Chapter 15 - Trending Upwards
Day 5 (Thursday)
Classes the next day ended without incident. Next up, club activities and some fun, I guess. I couldn't play IRO yesterday because of Mion's first video check and retake.
"…Shou-kun, let's go…"
"Hm, let's go."
The glances from the girls in class were lukewarm. And from the boys, painful…
"Huh?"
"No, it's nothing. I'm just curious about the video we uploaded yesterday."
While trying to play it off, I was genuinely curious.
It was uploaded just before 11 PM, and from then until after school now, I'd be happy if it had double-digit, preferably triple-digit views.
"Ah, you're finally here!"
"Bell… Katori-buchou, you're fast."
"Something amazing is happening! I want to talk about the details inside, so open it quickly!"
What could it be? Anyway, I unlocked the club room door and went inside. What to do was pretty clear, or rather, put on the VR HMD and start it up. Real view is fine, right?
"Look at this."
"This is the video we uploaded yesterday, right… Huh?!"
The view count was already over 10,000, and subscriber count was in the high triple digits. It was only a matter of time before it hit four digits. More like,
"It wasn't much in the morning, but it suddenly started to increase rapidly after noon. It'll probably grow even faster from now until tomorrow."
Seriously… Was the content too intense?
Mion was blinking her eyes, perhaps in surprise, but…
"Are you okay?"
Yeah, I'm fine. Um, they're not telling us to stop, are they?
"Yes, almost all of it is positive. It feels like a mix of people expecting more of Shou-kun's gameplay and people who've become Mion-san's fans."
"That's good…"
Hearing that, I felt relieved. Even though I got a lot of special bonus SP, the gameplay itself is super tough, and it's a unique playstyle where I can't get help from anyone or play with friends.
"Even on Saezutter, 'Uninhabited Island Start' is trending."
"Whoa…"
Trending on Saezutter, the biggest SNS? Seriously?
Shou-kun, tell me your Saezutter account.
"Ah, I don't use it."
"Oh, that's rare these days."
"I hate seeing game spoilers. Those things just pop up even if people don't mean to spoil, so when I'm really into a game, I try to avoid the internet."
Of course, I'll look things up after clearing it once, or if I'm absolutely stuck…
Mmm…
Besides, I don't really have anything to tweet about. It's mostly just 'What did I make for dinner tonight?'
Oh, did Miki have an account? I'll ask her what she usually tweets about when I get home.
"Anyway, even if I had a Saezutter account, talking about the video's content would be a no-go, right?"
"Naturally."
I certainly don't intend to spoil the Uninhabited Island Start of IRO there. If I did that, it would definitely lead to a lot of trouble.
"As for me, it's fine if I don't have one…"
My account is locked.
"If you're going to do it, it's better to create a separate account."
That's true. It's natural to separate work and private life. Well, club activities count as work, I guess.
As we were talking, the club room door opened, and Yata-sensei appeared. She looked like she'd been running, probably concerned about Mion's first video taking off?
"Sensei, just in time."
"I hurried! You haven't taken any action yet, have you?"
"No. With the first video taking off like this, our next move will have to be very cautious."
As expected of Witch Bell. Having risen to the top ranks of virtual idols in less than a year, she seems to be considering many things.
"So, what were you talking about just now?"
"SNS related. 'Uninhabited Island Start' is trending on Saezutter, so we were discussing whether it would be better to create an account."
Bell-buchou explained that I don't use SNS, and that Mion's account is locked so she has no intention of using it for promotion.
"That's right. For the time being, I don't think you need to use SNS."
"So, we shouldn't rapidly increase our recognition right now?"
"Yes. The video's direction is also about an uninhabited island slow life, so it might be better not to push too hard to attract casual fans."
Yata-sensei's vision was to post videos about twice a week. Information, including announcements, would only be on the channel, aiming for a relaxed audience at a slow pace.
"Even so, at this rate, it looks like you'll be able to monetize very quickly."
"If you suddenly monetize and both Bell-chan and Mion-chan become stars at the same time, the school might start looking at you funny, you know? Well, Mitsumori is a private school, so I don't think they'd say anything too annoying, but still."
"Last year, the donation to the school was 5 million yen. Well, they got us this equipment with that money, so I can't complain."
5 million yen?! And a 5 million yen donation means Bell-buchou is earning even more than that, right?
Perhaps realizing the expression on my face, Bell-buchou retorted.
"I'll properly explain to all club members how much income 'Witch Bell' brings in. Maybe at the end of the month. Also, part-time jobs are allowed at Mitsumori, so there's no problem, you know?"
"Ah, yes."
Bell-buchou apparently saves almost all her income. Or rather, according to Yata-sensei, paying taxes and such is incredibly difficult.
She even got an accountant introduced through the chairman, so donations seem essential to keep good relations with the school in the future.
"Take it easy. Second-year students also have school trips and things, and academics and school events are important, too."
"I'd rather be live streaming IRO than going to school events…"
Yata-sensei glared at Bell-buchou, who had muttered that. Scary.
Even I wouldn't ditch a school trip for a game, I think.
"Shou-kun. You're playing IRO today, right?"
?!
"U-Uh, yeah, I am."
Being whispered to so suddenly makes me jump.
My sister Miki or my older sister have never done anything like that to me…
"Around what time will that be?"
"Probably starting around 8:30."
"Understood. I'll be waiting in the club room before then."
I'm starting to wonder which is the real one: the usual Izumo-san or Mion right now. Girls are scary…