The morning sun filtered through the office window as Zaboru leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. The past three weeks had been a whirlwind of relentless work—designing, coding, refining, and testing gas. Ever since striking a deal with Saiko Machine, he had worked non-stop, producing ga after ga for Akechi. Now, his efforts had paid off handsoly—he had amassed 1.5 million yen from selling five gas at 300,000 yen each. With this financial cushion, his company was secure for the foreseeable future, at least until ZEPS was fully operational.
Still, a nagging thought persisted. Should I take a break?
He hadn't stepped outside for weeks. The idea of going for a walk, enjoying a al that wasn't frozen food prepared by his mother, or even just relaxing for a bit felt like an alien concept. Yet, another part of him itched to keep working. Perhaps he could create a simpler ga for Akechi? A ga didn't have to be complex to be great. Even simple gas can be brilliant if executed well.
Before he could reach a decision, the doorbell rang.
"Hm? Who could that be?" Zaboru muttered as he pushed himself off the chair.
When he opened the door, his eyes widened in surprise. Standing before him was none other than Tetsuo Marui, the owner of Saiko Machine.
"Eh!? Tetsuo-san? What are you doing here?" Zaboru asked, taken aback.
Tetsuo grinned. "Oh, hey! I stopped by your house looking for you, and Zanichi told you work here now. Pretty impressive, kid! You have your own office already, huh?" He let out a hearty laugh. "Not bad at all."
Zaboru scratched the back of his head, feeling a mix of pride and embarrassnt. "Well, I wouldn't call it much of an office yet. I don't even have a finished product, just so prototypes. But co in, let's talk inside."
Tetsuo nodded. "Pardon the intrusion."
Once inside, Zaboru handed Tetsuo a cold drink and took a seat across from him. "Sorry about the ss," he said sheepishly. "I've been so busy I barely have ti to clean."
Tetsuo waved it off with a chuckle. "This ss just proves how hard you've been working. It's a good kind of ss."
Zaboru smiled at the unexpected complint. "So, what brings you here, Tetsuo-san?"
Tetsuo took a sip of his drink before answering. "I wanted to update you on the ZEPS production. The machine itself will be ready for mass production in two weeks. The cartridges, however, are still in early developnt. That's actually why I ca—I have a question about their design."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow. "A question?"
"Yeah," Tetsuo nodded. "Why did you make the cartridges so big? We could cut costs if they were just slightly larger than the internal components. Right now, the inside only takes up about a quarter of the actual case size. Isn't that just wasted space?"
Zaboru smirked, pleased that Tetsuo had noticed the design choice. He had deliberately made the cartridges larger, mimicking the evolution of ga cartridge design from his past life. When Nintendo first released the Famicom in Japan, its cartridges were small, matching the size of the internal components. However, when they released the NES in the United States, they redesigned the cartridges to be much larger, giving the system a look similar to VHS players, which appealed more to consurs. The larger cartridges also provided more space for cover art and allowed for future hardware expansions.
With confidence, Zaboru explained, "You're right, Tetsuo-san. The cartridges are bigger than necessary, but there's a reason for that. First, a larger case ans bigger, more detailed cover art, making them more aesthetically pleasing and noticeable in stores. Second, the size makes them easier to display and organize in retail settings. And third—this is the most important reason—it gives developers room to expand the internal components if needed. This allows for potential hardware advancents without requiring a complete redesign."
Tetsuo listened intently, nodding as Zaboru laid out his reasoning. "Wow... You really think ahead, don't you?" he said, clearly impressed. "I expected the first two reasons, but I didn't even consider the third one. That's actually a really smart move."
Zaboru grinned. "Glad you think so. I put a lot of thought into every aspect of the console."
Tetsuo chuckled. "Alright, I'll trust your judgnt on this one. No more complaints from . Anyway, that was my main concern. I just wanted to check in personally." He finished his drink and stood up. "I won't take up any more of your ti—I want to spend the rest of the day with my wife and kids."
Zaboru nodded and stood up as well. "I appreciate the visit, Tetsuo-san. Let walk you out."
As they reached the entrance, Tetsuo waved as he climbed into his car. "See you in two weeks, Zaboru!"
Zaboru grinned. "Yeah! See you, Tetsuo-san!"
With that, Tetsuo drove off, leaving Zaboru alone once more.
Now that the eting was over, Zaboru leaned against the doorfra, contemplating his next move.
Should I make another ga for Akechi-san? he wondered. Or should I finally take a break?
Then another idea struck him. I could visit Ayumi and check on her ga's progress. I am kind of curious about what she's been working on... She's practically my disciple, after all. Hehehe.
But there was one problem—visiting the Hamazou household uninvited could be a disaster. However, he did have Ayumi's ho phone number, which she had specifically told him was for her private line. The last ti he called, she had answered imdiately.
Maybe I should just call her instead?
His stomach rumbled, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced at the clock. It was just past noon.
"Alright," he decided. "Lunch first, then I'll decide what to do."
For the first ti in weeks, Zaboru stepped outside, eager to enjoy a al that wasn't homade frozen food. While his mother's cooking was great, he craved sothing different—sothing new.
And with that, he walked off into the bustling streets, ready to embrace whatever ca next.
To be continued...
User Comments
0 comments from readers