Still on the same day Friday 31 Jan 2000.
Zaboru leaves YaDo and quickly returns to ZAGE Tower. He is extremely busy right now because he plans to publish many videos that he had already prepared earlier. His goal is simple: when YouTube/Z‑Tube officially launches to the public tomorrow, the platform should not feel empty.
Zaboru had prepared a surprisingly large variety of videos in advance. There were gameplay recordings of him playing several games that showcased his impressive skills. Some videos showed him talking about video games and explaining mechanics or strategies. Others were completely different, like clips of him practicing basketball shooting, casually playing football with friends, or demonstrating simple gym training tutorials.
There were even more unusual videos as well. One clip showed Zaboru eating an absurd amount of food while chatting casually with the camera, while another showed him dancing in a relaxed and slightly goofy way just for fun while the others showcase his impressive dancing skill. All of these videos were organized carefully into two main channels. The first was the official ZAGE channel, which represented the company itself. The second was his personal channel simply called Zaboru, where he could upload more casual or personal content.
The ZAGE Channel would consist of many official videos related to ZAGE. There would be game trailers, developer interviews, behind‑the‑scenes talks with development teams, showcases of new ZAGE merchandise, and even discussions with famous E‑sport champions who had won tournaments in ZAGE games. There also would also be highlight videos from tournaments, previews of upcoming projects, and special announcements from ZAGE executives.
Meanwhile the Zaboru Channel was much more personal. It was simply a place where Zaboru could upload anything he wanted. Sometimes it would be gaming videos, sometimes casual talk videos, sometimes training clips, and sometimes completely random things that he found fun. The tone of the channel was relaxed and informal compared to the official ZAGE channel.
There was also another channel connected to it called Z&Z, short for Zaboru and Zankoku. This channel would be dedicated to their band activities, where they would release music videos and song clips. Their songs were already extremely famous, so Zaboru expected the channel to attract a huge number of viewers once people discovered it but this will come tomorrow as the channel is still in the preparation stage.
With all of these videos prepared in advance, the first day of YouTube in this world would not feel empty at all. Instead, visitors would immediately find a wide variety of content waiting for them the moment the platform opened. Thinking about how many videos players might upload after the launch, Zaboru could not help but feel excited.
Saturday 1 February 2000.
Meanwhile at Saejiko Mansion
Yoko Saejiko smiled while waiting in front of her PC, clearly excited as she prepared to explore ZAGE's new websites and the new platform called YouTube/Z‑Tube. This was Yoko Saejiko, famously known across the gaming community as "The Gamer Empress." People had known her for many years already because even when she was only twelve years old back in 1992, she had already begun competing in official ZAGE tournaments. Since then she had continued participating in competitions year after year, and even now while she was attending college she still remained deeply active in the competitive scene.
Within the E‑sport world, Yoko had built an impressive reputation. She owned multiple ZAGE Champion Cards, special handcrafted rewards personally made by Zaboru himself for winners of major ZAGE tournaments. Very few players possessed even one of those cards, but Yoko had collected several through her victories.
In competitive gaming circles she was widely known by her player name "MuSho." She specialized mainly in fighting games where her reaction speed, timing, and aggressive style made her extremely dangerous to face in tournaments. Many professional players admitted that fighting against MuSho meant preparing for one of the toughest matches in the bracket.
Aside from fighting games, Yoko also loved playing Counter‑Strike. Her aim and game sense were already considered very strong, and she often ranked highly in competitive matches. However, despite her skill, she had not yet managed to win a championship in Counter‑Strike tournaments. Even so, many players believed it was only a matter of time before MuSho eventually achieved that victory as well.
She also enjoyed playing DoTa, but for now she did not want to take it too seriously. Her main focus remained on fighting games and Counter‑Strike, where she had already built her reputation. Even so, it was obvious that Yoko simply loved gaming in every form, whether it was competitive tournaments or casual matches.
Right now Yoko was extremely popular, not only because of her incredible skill but also because of her appearance. In the early days people used to call her the "Gamer Girl," but as she grew older that nickname slowly changed into something more fitting—"The Gamer Empress." Yoko had grown into a striking young woman. Her long flowing hair, tall posture, and sharp yet elegant facial features made her stand out even in crowded tournament arenas.
Whenever she appeared at competitions, many fans gathered not only to watch her play but also simply to see her in person. Even members of the opposing teams often cheered when she entered the stage. It was rare to see a professional player who combined such high-level skill with such natural charisma.
What made her even more appealing to fans was the confidence she carried. Yoko knew she was beautiful, but she never acted arrogant about it. Instead, she carried herself with a calm elegance that made her presence feel powerful yet graceful. At the same time, once the match started she transformed completely into a focused competitor, moving with sharp reactions and fearless strategies.
That contrast—elegant outside the match but fierce inside the game—only made her fans admire her even more.
Yoko had also recently created her own E‑Sport team. These days forming teams had become increasingly common in the competitive scene, but hers attracted a lot of attention because of who she was. The team was called "Thorn Princess." It was an all‑female E‑sport team, something still quite rare at the time. Yoko wanted to prove that female players could compete seriously in professional gaming rather than just being treated as novelties.
The project was supported financially by the Saejiko family, a very wealthy household that owned Saejiko Inc., a company known for working closely with government projects related to energy infrastructure and technology. Because of that background, the team had access to good equipment, training facilities, and travel support for tournaments.
However, the decision to pursue a career in E‑sports was not welcomed easily by her parents at first. They had always expected Yoko to eventually join the family business and take part in Saejiko Inc.'s operations. To them, competitive gaming sounded more like a hobby than a serious profession.
But Yoko was stubborn about the path she wanted. During one argument she stated very clearly, "If you try to force me to leave E‑sports and join the company… then I will leave this house."
Her parents could only sigh when they heard that. Despite their worries, they were still good parents who loved their daughter. In the end, they decided to support her decision, even if they did not fully understand the world of professional gaming yet. Over time they slowly began accepting that their daughter had chosen a completely different battlefield.
Then Yoko typed YouTube.com. "I wonder what videos ZAGE already published," she murmured with curiosity. Yoko chuckled softly as she pressed enter. It did not take long before YouTube.com / Z‑tube.com loaded on her screen, and the website appeared almost instantly thanks to the extremely fast FTTH internet connection from Sendou Company that her family subscribed to.
Within seconds the main page appeared. There were already many videos displayed across the homepage. The highlighted section was still dominated by the ZAGE channel and Zaboru channel, but she also noticed a number of random videos uploaded by early users who had already begun experimenting with the platform.
Yoko leaned slightly closer to the monitor, curious. She decided to explore the ZAGE channel first. As she scrolled through the list of videos, colorful thumbnails filled the screen. One title caught her attention: "ZAGE Tower Experience." It appeared to be a clip taken from the ZAGE Tower showcase event from the previous year. Yoko had already watched that presentation before, so after a moment she shook her head lightly.
"Hmm… I already saw this one."
Instead, she quickly navigated to Zaboru's official channel. The moment the page loaded, Yoko's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
On Zaboru's channel there were many videos of him. One of the first videos that caught Yoko's attention showed Zaboru wearing a simple tank top while demonstrating basic workout exercises. The camera focused on his movements as he calmly explained how to train properly. As he lifted the dumbbell and performed a curl he said, "This is how you do it. Make sure not all of your arm is moving—focus the movement on the bicep here."
Yoko immediately blushed and swallowed nervously.
Zaboru's body looked… incredible. His muscles were not exaggerated like a bodybuilder, but naturally athletic and well‑trained. The kind of physique that looked both strong and agile. Yoko stared at the screen for a moment longer than she intended, her cheeks slowly turning red.
She would be lying if she said she was not a fan of Zaboru. In fact, he had always been one of her biggest idols. He was unbelievably good at games, he was intelligent, he treated people kindly, and he always carried himself with a relaxed sense of humor. On top of that, he was handsome.
Yoko quietly hugged the pillow beside her chair as she continued watching the video.
"Ah… Zaboru‑sama really is amazing…" she murmured softly.
Sometimes she wondered what it would be like if she could become Zaboru's girlfriend. The thought alone made her heart beat a little faster. But she also knew very well that Zaboru was a loyal man. Unlike many powerful men, he never chased women or acted arrogantly. He already had a wife, and he clearly respected that relationship. Many famous women had tried approaching him before, but he rarely paid attention to that kind of thing.
Strangely, that was exactly the reason Yoko admired him even more.
Someone who had power, fame, and influence but still remained loyal and disciplined… that was rare.
Even so, Yoko could not stop herself from staring at the screen as Zaboru finished the exercise demonstration. Her eyes lingered on the video a moment longer before she clicked another upload.
This time it was a completely different video—Zaboru sitting at a table casually eating a large plate of gyoza while talking to the camera.
Then she continued exploring YouTube, focusing mostly on Zaboru's videos.
She watched him playing basketball, dancing, eating a lot of food, and doing all kinds of random things that somehow still felt entertaining. In one clip he was casually shooting basketballs and laughing when he missed, in another he was practicing dance moves with surprising rhythm, and in another he was simply sitting at a table finishing an absurd amount of food while chatting to the camera like it was the most normal thing in the world. There were also many clips of him playing different games, and as expected his skills were extremely impressive. His reactions were fast, his decision‑making was sharp, and sometimes he even explained strategies while playing, which made the videos even more interesting to watch. Occasionally he even joked with the viewers or laughed at his own mistakes, which made the videos feel relaxed and personal rather than just competitive gameplay. Yoko kept clicking one video after another without even noticing how much time had passed, her curiosity pulling her deeper into the channel. What started as simple curiosity slowly turned into a full binge‑watching session as she continued exploring more and more of Zaboru's videos.
Before she realized it, she had already spent hours watching his content. At some point she even subscribed to both the Zaboru channel and the ZAGE channel without hesitation. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen as she watched him defeat opponents, explain game mechanics, and casually chat with the camera in some of the videos.
Suddenly a notification popped up on the screen.
"Zaboru will be doing a Live Stream in the next minute!"
Yoko's eyes instantly lit up.
"Zaboru‑sama is live streaming?!" she gasped excitedly. "I need to watch!"
This would be her first time ever watching a livestream, and it also happened to be one of the very first livestreams on the platform itself. The thought of watching Zaboru live, interacting in real time, made her heart beat faster with excitement.
And why did Yoko call him Zaboru‑sama?
Because she was one of those people.
She was an official member of the Zaboru fan club.
Then Yoko quickly joined the livestream chat. It was already quite crowded with excited viewers, even though Zaboru had not started the stream yet…
To be continue
AN : remember her?
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