The Story About How I Was Fired From My Company and Then Picked up by a Possessive Streamer With Over 5 Million Subscribers - Chapter 42-43

Chapter 42: Facts You Don’t Know Yet

After somehow getting rid of that boss, I was carrying Rinmei on my back as I returned home.

As I struggled to open the door, Sayaka stood there waiting, looking worried. When she saw us, she rushed over.

“Eiji! Are you okay!? Are you hurt!?”

“I’m back, Sayaka…I’m fine. Can I ask you to take care of Rinmei?”

“Rinmei!!”

I handed over Rinmei, who I was carrying on my back, to Sayaka. While she took care of Rinmei, I changed from my shoes into slippers.

“…I’m home, Sayaka.”

“You always make me worry! I was so surprised when you suddenly disappeared without a word!”

“…Sorry.”

“You probably went back because you were worried about Eiji, right? Honestly…You haven’t changed at all since we were kids.”

Sayaka said this while gently hugging Rinmei. Normally, the two of them bicker like sisters, but seeing them this close, I realized they genuinely cared for each other.

“Sayaka, where’s Kanna?”

“Oh, she’s sleeping on the sofa in the living room.”

“Got it. I’ll leave Rinmei to you. She seems pretty shaken.”

“Eiji…!”

Sayaka’s eyes pleaded with me not to say anything more, but I ignored her and headed for the living room.

“Rinmei?”

“A-Ahh…”

I hope Sayaka scolds her thoroughly. What she said back then made me happy, but her actions still made my heart race in all the wrong ways.

◇

When I opened the living room door, the lights were on, but the room was dimmer than usual. Sayaka must have done that to help Kanna sleep.

I saw Kanna lying comfortably on the sofa, covered with a blanket.

“She was probably nervous about today’s collaboration.”

If that were the case, she wouldn’t have drunk so much, I thought as I walked toward the kitchen.

“Come to think of it, I wonder if Kanna gets hangovers. I should prepare some water, just in case.”

I grabbed a glass and poured water from a bottle. The sound of the water echoed more than usual, probably because the house was so quiet. It was oddly soothing.

Once the glass was full, I carried it over to her, placing it quietly on the table in front of the sofa.

“…This should be enough for Kanna.”

Watching her sleep peacefully, I felt like I was looking at a child.

I turned to leave and checked on Sayaka, who was likely still lecturing Rinmei in the hallway, when I suddenly felt a soft grip on my hand.

“Huh? Kanna?”

Had she woken up? I looked at her and realized she was still asleep. But her face, which had been peaceful just moments ago, now looked pained.

“…Mom…Dad…don’t leave me alone.”

“Wha…?!”

Her voice sounded nothing like the mature Kanna I knew. It was as if I was hearing the voice of a child.

“I’m so lonely…It hurts…”

Seeing her like that made me wince, and before I knew it, I found myself holding her outstretched hand.

Kanna’s body trembled slightly, but she slowly opened her eyes, staring at me with a dazed look. Was she awake?

“…Eiji…”

A faint smile appeared on her face. But still half-asleep, she rubbed my hand against her cheek.

“Hehe…It’s so warm…Feels nice…”

“……”

Watching her, all I could do was gently pat her head.

“…Eiji…san…”

With those final words, Kanna fell back into a deep, peaceful sleep.

“…Kanna.”

It’s been about a month since I came here.

I think we’ve gotten along well as a group. We stream together, cook, and sometimes make a bit of noise…It feels almost like a real family…But.

“I still don’t really know anything about them.”

What happened in their past? Why do they not have parents? What is causing Kanna such pain?

As I looked at the sleeping Kanna, I could only think about those questions.

—

Chapter 43: Don’t Worry

A few days had passed since the collaboration stream with the three.

So far, that boss hadn’t done anything to cause trouble for us, but I couldn’t say we were completely safe yet, so we had to stay on guard.

As for Kanna, she seemed perfectly fine. She didn’t remember what had happened, and was clearly surprised when she realized she had been holding my hand when she woke up.

Despite the trouble, things were going as I had hoped. Kanna and the others, as well as Riana and the Ashida siblings’ channel, were gradually growing in popularity.

“…So, Yusuke. I’ve looked over your materials, and I understand most of it.”

I was currently at the Ashida siblings’ house, discussing things with Manaka and Soji.

“Um…are we going to run this?”

“Yeah. You guys wanted to do it before, right? I’ll be supporting from behind the scenes. The front-facing stuff is up to you.”

“That’s true, but…isn’t this going to be pretty tough? We’re both working, after all…”

Even though he was saying that, I could see Soji’s hands trembling. I know that habit of his—he really wants to do it deep down. Just look at Manaka. Her eyes are practically sparkling.

But realistically, they’re probably worried about the risks of failure.

“…You’re being unusually cautious, Soji.”

“What?”

Soji’s eyebrow twitched. He’s surprisingly sensitive to teasing.

“The old you would’ve jumped at the chance immediately. And Manaka, you’re hesitating too? This isn’t like you.”

“But…”

Looks like I just need to push a little more. Watching the two of them, I could see their resolve slowly building.

“Hey, do you remember? When we were in college, we talked about starting a YouTube channel.”

“Ah, yeah…I remember that clearly. Feels like it was just yesterday.”

“Yeah…Who would’ve thought we’d be this successful? You were the one who encouraged us to give it a try, remember?”

“Exactly. And as a result, you two became successful as the Ashida siblings, thanks to my suggestion…You see where I’m going with this, right? If I’m the one proposing it, success is just around the corner.”

“…Yeah, you’re right. You might have a point.”

“Soji, let’s give it a try! I’m getting excited—this feeling, I haven’t had it since then.”

“You think so too, Manaka? Haha, I guess we really are siblings through and through.”

“…It’s settled, then.”

Their faces lit up with energy. They were clearly excited to be doing something they truly wanted. Seeing that, I continued speaking.

“Don’t worry. This time, I’ll be there to support you fully from behind the scenes. Managing your mental health as business owners is important too, right?”

“…You’re not going to disappear on us, are you?”

Manaka asked that question with a hint of anxiety, while Soji’s face had also grown serious for some reason. Well, technically, I do belong to Kanna, but…

“I’ll be there when you need me. So don’t look so worried.”

“…Okay. I’ll trust your words. Looking forward to working with you again.”

“Yeah, same here.”

We shook hands, and for some reason, I thought I saw her smiling a bit more warmly than usual. Probably just my imagination.

“Oh, don’t forget about me now, you two.”

“Oh, you’re still here, Soji? I thought you had faded into the background.”

“As always, you’re cold to me, Manaka…Ah, why is there such a difference between me and Yusuke…?”

Soji’s dejected voice filled the house with laughter.

With this, I was confident the two of them would be fine. I could leave the business side of things in their hands…Now, it was time to go pick up the most important person.

The one who’s been believing in my words and striving toward her own dreams…my junior, Yuna.