Sunday 14 April 1998 – University of Tokyo Hospital.
Hikaru Kurata let out a long, weary sigh. He'd finally pushed himself too far. The night before, he had suddenly collapsed from a dangerous combination of accumulated stress and high blood pressure—conditions that posed a serious risk to his health. Now, he was resting in a hospital room at the University of Tokyo Hospital. Thankfully, his blood pressure had returned to normal after prompt treatment, but the doctors insisted he remain under observation for a while longer. Rest was no longer optional.
Seated beside his hospital bed were his wife, Ikuyo Kurata, their 13-year-old son, Higashi, and 10-year-old daughter, Inari. Though present, their body language was stiff and distant, as if they were visiting more out of obligation than concern. Hikaru couldn't blame them. Despite all his wealth and professional accomplishments, he had rarely made time for his family. He had missed most of his children's growth—birthdays, school events, even simple dinners. He had always provided for them financially, ensuring they lacked nothing materially. But emotionally? He knew he had fallen short. Thankfully, Ikuyo had always been a devoted mother and a patient wife, holding the family together even when her husband barely made space for them in his life.
Ikuyo sighed and gently said, "Dear... you shouldn't overdo it."
Hikaru, still lying on the hospital bed, glanced at her and gave a faint smile. The sterile smell of the hospital and the quiet atmosphere seemed to bring a strange clarity to his mind. "Yeah... you might be right," he murmured.
Not long after, the door opened and Junpei Hoshida stepped in, carrying a small bag of fruit as a get-well gift for Hikaru.
"Hey, Boss. Oh—Ms. Kurata, young master, young miss," Junpei greeted them with a cheerful smile.
Hikaru turned to his wife and said, "Ikuyo, leave us alone for a bit. Take Higashi and Inari to get something to eat. Their favorite place, maybe. Come back later."
Ikuyo gave a small sigh but nodded. She smiled at Junpei politely and took the children with her, guiding them out of the room in search of something comforting.
Junpei sighed and, now that they were alone, offered a small smile. "I'm guessing it's because you saw the NBA Live trailer, huh, boss?"
Hikaru Kurata didn't answer right away. After a pause, he simply muttered, "Maybe."
The silence hung between them for a few moments before Hikaru spoke again. "Say, Junpei... do you think we're destined to stay in second place in the video game industry forever?"
Junpei exhaled, a familiar weariness settling into his expression like it had been waiting there all along. "Boss, I know this probably isn't the best time or place to bring it up, especially with you lying in a hospital bed, but honestly, this is something I've been trying to drill into your head for a long time now. You might not want to hear it, but you need to. As long as Zaboru is running ZAGE the way he is—focused, sharp, relentless—our chances of snatching the number one spot are practically nonexistent. That's not a knock on us; it's just the current reality we're living in.
That doesn't mean we don't have room to grow or areas where we can dominate. We've got amazing developers, fresh ideas, and a loyal player base that's hungry for more. We can absolutely carve out our own niche, build up genres where we shine brightest, and shape our own narrative. But that only works if we stop chasing ZAGE's shadow. We need to quit measuring every move we make by whether or not it brings us closer to outdoing them. It's exhausting, unproductive, and honestly—it's holding us back.
You know this, deep down. I've seen it on your face after board meetings, in your tone when you talk about Zaboru during those. And yet, you still go out of your way to poke the bear, to stir the pot, as if provoking them will somehow slow them down. But it won't. All it does is waste our time and energy. We can't win by copying or competing on their terms. We have to make our own lane."
Hikaru Kurata leaned back against the pillow with a long, drawn-out sigh, his gaze fixed on the sterile ceiling tiles above. "The video game division at Sonaya... it means more to me than I ever let on. I know I always show it. I can't fully explain why—it's not just business, it's personal. Maybe it's because it was the last department I took under my wing. Years ago, when everything else at Sonaya was crumbling—when the tech wing, the publishing arm, even our consumer electronics were all falling behind—I stepped in. I rolled up my sleeves, took the hits, made tough decisions. We fought tooth and nail to reverse the decline. And somehow, we did it. We brought Sonaya back to the top in nearly every field".
"But video games... that's a different beast. No matter how much effort we pour in, no matter how many talented people we hire or how innovative our ideas are, it always feels like we're behind. Like we're running at full speed but still stuck in someone else's shadow—ZAGE's shadow. Like we're playing a game where the rules were written by someone else, and no matter what we do, the best outcome is second place.
"It's frustrating beyond words. It eats at me more than I care to admit. I keep asking myself—what are we missing? Why can't we catch up, let alone surpass them? Is it leadership? Timing? Culture? Or is Zaboru just that far ahead of the curve?" He inhale his breath "Despite using any tricks that i've been used before its never success".
He let out a small chuckle, more tired than amused. "Maybe now I'll finally start listening to your advice, Junpei."
Junpei chuckled as well, giving him a nod. "Just focus on getting better for now, Boss. You've got time. And who knows? Maybe being number two doesn't have to be a bad thing if we make it our own."
After chatting for a few minutes, the hospital room door opened again. Hikaru Kurata's eyes widened in genuine surprise as he saw who stepped in. Junpei, on the other hand, simply smiled, as if he had been expecting this all along. It was none other than Zaboru Renkonan—the very man who had been the source of Hikaru's frustration and headaches for years.
Hikaru turned to Junpei, narrowing his eyes. "You called him, Junpei?"
Junpei chuckled and nodded. "Well, yes, boss."
Zaboru entered the room carrying a small paper bag of food and set it down on the table beside the hospital bed. "Hey, Kurata-san. Feeling any better?" he asked casually, his tone light.
Hikaru Kurata frowned, arms still crossed. "It got worse the moment you walked in, Zaboru."
Zaboru let out a short chuckle. "Hey, we might be rivals, but that doesn't mean I don't care about Sonaya. You should know that by now."
Zaboru sat down beside Junpei and leaned back slightly, resting one ankle on his opposite knee, giving Kurata a calm, almost playful half-smile. "Honestly, Kurata-san, I genuinely hope you don't give up. I'm not just saying that to sound noble—ZAGE truly benefits from strong competition. It's what drives us to stay sharp, keeps the market evolving, and makes the industry as a whole more vibrant. Without rivals like Sonaya, things would get stale fast. We need each other, in a strange way.
"But let me be clear about something," he continued, his tone still light but laced with unmistakable weight. "It's one thing to compete through games, through innovation, through ambition. But it's another thing entirely to take constant jabs, especially in public. The press might eat it up, but it sends the wrong message—both to your team and to ours. We've looked the other way more than once, trying to be civil. But if Sonaya keeps throwing shade, if the barbs keep coming, eventually, we'll have to respond. And neither of us wants this to get uglier than it needs to, right?"
He glanced between Junpei and Kurata with a raised brow, then let out a soft exhale. "I say this not as a warning, but as a reminder. We're all shaping the future of this industry. Let's not waste that chance by turning it into a grudge match."
He grinned, trying to keep the tone light, but the underlying message was clear.
Kurata frowned. "So you came here just to boast? Trying to make my condition worse?"
Zaboru let out a sigh and shook his head. "Of course not. I'm not a demon, Kurata-san. But I've got to admit—it was kind of dramatic, you collapsing after watching our NBA Live trailer."
He gave a short laugh, then softened his tone. "Still, I'm serious. Don't give up. Junpei's been improving, and your team has been pushing forward. Keep making those games. Keep trying to pass ZAGE. Just don't get stagnant. I personally look forward to the games your team puts out. Honestly, some of Sonaya's titles are really good. I'm even a fan of a few of them. Yeah, you heard that right—I'm kind of a Sonaya fan myself."
Zaboru chuckled to himself before continuing, his tone soft but thoughtful. "I foresee a future where countless video game developers rise up, each bringing their own unique expertise and creativity to the table. And even though ZAGE will always aim to be the best, we've never had any desire to monopolize the industry. Video games are just too vast, too diverse for one company to control it all. It needs more than just one voice.
Big studios, small teams—even individuals working from their bedrooms will be able to make incredible games in the future. The tools and platforms will evolve, giving more people access. With that, we'll see a wave of new genres, bold experiments, and stories no one's ever told before. That's the kind of future I want to help build.
Of course, freedom and accessibility don't mean we throw quality out the window. Standards still matter. The bar still needs to be high. But the idea that great games can come from anywhere—that's the dream. And I hope ZAGE is part of a world where that dream becomes reality."
Kurata blinked, clearly surprised by the honesty and Zaboru dream. After a moment, he gave a small nod and said, "Quite weird dream but Well, lucky for you—we're not giving up."
Zaboru smiled and nodded back. "Good."
The three of them ended up chatting for quite a while, the atmosphere surprisingly calm despite the unusual meeting. Old tensions lingered in the background, but for a brief moment, they all spoke more like veterans of the same war than sworn rivals. After about ten minutes, Zaboru stood up and adjusted his jacket.
"Well, I better get going. Hospitals aren't my favorite hangout spot," he said with a small grin. "Take care, Kurata-san."
He gave a respectful nod to both men before stepping out of the room.
Junpei watched him leave, then turned back toward Hikaru with a smirk. "Pretty great that I invited him, huh, boss?"
Hikaru let out a slow sigh, staring at the door even after it closed. "Maybe. It wasn't what I expected, but... it helped clear my head." He paused, then looked Junpei in the eye. "Let's change our approach, Junpei. I know I've said it before—but this time, I mean it. Let's be Number Two."
Junpei grinned, a flicker of determination in his eyes, and nodded. "Yeah. Let's be Number Two. But let's be the best damn Number Two there ever was."
Hikaru Kurata leaned back against his pillow, feeling something shift inside him—not regret, not defeat, but acceptance. He had truly learned his lesson this time. He wouldn't repeat the same mistakes again. From now on, Sonaya wouldn't be obsessed with chasing ZAGE. Instead, they would rise in their own way, with their own identity. The real climb was about to begin—and this time, it would be on their terms.
To be continued
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