Ookami Rika listens to a report from her manager in the TV interview preparation room. She asks her manager to pause her makeup application for the moment.
“Huh? He rejected the affiliation request with Poover…?” (Rika)
I ask again in disbelief.
Poover, being the biggest streaming company in Japan, is home to numerous prominent streamers with many aspiring individuals seeking to join them.
Every year, tens of thousands of people go through auditions to apply but only a few individuals get accepted and make their debut.
We ignored that fact and sent an email to Ueno Sora, guaranteeing his debut.
“Did we do something rude? Or did we do something too extreme again?” (Rika)
Quite some time ago, Poover was determined to debut an exceptionally talented adventurer, whom they desperately wanted. However, despite the individual’s unwillingness, they went to the dungeon entrance to wait for them and even visited their home in an attempt to persuade them.
As a result, they incurred the wrath of the highly skilled adventurer and caused a major incident.
“No, we won’t repeat the same mistake again. This time, we approached him carefully through email… but we were immediately rejected.” (Manager)
“Th-This is a joke, right…? I mean, normally, they would be overjoyed and immediately accept it, don’t you think…?” (Rika)
Even so, I am one of those who debuted through auditions.
Having survived among the many who were rejected, I was able to reach the position I am at now.
Recently, as my popularity has stagnated, I did something reckless and ventured into the lower levels… only to be attacked by an irregular.
Not only did I owe him a lot for saving me, but I was also amazed by his strength.
I was absolutely certain that he would become popular…! As I was convinced of that, I approached the upper management under the guise of inviting him to join as a form of gratitude.
“No way….” (Rika)
I wonder if Sora-san is someone without desires…
However, as a streamer, everyone should aspire to become popular.
While some may do it for their own satisfaction, Sora-san belongs to the type who wishes to become popular.
Then there is no way he should refuse…
“Manager-san, you watched Sora-san’s stream the other day, right?” (Rika)
“Oh, yes! Of course, I did! It was impressive how he fearlessly challenged the Irregular boss and even managed to win…! That was so cool!” (Manager)
“I think so too. Even the part where he forgot to end the stream, it was entertaining to see his genuine self.” (Rika)
A smile inadvertently escapes me.
Whenever the topic of Sora-san comes up, people naturally smile. It’s a wonderful common topic to have.
“Listen, Sora-san is an amazing person! I absolutely want him to be affiliated with Poover… for my sake as well.” (Rika)
Yes, if things continue like this, I won’t be able to collaborate with Sora-san.
Corporate streamers don’t have the same freedom as individuals to do as they please.
I just want to express my gratitude face-to-face properly.
But I can’t do such a thing on my own, and meeting him in person is out of the question.
I tried going to the Shibuya Dungeon, which is rumored that Sora-san frequently visits, hoping for a chance encounter, but I could not find him.
My manager’s expression darkens.
“Well… I think it might be impossible for Sora-san to join Poover… It seems he is already collaborating with someone else.” (Manager)
“Huh? Why is that?” (Rika)
“In the stream which he forgot to end, there was a silver-haired beauty who appeared, right? That person is actually the daughter of a major corporate dungeon network company.” (Manager)
“Hmm…” (Rika)
“The higher-ups have apparently met her before at social gatherings and such, so they were shocked.” (Manager)
For a few seconds, my thoughts come to a halt.
If we are talking about a company that has built a network usable within the dungeon, they generate annual revenues in the tens of billions of yen, no, maybe even trillions.
Th-That girl is friends with Sora-san…
“What… Whaaaat!?” (Rika)
My blonde hair stood up in shock.
S-Sora-san is more impressive than I thought!!
What kind of connections does he have!?
“According to rumors, it seems like they are planning to start their own company and do streaming together.” (Manager)
“WHAAAAAA!?” (Rika)
Two students!? One being the daughter of a major corporation, and the other being immensely popular right now…
N-No… I’m acting too surprised…
Fuuu~, calm down me.
“Sora-san’s number of subscribers is getting close to surpassing yours, Rika-san, so please keep doing your best.” (Manager)
“Eh? R-Really…?” (Rika)
W-What is going on here…?
Huh… a streamer who was unknown until recently can grow to this extent with just a small opportunity…?
No wait, Sora-san’s streams are indeed entertaining.
But still, this is…
“I did expect him to grow, but… to this extent?” (Rika)
From what I have seen in his streams, he uses a drone to record. The quality is high, both in terms of visuals and audio… Equipment of that caliber is not something even top streamers typically possess.
That girl is serious about this.
She is determined to push Sora-san all the way to the top in Japan.
And Sora-san has the foundation, or rather… the skills, to match that ambition.
If you open up social media, it’s filled with discussions about Sora-san.
I may be mocked for being used as a stepping stone, but I genuinely believe it’s worth it for someone like him.
He is the person who saved my life.
…I want to express my gratitude with my own mouth.
And also ────
“…I don’t want to lose.” (Rika)
I have climbed up through hard work. Coming from a poor family, I have strived to make my parents wealthy.
I want my parents, who gave birth to me, to be happy… With that in mind, I have worked to become popular.
“Huh?” (Manager)
“Somehow, I just… don’t want to lose to that silver-haired girl!” (Rika)
Honestly, I know it’s a selfish feeling. I don’t like to blame anyone or hold any grudges.
But… I was the one who first discovered Sora-san.
I feel like I have been sidelined as if someone has taken what was rightfully mine.
I was the one who discovered Sora-san first.
If I had worked with Sora-san in Poover, we could have been more popular. I could also have learned more about Sora-san.
“Um, is it still not possible to collaborate with Sora-san?” (Rika)
“Well… I really want to prioritize your feelings, Rika-san, but I don’t think the upper management will approve.” (Manager)
“Yeah, I guess so…” (Rika)
On one hand, if I was not affiliated, I could have more freedom and flexibility. On the other hand, thanks to the company, I am able to get TV interviews and such…
*Bzzt*…
My phone vibrates.
“Hmm, What is it?” (Rika)
A message arrives on my phone from a group of dungeon streamers. It consists of other individual streamers like myself.
“Wha!?” (Rika)
『Rika-chan, I want to collaborate with Sora-kun… Do you have his contact information?』
『Rika-saaan! I really want to collaborate with Sora-san!』
『I want to have a fortune-telling showdown with that onmyoji. It’s my time to shine as a fortune-telling streamer, so please tell me his contact information.』
*Bzzt*
More notification comes in.
They are from senior streamers who have even more subscribers than myself.
If they were added together, the number of subscribers in total would easily surpass ten million.
…This seems troublesome.
“Manager! Take a look at this!” (Rika)
“Eh, is it okay to show me the email…?” (Manager)
Now is not the time to ask that!
The problem is that a lot of big names are paying attention.
“Don’t you understand!? Right now, it’s a competition throughout Japan to see who will be the first to collaborate with Sora-san!” (Rika)
If you manage to be the first to collaborate with him during this Sora-dominant time in Japan… it’s a chance to become a celebrity.
“I would rather be the first one to collaborate with him than have him be taken by some weirdo!” (Rika)
It is not because I want to be popular or anything like that.
I simply want to be Sora’s first… That is how I felt.
And then, the woman who was in the same break room as Ookami Rika speaks up.
“Heh… For Rika-chan to be so desperate must mean that this Sora person is a really amazing person.” (?)
When those words reached Rika’s ears, she turned her gaze towards the woman.
She is an extremely popular singer, who has reached the very top and achieved 1st place in the Oricon CD album sales ranking2.
She earns billions of yen annually, and her beauty complemented by her singing voice were unmatched, making her known as one of the greatest genius of all time.
Compared to Sora who was unknown, there was no one in Japan who didn’t know her name. She boasted immense popularity even overseas, to the extent that whenever she visited, numerous police and government officials would be mobilized.
That person was Anzai Miho.
“Miho-san… Saying things like that will cause misunderstandings.” (Rika)
“Ahaha, sorry about that. But I am really curious… Oh, Rika-chan.” (Miho)
“Yes?” (Rika)
Rika was a big fan of Miho.
Miho herself also loved Rika, who was one generation younger and full of vitality.
In fact, Miho considered Rika as her younger sister.
She wanted Rika to witness her final live performance in Japan.
“Maybe you should try inviting that Sora kid? It might be easier than collaborating.” (Miho)
“It’s impossible. I don’t even have his contact information.” (Rika).
“I see, that’s a shame. It’s going to be the last live performance.” (Miho)
Miho was about to move her career overseas.
She felt the limitations of being at the top only in Japan, as such she was preparing to spread her wings and venture into the outside world.
“Having your final live performance at the biggest venue in Tokyo is really amazing.” (Rika)
“Fufufu. I am Japan’s top singer, after all.” (Miho)
＊
I ate the ham cutlet I bought at the convenience store in the morning.
“Mmm, so delicious. The flavors in this era are stronger, but the quality is superb.” (Sora)
To think that I can get this quantity for this price. The modern era is the best! I love Japan!
Sakuya who was seated behind me, is going through the documents she presumably prepared herself.
She was graphing each piece of information, checking for peak viewer times, age groups, gender ratios, and so on. She said that gathering data, compiling it, and analyzing is her strong suit.
As she effortlessly processed the pile of documents on her desk, I couldn’t help but think that Sakuya must be a genius.
“Hey, Sora. Do you want to collaborate with someone?” (Sakuya)
“Collaborate? Hmm, hmm…” (Sora)
What does it mean to collaborate?
I am not really sure… It’s not like we will be working together all the time, right?
As I am not good at communication, I don’t actively seek to engage with others.
I don’t know what to talk about when in a group with a lot of people, and if I remain silent, I gradually become unable to join the conversation. That feeling of being left out and becoming a loner is unpleasant and weighs on my heart.
“Can I collab with people who needs help?” (Sora)
“People who need help? I doubt they will want to collaborate…3” (Sakuya)
“Yeah, that’s true.” (Sora)
In that case, it would be best to refuse collaborations, even if it may feel regrettable.
Getting involved in trouble could be the worst-case scenario.
“Well, if you don’t want to do it, then it’s fine.” (Sakuya)
“Thanks. By the way, the other day, you forgot to end the live stream.” (Sora)
“Aaah… Yeah, I got carried away and forgot to stop the stream.” (Sakuya)
Sakuya states the fact without showing any signs of panic.
I thought she would be more panicky, but she is quite composed.
“I had thought that if I were to make an appearance, it would be a bit further down the line… but I suppose things have accelerated.” (Sakuya)
Perhaps Sakuya was planning to use herself to further increase the number of viewers.
Sakuya crosses her arms and lets out a slight groan.
“I need to think about my character… If I show my true self, people might realize that I have a bad personality.” (Sakuya)
“I think being yourself is fine. Sakuya, you have a good personality, and you’re kind. Trust me.” (Sora)
Upon hearing that, Sakuya gives a stern look.
“I don’t want to be called an idiot.” (Sora)
“Idiot.” (Sakuya)
“I don’t want to be called the Soramame guy.” (Sora)
“Soramame guy.” (Sakuya)
…Why?
When I show my true self, people call me things like “idiot” or “Soramame guy.”
It’s not like it bothers me, and I am actually happy about it, but… it’s complicated.
I never expected nicknames like “idiot” or “Soramame” to stick to me.
“Well, Sora does have a tendency to space out, so it’s not entirely inaccurate.” (Sakuya)
“Do I really do it that often?” (Sora)
Even so, I am always thinking about various things in my head, you know.
Sakuya rests her chin on her hand and smirks.
“So, Sora. What are you going to do in the next live stream? I’m sure you already thought about it, right?” (Sakuya)
“Hahaha! Of course… I haven’t decided yet…” (Sora)
I can’t tell her that I haven’t thought about it.
“Well, for now, I am thinking of doing a dungeon live stream to showcase some shikigamis.” (Sora)
I think that it is important to work on things steadily. It seems that Sakuya also agrees, nodding slightly.
“That’s fine. I’ll handle all the thinking. It’s my role to support you.” (Sakuya)
“Thank you, Sakuya.” (Sora)
TL notes:
Thanks for reading!
Sakuya was totally the one who first discovered Sora lol but I guess Rika wouldn’t know that. Also, I have no idea if Miho is gonna be a heroine or a side character so don’t get your hopes up yet.
ChatGPT was giving me some dumb translations throughout this chapter, so if anything feels out of place it’s because of that.
No chapter tmr, gonna have to start working on some of my assignments. These chapters are getting long.
Footnote:
- Enamame is related to beans, thus this conversation. Also the “bean me up” is obviously “hit me up”. Raw said something like “give me his contact information, ingen” where “ingen” means green bean or something. I think it’s suppose to be something similar to how people use “~nya” except its “ingen”.
- This is actually a thing irl but some of you may already know this.
- If this conversation doesn’t make sense to you, it is because it doesn’t make sense to me either. Here is the raw for the conversation 「困ってる人いる？」「助けて！ とはコラボしに来ないだろう……」「それもそうか」.
Miho probably will like him too lmao.
And i like how Rika (other seniors aside) being desperate to get closer to him 🤣
Ohhh i cant imagine how those unicorns will react.
bean me up? bruh 💀💀💀
Thanks for the chapter! Rika says she was the first to discover him, but Sakuya knew him way before, not to mention before he was famous. Besides, Rika probably mostly likes him because he saved her, but Sakuya didn’t have to get saved by him to like him, so I think she is winning right now.
about that sentence, Sora doesn’t know what Collabing means and he’s bad at socializing, so he’s asking if he can collab with people who seem to be in trouble. Sakuya imo is replying sarcastically, saying that collabs where a person is being like “please help me!” aren’t really a thing.
imo
Well that makes a bit more sense