Thursday, 27 November 1992 – Morning
Sakaki inhaled deeply, steadying his breath as he stood before the looming glass facade of ZAGE HQ. "Alright, I need to ace this interview with Zaboru," he told himself. It had been a nerve-wracking wait since Monday when he had spoken with ZAGE's HR departnt. They'd told him he would need to return Thursday for a final interview with Zaboru Renkonan himself. What exactly Zaboru intended to ask was anyone's guess.
Sakaki had tried to play it cool, telling himself, "Heh, maybe Zaboru's just a shy guy who wants on his team." He grinned, puffing out his chest with confidence—but how wrong he was.
Upon arriving, he checked in with the receptionist and was promptly directed to the waiting area. Monts later, a poised woman in a sleek gray business suit and wearing glasses approached him.
"Sakaki Yukimura-san?" she asked, her smile graceful.
Sakaki blinked at her beauty. 'Whoa, what a beautiful woman... is she Zaboru's secretary? Man, I'm jealous!' he thought.
"Y-Yes, that's ," he said, straightening his posture.
"I'm Yumi Ichijou. Please follow —Zaboru Renkonan-san is waiting for you in his office."
He followed her through ZAGE's minimalist but elegant hallways, his nerves beginning to flutter. When they reached the door with "Zaboru" engraved on a polished plaque, Yumi opened it and announced, "Excuse , boss—Sakaki Yukimura has arrived."
Zaboru didn't look up at first. He was scribbling sothing in a notebook—concept sketches, from what Sakaki could glimpse. Then he gestured calmly.
"You can leave us, Yumi-san. Thank you."
Yumi gave a polite bow and closed the door behind her. The air grew still.
Zaboru finally looked up. His eyes, cold and analytical, locked onto Sakaki's. There was no hint of friendliness in his deanor—only a calculating presence that instantly erased all of Sakaki's earlier bravado.
'Damn... he's so intense. Totally different from when we t at Bakudan Arcade!' Sakaki thought, sweat beginning to bead on his temple.
"First of all," Zaboru said evenly, "you can just call Zaboru. Second, I want you to answer truthfully—no flattery. Understood?"
Sakaki swallowed hard and nodded. Then, as he glanced at Zaboru again, sothing strange caught his attention. For a brief mont—just a blink—Zaboru's eyes shimred with a faint blue glow.
Sakaki rubbed his eyes and looked again. They were back to normal. 'Wait... was that a glow? Am I seeing things? Maybe I'm just nervous. There's no way eyes can shine like that... right?' he reasoned.
"Yes, Zaboru," he said clearly.
"Good," Zaboru continued. "Let's begin. Do you love video gas?"
"With all my heart," Sakaki replied without hesitation.
"Can you give detailed feedback on the gas you play if asked?"
"Yes. I'll do my best."
Zaboru nodded. "You're applying to our Quality Control division as a ga tester, correct? In your opinion, what's the most important trait a good ga tester should have?"
Sakaki paused, organizing his thoughts. 'Don't ss this up, Sakaki. This is your shot.'
"Technical knowledge and analytical thinking are great, but above all else, passion matters most," he said. "Testing gas ans hours of playing buggy, incomplete builds. If the tester doesn't genuinely love gas, they'll burn out. But if they love it, they'll stay motivated and have responsibilities for the ga they test while also looking forward for the final versions of the ga they test"
Zaboru cracked a slight smile. "That's a great answer. Technical skills can be taught, but passion? That's sothing you either have or you don't." He leaned forward slightly, his tone firr. "People think being a ga tester ans playing for fun and getting paid. But in reality, you're not playing for fun—you're playing for work. And it's not easy. You dissect every detail, report every bug, and repeat the sa sequences over and over. It's a job that demands focus, patience, and most of all, genuine passion."
Sakaki exhaled and agree with Zaboru while slightly relieved.
"Next what is your Opinion on ZAGE ga releases so far in general?" Zaboru ask sakaki.
Sakaki inhale his breath "In general, ZAGE's ga releases are always revolutionary, and they inspire other developers to create their gas based on ZAGE's new chanics. The way ZAGE is able to produce so many gas in a single month feels like a myth to . I still can't fathom how they do it but sohow, ZAGE able to do it."
Zaboru smiled and nodded. "Great answer. But let ask—do you have any ZAGE gas you dislike?"
Sakaki thought for a mont, then said, "There aren't any ZAGE gas I hate, but I kind of dislike Nightshade. For , it's too complicated. Even though it's still fun, I don't love it but i don`t hate it either"
Zaboru chuckle "Very well that's Nice answer," Zaboru said. "I wont waste your ti and Just one final question. Answer it properly and you're hired."
Sakaki nodded, spine straightening.
"You've played Street Fighter on our ZAS-Street fighter arcade system, right?"
"Yes! I've been hooked since launch—15 November. I love it."
"Then here's your final task," Zaboru said. "Tell how it can be improved. What adjustnts would you suggest, from a ga tester's perspective? Don't rush. You have six minutes. Pen and paper are in front of you—use them."
Sakaki picked up the pen and paper and began writing imdiately. anwhile, Zaboru leaned back and closed his eyes for a rare mont of rest. Even with his Enlightennt ability enhancing his body functions, the stress of working still weighed heavily.
After the tir ticked down, Zaboru opened his eyes. Sakaki looked up, his expression sharpened by focus.
"Let hear it," Zaboru said.
Sakaki placed the paper down and took a breath.
"Here's my assessnt of Street Fighter—and how I believe it can evolve..."
To be continued.
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