Monday, 15 December 1992 – Morning
Today was Zaboru's birthday, but he shrugged it off and continued working as usual. That morning, his family offered him birthday greetings over breakfast. No party, no gifts—just heartfelt words and warm smiles. Still, Zaboru smiled genuinely. That was enough for him. As long as they remembered, that was all that mattered. Birthdays had never held much importance for him. What mattered was the work, the progress, and the mission.
Throughout the day, employees who were aware of the occasion congratulated him in passing. Zaboru thanked them politely, his demeanor calm and unchanged. The day moved forward like any other. Tomorrow was the long-awaited launch of the UFO Catcher arcade machines, a major joint project between HanDai and Nanco, and he needed to be sharp for it.
As the clock neared 20:00, Zaboru scratched his head and looked at the time. Almost dinner. Let's grab ramen tonight, he thought. With that, he stepped out of his office, noting the eerie quiet in the building. The rest of the staff had already left, just like they were supposed to—following his policy that encouraged employees to clock out by 19:00 unless something urgent came up. It gave them rest and gave him peace.
Zaboru walked into the night air, heading toward his favorite ramen shop tucked away in a narrow back alley. The place wasn't flashy, but the food was unbeatable. He always preferred these cozy, flavorful holes-in-the-wall over the soulless luxury spots that couldn't satisfy his appetite.
Once inside, he devoured four bowls of ramen with gusto. The shop owner, a middle-aged man with a towel over his shoulder, laughed heartily.
"Young man! You sure can eat Young-man!"
Zaboru grinned. "Your ramen's too good, boss."
In truth, his Enlightenment ability heightened his bodily needs, requiring more calories than a normal person—another reason why he ate like a bottomless pit.
After paying and tipping generously, Zaboru strolled back to the office. The night air was cool, crisp, and peaceful. The city lights glowed softly, and he took a moment to enjoy the serenity before reaching ZAGE HQ.
When he opened the office door, he immediately paused.
"Huh? Why's it pitch black in here? I don't remember turning off the lights. Don't tell me—"
Before he could finish his thought, the lights flipped on. A loud POP! echoed through the room as party poppers burst into confetti. Cheers filled the space. A large banner read Happy Birthday Zaboru! and standing beneath it were dozens of familiar faces, surrounding a cake lit with candles. In unison, they began to sing the birthday song.
Zaboru blinked in surprise, then laughed. "I knew something was fishy when all of you casually said happy birthday earlier!"
Zanichi clapped him on the back with a big grin. "You need more surprises in your life, son! Hahaha!"
Yugo, who had been left out of the planning for fear of spilling the secret, looked a bit hurt. He had only been told to stop by the office around 8:00 PM, and now he stood frozen in awe, realizing just how much effort had gone into this surprise without his knowledge.
He then approached Zaboru and exclaimed, "Boss-sama! They didn't ask me to join your birthday preparation! How cruel of them, right, Boss-sama?!"
Zaboru smiled and said, "It's okay, Yugo." In truth, Zaboru completely understood why they'd left Yugo out of the planning—because if he'd been involved, Yugo absolutely would've spilled the surprise within minutes!
One by one, people came forward with gifts. Zanichi, his father, gave him a crisp new formal shirt. Keiko, his mother and ever the observant one, gifted him a sturdy new bag to replace his old, worn-out one—something Zaboru had barely noticed was falling apart. Ayumi, his girlfriend, handed him a neatly wrapped box containing a stylish pair of glasses.
"Try them on," she said, blushing.
Zaboru tried them on and smiled "How do I look?", and Ayumi turned redder. "Too handsome. Not fair." Ayumi was really surprised! Zaboru really looks very cool while wearing the glasses!.
Sanika shyly approached with her gift—a hand-drawn picture of Zaboru holding a ZEPS console, flanked by SpongeBob and Mario. "Nii-sama! Happy birthday!"
"This is so cool, Sani-chan! Thank you!" Zaboru's heart melted at the gesture. It wasn't about the art quality—it was about the love behind it.
Shinsuke handed over a sleek new wallet. Sayuri brought him premium coffee beans. Yuna gifted him men's perfume. Kudou, always practical, gave him new running boots. Ichidai gave him a memory foam pillow. Rika presented a cute desk clock. And Yumi, his secretary, gave him something that left him speechless.
"A Led Zeppelin cassette? This is... super rare!"
Yumi chuckled. "I've got four of them, so this one's yours. I'm a collector."
Yumi knew that Zaboru loved Western bands, especially rock, and as it turned out, she was a fan too.
More friends and coworkers gathered around—Satoru Iwata, Sakaki, Kojima, Miyamoto, Sawada. Even arcade owners Sakaki from Bakudan and Satonaka from Dream Catcher stopped by, bringing thoughtful but modest gifts.
After cake-cutting and a few lighthearted toasts, the evening wound down. People laughed, shared stories, and reminisced. For once, Zaboru wasn't the boss or the founder—he was just Zaboru, surrounded by people who cared.
Not bad at all, he thought with a warm smile.
To be continued
AN: CHAPTER 400!
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