Saturday 6 March 1996
Still at ZAGE USA, Zaboru decided to work as usual. Today, however, Ayumi was visiting him. She had come to the U.S. as well—after all, the two of them owned a house there, so visiting was easy. Even so, Ayumi rarely stopped by when Zaboru was working, not wanting to disturb him. But today was different. She missed him dearly, and now, finally, they were together.
Zaboru paused his work and glanced over at Ayumi, who was sitting on the nearby sofa. She was quietly focused on her sketchbook, clearly designing characters for her latest video game project. Zaboru smiled to himself. She's so perfect, he thought, eyes lingering on her.
Ayumi really was the best woman he could have ever hoped for. She was stunningly beautiful, shared the same hobbies, worked in the same industry as a game developer, and most importantly, understood him deeply. In their early days, she used to nag him a bit whenever he got too absorbed in his work, but things had changed. Now, she simply loved him with quiet patience—and that made Zaboru feel even guiltier whenever he neglected her for too long. It's why he often made an effort to pull her into spontaneous dates whenever she was around like this, just to make it up to her.
And obviously, Ayumi's thick thighs weren't the reason Zaboru loved her—not directly, anyway. He always told himself he loved her for who she was, and that was absolutely true. But his actions and lingering stares often betrayed his thoughts. Ayumi knew it, too. She had long since realized how much Zaboru adored her thighs, which is exactly why she started doing specific workouts to keep them toned—just to please him. And Zaboru was genuinely grateful for it, even if he rarely said it out loud.
Zaboru stood up from his chair and walked over to the sofa where Ayumi was sitting. He sat down beside her, grinning as he watched her sketch. Ayumi looked up, surprised, and blushed.
"What is it, Zabo? Is there something weird on my face?"
Zaboru chuckled and gently caressed her cheek. "Nope. Just a beautiful face, that's all. Hehehe."
He reached out and ran his fingers through her freshly dyed blonde hair. It suited her perfectly.
"Say, Ayumi… we're still young, but would you be ready if we got married someday?"
Ayumi's eyes widened with surprise, then lit up with joy. "YES! YES! I want to—I want to!"
Zaboru chuckled, caught off guard by her energy. "Hehehe, easy, Tigress."
He leaned in close and whispered, "I'll definitely marry you… but when—it's a secret~"
Ayumi blushed and playfully smacked his shoulder. "You meanie! Where's my ring then, huh?!"
Zaboru burst out laughing, but his laughter quickly faded when he noticed Ayumi had gone silent, her expression suddenly distant and sad. Confused, he leaned toward her.
"Huh? What's wrong, Ayumi?"
Ayumi looked down, her voice trembling. "B-but… do I even deserve a man like you? I mean… I was born into a Yakuza family. What if my past comes out someday? What if people find out and your image gets destroyed—just because you married someone like me?"
She lowered her gaze, eyes filled with doubt. Zaboru sighed, heart heavy with empathy.
"Why would you think like that? Like hell I care about reputation," Zaboru said, his tone calm but sincere. "Don't worry so much. Besides, your family—the Hamazou—they've gone legit now, haven't they? Thanks to your brother, Akechi-san? So really, Ayumi, stop overthinking it."
Ayumi nodded weakly and rested her head on Zaboru's shoulder. He gently caressed her hair.
"Thank you, Zabo… you're so kind. I'm the luckiest girl alive," she whispered.
Ayumi giggled softly, and Zaboru smiled.
Ayumi then said, "If I marry you, then I'm going to destroy those bastards—hehehe."
Zaboru raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Huh? Which bastards?"
Ayumi let out a dramatic sigh and crossed her arms. "Zabo… do you seriously not know how intense your female fanbase is? They're wild! They're out there collecting your photos, obsessing over every interview, and don't get me started on the merch. You have action figures, Zabo. Action. Figures. And some of those girls are downright nasty about it—I've had to confront more than a few."
Zaboru's eyes widened. "Wait, what?! I had no idea. Is that why I saw one of my own action figures in your room? You didn't buy it from a store, did you…?"
Ayumi blushed and looked away. "Yeah… I kind of took it from one of them. Then I found the guy who made it and convinced—okay, forced—him to work for me instead. That way, I get quality control and peace of mind."
Zaboru burst into laughter. "Hahaha! You're amazing. But seriously, Ayumi, no matter how many women say they love me, my heart's already taken. It's yours."
He grinned, then immediately cringed. "Ugh… that line was way too cheesy, wasn't it?"
Ayumi laughed so hard she nearly dropped her sketchbook. "Hahahaha! Yes~ Zabo, you're absolutely mine. And I don't care how corny you get—I love every bit of it."
She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder with a satisfied smile. "But seriously—if any of those fangirls try anything, I'll make sure they regret it. Permanently." Ayumi smile and its really scary!,
Zaboru chuckled, wrapping an arm around her. "My scary, beautiful Tigress. I wouldn't have it any other way."
They spent the rest of the afternoon together, enjoying each other's quiet company without the need for words. As the sun began to set, Ayumi stood up and stretched with a warm smile. She leaned down, gave Zaboru a quick kiss on the cheek, and said, "I'm heading home. I want to cook you something special for dinner tonight."
Zaboru smiled back, watching her go with a heart full of love and admiration.
Meanwhile, Zaboru sat alone in his office, the quiet wrapping around him like a blanket. "Married, huh…?" he muttered, eyes drifting toward the window.
In his previous life, he'd had plenty of relationships—flings, romances, even a few serious ones—but none had ever reached the point of marriage. He died at 50 ultimately alone. Back then, the idea of settling down had always felt like something out of reach—or maybe something he'd convinced himself wasn't for him.
But now? Now it felt different. Marriage didn't feel like some far-off dream. It felt real. It felt close. For the first time, he wasn't afraid of the idea. In fact, it excited him.
"I need to ask Dad how he proposed to Mom… and if I get married and have kids, will they inherit my reincarnator powers?" Zaboru chuckled, clearly amused by the thought. Still, the idea of having kids with Ayumi made his heart feel full. Yeah, he definitely wanted that future.
"Next month is April—Ayumi's birthday," Zaboru muttered with a grin. "As a birthday present, I'll propose to her. Hehehe…"
He leaned back in his chair, spinning it slightly as he thought. "As for the wedding date… I think the end of this year sounds nice. Or maybe January 1997? Hmm…"
Zaboru giggled to himself, clearly excited. When he returned to Japan, he planned to ask his father, Zanichi Renkonan, how he had proposed to Zaboru's mother. He wanted to do it right.
To be continue
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