The Story About How I Was Fired From My Company and Then Picked up by a Possessive Streamer With Over 5 Million Subscribers - Chapter 53-54

Chapter 53: Ski Resort (1)

It’s the second day of our trip. As planned yesterday, we came back to the snow-covered mountains where we went sightseeing, this time with our ski gear.

“Um…Kanna, are you really okay with that?”

“I’m fine! I watched a ton of videos just for today…Besides, Eiji is going to teach me, right?”

“I can’t talk about others, but…I’m more worried about Kanna…”

“R-Rinmei too…Do I really seem that clumsy to you? What do you think, Yuna?”

“Eh? Oh, um…Well, I haven’t really been paying attention to Kanna, so I wouldn’t know…Haha.”

Apparently, everyone is a bit anxious about Kanna skiing.

To be honest, I’m one of them.

“Alright, Yusuke. We’re heading up.”

“Make sure you get this on camera! I’m going to show off my graceful moves!”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. Now, hurry up and go.”

After exchanging those words with the Ashida siblings, they got on the lift to head up the mountain.

“Kanna, you see how they’re getting on the lift? Don’t forget to keep your skis on while riding, okay?”

“…I’ll remember. Got that, Kanna?”

“Ugh, you don’t have to remind me of every little thing! I’m not that clumsy…right, Eiji?”

“Haha…”

Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about Kanna for some reason.

“Alright, Senpai. Since Soji and Manaka are going, I’m going up too.”

“Got it. Be careful.”

“I’m not as clumsy as you, so I’ll be fine~! See you later!”

As usual, Yuna left me with her snarky remarks before waving and getting on the lift.

“We’ll go after those three finish their run. It’s important to see an example first.”

Since they’re all beginners, watching them go first seems like a good idea.

I watched the three of them nod in agreement and looked up at the slope.

After a while, one of the two people started waving their hand enthusiastically. Was it Manaka? Her outfit stood out, unlike Soji’s simple winter clothes.

I prepared the camera that was handed to me earlier and aimed it at them.

As if responding to my signal, they both began skiing.

“…Huh? Aren’t they…pretty good?”

“…That’s impressive.”

Sayaka and Rinmei couldn’t help but voice their surprise at how skilled they were.

Kanna was speechless.

The two of them skillfully used the terrain, making diagonal turns and adjusting their speed with smooth maneuvers.

And as siblings, they skied elegantly, carving graceful arcs into the snow and crossing paths at just the right moments.

Finally, they reached us and finished with a dynamic turn, leaning deeply into the snow for a perfect stop.

Wow…Kanna and the others clapped, clearly impressed by their performance.

The two of them smiled in response.

“How was it, Yusuke? I haven’t skied in a while, so I thought I might be a bit rusty. Did it look okay?”

“Hmm…It didn’t look rusty to me at all. But, you seemed even smoother before.”

“I figured as much…You really lose the touch when you haven’t done it for a while. Let me see the footage.”

I handed her the camera, and they started watching the footage I just recorded.

“Wait…if that’s what being rusty looks like, what kind of athletic ability do they have…?”

“Eiji…Do you think we’ll be able to ski? I’m starting to feel a bit anxious…”

“…That was amazing…”

Sayaka was completely overwhelmed, Kanna was growing nervous, and Rinmei seemed deeply impressed, just like earlier.

“You don’t need to be as good as them. The important thing is to have fun. Look at Yuna, for example.”

I pointed at Yuna, who was skiing towards us. While she wasn’t as skilled as the Ashida siblings, she was still skiing well—and enjoying it.

“Phew…Skiing is so much fun! Huh? What’s wrong, Sayaka? You look so worried…”

“Are all the people around Eiji naturally athletic or something…?”

“???”

Apparently, in their eyes, Yuna also falls into the “athletically gifted” category.

“Alright! I’ve checked the footage. Yusuke, you’re coming with us next time.”

“Huh? Me too?”

“Yeah. After you’re done teaching Kanna, come ski with us. I want to do it with the three of us again.”

“Hmm…Well, if that’s the case…”

“Are we going to see Senpai ski? I’m kind of looking forward to it.”

“Don’t get your hopes up too much…Alright, you three, let’s go.”

After confirming their slightly nervous nods, we all got on the lift and began our ascent up the snowy mountain.

—

Chapter 54: Ski Resort (2)

“Exactly, that’s it, Kanna. Just take it slow, no need to rush.”

After riding the lift to the top of the snowy mountain, Yuna, the Ashida siblings, and I each began teaching Kanna and the others how to ski.

“Eek!”

…But, Kanna is really struggling because she’s not very athletic. Though Sayaka and Rinmei are also having a tough time, thanks to Yuna’s guidance, they’re gradually getting better.

“Ugh…I really am bad at physical activities…”

“It’s okay, Kanna. Everyone has things they’re good at and things they’re not.”

“…Eiji, are you indirectly calling me clumsy? How mean…”

Seeing Kanna on the verge of tears after a dramatic fall, I couldn’t help but give a wry smile. …I think I understand now why she’s bad at housework. She’s just really clumsy.

“…Eiji?”

“Ah, let’s continue! We still have plenty of time, after all!”

Feeling the chill from Kanna’s piercing gaze, I quickly changed the subject. With a sad sigh, she tried to get up, holding onto her poles.

“Oof!”

“….”

“…Eiji…”

“Alright, let me help you up.”

I extended my hand to Kanna, who had clumsily fallen again, and helped her stand.

“It seems like you’re having a tough time.”

“…Well, it can’t be helped.”

Manaka approached, chuckling softly.

“How’s Rinmei doing?”

“She’s doing fine. I’m letting her try it on her own now. Surprisingly, she seems to have pretty good reflexes.”

As she spoke, Manaka looked in another direction. I followed her gaze and saw Rinmei, still unsteady, but much better than when she first started.

“Soji and Manaka are helping Sayaka, and…she’s doing quite well, too.”

“Those two are unexpectedly athletic.”

While talking with Manaka, I suddenly remembered Kanna and turned around. There she was, crouching down and drawing circles in the snow.

“…I’m just a clumsy gamer with no athletic ability…”

“N-no, Kanna. I wasn’t trying to insult you or anything…”

“I’m worse than the others, that’s for sure…”

…This is bad. She’s really sulking.

“Well, I’ll leave cheering Kanna up to you. Come find us later, okay?”

“Wait! Are you seriously abandoning me!?”

Ignoring my protest, Manaka waved and walked off, leaving me behind to spend the next couple of hours consoling the sulking Kanna.

◇

“…Ah, you finally made it. Are you okay, Yusuke?”

“…Yeah…I’m okay…”

After encouraging Kanna, who had calmed down somewhat, I joined Manaka and Soji. Though, Kanna still seemed a bit down.

“I already sent the others back. I figured now we can have the place all to ourselves.”

“Oh, I sent Kanna back too. Is that alright?”

“I already asked Manaka to film us earlier. Besides, it’s the best way for us to get some proper skiing in.”

“…You’re surprisingly harsh.”

“Haha, I’m not a saint…just a humble streamer.”

“Then, I guess I’d just be in the way.”

“That’s not true. We wanted to ski with you again, Yusuke. It’s been a while, right?”

Seeing them ready with their poles, I joined them, preparing to ski as well.

“We’ve already gotten our rhythm back from skiing earlier, but are you going to be okay?”

“Come on, Manaka, don’t pressure him like that. Let’s just have fun…right, Yusuke?”

“I won’t slow you down. Don’t worry.”

Ugh, they’re making fun of me.

After chatting for a bit, the three of us started skiing down the slope.

As we picked up speed, we glanced at each other…and they moved closer to me.

This time, we were skiing on a narrower slope. It was riskier and there was a chance of serious injury…but it was fine.

Using the bumpy slope to our advantage, we crossed paths several times. Our movements were perfectly synchronized, controlling our speed and creating a seamless performance.

To Kanna and the others watching, it must’ve looked like a complicated routine.

Though the field wasn’t flashy, the advanced techniques we used made it impressive nonetheless.

Finally, we reached flat ground, and we all turned, using the edges of our skis to stop gracefully.

“…Phew, it’s been a while, but I guess I haven’t lost my touch, Yusuke.”

“…I was the best out of us, wasn’t I? So why are you acting so superior…?”

“Haha, well, it was fun skiing with you again, Yusuke.”

“…Amazing.”

We heard someone mutter in awe. Turning around, we saw four people standing there, stunned.

“S-senpai, you’re as good as Manaka and Soji…”

“…So cool…”

Sayaka’s words made me chuckle awkwardly. It was an embarrassed laugh.

“…What’s with that creepy smile? Gross.”

“What did you just say!?”

Was she picking a fight? Just then, I felt someone clutch my arm tightly.

“Eiji! That was…that was amazing! It was like watching your old videos!!”

“…Yeah. You didn’t fall behind those two at all…I’m moved…”

“T-thank you, Kanna…Rinmei…”

Both of them stared at me with sparkling eyes. Their enthusiasm reminded me of hardcore fans talking about their favorite idol.

“…Yusuke. Can I use this footage anonymously for the video? It’s too good not to.”

“N-no way. Please don’t. I don’t want to be recognized.”

“That’s fair. You’re not a streamer anymore.”

“…Fine. I’ll ski again, but you can film just the three of us this time.”

“Alright, that’s totally fine.”

“Let’s go again…all together.”

Manaka smiled warmly, not at me, but at the others. It seemed our performance had inspired them.

“Go ahead, have fun. I’ll stay here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ve skied enough. You all enjoy yourselves.”

“…Thank you, Eiji…I’m going.”

“I may not be as good as you, Eiji, but I’ll do my best!”

“Me too…I’m not great, but I’ll give it my all…”

After hearing their words of determination, Kanna, Sayaka, and Rinmei headed off with the Ashida siblings.

“…Well, senpai, I’m going too. And, um…”

“Hm?”

“…You were…really cool today…not like usual…”

“Huh?”

“W-well, I’m off now!”

Blushing, she hurried after the others.

As for me…I was left speechless, completely stunned by her unexpected words.