Chapter 22: The Completion of the Five ZAS Machines and a Visit from Satonaka

The morning sunlight filtered into Zaboru's room as he woke up feeling refreshed and determined. It was Saturday—no school, and the perfect day to finalize his latest masterpiece. After a hearty breakfast with his family—Zanichi, Keiko, and Sanika—Zaboru quickly made his way to the garage.

At 8 a.m., he began calibrating the ZAS machines. The process required precision, and Zaboru dove into the work with full focus. By 9 a.m., Ayumi arrived, as punctual as always, ready to assist.

"Good morning, Zaboru!" Ayumi greeted with a bright smile, tying her hair back into a ponytail, a sure sign she was ready to get to work.

"Morning, Ayumi! Let's finish these machines today!" Zaboru replied, already engrossed in the fine-tuning.

The hours flew by as the two worked side by side, their movements synchronized from the days they had spent perfecting the machines together. By 1 p.m., the last calibration was complete.

"We did it!" Zaboru exclaimed, a wide grin on his face. He raised his hand for a high-five, which Ayumi returned with a soft chuckle.

"Finally! Now we can take these to Satonaka," she said, visibly excited.

But just as they were celebrating, a white van pulled up outside the house. A middle-aged man stepped out, and Zaboru immediately recognized him—it was Satonaka, the owner of Dream Catcher Arcade.

Zanichi, who had been tending to his plants, greeted the visitor. "Oh, Satonaka, how do you do?"

"Zanichi, my old friend!" Satonaka replied with a grin. "I heard from some very reliable sources that your son has been making arcade machines. Is it true?"

Zanichi nodded, gesturing toward the garage. "It's true. He's finished five of them."

Satonaka's eyes widened as he approached the garage. "These... these are the famous ZAS machines from Toki's arcade, aren't they?" he asked, his voice tinged with awe.

Zaboru stepped forward, slightly surprised but not displeased by Satonaka's sudden visit. "You're right, Satonaka-san. These are ZAS machines, and I was actually planning to sell these to you."

Satonaka blinked in astonishment. "You were? I thought you were exclusive with Toki!"

Zaboru shook his head with a polite smile. "Not at all. I just sold the first batch to Toki-san because his arcade is closest to my house. I've been working on this set with Ayumi Hamazou here to expand to other arcades."

Hearing the name "Hamazou," Satonaka froze, glancing at the calm young woman beside Zaboru. His face paled as he recognized her.

"H-Hamazou? As in the Hamazou family?" he stammered.

Ayumi nodded politely, her expression calm but firm. "Yes, I am Ayumi Hamazou. Pleased to meet you, Satonaka-san."

Satonaka broke into a cold sweat, quickly bowing. "It's an honor, Hamazou-san."

Zaboru stepped in to ease the tension. "Ayumi's been a tremendous help with these machines, Satonaka-san. She's been learning a lot and contributing just as much."

Ayumi smiled at Zaboru's words, while Satonaka slowly relaxed. "Well... I'd like to test one of these machines, if that's all right," he said.

Zaboru nodded and powered on one of the ZAS machines. Satonaka eagerly began playing. Though he had already experienced the machine at Toki's arcade, using it here in its creator's garage gave him a fresh sense of admiration.

After a few rounds, he turned to Zaboru with an impressed look. "These machines are incredible! I want to buy all five. How much are you asking?"

"200,000 yen per machine, Satonaka-san," Zaboru said confidently. "And just like with Toki-san, I'll handle maintenance twice a week."

Satonaka nodded, calculating the cost in his head. "A million yen for five machines... reasonable, considering the demand for ZAS machines in my arcade. Deal!"

He then added, "However, I'll need until tomorrow to prepare. I need to clear some space in my arcade and arrange the payment. Is that all right?"

"Of course," Zaboru replied. "Take your time, Satonaka-san."

Satisfied, Satonaka bid farewell. "Thank you, Zaboru. And you too, Hamazou-san. Zanichi, always a pleasure!"

As Satonaka's van disappeared down the street, Zanichi walked into the garage. He greeted Ayumi with a polite nod. "Hamazou-san."

Ayumi bowed slightly. "Please, call me Ayumi, Mr. Renkonan."

"Very well, Ayumi," Zanichi replied. "Nice to meet you. I'm Zanichi Renkonan, Zaboru's father."

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Renkonan," Ayumi said with a small smile.

Turning to Zaboru, Zanichi observed the five completed machines. "Looks like they're all sold. What's next? More machines, or something bigger?"

Zaboru grinned. "Not more machines, Dad. I'm going to save up and prepare to start my own game company."

"Your own company?" Ayumi asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. It's my dream. And when I make it happen, Ayumi, I'd like you to be my first employee," Zaboru said half-jokingly.

Ayumi smiled, though she looked slightly hesitant. "That's a kind offer, Zaboru. But my family expects me to attend college first."

Zaboru nodded in understanding. "Fair enough. By the time you graduate, maybe my company will already be one of the biggest!"

Ayumi chuckled. "With your talent, I believe it will be."

Zaboru blushed at her genuine words, scratching the back of his neck. "Th-thank you, Ayumi."

Zanichi watched the two with an amused grin. They're quite the pair. Though I imagine winning over her family won't be easy, he thought.

Breaking the moment, Zanichi said, "Ayumi, you've spent so much time in the garage. Why not come inside? I'd like to show you something special."

Curious, Ayumi followed Zaboru and Zanichi into the house.

---

In the living room, Ayumi's eyes widened as she saw the sleek black and gray console sitting on the table.

"Is that... Mini ZAS?" she asked.

Zaboru grinned. "Not quite. This is my first home console, the ZEPS—ZAGE Entertainment Playing System. ZAGE stands for Zabo Actual Gaming Enterprise, my future company name!"

Ayumi was impressed. "Wow, you're really prepared!"

She started playing on the console, marveling at its unique features. As Pac-Man consumed a special chip, the game screen erupted in vibrant flashes. Suddenly, a mysterious character in a black and gray suit—a pixelated Zabo-man—appeared on the screen. He unleashed a series of powerful moves, eliminating the ghost in one clean shot.

Ayumi gasped in surprise, gripping the controller tighter. "Wait, what just happened? Who is that?"

Zaboru leaned in with a proud grin. "That's Zabo-man, my own Easter egg character. He only appears in the home console version. I kept him out of the arcade machines to surprise players at home."

Ayumi was astonished. "You're always thinking ahead, aren't you? This is amazing!" She continued playing, unable to hide her delight at discovering more of Zabo-man's unique moves.

After a few minutes, she turned to Zaboru with an eager expression. "Can I get a ZEPS for myself? I'll pay you 200,000 yen for it."

Zaboru's smile faded slightly. "I'm sorry, Ayumi. I can't sell this to you right now. I'm planning to release a new version to the market in a few months. I want this one to stay special—a part of my personal collection."

Ayumi's expression fell, her excitement dimming. "Oh, I see..."

The air grew tense as Ayumi looked away, her disappointment clear. Before Zaboru could say anything more, Zanichi walked into the room and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Zaboru, are you serious? This girl helped you for free all week, and you can't even give her one console? Where's your gratitude?"

Clutching his head, Zaboru protested, "Ouch, Dad! I was just trying to keep this one special!"

Zanichi's glare softened but remained firm. "Think about it. Ayumi's been by your side, supporting you without asking for anything in return. The least you can do is show her some appreciation."

Realizing his mistake, Zaboru sighed. "You're right, Dad. Ayumi, I'll make you a ZEPS after we sell the ZAS machines tomorrow. No charge. Think of it as a thank-you for everything you've done."

Ayumi's face lit up with a smile. "Thank you, Zaboru. And thank you, Renkonan-san."

"Just call me Zanichi," Zanichi said with a grin, leaving them to play as he returned to his plants, thinking to himself, Go get her, son.

---

To be continued…