Chapter 46 - 44: Sudden Visit from Tetsuo
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 games. Ever since striking a deal with Saiko Machine, he had worked non-stop, producing game after game for Akechi. Now, his efforts had paid off handsomely—he had amassed 1.5 million yen from selling five games 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 meal 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 game for Akechi? A game didn't have to be complex to be great. Even simple games 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 me 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 embarrassment. "Well, I wouldn't call it much of an office yet. I don't even have a finished product, just some prototypes. But come in, let's talk inside."