[Kudos to Vasyl Č, ryan k, Dave m, Huy G, and The Real Cacto]

Chapter 42

Toys R Us was a famous company selling, well, toys. They have stores all over America and of course in the Philippines.

They filed for bankruptcy in 2018 after losing the competition to other companies. After years of intense price competition from mass retailers Walmart, Amazon, and Target... They lost the battle.

In my opinion, the reason they lost was because they didn't diversify. They should have followed the trend and gone online. To sell their products by creating a website. I don't know if it was possible because I'm not part of the management. But it was obvious that people would rather buy online than go to a store.

Just like Blockbuster...

Well, fuck that company. Renting tapes and CDs is a fucking hassle. I'm glad Netflix killed that company.

Can't you imagine? The owner of Netflix tried to sell the company to Blockbuster, but Blockbuster laughed it off. Hah! Serves them right.

Now Blockbuster hit the rock bottom.

Well, movie piracy was very strong in the Philippines and we didn't like Blockbuster at all.

Even I would rather buy pirated movies than the original, it was much cheaper.

I chuckled for unknown reasons as we entered the store.

As I expected, what you see in a toy store are toys... Duh.

Roman and Sophia were clearly excited as they looked around at all the toys on display.

"Honey, I will take Sophia to the girls' section. Please take care of Roman."

Penelope carried the excited Sophia to the other side of the store. Where girly and pinky things glamorously shone. My eyes hurt from looking at the endless pink products.

"Don't worry, honey."

Then I turned my attention to my son, who was drooling all over the giant Gundams...

I swallowed.

Actually, even I was drooling.

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Is that from the Gundam Seed?

My memory was quite fuzzy, the last time I watched Gundam Seed was when I was 3 years old. I'm talking about my other past.

"Dad..." Roman looked at me.

Unfortunately, I shook my head. This Gundam was one meter tall and it would be inconvenient to buy it and bring it to Manila. We are going to use a public bus.

"We can buy it in Manila. You have to understand that it will be difficult to bring this thing to Manila. Even carrying it would be a problem. Do you think you can carry it?"

I can buy an energy pill and carry it. However, the space on the bus would be a problem even if I could carry it.

"Okay..." Roman nodded his head reluctantly and looked around instead.

"Let's find another toy, something we can carry without any problems. Also, you promise your cousins that you will give them toys."

"Okay, Dad!"

He became energetic after remembering his promise.

I followed my son to the booths where there were hundreds, if not thousands, of different toys.

I even saw Superman and Batman costumes. It was still 1999 and the first Spider-Man movie would be released in 2002. Kids still prefer Batman and Superman to Spider-Man and all the other Marvel heroes.

"Dad, I think I know what present to get them."

I followed his gaze and found a classic toy.

Yo-Yo.

We definitely like Yo-Yo in the Philippines. There's no boy who hasn't touched yo-yo in his whole life, unless he was born after 2010.

Because I tell you, in my elementary days, yo-yo was really famous.

"Are you sure you know how to play yo-yo? You're still five, you're much shorter than the whole height of Yo-Yo."

"Dad... I hate you."

Hey, don't give me that cold look. Kind of scary.

"Okay, fine, I will buy... ten pieces of yo-yos."

If I'm not mistaken, we have seven boys living in the house.

"What about you Dad? Do you even know how to play yo-yo?" He grinned.

I rubbed his hair with a bit of force.

"Kid, you're still young. You don't know that I can do tricks with the yo-yo."

"Really? Like what?"

"I know how to play 'Around the World' and 'Walking the Dog.

"Dad, do you just make this stuff up?"

"..."

This kid. He obviously doesn't know how to play Yo-Yo.

Anyway, with my son's cold gaze, I decided to buy ten yo-yos.

Roman also urged me to buy a lightsaber and Rayban sunglasses from 'The Matrix'.

It seemed like Toys R Us was promoting those movies.

I almost choked up laughing when I saw Roman wearing sunglasses while holding a glowing lightsaber.

"Do you even know what 'The Matrix' is?"

"No," Roman shook his head. "But I saw other kids wearing sunglasses and black leather jackets."

"Indeed."

As for Star Wars, the influence of that franchise was not as strong. But there were still avid fans who watched and supported it.

They don't know that 20 years later, Disney will screw up Star Wars just to make a profit from the fans.

I feel sorry for those people.

Fuck Disney. They force children to accept their ideologies with their so-called 'children's movies'.

Even Pixar has become 'liberated'. Their last movie was about a girl twerking on her mother. What the fuck?

The worst part was that Disney and Pixar made money even though their movies were bad.

While waiting for Sophia and Penelope, Roman decided to swing his lightsaber.

"Roman, don't do anything bad. You might hurt yourself."

"Okay Dad."

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