5% sales fee. Everything was running efficiently—just as Zaboru had planned.
Now, with his company steadily growing, Zaboru remained focused on the future. His February releases were progressing at a steady pace, and with the upcoming handheld console project, things were looking promising. The Miyagi Batteries deal was a key step forward, as their technology would allow longer battery life, an essential factor for handheld gaming.
As he worked, Ayumi suddenly entered his office, flashing a warm smile. "Morning, Zabo~" she cooed, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness. "You always work, even on weekends. And here I am, a beautiful girlfriend all alone and neglected. It's so lonely~"
Zaboru let out a tired sigh, looking up from his work. Ayumi's behavior had changed significantly since they started dating. Before, she had always been stoic and elegant, carrying herself with an air of nobility befitting her yakuza heritage. But now, after months together, she had become incredibly clingy and often acted spoiled—not that he minded. If anything, he found it adorable and took it as a sign of how much she genuinely loved him.
He chuckled. "Well, what can I say?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝓷𝓮𝓽
Ayumi pouted, then snuggled into his arm, pressing her face against his shoulder. "I miss you so much, Zabo~"
He patted her head gently. "Yeah, I miss you too. But I really need to finish my work. You don't mind, do you?"
She lifted her head, her ** eyes** twinkling mischievously. "It's fine, but I'm going to stay here and keep you company. You don't get a say in that!"
Zaboru smirked. "That actually sounds nice."
And just like that, he went back to work, while Ayumi made herself comfortable, sitting beside him and casually playing on a ZEPS console that he kept in his office. They would exchange small talk from time to time, and despite his busy schedule, Zaboru felt an odd sense of peace having her around.
A while later, Ayumi suddenly paused her game and looked up. "Zabo..."
He glanced at her. "Yeah? What's wrong?"
She hesitated for a moment before asking, "What do you think I should do next? Should I make a sequel to Karate Bunny? Or should I work on a brand-new game? I can't decide what's best."
Zaboru smiled, knowing that Ayumi was genuinely passionate about game development. It wasn't just a hobby for her—she truly wanted to improve her skills and leave her mark on the gaming industry.
"Well," he said, "if you're thinking about a sequel, I'd say you should wait at least a year after Karate Bunny's release. If you release the sequel too soon, people might lose interest. You need to give them time to want more. Build up anticipation. That way, when you finally announce the sequel, people will be excited."
Ayumi nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense... So, in the meantime, I should work on a new game instead?"
Zaboru grinned. "Exactly. Try experimenting with different ideas. If you need help, I'm always here."
Ayumi smiled softly, but then, with a more serious expression, she said, "Actually, I've been thinking... I might want to join my brother's game studio, Akaishidan, instead of staying independent."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow. "Akaishidan? Why not join ZAGE?"
She chuckled, shaking her head. "ZAGE already has you, Zaboru. And let's be real—you spoil me way too much. If I work under you, I might start relying on you too much and never truly push myself."
Zaboru leaned back, considering her words. She wasn't wrong. He had a habit of helping her whenever she needed it, and while that was great in a relationship, it might not be ideal in a work environment. If Ayumi really wanted to grow as a game developer, she needed to learn independently, just like how he had built ZAGE from the ground up.
Finally, he nodded. "Fair enough, Ayumi. You're ambitious, and I respect that. You want to improve yourself—and that's exactly why you're my girlfriend."
Ayumi beamed with pride at his words, then happily returned to playing her game. Meanwhile, Zaboru resumed his work, feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks.
The two of them spent the rest of the Saturday afternoon together, a perfect balance of work and companionship, as the warm sunlight streamed through the office windows.
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