Zaboru, Shinsuke, Yuuki, and Shoto eventually arrived at Zaboru's old office on the second floor of the first building. The hallway outside it had been restored carefully, but unlike the other areas of the museum, this section felt unusually quiet. Even the lighting was softer, almost as though the people responsible for the renovation wanted visitors to slow down before entering.
The small sign beside the door simply read:
ZABORU'S OFFICE
The room where many of ZAGE's earliest worlds were first imagined.
Zaboru stared at the words for a moment before glancing toward Yuuki. "Let's see what you did with it, Yuu," he said with an amused smile.
Yuuki stiffened immediately. Despite standing nearly two meters tall, he somehow looked like a nervous student waiting for his teacher to grade an assignment. Shinsuke noticed and lightly patted his back, though the force nearly pushed the large man forward.
Shinsuke grinned and said, "Relax, Yuu-chan. If Boss hates it, you can always jump out the second-floor window."
Yuuki looked genuinely alarmed. "Shin-san, please don't say that."
Shoto chuckled and added, "Don't worry. We reinforced the windows too."
"That does not make me feel better," Yuuki muttered.
Zaboru laughed before placing his hand on the doorknob. The strange expressions all three men had shown earlier made him deeply suspicious, but his curiosity had already won.
He slowly opened the door.
Then he stopped.
"What the hell...?"
The old office was much larger than he remembered.
At first, Zaboru thought his memory had betrayed him, which was nearly impossible because of Deep Memory Dive. But after taking another look, he realized what had happened. The walls separating his old office from two adjacent storage rooms had been removed, creating one much larger exhibition space. The construction team had preserved the original shape of Zaboru's office in the center using floor markings and subtle brass borders, while the expanded areas around it had been transformed into a gallery dedicated to his personal history with ZAGE.
His original desk remained almost exactly where it used to be.
The old chair had been restored.
His primitive drawing board stood near the wall.
Stacks of replicated documents, rough sketches, handwritten ideas, and early ZAGE plans were arranged beneath protective glass. Some of the papers were neat. Others looked like they had been written by a sleep-deprived man fighting three different thoughts at once.
However, those were not what surprised him most.
The walls were covered in framed photographs of him.
There were dozens.
No, perhaps more than a hundred.
They showed him during many different periods of his life: smiling, exhausted, angry, laughing, working, performing, presenting consoles, meeting employees, and sometimes making expressions that no company president should ever allow to be preserved historically.
Then Zaboru noticed the display cases.
Inside them were numerous action figures of himself.
Some showed him wearing the ZABO-Man costume. Others depicted him holding guitars, game controllers, microphones, swords, and even the "Shirtless". There was one model of him standing dramatically with his coat blowing backward, despite there obviously being no wind inside the display. Another figure showed him sitting on a throne made from game cartridges while holding a controller like a royal scepter.
Zaboru slowly turned toward Yuuki.
"Where did you get these action figures?" he asked, pointing toward the cases. "Aren't these illegal fan-made things? They're from those fanatic female fans of mine, right? I thought Ayumi destroyed all of these."
Shinsuke immediately burst into laughter. "Hahaha! No, Boss. Ayumi-chan didn't destroy them. She kept them."
Zaboru's expression became blank.
Shinsuke continued with visible amusement. "When I asked whether we could have them for the museum, she agreed immediately and gave us almost everything. She even organized them by year."
Zaboru stared at him. "She organized them?"
Yuuki nodded carefully. "Ayumi-san also included several notes about which figures were accurate and which ones had... unrealistic proportions."
Silence filled the room.
Shoto turned away and covered his mouth.
Shinsuke's shoulders began shaking.
Zaboru slowly looked toward one figure whose arms, shoulders, and chest were far larger than any normal version of him had ever been.
"Damn it, Ayumi..." he whispered.
Shoto finally whistled and looked through the glass. "Still, Boss, you're insanely popular. Some of your female fanatics made all of these by hand. Honestly, I'm jealous. Nobody has ever made an action figure of me."
Zaboru sighed and shrugged. "Trust me, Shoto-san, it's less flattering when someone gives your figure removable clothing."
Shoto stopped smiling.
Shinsuke laughed so loudly that his voice echoed through the room, while Yuuki became fascinated by the floor again.
Zaboru ignored them and approached the wall of framed photographs. His irritation quickly turned into surprise because some of those photographs should not have been available to Shinsuke or Yuuki at all.
The first image showed Zaboru at seventeen years old in 1991. He stood outside Bakudan Arcade with a wide grin after selling the first ZAS, the ZAGE Arcade System. The machine itself could be seen behind him, still rough and nowhere near as polished as ZAGE arcade later models. He looked young, overly confident, and completely unaware of how far his decision would eventually take him.
Beneath it was a description written by Yuuki:
THE FIRST SALE — 1991
At seventeen years old, Zaboru Renkonan sold the first ZAGE Arcade System to Bakudan Arcade. At the time, it was only one machine placed inside one arcade but with 4 games. No one standing there knew that this sale would become the first step of a company that would later reach across the world.
From this Zaboru got money to make ZEPS 1 officially.
Zaboru stared at the final sentence.
"Shin-san."
Shinsuke folded his arms and replied proudly, "Historical accuracy, Boss."
The next picture showed Zaboru sitting inside the original office for the first time. The room was nearly empty except for a desk, two chairs, a small fan, and several boxes filled with components and paper. Zaboru in the photograph looked exhausted, but his eyes were bright.
Another image showed his first appearance on television while wearing the ZABO-Man mask. Beside it was a photograph from his first public face reveal during the dispute between ZAGE and Universal Studios over the Kong and Donkey Kong controversy.
The description beneath that image read:
THE FACE BEHIND ZAGE
Before this moment, many people knew the name Zaboru Renkonan, but few knew the young man behind it. During ZAGE's conflict with Universal Studios, Zaboru stepped forward publicly and revealed his face to the world.
Some expected a veteran businessman. Some expected an older game designer. Instead, they saw an unusually young man who looked far too calm while challenging a global corporation.
Zaboru chuckled as he read it. "I was not calm and to be record that because i'm in court room there's no way to hide my face okay?"
Yuuki looked surprised. "You looked calm in the footage."
"I was screaming internally."
Shinsuke nodded. "That's true. Still you become a Narcist after that don't you boss?" Shinsuke laughed.
Zaboru sighed and grinned "Maybe?" and continued along the wall.
There were photographs from the first time he performed publicly as Zaboru and the Zankoku Band. One image showed him gripping the microphone while the crowd stretched endlessly before the stage. Another showed him backstage afterward, exhausted and drenched in sweat but smiling like a child.
Separate displays preserved the first public showcases of the ZGB, ZEPS 2, ZEPS 3, and ZGBA. Each console had its own photograph, launch description, preserved promotional material, and notes about the development challenges behind it.
The ZEPS 2 description explained how ZAGE moved beyond the limitations of its earliest hardware and began experimenting seriously with stronger visuals, richer sound, and pseudo-3D presentation.
The ZEPS 3 section described its 1997 launch as the moment ZAGE became impossible for the global game industry to ignore. The exhibition included photographs of the enormous crowds, the developers standing tensely behind the stage, and the stunned expressions of industry representatives who had arrived expecting an ordinary console presentation.
At the center of the display was a large photograph from the infamous "I'm Your Nightmare Come to Lives" performance at the Sonaya Expo. In the image, Zaboru stood beneath the stage lights with a microphone in his hand, his expression fierce as the audience erupted around him. Even without a recording, the photograph carried enough energy to make the moment feel alive again.
The showcase had since become one of the most remembered moments in ZAGE's history. It was more than a performance or a product presentation. It was the moment ZAGE walked directly onto its rival's stage and reminded the entire industry that it was no longer an ambitious outsider begging to be noticed.
Zaboru smiled faintly as he studied the photograph. He could still remember the heat of the lights, the roar of the audience, and the dangerous excitement in the air that day.
Beneath the display, Yuuki had written:
WHEN RIVALS BECAME TOO COCKY
During the infamous "I'm Your Nightmare Come to Lives" showcase at the 1997 Sonaya Expo, ZAGE did not merely present itself as another competitor. It entered its rival's territory and delivered a message the industry could no longer ignore.
That night, ZAGE did not ask who ruled the game industry.
It answered.
Beyond the console displays was an entire section dedicated to ZAGE's early esports history.
The first major event from 1992 had been carefully reconstructed through photographs, tickets, promotional posters, and recorded match summaries. One display featured R.C. Pro AM, the winner of one of the earliest tournaments, alongside several winners of ZAGE quizzes and competitions who had received the first Z-Champion Cards.
The original cards sat beneath reinforced glass.
They looked simple compared to later versions, but Zaboru remembered how much they had meant at the time. Players had treated them like legendary treasures, not because they were expensive, but because almost nobody else possessed them.
The esports timeline continued across the wall. It showed the growth from small local fighting game competitions into larger national tournaments, then international events covering fighting games, RTS titles, arcade competitions, and eventually Counter-Strike and DoTA.
Photographs captured each era.
The first great lesson of competitive DoTA: victory ends the match, but not necessarily the argument.
Zaboru laughed loudly.
"You really are good at writing these stories, Yuu," he said as he turned toward the giant young man.
Yuuki scratched the side of his face, clearly embarrassed. "I only tried to make the history understandable, Boss."
"No," Zaboru replied, looking back toward the photographs. "You made it feel alive. That's different."
Yuuki fell silent.
For someone who was usually too shy to speak confidently, the praise hit him hard. His expression became almost dazed, and Shinsuke grinned proudly as though he had personally received the compliment.
They continued exploring the expanded office gallery.
Another display showed several of Zaboru's rejected promotional ideas. One involved employees wearing giant console-shaped costumes and chasing people through parks. Another proposed hiding ZAGE cartridges around Tokyo and forcing fans to solve clues to find them. A third suggested launching a fake alien invasion campaign for an arcade title before Sayuri had written the words ABSOLUTELY NOT across the page in red ink.
Zaboru stared at that one nostalgically.
"She never supported my best ideas."
Shinsuke laughed. "She prevented us from being arrested."
"History will never know whether the alien campaign would have worked."
"History is grateful."
Eventually, after exploring nearly every corner of the expanded office, Zaboru looked around once more. The room carried his face and history everywhere, but strangely, it did not feel like worship. Yuuki had balanced the triumphs with the failures, the major milestones with embarrassing moments, and the legendary stories with reminders that ZAGE had once been filled with young people improvising their way through impossible situations.
It felt honest.
That was what Zaboru appreciated most.
Afterward, the four men continued through several remaining exhibits before arriving at the old cafeteria, which had also become part of the museum. The original kitchen counter had been restored, and the tables were arranged to resemble the cafeteria during ZAGE's early years.
A sign near the entrance read:
EARLY ZAGE CAFETERIA
Where employees ate, argued, slept, planned games, recovered from failed builds, and occasionally remembered that vegetables existed.
Zaboru laughed the moment he read it.
Shinsuke pointed toward one corner and said, "That table is where Yugo once fell asleep inside his ramen."
Zaboru nodded. "I remember. He woke up and continued eating."
Yuuki looked horrified. "Was it still safe?"
"No," Shinsuke replied. "But Yugo has never respected safety."
They sat down together, and NAGOYA staff brought them a simple meal inspired by what early ZAGE employees used to eat: ramen, rice, dumplings, fried chicken, and inexpensive coffee. The food was much better than it had been in the old days, but the presentation carried enough familiarity to make Zaboru nostalgic.
As they ate, Zaboru looked toward Shinsuke, Yuuki, and Shoto with a sincere smile.
"This exceeded my expectations," he admitted. "Honestly, I didn't think the museum could feel this interesting. The layouts, the descriptions, the placement of the photographs, the little stories—everything works. Thank you, Shin-san, Yuu, and Shoto-san."
Shinsuke and Shoto grinned, while Yuuki looked down at his meal as if eye contact might cause him to combust.
Shinsuke took a drink before asking, "Are you really going to open it like this, Boss? We could keep improving it. There's still room for more interactive exhibits, more recorded interviews, maybe guided tours."
Zaboru nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, we should keep enhancing it over time, but I want it opened. Not publicly, though. At least not in a normal way."
Shoto raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
Zaboru's grin became mischievous. "A hidden museum."
Shinsuke immediately sighed. "Of course."
Zaboru continued excitedly, "Nobody needs to advertise the exact location or opening method. We'll make it something people have to discover. I'll give subtle hints and If someone solves the trail, they can receive an invitation or a special visiting date."
Yuuki finally looked up, his nervousness temporarily replaced by curiosity. "So the museum itself becomes like a secret inside a game?"
Zaboru pointed at him. "Exactly. Why make a normal museum entrance when we can make the discovery part fun?"
Shoto looked confused. "But why wouldn't you tell the public directly? Don't you want revenue from the museum?"
Zaboru chuckled. "Shoto-san, if I wanted money, this museum would be worth less than 1% what ZAGE makes during a normal product cycle. I'm not doing this for revenue. This is for my own satisfaction. ZAGE's history is here. The important thing is preserving it and letting people who truly care experience it."
Shoto sighed and shook his head. "I can't understand the mindset of rich people."
Zaboru nodded. "Me too."
Shoto stared at him.
Shinsuke burst into laughter. "Boss, you are rich. Very rich, in fact."
Zaboru raised one hand defensively. "Hey, I'm not that rich. ZAGE is rich."
Shinsuke grinned. "You become extremely creative whenever you explain why you're supposedly not wealthy."
"Corporate money is not personal money."
"You own the corporation."
"That's an unnecessary detail."
Shoto laughed while Yuuki quietly smiled into his food.
Zaboru then explained that he planned to open the hidden museum on September 10, ZAGE's birthday. Before that, he would release only a small teaser. Whether fans found the clue or understood it would depend entirely on them.
Shinsuke immediately looked tired. "You're going to make people search through ten years of ZAGE history, aren't you?"
Zaboru smiled innocently. "Maybe."
"You're evil."
"I prefer 'interactive.'"
The conversation continued until Shinsuke glanced toward Yuuki and suddenly smiled.
"Boss, there's something else you should know. Yuu is quite a writer."
Yuuki nearly dropped his chopsticks. "Shinsuke-san!?"
Shinsuke ignored his panic. "He loves writing stories. He has several completed works already, but he has never published them because he's too shy."
Zaboru immediately looked interested. "Why haven't you published them, Yuu?"
Yuuki fidgeted awkwardly before answering, "W-Well... most of my works are short. Some are only a few chapters. Others are collections of little stories. I don't think they're long or good enough to become proper books."
Zaboru became quiet.
Short stories.
Episodic releases.
Writers sharing unfinished or ongoing works.
Readers commenting chapter by chapter.
Low barriers to publishing.
Digital distribution.
The thoughts connected inside his mind almost instantly.
In his previous life, web novels had become enormous. Writers who might never pass traditional publishing gates could release stories online, gather readers, improve through feedback, and sometimes become successful enough to receive printed editions, manga adaptations, animation, games, or films.
This world already had stronger internet infrastructure than it should have in 2001.
ZAGE had the ZAGE Forum.
YouTube already existed.
AKAI was preparing to expand into creative software.
And there were probably countless people like Yuuki—people with stories, but no confidence, money, connections, or opportunity to publish them traditionally.
Zaboru's eyes slowly widened.
Then he grinned.
"HAHAHA!"
Yuuki jumped in his seat.
Shoto nearly spilled his drink.
Shinsuke only smiled because he recognized that laugh immediately.
Zaboru pointed toward Yuuki and said, "Yuu, thank you."
Yuuki blinked. "F-For what?"
"That comment just jolted me with inspiration."
Shinsuke nodded knowingly. "There it is."
Zaboru leaned forward, already unable to hide his excitement. "Don't worry, Yuu. In the near future, I'll make sure your works—and the works of many people like you—can be enjoyed by readers."
Yuuki stared at him in confusion. "But how?"
Zaboru's grin widened. "You'll see."
Shinsuke patted Yuuki's shoulder and said, "Believe him. Boss becomes like this whenever inspiration attacks him. It's frightening, but things usually work out."
Yuuki was still surprised, but eventually he nodded.
After finishing their meal, Zaboru paid for everyone despite Shoto insisting that the cafeteria technically belonged to ZAGE and he did not need to pay and NAGOYA staff is just buy cheap food from the supermarket. Zaboru ignored them, claiming the museum deserved its first customer.
Later that evening, once he arrived home, he went directly to his private room.
He barely greeted anyone before sitting at his desk, opening a blank document, and beginning to type with frightening speed.
At the top of the page, he wrote two words.
WEB NOVEL
Zaboru stared at them for a moment.
Then his grin slowly returned.
"Hehehe... this could become much bigger than books."
His fingers returned to the keyboard.
And he began writing the foundation of an entirely new platform.
To be continued.
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