Chapter 21: Earning One Million Yen

Chapter 21: Earning One Million Yen

Friday afternoon marked another step forward for Zaboru. After school, he and Ayumi Hamazou headed to his garage, where the final stages of crafting the five ZAS machines awaited them. Progress had been remarkable, with Ayumi's help making all the difference. Her eagerness to learn and Zaboru's growing mastery had turned what was once a daunting task into an efficient and enjoyable process.

All that remained were the final calibrations, and Zaboru estimated they'd be completed by Saturday afternoon. Once finished, his next move would be to approach Satonaka, the owner of Dream Catcher Arcade, to sell the machines. As he worked, Zaboru's expression was one of pure focus, a clear reflection of his passion for what he was doing.

Ayumi, standing close by, observed him intently. She told herself it was to learn, but her gaze often lingered on Zaboru's face longer than necessary. His dedication, the way he furrowed his brow in concentration, and the quiet determination in his movements left her slightly flustered. She felt her cheeks flush and quickly looked away, focusing back on the machines.

"What is happening to me? Why do I keep staring at him like this?" Ayumi thought, her heart racing. Yet, she couldn't deny she was impressed—not just with his skills, but with him as a person.

By evening, the machines were 90% complete. Zaboru stretched and turned to Ayumi with a grin. "Hey, Ayumi, will you be able to come by tomorrow? We can finish the machines and deliver them to Dream Catcher Arcade."

Ayumi smiled warmly. "Of course, Zaboru! I wouldn't miss it. I'm excited to see people playing on the machines we worked on."

"Great! See you tomorrow," Zaboru said as he waved her off. Ayumi left in her black car, driven by her ever-reliable chauffeur, Junjou.

With the day's work done, Zaboru hopped on his bicycle and made his way to Bakudan Arcade to finalize his deal with Toki.

---

"Good evening, Toki-san!" Zaboru greeted as he entered the bustling arcade.

"Zaboru! Right on time," Toki said, beckoning him over.

Before anything else, Zaboru checked on the five ZAS machines, ensuring they were all in perfect working order. Satisfied, he returned to Toki. "Everything looks good, Toki-san. Let's finalize the deal."

Toki smirked and pulled out a thick envelope along with a set of papers. "Here's the contract. Give it a read."

Zaboru carefully reviewed the document:

The five ZAS machines currently at Bakudan Arcade would become Toki's property.

Toki would pay Zaboru 1 million yen (200,000 yen per machine).

Zaboru would maintain the machines at least twice a week.

All future earnings from the machines would belong to Toki.

Zaboru nodded in approval and signed the papers.

"Done," Zaboru said with a satisfied smile.

Toki handed him the envelope. "One million yen, as promised. It's a pleasure doing business with you, Zaboru. Don't forget—if you make another arcade masterpiece, come to me first!"

"Of course, Toki-san. Thanks for everything," Zaboru replied, securing the envelope in his bag.

As Zaboru rode home, a shadowy figure watched him from a distance.

With a pair of binoculars in hand, Satonaka, the owner of Dream Catcher Arcade, observed the transaction with growing interest. "So, ZAS comes from Zaboru, huh? That kid made those machines? Impressive... but also convenient for me. Tomorrow, I'll visit Zanichi's house and just 'happen' to meet Zaboru. Who knows? He might have more machines in the works."

Satonaka chuckled to himself and drove home, already plotting his approach for the following day.

---

When Zaboru arrived home, he found his father, Zanichi, sitting in the living room with a cup of tea. On the ZEPS console, Zanichi was engrossed in a game of Pac-Man.

"Hey, Zaboru," Zanichi greeted, noticing the bag slung over his son's shoulder. "Is that the money from Toki?"

"Yep!" Zaboru said with a wide grin, placing the bag on the table. "One million yen! I still can't believe I made this much money!"

Zanichi chuckled, setting down the controller. "Congratulations, CEO. This is just the first of many millions you'll earn, right?"

"Absolutely," Zaboru replied, his tone full of confidence. "This is just the beginning, Dad. You'll see!"

Zanichi smiled, a spark of pride lighting up his eyes. This boy's going to make it big. I'm sure of it.

Later that night, Zaboru sat in his room with the bag of money beside him. He picked up his guitar and played a few upbeat tunes, the joy of his success flowing through each note. Afterward, he switched to sketching out new game ideas. Occasionally, he glanced at the bag of cash and couldn't help but grin.

It was a moment of pure satisfaction—a taste of what was to come.

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To be continued…