ODL – Chapter 34 – This Company Might Not Be Good After All

Unlike normal streamers who only need a good camera and microphone to get started, there are several things you need to prepare to debut as a VTuber.

The first thing that comes to mind is the most essential element that defines a VTuber – the avatar.

I had officially signed a contract with [Virtual Real] and had been in communication with them in preparation for my debut… And today, I just received the rough design of my avatar. This is the avatar that is going to define my character.

By the way, based on the interactions I had with the representative, the avatar was supposed to be a cool and somewhat mature handsome character.

……

“HAHAHA…! S-sorry… I…haha… I think it’s …fine…pfff… don’t you think so too…?” (Shizuka)

I didn’t want to see the avatar alone, so I called over Shizuka who was lazing around at her home to see it with me. However, I was already regretting my decision. As soon as Shizuka saw my virtual avatar on the screen, she burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“AHAHAHA…! I see… it’s come to this, huh? Pfff… Maya-san, you’re really something… Well, I guess this could work well with Mafuyu’s character.” (Shizuka)

Shizuka wiped away a tear that had welled up in the corner of her eye and seemed to come to some silent understanding.

As for me… I still couldn’t find the words to address what I was seeing. The avatar in front of me is what I would likely be stuck with for a long time.

Well… yeah.

You know…

When I was told that the design was finalized, I expected it to be some sort of fantasy-like character.

Because, you know, the majority of male VTubers were like that, right?

…I couldn’t help but have that kind of expectation when everyone else looked like fantasy protagonists. It’s not my fault.

“…Seriously?” (Souma)

However… no matter how you looked at it, what was currently being projected in front of my eyes was unmistakably a fifth grader.

That’s right, a fifth-grader.

Well, maybe it could be a third-grader or a sixth-grader, but… anyways, it was an elementary school student.

Of course, there was no fantasy-like hairstyle, just a nameless short haircut that looked like it was done by one’s mother. He was carrying a black schoolbag and had an apron on, as if he had just come out of home economics class.

“HAHAHA… I can’t believe it… I can’t believe they turned you into a shota¹!” (Shizuka)

Shizuka finally couldn’t contain herself and banged the table.

Hey, don’t laugh. Stop it, get some help.²

“But still… How did it end up like this…?” (Souma)

The rough sketch I received had drawings of the front, side, and back, with small handwritten notes in the corners. It must have been from the creator.

“What’s this…『I designed it based on an older brother who takes care of the housework in place of working parents』…?” (Souma)

An older brother who takes care of the housework… in place of working parents?

“What on earth is happening…?” (Souma)

I had clearly conveyed multiple times that I wanted a “hard-boiled” character. I never made any requests that would result in a character resembling a kid in the midst of elementary school. Where did my request go wrong?

“Could there have been a mistake in communication on their side…?” (Souma)

If that’s the case, it would be best to report it as soon as possible.

I quickly opened Rime and tapped on Maya-san’s name.

◆

I began to hear Maya-san’s clear voice from my phone.

“(It turned out wonderfully, didn’t it? The moment I saw how cute he was, I was mesmerised.)” (Maya)

The shocking truth is revealed.

This elementary school kid avatar was designed specifically for me and it’s not a mistake or miscommunication.

“(Nono, it’s way off from what I had in mind. What’s with the ‘older brother who takes care of the housework in place of working parents’? I told them I wanted a hard-boiled old butler type of character.)” (Souma)

“(Rejected. Come on, Souma, where in the world would you find an old butler taking care of his little sister? A butler’s little sister… that’s practically an aunt. What is this, some sort of nursing home?)” (Maya)

“(That’s harsh…)” (Souma)

I had thought this from our first meeting, but Maya-san had a sharp tongue. It almost made me want to cry right now.

“(Anyways, that’s your avatar. We have already started working on the 3D model. Don’t worry, it’s going to be super cute.)” (Maya)

“(What’s the point of being cute…)” (Souma)

My inherently hard-boiled aura would undoubtedly clash with the cute shota avatar. I had a feeling that the mismatch would only end up making things more confusing for the viewers. Why can’t they understand such a simple thing?

“(Um… I don’t know how to act like a shota, you know?)” (Souma)

“(Oh? No need for that. Just be yourself like how you’re talking right now.)” (Shizuka)

“(Uh, okay…)” (Souma)

I don’t get it.

I had absolutely no idea what Maya-san was thinking when she came up with this idea. 

In our previous conversation, it seemed like the main target was women… but how was this going to help me gain popularity among women?

“(Maya-san, this is amazing! This is definitely going to work!)” (Shizuka)

Shizuka leaned forward and spoke to my phone.

“(Ah. Henrietta was here too. That’s right, this is definitely going to be a hit. I have a good feeling about this.)” (Maya)

Shizuka snatched my phone from me and began to enthusiastically talk with Maya-san. It seemed like they were talking about how excellent this avatar was, but the content of their conversation was completely beyond my comprehension.

…This company might not be good after all.

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TL notes:

Thanks for reading!

LMAOOOO MC just got trolled. He gave all those descriptions about his model and got something else entirely with no chance to intervene. I need an illustration of this model.

 I can’t even imagine how his voice is going to fit with the shota model. Is his natural voice really childlike or something? He certainly strikes me as the soft-spoken kind of person.

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Footnote:

1. Shota is loli but male. Basically someone who looks like a small boy.
2. This is a meme I added, so you can just ignore it.