That afternoon, Aiko returned to their shared apartnt beaming, carrying the new ga cartridges.
She and Oto-chan huddled in front of the console. Aiko opened one of the unsigned copies of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, slotted it into the machine—and the familiar Final Fantasy VII the music began to play.
It was such a beautiful tune that Aiko had even bought the original soundtrack on vinyl later on. It wasn't cheap by any ans, but she had no hesitation paying for it.
This ti, the trio didn't just buy the ga—they also picked up a number of thed rchandise items sold at the store.
The priciest item? A Zack Fair statue worth 200,000 yen.
With Gastar Electronic Entertainnt expanding across multiple sectors, rchandise sales were soaring too. Revenue from gaming now went far beyond just the gas themselves.
Take the Pokémon franchise, for example—the trading card rchandise had practically overtaken the gas in popularity. So of the earlier cards had even sold recently for sky-high prices, which left many outsiders baffled.
"It's just a card—why the obsession? Isn't it just a mass-produced product?"
...
...
Kazumi, now wide awake, had carefully arranged all the Final Fantasy VII rch she'd bought. She then joined the other two to watch the ga in action.
And so, the story of Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core began.
Anyone who had played the original Final Fantasy VII knew that Zack Fair, the protagonist of this prequel, was destined to die.
They also knew that with Takayuki overseeing the entire project, Zack's death would be crafted into a devastatingly emotional mont.
Still, even knowing how it ends, everyone wanted to experience the journey.
Sotis spoilers really do kill the desire to enjoy a story.
But in truth, the ending isn't always what matters.
It's the journey that gives the story its emotional weight.
Because of everything leading up to it, the finale hits even harder.
Elsewhere in Japan, a middle-aged man rushed ho, full of excitent. He couldn't wait to slot the cartridge into his console and launch Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core.
As the iconic Final Fantasy VII lody played, a wave of emotion washed over him—he almost wanted to cry.
Of course, being an adult, he didn't actually cry. But it was clear how deeply this story ant to him.
On screen, a dramatic, spiky-haired young man appeared atop a speeding train.
The scene... was so familiar.
It mirrored the legendary intro of Final Fantasy VII and its original hero, Cloud Strife.
But this ti, the main character was Zack Fair.
Anyone who played the original knew Zack was Cloud's ntor.
Their mories even overlapped and confused one another.
In the original, there was even a story arc showing how Cloud, influenced by Zack's lingering spirit, broke free from his own delusions and beca the true Cloud.
But unlike the brooding Cloud of Final Fantasy VII, Zack was an energetic, slightly talkative guy from the get-go.
From the first scenes, his character ca to life.
The man wasn't as easily moved as before, but deep down, he couldn't help admiring the ga's creator, Takayuki.
Back with the girls, Kazumi's eyes were practically sparkling.
"Wow! Zack is way more handso than anyone in Final Fantasy VII."
Oto-chan replied, "Duh. That ga ca out eight or nine years ago. The graphics back then can't even compare to what we have now."
Kazumi leaned closer to the screen, ignoring the jab. "If only I had a boyfriend like that..."
Oto-chan smirked, "Oh, I get it now—so that's why your chest has been growing. You've been dreaming about him, huh?"
Kazumi fired back imdiately, "Jealous? Too bad for you—you'll just have to stay jealous."
Oto-chan bristled.
Aiko cut them off firmly. "Focus on the ga!"
"In unison: "Okay..."
Aiko had already been drawn deep into the story. She had no tolerance for distractions.
If anyone dared interfere with her experience, they'd be in for it.
Back at the middle-aged man's ho, his wife had also co over to sit beside him, watching him play.
"Honey, it's been a while since I've seen you play a ga. What brought this on?"
"A new ga ca out today," he said excitedly. "This is the prequel to the best ga I've ever played!"
She chuckled at his enthusiasm. After all these years, he could still be so boyish—it was kind of cute. Maybe he'd never lost his inner child.
She leaned gently on his shoulder and watched.
Their child now lived on campus and only ca ho once or twice a month. Sotis, that left her feeling a bit lonely.
Having her husband ho for the holidays brought her comfort. She was genuinely happy in that mont.
"Honey, don't you think this character looks cool?" he asked suddenly.
She glanced at the screen. A spiky-haired, dramatic-looking young man stared back at her. At her age, boys like that had lost all appeal. She leaned back again and said, "He's... okay, I guess."
"Just okay? I think he's pretty handso. If I looked like that when I was younger, I bet I'd have had a bunch of girls chasing ."
"Hah! Dream on," she teased, rolling her eyes.
"Oh? Boss fight ti. Watch this—I'll show you what I've got!"
The man focused intensely. After a close call, he finally beat the boss. His palms were slightly sweaty.
"Whew! Still got it! Your man's still got skills."
"Yeah, yeah... you're amazing," she said with a gentle smile.
The praise made him beam as he continued playing.
Before long, his wife dozed off beside him.
As she drifted off, she could still hear her husband's occasional cheers or groans of frustration. Those comforting sounds slowly carried her deeper into sleep.
Until suddenly...
"Aerith! It's my Aerith! She's alive!"
His cry startled her awake.
In that instant, she was pulled back to an old mory.
A mory of instant seaweed soup—and her husband crying uncontrollably that night.
Crying over a woman. And not even his own wife.
She rembered that mont very clearly.
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