As Akechi and Hyoga Akai stared at the slide in complete disbelief, Zaboru simply chuckled and nodded as if he had just said the most normal thing in the world.
"You heard me right," Zaboru said with a grin. "Sneakers."
Hyoga looked at the slide again, then back at Zaboru, as if hoping the word would somehow change into something more logical, like headphones, computers, cameras, or anything remotely close to AKAI's usual business. But the word remained there clearly.
AKAI Sneakers.
Akechi, on the other hand, slowly leaned back in his chair and let out a low chuckle. He was not as shocked as Hyoga, mostly because he had already known Zaboru long enough to understand one thing very clearly: whenever Zaboru's idea sounded insane at first, it usually meant he had already seen ten steps ahead of everyone else.
Hyoga, however, was still struggling. "Boss... sneakers?"
Zaboru smiled, walked back to the laptop, and clicked to the next slide. Several images appeared on the screen: basketball shoes, football boots, casual sneakers, running shoes, and several early concept sketches using ZAGE characters and colors.
"Right now, the shoe world, or more specifically the sneaker world, is on fire," Zaboru explained. "People no longer wear sneakers only because they need something comfortable. Sneakers are becoming identity. Casual wear, street fashion, school life, sports culture, music culture, youth culture—everything is starting to connect. A good sneaker is not just footwear anymore. It can become a symbol."
Hyoga's expression became more serious. The moment Zaboru stopped treating the idea like a joke and started explaining the market logic, he began listening properly.
Zaboru continued, "Sports sneakers are especially powerful. Basketball shoes, football boots, running shoes, training shoes—these products don't only sell because athletes wear them. They sell because ordinary people want to feel close to that world. They want to wear something that makes them feel cooler, faster, stronger, more stylish, or more connected to the people they admire."
Akechi nodded slowly. "So it's not just a product. It's image."
"Exactly," Zaboru said. "And image is something ZAGE and AKAI already understand very well."
He clicked again, and this time the slide changed into several mock-up designs. One sneaker had a red-and-blue color palette inspired by Mario. Another had bright yellow accents and playful underwater-pattern details inspired by SpongeBob. A Sonic-inspired pair looked sharp and aerodynamic, with blue and white lines that made the shoe feel fast even while standing still. A Mega Man-inspired sneaker had a more mechanical look, with blue panels, silver details, and a futuristic sole design.
Zaboru's eyes brightened as he looked at the concepts. "Honestly, I love how basketball shoes look. They already have this powerful silhouette, that mix of performance and style. So I want AKAI to elevate that. Not just ordinary sneakers, but sneakers based on our IP. Mario, SpongeBob, Sonic, Mega Man, and many others. We can make shoes that fans want to wear not only because they are comfortable, but because they feel connected to characters they love."
Hyoga stared at the concepts, and even though he still looked shocked, a flicker of understanding appeared in his eyes.
Zaboru grinned. "Imagine a kid wearing Sonic sneakers and feeling like he can run faster. Imagine a basketball player wearing a Mega Man model because it looks futuristic and powerful. Imagine SpongeBob sneakers becoming popular with students because they're funny, colorful, and instantly recognizable. Imagine limited edition Mario shoes that collectors fight over. That kind of thing can make people go crazy."
Akechi nod. "Selling the emotion huh?."
Zaboru pointed at him. "That's the point."
Of course, Zaboru had another reason he could not explain. In his previous life, he knew very well that the sneaker business would become massive. Sneakers would become more than sports products. They would become fashion, collectibles, status symbols, collaborations, culture, and sometimes even investments. Limited editions could create madness. Athlete signature lines could become legendary. Collaborations with popular IP could turn simple products into events.
He could not say any of that directly, but he did not need to.
He only needed to guide AKAI toward that future earlier than everyone else.
Hyoga finally exhaled and rubbed his forehead. "Boss, for software, I understand. It is still within AKAI's scope. We are a technology company, so creating software divisions, creative tools, and digital products still makes sense. But sneakers are completely different from what we've done so far."
Zaboru nodded. "I know."
Hyoga continued, "We would need to start almost from scratch. Shoe design, material research, sole technology, comfort testing, sizing, sports performance testing, factories, production lines, quality control, distribution, employees, manufacturing partners, designers, athlete feedback... this is not a small side project. This is an entirely new industry for us."
"That's why I brought it here," Zaboru replied calmly. "If it were easy, I wouldn't even do it Hyoga-san."
Hyoga sighed, but the compliment clearly reached him. "That's really unusual thing to say and You always say dangerous things so smoothly, Boss."
Akechi smiled faintly. "That is one of his talents."
Zaboru chuckled and said, "Don't worry. I'm not asking AKAI to dominate the sneaker industry next month. I'll give you around two years to prepare the foundation properly."
Hyoga slowly looked at him. "Two years..."
Zaboru nodded. "Two years to build the division, recruit designers, find manufacturing partners, research materials, test prototypes, prepare branding, and slowly create the first lineup off course some of early design will come from me and I don't want cheap shoes with a character slapped on them. If we do this, AKAI sneakers must be real products. Comfortable. Stylish. Durable. And for sports models, actually usable."
Hyoga became quiet for a moment.
Then, slowly, his shock began turning into calculation. That was one of the reasons Zaboru trusted him. Hyoga could be surprised, confused, or overwhelmed at first, but once he accepted the direction, his mind began moving quickly.
"Two years would be impossible for a normal company," Hyoga said eventually. "But AKAI has a huge budget now. We also have global distribution experience, brand trust, and ZAGE's IP support. If we acquire or partner with existing factories instead of building everything from nothing, maybe... no, we can probably do it."
Zaboru smiled. "That's what I want to hear."
Hyoga leaned forward, already shifting from disbelief into planning mode. "We'll need a specialized division. Not under the normal electronics development structure. It has to be separate, with people who understand footwear, sports science, fashion, production, and brand marketing. If we put this under normal AKAI hardware teams, they'll treat shoes like gadgets and probably overcomplicate everything."
Akechi nod. "Shoes with firmware updates."
Hyoga grimaced. "Please don't joke about that. Boss might actually like it."
Zaboru cleared his throat. "I might though" Hyoga face pale.
Zaboru raised both hands innocently. "Fine, fine. Normal sneakers first."
Hyoga sighed with relief, though he clearly did not trust that "normal" would last very long.
Akechi then looked at the slide again and asked, "Are sneakers the only goal? Or do you eventually want AKAI to make T-shirts, sportswear, bags, jackets, and other fashion products too?"
Zaboru leaned back slightly and thought for a moment. "Maybe in the future. But for the short-term goal, let's focus on sneakers only. If we try to launch everything at once, we'll lose focus. Sneakers are already difficult enough. Once AKAI proves it can make good shoes, then we can consider sportswear and lifestyle products."
Akechi nodded. "That makes sense. But if you're entering sports culture, you'll need faces. Popular sneaker brands have their own stars. Nike, Adidas, and others use famous athletes to build identity. Basketball, football, running, boxing, tennis—every sport has its heroes."
He looked at Zaboru carefully. "How are you going to approach athletes? Especially basketball and football, since those are clearly your favorite sports."
Zaboru's grin slowly returned, Then Zaboru chuckled. "Hmm Athletes huh?."
What Akechi and Hyoga did not know was that Zaboru had knowledge from his previous life. He knew which athletes would become legends and which ones would not. He knew which young players would rise, which talents would explode, and which names would eventually dominate the world. In football, because this world's football timeline was only around five years behind his previous life, players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would appear soon enough. Many other future stars would also rise, and if AKAI approached them early, the company could secure partnerships before their value became insane.
Basketball was even more interesting. Since basketball in this world was delayed by around ten years, future superstars like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, and others would become massive opportunities. Some of them were already on Zaboru's mental list. He knew their future popularity, their play styles, their personalities, and how their image could connect with different sneaker lines.
Of course, he could not say any of that.
So Zaboru only smiled confidently and said, "Don't worry, Akechi-san. I know how to approach some future superstars. Believe me."
Akechi stared at him for a moment, then chuckled. "Somehow, I don't doubt that."
Hyoga tapped the table thoughtfully. "If we approach athletes early, before they become too expensive, we could secure long-term contracts. But we need to be careful. If we choose badly, we'll waste money."
Zaboru nodded. "That's why we won't throw money randomly. We will scout carefully. Basketball and football first. After that, maybe running, boxing, tennis, and other sports. But I want AKAI sneakers to have two identities. First, performance shoes connected to real athletes. Second, lifestyle and character shoes connected to ZAGE IP."
Akechi said. "Athletes for credibility. Characters for culture."
"Exactly," Zaboru said. "If we only rely on characters, people may think we're making novelty shoes. If we only rely on athletes, we become just another sports brand. But if we combine both, AKAI can become something different. Serious enough for sports, stylish enough for casual wear, and fun enough for fans."
Hyoga looked at the screen again. The Sonic shoe concept seemed fast and energetic. The Mega Man concept looked technical and sharp. The Mario concept had a nostalgic but sporty charm. The SpongeBob concept was ridiculous, but he could already imagine younger customers loving it.
Slowly, his resistance began to weaken.
"This might actually work," Hyoga muttered.
Zaboru grinned. "It will work."
Hyoga looked at him. "Boss how can you really confident about this?"
Akechi replied before Zaboru could. "That usually means he knows something we don't."
Zaboru laughed. "Maybe I just have good instinct?."
Akechi Smile a bit "You just Insane but in right amout Zabo."
Zaboru ignored that with impressive skill and continued the meeting. They began discussing the rough budget, possible headquarters for the new division, whether AKAI should hire experienced footwear designers from existing companies, whether they should acquire a small shoe manufacturer, how to protect ZAGE IP designs from cheap knockoffs, and how to connect sneakers with ZAGE events, sports tournaments, and game releases.
Hyoga quickly began listing the major requirements. "We need footwear designers, sports scientists, factory consultants, material suppliers, quality-control specialists, marketing people, athlete-relations staff, fashion designers, and probably a legal team focused on licensing and counterfeit protection."
Akechi calmly added, "Leave counterfeit protection in Japan to me."
Hyoga paused, then nodded. "That is... reassuring."
Zaboru smiled awkwardly because when Akechi said something like that, it sounded both professional and terrifying.
The discussion continued for a while, and by the end of it, Hyoga had already started writing down the first steps. He was still overwhelmed, but he was no longer rejecting the idea. In fact, his eyes were starting to show the same excitement he had when AKAI first began transforming into something greater.
That was when Zaboru knew the proposal had truly landed.
AKAI would not become a sneaker brand overnight.
It would take money, time, people, factories, mistakes, prototypes, and probably many arguments.
But the first seed had been planted.
In the future, AKAI would not only be known for electronics, software, phones, computers, and digital tools.
It would also step into streets, courts, fields, gyms, schools, and fashion culture.
AKAI would become a sneaker brand.
And when that day came, Zaboru already knew one thing for sure.
People were going to lose their minds.
To be continued.
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 50+ advance chapter and additional 1 chapter a week for 4$ considering subscribe to my patreon patreon.com/Zaborn_1997
Or buymecoffee https://buymeacoffee.com/Zaborn_1997 which same with patreon
current Patreon/buymecoffe chap 1258
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc