Friday, 25 December 1992
After an emotional conversation with his father and pitching the idea to establish a hardware specialist team, Zaboru returned to his office, mind still swirling with reflections.
Leaning back in his chair, he muttered, "I'll be damned. My dad's past is nothing like it was in my previous life." A grin crept across his face. "Still, he's pretty badass here."
As the hours passed, he worked in silence, the hum of the monitors the only sound. By 19:00, the office had mostly cleared out. The weekend was approaching, and tomorrow marked the release of ZAGE's highly anticipated December titles. But Zaboru remained at his desk—until Ayumi arrived.
"Zabo, I'm here!" she bead, entering with a bag of bread and milk. She clung to him affectionately. "Did you know there's a special episode of What They Say tonight? It's all about you!"
Zaboru raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"
Ayumi pouted. "That's all I get? You're on national TV, and you're just like 'oh yeah'? Co on, sit down and watch it with . It starts at 19:30!"
Zaboru chuckled. "Alright, alright. But let finish up first, okay?"
Ayumi nodded and went to fetch more snacks.
At 19:30 sharp, they sat together on the office couch, eyes on the television.
TV Host Gin Miyaichi: "Good evening, everyone! Welco to What They Say. Tonight, we're diving into a hot topic—none other than the man known as the 'God of Video Gas': Zaboru Renkonan!"
Gin: "Joining us are three special guests—veteran actor Ken Kotegawa, Night Howling ga developer from Buriko Soft, Shoei Hamada, and top singers Hana Sujin of the Sujin Sisters!"
The guests waved as the audience applauded.
Gin: "Let's get right to it. Kotegawa-san, what are your thoughts on Zaboru Renkonan?"
Ken Kotegawa: "Honestly, I think he's overrated. People act like he's a deity just because he makes gas. 'God of Video Gas' is too much. He's talented, sure, but let's not get carried away."
Gin: "Oof, coming in strong! Hamada-san, what do you think?"
Shoei Hamada: "I t him once. He's sharp, but people exaggerate his importance. They're blinded by his success. Reviving the industry? Maybe. But to , it's more about luck."
Back at ZAGE, Ayumi was fuming. "Ungrateful jerks! Especially Shoei Hamada! They wouldn't even have sales without you!"
Zaboru waved it off. "It's fine. Everyone's got an opinion."
"But it's not fair!" she fud, arms crossed.
Back on screen:
Gin: "Well then, Hana Sujin-san, any thoughts on those comnts?"
Hana Sujin: "Absolutely. Zaboru deserves every bit of praise he gets. He's under 20, and he's already revolutionizing the industry. Those two? Jealousy, plain and simple. What did they do before they turned 20? Exactly."
Gin blinked, stunned.
Ayumi narrowed her eyes. "This woman... she's dangerous." Her instincts flared. "Wait—she must be one of your fans. Oh, isn't she the daughter of the Sujin Group CEO? The one who offered both their daughters to hand in marriage to you, Zabo?!"
Zaboru laughed. "She's probably just here to stir things up. And yeah, I think she might be—but you know I don't care about that, right?"
Ayumi looked at Zaboru with a poker face and asked, "She's beautiful, right?"
Zaboru shrugged. "She is, but I don't care—and you're far more beautiful." He pulled Ayumi into a hug, and her anger lted away.T
The shows then heaten up
Ken Kotegawa: "Excuse ? Jealousy? That's a pretty bold claim, Hana. I've been in this industry for decades—earned every role, built my na without riding any wave of hype. I respect young talent, but let's not pretend he's flawless."
Shoei Hamada: "Exactly. Just because we're critical doesn't an we're envious. I've led teams, launched IPs when its not even ZAGE and still Atari era, and worked through the collapse of the Atari era. I'm not threatened by Zaboru—I'm skeptical, and that's healthy for the industry."
Hana Sujin: "Criticism is fine. But let's not disguise insecurity as constructive insight. We need innovation, not gatekeeping—and the fact that Zaboru was able to build a company as groundbreaking as ZAGE before even turning 20 speaks for itself. His portfolio does the talking."
The audience gasped lightly, clearly caught in the tension brewing on stage.
Gin: "Alright, alright—let's keep things respectful, folks. Passion is great, but let's not forget we're here to discuss perspectives, not personal attacks."The show continued:
Gin: "Okay Let's hear from the streets. We asked 100 people on the street: 'What do you think of Zaboru Renkonan?'"
Montage of Interviews:
—"He's a genius. I love his gas!"
—"Honestly, I didn't like video gas before ZAGE. Now I'm addicted."
—"I don't care much, but my kids talk about him all day."
—"He's cute... and he is so dreamy"
—"Can't wait for the new release tomorrow!"
Back in the studio:
Gin: "Looks like the public's got his back. Final thoughts, everyone?"
Kotegawa: "I stand by what I said."
Hamada: "Sa here. Let's see where he is in five years."
Hana Sujin: "He'll still be on top—and they'll still be in denial."
The host then continue :
Gin: "Alright folks, no matter what anyone says about Zaboru Renkonan, he's clearly an exceptional company leader. ZAGE's expansion into the U.S. is a great step forward—not just for him, but for Japan as a whole."
The show wrapped up shortly after—it was just a 30-minute segnt.
Zaboru stretched and yawned. "Well, that was entertaining."
Ayumi nodded. "Yeah... but next ti, I'll be the one defending you on air."
Zaboru smiled. "Oh, you will? but Don't get worked up over this, Ayumi. Sotis people stir controversy just to boost their own fa. That Ken guy? Isn't he Washed-up actor? so He probably just wants so spotlight and thought slandering was the easiest way."
Ayumi still fud. "But—but I'm just so mad! You're such an amazing man, Zabo! You've already accomplished so much and you're not even 20 yet! Everything you do with gas—your ideas and innovations—they always blow away! How can they talk about you like that? It's infuriating!"
Zaboru gently patted her head. "Hey, don't let this hate get to you. No matter how amazing and kind you are, if nobody hates you and everyone loves you, it probably ans you're not challenging anything and doing sothing wrong. Ayumi, don't get worked up over this. Let's just go on a night date and grab sothing good to eat."
Ayumi's eyes lit up instantly and quickly went out with Zaboru to spend the night.
To be continued...
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