I Joined the Agency as a Manager to Support a Vtuber, but Somehow I Ended up Becoming the Face of the Company as an Official Staff Member? - 21

Chapter 21: Long Story Short, Something Is Changing With This Popular Talent

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“Hiori-kun, gimme some apple juice—”

“Here you go.”

I handed the apple juice I’d just bought to Kurama-san, who was utterly exhausted from vocal training.

“I ran into Sunabara-san earlier.”

“Ui-chan was here?”

“She was running on the treadmill. She looked like something was bothering her, so I tried talking to her. As expected, she seemed to be stressing over the whole drama thing.”

“Ah…”

“To be honest, I didn’t think something like that would blow up, but since I’m partly to blame, I do feel a little guilty.”

“Well, it can’t be helped at this point. That kind of thing is pretty much a fate all streamers have to accept, not just Vtubers.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“Puhah! Apple juice is delicious! Want some too, Hiori-kun?”

Saying that, Kurama-san offered me the bottle of juice she had already taken a sip from.

“No, I’m good. Also, you probably shouldn’t do that kind of thing too often.”

“Huh? Ah—sorry, sorry. I always share drinks with Aoi, so it’s just a habit.”

Damn it, say that kind of thing on stream so the rest of us can enjoy the blessed ‘teetee’ content! It’s too much—my heart can’t take it! They’re that close, huh… Nngh.

I couldn’t handle it. My body gave out, and I collapsed to my knees, breathing heavily.

“Hiori-kun!? What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick!?”

“A-ah… It’s too precious…”

Those were the last words I spoke.

“Don’t die on me—!”

“Hidebu!?”

Kurama-san smacked me hard, snapping me back to consciousness with a weird noise.

“Haah! …What happened to me…?”

“Haah! S-sorry! I hit you way too hard! Are you okay!?”

“Ababababababa…”

Kurama-san grabbed my shoulders and shook me back and forth.

“K-Kurama-san, you’re a little too close. Please back up.”

“Ah! Sorry!”

She let go of me quickly and stepped back.

“You just collapsed so suddenly—I was really surprised.”

“I took a direct hit from the teetee energy. There was nothing I could do.”

“What even is that~”

Kurama-san laughed softly.

“Come on, get up. Be my guide, okay? I’ll just get lost if I try to go alone.”

“I really think you should’ve memorized the route by now.”

“For some reason, I just can’t remember it~”

With that, I stood up and walked out into the hallway with Kurama-san.

“By the way, did you give Ui-chan any advice?”

“Huh? How did you know I did?”

Surprised by the sudden question, I let out a startled sound. Kurama-san puffed out her chest and answered proudly.

“This past month, I haven’t just been hanging out with you for nothing, you know? You’re always giving me sharp, spot-on advice when I’m troubled. So if someone else is having a hard time, I figured you’d be the first to lend a hand.”

“Well, it is my job.”

“So? What did you tell her~?”

“Too close, too close. You’re way too close.”

She knows I’m not great with women, right? Well… Kurama-san doesn’t really bother me as much, though.

“I just suggested she take a moment to reflect on her relationship with her fans.”

“Ooh, that’s a perfectly reasonable take.”

“It’s about all I could offer, really.”

In the end, the only thing you can really change is yourself.

“Let’s hope that settles things.”

“Kurama-san, has Sunabara-san ever gone through something like this before? With a flame war, I mean.”

“Hmm… Not really, I think? There was a time when a male streamer mentioned her name and got flamed for it, though.”

“Seriously? Just for that…?”

Terrifying.

While I was thinking about how scary that was, we reached the company exit.

“For now, your next appointment is—”

Just as I was about to inform Kurama-san of the schedule, the sound of rushed footsteps echoed from behind us.

“Hm? Is that… Ui-chan?”

“Huh? Sunabara-san?”

When we turned around, just as Kurama-san said, a long-haired woman—presumably Sunabara-san—was running toward us.

“Hiori-kun!”

“Huh? Me?”

With a dramatic slide, Sunabara-san came to a stop right in front of me and grabbed my hand.

“Thanks to you, I think I’ve figured out what I need to do! Thank you!”

“U-uh, well, you’re welcome, I guess…”

Unlike earlier, Sunabara-san now spoke with a firm and resolute tone.

“And I want your help next time! Kohaku-chan, can I borrow Hiori-kun?”

“Huh? W-well, it’s not really my call… We’d have to check his schedule and stuff…”

“Then I’ll talk to the manager and have them confirm it later!”

With that, Sunabara-san ran off again.

“She really gets fired up when she’s emotional, huh…”

“Yeah… She’s like a storm…”

Like a literal sandstorm, she came in with overwhelming energy…

“…Anyway, I’ll be in touch. Good luck with your stream.”

“Ah, yeah. Thanks. Good work today~”

With nothing else to do at the company, Kurama-san returned to her home at the employee dorms.

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“I did say I’d help, but still…”

The following day, I had been called to the company’s studio. Of course, by none other than Sunabara-san.

“Calling me in the day after saying that… You’re really all about momentum and speed, aren’t you?”

“Ehehe~ My motto is ‘act the moment it comes to mind.’”

Sunabara-san gave a sheepish smile.

“Well, I’m here to help. So, what exactly do you want me to do?”

When I asked, she puffed out her chest with pride and declared:

“I’ve been thinking. I used to interact with my viewers as equals. But now, some of them are projecting their own fantasies and assumptions onto me. That’s what caused this whole mess.”

“That’s true.”

“So I’ve decided. I’m going to use this opportunity to wipe out all the problematic fans!”

And with that, she announced something absolutely outrageous.

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