Inside Yukio's modest apartment, early morning. He's sitting on his worn-out couch in a rumpled shirt, scrolling on his phone. The room's quiet except for distant city sounds.
Yukio (Internally):I work at Hololive. But nobody talks to me. Not even a "hey" in the hallway. Maybe it's because I'm... me. Or maybe because I don't do the usual fake smiles and small talk. Either way, if I want to survive here, I need a new strategy.
Pauses, deadpan tone.Logical conclusion: be casual. Blend in. Act like I'm not secretly a mess of social awkwardness and hyper-focus. Step one: stop looking like I just woke up five minutes ago. Step two: talk less, observe more. Step three: try not to scare anyone.
He stands up, stretches, and grabs his jacket.
Yukio (Internally):Sounds manageable. Worst case, I'll just pretend to care. That's casual, right?
Cut to Hololive HQ, two hours later. Yukio walks down to the basement, hands in pockets, expression as flat as ever.
Yukio (Internally):So, A-chan finally gave me the green light. Took her long enough. Not like I asked for a parade or anything, just access to a virtual world.
He glances at the flickering fluorescent lights above and sighs silently.
Yukio (Internally):Basement vibes: cold metal, faint hums, and that weird smell that screams 'someone forgot to clean here.' Perfect.
—Flashback, 10 minutes ago—
Yukio:Approaches A-chan who's focused on her screen Hey, I want to access Holoheim.
A-chan:Without looking up For what? Just curious or on official business?
Yukio:Shrugs Official business. Need to talk to Pekora about her insane livestream schedule and other "manager stuff."
A-chan:Leaning back, arms crossed First timer needs supervision. No exceptions.
Yukio:Deadpan That's your policy? Cool.
A-chan:Eyes narrowing slightly Don't make me regret this.
Yukio (Internally):Yeah, yeah. I get it — no reckless noobs crashing the system.
Yukio:Slightly pressing If I don't get in now, Pekora won't know I'm her manager. Scheduling conflicts, chaos, who knows.
A-chan shoots him a look that could freeze lava.
A-chan: Persistent, huh? Alright. Floor -1. Just don't cause a system crash.
Yukio:Nods Roger that.
—Back to the present—
Yukio arrives at the basement floor, facing a heavy metal door with a glowing cyan handprint scanner shaped like a palm.
Yukio (Internally):This feels like something straight out of a sci-fi game. No welcome mat though. Classic Hololive style.
He presses his palm firmly on the scanner.
Voice: Asahi Yukio, Leader of Talent Managers. Authorization granted.
The door slides open with a quiet hiss, revealing a softly glowing portal, shimmering and humming gently.
Yukio (Internally):If this thing zaps me, I swear I'm coming back to haunt A-chan for this.
He steps forward cautiously, hand reaching out to the portal's edge. A gentle tingling sensation crawls up his arm.
Yukio:Deadpan Not burned yet. Progress.
With a deep breath, he steps fully into the portal. The world around him shifts abruptly.
He stumbles slightly but catches his balance.
The sky is vibrant—too vibrant—like a cartoon exploded in pastel colors. The ground beneath his feet feels softer than concrete, almost like walking on sponge.
Buildings around him defy logic—a carrot-shaped tower, a pirate ship docked mid-air, and houses shaped like everything from foxes to cupcakes.
Yukio (Internally):Someone had too much fun with architecture here. Looks like a child's fever dream mixed with a theme park.
A group of V-Tubers nearby are chatting loudly, their laughter echoing in the air. The moment they spot Yukio, they instantly hush and stare at him like he's a glitch in their game.
Yukio (Internally):Fantastic. Unwanted spotlight. Just what I wanted today.
He ignores the group and scans the area, eyes landing on a huge house with a giant bunny head facade.
Yukio (Casual):Bunny-shaped house. That's definitely Pekora's. Unless some other rabbit decided to move in.
He approaches the door and knocks three times.
Yukio:Waiting No response. Predictable.
He's about to turn when the door creaks open slowly. Pekora appears, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her fluffy bunny ears twitch at the sight of him.
She glances at his ID card hanging around his neck, then looks up at Yukio's unreadable face.
Pekora: Yukio-kun?
Yukio stays still, hands in pockets, face expressionless as always.
Chapter ends.