The scene resumes where it left off, in the buzzing 7th floor of Hololive HQ.
Yukio:He's being led to his new desk. He sits down, his posture straight but clearly new to the atmosphere. He glances at A-chan, waiting for instructions.
A-chan:Her expression is sharp, like a high school honor student who also manages a black market."So, your role—Leader of Talent Managers—isn't just a fancy title. You'll be assigning tasks, supervising the Talent Managers to ensure they're actually doing their jobs, and offering strategic advice when things get rough."
Yukio nods silently, absorbing it all with a poker face.
A-chan: "Oh, and you'll also be acting as a Personal Talent Manager for one of our most chaotic gremlins—I mean, one of our second most popular talents."
Yukio: "And that would be…?"
A-chan:Straightens her glasses, lips firm."Usada Pekora."
Yukio (Internally):What a coincidence.Out of all possible people… it had to be that loud rabbit.
Yukio:Sighs lightly. "Alright."
A-chan: "Good. Since that's settled…" She reaches behind her like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and slams a tall stack of paperwork onto his desk."Here. Consider it your first test. Let me know when you're done."
She spins on her heel and leaves like a teacher with five more students to scold.
Yukio:He glances at the paper mountain with a blank face, then mutters:"…This is too much."He rolls up his sleeves and dives in.
A while later…
Yukio:Reading a scenario prompt on one of the forms:
"A Talent Manager has run out of content ideas for their V-Tuber. As the Leader of Talent Managers, how would you handle this situation?"
Yukio (Internally):Alright… Think logically. First, I'd evaluate the V-Tuber's strengths. Comedy? Singing? Gaming? Once I know that, I'd assign the Talent Manager to research trends, analyze viewer feedback, and brainstorm with the V-Tuber directly. Or… replace the manager if they've gone creatively bankrupt. No mercy.
He begins writing:
"I would organize a one-on-one meeting with the Talent Manager to assess their strategy pipeline and see if their lack of ideas stems from fatigue, poor planning, or lack of engagement with the V-Tuber. If the issue persists, I'd reassign them temporarily to another role and step in to personally guide the V-Tuber's direction until a suitable replacement is found. Consistency and creativity are both crucial in this field."
One hour later…
Yukio:He drops the final pen stroke and leans back, stretching his arms and popping his back."…I'm finally done."
He lets out a sigh. His eyes trail to the ceiling as if he's trying to meditate the corporate stress away.
Just as he begins to space out, a sudden burst of energy enters the floor. The elevator dings and opens—six V-Tubers step out, chatting among themselves as they emerge from the secured Holoheim room, freshly back from their streams: Suisei, Moona, Ayame, Subaru, Aqua, and Miko.
They're laughing, still riding the high from their livestreams, their personalities as vivid as their outfits.
Aqua:Notices Yukio sitting alone, looking like a misplaced NPC. She leans in to whisper to the others."Psst, who's that guy? We've never seen him before!"
Miko:Giggles, placing her finger on her chin. "Nyo~ maybe he's a new janitor?"
Ayame:Raises an eyebrow, curious but quiet.
Moona: "Doesn't look like staff… but definitely doesn't look like YAGOO."
Subaru: "W-Wait, is that the second male?! A-chan mentioned something like that!"
They all turn to look.
Suisei:Her cheerful mood drops slightly as her eyes lock on Yukio. Something shifts in her expression. The smile fades—just a bit. Her thoughts race.Why… him? Of all people. What is he doing here…?
Aqua:Approaches Yukio with bouncy steps, waving like a curious puppy."Hiiii~! Are you new here?"
Yukio:Looks up calmly, expression unreadable. "Yeah. Started today."
Subaru: "Whoa! Nice! I'm Subaru, and this is Aqua, Miko, Ayame, Suisei, and Moona!"
Yukio: "Asahi Yukio. Talent Manager."
Ayame:Eyes him, whispering to Moona: "He looks so serious…"
Miko: "You don't talk much, do you~?"
Yukio:Shrugs slightly. "I talk when needed."
Aqua:Laughs awkwardly. "He's scary…"
Subaru: "Nah, I think he's just shy!"
Suisei stays silent, analyzing him like a detective behind a forced smile.
Suisei (Internally):Why did it have to be him? This can't be random. Not after all this time.
Moona: "Well, we're going out for bubble tea. Maybe we'll see you around?"
Yukio: "Maybe."
They wave and exit the floor, leaving behind a moment of silence. Yukio watches them go, their voices fading like background noise.
Later…
Yukio returns to his small apartment, dropping his bag by the door. The lights flicker on, and he throws himself onto the bed like he just respawned after a boss fight.
He stares at the ceiling, hands behind his head.
Yukio (Internally):This will sure change my life… worse or better.…Let's see.
Scene fades out. Chapter ends.