Friday, September 19, 1991
After spending some time observing Dekapon Electronics, Zaboru and Yugo returned to the ZAGE office. While Zaboru was keeping an eye on Dekapon, he noticed that besides Sakaki, a few other people had also purchased ZEPS. It wasn't a massive crowd, but it was a promising start.
Once back at the office, Zaboru felt a wave of relief. Though still keeping track of the launch, he could now shift his focus back to preparing the next batch of games, which were set to be released next month.
Meanwhile, the ZAGE employees continued their work, handling inquiries, monitoring stock, and making sure everything ran smoothly. The atmosphere was tense but exciting. At around 6:00 PM, Shinsuke finally returned with a brief report on ZEPS' first-day sales.
"Today's sales weren't bad," Shinsuke began, looking at his notes. "Across the six stores where we placed 50 ZEPS each, they sold around 4-6 units per store. And most customers bought it with the full six-game package."
Hearing this, Zaboru nodded.
"That's better than expected," he admitted. "I thought we'd only sell two or three units per store, but we actually did more than that."
Shinsuke grinned. "Yeah, for a first-day launch, this is solid. We planned to sell 300 ZEPS within two weeks, and at this pace, I think it's doable. Tomorrow's the weekend, so I'm sure the sales will be even better."
Zaboru leaned back in his chair, feeling a sense of accomplishment. It was still too early to celebrate a huge success, but things were moving in the right direction.
"Not bad, guys," he said. "Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you all—I'm planning to update your contracts in two weeks, once the next batch of our products arrives from Saiko Machine. Is that okay with everyone?"
The ZAGE employees nodded in agreement, showing no objections.
"Alright, good," Zaboru said with a smile. "Now, before we head home—let's celebrate! I don't have much money, but how about ramen? I know a great spot."
Excited by the idea, the team headed to Chogai Ramen, a hidden gem nestled in a small alley. The moment the steaming bowls of ramen arrived, the employees were surprised by how delicious it was.
"Damn, this is amazing!" one of them said, slurping the rich broth.
"I told you," Zaboru chuckled.
As they ate, Zaboru raised his drink.
"Let's hope that sales keep increasing from tomorrow onward—Kanpai!"
"Kanpai!" the employees cheered, raising their drinks as well.
While the others enjoyed sake, Zaboru stuck to orange juice. He didn't particularly like alcohol, and besides, he was still underage.
That night, after their small celebration, the team went home, ready to tackle the weekend rush.
Saturday, September 20, 1991
The next morning, Sakaki was back at work at Bakudan Arcade. But unlike his usual cheerful self, today, his mind was elsewhere.
He really wanted to play ZEPS again. His fingers twitched at the thought of booting up the console, trying out new games, and playing more Punch-Out!!
'Sigh, I really wish I could play ZEPS right now…'
His boss, Toki, noticed his distracted state. Normally, Sakaki was energetic and full of life, but today, he looked absentminded.
"Oi, Sakaki!" Toki called out. "What's up with you? You got a problem or something?"
Sakaki flinched, snapping out of his thoughts.
"Ah—no, boss," he said quickly. "It's just that Zaboru's new console is so good! I played a chunk of it, and I can't stop thinking about it!"
Toki raised an eyebrow.
"Zaboru's new console? From his company? Wait—it's out already?! Why the hell didn't I hear about this?"
Sakaki blinked. "Well… there were flyers all over town. Maybe you just didn't pay attention?"
Toki scratched his head and sighed. "Damn… Well, anyway, I might just pick one up tonight. Gotta support the kid, after all."
Sakaki scoffed. "Support him? Boss, you're not helping him—he's helping you! The console is amazing, the games are great, even the packaging is top-notch!"
Toki smirked. "That so? Well, now I'm really curious. I'll check it out later tonight."
Hearing that, Sakaki grinned before focusing back on his job—maintaining the arcade machines.
After his shift ended, Sakaki bolted out of the arcade, practically running home.
He couldn't wait to play ZEPS again.
"ZEPS, here I goooooo!"
Like a gust of wind, he dashed through the streets, eager to return to his new favorite console.
To be continued…