Chapter 4: The First Console

Chapter 4: The First Console

Zaboru awoke after a solid five hours of sleep, feeling a renewed surge of energy. He stretched, yawned, and headed to the kitchen to make his morning coffee. It was Sunday, his one day of freedom from school.

As he entered, the aroma of breakfast filled the air. His mom, Keiko, stood at the stove cooking pancakes. She greeted him with a warm smile but followed it with a stern look.

"Zaboru, you didn't leave your room at all yesterday. You shouldn't be like that. At least join us for dinner sometimes," she reprimanded.

Zaboru chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Okay, Mom. I'm sorry, okay? I was just so caught up because my project was going smoothly!"

Hearing this, his dad, Zanichi, lowered his newspaper and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So the project is going well? When do I get to test it like you promised?"

"Probably next Saturday," Zaboru replied confidently. "There's still a lot to fine-tune before it's ready to play."

His dad nodded, impressed. "That's quick. Good luck, CEO."

Zaboru smiled and went to make his coffee, only to hear his younger sister, Sanika, shuffle into the kitchen, still half-asleep. "Mooom, is breakfast ready yet?"

Keiko turned to her with a gentle smile. "Just a minute, Sani. Almost done."

Zaboru finished preparing his coffee and was about to sneak back to his room when his mom called out, her voice carrying a sharp edge.

"Zaboru Ren..."

He froze, and his dad stiffened as well, the authority in her tone palpable.

"Y-Yes, Mom?"

Keiko's eyes narrowed. "Where are you going?"

"Uh... just back to my project after making this coffee," Zaboru stammered, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Her gaze sharpened even further. "You'd better sit your butt down and eat breakfast with us, or I'm going to wreck that project of yours, son."

Though her tone was calm, the weight of her words sent shivers down Zaboru's spine. "O-Okay, okay, Mom. I'll have breakfast!"

Keiko's demeanor instantly softened as she smiled. "That's my boy. Wait just a bit, okay? The pancakes are almost ready. Anata, come join us too!"

Zanichi smirked as he got up from the couch. "Haha, you got scolded by your mom, huh, CEO? You deserved it."

Zaboru shot him an annoyed look. "Shut up, Dad. Like you're not scared of her."

Zanichi's expression turned serious. "Afraid? Of course not! I just love her so much that I can't argue with her!"

"Yeah, yeah, love, right," Zaboru muttered with an eye roll.

Sanika giggled, chiming in, "Dad must really love Mom a lot!"

Zanichi grinned and pinched her cheek. "Of course, sweetheart. I love your mom as much as I love you."

Keiko soon brought over four plates of pancakes topped with milk and honey. "Let's eat, everyone. My special pancakes are ready!"

The family dug in, Zaboru savoring the flavor. 'Mom's cooking is the best—nothing compares to it in either of my lives,' he thought with a smile.

After breakfast, Zaboru stood and asked, "Mom, is it okay if I go back to my room now?"

Keiko nodded but added, "You can, but don't forget to step outside for some fresh air, okay?"

"Don't worry, Mom!" he replied, rushing off.

---

Back in his room, Zaboru prepared to refine his console prototype.

'The internals are mostly done. Now I need to create a proper case for it. Thankfully, this world's Zaboru was skilled with his hands, so I should be able to handle it.'

He began shaping materials for the console casing, choosing durable and lightweight materials similar to those used for the Sega Master System in his previous life. It was a tedious process, requiring precision and patience. There were multiple trial-and-error moments, but he pushed through.

Taking breaks for meals and light exercises, he worked steadily throughout the day. By nightfall, the custom casing was complete, and the console was assembled.

"And done!" Zaboru exclaimed, admiring his handiwork. The console resembled the NES from his previous life but was slightly larger and sported a sleek black-and-gray color palette inspired by the Master System. "Not bad for handmade!"

Satisfied, Zaboru turned his attention to the games.

'Now that the console is 80% complete, I need to focus on making games. With my personal computer, I can create Donkey Kong first. After that, I'll work on Mario Bros. since Mario is already in Donkey Kong.'

He smirked, his mind racing with ideas. 'Once I have those two done, I'll move on to Super Mario Bros. and maybe even The Legend of Zelda. This is going to be amazing!'

As he lay down, Zaboru sighed. 'Tomorrow's a school day, huh? Not that I'm excited or anything, but it's unavoidable. Mom would kill me if I didn't finish school. Just half a semester left, and then I can focus entirely on my console and games!'

With those thoughts, Zaboru drifted off to sleep, ready to tackle the next day.

To be continued…