Sunday, 28 December 1992
At the ZEB—ZAGE Entertainment Building—Zaboru and his team were in the final stages of preparing for tomorrow's major event: the ZAGE Game of the Year Awards.
Zaboru walked the venue, overseeing the outsourced setup team, pleased with how things were progressing. The space was starting to reflect his vision—vibrant color schemes, murals featuring popular ZAGE characters on the walls, and booths for merchandise, food, and fan interaction.
He nodded, satisfied. "Hehehe, this is turning out really well."
As he adjusted a display stand, a thought struck him. "Oh yeah, Ayumi is handling the Sujin Sisters today. They want to appear at the event as guest performers. They're talented and will definitely liven up the stage, but something tells me they've got hidden motives. That's why I made Ayumi the guest coordinator for this event—let her deal with them." He laughed to himself. "Let's hope Ayumi doesn't traumatize them." Zaboru wanted to avoid unnecessary drama, especially over something he didn't care much about, so he assigned Ayumi as the event organizer to handle the Sujin Sisters. Ayumi, much to his relief, was more than delighted to take on the task.
—
Elsewhere, inside a high-end hotel suite, Ayumi sat across from the Sujin Sisters—Mina and Hana—sipping coffee with an air of practiced calm. The two idols sat stiffly, exchanging nervous glances.
Ayumi broke the silence with a smile. "So, Sujin-san, is it true you want to perform at the ZAGE event for a very modest fee?"
Mina and Hana exchanged a panicked glance. Internally, they screamed: Why is our luck so cursed?! We ended up negotiating with the Demon Lady herself!
Mina tried to smile. "Yes, Usagi-san. We really want to perform at the ZAGE Game of the Year event. Can it be arranged?"
('Usagi' was the alias Ayumi used for public dealings, to conceal her real family name—Hamazou—from public scrutiny due to her ties to the Yakuza.)
Ayumi tilted her head slightly. "Is that so? I'm just curious—why would the famous Sujin Sisters want to perform at a modest entertainment event like ours, and for such a small fee?" Ayumi said with a calm smile that sent an unmistakable chill down Mina's spine.
Hana chimed in quickly. "Because we love video games! And we want to support ZAGE!"
The conversation tiptoed around cordial pleasantries for a while longer. The Sujin Sisters responded with carefully crafted half-truths, never fully revealing their real motivation—to get closer to Zaboru.
That continue until Ayumi snapped the facade.
With a subtle gesture, she reached into her bag and laid out several photographs. They depicted her and Zaboru in various affectionate moments—cuddling, kissing, even Zaboru resting his head on her lap. There were also photos of Zaboru working, eating, and even sleeping—each one a treasured memory for Ayumi. Some were candid, capturing genuine moments, while others were clearly taken with his permission.
Ayumi's voice dropped to an icy calm. "Listen carefully, Sujin."
She slid a particular photo across the table—the one that hit hardest: Zaboru resting his head on her shoulder, smiling gently. Both sisters flinched, their jealousy plain as day.
"I know your father once approached Zaboru about arranging a marriage between him and two of you," Ayumi said coldly. "But let me make this crystal clear." Her stare darkened. "Zaboru is mine. Is that understood?" The Sujin Sisters were clearly terrified—Ayumi's presence had turned chillingly intense, leaving no room for doubt about her seriousness.
The room fell silent. Hana and Mina exchanged a helpless look. In their minds, the words were clear: We've lost.
Hana swallowed. "We understand, Usagi-san."
Ayumi's demeanor instantly brightened. "Great. Then you're approved to perform at ZAGE GOTY." She pulled a slim folder from her briefcase and handed it over. "Here's the contract."
The Sujin Sisters opened it, relieved to find it was straightforward—a fair payment even way more than they expected and a clear requirement to perform at the event. Without further protest, they signed.
Ayumi stood, bowing politely. "Then I won't waste any more of your time. I'll see you at the event tomorrow."
After she left the suite, Hana and Mina collapsed into the couch.
"Sigh... what a demon," Hana muttered.
"Yeah," Mina agreed. "And are we even sure 'Usagi' is her real name? There are rumors she's actually from the Hamazou family."
Hana shrugged. "Even if it's true, does it matter? We don't stand a chance if she's got that kind of background. And did you see that photo of her and Zaboru? I'm so jealous... I want Zaboru-sama to look at me like that! Uuuu i Really want him to cuddle to my arms he is so Cute!."
Mina groaned. "Same... but yeah. We were too late." Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she leaned closer to her sister. "Hey, what if... we asked Ayumi for copies of those Zaboru photos? She's got amazing angles, and Zaboru looked so hot in them! I even caught a glimpse of a shirtless one—though she didn't show it to us directly."
Hana shot her sister with a sharp glare. "Yeah—if you want to get beheaded by the Demon Lady, be my guest. Anyway, let's get ready for tomorrow."
With that, the Sujin Sisters began preparing for their scheduled appearance at ZAGE ZEB the next day—nervous, but determined to shine on stage, even if they couldn't win Zaboru's heart.
To be continued...
AN: I've just discharged from hospital even though i'm not really healthy but i can post a chapter!
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