Finally completed
Shin was engrossed in programming a Mario game on his computer. To be honest, working with Assembly Language made everything feel more complex compared to the modern programming languages of the future. However, Assembly Language was the only option that would work for his first game console, similar to the NES or Nintendo Entertainment System.
There was no way around it, so Shin pushed himself, programming tirelessly while occasionally slurping on a bowl of ramen. His fingers moved like lightning as he continued to type a stream of words and numbers onto his computer screen. After a brief coding session, he planned to move on to designing the necessary pixel images for the Mario game.
The iconic green pipe in the game was divided into multiple sprite pieces to reduce memory usage and ease the burden on the game console. The same approach was taken for the background, where the image was divided into smaller tiles of meta tiles.
Mira, meanwhile, occasionally observed Shin's work while focusing on her own task of assembling the prototype game console. She also took the opportunity to enhance her knowledge and skills while working alongside him.
Several days had passed, and Mira decided to stay at Shin's apartment. It provided her with not only free food but also accommodation. However, being a girl, there were certain boundaries between them that they both respected.
From time to time, Shin would switch roles with her, instructing her on what to do in programming before taking over. Mira was admittedly slower than Shin, but she admired his capabilities despite his young age.
Shin would then set up the prototype game console, insert a test game, and connect it to the television he acquired recently. Mira watched curiously as the screen came to life.
The screen displayed the 'KiShin' logo, which appeared rather plain to Mira. However, if someone from Shin's previous life were present, they might have noticed the similarity to Nintendo's logo in font and style.
The Mario game started, although it lacked sound and a stable background. Mario was already running, and Mira couldn't help but be intrigued.
"Is this your game?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the screen where Mario was on an adventure.
"Yes," Shin replied as he controlled the character on the screen. He seemed content with the progress.
"Mario?" Mira read the title and found the concept interesting but wondered if it would succeed in the market.
Shin played for a while and then smiled. "It seems like there are no issues with the game console. Now we just need to create the game itself."
Mira was genuinely interested and asked, "Can I try?" She felt a bit embarrassed about asking.
"Have you finished your tasks?" Shin inquired as he glanced at her computer screen.
"Of course! Look, I've completed hundreds of lines of code," Mira proudly responded, showing her work on the computer screen to Shin, who nodded and handed her the game console controller.
As she took over, Mira tried to control Mario and felt an unusual sense of joy. "This is definitely more interesting than a simple ping pong or Tetris game."
She nodded while observing the game. "It's not just black and white; it's in color." Then something struck her. "Wait, this game... we created it?"
Shin chuckled at her reaction. "Don't be too shocked; it's not the finished product yet."
Mira pouted, feeling a bit annoyed. "Hmph, you act like you're older than me. Besides, I'm not shocked; I'm just happy to have achieved something at work!"
Shin shrugged, pointed at the game console, and said, "We still need to design a casing for our company's game console."
Mira snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. "What's the name of this console, Shin?"
"Isn't it KiShin?" Shin replied without looking at her.
"Yes, but this game console is the first model, and it should have a separate name," Mira explained.
Shin paused his typing and thought for a moment. "A name, huh. I thought about naming it Nintendo, but I might get in trouble with copyright, especially since I've already borrowed Mario."
Mira turned to Shin, curious about his thoughts.
Shin met her gaze and said, "Seikatsu."
Mira was momentarily flustered and didn't catch his words. "Wh-what?"
Shin redirected his attention to the computer and continued typing. "I said the name of our company's game console is 'Seikatsu'."
"Seikatsu, huh..." Mira nodded as she muttered the name. She wondered if it held a special meaning for Shin.
Shin smiled as he felt a sense of nostalgia and melancholy. Life. That was what it meant. Shin had a deep meaning for choosing the name, and it symbolized the second chance at life he had been granted.
From now on, he wouldn't live passively and as a mere pawn in life, as he had in his previous existence. This new life was a blessing, and he intended to make the most of it. Shin was determined to bring the joy of
games to this world, along with the pain and challenges they could offer.
They would experience joy, happiness, and the thrill of gaming.
They would also experience pain, frustration, and the lows of defeat.
Shin believed that these emotions, whether positive or negative, were what made gaming so fascinating and captivating.
"This world should experience the frustration of a losing streak too!" Shin thought with a hint of resentment. He still vividly remembered the anger and frustration of losing in online games, to the point of breaking his keyboard.
He was determined to bring those emotions to this world.
...
After several weeks of relentless effort, the first Mario game was finally completed. Shin couldn't contain his joy and exclaimed, "Finally! Thank the heavens, it's finished!"
Mira had been asleep due to the grueling work she put in to finalize the game console. She had pulled an all-nighter, despite the specific requirement of only working for five hours to earn her salary. However, the timing of her work hours was random, and with her university responsibilities during the day, she had no choice but to work at night. She remembered how hard Shin had been working, his eyes red from exhaustion, and felt a sense of guilt for not being able to assist him more.
Even though the first and second game console was completed with the components already all used, Shin decided to purchase new components to assemble five more. There had to be a reason for this, so Mira simply focused on her tasks.
Shin was on the verge of tears of happiness when he completed the project. He knew he lacked some of the modern equipment he had in his previous life, and in 1990, using a computer like IBM without a drawing tablet was a challenge. He had to create all the pixel images using just a mouse, and it had been quite a struggle.
While Mira couldn't stay awake any longer and had fallen asleep, Shin couldn't help but grin with satisfaction.
"I'm going to become the Game Tycoon King!" Shin raised his fist triumphantly, mimicking Luffy's spirited actions and echoing his words.
Mira was abruptly awakened by Shin's shout and turned her gaze towards him. Panic surged through her when she saw him collapse, his head landing on the keyboard. "Shin!" She used his nickname, Shinro, a sign of their growing closeness.
Upon realizing that Shin was merely snoring, she let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..."
Afterward, she found herself staring at Shin's peaceful sleeping face.
Mira couldn't help but smirk and whispered to herself, "He's such a boring guy. All he does is work, and now he's overworked himself."
She glanced at Shin's thin lips and shook her head. "No! I'm a sensible woman!" She forced those distracting thoughts out of her mind.
"Sleep well, Shin. You're the most diligent third-generation person I know," Mira said with a touch of amusement as she covered him with a blanket. However, as her hand brushed against Shin's forehead, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening.
Tears welled up in Mira's eyes as she felt the feverish heat radiating from Shin's body. She whispered with concern, "Shin... Are you sick?" Her trembling hand touched his hot forehead, and worry washed over her.
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