Tuesday Night, 13 January 2002
Zaboru leaned back in his chair on the fifty-first floor of ZAGE Tower and let out a long sigh. He had only returned from China the previous day, and one of the first things he had done after getting back to Japan was visit Ayumi with every intention of helping her prepare for her first proper YouTube video. He had expected questions about cameras, lighting, audio, editing, channel branding, maybe even how she should introduce herself. Instead, Ayumi had already handled practically everything on her own.
Her channel was finished.
Her profile image was prepared.
The description had already been written.
The first video had already been recorded and edited.
And most importantly, Ayumi had made it very clear that she did not want Zaboru anywhere near her while she was recording it.
Apparently, having her husband in the room made her far more nervous than talking directly into a camera.
Zaboru had found that hilarious.
"So she can talk about being the daughter of a Yakuza boss in front of potentially millions of people, but having me sit behind the camera is too embarrassing?" he muttered to himself with a chuckle.
Ayumi's answer earlier had been simple: she could handle strangers watching the finished product. She could not handle seeing Zaboru's face while she was trying to speak seriously, especially because she knew he would grin at her the entire time.
She had also refused to let him watch the video beside her when it released.
That part had surprised him even more.
The video was scheduled for exactly 20:00, and Ayumi had practically ordered him to watch it from ZAGE Tower before coming home afterward. She wanted to know his reaction, certainly, but she did not want to sit next to him while he watched her first attempt at publicly introducing herself.
Zaboru smiled while glancing toward the clock.
"Why is she even shy? She's my wife."
Then the minute changed.
20:00.
Zaboru immediately straightened in his chair.
"Well…"
His grin slowly widened.
"If my wife is uploading her first YouTube video, I should probably help a little with the viewers, right?"
He picked up his mouse.
"And if I can't do that, why the hell do I own YouTube?"
The channel page appeared almost immediately.
U-Bunny.
Zaboru laughed softly when he saw the name. It was the developer identity Ayumi had used for years at Akaishidan, and anyone already familiar with the studio's credits or developer discussions would recognize it. The channel itself was extremely simple. No flashy corporate branding. No enormous ZAGE logo. No attempt to exploit her relationship with him.
Just U-Bunny.
One profile image.
A short description.
And a single newly uploaded video.
The title read:
My Name is Ayumi Renkonan
Zaboru stared at it for several seconds.
Then, before even clicking play, he immediately went to the comments.
He typed:
My wife is beautiful as always. Heheheh.
Zaboru paused.
Then smiled wickedly and posted it using his verified Zaboru account.
The moment he did, the comment automatically became visible to an absurd number of subscribers following him across YouTube.
Zaboru leaned back with satisfaction.
"There. Perfectly normal husband support."
Somewhere in the Renkonan household, Ayumi was probably going to murder him.
He clicked play.
The video began with a simple fade-in.
Ayumi sat inside the converted workshop at the Renkonan household, the same old garage space that had gradually become one of the family's favorite places for electronics, game-development experiments, hardware projects, and whatever strange idea Zaboru or Zanichi happened to be working on. The background had been cleaned considerably for the recording, though several shelves still held development books, game cases, tools, small figurines, and bits of hardware. It looked personal rather than professionally manufactured.
That immediately pleased Zaboru.
Ayumi herself sat in a comfortable chair facing the camera. Her pregnancy was impossible to hide now; her belly was already large enough that when she shifted slightly in her seat, she instinctively rested one hand over it. She wore simple comfortable clothes rather than anything overly formal, and her hair had been arranged neatly but naturally.
There was no dramatic music.
Just Ayumi.
She smiled toward the camera, leaned forward as much as her belly comfortably allowed, and bowed her head slightly.
"Nice to meet you, everyone. My name is Ayumi. Ayumi Renkonan. Some of you might also know me as U-Bunny, and I work as a game developer at Akaishidan."
She raised one hand and waved.
Zaboru's grin appeared immediately.
"Way to go, my love…"
There was almost no awkwardness in her presentation. Ayumi occasionally glanced slightly away from the camera as though gathering her thoughts, but she spoke naturally. She was not trying to act like a professional presenter. She simply seemed like someone talking directly to whoever happened to be watching.
Ayumi continued, "Well… some of you probably already know something about me because my husband is not exactly a quiet person."
She chuckled.
Zaboru immediately laughed too.
"That's slander."
Ayumi went on, "Yes. I'm the wife of ZAGE's owner, Zaboru Renkonan. He is my husband, and despite everything you might hear about him, he is actually a wonderful husband."
She paused.
Then added, "Extremely annoying sometimes."
Zaboru stared at the screen.
"…Excuse me?"
Ayumi smiled slightly wider in the recording, almost as though she knew exactly what his reaction would be.
Then her expression softened.
"But wonderful."
That immediately disarmed him.
Zaboru leaned his cheek against one hand.
"Hehehe… fine."
Ayumi continued, "People sometimes ask how we met, especially because Zaboru became famous so young. But I actually knew him before most people even knew the name ZAGE."
She glanced down briefly, clearly remembering something.
"It was back when we were still in high school. The game industry had gone through a terrible crash because of Atari, and a lot of adults were saying video games might just be a temporary trend that had already reached its end. I didn't believe that. I loved games too much."
Zaboru became quieter.
This part brought back memories even for him.
Ayumi smiled. "Then I started hearing strange rumors at school. Apparently some high school boy was building an arcade machine that was much more advanced than the things people expected from someone our age. That boy was Zaboru, and the machine was what eventually became the ZAS — Zaboru Arcade System."
She chuckled softly.
"I got curious."
Ayumi continued, "Then somehow I ended up spending more and more time around him. I started helping with small things. Testing. Organizing. Learning. Eventually I even helped with some of the first ZAS units."
Her smile grew warmer.
"At the time, I didn't know that ridiculous arcade project would eventually become ZAGE. I don't think anyone did."
Zaboru smiled faintly and grinned "Well the part she tried to force me to teach her because she is a Yakuza princess is classified hehehe".
He had known.
But for completely different reasons.
Ayumi continued, "I loved games, but Zaboru was the person who really taught me how to think about creating them. Not just playing them. He was extremely patient with me. Sometimes too patient."
She paused dramatically.
"Because he was also incredibly dense."
Zaboru groaned.
"Oh, come on."
Ayumi laughed in the video. Ayumi continued, "I stayed around him. We made games together. We argued about games. We talked about stupid ideas. I learned development from him, but eventually I started creating things he hadn't taught me at all. And somewhere along the way…"
She smiled.
"I fell in love with him."
Her expression became slightly embarrassed despite having recorded the video alone.
"And since Zaboru was dense enough that I was convinced waiting for him might take another ten years, I confessed first."
Zaboru shook his head with a grin.
"That part is true."
Ayumi continued, "The rest is history. We got married. We already have two children, and…"
Her hand gently moved across her pregnant belly.
"…two more will be joining us soon."
For the first time since the video began, Zaboru's expression softened completely.
The joking grin disappeared.
He simply watched her.
Ayumi looked genuinely happy when she spoke about their family.
That happiness mattered far more to him than anything else in the video.
Then the mood changed.
Not dramatically.
Ayumi did not suddenly lower the lighting or add sad music.
Her smile simply became smaller.
Her posture became slightly more deliberate.
Zaboru immediately knew what was coming.
Ayumi inhaled slowly.
"There is another reason I wanted to make this video."
Zaboru sat straighter.
Ayumi continued, "Some of you have probably heard rumors about my family. Some of you may have heard that I'm connected to an underground organization. Others may have heard the word Yakuza."
She stopped for a moment.
Then looked directly into the camera.
"So I want to say it myself instead of letting someone else decide how to tell you."
Her hand remained resting over her belly.
"Yes. My father was a Yakuza boss."
There was no music.
No cut.
No attempt to soften the statement.
"And yes," Ayumi continued, "I grew up inside that family."
Zaboru watched her carefully.
He knew how difficult this had been for her, even if she pretended otherwise.
For years, Ayumi's family background had been something kept away from most of the public. Not because Zaboru was ashamed of her, but because the Hamazou family itself had been dangerous, complicated, and deeply tied to a world Ayumi had spent much of her life trying to separate herself from.
Now she was choosing to put it directly in front of millions of strangers.
On her own terms.
Ayumi smiled weakly.
"That is part of my identity. I can't erase where I came from, and honestly… I don't think pretending it never happened would make me more honest."
She paused again.
"My family has changed a lot. Most of that life is already in the past for us, and has been moving into legitimate businesses for years. Security, transportation, property, construction, entertainment, investments… things like that."
Her expression tightened slightly.
"But I know saying that won't automatically make everyone trust us."
Zaboru nodded slowly.
That was probably the right way to approach it.
No excuses.
No demand that everyone immediately believe her.
Ayumi continued, "Zabo knew about my family before we married. He knew exactly who I was."
A small smile returned.
"And strangely enough, he never really cared."
As though answering him through the recording, Ayumi said, "He always treated me as Ayumi. Not as the daughter of someone important. Not as the daughter of a Yakuza boss. Not as something dangerous or embarrassing. Just me."
Zaboru became completely still.
Ayumi looked down for several seconds before raising her eyes again.
"So if you dislike where I came from, that's okay. If you don't trust me yet, that's okay too. I understand."
Then her voice became firmer.
"But please don't attack my husband because of my past."
Zaboru frowned slightly.
Ayumi continued, "Zaboru has done many ridiculous things in his life."
That made him snort.
"But he also genuinely loves helping people. He has supported me from the beginning. He protected me when he could have walked away. He never once told me that my family made me less valuable."
She smiled.
"So if you want to criticize someone for my background, criticize me."
Zaboru immediately muttered, "No."
Of course she could not hear him.
Ayumi went on, "But I also don't want this channel to become only about that."
Her tone lightened slightly.
"I'm a game developer. I work with Akaishidan. I like games. I like strange game mechanics. And talk about game industry."
Ayumi smiled toward the camera. "I want to talk about games. Development. Maybe show things I'm creating. Maybe talk about being a mother and a developer at the same time."
She looked down at her belly.
"Although right now these two are already making development considerably harder."
Zaboru laughed softly.
Ayumi continued, "I also want to answer questions about myself because I know people are curious. So please leave questions in the comments. I'll read them."
Then she raised one finger.
"But if you ask something extremely stupid, I might still answer it."
Zaboru laughed.
"That's my wife."
Ayumi smiled warmly. "Tomorrow, I'll make another video answering some of the most interesting questions. I want to upload regularly if I can, although I'm pregnant i think i can still handle it."
Ayumi was clearly enjoying herself now.
"Anyway…"
She placed both hands gently over her belly.
"I hope we can get along."
Then she bowed again.
"Thank you for watching. My name is Ayumi Renkonan."
She looked toward the camera and waved.
"See you later."
The video faded to black.
Zaboru did not immediately move.
He remained sitting there for several seconds, staring at his own reflection faintly visible in the dark monitor.
Then he exhaled slowly.
"Well…"
His smile returned, but it was considerably softer than before.
"She really is tough."
He knew Ayumi.
He knew she had prepared herself carefully.
He knew she had probably rerecorded certain parts several times.
And he knew that saying those things publicly did not suddenly mean she had stopped being afraid of the consequences.
If anything, courage only mattered because there was something to fear.
Zaboru glanced toward the view count.
It was already climbing rapidly.
Very rapidly.
His verified comment had certainly helped, but this was far bigger than that. People were sharing the video. Ayumi's name was spreading across ZAGE Forum. Her connection to Akaishidan had caught the attention of game fans, while the direct confirmation regarding the Hamazou family was spreading even faster.
Zaboru leaned back.
"Is this really going to be alright…?"
He trusted Ayumi.
That was not the problem.
The public could be unpredictable.
Some would support her.
Some would distrust her.
Some would immediately turn everything into conspiracy.
Some would attack ZAGE.
Some would attack the Hamazou family.
Some would probably say Zaboru secretly used organized crime to build his company despite there being absolutely no evidence.
The internet did not require evidence to become annoying.
But then Zaboru looked toward Ayumi's face frozen in the video thumbnail.
She had chosen this.
He had promised himself he would not respond to every danger in her life by deciding for her.
So he would trust her.
And stay beside her.
Zaboru immediately picked up his AKAI Black Berry Z01 and typed:
Ayumi, I finished watching it. I'm coming home now.
The reply came surprisingly quickly.
Okay, Zabo. Come home quickly. And drive safely.
Zaboru stared at the message.
Then smiled.
"Hehehe… apparently she misses me too."
He stood from his chair, grabbed his jacket, and shut down several of the displays before walking toward the private elevator. There was no reason to remain at ZAGE Tower tonight. ZEPS 4 could survive without him for a few hours.
Ayumi had just told the world one of the most difficult truths about herself.
She did not need her husband sitting fifty floors above Tokyo refreshing comments.
She needed him beside her.
A short while later, Zaboru entered ZAGE Tower's private garage and walked past several cars before stopping.
He looked toward one of his fastest vehicles.
Then remembered Ayumi's message.
Drive safely.
Zaboru stared at the car.
"…Safely fast."
He climbed inside.
The engine roared to life the Nissan GT-R 2000.
Moments later, Zaboru left ZAGE Tower and headed toward the Renkonan household, though for once he resisted the temptation to treat every empty stretch of road like a private racing circuit.
Mostly.
Meanwhile, Ayumi's video continued spreading.
The view count climbed.
Comments multiplied.
Clips began circulating across ZAGE Forum.
People who had followed ZAGE since its earliest years suddenly realized that the mysterious woman occasionally mentioned in old development stories was now speaking publicly for herself.
Others were shocked by the Yakuza admission.
Some were skeptical.
Some were sympathetic.
Some focused less on the criminal background and more on the revelation that Ayumi had actually helped build the earliest ZAS machines while still in high school.
And then there was Zaboru's comment.
My wife is beautiful as always. Heheheh.
It had already become the most-liked comment beneath the video.
Ayumi had seen it.
She had stared at it for ten full seconds.
Then covered her face.
"Zabo…"
But despite the embarrassment—
she smiled.
Because tonight, for the first time, millions of people were not hearing about Ayumi Hamazou through rumors.
They were meeting Ayumi Renkonan directly.
And the public reaction was only beginning.
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 1404