It was the weekend—a time when the streets were usually filled with children.
Mornings were also when kids were at their most energetic, so if they had to choose a location, the nearby park was undoubtedly the best option.
"Soma-san, aren't you going to rest? You haven't slept properly for days,"Airi Hayasawa said worriedly as she stood at the entrance, putting on the mascot costume.
While calmly adjusting his own costume, Yukihira Soma replied indifferently,"It's fine. I'm full of energy. If you're tired, just say the word—you can take the day off."
"…Will I still get paid if I take the day off?"
"Heh. Of course not."
"Then I'll work."
Airi Hayasawa simply couldn't refuse the salary Soma was offering. Even the idea of taking a day off felt unacceptable to her.
Ten thousand yen per day, paid daily. At least for now, she felt she wouldn't be able to find a better job anytime soon.
And today, she could earn an extra five thousand yen.
She had no choice but to accept.
So, somewhat reluctantly, Airi followed Soma and put on her mascot costume.
Only after she was fully dressed did she realize that the mascot outfit looked extremely similar to the character from the game Soma had created.
That big-nosed plumber.
It was obvious that the costume had been custom-made.
"Alright, let's go. Put the mascot heads in the trunk. I'll grab the TV and a spare battery."
Soma hurried back inside and gathered several items.
After rummaging around for a few minutes, he returned carrying a brand-new television still in its box, along with several batteries that could serve as backup power.
Soma planned to set up near a certain park.
It was a holiday, and during the daytime, children's desire to play outside still outweighed the appeal of television programs. Many kids would rush out to play with their friends.
The nearby park was their usual gathering place.
Once inside the minivan, Soma started the engine skillfully. After Airi—grumbling and struggling in her costume—sat down in the passenger seat, he stepped on the accelerator and sped away from the house.
"Seatbelt! Seatbelt!"
The car lurched forward as Airi let out a startled cry.
About ten minutes later, the car finally stopped at the entrance of a park roughly two kilometers away.
By then, many children were already playing near the entrance.
Some were playing hopscotch, others were tossing beanbags, and some were playing old string games like cat's cradle.
"Alright, get out and put your headpiece on."
Seeing so many children, Airi hesitated slightly.
In the end, thinking about the extra five thousand yen, she clenched her teeth, picked up the mascot head from behind the seat, got out of the car, and put it on.
Airi's costume was the classic Mario character—a short, round plumber.
Soma's costume was Luigi—slightly taller and slimmer.
The two characters were visually distinct and immediately eye-catching. The moment they stepped out of the car, they drew the attention of the children in the park.
"Eh? Look! There are mascots over there!"
The children stopped what they were doing and stared at Soma and Airi in confusion.
They searched their memories, trying to recall where they had seen these characters before.
But none of them could connect them to any anime or TV show.
Soma opened the back of the minivan, took out folding tables and chairs one by one, and placed the brand-new television on top.
"Airi, go attract the kids and invite them to come play,"Soma said while busy setting things up.
"Me… me? I… I…"Airi panicked instantly.
She wasn't exactly shy, but she had never done anything like street promotion before.
Doing this for the first time made her feel incredibly nervous and uncomfortable.
"Hm? Not used to it? That's fine. Then you can assemble the machine and get the TV running. With your electrical knowledge, it shouldn't be a problem. I'll handle attracting customers."
Without saying anything more, Soma picked up a few heavier items and walked toward the park entrance, meeting the children's curious gazes.
"Come on, come on! Take a look! Brand-new entertainment! Brand-new games! Fun new things!All kids can play for fifteen minutes for free, no charge at all!And if anyone clears the stage, you'll win a Koshien Superman figure!"
Soma shouted loudly.
Beside the TV table, many beautifully packaged hero figures—similar to Ultraman toys in this world—were stacked neatly.
At first, Soma wasn't completely confident that the children would be interested in video games.
So he chose the most traditional method—using rewards they cared about most.
Kids might not be interested in some "new way to play," but when their favorite toys were right in front of them…
If clearing the challenge meant winning one of those figures, their excitement skyrocketed.
Both boys and girls rushed toward the park entrance, and in no time, the area around the minivan was surrounded by children.
"Mister, what kind of challenge is this? What do we have to do?"
Some children were already eager to start.
"Who are you calling 'mister'?"Airi immediately snapped when she heard that.
"Oh—oh—Auntie, this challenge—"
"I'm a big sister!"
Airi was furious.
She had just graduated from college—she was definitely not an auntie!
"Big sister, you're really scary. We just want to know how to challenge."
Some kids started complaining.
Seeing the situation getting out of hand, Soma quickly stepped in.
"Alright, please wait a moment! You'll be able to challenge it very soon!"
The children immediately turned their attention to him.
"Mister, if we clear it, can we really get a toy?"
Dressed as Luigi, Soma nodded.
"That's right. And you'll also get a special souvenir. Make sure to keep it safe—it's very valuable."
The children completely ignored the mention of souvenirs.
They probably thought it was something like a mall stamp card.
What they really cared about was the Koshien Superman figure.
Some kids were already staring at the toys with stars in their eyes.
Pouting slightly, Airi still diligently connected all the cables, finally powering on the game console and the television.
For the first time, the startup screen of a game console from this era appeared before the children's eyes.
They stared at the screen, wide-eyed.
It didn't look… particularly special.
What did this have to do with a challenge?
Was it a matching game? A puzzle game?
Or maybe some kind of poetry game?
At this time, well-produced animated visuals weren't rare.
So the pixelated game screen on the TV wasn't especially appealing to them.
If not for the lure of the toys, they probably wouldn't have gathered so quickly.
"Line up! Each person gets fifteen minutes only. Who wants to go first?"
"Me! Me! Me! Me!"
A group of kids raised their hands immediately.
They were afraid that if they were even a step late, someone else would take the toy.
"In that case, we'll draw lots and line up in order. No cutting in line—otherwise, you'll lose your chance to participate!"
Soma was well prepared. He took out a lottery box filled with numbered slips.
Only this way could he make the children line up obediently.
In the end, though reluctantly, the kids lined up according to the numbers they drew.
The boy who got the first number looked incredibly excited.
His cheeks were flushed, as if the toy was already in his hands.
Meanwhile, Airi finished adjusting the machine according to the steps Soma had taught her earlier.
She turned around, holding the controller, and looked at the first child.
"Grandma—"
"If you dare call me that again, I'll kick you out!"
Airi glared fiercely at him.
The boy shrank back, grumbling inwardly. It was just a title—why did this big sister care so much?
Still, he nodded obediently.
"Big sister."
"Here. Take it."
Airi handed the controller to the boy.
For these children, something like a game controller was completely unfamiliar.
When the boy received it, he looked confused, not knowing how to use it.
Soma stepped forward to explain.
"Since you're the first challenger, you'll get an extra five minutes to familiarize yourself with it."
Taking the controller, Soma explained:
"This is called a game controller. In a moment, a small character will appear on the TV. You control it using this.Your goal is to reach the end and rescue the beautiful princess."
"Of course, finishing the whole game in such a short time would be too hard, so you only need to clear the first stage and reach the goal."