Vol 1 Chapter 26 – The Planning Meeting【Vol 1 – Turning Point】

After that, Michiru-san and I went to a 100-yen shop to buy a sketchbook. On the way there, I couldn’t speak, so I managed to communicate in writing after we bought the sketchbook. While we were out, we even stopped by an electronics store, and they ended up getting me a headset. I can’t wait until I can do all this with my own money…

Not being able to speak outside is such a hassle. But before leaving, when I checked my subscriber count, it had grown by another 500. I figured I needed to come up with a plan. After all, even back when I was doing VTuber work, I always used my real voice.

When I got home, I had to work out the details for the summer market event with Tachibana-chan. The communication app called ThisCode Discord is the norm among VTubers. So, I created a channel and sent the channel information to Tachibana-chan via Michiru-san.

Soon after, Tachibana-chan’s name appeared in the channel along with Ryu’s.

『Yo, Rin! First off, your first live was something else! How’s it going? Not totally wiped out or anything?』

Same as always. Despite his rough language, he really cares about me. Rough around the edges though he is, he’s genuinely a good guy.

“Thank you! I’m fine! So, about the summer market event…”

『Alright, about that… Damn it, Sadakuni caught on. He’s now telling me to give him a cut.』

“Uh… Who’s Sadakuni, anyway?”

Then I began to learn more about this person known as Sadakuni.

Sadakuni… Akihaba Sadakuni is the eldest son of the Akihaba family—a VTuber with a pirate persona. His name is derived from Murakami Sadakuni, the founder of the resurrected Murakami Pirate Gang. He’s a bit of a mystery—a VTuber born before Michi Mama, making him the eldest son even older than Mama.

Furthermore, despite having a distinctly Japanese pirate name, Sadakuni creates Irish- and Celtic-style pirate songs. Apparently, he wants me to be the songstress of the Akihaba family’s pirate crew.

So, the so-called Akihaba pirate crew is made up of Sadakuni’s fans and those who helped him with his compositions.

『By the way, it seems Sadakuni became a VTuber because he wanted a pirate-esque look. Is that about it for him?』

“Yeah, I guess that’s about right. I always thought he wouldn’t compose songs for a female vocalist, though.”

The only VTuber I really knew was Michi Mama. And with Ryu, I only knew him by name. So I figured it was time to get a handle on the whole Akihaba family.

Including me, that makes eleven people in total. I’m worried I won’t be able to keep track of them all.

“But the Akihaba family has a lot of composers, doesn’t it?”

When I said that, Michiru-san paused for a moment and then clapped her hands.

“The only composers in the Akihaba family are Sadakuni, Ryu, and Rin! It’s only because Rin is such a great singer that the composers can’t just leave him alone.”

Before I knew it, I’d been lumped in as one of the Akihaba family’s composers—even though I’m still not that special.

『But there sure are a lot of multi-talented guys, huh? A doctor, a lawyer, a wild man… and only one who does game streaming.』

“Game streaming?”

I guess I’m really out of touch with VTuber basics.

『VTubers are mostly about game streaming or just chatting. It’s pretty unusual, like with the Akihaba family, to see people showcasing entirely different talents!』

I later found out that the Akihaba family’s VTubers are truly unconventional. Many of them excel at talents that are worlds apart from typical otaku fare. They become VTubers simply because they’re insecure about their looks or want an appearance different from their real selves. That’s just the way this group is.

Maybe I’m the same. I became a VTuber because my looks—so far removed from what’s expected for my age—held me back. But if that hadn’t been the case… if I’d been born female with a more mature appearance… I probably would have pursued a career as a singer or tuner.

So, maybe I really do belong in the Akihaba family.

“Anyway, about the summer market… Ryu isn’t coming, right? He hasn’t shown his face, after all.”

That reminds me—our subject was the summer market event. I’d completely gone off on a tangent. I’m grateful that Michiru-san managed to steer the conversation back on track.

『Ah, right. I can’t go. You know, in real life I’m such a gloomy guy… So, I want to outsource the ticket sales and have Rin help out. Got it?』

“Is it okay if Mama comes too?”

『Sure, no problem. Having Mother there is like having a hundred extra people on our side. Just make sure you don’t slack off, Rin!』

The plan quickly started coming together. Our discussion about participating in Comiket for the first time was reaching a point where it felt almost within grasp.

“I’ll do my best with the ticket sales!”

But then I remembered something—I, as Akihaba Rin, am a male crossdresser. In other words, taking on the role of Akihaba Rin to handle ticket sales means I have to cross-dress.

On top of that, when we participate in the summer market, I’m also working as a model. My photos are featured in magazines.

Furthermore, there’s even the possibility that cosplayers might do Akihaba Rin cosplay, or that an Akihaba Rin doujinshi might appear. In any case, the buzz is incredible.

『Rin is the poster girl. Just being at the booth is enough. Besides, the main act is singing! Me and Sadakuni will craft a song that brings out all of your charm!』

And with that, our planning meeting for the summer market event ended.

Next up is the broadcast. I absolutely have to do it today—after all, there’s no telling if I’ll even be able to broadcast tomorrow.