Chapter 32: The First Office

After a productive discussion with his father the night before, Zaboru went to bed feeling energized. The next day, he eagerly awaited updates from his father regarding manufacturers but decided not to sit idle. There was another critical task he needed to accomplish: finding an office.

"I need to find a place I can call my office," Zaboru thought as he grabbed his bike. "It doesn't need to be big—just functional and within my budget. Starting small is fine."

With that, he set off, pedaling through the busy streets of Tokyo. Hours passed as he checked out buildings with rental signs, asked for prices, and explored neighborhoods. However, the search proved more difficult than expected.

"Even in 1991, finding an affordable office in Tokyo is impossible!" he groaned, resting against a lamppost in Roppongi. "Everything's either too expensive or too cramped."

As he contemplated heading home, a firm hand landed on his shoulder. Startled, Zaboru spun around to see Akechi Hamazou, Ayumi's older brother.

"Oh, Akechi-san!" Zaboru greeted, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Working," Akechi replied in his usual stoic manner. After a pause, he added, "What about you?"

Zaboru hesitated before explaining. "I'm, uh, looking for a space to rent for my office. So far, I haven't found anything that works."

Akechi raised an eyebrow. "Office? For what?"

Zaboru scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "It's for starting my company. I need a place to set up operations so I can mass-produce ZEPS consoles. And, uh… I want to develop new games too."

At the mention of new games, Akechi's usual neutral expression shifted for a split second, his eyes lighting up briefly before returning to his usual stoicism.

"You're making new games for ZEPS?" he asked, his tone calm but with a noticeable undertone of excitement.

"Yeah," Zaboru said, nodding.

Without another word, Akechi gestured for Zaboru to follow him. "Come with me. I have a place in mind."

"Wait, what? Where are we going?" Zaboru asked, confused.

"I'll show you," Akechi said, walking toward his car.

"What about my bike?"

Akechi pointed to the roof of his car, which had a bike rack. Zaboru's eyes lit up. "Oh, awesome!" He quickly secured his bike to the rack and climbed into the passenger seat.

Inside the car, Zaboru noticed there was no driver. "You drive yourself, Akechi-san?"

"Yes," Akechi replied shortly, starting the car.

The ride was quiet—too quiet. Zaboru tried to break the silence with small talk, but Akechi only responded with curt answers or brief nods.

'Does this guy ever talk?' Zaboru thought, awkwardly watching the city pass by.

---

After 30 minutes, they arrived at their destination: a modest one-story building in a quiet, clean area. The surroundings were peaceful, with enough space for a small parking lot.

"Whoa, this place looks perfect!" Zaboru said, his excitement growing. "Do you own this building, Akechi-san?"

Akechi nodded, unlocking the door with his keys. He gestured for Zaboru to step inside and take a look around.

The interior was surprisingly well-maintained. The space was clean, with plenty of room for a small team to work comfortably. It even had air conditioning and a freezer.

"This is amazing! It's exactly what I need," Zaboru said, looking around in awe. "Can I rent it? How much would it cost?"

"200,000 yen," Akechi said.

Zaboru's shoulders slumped. "200,000 yen per month? That's kind of steep for my budget…" He hesitated, then decided to try his luck. "Akechi-san, could you lower it to 100,000 yen a month? I'm on a tight budget."

"200,000 yen… for a year," Akechi replied calmly.

Zaboru froze, his eyes wide. "What? 200,000 yen a year? That's ridiculously cheap!"

"There's a condition," Akechi added. "Whenever you release a new game, you have to deliver one copy to me as soon as it's available. Deal?"

It all made sense now. Akechi's love for ZEPS had been evident ever since Zaboru gifted a console to Ayumi. Akechi must have played it extensively—and loved it.

"You're a fan of my games, aren't you?" Zaboru asked, grinning.

Akechi's neutral expression faltered ever so slightly. "I enjoy them," he admitted, his tone betraying a hint of enthusiasm.

Zaboru laughed. "Deal! I'll make sure you get every new game I make, Akechi-san. You won't regret it!"

Akechi nodded, satisfied. "You can start using this place immediately. It's one of my hideouts, but I have others. I'll collect the rent next month."

"Thank you so much, Akechi-san!" Zaboru said, bowing deeply.

With that, Zaboru had secured the perfect office for ZAGE. The building wasn't extravagant, but it was exactly what he needed to take the first step toward building his company and making his vision a reality.

As he stood in his new office, Zaboru's mind raced with ideas for the future. This was just the beginning.

To Be Continued