Thursday Evening 11 March 2001.
Zaboru had just arrived in Los Angeles and was already relaxing inside his house for a bit while doing a light boxing workout in his private gym. Despite the long flight from Japan, his energy still looked ridiculous as usual. Sweat lightly covered his body while the sound of punches echoed through the room rhythmically.
Not long after, Ryan Miller arrived at Zaboru's house. Ryan was the owner of Emerald Wings, ZAGE's official distributor in the United States. Even though ZAGE now owned fifty percent of the company, the other fifty percent still belonged to Ryan himself, making him unbelievably wealthy at this point. He was still in his late thirties, extremely handsome, naturally charismatic, and rich enough that women constantly caused problems around him.
Honestly, Ryan's biggest issue was not finding women.
It was escaping them.
Despite all of that, Ryan remained surprisingly down-to-earth around Zaboru because Zaboru is a guy who can be attractive without even trying and also he is his boss. The two of them had worked together for years already, and their relationship had long evolved beyond business partners. At this point, Ryan was clearly one of Zaboru's closest friends in the United States.
Zaboru was pounding the heavy boxing bag like a madman inside his private gym while Ryan stood nearby watching with visible disbelief. Every punch produced a deep, violent sound that echoed throughout the room, and the heavy bag itself swung aggressively from the sheer force behind each strike.
But what made it truly terrifying was not just the power.
It was the precision.
Zaboru's movements looked unbelievably smooth. His footwork flowed naturally across the floor with almost dance-like rhythm, constantly shifting angles while maintaining balance perfectly. His shoulders rotated sharply, his breathing remained controlled, and every punch connected with frightening accuracy.
Jab.
Cross.
Hook.
Body shot.
Then suddenly a fast spinning kick slammed into the bag hard enough to make the metal chain above creak loudly.
Ryan blinked.
"Damn, Boss..." Ryan muttered while crossing his arms. "You really are something else. If those punches connect to someone directly, I don't think it's going to end well for them."
Zaboru chuckled while continuing to attack the bag without slowing down at all. Sweat lightly covered his body now, but strangely enough, his movements still looked clean and beautiful instead of messy. Even while fighting aggressively, there was still rhythm and control behind every motion.
Honestly?
It looked more like a trained martial artist than someone simply exercising.
"Heh... honestly, it probably won't come to that," Zaboru replied casually while slipping sideways and immediately throwing another combination into the bag.
Ryan could only laugh while watching the session continue. He had seen Zaboru train multiple times already, but it still looked absurd every single time. The most ridiculous part was that Zaboru did not even look exhausted yet.
If anything...
He looked like he was having fun.
The heavy bag suddenly shook violently again after Zaboru delivered another brutal body hook followed by a sharp elbow strike.
Ryan immediately raised one eyebrow. "Boss... are you boxing or trying to assassinate the bag?"
Zaboru laughed.
"Depends on the mood."
Ryan shook his head while grinning. "But hey, after this let's take a little walk around town. I want to show you something."
Zaboru continued moving around the bag while listening carefully.
"It's mainly about how the United States has been affected by ZAGE in general," Ryan explained. "Especially public gaming spaces."
Zaboru inhaled deeply before finally slowing down and stopping his punches. Then he grabbed a towel nearby and wiped some sweat from his neck.
"Gaming spaces?" he asked curiously. "You mean arcades?"
Ryan grinned mysteriously. "Well... you'll see."
Then Ryan pointed toward him with amusement. "Anyway, let's get changed first. And don't forget to use a disguise. Those faces of yours are recognizable almost everywhere now. If people realize Zaboru Renkonan is casually walking around L.A at night, we're never escaping the crowd."
Zaboru chuckled and nodded. "Okay, okay. Wait a bit. Let me clean myself first."
About ten minutes later, Zaboru finally came out ready while Ryan was already waiting outside near the car. Ryan himself was dressed casually tonight, wearing jeans, sneakers, and a dark jacket that helped him blend into the city crowd more naturally.
Then Zaboru appeared.
He wore short pants combined with a tight black shirt that subtly outlined his athletic body, layered with a sporty jacket on top. To avoid being recognized immediately, he also wore a wig along with a fake mustache.
Unfortunately...
The disguise barely helped.
Ryan stared at him for a few seconds before sighing helplessly. "Boss... how are you even like this?"
"Hm?"
"You always look good almost effortlessly. Damn." Ryan rubbed his forehead dramatically. "Most people wear disguises to become less noticeable. You somehow became more noticeable."
Zaboru immediately laughed.
"Well... natural talent, I guess?" he answered shamelessly.
Ryan pointed at him accusingly. "See? That confidence right there is exactly why women become dangerous around you."
Zaboru only laughed harder "Dude come on I'm married". Ryan sighed "And that's why your wifes in always envied by other woman boss"
Honestly, Ryan was not even exaggerating. Even with a fake mustache and casual clothes, Zaboru still looked strangely charismatic.wd.
Ryan shook his head one last time before hopping into the car. "Whatever. Let's just hope nobody recognizes you tonight."
Zaboru chuckled before following him inside.
Not long after, Ryan parked the car near one part of downtown Los Angeles, and the moment Zaboru stepped outside, he immediately noticed that the atmosphere here felt... different.
The streets were far more alive than normal despite it already being nighttime. Neon signs glowed everywhere, game advertisements covered building walls, anime posters could be seen through shop windows, and groups of teenagers walked around while loudly discussing games, cards, online rankings, and tournaments.
It honestly did not feel like the Los Angeles Zaboru remembered.
It felt strangely familiar instead.
"Huh..." Zaboru looked around curiously. "What kind of place is this?"
Ryan only grinned mysteriously. "You'll see."
Then Ryan quickly walked toward the first building nearby, causing Zaboru to follow behind him. The moment the automatic door opened, Zaboru's eyes widened slightly.
It was a P.C Bang.
In the United States.
And it was unbelievably crowded.
Rows of computers filled the room while the sounds of keyboards, mouse clicks, online games, laughter, shouting, and background music mixed together into complete chaos. Some people were playing Counter Strike, others were playing MMORPGs Ragnarok, and a few groups were even gathered together while loudly arguing over DoTa.
But what truly surprised Zaboru was not the computers themselves.
It was the atmosphere.
The smell of instant noodles.
The energy.
The noise.
The slightly chaotic feeling of strangers becoming temporary teammates for hours.
It felt almost exactly like the P.C Bang culture he remembered from Korea and China.
For a moment, Zaboru genuinely looked stunned.
"P.C Bang...? In L.A?" Zaboru asked, still looking around in disbelief.
Ryan grinned as if he had been waiting for this reaction. "Apparently, this kind of business has been rising fast lately. P.C Bangs are becoming popular not only in Los Angeles, but also in several other American cities. From what I heard, some Korean immigrants and businessmen started opening places like this a few months ago, and then it exploded. Now a lot of people are copying the model."
He glanced toward the crowded rows of computers, where teenagers were shouting strategy at each other while a few older college students silently focused on their matches. "Some places are pure P.C Bangs, some combine internet cafés with gaming lounges, and some even add arcade spaces inside. It's still messy and experimental, but people love it. They don't just come here to play games. They come here to hang out, compete, eat, and feel like they belong somewhere."
Zaboru laughed softly while looking at the scene again. He had expected arcades, console stores, maybe even some early LAN cafés, but seeing a culture so close to Korean and Chinese P.C Bangs spreading in America this quickly genuinely surprised him.
"Interesting..." he muttered with a grin. "So ZAGE's online games indirectly created American P.C Bang culture too."
Ryan chuckled. "Pretty much. Counter Strike, Ragnarok, Dota, Gunbound, Audition and even some Steam multiplayer games are pushing people here. Not everyone has a powerful computer at home, and not every teenager can convince their parents to buy one. But paying for a few hours here? That's easier."
After leaving the P.C Bang, Ryan guided Zaboru toward the building next door. At first glance, it looked like a ZAGE merchandise store, but Zaboru quickly realized something felt off. The display window was filled with ZAGE-related items, but the arrangement was too messy, the signage looked slightly amateurish, and some character designs looked just a little wrong.
Ryan leaned closer and whispered, "This one isn't official."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow.
"It's a mixed store," Ryan explained. "Some merchandise is original, some is resold, and some..." He glanced at a suspiciously ugly Zabo-Man keychain near the entrance. "Well, some are definitely counterfeit."
Zaboru stared at the keychain for a few seconds before suddenly chuckling.
"Wow. They made Zabo-Man look like he owes money to three different gangs."
Ryan immediately laughed.
Instead of getting angry, Zaboru only smiled with strange amusement before stepping inside the store. Counterfeits were definitely a problem, but at the same time, the fact that random stores in Los Angeles were already selling unofficial ZAGE merchandise meant one thing very clearly.
ZAGE's culture had spread far beyond official control.
Then Zaboru noticed something else inside the store.
There were a lot of Gundam products.
GunPla.
Model kits.
Posters.
Small figures.
Some shelves were even completely dedicated to Gundam alone.
Zaboru chuckled softly while looking around, but what truly caught his attention was the people gathered near the GunPla section. Several westerners, including some huge muscular guys with ripped bodies and tattoo-covered arms, were passionately discussing Gundam model kits together like excited children.
"No, no, the ZZ- Gundam design is cooler because the frame actually look like POWER!!"
"Bro, you only like it because it looks dramatic."
"What's wrong with dramatic!?"
Yes they talk about
Another man nearby was carefully explaining painting techniques for model kits while holding a tiny Gundam arm like it was some priceless engineering masterpiece.
Ryan grinned after seeing Zaboru's expression. "And this too... Gundam became insanely popular in the USA. GunPla, or Gundam building kits, are becoming a pretty big hobby around here lately."
Zaboru could not help smiling wider.
"Somehow... this makes me proud," he admitted quietly.
For a moment, he simply stood there watching random people outside Japan passionately enjoying Gundam together.
And honestly?
The feeling warmed his heart more than he expected.
In his previous life, Gundam often felt strangely exclusive to Japanese audiences. Not just the games, but even the anime itself, the merchandise, and especially the model kits were much harder to access globally. Many international fans had to rely on imports, fan translations, or limited releases just to experience the franchise properly.
But in this world, things became different.
Because ZAGE handled Gundam globally from the beginning, the franchise spread far beyond Japan much faster than before. Anime dubs released earlier, games launched internationally, merchandise distribution expanded aggressively, and GunPla itself became easier for stores around the world to stock.
And now?
Here he was.
Standing in Los Angeles while random Americans passionately argued about Gundam designs.
It honestly felt surreal.
Zaboru watched one father helping his young son carefully build a GunPla kit together at a nearby hobby table, and his smile softened slightly.
This was exactly the kind of thing he wanted.
Entertainment crossing borders.
People connecting through the same passion despite completely different backgrounds.
A Japanese mecha franchise becoming something enjoyed by the entire world.
For Zaboru, that feeling was genuinely special.
Nearby, several other buildings were also packed with entertainment booths. There was a Yu-Gi-Oh card area filled with teenagers loudly dueling each other while crowds gathered around to watch dramatic final turns. Right beside it was a Pokémon card booth where younger kids excitedly traded cards, argued about evolutions, and proudly showed rare holographic pulls to strangers.
The entire place felt unbelievably lively.
Bright signs glowed everywhere, anime music echoed through the streets, arcade sounds mixed with laughter, and small stores sold everything from game accessories to imported manga and collectible figures.
Honestly?
It felt like a miniature Akihabara had somehow appeared in the middle of Los Angeles.
Zaboru slowly looked around while smiling quietly to himself. Seeing American teenagers passionately talking about Japanese games, anime, trading cards, and model kits still felt strangely surreal to him.
Ryan grinned after noticing Zaboru's reaction. "Somehow, ZAGE really opened a lot of completely new businesses in the USA," he said. "You guys basically introduced this entire style of entertainment culture to many Americans."
Zaboru chuckled softly. "Honestly... it couldn't be better than this."
And he genuinely meant it.
Back in his previous life, Japanese entertainment culture had spread internationally too, but often much slower and with far more barriers. Some things stayed niche for years outside Japan. But in this world, because ZAGE aggressively localized, distributed, and pushed entertainment globally from the start, the spread happened much faster.
Now people from completely different backgrounds were gathering together because of games, anime, online culture, and hobbies.
To Zaboru, that was beautiful.
Ryan nodded, but then his expression slowly became more serious. "Yeah... but you also need to see the next part."
Zaboru immediately noticed the change in tone.
"Well... it's probably not going to be pleasant."
Zaboru frowned slightly before following Ryan toward another building, his curiosity immediately rising.
To be continue
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