Game Market 1983

Chapter 68: And So, the Legend Begins...

As I stepped out of the shower, Shige-san, who had been sipping on a can of beer in our accommodation, had a bewildered look on his face as he stared at the news.

On the screen, Misato-san was relentlessly chasing after Sakai-kun, the leader of the idol group SMEP, shouting his name incessantly.

"Sakai-kun? Is that Sakai Masahiro-kun from SMEP? Please, answer me!"

Wow, Misato-san was quite something.

She managed to chase down Sakai-kun and reveal his identity before the manager from Janis arrived, securing an exclusive interview with him.

"I don't have time to play games due to my broadcast activities, but I really wanted to buy it."

The news continued, showcasing the game Sakai-kun had offered a hefty sum for. The game in question was 'Psych Battle,' developed by Mintendo, and Sakai-kun had offered to buy it for 50,000 yen, even though the regular price was 6,980 yen. They even included a brief game video and my earlier interview to keep things lively.

Why did they send it out without editing, after all that promotion?

As Shige-san continued watching the news, he still seemed to find it hard to believe, so he turned to me with a puzzled expression.

"So, the crazy guy we saw in front of the station was Sakai-kun?"

"You didn't know? I could tell right away, but he was covering his entire face, probably because he's a celebrity."

"Ah, should've at least gotten an autograph, right?"

"Why would I want a male idol's autograph?"

"Oh? We can trade it for a female idol's autograph later..."

What on earth was he thinking?

I laughed while wiping my hair with a towel, marveling at Shige-san's quirky sense of humor when the phone rang inside our accommodation.

Drrring, drrring...

"Who could it be at this hour?"

I picked up the handset, and a loud, cheerful voice filled the receiver.

"Kang Junhyuk!? Hahaha, it's me, Kamauichi! Are you watching the news right now?"

"Of course, Shige-san and I are watching it together. Boss, did you have a drink?"

"Oh yeah! I've had a few! You have to have a drink on a day like today! Cheers!"

"We're having a can of beer here at the accommodation."

"What?! Beer from a can? Hey! Get out of the accommodation right now, have an expensive drink, and send me the receipt!"

"It's okay. Shige-san and I walked all day, so we want to take it easy. We have to go back to the headquarters tomorrow. But why are you in such a good mood? Is it because of the news?"

"Listen, your 'Freio' or whatever you mentioned has caused a sensation all over the country. Orders are pouring in from everywhere."

"Oh... Have the order requests already come in? How many have we received?"

"We've got a hundred thousand orders in just one day. And the orders keep coming. You little rascal!"

I couldn't help but smile at the news.

Ugh... 100,000 on the first day!? I thought I'd be lucky to get 30,000 to 40,000 at best, but this is an unexpected harvest. Honestly, I have to attribute much of this to Misato-san's quick actions.

"Anyway, you guys, you're quite fortunate. I'm not sure how you ended up catching the media's attention, but..."

"Boss, do you really think it's just luck?"

"What did you say? What do you mean?"

"Of course, there's a bit of luck involved, but it was me who informed the broadcast station reporter about Sakai."

"What?! Is that true? Then you..."

"Meeting Sakai-kun from SMEP and the broadcast station reporter may have been a coincidence, but connecting those two was not."

"You... really..."

"That's the point, Boss. Since this has happened, let's make more use of Sakai-kun."

"How?"

"Being a popular idol group, if we give away Psych Battle along with the Golden Ticket for free, what do you think Sakai-kun will do?"

"No way..."

"Exactly. He'll likely show up at Psych Battle's summer event. Even if he doesn't, just the act of giving him the game will serve as excellent promotion."

"That's right. It makes sense. Let's proceed as you suggested."

"Alright, I'll visit Janis Entertainment's office tomorrow and then return to the headquarters."

"Sure. Take a good rest. And tell Shige he did well."

"Yes, understood."

&

The next day, Shige-san and I visited Janis' office and, after convincing the agency president that we wanted to meet Sakai-kun, we were finally able to hand over Psych Battle and the Golden Ticket.

Sakai-kun was delighted by Mintendo's surprise gift.

Of course, in the beginning, the agency president didn't welcome our visit, but when we explained the potential mutual benefits when the game media grows, he eventually nodded and called the SMEP manager.

And my prediction turned out to be precisely accurate.

After being featured in the news, Psych Battle gained massive popularity even among people who weren't into gaming. The agency, now having a sensation like Sakai-kun on their hands, didn't scold him anymore and begged for his forgiveness, acknowledging his actions as those of a typical high school student who loved games before he became a celebrity.

However, Sakai-kun's actions that day would occasionally resurface as a lighthearted joke in the entertainment industry, reminding everyone of the young idol's 'legendary' tale when he recklessly dashed to Akihabara during his debut days, punking a live broadcast.

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