Chapter 24: Making ZEPS For Ayumi

Chapter 24: Making ZEPS For Ayumi

The sun was shining brightly as Zaboru hummed a tune from his previous life, his mood lifted by the tremendous success of his ZAS machines. Selling ten units to local arcades had earned him an impressive 2 million yen, and the sheer thought of it brought a grin to his face.

"Two million yen," he muttered to himself. "This is just the beginning."

As he paced around the house, an idea struck him. I promised Ayumi I'd make her a ZEPS, didn't I? Guess it's time to keep that promise.

He grabbed his bag, threw on his jacket, and decided to take a walk to the usual electronics store. It wasn't far, but the journey gave him time to plan. On the way, he thought about all the improvements he could make to the ZEPS system for Ayumi—something that would stand out as a one-of-a-kind gift.

At the electronics store, the familiar bell jingled as he stepped inside. Behind the counter was Hinoko, the bubbly cashier he had known for a while.

"Hey, long time no see, Zabo! How's your project going?" Hinoko greeted him, her hands busy organizing merchandise.

Zaboru chuckled, grabbing the components he needed. "Still going strong, Hino-san. Actually, it's better than ever. If you're curious, you should check out Bakudan or Dream Catcher arcade. My machines are there."

Hinoko stopped what she was doing and looked at him, wide-eyed. "Wait, your machines? You're telling me you made the ZAS? That thing is all my little brother talks about! He's obsessed with it at Bakudan. And hold on—Dream Catcher has it now, too?"

Zaboru grinned proudly. "Yep. I just finished installing them yesterday."

Hinoko's expression shifted into one of admiration. "Wow, Zabo, you're seriously amazing. I might just fall for you, you know~" she teased with a wink.

Blushing slightly, Zaboru scratched the back of his head. "Hahaha, thanks, Hino-san. Anyway, I'll be back soon for more parts!"

After paying the 38,000 yen and gathering his supplies, Hinoko handed him the packed order with a smile. "Come back anytime, Zabo. And keep being awesome!"

He nodded, thanked her, and made his way home.

---

By the time Zaboru got back, he was brimming with ideas. After downing a quick snack of milk and bread, he headed straight to the garage. Over time, the family garage had transformed into his personal workstation. His PC, tools, and various spare components were scattered across the space, giving it the appearance of a small factory.

Setting everything down, Zaboru got to work. His goal was ambitious: finish Ayumi's custom ZEPS and four games before midnight.

"This will be my best work yet," he muttered, rolling up his sleeves.

He assembled the ZEPS unit with precision, using the new components he had just purchased. The base design was similar to the original ZEPS, but he decided to add a personal touch. On the console's surface, he engraved Ayumi's name in elegant kanji: Ayumi Hamazou.

The games were next. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Super Mario, and Mario Bros were all stored on his PC, so he focused on transferring them onto cartridges, carefully coding and testing each one. To make the experience even better, he included a second controller, just in case Ayumi wanted to play with someone else.

"Heh, she'll love this," he said, a satisfied grin on his face.

By the time he finished, the clock struck 10 p.m. Exhausted but proud, Zaboru leaned back and admired his work. The custom ZEPS shone under the dim garage light, a testament to his dedication.

After cleaning up, he headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before retreating to his room. With his guitar in hand, he strummed a few nostalgic melodies from his previous life. The soothing notes filled the room, helping him relax before he finally drifted off to sleep.

---

The next day at school, Zaboru was his usual sleepy self. He struggled to keep his eyes open during morning class, much to the frustration of Yumi-sensei.

"Zaboru Renkonan," she said sternly, tapping the chalkboard for emphasis, "I know you have excellent grades, but that doesn't give you an excuse to sleep through my class."

Startled, Zaboru straightened up in his seat. "I'm sorry, Yumi-sensei. It won't happen again," he said, though his groggy expression suggested otherwise.

The teacher sighed but moved on with the lesson. Zaboru did his best to stay awake, silently cursing himself for staying up so late.

During lunch break, he joined his friends Ryo and Satoshi in the courtyard.

"Zabo, what the hell's with you?" Ryo said, poking Zaboru's arm. "You look like a zombie every morning. What are you even doing at night?"

Satoshi leaned closer, his grin mischievous. "Bet you're sneaking in late-night gaming marathons or something."

Zaboru rolled his eyes. "If only it were that simple," he said with a sigh, deciding not to give them any more details.

"Oh?" Ryo raised an eyebrow. "What's keeping you up, then? Wait—don't tell me it's got something to do with Ayumi Hamazou."

Satoshi practically jumped in place. "AYUMI?! You're hanging out with Ayumi Hamazou?!"

Zaboru groaned and rubbed his temples. "It's not what you think. And would you keep your voice down?"

Ryo smirked. "C'mon, man, spill the beans. Everyone's dying to know how you managed to get close to her. The whole school's talking about it."

"Yeah," Satoshi added, his tone dramatic. "How did a guy like you snag the 'Cold-Hearted Princess'? You gotta teach me your ways, man!"

"First of all, I didn't 'snag' anyone," Zaboru said, giving them both a deadpan look. "Second of all, stop being weird about it, or I'm out of here."

Ryo laughed. "Alright, alright, we'll drop it—for now."

Changing the subject, Satoshi brought up the ZAS machines. "By the way, have you guys tried that new arcade machine? It's awesome! I got the third-highest score on Pac-Man at Bakudan arcade!"

Ryo looked skeptical. "You? High score? Yeah, right."

Satoshi grinned. "Believe it or not, my name's up there. Check the leaderboard."

"What about you, Zaboru?" Ryo asked. "Have you tried it?"

Zaboru hesitated. "Yeah, I've played it. It's... impressive," he said, keeping his role as the creator under wraps.

"You know, it's too bad there are only five machines at Bakudan," Ryo said.

"There are five more at Dream Catcher," Zaboru said casually. "They were installed yesterday."

Ryo and Satoshi's eyes widened. "Seriously? Let's go check it out after school!"

"I can't," Zaboru said, shaking his head. "I've got some things to do."

"Ah, the things only Zaboru knows how to do," Ryo teased.

Satoshi sighed dramatically. "Ah, well. We'll just have to dream of a life as cool as yours, Zabo."

"Yeah, yeah," Zaboru said, waving them off.

---

After school, Zaboru waited by the gate with his bike. When Ayumi arrived, she smiled warmly.

"Good day, Zaboru," she greeted.

"Good day, Ayumi. By the way, the thing I promised you yesterday is ready. If you're free, you can come to my house and pick it up," Zaboru said.

Ayumi's eyes widened in surprise. "Already? You're amazing, Zaboru. I'll definitely come by later."

Her car arrived, driven by Junjou. As she got in, she asked, "Do you want a ride?"

Zaboru shook his head. "No thanks, Ayumi. I'll see you later."

With a wave, they went their separate ways, the anticipation of the evening lingering in the air.

To be continued…