Video Game Tycoon in Tokyo-Chapter 842: Strangers Living Together

It was 5:00 a.m. at Yuka Adachi's home.

Her husband usually didn't wake up until around 7:00 before heading out to work.

But today, he was acting strangely—he had gotten up much earlier than usual. And not only was he up early, but he looked energized, not the least bit tired. It was as if he'd had a full night's sleep, though Yuka clearly remembered that he hadn't come home until nearly midnight the night before.

In Japan, there's an unspoken social rule: men are expected to come home late from work. A man who consistently comes home early might be seen as a failure, or worse, assumed to have been laid off. It often unsettles wives, who can't help but worry until the rhythm of late-night returns is restored and peace returns to the household.

Of course, that may be a bit of an exaggeration—but it speaks to how Japanese wives tend to take their husbands' late returns in stride.

Still, her husband—who had come home at midnight—getting up this early, this alert, surprised Yuka.

But she didn't ask questions. She simply assumed it was work. Maybe he was just doing well lately, riding a wave of success, and that's why he was so spirited.

...

...

She had somehow forgotten that just recently, her husband had been sighing daily about how his career wasn't going anywhere. How could things have turned around so quickly? But she chose not to dwell on that.

As usual, she got up early to prepare breakfast and lunch, and by 5:30, she respectfully bowed and sent her husband off.

Coincidentally, she'd also been asked to come in early to the Gamestar Electronic Entertainment store that morning. There was a special promotion, and of course, the extra pay didn't hurt. So not long after her husband left, she headed out too.

Back to the present moment—when Yuka spotted her husband among the crowd—everything suddenly clicked into place.

Maybe he wasn't doing better at work. Maybe nothing had changed.

But... he had found a way to cope.

Not everyone can succeed. Some people just blend into the background. Yuka had long come to terms with that. She had accepted a quiet, modest life as a housewife.

She never expected her husband to rise to the top. All she wanted was for him to be happy.

But he had never shared this side of himself with her. Perhaps it was pride—some small dignity that kept him holding onto the image of who he once hoped to be.

Now, in the middle of the crowd, she watched as her husband excitedly snatched the last copy of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from the shelf—beating everyone else to it. He also grabbed Uncharted and a few other games along the way.

Naturally, he didn't forget the Switch console itself.

His reflexes were impressive. But so was Gamestar's restocking system.

Each official store had prepared at least 100,000 copies of every title—enough to serve even the most rabid demand.

At the end of the day, every store would report their inventory. That night, supply would be reshuffled based on regional demand to ensure that no store ever ran out of what customers needed.

Yuka's husband even managed to get one of the limited-edition commemorative Switch consoles.

This version featured a unique design not available in regular retail stores, with Takayuki's printed signature on the back shell.

These limited consoles were only sold in small quantities at official Gamestar outlets—a clever gimmick to encourage in-person shopping.

"Hi there, I'll take all of these!"

Yuka's husband finally reached the register and placed a stack of cash on the counter, pulled from his briefcase.

The bills were wrinkled, and the coins were a mix of ¥100s and ¥500s, with some ¥1,000 notes—but not a single bill over ¥10,000.

This was money he had painstakingly saved, bit by bit, from his daily expenses.

He had been saving for over two years just to buy a Switch. During that time, he hadn't bought a single first-party game. No matter how tempting a title was, he had always told himself: not yet.

And now, that restraint had finally paid off.

On release day, he had managed to save ¥100,000—and today, he was spending it all. On the newest console, the latest games, and a few Switch commemorative goods sold in-store.

Today was, without a doubt, the happiest day he'd had in years.

But that joy vanished in an instant—when he saw who was behind the register.

"A-A-Adachi..."

He stared in shock at his wife.

In a flash, he remembered the conversation they'd had recently—when she'd said she found a decently paying job to help with the household expenses.

Back then, he had felt nothing but shame.

He thought he should be the one working harder. It felt wrong that she had to go out and work too.

He vaguely remembered her saying something about becoming a store clerk...

But he never imagined it would be at the official Gamestar Electronic Entertainment store!

"Here's your receipt, sir. That'll be ¥100,000 in cash. Your change is ¥800. Thank you for shopping with us."

Yuka looked at her husband, her eyes filled with mixed emotion.

Her husband froze, stumbling over his words. Seeing this, Yuka softly reminded him, "Sir, there are other customers waiting."

"Ah! I'm sorry—Adachi, I—"

"Sir," she said gently, "I hope you enjoy your games. I hope they bring you peace and happiness. Don't let the frustrations of daily life weigh you down."

Her voice was kind, her gaze full of warmth and love.

Her husband opened his mouth but couldn't find the words. And yet, in that moment, it felt like something inside him finally clicked into place.

"...Thank you. I'll see you at home tonight. I'll come home early—and I'll explain everything."

"Of course. Please take care, sir."

Yuka bowed gracefully, sending her husband off.

As long as she could see him smile like that, it was enough for her.

So this was what video games could be.

Something that truly brought people joy.

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She realized she had underestimated them all this time.

And she decided—once work was over today, she'd try playing too.

She wanted to understand her husband's world. To join him in it.

Not just to share a roof... but to truly live alongside him.