AN : This should be Yesterday chapter. I've skipped it by mistake.
Still on Saturday 8 February 1998.
Zaboru was currently relaxing inside his home, heading toward what had now become affectionately known as "The Renkonan - Hub." The name, as usual, had been changed again by Sanika, who always had a habit of renaming things on a whim. This space used to be nothing more than an old garage, dusty and unused, but over the past year, it had been transformed completely into something special. Now it served as both a game development workshop and a cozy, multipurpose gaming lounge designed by Zaboru himself, with help and enthusiasm from the rest of the Renkonan crew.
Sanika in particular had poured her heart into decorating and shaping the room, alongside her ever-supportive boyfriend, the quiet but brilliant Hidetaka Miyazaki. Ayumi, Zaboru's beloved wife, also loved spending time here—partly to be with her husband, and partly because the room had become a second home for everyone close to them while also she loves teach Sanika and Hidetaka game development stuff. Even little Zenshin, Zaboru's not-yet-two-year-old son, had developed a fascination with the room. Despite his tender age, he would waddle in gleefully, eyes wide in amazement as lights blinked, machines hummed, and colorful screens danced with motion. Technology seemed to speak to him even at that age, like he instinctively knew it was something important—something magical.
This wasn't just a room anymore. It was the heart of their home. It was where creativity sparked, laughter echoed, and bonds grew stronger. A place where generations could gather, play, dream, and create together.
And right now, on this peaceful Saturday, Zaboru let out a long, tired sigh. He made the decision to take a break from work once again, choosing instead to enjoy his time at home—just unwinding and doing something fun with his family. Today's game of choice was Bishi Bashi Special, a wacky, chaotic party game that had unexpectedly become one of Sanika's absolute favorites lately. Ever since the game's release on January 25th last month, Sanika had been begging Zaboru to play it with her, Ayumi-nee, and her boyfriend Hidetaka. At first, Zaboru had been far too busy with deadlines and meetings, constantly buried under piles of responsibility. But Sanika was relentless. She kept pestering him, teasing him at dinner, dropping hints through text messages, even slipping notes into his work folders—all with one goal: to make time for a round of ridiculous multiplayer mayhem.
Despite her being nearly 18 years old now, Sanika still carried herself like a mischievous little kid whenever she was around Zaboru. Her boundless energy, pouty persistence, and wide-eyed excitement made it hard for him to say no. Eventually, Zaboru gave in—letting out another sigh, not of frustration but of fond resignation—and agreed to her request. He figured, if he was going to take a break, he might as well spend it doing something that made the people he cared about happy. And deep down, a small part of him was looking forward to it too.
Now Zaboru, Hidetaka, Ayumi, and Sanika—even little Zenshin—were all gathered in the cozy warmth of the Renkonan Hub. Keiko, Zaboru's cheerful mother, sat nearby on the plush carpet playing with Zenshin, keeping the toddler giggling and entertained. Zanichi, Zaboru's father, leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed and sipping his coffee as he watched the younger generation with a quiet smirk. The entire family had converged for a rare, all-out gathering around their favorite hub—ready for a day of chaos, laughter, and a healthy dose of friendly competition.
Zaboru let out a playful sigh and glanced at Sanika with a dramatic shake of his head. "Sani-chan, you do remember how good I am at games, right? There's just no way you're beating me today!" He raised his voice theatrically, adopting an over-the-top disappointed tone. "D… Don't tell me you actually want me to lose on purpose?! Sani-chan, I didn't teach you to be this way!"
Sanika's face twisted into a pout, and she crossed her arms defiantly. "What!? No! I want you to give me everything you've got, Nii-san! If you go easy on me, I'll—I'll kill you!" Her outburst was more adorable than threatening, and her flustered tone made the whole room chuckle.
Ayumi couldn't help but giggle behind her hand. "Hehe, Sani-chan is really spirited today, huh?" she said, eyes gleaming with amusement.
Hidetaka smiled softly, adjusting his seat and gripping his controller with both hands. "To be fair, Zaboru-Nii really is ridiculously good at games. I don't think any of us stand a real chance," he said with a chuckle, already mentally preparing himself for a crushing defeat.
The room buzzed with laughter and anticipation as controllers were passed around and everyone took their places. For a brief moment, everything else melted away—the responsibilities, the stress, the outside world. In this moment, it was just them: a family drawn together by love, rivalry, and the timeless joy of gaming.
Hearing the way Hidetaka casually called out "Zaboru-Nii," Zanichi—who had been quietly enjoying his coffee and reading the newspaper nearby—suddenly frowned and stopped mid-sip. He lowered the cup slowly and looked up, his brows twitching in annoyance. "Brat… since when did you become part of this family? Why the hell are you calling him 'Zaboru-Nii' like you're already my son-in-law!?" His voice was gruff, heavy with the weight of old-school pride and fatherly protectiveness, though it carried a trace of dry humor beneath the surface.
The truth was, Zanichi didn't actually hate Hidetaka. Not even close. In fact, he had developed a reluctant respect for the boy over time. Hidetaka was sharp, soft-spoken, and surprisingly mature for his age. He was diligent with his work, thoughtful in conversation, and—most importantly—he clearly cherished Sanika. Zanichi could see it in the way Hidetaka looked at her, not with lust, but with admiration and care. He wasn't just some hormone-driven punk; he was a serious young man with values. But even so, Zanichi couldn't help but feel a little salty. That's his daughter, dammit. His only little girl. And someday, this quiet little game dev nerd bastard would be the one to take her hand and—ugh, Zanichi didn't even want to finish that thought.
Still, he masked all of that under a layer of bluster and bluster alone. His pride wouldn't let him go soft, not in front of the kids, not even in front of Keiko. So instead, he grumbled, barked, and threw subtle jabs like that—but deep down, his emotions were tangled in a complicated mix of affection, protectiveness, and a slowly growing sense of reluctant acceptance.
Zaboru laughed heartily and wrapped an arm around Hidetaka's shoulder with playful force. "Relax, Dad! I officially approve Hide-chan as my little brother-in-law!" he declared with mock seriousness, giving Hidetaka a friendly shake. "Right, Mom?" he added, glancing at Keiko with a grin.
Keiko, who was busy playing peek-a-boo with the ever-energetic Zenshin, looked up with a warm smile and gave an approving laugh. "Hohoho! Yes, Hide-chan is splendid. Such a kind boy," she said fondly, her voice sweet as honey.
Meanwhile, Hidetaka could do nothing but blush deeply, clearly caught off guard by the casual endorsement. Sanika, sitting right beside him, turned red as well and immediately flailed her arms. "HEY! I'm not even married yet!" she protested loudly, her voice jumping an octave as she glanced between her parents and boyfriend in embarrassment.
The room erupted into laughter. Even Zanichi chuckled behind his newspaper, though he didn't let it go unnoticed. As the laughter faded, Hidetaka happened to glance over at the older man—only to freeze in place. Zanichi had lowered the paper just enough to reveal his piercing eyes, which locked onto Hidetaka's with the weight of a silent warning. In a moment of unspoken intimidation, he lifted his brows slightly and gave the faintest motion with his eyes—wordlessly saying: "I'm watching you."
Hidetaka immediately stiffened and gave a nervous gulp, his smile faltering as a visible shiver ran down his spine. He straightened up just a little, like a soldier caught slouching under a commanding officer's gaze, earning another round of chuckles from the rest of the room.
Then, without further ado, the Renkonan crew gathered excitedly to start up Bishi Bashi Special. As the screen lit up, Sanika jumped up with her usual energy and shouted, "I'll pick the game mode!" She scrolled through the chaotic selection of mini-games with gleeful anticipation, eyes sparkling. "Karate Man! Let's go with this one!" she declared.
The screen immediately switched to the game's zany intro: a dramatic announcer voice shouted "KARATE MAN!" followed by a booming "ATTENTION!" as a brief tutorial played. The tutorial showed a pixelated karate man executing directional punches with precision. Square was for a left punch, Circle for a right punch, and Triangle for a straight mid punch. Enemies would charge from random directions, and it was up to the player to react with lightning-fast inputs. Everyone nodded in understanding—or at least pretended to.
The four-player game began with a burst of colorfull flair. At first, the enemies came slowly, giving everyone a chance to get comfortable. All four players—Zaboru, Sanika, Ayumi, and Hidetaka—were doing well, landing perfect punches in sync. Laughter filled the room as sound effects exploded from the screen.
But soon, the pace ramped up. The enemy waves got faster, more unpredictable, and it became chaos. Sanika was the first to cry out, "WHAT a bullcrap! This is so hard!" flailing her fingers across the buttons. Hidetaka tried to maintain composure but ended up missing too many hits. He was the first to go down, followed soon after by a loudly protesting Sanika. Then Ayumi dropped out too, laughing at her own failure.
Only Zaboru remained. His fingers moved at lightning speed—precise, calm, and eerily efficient. His posture shifted, his face focused. He looked less like a player and more like a master martial artist, and with each punch, he resembled the legendary Kenshiro from ZAGE Hokuto no Ken. The others watched in awe.
Hidetaka, jaw slack, muttered, "Are we even playing the same game…?"
Zaboru just chuckled lightly, not breaking his rhythm. A few seconds later, he completed the stage without missing a single move—achieving a flawless perfect score. He dropped the controller into his lap with a smug shrug and said, "See? I told you I'm good at games."
Zanichi, still leaning near the wall, let out a low whistle. "Forget it. Sanika, your brother's not just good—he's freakishly good. Like supernatural-level good. I swear, where the hell did he get that from? Don't tell me, Keiko… you're secretly some kind of gaming legend?"
Keiko laughed, covering her mouth with a knowing grin. "Maybe I am. Or maybe it just runs in the blood."
Meanwhile, Sanika pouted dramatically, puffing out her cheeks as she slammed her palms into her lap. "NO! That doesn't count! Let's start again!" she whined in mock frustration, though her eyes sparkled with excitement.
The rest of the room chuckled at her outburst. Zaboru raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, Sanika jumped up and began flipping through the mini-game selection again. "This time, we're gonna go through all the mini-games! No excuses! Let's play a full round, properly!" she declared.
The game transitioned into its next mini-game, and the four players—Zaboru, Ayumi, Sanika, and Hidetaka—dove into the chaotic action once again. The screen flashed with bold text, dramatic music, and goofy animations. Every mini-game brought its own flavor of mayhem: from slapping buttons to cook burgers to rapidly dodging giant falling donuts, the group couldn't stop laughing.
In the middle of the laughter and chaos, Zaboru stretched his back and handed his controller to Zanichi. "Alright, alright," he said, standing up. "I'll tag out. Old man, your turn."
Zanichi scoffed but accepted the controller. "Tch. I'll show you how we did this back in the old school days."
The room erupted into cheers and anticipation as Zanichi joined the game.
From the first moment Zanichi's fingers touched the controller, the vibe shifted. The next mini-game started—a zany one involving running across collapsing platforms—and suddenly, things got intense. Unlike before, no one was dominating the match. Every player was landing clutch moves, reacting quickly, and taking the competition seriously.
Ayumi gritted her teeth, laser-focused. Sanika was yelling playfully with every mistake she made. Hidetaka became completely silent, furiously tapping buttons like a madman. And Zanichi… he was calm, cool, composed—surprisingly agile with his inputs.
The dynamic had changed. Without Zaboru to sweep through effortlessly, the playing field was even. Now, it wasn't about surviving—it was about winning. Every game was close. One round Sanika won by a hair. The next, Ayumi crushed it. Then Zanichi snuck in with a victory that had everyone screaming in disbelief.
Even Keiko laughed so hard she nearly spilled her tea. "Look at you all! Like children fighting over candy!"
Zaboru leaned back with a grin, watching proudly. "See? I knew it would get interesting if Dad joined in."
By now, the room was vibrating with laughter, playful trash talk, and button-mashing intensity. It was no longer just a game—it had become a full-blown tournament. And the fact that no one could easily dominate made it even more fun.
It wasn't about skill anymore. It was about heart, reactions, and timing. The kind of game that brought people together not through competition—but through sheer shared absurdity.
And as another mini-game began—with everyone yelling, "GO! GO! GO!"—Zanichi narrowed his eyes, cracking his knuckles.
"Let's see who survives this time."
In the end, the Renkonan household was having an unforgettable blast. Their laughter echoed throughout the cozy walls of the hub, carrying the warm energy of a family completely immersed in joy. That weekend had turned into something far more than just a break from work—it had become a celebration of connection, of play, of being together. The absurd chaos of Bishi Bashi Special had drawn everyone in, pulling them from their routines and into a whirlwind of silly games, hilarious failures, and moments of unexpected brilliance.
Even Keiko, who mostly observed, found herself hollering with laughter as she cheered them on. Zenshin, though too small to understand the rules, clapped his tiny hands and bounced with each victory cry and shoting "GOGOGO MAMA!". Controllers were passed around, snacks shared, teasing thrown across the room in equal measure. For every game they played, another layer of closeness settled over the family. It was as if the game itself had been designed not just to entertain, but to bring people closer through its unapologetic weirdness.
As the evening stretched into night, no one wanted it to end. The game might've been damn ridiculous, but it had achieved something precious—bringing together multiple generations under one roof, faces lit not just by the screen, but by the glow of laughter and love.
Bishi Bashi Special had proven itself. Not just as a game, but as a timeless reminder that the best multiplayer experiences weren't about high scores or glory—they were about togetherness. And for the Renkonan family, that weekend would forever be remembered as one of the most heartfelt and hilarious gaming memories they'd ever shared.
To be continue
Please give me your power stone and if you want to support me and get minimum 35+ 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 982
Also Join my discord if you want https://discord.gg/jB8x6TUByc