Wednesday 28 September 1997.
After the unpleasant meeting with Steve Jobs, Zaboru immediately contacted Hyoga Akai that same night, clearly stating that he needed an urgent meeting. Hyoga, without hesitation, agreed and arranged for the meeting to take place at the AKAI headquarters. Zaboru accepted the invitation, and by the next day, he was on his way to AKAI HQ with two main objectives in mind. First, to officially restart the previously postponed project, and second, to check the development progress of AKAI's upcoming phone—the Z2 Flip—which was still in active production.
It wasn't long before Zaboru arrived at AKAI headquarters. As expected, Hyoga Akai was already waiting for him at the entrance. Although Zaboru only held 40% of AKAI's shares, compared to Hyoga's 30%, Hyoga still regarded Zaboru as his true boss. This dynamic existed not out of obligation, but out of mutual respect and because Zaboru had never shown any interest in fully acquiring the company. The remaining 30% of shares were owned by Zaboru's brother-in-law, Akechi Hamazou, keeping the company closely tied among trusted allies.
Hyoga promptly led Zaboru through the sleek halls of the building, guiding him toward the executive meeting room. He knew Zaboru well—well enough to prepare a room stocked not just with notes and documents, but with an impressive spread of food. The long conference table had been transformed into a mini buffet: crispy gyoza, golden tempura, neatly wrapped onigiri, and even a few juicy hamburgers.
Zaboru's eyes widened as he stepped inside. "Whoa! There's a lot of food here," he said, clearly surprised.
Hyoga grinned. "Yes, Zaboru-san, they're all for you."
Zaboru burst into laughter. "HAHAHA! Hyoga-san, you really know me! What a coincidence—I haven't even had breakfast yet!"
Without hesitation, he took a seat and began devouring the food enthusiastically. Hyoga joined him soon after, and the two chatted casually over the meal. Their talk bounced between idle topics—trending tech, childhood memories, some office gossip—while Hyoga kept a relaxed demeanor, letting Zaboru enjoy the moment.
Still, in the back of his mind, Hyoga couldn't help but think, 'Damn! Zaboru-san sure can eat!' Every item he'd brought to impress was being devoured at lightning speed. What amazed Hyoga even more was how effortlessly Zaboru did it—without even breaking stride in conversation.
Then, after nearly half an hour of eating and chatting, Zaboru and Hyoga finally finished their meal. Zaboru leaned back, wiped his hands with a napkin, and said, "Thanks for the meal, Hyoga-san. Now, let's get down to business. First of all, I want to ask about the progress of our AKAI Z2 Flip. Is there any update? How's the development coming along?"
Hyoga nodded with a smile. "The progress is going smoothly, Zaboru-san. We're preparing for release next year, possibly around mid-year or later, depending on final testing and production. We're doing everything we can to polish the hardware and software. The timing is tight, though, since Nokia is also set to release their color phone next year. They've already started teasing and promoting it aggressively, and the media buzz is building fast."
He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "But don't worry. I truly believe our phone will be far superior. Your design is years ahead of anything they've shown. It's innovative, elegant, and practical. I'm confident the Z2 Flip will outperform anything Nokia puts out."
Zaboru chuckled and gave a satisfied nod. "That's good to hear. And you're right. Our phone will definitely be better. I've made sure of it."
As the conversation continued, Zaboru's mind drifted slightly. He couldn't help but notice again how quickly the technology in this world was evolving compared to his previous life. Nokia was already teasing the Nokia 3510—a device that, in his old timeline, wasn't supposed to release until 2002. That meant either the industry was accelerating on its own… or AKAI's emergence had already started shifting the timeline.
Maybe Nokia saw AKAI as a legitimate threat now. The Z1 had sold insanely well, far beyond anyone's expectations. It had shaken the market. And with the Z2 Flip on the way, that pressure was only going to build. Zaboru smirked to himself, knowing they were already playing catch-up.
"Great, as expected—I can always count on you when it comes to phones," Zaboru said, his tone satisfied and steady. He glanced at the notebook in front of him, flipping to a bookmarked page. "Now, next topic. Are you still doing research on our 'Z-Pod' project? I haven't heard much recently."
Hyoga blinked in surprise, visibly caught off guard. "We're still working on it, but we scaled down the manpower for now since you told us to postpone the project, right? Most of the resources were redirected to the Z2 Flip."
Zaboru nodded slowly, tapping his pen thoughtfully. "True, that was the plan. But I want us to shift focus now. Let's bring it back into full development—serious, dedicated effort. I want AKAI to fully commit to researching the Z-Pod. Explore every angle, every possibility. If you need to expand your team or require additional budget, tell me right away. I'll personally make sure the funding is there."
Hyoga looked even more surprised, leaning forward slightly. "Huh? Why the sudden change of mind, Zaboru-san? You were pretty clear before that it could wait."
Zaboru kept smiling and replied casually, "Nothing major. I've just been thinking a lot lately, and I've come up with some new plans for the Z-Pod—directions I hadn't considered before. The more I think about it, the more I realize it has real potential, not just as a product, but as a platform that could reshape how people consume and interact with digital music. So, tell me—do you think it's doable?"
Hyoga nodded, reassured but also thoughtful. "Sure thing. It's not a problem, at least not in terms of feasibility. But we'll probably need to bring in additional staff—engineers with experience in compact storage tech and user interface design. Right now, AKAI's core team is still knee-deep in the Z2 Flip's final stages, and onboarding new personnel will take time. We don't want to rush this and compromise quality."
Zaboru nodded in understanding, appreciating Hyoga's realism. "That's perfectly reasonable. I'm not expecting overnight results here. Take your time and build it properly. I'll give you a window until the end of 1999. That gives us more than a year to prototype, test, and iterate. Can you deliver something impressive by then? Something that doesn't just work—but changes the way people interact with music forever?"
Hyoga considered it for a moment, brows drawn in thought. Then, slowly, a confident smile spread across his face. "That's plenty of time. Yes, I think we can do that. Especially with your vision and our resources, I believe we can create something that truly pushes boundaries."
Their conversation didn't stop there. For nearly an hour, the two exchanged ideas, sketching out rough outlines of the Z-Pod's form, debating storage capacity, playback quality, intuitive navigation methods, and even early concepts for a digital storefront. The energy in the room shifted from measured to electric as the scope of what they were discussing began to settle in. This wasn't just another gadget. It was a chance to change history.
Eventually, Zaboru stood up, stretched slightly, and reached out to shake Hyoga's hand. "I'll leave it in your hands now. Get the team ready, and if you run into any roadblocks—technical or financial—let me know immediately."
Hyoga gripped his hand firmly. "You got it, Zaboru-san. I won't let you down."
Zaboru left the meeting room feeling lighter, but also more focused. As he exited the building and stepped into his waiting car, his mind buzzed with anticipation. As the driver pulled away from AKAI HQ, the Tokyo skyline slid past the windows like a moving canvas of opportunity.
He leaned back in the seat, eyes fixed on the horizon. A smirk crept across his face.
"Sorry, Steve Jobs," he muttered under his breath, grinning. "I'm going to steal every single one of your inventions before you even make them. And this time, they'll have my name on them."
To be continued
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