Chapter 21 - 20: Accepting Toki’s Offer and Satonaka’s Curiosity
Zaboru woke up to the morning sun filtering through his curtains. After a refreshing shower and a quick breakfast, he set off for school. The day passed uneventfully, but Zaboru's thoughts were elsewhere, fixated on the deal he planned to finalize that evening.
Once school ended, Zaboru headed home with Ayumi Hamazou, his enthusiastic assistant. Together, they resumed work on the five ZAS machines Zaboru had promised to deliver soon. Ayumi, despite her background as a Yakuza princess, had shown remarkable dedication and aptitude. She asked sharp questions and handled components with growing confidence. Zaboru couldn't help but admire her progress.
By the time the fifth machine was half complete, night had fallen. Satisfied with their work, Zaboru decided it was time to head to Bakudan Arcade to finalize his deal with Toki. He climbed onto his bicycle, the cool night air refreshing against his skin as he rode through the quiet streets.
Upon arriving at the arcade, Zaboru was greeted by the usual buzz of customers crowding around the ZAS machines. Toki spotted him and waved him over, his face lighting up with anticipation.
"Toki-san," Zaboru began, standing by the counter, "after discussing it with my dad, I've decided to accept your offer. I'll sell you all five machines for 200,000 yen each. I'll also handle their maintenance twice a week to make sure they stay in top condition. Is that okay with you?"
Toki's grin widened, his relief palpable. "Good, good, Zaboru! I'm really glad you've decided to go through with this. The ZAS machines are doing incredibly well. I'll head to the bank first thing tomorrow to get the cash and prepare the paperwork. Does that work for you?"
Zaboru nodded, a small smile on his face. "That's perfect, Toki-san. You can also keep today's earnings as a gesture of goodwill—consider it an early gift."
Toki immediately shook his head. "No way, kid. Until the deal is officially done, these machines are still yours. You earned this." He handed Zaboru his 75% share of the day's earnings—12,000 yen.
Zaboru accepted the money with a grateful nod. "Thanks, Toki-san. I'll see you tomorrow."