Sunday, 11 August 2001.
One day before the AKAI Showcase, Zaboru was doing something that he really loves.
He was relaxing with his family.
At least, that was what he called it.
Inside the 52nd floor of ZAGE Tower, the private family area felt peaceful compared to the chaos happening in the lower floors in the working days here, the atmosphere was warm, quiet, and strangely domestic.
Zaboru sat on the sofa with Ayumi beside him, his head leaning lazily against her shoulder. Ayumi was pregnant, so Zaboru had become even more clingy and protective lately, though he would never admit that he was being clingy. He only called it "efficient emotional recovery."
Ayumi called it spoiled.
Not far from them, Zenshin was sitting on the floor with several thick mechanical books spread around him. But they were not children's books. They were actual mechanical and automotive reference books, the kind grown adults used to understand engines, suspension systems, transmissions, braking mechanisms, and vehicle structures.
Beside the books were several sketches Zenshin had drawn by himself.
And they were terrifyingly good.
One drawing showed the internal layout of an engine block. Another showed a simplified suspension diagram. Another showed the side profile of a sports car, with the body lines drawn with surprising precision for a child his age. He was not merely drawing "cool cars" like normal children. He was trying to understand what made them move.
Zaboru watched him for a while, then chuckled.
Ayumi covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Zaboru rubbed his forehead. "You are asking your father that while I'm trying to relax?"
Zenshin finally looked up at him with those calm, frighteningly intelligent eyes. "You said relaxing means doing something fun."
"For me, fun is resting."
"For me, fun is learning cars."
Zaboru slowly pointed at him. "That sounds like your granddad."
Zenshin tilted his head. "Grandpa understands machines better than you."
Zaboru looked betrayed.
Ayumi immediately laughed.
"Wow," Zaboru said, placing one hand over his chest. "My own son attacked me in my own house."
Zenshin returned to his book without remorse. "It is not attack. It is fact."
Ayumi laughed harder, and Zaboru could only sigh.
The worst part was that Zenshin was probably right.
Zaboru had many cars stored inside ZAGE's private garage, but hilariously, he had bought almost none of them himself. Most were gifts from car manufacturers, business partners, or executives trying to maintain good will with him after ZAGE games and anime helped boost interest in certain car models. Gran Turismo and Initial D had made real-world cars more famous, and somehow, that resulted in Zaboru receiving cars like tribute offerings.
Zaboru never really refused.
His reasoning was simple.
"If someone gives me a cool car, why should I hurt their feelings?"
Sayuri called that reasoning financially irresponsible but technically harmless.
Meanwhile, Arumi was sitting near the carpet with her newest pet rabbit.
The rabbit had crimson-red fur.
Not brown. Not orange. Not dark red under certain lighting.
Crimson.
Zaboru had stared at it for a solid ten seconds when he first saw it, then decided not to ask too many questions. In his life, strange things happened so often that a crimson rabbit was honestly not even in the top fifty anymore.
Arumi, however, adored it.
The rabbit sat obediently in front of her while she moved its tiny front paws up and down.
"Dance, Ruby! Dance!"
The crimson rabbit twitched its nose.
Arumi clapped happily. "Good! Now breakdance!"
The rabbit then stands with two feet and somehow does breakdance for Zaboru; it's not really anymore so Zaboru slowly turns his head.
For a little while, they simply enjoyed the quiet.
The television in front of them was playing a normal entertainment program, though every few minutes, news about Apple, iPlay, ZAGE, and AKAI appeared.
Then, suddenly, the television switched to breaking entertainment news.
Steve Jobs appeared on screen.
His expression was composed. Calm. Professional. Carefully managed.
A headline appeared below him.
Apple iPlay Exclusive "The Dark Guild" Delayed to Friday, 16 August 2001.
Zaboru opened one eye.
Ayumi looked at the screen with interest.
Steve Jobs spoke clearly.
"After reviewing the final build, we have decided to delay the release of The Dark Guild to Friday, 16 August. Our team has identified several additional improvements that can further enhance the player experience, especially for online co-op stability and gameplay polish. This extension is necessary to deliver the quality iPlay players deserve."
The statement ended with polite applause from the press room.
Zaboru remained silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
Ayumi immediately noticed.
"Seems Apple is afraid of what ZAGE's new phone looks like," she said lightly.
Zaboru chuckled. "Maybe."
Ayumi looked at him from the side. "Only maybe?"
"Well," Zaboru said, stretching his arms lazily, "to be fair, they probably think the AKAI Showcase is only an announcement. They think we reveal the phone tomorrow, steal some attention for a day, then release the phone in the next month or two, then they release their game on Friday after the noise calms down."
Ayumi's eyes narrowed slightly.
She knew that tone.
That was not the voice of a man reacting to an enemy move.
That was the voice of a man who had already expected it.
"Zabo," she said slowly.
"Hmm?"
"Don't tell me…"
Zaboru smiled innocently.
Ayumi continued, "The phone is not only being announced tomorrow, is it?"
Zaboru said nothing.
Ayumi's eyes widened a little, then she smiled.
"Is it going to release on Friday, 16 August?"
Zaboru scratched his cheek.
"Wow. What a strange coincidence."
Ayumi stared at him.
Zaboru looked away.
"Such a mysterious alignment of schedules," he added.
Ayumi poked his cheek. "Liar."
Zaboru laughed.
Ayumi shook her head, but her smile remained. "So Apple delayed their game to escape the phone announcement, but they are actually running straight into the phone release?"
Zaboru raised one finger. "Allegedly well they, can always delay it more don't they?"
Ayumi only sighed.
Zaboru looked back at the television, his smile slowly becoming sharper. "They will spend all week trying to rebuild hype for The Dark Guild. They will push ads, previews, interviews, and online discussion. Then Friday comes, and instead of only talking about their game, stores, magazines, television, and forums will be filled with people lining up for a new AKAI phone."
Ayumi leaned back against the sofa.
"And at the end of the month, they clash with ZAGE's other game releases."
"Exactly."
"That is sad for them."
"Yes."
"You don't sound sorry."
"I am not."
Ayumi watched him quietly.
Then her expression softened, but her eyes became more perceptive.
"What made you so hostile to them anyway?" she asked. "It feels different from usual."
Zaboru's smile weakened slightly.
Ayumi noticed that too.
"You compete with companies all the time," she continued gently. "Sonaya, ZUSUGA, even Microsoft and Apple. But usually, you enjoy it like a game. You tease them, outplay them, make jokes, then move on. This time feels colder."
Zaboru stayed silent.
For a moment, only the television sound filled the room.
He could not tell her the full truth.
Not yet.
He could not say that Apple and Microsoft were cooperating with Zanki. He could not say that Zanki wanted to use Ayumi's past, her identity, and the Hamazou name as a weapon. He could not say that some people were willing to hurt her reputation just to reach him.
Because if he told Ayumi, she would not break.
That was not the problem.
Ayumi was stronger than many people realized.
The problem was that she would worry. She would begin watching shadows. She would begin blaming herself for becoming a target. And Zaboru hated that possibility more than anything.
So he shrugged.
"They pissed me off. That's all."
Ayumi looked at him.
She knew immediately that he was hiding something.
But she also knew her husband well enough to understand when he was hiding something to protect her heart, not to deceive her for selfish reasons.
So she did not push.
Not yet.
Instead, she smiled and rested her head lightly against his.
"Then don't overdo it, okay?"
Zaboru's expression softened.
"I won't."
Zaboru chuckled and kissed the side of her head gently.
Then Ayumi's mood suddenly changed.
Her eyes became playful.
"Say, Zabo…"
Zaboru instantly became cautious.
"Yes?"
"Can I use the phone early?"
"Nope."
The answer came too fast.
Ayumi puffed her cheeks. "Mean."
"Ayumi, even though I haven't used it properly yet."
Ayumi slowly turned her head toward him.
"Liar."
Zaboru blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You use the big phone when I'm asleep, right?"
Zaboru froze.
Ayumi smiled triumphantly. "I knew it."
"I was not using it."
"You were holding it."
"I was developing a game."
"With the phone?"
"For the phone."
"So you used it."
"That is different."
Ayumi pointed at him. "Liar."
Zaboru sighed dramatically. "It was development testing, okay? I wasn't casually using it. Besides, it releases next week anyway. Like usual, I'll give you the special version."
Ayumi's smile became sweeter.
"Can I see it now?"
"No."
"Zabo…"
"No."
She slowly pushed his head away from her shoulder, then hugged his body from the side and looked up at him with puppy eyes.
"Zabo… please?"
Zaboru immediately looked away.
"That attack will not work."
Ayumi tightened her hug.
"Please?"
Zaboru's eyebrow twitched.
"Still not working."
Ayumi rested her cheek against his chest and spoke in a soft, spoiled voice.
"Just a little."
Zaboru looked like a man fighting a losing war.
Across the room, Zenshin glanced up from his mechanical book, looked at his parents, then sighed deeply.
"Get a room, you two."
Zaboru and Ayumi froze.
Ayumi burst into laughter.
Zenshin sighed again. "Adults are noisy."
The crimson rabbit twitched its nose as if agreeing.
Zaboru rubbed his face.
Zaboru tried to resist for about three more seconds.
Then he lost.
With a long sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a prototype device.
It was the AKAI Black Berry Z01.
This prototype had a black-and-silver color palette, sleeker than the standard early unit. The body was wide, with a clear screen above a full QWERTY keyboard. It looked heavier than the AKAI Z2 Flip, but far more serious. More like a tiny portable office and entertainment machine than a normal phone.
Ayumi's eyes lit up instantly.
"Whoa…"
Zaboru handed it to her carefully. "Here. The prototype. Technically, it is already usable, but don't drop it."
Ayumi held it with both hands, inspecting it like a treasure.
"It has a full keyboard…"
"Yes."
"It's heavier than the AKAI Z2 Flip."
"Because it does more."
"But it feels cool," Ayumi said, pressing the keys softly. "The buttons feel nice."
Zaboru grinned. "Right? The keyboard is the soul of it. Fast typing, messaging, email, notes, forum posting, business use, everything."
Ayumi navigated through the menu.
The interface loaded smoothly, showing Messages, Contacts, Calendar, Browser, Camera, Music Player, Photo Viewer, Little Steam, ZAGE Messenger, and several other applications.
Ayumi's eyebrows rose.
"There are so many things inside."
"It is not just a phone."
Ayumi opened Little Steam curiously.
Then she froze.
"Wait…"
Zaboru's grin widened.
Ayumi clicked a familiar icon.
Karate Bunny.
Her own favorite game.
The ZEPS 1 title loaded onto the phone screen.
Ayumi's mouth opened slightly.
"No way…"
Zaboru leaned back proudly. "Yes way."
Ayumi began playing, pressing the small keys carefully. At first, she looked awkward, but after a few seconds, she began smiling wider and wider.
"Hehehe… my game is here."
Zaboru chuckle "off course it almost has all of ZEPS 1"
Ayumi kept playing, clearly delighted. "It can really play ZEPS 1 games?"
Zaboru nod "Hmm probably there are some games that apparently not work well but overall most game will work."
Ayumi looked at him.
"That is huge."
He looked at the prototype in her hands.
Ayumi continued playing Karate Bunny, but after a while, she leaned against him again, carefully holding the phone.
"Zabo."
"Hm?"
"Whatever they did to make you angry… don't let it change you too much."
Zaboru's smile faded slightly.
Ayumi did not look at him when she said it. She kept her eyes on the phone screen, her voice gentle, almost casual. But Zaboru knew she meant every word.
"You can crush them," Ayumi continued. "I know you can. But don't enjoy crushing people too much."
Zaboru looked at her quietly.
For a moment, he wanted to say something clever.
A joke.
A deflection.
Something light.
But he could not.
Because Ayumi had struck too close to the truth.
So instead, he rested his forehead lightly against her hair.
"I'll remember that."
Ayumi smiled.
"Good."
At that moment, Arumi lifted the crimson rabbit into the air.
"Ruby can do phone?"
"No," Zaboru and Ayumi said at the same time.
Arumi then say "Ruby! Back flip!" then the Crimson Rabbit actually does a Backflip!.
Zaboru slowly narrowed his eyes at the crimson rabbit.
"Okay… maybe that rabbit is actually suspicious."
Ayumi laughed, and the tension disappeared.
For a while, the family returned to warmth. Ayumi played Karate Bunny on the Black Berry Z01. Zenshin returned to studying car mechanics. Arumi continued training Ruby as if preparing the rabbit for a dance tournament. Zaboru watched all of them with a quiet, affectionate smile.
This was what he wanted to protect.
Not only ZAGE.
Not only his empire.
This.
His family.
And if Apple, Microsoft, Zanki, or anyone else tried to touch that…
Zaboru's eyes became calm and cold for one brief moment.
Then he hid it behind a smile.
After a while, Ayumi returned the prototype reluctantly and Zaboru excused himself that he had other work to do.
Zaboru finally left the family floor with the secure prototype case in hand. As he walked toward the elevator, his smile slowly changed into something sharper.
Tomorrow would be the AKAI Showcase.
The world thought it would be a phone announcement.
Apple thought they had escaped by delaying The Dark Guild.
Steve Jobs thought Friday would become his second chance.
Zaboru entered the elevator and pressed the button for the 51 th floor.
As the doors slowly closed, he looked down at the prototype case and chuckled.
"Unfortunately, Steve Jobs…"
His grin widened.
"It's not just a normal phone."
To be continued.
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