Saturday 20 March 2001 , ZAGE 52th floor.
Zaboru was now on the 52nd floor of ZAGE Tower, inside the private living room that sat near the very top of the building. The room felt less like a corporate executive space and more like a warm family home hidden above the clouds. Outside the wide glass windows, the city stretched beneath them with its glowing streets, distant towers, and the faint movement of cars that looked like tiny streams of light. Despite being inside one of the most powerful corporate buildings in the world, this floor belonged to Zaboru, Ayumi, Arumi, and Zenshin as a family first, not as part of ZAGE's empire.
Zaboru had just finished taking a bath after an intense workout. His hair was still slightly damp, his body relaxed from the hot water, and his expression had softened into the calm look he only showed when he was with his wife and children. Arumi, as usual, refused to give him any personal space. She was already hugging him tightly while sitting close to him, her small hands reaching up again and again to touch and play with her father's hair as if it was her favorite toy in the world.
For some reason, Arumi had always loved his hair. Whether it was because of how soft it felt after he washed it, or simply because she liked bothering her papa, even Zaboru could not fully understand it. He only let out a small chuckle and allowed her to do whatever she wanted. After all, this was his daughter, and no matter how powerful he was outside this room, inside this place he was just a father being conquered by a tiny girl with innocent curiosity.
The rabbits followed Arumi around as if she was their little commander. A few of them hopped near Zaboru's feet before casually climbing onto his body without hesitation, treating him like a warm mountain they were allowed to conquer. Arumi pointed at them with a serious expression, giving them tiny commands that only made sense to herself, while the rabbits somehow continued to follow her movements as if they understood everything. Zaboru watched the absurd scene unfold and could only laugh under his breath, deeply amused by how naturally chaotic his peaceful family time had become.
Meanwhile, Zenshin was sitting not too far away with his own ZEPS 3 opened in front of him. The boy was carefully looking at the machine's internal layout and blueprints with a serious face that did not match his age. His eyes moved over each detail with quiet fascination, as if he was trying to understand how every component worked together. Zaboru noticed it, of course, but he did not stop him. Instead, he simply let Zenshin continue exploring, feeling a small warmth in his chest as he watched his son show interest in machines, design, and technology so naturally.
Ayumi sat near Zaboru, quietly watching the entire scene with a gentle and peaceful smile on her face. There was Arumi turning her father into her personal playground without any hesitation, the rabbits acting like loyal soldiers under her command, and Zenshin seriously studying hardware like a tiny engineer already preparing for his future. It was noisy, messy, and strangely chaotic, far from the elegant image people imagined when thinking about one of the richest and most influential families in the world.
Yet to Ayumi and Zaboru, this was exactly what made it precious.
Only a husband, a wife, and their children enjoying a peaceful night together high above the city. The atmosphere itself felt warm enough to make even the cold lights outside the tower feel distant.
Ayumi slowly leaned closer against Zaboru's shoulder while watching Arumi laugh happily with the rabbits. Sometimes she still found it unbelievable how different her life had become after marrying him. Once upon a time, she had lived surrounded by the tension of the Hamazou family and the dangerous world connected to it. But now, she was here, sitting peacefully above Tokyo with the man she loved while their children filled the room with warmth and noise.
Zaboru glanced at her for a moment before lightly holding her hand without saying anything. The gesture was casual and natural, something he did unconsciously nowadays, but it still made Ayumi smile softly every single time.
Even after all these years, she still loved moments like this the most.
Not the fame. Not the money. Not the influence.
Just this.
A peaceful family evening where Zaboru could laugh freely, Arumi could act spoiled, Zenshin could quietly explore machines, and Ayumi could simply stay beside the people she treasured most.
Arumi continued playing with Zaboru's hair as if she had discovered the most interesting treasure in the entire world. Her small fingers combed through it again and again, sometimes gently pulling a few strands, sometimes patting it down with a serious expression as if she was trying to style it properly. Zaboru only chuckled and let her do it, even though her tiny hands were slowly ruining the neatness of his freshly dried hair.
"Rumi-chan," Zaboru said with an amused smile, "why do you love playing with Papa's hair so much?"
Arumi looked up at him with bright eyes, then answered without hesitation, "Because it's so fun!"
Zaboru laughed softly at her simple answer. To Arumi, there was no deeper reason, no complicated thought, and no hidden logic. It was fun, so she did it. That was all.
However, Arumi's attention did not stay in one place for long. After playing with her father's hair for a while, her eyes suddenly shifted toward Zenshin. She saw her older brother sitting seriously with the opened ZEPS 3 and its blueprints spread in front of him. Her curiosity immediately awakened. Without warning, she released Zaboru's hair, climbed down from him with the rabbits following behind her, and waddled toward Zenshin as if she had found a new mission.
Zenshin noticed his little sister approaching and looked at her for a moment before quietly moving some of the smaller parts away from her reach. He was still young, but he already understood that Arumi's curiosity could be dangerous if left unchecked. Arumi tilted her head while staring at the opened console, clearly confused but fascinated by all the tiny pieces inside.
Zaboru watched them from the sofa and smiled warmly. Zenshin did not push Arumi away, and Arumi did not disturb him too badly. She only watched with wide eyes, occasionally pointing at something while asking questions in her own words. Zenshin answered her seriously, even though most of his explanations probably did not reach her understanding at all. Arumi is still extremely smart for her age but not as smart and monstrous as Zenshin after all.
Ayumi watched the two children with a soft laugh. "Heh, Rumi-chan really loves her brother, huh…" she said playfully. "Maybe she will admire him too much when she grows up? Zen-chan is really handsome after all."
Zaboru immediately sighed and gave Ayumi a tired look. "Ayumi… please don't say weird things like that so casually."
Ayumi only laughed, clearly enjoying his reaction. "But it's true, right? Zen-chan will definitely become popular when he grows up. He has your face, your eyes, and somehow even that serious expression when he focuses on something."
Zaboru glanced at Zenshin again and crossed his arms. "Hmm… well, I suppose it should be fine as long as Rumi-chan only admires him as her big brother. But if you start teasing them like that too often, our children will grow up thinking their mother is dangerous."
Ayumi placed a hand near her lips and giggled. "Dangerous? Me?"
"Yes," Zaboru replied flatly. "Very dangerous. Especially when you smile like that."
Ayumi laughed even more, then leaned comfortably against him. The atmosphere between them remained light and warm, but after a few moments her eyes shifted toward the television and the small stack of reports placed on the table. Among them were notes, early reactions, and industry summaries regarding Apple's failed iPlay console launch.
Her smile slowly turned curious. "By the way, Zabo…" Ayumi said, her tone becoming more thoughtful. "What do you think of iPlay? Why did it fail so miserably?"
Zaboru's expression changed slightly. The relaxed father was still there, but the sharp mind of ZAGE's founder immediately awakened behind his eyes. He leaned back against the sofa, glanced at the reports, and gave a small chuckle as if the answer was both obvious and painful.
The peaceful family moment had not disappeared, but now the topic had shifted.
Zaboru leaned back against the sofa and let out a small chuckle. "Well… it's because both the games and their so-called main features are bad," he said casually. "I mean, there are already technical issues everywhere. The console can start lagging badly after you switch games without properly turning it off first, and that's already terrible for user experience. Not to mention their online system is unstable. The connection quality is inconsistent, random disconnections happen too often, and that creates frustration for players."
He shook his head lightly, clearly disappointed more than angry.
"People can forgive weak graphics. People can even forgive limited launch titles sometimes. But if your system itself feels annoying to use, then players lose trust immediately. Especially in this era where online gaming is starting to become the main Gimmick."
Zaboru gave another amused chuckle before continuing.
"And worse?" he said while smirking. "X-box actually works pretty well. Honestly, Apple's failure became the best advertisement X-box could possibly ask for. The best kind of advertisement is when your competitor embarrasses themselves publicly."
Ayumi laughed softly after hearing that. "Ah… that 'I Play, X-box' slogan thing?"
Zaboru immediately laughed and nodded. "Yeah, it was honestly genius. Simple, fast, memorable, and perfectly timed. The X-box people clearly understood the opportunity immediately, so they quickly followed up with statements and marketing before the public attention disappeared."
His eyes shifted toward the reports again.
"And honestly? Their launch games couldn't save them either," Zaboru continued. "When I first saw the trailers, I was actually a little excited. Some of the visuals looked decent, and the presentation itself wasn't bad. But after looking deeper…"
He smiled faintly before shaking his head.
"It really feels like cheap copies of ZAGE games mixed together."
Ayumi blinked. "That bad?"
Zaboru nodded calmly. "Yeah. They played things way too safely. It feels like they studied popular games, copied the surface elements, then combined them together without understanding why players actually loved those games in the first place."
He crossed his arms while continuing his explanation.
"There's no real identity behind the projects. No unique gameplay philosophy. No strong artistic direction. No confidence. It's just… safe corporate design."
Zaboru let out a small sigh.
"And the gaming industry punishes that kind of thing very hard. Players can immediately feel when a game was made because developers were passionate… and when a game was made because executives wanted to chase trends."
Zaboru first showed a JRPG called White Wands. The moment the game footage appeared on the television, Ayumi could already tell what kind of game it was going to be. Fantasy kingdoms, glowing magic circles, emotional orchestral music, handsome young protagonist, and several beautiful girls surrounding him while dramatic dialogue played in the background.
Zaboru smiled faintly before speaking.
"Yup… this is basically a very standard JRPG," he said casually. "Honestly, it has good endings, decent characters, and even harem plots. Which is kind of generic in my opinion nowadays. The gameplay itself isn't bad, the graphics are solid, and the soundtrack is honestly pretty nice. But because of the overall execution and lack of uniqueness, I'd probably rate this around six out of ten."
Ayumi tilted her head slightly. "Only six?"
Zaboru nodded.
"And yeah, I expected more honestly," he continued. "So far the story feels extremely predictable. It's about a boy named Wandy who wants to become an Arch Mage, then he begins a journey around the world to gather legendary elemental wands while uncovering secrets about an ancient magical empire."
The television continued showing gameplay footage while Zaboru explained further.
"Wandy starts as a weak village boy from Lunaris Village," Zaboru said. "Then one day shadow monsters attack his hometown, his mentor dies protecting everyone, and suddenly a beautiful silver-haired mage appears and tells him he has hidden magical potential because he's apparently the descendant of the ancient White Sage bloodline."
Ayumi immediately laughed. "That already sounds generic, a lot of RPGS are starting like that don't they?."
"Exactly." Zaboru pointed toward the television. "Then after that he leaves the village, gathers party members, defeats corrupted generals one by one, unlocks hidden powers, and slowly becomes stronger."
The game footage shifted toward different heroines.
"There's Elria, the cold elf princess with tragic family problems. Mira, the energetic childhood friend who secretly loves him. Serena, the holy knight girl who acts serious but blushes every five minutes. Then Luna, the mysterious dark mage who pretends to hate him while obviously falling for him after three cutscenes."
Ayumi burst into laughter.
"And let me guess," she said while giggling, "all of them somehow fall in love with Wandy?"
Zaboru looked completely deadpan.
"Every single one."
That answer alone made Ayumi laugh even harder.
Zaboru sighed dramatically before continuing his review.
"The problem isn't even the harem itself," he explained. "Some harem stories can actually work if the characters are written well. But White Wands doesn't really do anything interesting with it. Most of the girls mainly exist to praise Wandy, argue over him, or motivate him emotionally."
He crossed his arms while watching another battle scene.
"And the journey itself feels too smooth. Wandy barely struggles properly. Every major problem gets solved quickly because he unlocks another hidden spell, another legendary wand, or another emotional friendship speech."
The television displayed a flashy magic attack that filled the screen with white light.
"Gameplay-wise?" Zaboru continued. "It's just a casual turn-based RPG. Fire magic, ice magic, healing spells, summon attacks, mana burst systems… Everything works fine, but nothing feels new. Even the dungeon designs become repetitive after a while."
Zaboru let out a long sigh while continuing to watch the gameplay footage.
"These kinds of RPGs would actually be considered really cool back during the ZEPS 1 era," he said calmly. "But the video game industry keeps evolving, and customers have already experienced a lot of truly memorable JRPGs. Because of that, stories that are simply 'good' start becoming forgettable."
The television displayed another dramatic cutscene where Wandy protected one of the heroines while emotional music played loudly in the background.
"I mean, this game is fine for a mid-tier release," Zaboru continued. "But for a strong launch title? Especially one that's supposed to help sell a brand new console? It's really lacking."
Ayumi chuckled softly before leaning closer against him.
"Well… maybe it's because ZAGE keeps doing something new with the JRPG genre?" she said thoughtfully. "I mean, I still can't forget Final Fantasy 7 even now. And honestly? I'm still mad at you for killing Aerith, Zabo."
Ayumi puffed her cheeks slightly while giving him an accusing look.
Zaboru immediately laughed.
"Well, that's exactly what made it memorable," he replied casually. "Perfect stories don't come from smooth journeys where everything goes nicely. Stories become unforgettable because they create emotional reactions."
He pointed lightly toward the television while continuing.
"A perfect story is usually a combination of extremely good moments, weird moments, painful moments, shocking moments, sad moments, and even uncomfortable moments. When all those emotions collide together properly, they create something memorable."
Zaboru smirked faintly.
"I've said this before, right? It creates chemical reactions inside people."
Ayumi looked at him quietly for a moment.
Even after all these years, she still found it fascinating how Zaboru viewed stories differently from most people. To him, games were not just products. They were emotional experiences.
Meanwhile, the White Wands footage continued playing in the background.
Another heroine cried dramatically. Another emotional speech happened. Another friendship power-up scene appeared.
Zaboru only pointed at the screen with a deadpan expression.
"See? This is exactly the problem. The game wants players to feel emotional, but it doesn't earn those emotions properly. It just throws sad scenes repeatedly and hopes players care automatically."
Ayumi giggled. "You sound really strict when reviewing games."
"Because players are smarter now," Zaboru answered immediately. "Back then, flashy magic attacks and emotional dialogue alone could impress people. But now? well it can still impressed many people but majority of Players expect stronger writing, stronger gameplay, stronger pacing, and stronger immersion."
He leaned back again while crossing his arms.
"And honestly, that's a good thing. It forces the industry to evolve instead of repeating the same thing forever."
Ayumi giggled softly before glancing at him mischievously.
"Well… is harem stuff actually good?" she asked teasingly. "And Zabo… do you want a harem?"
Zaboru immediately sighed before glancing at her and lightly smacking her head playfully.
"Harem stories can work honestly," he said casually. "If the characters are written properly, the emotional dynamics are good, and the relationships actually matter, then sure, it can become entertaining. But for me?"
He shook his head without hesitation.
"Nope. Not interested. Like I said before, you are already more than enough."
Ayumi immediately blushed after hearing that straightforward answer.
Even after years of marriage, Zaboru still had a strange ability to say things so casually while making her heart react instantly.
But of course, Ayumi still wanted to tease him further.
"But I wouldn't mind though…" she said jokingly while smiling innocently.
Zaboru looked completely unbothered.
"Well, I do mind. Anyway, we don't need to continue this conversation further."
Ayumi immediately laughed seeing how quickly he shut the topic down.
Honestly, moments like this were exactly why she trusted him completely.
Zaboru was not the type of man who flirted around carelessly or got distracted easily. Even with all his fame, wealth, influence, and the ridiculous amount of women who admired him publicly, he still treated loyalty toward Ayumi as something completely natural.
To him, it was not even something worth bragging about.
Meanwhile, Ayumi quietly smiled while looking at him.
That calm attitude of his somehow made her fall in love all over again every single time.
After a while, Ayumi tilted her head slightly.
"But then again six out of ten isn't half bad honestly, right?"
Zaboru nodded.
"Yeah, like I said , if its mid game it's not terrible," he admitted. "The game is still playable, and some people will definitely enjoy it. Especially younger JRPG fans or casual players who mainly care about fantasy adventures, romance scenes, and flashy magic attacks."
He pointed toward the television again where another White Wands battle scene was happening.
"But for a launch title?" he continued. "Especially when you compare it to X-box's Elf Adventure? It's honestly like day and night."
Ayumi blinked curiously. "That big of a difference?"
Zaboru nodded calmly.
"Elf Adventure actually feels alive. The world building is stronger, the side characters matter more,it has great and bizzare settings i mean "Elf" and "Heavy Metal" that some dope stuff Meanwhile White Wands feels like developers looked at popular JRPG checklists and combined everything together without truly understanding why those games became memorable."
He let out a small chuckle.
Ayumi quietly listened while leaning comfortably against him.
Ayumi only smiled softly while watching him.
That was exactly why she knew her husband would never cheat on her.
Not because he lacked opportunities.
But because Zaboru genuinely did not care about those temptations in the first place.
After finishing his thoughts about White Wands, Zaboru casually grabbed another iPlay game case from the table while preparing to continue his review of Apple's launch lineup.
"Well next is this game..."
To be continue
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