kscans

Chapter 148 - A Page from an Ordinary Day

"Chief, you're looking mighty refreshed today."

During our lunch break in the cafeteria, as I was eating with my subordinates, one of them brought it up. I hadn't noticed it myself. I see, so I do look refreshed.

"Maybe it's because I worked up a good sweat playing sports last night for the first time in a while."

I could hardly tell them I was having a mock battle with a hero and a demon lord from another world. Still, calling it sports wasn't entirely wrong. Neither I nor the Arima brothers were actually trying to kill each other.

"You have been trapped in a vicious cycle of overtime recently, after all."

"It's not that I haven't been moving around, what with all the running back and forth to different places."

But that's a different thing entirely. Moving your body for work and moving it in your private life are completely different. The former just leaves you with a dry, accumulating fatigue, with no sense of satisfaction whatsoever.

"When it's for fun, I don't mind moving until I'm exhausted though."

"Actually, hearing you talk, Chief, makes me want to get some exercise too. Maybe I'll hit the gym for the first time in a while."

"Oh yeah, you have a membership, right? Can't you just go as a visitor? If you don't go that often, isn't the membership fee a waste?"

"I don't have any expensive hobbies, so the annual fee isn't really a major blow."

The gym, huh. At my age, guys start feeling a sense of crisis about their health and begin hitting the gym. There were quite a few like that among my old classmates. And before you knew it, about half of them had stopped going.

"Chief, Chief."

"What is it, Domoto-kun?"

"Since you feel refreshed after some exercise, how about having some fun indoors next?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

As I stared blankly, Domoto-kun continued with a fuffuffu laugh.

"I think you know this already, Chief, but I do video streaming."

"I know, I know. You were a great help during summer vacation. The president was thrilled, thanks to you."

When I was hanging out with the president during the summer break, I mentioned I had a subordinate who knew a lot about toys. That was this guy, Domoto-kun. When it came time to buy some, I asked Domoto-kun for his hobby recommendations, and they were a huge hit. Everything he suggested was so much fun that both the president and I had a blast playing.

"I'm glad I could be of service... but that aside, I do a lot of other indoor activities besides toys."

"So I've seen."

I haven't watched all of his videos, but I've seen a few. The one I liked was where he made various things with origami. It made me feel incredibly nostalgic. Especially the frogs. The frogs really took me back. I remembered making them in elementary school. We used to compete to see whose frog could jump the farthest. My Frogman... he was amazing, you know?

"So, we were talking about playing a TRPG next."

"A TRPG... I've heard of it. That's the one where you roll dice, right?"

"I know it too. The one with the dice, right?"

"Me too, me too. You roll dice, don't you?"

"I don't know the details, but I know you roll dice."

"Could you guys stop piling on with the dice jokes?"

That good-natured spirit is the sales department's specialty. But in reality, my understanding of it is pretty much just "you roll some dice and do stuff".

"There are all kinds of TRPGs, but the one we're playing this time is orthodox, or rather, classic. It's one where you create your own character and go on an adventure in a fantasy world of swords and magic."

Hmm, hmm.

"But it's the first time for me and the guys I'm playing with. So I was wondering if we could borrow your help, Chief."

"Why me? I've never played a TRPG either."

I mean, I've played regular RPGs, but they're a different breed.

"Well, you know, Chief, your conversational skills are off the charts. When we're talking with clients and almost mess up, you always jump in with a slick follow up. That kind of quick thinking in a conversation? I think that would be a huge asset in a TRPG."

I see what he's getting at.

"By the way, you brought up your videos. Does that mean you're going to stream this?"

"I'd like to do it live."

"Live? Even though none of you have any experience?"

Wouldn't it be better to do a few test runs off-camera before diving in? If you start with almost no prior knowledge, you're bound to stumble. The viewers will get bored.

"That's where, well, I thought I'd prioritize the drama that can only come from a live broadcast."

"I get that a gamble like that could have a big payoff if it works."

Then again, since he's just doing it as a hobby, maybe he doesn't need to think about risk management.

"Besides, if it looks like people are getting bored, we can rely on your skills, Chief..."

"Isn't that asking a bit much?"

My gift of gab only works when there are people right in front of me. This will be my first time dealing with an unspecified, large audience on the other side of a screen. If anything, Domoto-kun is more used to it.

"By the way, Chief. You don't have a problem playing with Domoto's friends, who you've never met?"

"About that, no."

I have a vague sense of their personalities from his videos, and if we're talking face to face, there won't be any problem.

"You're a natural born people person."

"A guy who can hang out with the president in his private time without a care in the world is just built different."

The president is a man who doesn't get mad even if you snatch his toupee. His threshold for anger is so high that as long as you have common sense, you'll be fine. His position might be intimidating, but if you actually talk to him, he's just a normal, good-natured old guy.

"My streamer's intuition is telling me! You're a man who's got it, Chief!"

My channel's growth has been stagnating lately, so please! Please! Domoto-kun pleaded. When he puts it like that, it's hard for me to refuse. Besides, I'm starting to get genuinely curious about TRPGs.

"Alright, alright. But don't blame me if things don't go well, okay?"

"Yes, of course! Thank you so much for agreeing!"

"By the way, are Domoto-kun's buddies okay with playing with some old guy they don't know?"

"I've told my buddies a lot about you, Chief, so it's fine. They even said they wanted to go out for a drink with you sometime."

"Isn't that just a polite courtesy?"

"Nah, I really don't think they're considerate enough to do that with me. They're a rough bunch."

That's a terrible way to talk about your friends.

"So when are you doing this?"

"I've set aside a few possible dates, so if you could just pick one that's convenient for you. The soonest would be this Saturday night."

"OK, OK. I don't have any plans then, so I can join you but... is it an overnight thing?"

"That's the plan. Oh, and we'll provide the food and a place to sleep!"

"Oh, really? In that case, I guess I'll take you up on your kind offer."

Come to think of it, this will be my first time having a sleepover at a subordinate's house. We've gone out for drinks and stayed at the same hotel on business trips, but... I'm starting to get a little excited. I wonder what kind of secret perversions Domoto-kun is hiding. I'm totally going to rummage through his PC history.

"The chief is making an evil face..."

"No, I'm not. I was just thinking I'd like to uncover what kind of perversions you have, Domoto-kun."

"That is an evil thing to do!"

"What does everyone else think?" "We think it's a wonderful idea!"

The others, except for Domoto-kun, laughed, saying they were waiting for me to share.

"Hey!"

This is random, but I love this kind of guy-talk vibe... It's so calming.