Saturday 6 February 2001 USA ZAGE Campus.
Right now, Zaboru is relaxing in his office with his family. Ayumi and the kids—Zenshin and Arumi—have come all the way to America to accompany him, at least until Monday, since Ayumi still has some work to handle. Even so, the atmosphere feels unusually warm and peaceful for Zaboru, a rare pocket of calm he doesn't often get to enjoy amidst his relentless schedule and constant decision-making. His Personal office, usually filled with keyboard typings, now feels lighter—softer—thanks to their presence.
Right now, however, his attention is fully captured by something far more amusing. He is reading through the reviews and threads about the Audition game on the ZAGE forum, and honestly, it's making him laugh far more than he expected. Players are sharing stories—some proud, some embarrassing, and some outright ridiculous—about their experiences in-game. The mix of romance, competition, and pure chaos creates a kind of energy that feels alive even through the screen.
He keeps scrolling, unable to stop, his grin slowly widening into full laughter as he reads one absurd post after another. Some users are bragging about their dance skills, others are arguing over cosmetics, and a surprising number are sharing stories about "relationships" that feel more dramatic than anything in real life. To Zaboru, it's both hilarious and fascinating—proof that the game has grown beyond just gameplay and into something much more social, unpredictable, and human.
"Hahahaha!" Zaboru burst out laughing, unable to hold it in as he kept scrolling. What he was reading was a flood of posts from players who had just discovered that their in-game "girlfriends" were actually men—and the sheer number of similar stories made it even funnier. Some of the posts were dramatic, some were angry, and some were unintentionally hilarious, with long confessions and screenshots attached like evidence in a courtroom. To Zaboru, the mix of shock, denial, and overreaction from the players turned it into pure comedy.
Ayumi, hearing him laugh that hard, grew curious. She leaned closer to his side and glanced at the screen, wondering what could possibly make her usually composed husband react like this. It wasn't often she saw him laugh so freely, especially over something as chaotic as a forum thread, and that alone made her want to see what kind of ridiculous situation had caught his attention.
"Hmm? Zabo, why are you laughing so much?" Ayumi asked, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.
Zaboru chuckled, still trying to hold back his laughter. "Well… this thread is just too funny, Ayumi. I mean, you know the Audition game, right? In there, players can actually 'date' other characters, and since there are quite a lot of real female players, it kind of triggers that lonely gamer instinct."
He shook his head, grinning.
"But the problem is… some guys see that as an opportunity. They create fake girl accounts, act sweet, talk like girls… and somehow, a lot of people actually fall for it."
He leaned back slightly, clearly amused.
"Some of the posts here are insane. People are writing long stories like they just got betrayed in real life or something. Screenshots, chats, gifts… everything."
Zaboru laughed again, this time a bit louder.
"It's so ridiculous… but at the same time, I kinda understand how they got baited. That's what makes it even funnier."
This wasn't the first time Zaboru had seen something like this. Back in his previous life, situations like these were far more intense. There were countless players creating fake accounts just to pretend to be girls, and entire communities formed around that kind of deception. Some did it for fun, some for attention… and some, like in these threads, did it purely to take advantage of others.
And honestly—Zaboru himself had once fallen into that trap too.
When he first played Audition back then, he had also been fooled by a "girl" account. He still remembered it clearly—the sweet messages, the playful tone, the feeling of being noticed. It had all felt real at the time. He even spent money, sent gifts, and genuinely thought there was something forming between them.
Until one day… the truth came out.
It turned out it was just some guy behind the screen.
The memory still made him cringe even now.
That experience stuck with him far longer than he liked to admit. It wasn't just embarrassing—it felt like a small personal betrayal, something that hit deeper than it should have for "just a game." That's why, even now, he couldn't forget it. Back then, it had felt like a nightmare… one that he could laugh about now, but never truly erase.
Ayumi's eyes widened slightly before she let out a soft chuckle. "Hehehe… in a gamer's eyes, a girl who plays games is really attractive, isn't she? Especially when she's beautiful…" she said, casually fixing her hair, though the intention behind it was obvious—she was clearly fishing for a compliment.
Zaboru noticed immediately.
He smiled, leaning slightly closer. "Hehehe… that's exactly why you're so beautiful, my love. Honestly, I'm really lucky to have you." His tone was light, but there was no doubt he meant it.
Ayumi's lips curled into a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with the answer, even if she tried to hide it by looking away slightly.
Meanwhile, Zenshin, who had been quietly nearby the whole time, glanced at the two of them with completely dead eyes.
"…Get a room, you two."
He said it so casually it almost didn't register at first.
Then he just turned around and walked off like nothing happened, leaving behind a heavy silence for exactly one second—
before the awkwardness fully kicked in.
Zaboru and Ayumi both yelped in surprise, clearly not expecting that kind of comment from Zenshin. They exchanged a quick glance, still processing what just happened, before Zaboru let out a small chuckle. "Well… Zen-chan sure has a way with words now, huh?" he said, shaking his head slightly, half amused and half impressed.
Ayumi chuckled softly as well, still a little caught off guard, before moving closer and sitting beside Zaboru. The atmosphere settled again, though there was still a lingering awkwardness in the air from Zenshin's blunt remark. Nearby, Zenshin had already returned to his laptop as if nothing had happened, typing away calmly like his comment earlier was completely normal behavior.
Meanwhile, Arumi, who had been playing energetically with the rabbits earlier, was now fast asleep on the sofa, her small body curled up comfortably. The contrast between her peaceful sleeping face and the chaotic conversation just moments ago made the scene feel oddly balanced.
Ayumi glanced at both of them—the quiet focus of Zenshin and the innocent sleep of Arumi—before turning her attention back to Zaboru, a faint smile still lingering on her lips as if she was about to continue their conversation.
"Still, Zabo… aside from the dating system… Audition is kind of a weird game, huh? I mean, when you really think about it, it's just dancing and buying cosmetics… and yet it works so well. I honestly don't get it sometimes."
Ayumi tilted her head slightly, clearly thinking it through as she spoke.
"But at the same time… the skill gap is actually insane. I can't even properly keep up with a 180 BPM song, let alone do it consistently. And some of those players like you? They make it look so easy, like they're not even trying… it's kind of unfair."
She let out a small sigh, half amused, half frustrated.
"And it's not just that… the more I watch it, the more I feel like it's not really about the dancing itself. It's more like… people are there to show off, to socialize, to feel noticed. The dancing is just… the excuse."
Zaboru chuckled, leaning back slightly as he explained, "Yeah, this kind of game actually generates a lot of money. At the core of it, people just want to look good. There are cosmetics you can buy with in-game currency, and then there are 'Steam Wallet–only' items, right? That alone already creates a clear difference in how players perceive value."
He tapped lightly on the desk, as if emphasizing his point. "When players see items that can only be bought with real money, they automatically think those are more premium. It's not just about appearance anymore—it becomes a kind of status symbol. People want to stand out, to feel special, or even just to be noticed by others."
Zaboru smiled faintly, clearly enjoying the explanation. "And since the game itself isn't expensive, players don't feel like they're spending too much overall. Instead, they think, 'Well, I didn't pay much for the game, so spending a bit more here is fine.' But those small purchases add up over time without them realizing it."
He glanced at Ayumi, his tone softening slightly. "Honestly, it's psychological. The game slowly builds attachment—first to the character, then to appearance, and finally to identity. Once players start seeing their character as an extension of themselves, spending money doesn't feel like spending anymore… it feels like taking care of something personal."
Ayumi nodded thoughtfully. "I can see that… but won't there be companies that copy this method? You know… push 'premium' items even harder and sell them at expensive prices?"
Zaboru chuckled, clearly expecting that question. "Well, definitely in the future. Once something proves it works, others will follow—it's inevitable. But the real difference is how they execute it."
He leaned back slightly, his tone calm but confident. "ZAGE will keep releasing many games with this kind of flow—strong core gameplay supported by online services. So even if other companies try to push things too far or make it feel exploitative, players will naturally compare. And when they do… they'll just come back to ZAGE."
A small grin formed on his face.
"If they try to break the balance of the market, we'll be the place people return to instead. Hehehe."
Ayumi chuckled softly, giving him a side glance. "I don't know… that still sounds a little greedy, Zabo. Hehehe."
Zaboru shrugged, completely unfazed. "I'm not greedy. I just want gamers to feel that what they spend has 'worth.' That's the difference, Ayumi."
He looked at her briefly, his tone slightly more serious.
"If players feel respected, they'll stay. If they feel cheated, they'll leave. It's not about taking more money—it's about making sure that when they do spend, they feel good about it. That feeling… is what keeps everything running."
Ayumi nodded slowly. "I see… that makes sense. But still, Zabo… there was actually a guy who hit on me in Audition, you know? From his voice… he sounded kind of cute." She said it lightly, a playful tease in her tone, clearly watching his reaction on purpose.
Zaboru's eyes widened almost instantly. "What!? Which nickname is it? I'll 'visit' him right now. And wait—are you seriously saying his voice is cute, Ayumi…?" His tone shifted, a mix of disbelief and something a bit more personal, his expression tightening just enough to be noticeable.
For a brief moment, he actually looked… a little sad.
That reaction caught Ayumi completely off guard.
"Wait—Zabo! I'm joking, you know! I'm joking, okay?" she said quickly, raising both hands in surrender, trying not to laugh while also realizing she might have pushed things a bit too far this time.
Zaboru held her gaze for a second longer before exhaling softly. His expression relaxed, and a small smile returned. "Okay then… hehehe," he replied, nodding as if accepting it, though there was still a faint trace of suspicion lingering in his eyes.
Ayumi let out a quiet sigh of relief before chuckling under her breath, shaking her head slightly. It turned out that Zaboru—her calm, composed, almost "Stoic" and Chill husband—was surprisingly jealous in situations like this.
And somehow… that made her feel a little happy.
Not because of the jealousy itself, but because it showed just how much he cared—even over something as small and ridiculous as a joke from a game.
To be continue
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