Chapter 14 - Don't Aim for Perfection
After eating my instant, versatile dinner of fried rice and finishing my homework, I logged into the Virtual Club Room just before 9 PM.
Waiting there were not only Mion and Bell-buchou, but also Yata-sensei.
"Sorry I'm late."
Shou-kun.
"It's not a sports club, so don't worry about being 5 or 10 minutes late."
"Right?"
I appreciate her saying that, but I remember her being quite strict about club closing times and live stream ending times…
"Alright, shall we all watch the video Mion-san edited?"
"Got it!"
Bell-buchou snapped her fingers and started playing the video she received from Mion.
"I Saw an IRO Miracle!! Discovered the Only Player Who Landed on an Uncharted Isle!"
…Is the title deliberately trying to evoke something specific? Well, it is accurate, I guess.
And then Mion appears. The explorer style suits her, and she looks cute. Depending on the content, I have a feeling this could become incredibly popular.
"Nice to meet you. I am Mion, a game mystery hunter. Please treat me well."
Mion bows politely. Good. Surprisingly, there are many people who are particular about manners.
"This time, I'd like to delve into the life of an IRO solo player I accidentally discovered. If you enjoyed this video and want to see more, please subscribe to the channel."
Yeah, yeah, textbook stuff.
From there, she skillfully edited and connected the archived gameplay footage, explaining key points of the uninhabited island's east side, starting from the coast.
Like defeating and dismantling South Snakes and Bicobits, roasting and eating their meat, then stealthily tracking a goblin I found until I discovered their settlement.
It was well-put-together, interspersed with exchanges between Mion and me, and the quality was so high it was hard to believe it was made in such a short time after getting home…
"That concludes this video. Please leave your comments and requests below. See you in the next video!"
Mion waved with a beaming smile.
Holy crap, isn't this quality too high?!
"This is great! I think the view count will explode!"
What about you, Shou-kun?
"I thought it was really good. It was packed with stuff, no boring moments, and interesting to watch all the way through."
That's good to hear.
That soft smile of hers, it's so cute it makes my heart thump, so I wish she'd cut me some slack.
"What do you think, Yata-sensei?"
"Hmmmm, it's wonderfully done, but it's too wonderful, which is a problem."
The gesture of placing a finger on her chin and tilting her head slightly. I did or didn't think that's not a gesture a woman over twenty should make…
Ignoring the gesture, Mion posed a question.
Teacher, what exactly is the problem?
"First off, for a first video, I think it's a bit long. Mion-chan is amazing for being able to thoroughly report for about 15 minutes, but she looks completely professional."
"I-I see…"
Now that she mentioned it, both the pacing and the editing were so high quality that it didn't seem like the work of a 'new virtual idol.'
Sharp viewers might think, 'Ah, this is staged,' and if that happens, I feel like suspicion alone will run wild, which isn't good.
Moreover, Yata-sensei seemed to have more to say.
"You've packed all the information you have into this video, but that will make it hard for the next one. It'll become 'we can't release a video if Shou-kun's gameplay doesn't progress,' won't it?"
"Ugh… that's rough. Honestly, I'm fumbling around so much that I doubt the game will even progress much."
Currently, I'm stuck at the point of figuring out what to do about the goblin settlement I found at the end of the video.
Shou-kun, don't push yourself too hard. Teacher, what should we do?
"How about a much more relaxed pace, similar to Shou-kun's uninhabited island slow life?"
According to Yata-sensei, this video should only cover from when I first landed on the uninhabited island until I met Mion and fell.
Especially since the archive of the first day clearly shows me earning the special bonus SP, that alone would make the video valuable.
"Indeed, if you pack too much in, people tend to get dissatisfied if the next one doesn't have as much content…"
As expected of someone with experience, Bell-buchou was nodding, as if she understood. Mion, on the other hand, looked a bit dissatisfied?
Well, she put so much effort into making it perfect, so being told it's too perfect to be good must be discouraging.
"People who come expecting a strategy video will quickly leave if there's no new information."
Certainly, that would be tough, feeling like you have to desperately create content for consistent viewers. It wouldn't be a slow life anymore.
"Perhaps it would be better if Mion-san seemed to be watching over Shou-kun's slow life?"
"That's right. You know how there are videos where people find the daily lives of animals kept in zoos cute? How about we go for that kind of direction?"
I feel like this conversation is heading in a terrible direction… Can I cry?
Shou-kun, is that okay with you?
"Hmm, it just means I'll be playing while chatting with Mion, right? If that's all it needs to be…"
Please let me interpret it that way. Being treated like a pet in a video is just too much.
"The Uninhabited Island Start is quite unique, and it might draw envy, so it would probably be better to show the difficult parts too."
Ah… Indeed, Nat also wanted to come, and if I only show the good parts, the envy might get intense, potentially causing trouble for the operations team. And that trouble going to Mion would be bad.
"Got it! A kind of uninhabited island survival diary, including the gritty parts."
Thank you, Shou-kun.
Well, actually, it's probably better if people see how tough the gameplay is; that way, there won't be any strange admiration or envy. For me, I'm just playing normally.
In the end, Mion and Yata-sensei displayed incredible editing skills, completing the retake version of the first video in about an hour.
Alright, I'll upload it.
"What about promotion? Directing from my channel… that might be seen as staged again, I wonder."
"That's right. Just tagging the video with 'IRO' should be enough. We'll observe the viewers' reactions for that part too."
Well, if the view count gradually increases, and subscribers grow, and then we go live once we're comfortable, that would be ideal.
There was a time when I thought that way too…