Ikeburo Entertainment Center

The children formed a line to play while the adults observed the scene, intrigued but hesitant to join in. They didn't want to be seen as children; this was an activity reserved for the younger generation.

As the sun began to set, it was finally time to head home. Mira watched Shin as he carefully loaded the TV onto the hand truck and carried the gaming console.

"Hey, I understand that you want to spread the word about our game consoles and games, but I'm concerned that we won't benefit much even if they become popular, considering we don't have enough game consoles and cartridges," Mira expressed her worries to Shin.

Shin smiled confidently and replied, "I understand your concern. But you'll soon see why I'm doing this."

---

When Hiro returned home, he excitedly told his father, who was still in his work formal suit, about his day. "Dad, I just played a game at the park, and it was so much fun!"

Hiro's mother pinched his cheeks and asked, "Really? What kind of game did you play?"

Before Hiro could answer, his father, Taki, chimed in, "Did you play hide and seek?"

Hiro shook his head, his excitement bubbling over. "No! I played a game on a TV!"

"On a TV?" Taki furrowed his brows, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes! There was a TV and a controller! I controlled a character on the TV, and I defeated a boss!" Hiro enthusiastically recounted his experience at the park.

---

Early in the morning, Shin woke up and dialed a number on his phone.

"Are you the CEO of KiShin Electronic?" a middle-aged man's voice came through the phone.

Shin replied, "Yes, I'm Shinro Suzuki. Is this Manager Han?"

"Yes, and you must be the one who rented space at our Ikeburo Entertainment Center?" Manager Han's voice inquired.

Shin smiled. This Ikeburo Entertainment Center had been experiencing declining profits, mainly due to a lack of interest in their offerings except for Pachinko and Gashapon. Some vacant spaces were available for rent.

"Yes," Shin confirmed before adding, "It's 7,000 yen per day, correct?"

"That's correct," Manager Han replied before issuing a disclaimer, "I must inform you that I won't be responsible if you experience any losses at our establishment, sir."

"Hmm... I understand," Shin nodded and hummed in agreement.

"Oh, you can find all the details in the contract, my apologies. Goodbye," Manager Han concluded, bidding farewell.

"Goodbye," Shin replied before ending the call. He sighed and retrieved a notebook from his desk, which contained detailed notes about various matters he had been handling.

"Morning, Shin," Mira's voice greeted him from behind, and Shin replied, "Good morning, Mira."

"Who was on the phone?" Mira inquired, glancing at Shin's phone.

"You'll find out later," Shin replied nonchalantly as he took a seat in front of the TV.

Mira looked concerned. "You're not suggesting that we have to transport this TV to the park again, are you? I really don't want to go through that hassle."

Shin chuckled and assured her, "No, don't worry. We won't be going back there."

Mira was surprised by this unexpected response. She asked, "But I thought you wanted to fully promote our game console and game through word of mouth?"

Shin nodded, then shook his head slightly. "You're partly right and partly wrong," he clarified, using two fingers to emphasize his point.

Mira was puzzled and confident that she was entirely correct. "What do you mean?" she asked, seeking clarification.

"You're partly right about wanting to spread the word about our product, but it's not my only goal," Shin explained. He then shook his head and elaborated, "We won't overly promote our product for now. We won't benefit much from that at the moment. The initial word of mouth is the most crucial and effective."

Mira was still perplexed.

Shin continued, "I've already rented a vacant space at the Ikeburo Entertainment Center. Soon, those who have seen or heard about our product will seek us out there."

Mira was surprised by this revelation. "So you've already rented a place there... But why?"

"Isn't it obvious? I've already prepared the coin-operated machines, and all we need is a game console. People who have witnessed or heard about our product will search for us there," Shin explained, his attention still on playing Mario.

"Ah, I see! You want to make money from the coin-operated machines?" Mira nodded in understanding but still had some lingering confusion. She asked, "But how will they know our game console is at the Ikeburo Entertainment Center?"

Shin chuckled at her question and replied, "Remember the sticker?"

Mira nodded, remembering the sticker but not grasping its full significance.

"The consolation sticker badge have the Ikeburo Entertainment Center logo on the front," Shin explained with a smile, "and on the unopened back, it has the map or address of our location within the Ikeburo Entertainment Center. It's a subtle advertisement that will guide them to us."

"The golden sticker star badge, earned by the player who completes the most Mario stages, will even grant them the privilege of playing for free on one of our game consoles for an hour each day. That golden star badge will remain valid permanently as long as the game machines are under the control of KiShin Electronics," Shin explained, a smile on his face.

Mira finally grasped the concept. 'Is that all? What's so mysterious about it? This guy always acts so pretentious,' she thought, but secretly, she appreciated it when Shin shared his ideas and plans with her.

---

Shin and Mira ventured to the Ikeburo Entertainment Center. As they stepped inside the building, they were pleasantly surprised by the spaciousness of the place, exceeding their expectations.

Amid the constant flow of people, they noticed that the section housing Pachinko and Gashapon machines remained bustling with activity. However, the area with the large ping pong and black and white arcade games appeared abandoned. Shin observed workers dismantling these machines while new ones, prepared by Shin himself for his video gaming, were being installed. They also noticed a television that merely required some setup for their game consoles.

Sharing a meaningful glance and a nod, Shin and Mira unpacked their six game consoles and approached the coin-operated machine.

"Are you Mr. Suzuki?" inquired one of the workers.

Shin nodded, prompting the worker to bow formally and then unlock the coin-operated machine. With this, Shin and Mira connected their game consoles to the TV within the coin-operated machine.

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