Chapter 37 New Side Job or is it?

After Zaboru went home, he quickly rushed to his office and began brainstorming ways to earn more money within the next two months.

"How should I make money... sigh. The 2 million yen I earned from selling my arcade ZAS to Toki-san and Satonaka-san isn't nearly enough. I still need to pay my employees, cover bills for my company, pay for advertisements for my ZEPS... aghh." Zaboru groaned in frustration but quickly calmed his mind. "Should I look for an investor? But I still want 100% ownership of my company... Company, my ass. I haven't even made it official yet. ZAGE is still in the process of becoming a full-fledged company, and I still need a product to sell—which I don't even have!"

He let out a deep sigh. "Well, it is what it is. For now, let's complete two games this week. After that, I'll figure out the money problem."

With that, Zaboru turned his focus to his computer, working tirelessly on creating new games for his ZEPS console. He had already developed a new ZEPS unit for his office, allowing him to test his creations in real-time.

Seven days passed. Now it was Saturday.

In that time, Zaboru successfully recreated two iconic games from his previous life. Thanks to his Deep Dive memory ability, he could recall the exact gameplay mechanics of two of his favorite childhood games: Excitebike and Mega Man! Both were legendary titles in his past life, and now, through his hands, they would be introduced to this new world.

Currently, he was playing Excitebike, testing out the mechanics.

"Haha! This game is always fun! I really like it. And Mega Man is great too."

As he lost himself in nostalgia, a voice suddenly called out from the office entrance.

"Pardon the intrusion."

Zaboru raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like... Ayumi?"

Sure enough, Ayumi Hamazou and Akechi Hamazou stepped into his office.

"Wow, Zaboru! This place is starting to look like a real office already! And you have five PCs now? Aren't you tight on budget?" Ayumi remarked, looking around in surprise.

Zaboru scratched his head. "Oh, hello, Akechi-san, Ayumi. And yeah, four of these PCs are actually my dad's. He said they weren't being used in his office, so I took them. Anyway, come in, come in. Unfortunately, I can't sell ZEPS yet."

He led them to the main office space, still somewhat messy with scattered papers and notes. However, what caught both siblings' eyes was the television screen displaying Excitebike in action.

"Zaboru! Is that a new game for ZEPS!?" Ayumi gasped excitedly.

She quickly approached the console, while Akechi's eyes widened in intrigue. Without hesitation, Ayumi picked up the controller and started a new game, her curiosity getting the best of her. Meanwhile, Zaboru went to prepare drinks for his guests.

"How do I play this?" Ayumi asked.

Zaboru returned with the drinks and explained, "Use the D-pad to control your bike and navigate the track. Avoid obstacles like potholes and bumps. Press the X button to accelerate, release it to brake, and press the O button to activate Nitro for a speed boost—but be careful! It consumes a lot of fuel."

Ayumi suddenly noticed something different. "Hey... this controller isn't like mine! The buttons aren't labeled 1 and 2; they have X and O instead. Is this a new design, Zaboru?"

Zaboru nodded. "Yeah, it's cool, right?"

Ayumi grinned and continued playing. Meanwhile, Akechi was intently watching her gameplay, his expression full of eagerness. After a couple of minutes, Ayumi noticed her brother staring too much.

"Nii-sama, do you want to try?"

Akechi nodded immediately and took the controller. As expected, he quickly became engrossed in the game, his focus sharpening as he maneuvered through the track. Ayumi sighed, taking a sip of the cold soda Zaboru had given her.

"So, what's the other game, Zaboru?" she asked.

"It's called Mega Man. It's similar to Mario, but instead of jumping on enemies, the main character is a kid robot who blasts enemies with his arm cannon. Plus, he can gain new abilities as he progresses. I made this version even better by adding extra power-ups," Zaboru explained proudly.

"Wow! That sounds awesome! I want to try it later," Ayumi said, excited.

Soon after, Akechi, still eager for more, switched over to Mega Man and started playing. His attention was completely absorbed by the game. Time passed, and before anyone realized it, an entire hour had gone by.

"Nii-sama! I know you like games, but I want to play too!" Ayumi complained.

Akechi's eyes widened as he glanced at the clock. "What?! I've been playing for an hour!?" Reluctantly, he handed the controller over to Ayumi, still visibly captivated by the game.

Zaboru chuckled, but then Akechi suddenly turned to him with an intense look.

"W-what is it, Akechi-san?"

Akechi spoke in a firm tone. "I want these two games."

Zaboru hesitated. He had already planned his first batch of games for sale, dividing 800 cartridges among Pac-Man, Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, and these two new games.

"Umm, that might be a problem, Akechi-san..."

"You promised that I could buy new games as soon as they were ready!" Akechi countered.

Zaboru scratched his head. "Yeah, but these aren't ready yet. They're not for sale yet, Akechi-san..."

Akechi immediately responded, "I'll pay 600,000 yen for both of them."

Zaboru's eyes widened. "S-Six hundred thousand yen!?"

Ayumi sighed. "You've been having financial troubles lately, haven't you, Zaboru? ZEPS isn't even in full production yet, and I bet you still need a lot of funds to make sure everything runs smoothly, like hiring employees and all that."

Zaboru hesitated but nodded. Akechi continued staring at him.

"So how about this, Zaboru? 600,000 yen for both games. If you can create more before the ZEPS launch, I'll buy those, too. I want exclusive access to games before they go public."

Zaboru's mind raced. 'This is practically early access... but the price is insane! Still, Akechi is loaded...'

After a moment of thought, he responded, "How about this, Akechi-san? I accept your offer—300,000 yen per game. But I'll extend the deal: after ZEPS officially launches, if I or my company create new games or consoles, you'll get all of them for free... for life. It's the least I can do for what you're doing for me."

Akechi's eyes widened in surprise. Free games and consoles for life? It was an insane deal, but he could see Zaboru's sincerity and pride behind the offer. He smirked slightly. "Deal, Zaboru."

Ayumi smiled at the transaction and continued playing Mega Man again. After three more hours of gaming, the Hamazou siblings bid farewell. Akechi would deliver the payment next week, and if Zaboru made more games within the next two weeks, Akechi would likely buy them as well.

As they left, Zaboru sat in his office, staring at the ceiling.

"Did I just land the best side job ever...? Or is this even a side job at all?"

Either way, he knew one thing for certain—he couldn't just make low-quality games and expect Akechi to keep paying. He had to create something truly worth the price. And with that thought, he began planning his next game.

To be continued...