The very next day after the pivotal meeting regarding the expansion of the Arcade division and the formation of the Nexus team, Zaboru wasted no time. Early that morning, he made his way to the headquarters of Miyagi Batteries, a crucial partner in one of ZAGE's next major initiatives. He had already made the call in advance to set things in motion. Waiting for him there was none other than Ryo Miyagi, the current CEO of the company—and a long-time friend.
Ryo and Zaboru shared a bond that stretched back to their teenage years. They had been classmates in high school. Now, Ryo has fully embraced his role as the leader of Miyagi Batteries. Over the years, he had grown from a quiet, slightly awkward student into a sharp, resourceful, and highly capable CEO. His dedication to battery innovation had already paid off, helping push the boundaries of what was possible in portable energy.
As Zaboru approached the facility, he was struck by how much the place had evolved since his last visit—new wings, advanced R&D labs, and teams bustling with engineers and designers. It was clear Ryo had been doing more than just holding the company together.
Zaboru soon arrived at the sleek, modern entrance of Miyagi Batteries' corporate offices. The polished glass facade reflected the morning sun, and the automated doors parted with a soft whoosh as he stepped inside. The lobby was alive with quiet energy—clean, organized, and humming with the sound of innovation. Almost immediately, Ryo Miyagi appeared from around the corner, already heading toward him with confident strides and a warm, familiar grin.
"Zaboru! Right on time," Ryo called out, raising a hand. The two friends met with a quick but firm handshake, followed by a friendly pat on the back. "Welcome, old friend," Ryo said cheerfully. "Let's head to the meeting room—we've got a lot to go over."
They began walking together down a sleek corridor lined with framed patents and digital displays of Miyagi's latest battery tech. The atmosphere was equal parts nostalgic and forward-looking—just like their friendship.
"So Ryo, how are the battery projects going?" Zaboru asked as they sat down across from each other in the sleek meeting room. The polished wood table between them was stacked with printed reports, schematics, and test data.
Ryo Miyagi smiled, visibly proud. "Honestly? The project's moving along pretty smoothly. We've hit some solid breakthroughs recently. Our latest prototype for rechargeable lithium batteries is both stable and safe for use in your handheld console project. That part is almost done."
He leaned forward, tapping on one of the blueprints. "The main hurdle now is capacity. We're able to deliver a consistent 700mAH output, which is decent—but anything beyond that starts to destabilize the cell. It's a chemistry problem mostly, something we're still fine-tuning. But it's not the kind of challenge we can't solve with a bit more time and another engineering pass."
Ryo paused and then grinned. "Honestly, a big part of why we've come this far is thanks to your investment. The funding you gave us allowed my team to expand, upgrade our testing equipment, and explore alternative materials without rushing. Your trust gave us the room to experiment properly—and that made all the difference."
He glanced up from the document stack, his grin widening. "It's really exciting, Zaboru. We're not just developing a battery—we're pushing the entire portable energy sector forward."
Zaboru grinned, leaning forward slightly in his seat. "That's good to hear, Ryo. So when do you think we can expect the batteries to be ready—at least for internal testing? It would help ZAGE start designing the handheld around those specs."
Ryo leaned back, folding his arms thoughtfully as he stared at the charts for a moment. "Well, if we're talking about the upgraded battery like you requested—the one with 1200mAH power output—I'd say we're on a solid path. Right now, with how things are progressing, we'll probably need a bit more than 8 months to get that to full working condition. But that's assuming everything moves according to schedule."
He thought a bit. "Now, if we're just talking about a stable version for lab testing around 850mAH, I think we could have something workable in about three to four months. That'll give us time to stabilize the charge output, run safety cycles, and make sure it can handle multiple use-case simulations. There's still a lot of testing to be done with heat resistance, charge degradation, and long-term wear, but we're close."
Ryo smiled with growing confidence. "If nothing major gets in our way, we'll have something your engineers can work with before the end of the quarter. And I know your handheld division's going to want a lot of lead time, so we're doing everything we can to stay ahead."
"That's really great, Ryo. That's some solid news. I hope everything continues to go well, hehehe," Zaboru said with a relieved grin. Ryo chuckled, leaning back comfortably in his chair as the tone of their conversation shifted from formal to something more relaxed and personal.
"But man," Ryo said, shaking his head with mock disbelief, "you're completely insane sometimes. I mean it—you drop these wild challenges on us like creating a battery that doesn't even exist in the market yet. Who does that?" He laughed, throwing his hands up. "Remember a few years ago when you first came to us about developing the original Z-Batteries for your handheld? We all thought you were joking. But you were dead serious."
Ryo pointed toward the window with a nostalgic smile. "And then boom—we released it, and the entire battery industry shifted overnight. That tech made waves. Our design, inspired and guided by your vision, got studied by everyone. I'm talking about global battery firms breaking down our schematics, trying to reverse-engineer what we made together."
He scratched his bald head with a playful groan. "And now, here you are again, asking us to build something even crazier. A battery more powerful, lighter, safer—all while being tailored for next-gen handheld devices. You don't make it easy, Zaboru. You're really making me go bald, man. I swear, my hairline's been retreating ever since that first prototype."
Zaboru laughed, shaking his head. "You've been bald since high school, you bastard! Don't try blaming that on me. But seriously, come on, Miyagi Batteries are stronger than ever now, right?"
Ryo leaned back in his chair, stretching and letting out a loud sigh. "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's doing great. But my workload's doubled—maybe even tripled. No one told me being CEO would be this exhausting! Ughhh." He rubbed his temples dramatically, clearly exaggerating but not entirely joking.
Zaboru chuckled. "But look at you now. You've grown into it. You only complain all the time, but in the end, you're still doing a damn good job. Everyone sees it."
Ryo sighed again, this time more sincerely. "It's just... I really hate how much I'm starting to sound like my old man. You remember how he used to grumble about everything when we were kids? Now I'm him. I walk around the office, muttering about deadlines, budgets, prototypes not working. The cycle is real, man."
Zaboru smirked. "Well, at least you didn't inherit his mustache."
Ryo pointed dramatically. "Don't jinx it." They both burst out laughing, the room filled with a sense of nostalgia and shared growth, a reminder of how far they'd both come in just a few years.
Ryo then said, "Anyway, don't worry about the batteries, man. I've got things covered. Let's just keep our heads down and hope for the best. Honestly, with the amount of investment you've poured into this project, we've got more than enough runway to make something incredible. I'm confident we'll deliver."
Zaboru nodded with a small smile, but Ryo sighed and leaned back again, his expression softening. "Still, man… I can't freaking believe it. You're already married, and you've got a son, too. Meanwhile, I'm still stuck neck-deep in this CEO grind, buried in reports, deadlines, and never-ending meetings."
Ryo leaned forward and squinted at him. "Hold on a second—you're a CEO too, right? And of an even bigger company than mine, you bastard! How the hell did you manage to get married?"
Zaboru chuckled and shrugged. "Maybe I'm just that handsome. Ever think of that?"
Ryo rolled his eyes and muttered with a grin, "Bastard."
Zaboru laugh then gave him a sympathetic look. "You seeing anyone now? Anyone serious?"
Ryo shrugged, a half-smile playing on his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I've dated a few people over the years after we graduate. Some decent, some… not so much. But most of them ended up cheating on me or turning out to be more into the idea of dating a CEO than actually getting to know me. It's like I'm just a status symbol or a bank account to them." He paused, staring off for a second. "I barely have time to sleep, let alone take someone out for dinner. They don't get it. The pressure, the workload—it's not something you can just shut off."
Zaboru leaned back in his chair, his voice softening. "Damn, I'm really sorry to hear that, man." He looked down at the table, briefly lost in thought, before continuing. "It's hard for me to fully relate sometimes. Ayumi… She's been with me long before any of this success. Back when I had nothing but a few ideas and dreams—before ZAGE even existed, before we were even dating. She believed in me when all I had were loose sketches and ambition. She stuck by me through everything, never once doubting me. That kind of love… It's rare. I've never had to question it, heh even i am not realizing sooner you know?"
Ryo let out a slow exhale and nodded. "Yeah. That's the kind of person I hope I meet someday. Someone who sees through the title and the money and just… gets me."
Zaboru looked at his friend, seeing more than just fatigue—he saw loneliness, the kind that success couldn't fill. "You'll find her, Ryo. You've got a good heart. It's just buried under all that corporate stress and caffeine."
Ryo chuckled at that. "Caffeine and prototypes—my two most loyal companions."
Zaboru grinned. "Then maybe you need a wig—or a hair transplant in Turkey or something. I hear they've got services for that over there." He laughed.
Ryo shot him a mock glare. "You bastard! My bald head's been your joke since high school!" He chuckled, then added with a sigh, "And you're a lucky bastard too. You landed someone like Ayumi—absolutely gorgeous, insanely kind, and totally in love with you. I've always been jealous of that."
Zaboru laughed again, but this time with a bit more warmth.
They both laughed, but the moment carried something deeper. A shared understanding between two old friends. It reminded Zaboru how important it was to stay grounded, no matter how high the world lifted you.
Zaboru then asked, "Anyway, how's Satoshi, man? Have you heard anything from him lately?"
Satoshi had been their close friend during high school—part of an inseparable trio with Zaboru and Ryo. He was the one who always stood out for his passion for animals. While most students were into sports or games, Satoshi was raising reptiles and insects in his bedroom.
Ryo smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I heard he recently graduated from college. Can you believe it? Now he's actually working as a professor—something in animal studies or zoology. You remember how obsessed he was with animal biology. It's no surprise he ended up there. Remember those times we'd go to his house and check out that insane animal collection of his?"
Zaboru laughed, shaking his head. "How could I forget? The dude had snakes—plural—and a freaking alligator in a tank! Not to mention the wall of insects, all labeled and pinned like some kind of horror museum. I swear, half the time I was just trying not to get bitten or stung. And yet, he treated them like family."
Ryo chuckled. "He definitely had his own rhythm. But yeah, it's pretty clear he's doing what he's always wanted. Living his passion, teaching others, probably turning his classroom into a mini zoo."
Zaboru leaned back, smiling warmly. "It's good to hear he's thriving. People like Satoshi—they don't follow the crowd. They find what makes them happy and go all-in. I really respect that."
Ryo added, laughing, "Oh, and by the way—he still loves your Pokémon game. Last time I saw him, he couldn't stop talking about it. Said it's easily your best one yet."
Zaboru chuckled. "Of course he does. I even named the anime's main character Satoshi because of him." He laughed again, the nostalgia clear in his voice.
Their conversation continued, filled with old memories and friendly teasing, before Zaboru finally made his way back to the ZAGE offices.
To be continue
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