"Big brother, what exactly is this?"
At that moment, it seemed that some of the children had finally realized that this was something completely different from anything they had known before.
They also began to take a genuine interest in this project, which had initially been nothing more than a challenge.
"This? It's called Super Mario Bros. It's a completely new way to play."
When the first child asked proactively, Yukihira Soma's eyes lit up.
His plan had always been to make these children interested in video games.
The toys were nothing more than bait.
Likewise, following the first child's lead, the second and third children also repeated the name Super Mario under their breath.
It seemed that they were truly starting to care about this.
"Hey, hey, Soma-san, we've almost given out all the prizes."
At that moment, Aeri Hayasawa hurried over to Yukihira Soma and whispered to him.
"So fast?" Yukihira Soma was a little surprised.
It seemed that the children were extremely enthusiastic, and their comprehension was quite high. Just by watching, they were able to gradually figure out the basic gameplay and even some efficient methods.
Of course, this was also related to the fact that the first stage of the original Super Mario wasn't very difficult.
As long as one put in a little effort, clearing the first stage wouldn't be a problem.
"All right. Let's pack up and finish for today."
Aeri Hayasawa blinked.
"That's it? But we didn't earn a single yen today, and we lost a lot of toys."
"Of course you shouldn't expect to make money in such a short time. But trust me—before long, we'll be able to start thinking about profits."
Yukihira Soma was already prepared. Over the next few days, he planned to visit several other parks around Tokyo where children gathered to promote the game.
Then he could move on to the second step of his plan.
As Yukihira Soma began packing up, the children in front of him were clearly reluctant to leave. Their thoughts were still filled with the pixelated characters from the game.
Of course, the irresistible prizes also played a role.
Some children even asked proactively whether he would come back the next day.
"I'll definitely appear again—but not in this park. If you're lucky, you might run into me at other parks."
Yukihira Soma didn't completely extinguish their hopes, leaving them with a hook instead.
That night, Aeri Hayasawa returned home with Yukihira Soma, dragging her exhausted body along.
"I'm really tired, Soma-san. Please don't tell me there's important work to do tonight. If there is, I'll go crazy!"
Looking at Aeri Hayasawa, who lay sprawled on the tatami floor like a corpse, Yukihira Soma shook his head.
"Not today. You've worked hard. This is today's pay. Please keep giving it your all tomorrow."
At the mention of her salary, Aeri Hayasawa's ears twitched. Then she suddenly sprang up from the floor like a coiled spring, all fatigue vanishing instantly.
Today's pay was 15,000 yen—50% more than usual. If she kept this up, maybe she could soon prove to her mother that even without getting married right away, she could live the life she wanted.
Watching Aeri Hayasawa's money-loving expression, Yukihira Soma counted the bills and casually added another 1,000 yen.
"Extra bonus for today."
"Wow! Thank you, boss! You're so kind!"
"And now you're calling me Soma-san?"
"Hehe, of course. Soma-san sounds more intimate."
Yukihira Soma waved his hand.
"All right, go to bed early. We've got the same work tomorrow. The next few days won't be easy."
"The next few days? Soma-san, are you going to keep promoting it like this? I thought one day would be enough."
"Of course not. In one day, only a few kids would find out, and that's not enough. We don't have much manpower right now, so all we can do is promote it ourselves as much as possible. Tomorrow is the second park!"
"All right, then."
Thinking about having to work all day again tomorrow, she didn't even feel like taking a bath.
Of course, as a beautiful girl who had just graduated, she still had to maintain her appearance at all times. So even though she was utterly exhausted, she still went to wash up.
As for Yukihira Soma, he was full of energy and headed back up to the attic.
Throughout the day, Super Mario still felt somewhat insufficient to him. He was already considering creating a second game in his spare time.
The next morning, Yukihira Soma dragged Aeri Hayasawa out of her futon while she was sleeping soundly. She secretly snored as she pulled her hood over her head, only waking up groggily after arriving at a new park.
Today was just like yesterday: first attract children to play games and win prizes, then quickly withdraw once the toys were distributed.
In this way, Yukihira Soma and Aeri Hayasawa continued going out for more than a week, visiting almost all the well-known nearby parks where children liked to gather.
Among the children, a legend began to spread about an old woman and a big brother who wandered through parks. If you fulfilled their requests, you could get a Koshien Superman or a Barbie doll for free.
Of course, something else began spreading at the same time.
There was something called Super Mario that was amazing. If any child had it, they would instantly become the center of attention—and the king of children.
"Dad, have you heard of Super Mario Bros.?"
Inside a well-furnished detached house, the young father Hirohito Tomoda sat in front of the television, drinking sake and worrying about recent performance issues at the factory.
Suddenly, his son—whom he hadn't seen much of for several days—appeared and asked him a strange question.
Hirohito Tomoda's thoughts were interrupted, and he could only turn his head to look at his son.
"Super… what?"
"Super Mario Bros.!"
"Oh? Is that some kind of toy? Don't even think about it. I'm not buying it. We already have enough toys at home."
Hirohito Tomoda mercilessly rejected his son Otoko Tomoda's unspoken request.
"No, no, Dad! It's not a toy. It's something much more interesting. Trust me—if you try it, you'll love it too!"
"Not a toy? What else could interest you besides toys, you little rascal?"
Hirohito Tomoda seemed intrigued.
He knew his son very well. Until now, nothing had interested him except toys. Sometimes, just to buy a rare Koshien Superman figure, he could cry for three days and three nights straight.
"Have you changed your ways, kid?"
"Hehe, Dad, you're kind of old-fashioned. You don't even know about Super Mario. It's a video game where you can control a little character on the TV. It's super fun!"
Hirohito Tomoda imagined a small character freely controlled on the television, but it didn't seem all that impressive.
Video games hadn't taken off in this world, but that didn't mean they didn't exist. It was simply that, until now, video games hadn't been interesting.
Moreover, children were already overwhelmed by visual media products, leaving them no time to explore other forms of fun.
That changed when Otoko Tomoda played Super Mario Bros. for the first time in the park.
That big-nosed plumber wasn't exactly handsome, but he had a unique charm.
"So tell me—how much does it cost? I'm telling you, kid, if it's expensive, even going to your grandfather won't help. I won't buy it."
"Uh… I actually don't know." Otoko Tomoda scratched his head.
"Then where did you see it?"
"In… in the park. A big brother and an old lady set it up for us to play."
Hearing this, Hirohito Tomoda fell into deep thought.