Chapter 204: Social Activities
"Ugh... It's a disaster. What happened after just a week of opening the store?"
A man muttered to himself in despair, his eyes meeting mine, and he instinctively directed his gaze towards the handheld Game Boy in my hand.
Concerned I might be mistaken for a thief, I quickly spoke up, "Oh, this? Um..."
"Forget it. It's not like I can sell this broken item anyway. At this point, it's practically trash..."
The man gazed sadly at the broken gadget for a moment, then slumped onto a nearby piece of shattered cardboard.
This situation is quite perplexing...
Glancing momentarily at the Game Boy I held, I approached him.
"Did you run a game store here?"
As he tried to light a cigarette, the lighter seemed to ignore his intentions, causing him to shake it impatiently.
I offered my lighter, igniting his cigarette, and asked once more, "Are you the owner of this item?"
Glancing at the handheld Game Boy I handed him, his eyes reddened. One might mock a grown-up for tearing up like a child, but anyone would feel dismayed after experiencing such an incident within a week of opening a store...
With a grimace, he took a deep drag of his cigarette, accepting the handheld Game Boy I handed him.
Then, just as I did, he flipped the power switch on the broken device.
*Ding~*
Despite the cracked plastic screen, a clear sound rang out, almost as if declaring its resilience. Astonished, the man stifled a laugh.
"Even after all this mess, it still works... remarkable."
"Well, I designed it sturdy, thinking kids would play with it."
At that, the man, peering at me, hesitated before speaking up.
"It sounds like you're the one who created this as if you were the designer..."
"Yes, that's right. I made it while working at Mintendo with Gunpei-san."
"Huh...? So, are you a former Mintendo employee?"
"No, I've moved on to Pentagon now. We made quite sturdy products even at Mintendo, like the Super Family and Laon. So, there might still be some intact products around."
"Wait... Are you the person who...?"
Being a game store owner, perhaps he's well-informed about industry news?
With just a few clues, he seemed to guess who I was.
"Yes, I'm Kang Junhyuk from Pentagon Soft."
"Oh... I see. But why is someone from Pentagon Soft here in this disaster?"
"One of our employees is from this area. I heard about it and rushed here, thinking I could help with relief supplies."
"Then, the soup and bread from lunch earlier... those were from Pentagon?"
"Well... I'm not particularly boasting, but yes."
"I thought they were from a government relief organization. It turns out it was from Pentagon. I was too preoccupied to check where the aid was from."
"Don't worry about that. I overheard you muttering earlier; you seem deeply concerned. Your store opened not long ago, right?"
Smiling at my attempt to console him, he lit another cigarette and asked, "...If by any chance there's a gas leak nearby, we might both catch the express train to the afterlife..."
I felt a bit anxious, but considering the time that had passed since the incident, the city's gas pipelines were probably shut off.
Watching the man gaze at the burning end of his cigarette, I spoke up when the smoke rose.
"I might not remember well, but I've actually seen that side of you before."
"Me? Have we met?"
"Not exactly; we crossed paths briefly. It was because of this little guy."
Pointing to the handheld Game Boy, he looked at me. After a moment's thought, I replied, "Did you attend the launch event for the Game Boy?"
"Yes. It was a snowy winter day, and I had been freezing since the day before. My mouth was so frozen I couldn't speak properly. You passed by and gave me a warm cup of coffee. I wanted to thank you properly, but my mouth was frozen shut..."
"Oh... You mean the person who received coffee from me and mumbled, 'Thank you...'?"
"Huh? You remember that?"
Ah~ I might not recall the face, but I remembered that phrase well. Never did I imagine meeting that person again under these circumstances. I almost burst into laughter at the unexpected reunion.
"Of course. I never thought I'd meet that person here."
"Kang Junhyuk, you might remember, but I've kept up with your news through magazines. Recently, you got married and..."
"Oh, yes. My daughter was born recently."
"Hehe... Time flies. I was a bachelor back then, but now, I'm married with a three-year-old son. I quit my well-paying job, trying my hand at something I love. I just opened this store ten days ago, and..."
Looking at the spot where his collapsed store stood, he sighed in despair.
Ah... The story comes full circle, returning to the beginning...
Yet, despite this shattered store, his wife and son seemed to be safe if he came all the way here.
Watching the silent man for a moment, I asked, "What are your plans from here on?"
"Well, we'll have to wait for the government's measures. We don't know how much compensation we'll get, but it's likely to be insufficient. When the compensation comes, I'll probably have to find a home in a nearby area and look for a job again."
"Are you not planning to reopen the store?"
At my suggestion to reopen the store, the man chuckled, suppressing his surprise.
"Do I even have enough money left now, in this situation, to start a store again?"
Of course, there wouldn't be any left. But that doesn't mean there's absolutely no way.
"I can't speak for other companies, but at Pentagon, we've decided to provide 100% compensation on the Laon and game cartridges handled by the shop owners in Hanshin, Awaji, and Kobe who suffered losses due to this earthquake."
"Really...? You'll give 100% compensation?"
"At least for the products ordered from us, recovery is possible. However, for the shop owners closing down, we'll return 50% in cash."
The radical proposal shook Kawaguchi, who had initially heard of this plan.
Already on the verge of mass-producing a new console without any profit and openly giving it away, my proposal seemed to push the boundaries...
But next to Kawaguchi, the shop owner, with a desperate desire for a lifeline, hesitantly spoke to me.
"Is... is that really true? Even 50% of the order amount will be returned...?"
"Despite how it may seem, I hold a position at Pentagon Soft. I'm not in a position to make promises I can't keep to shop owners affected by the disaster."
"I... if that's the case, I can breathe a sigh of relief..."
"But as I mentioned earlier, receiving 50% in cash as compensation, would that be acceptable? You could receive 100% compensation if you restock."
"I'd like to, but even if I restock, I'll need a store to display and sell the items... Moving to another area will incur a lot of costs to settle, and I don't have enough spare funds to obtain a store again."
"What if we get the store for you instead?"
"Huh? What did you just say...?"
"If we get the store for you, would you consider taking back the products you purchased from us?"
"Well, if you're offering, I certainly wouldn't refuse, but... why go to such lengths?"
The man, feeling somewhat uneasy about my offer, asked with a hesitant expression.
Well, offering too much without reason would certainly raise suspicion.
Looking at the man, who seemed puzzled by my proposal, I replied with a slight smile.
"There are a few conditions, though."
"Conditions...?"
Just then, a Pentagon employee in uniform emerged from the school gate, calling out my name.
"Director Kang Junhyuk!! Where are you?!"
Huh? Is that Kaori's voice?
Seated amidst the rubble with the man, I slowly rose and shouted back in Kaori's direction.
"Over here! What's going on?!"
"Oh! Director! They're looking for you! The CEO is here for an interview, and Mr. Junpei from Fame Communications is also here!"
"Got it. I'll be right there!"
After finishing the conversation with Kaori from a distance, I looked at the man, still wearing a puzzled expression, and spoke up.
"Let's discuss the details back at the disaster relief center."
Brushing the dust off my clothes, I handed him a business card and dashed towards where Kaori was waiting.
"Thank you so much! I'll get in touch!"
The man's voice from behind sounded a bit more cheerful than when we first met.
&
Later, upon returning to the school auditorium with Kaori, a familiar face greeted me warmly.
"It's been a while, Mr. Kang Junhyuk."
"Huh? Misato? What's happening here?"
"What do you think? Isn't it natural for a broadcasting station reporter to be at the scene?"
"Oh, right... That's true."
Scratching the back of my head with a sheepish smile, Junpei waved at me from behind her.
"Hey, I'm here too!"
But I casually ignored Junpei's greeting and asked Misato.
"So, was it you who requested the interview with Pentagon?"
"Yes, that's correct. Although you must be busy, could you spare some time with the CEO for an interview? Mr. Kawaguchi specifically mentioned he wants to interview you together."
"Ah, no problem at all. Shall we go to where the CEO is?"
"Hey! I'm here too! Listen to me!"
As we smiled at each other and moved away, Junpei continued to call out from behind.
"Hey, hey, can't you hear me? I'm here too!"
>
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