Chapter 5: School Life, Kind Of?

The morning sun peeked through the curtains as Zaboru woke up, groaning slightly before rolling out of bed. He headed to the bathroom to freshen up, the routine mundane but necessary. After donning his senior high school uniform, he made his way to the kitchen where his mom had laid out a simple breakfast of bread, jam, and milk.

"Thanks for breakfast, Mom!" Zaboru said, scarfing it down quickly. His dad had already left for work early that morning, so the house was quieter than usual.

As he grabbed his bicycle, he called out, "Mom, I'm off!"

"Be careful, Zaboru!" his mom replied, waving him off with a smile.

---

At school, Zaboru went through the motions. He wasn't particularly social, but he did have a few friends. As he parked his bicycle and joined the group, his friend Satoshi was animatedly talking about movies.

"Ryo, you have to see Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back! It's so good!" Satoshi exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement.

Ryo, another classmate, shook his head. "Nah, man. I'm more of a Superman guy. Christopher Reeve is unbeatable!"

Zaboru couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He'd noticed it before, but the timeline of this world was odd. Movies that had been popular in the 80s in his previous life were trending here in 1991.

'Huh, it's not just games that are behind. Hollywood's timeline seems to be delayed too. Well, not like I'm planning to make movies anyway,' he thought.

Satoshi suddenly turned to him. "What about you, Zaboru? What movies are you into?"

Zaboru paused, thinking carefully. "Mmm... Star Wars and Superman aren't bad."

Satoshi grinned, clearly happy to have a fellow Star Wars fan. He launched into a detailed discussion, which Zaboru half-listened to until the bell rang, signaling the start of class.

---

The school day dragged on. The lessons were mundane, as Zaboru already knew most of the material thanks to his advanced knowledge from his previous life. At lunch, he ate with his friends and spent the rest of the day waiting for the final bell.

As school ended, Zaboru grabbed his bike and prepared to head home. However, just as he was leaving, a sleek black car pulled up to the school gates, drawing everyone's attention.

The car exuded wealth and power, and it was clear it wasn't just any ordinary vehicle. The door opened, and out stepped Ayumi Hamazou, a third-year student.

Ayumi was stunning. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back, and her sharp eyes gave her an air of confidence and authority. She was tall, with a model-like figure that turned heads wherever she went.

She was also the daughter of a Yakuza boss.

The Hamazou family was infamous in Tokyo's underworld, known for their strict code of conduct. While they were criminals, they enforced a rule that prevented random destruction or chaos without reason, giving them an unusual reputation for maintaining order.

Zaboru watched from a distance, admiring her beauty.

'She's gorgeous... but not as gorgeous as my soon-to-be console!' he thought with a grin.

Lost in his thoughts, Zaboru accidentally chuckled out loud, catching the attention of nearby students. His sudden laughter, paired with his intense focus, caused a few bystanders to back away nervously. Realizing what he'd done, Zaboru's face turned red with embarrassment.

'Ah, crap! What am I doing?' he thought, quickly hopping on his bike and pedaling away before anyone could say anything.

Meanwhile, in the sleek car, Ayumi glanced at her driver. "Junjoi-san, stop at the nearest arcade, please," she said calmly.

"Yes, young miss," the driver replied with a nod.

Unknown to Zaboru, the beautiful Yakuza boss's daughter was an avid gamer herself.

---

Back home, Zaboru wasted no time diving back into his work. The next six days passed in a blur of school, game development, and relentless determination. Despite the challenges of programming on his limited personal computer, Zaboru's deep-dive memory ability and his experience with reverse-engineering games helped him push through.

Through trial and error, he successfully created Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., and Pac-Man!

"Yes! Finally done!" Zaboru exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. He leaned back in his chair, staring proudly at the games on his screen.

'Super Mario can wait for now. This is enough to show Dad. I'll blow his mind! Maybe I can even pitch a business idea to him... I want to start my own video game company after all!'

Excited, Zaboru left his room for the first time in hours and called out, "Dad..."

His father, who was home that Saturday, looked up from the couch.

To be continued…