Volume 11 Chapter 1 Sayamu Inko, My Job Is To Make People Smile
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Page: 1
My name is Himachi Sumire. I’m the person behind Sayamu Inko, one of the Vtubers affiliated with the office operated by BIRD Leader. Whether this job was a calling for me, a chatterbox, or not, I noticed that I had become one of the popular Vtubers.
Despite my success as a Vtuber and the gathering of many local members in Tokyo, where the headquarters is located, I still live with my family in my hometown in Kansai.
The company keeps telling me, “Inko-san, you’re a first-generation member, so you should move to Tokyo soon.” But living alone is impossible for me, lacking the skills for it. Going outside to buy food is too much trouble, and I have no idea how to cook. Even the hotcakes I made in home economics turned into chocolate pancakes.
”Ah, I’m so hungry.”
I straighten my crumpled tank top and fix my tousled hair. For now, let’s go downstairs and grab something to eat. Mom wakes up at 5, so she’s probably already awake. While pondering such things, it’s a hassle to get out of bed, so I casually tap on my phone.
”Sumi-chan! There’s something from Beryl for you!”
”What is it!?”
I toss my smartphone, which was looking at the bulletin board, onto the bed and quickly go down the stairs.
”Sumi-chan! As a girl, you shouldn’t go down the stairs with your legs spread like that!”
”I, I know! Mom, what about the package from Beryl?”
”Yes, here it is.”
”Oh, really!!”
I receive the package from Mom and… Whoa! It’s huge!! I thought it would be an envelope or a small package, but it’s just a regular cardboard box!
”They left it in the entrance, and seriously, it surprised me. Honestly.”
”Oh, haha…”
With the box from Mom in hand, I quickly run up the stairs.
“Geez, seriously! Once again, spreading your legs like that! You should at least change clothes and fix your hair by breakfast!”
“Yesss.”
With a half-hearted reply, I entered the room and… oh wait, before that, gotta film this!!
As a precaution, let’s capture the unboxing video! I quickly pushed all the stuff on the floor to the corners and aimed the camera at a relatively tidy spot. Oh, but before that, I need to wear gloves.
At the company, they told me to hide as much as possible when making live-action videos.
All set, I pressed the record button.
“Oh no. Listen up, everyone! Beryl sent something in a box!!”
Raising my excitement, I started filming, muttering to myself while imagining listeners in my head. It might seem ridiculous to others, but it can’t be helped but get used to making videos.
“Well, it’s just an ordinary box for now…”
I kept the camera ready and approached the box, sniffing it curiously. Of course, it smelled like a regular cardboard box.
”Uhh, well, it’s not what you are thinking. I thought maybe there’d be a chance I could smell Aqua-kun’s scent, but there wasn’t anything like that. Well, to begin with, I don’t even know what Aqua-kun’s scent is.”
I observe the cardboard box intently. Then, I notice the letters “Beryl” on the side of the box.
”Hey! Everyone, look here!! It says… Beryl Entertainment… and, this is Aqua-kun’s signature and message!!”
Upon closer inspection, in Aqua-kun’s handwriting, it said, “Merry Christmas.” Wow, I need to open this box neatly. It was about to be torn apart, just like always.
”Wait a minute.”
I place the camera down and search for a cutter, but the room is too messy to find one. Well, I guess I’ll have to borrow one from my mom. I head downstairs, making a noisy descent.
”Mom, do you have a cutter?”
”Sumi-chan, again? I’ve always told you to clean properly!”
”Sorry, I’ll ask about it later!”
”You said the same thing last time! This month alone, I’ve lent things to Sumi-chan three times already!”
”I said I get it! I’m in the middle of a shoot right now.”
”A shoot? Don’t speak so loudly; you’ll disturb the neighbors! Everyone around here knows that Sumi-chan is doing some voice acting for that cute girl’s show or something. It’s the third time this month!”
”Geez, I get it… it’s embarrassing.”
Seriously, Mom’s voice is the loudest! Aunt Setsuko three houses down can hear Mom’s voice. After borrowing a cutter from Mom, I returned to my room and carefully opened the cardboard box.
”Alright, let’s open it!”
I slowly lifted the lid of the cardboard box while aiming the camera. To my surprise… there was another box inside.
”Why the heck!”
I couldn’t help but dive in, but on closer inspection, it wasn’t just a box.
It was a beautiful box containing the game title, photos of four people, and signatures—a special edition! Wait, a game?!
This is… that thing, right? Our office was asking Beryl if we could stream it once the game was released!
”Hey, everyone! This is the game sent by Beryl.”
With trembling hands, I pull out a large box that likely contains the game from the cardboard. The size was a perfect fit, so I was extremely careful when taking it out.
”Alright, let’s take a closer look.”
With the camera rolling, I slowly open the box, filled with anticipation. Something large was inside.
”What’s this… a bag?”
At the top was a bag. Upon closer inspection, a simple black canvas tote bag with ‘BERYL ENTERTAINMENT’ printed in white.
”Wait, this is Beryl’s bag! Look, everyone, check out this note. It’s a special bag only given to Beryl’s managers!”
Whoa, my excitement is already through the roof from the beginning! Come to think of it, the protagonist of the game is Beryl’s rookie manager, right? I wonder what’s next, so I start rummaging through the box.
”Whoa, this is amazing…”
I dramatically showcase what I took out of the box on the camera.
”Everyone, look! This is… Beryl’s employee ID and a case with a strap. And also… my face photo and name are in it. Huh, amazing…”
Of course, even if I say my name and face photo, it’s Sayamu Inko. Still, I’m inseparable from Inko, and it’s like we’re two halves of the same whole, so I’m honestly happy!
”There’s also a pin badge. Staff T-shirts and jackets too! Wow, when I go to the Tokyo headquarters, I’ll wear the jacket and show off to the others!”
I spread out T-shirts and staff jackets, taking photos for easy viewing. At that moment, I noticed that the T-shirt had a signature.
”Oh, wait a minute! If you look closely, Aqua-kun’s signature is on the staff T-shirt!”
The signatures on cardboard and boxes are likely prints, but this one is undoubtedly a genuine handwritten signature. Moreover, it’s addressed to Sayamu Inko!
”Wow, this is exciting. I thought about displaying it, but when I play games, I’ll wear this. No, maybe the jacket would be better. I can’t wash this if it gets sweaty…”
I continue to rummage through the box.
”There’s a notebook. And also a business card case!”
The notebook seems to be the same one distributed to Beryl’s manager. Upon closer inspection, the business card case contains actual business cards.
”Seriously!? Everyone, look at this! It’s even in my business card, with my name and photo. I’m the new manager! And, I’m Aqua-kun’s manager! Whoa, this is unbelievable. Working in the same workplace is an understatement!”
Honestly, I’m already satisfied with just this.
But there’s still more inside the box.
”Beryl went all out! Check this out, everyone. It’s a lunch set. It comes with a lunchbox, chopsticks, a spoon, a fork, and even a pouch to put the lunchbox in. And what’s this… a pair of mugs!?”
The heart-patterned pair of mugs has illustrations of Sayamu Inko and Aqua-kun. As I rotate the mugs for a photo, I realize something unbelievable.
”Wait, is this… huh? No way…”
When the mugs are neatly put together, it looks like Aqua-kun and I are kissing.
”Uh-oh, a kiss!? This is bad! I’m pregnant!! I’m having a baby! Wait… it’s Sunday, is the maternity clinic even open?”
Ah, this might be a problem.
”Sorry, everyone, let’s take a break for a moment. Yeah, a break.”
I felt relieved when I stopped shooting for a moment. Well, you know, this is impossible. I’m sure I’m not the only one receiving this box. So everyone is probably relaxing in their beds or futons right now, just like me. After changing my underwear, I resume shooting as if nothing happened.
”Alright. So, we’re going to resume shooting. Sorry, everyone. A few things came up. Yeah…”
I thought there was nothing more to it, but the game was at the very back. Oh, right. I completely forgot about this crucial thing.
”A game… Oh, there’s something written on a piece of paper.”
I remove the rubber band holding the paper to the game and read aloud what’s written on it.
”Um, this game is a pilot version different from the final version, but you can play the game to the end just like the final version. Oh, even though it’s a pilot version, it’s different from a trial version.”
Great. If I could only play the beginning, I would have been restless until the game was released.
”Also, as a pilot version exclusive feature, you can play at all ratings from A to Z!? What? It’s become quite something! Can I broadcast at rating Z? Or is this something to enjoy secretly by myself later? Uwaaaaa!”
I heard the sound of creaking stairs while making a commotion in the room.
Oh no. I instinctively stop the recording button.
”Sumi-chan, I told you to be quiet! What time do you think it is in the morning!?”
”Sorry, geez. Besides, it’s Mom who’s the loud one! And I told you, no parents showing up during filming or streaming. It’s a no-go, I said that, didn’t I? Revealing V’s real identity is a strict no-no!!”
”If you said that, it’s because Sumi-chan shouted so loud. And about parents or whatever, if you hate it that much, remember I told you to live alone! Ugh, and again, the futon’s all messed up, and the trash can is full of tissues! I told you yesterday, it’s burnable trash, take it out!”
”Yeah yeah, I get it.”
”Again, saying that to cover up. Nanase-san from next door, that kid’s just 16 and living alone to attend Shou’s technical school. Look, it said she’s auditioning for Beryl next time…”
”Ugh, seriously. I get it!! Always thankful to Mom. Hey, it was my bad.”
”Hey, try not to speak too loudly. And if you don’t want mom to clean up after you, make sure to clean your room yourself, okay?”
”Got it.”
”I’ll check later whether you’ve done it or not. Seriously!”
Phew, I’m tired. After successfully sending mom back downstairs, I turn the camera on again.
”Sorry, I got a bit carried away. So, I’ll ask my manager to check with the company about streaming the game and the rules. Anyway, see you later. Oh, thanks for the fantastic Christmas presents, everyone at Beryl! Aqua-kun, too!”
And that’s the end of the recording. Well, it’s been over 10 minutes, so I can make a video. I start up the computer, send the video data to the production department, and call the manager.
”Good morning. Sorry, it’s urgent. Is everything okay? Beryl sent a game over.”
”…Huh?”
”Yeah, that’s it. Normally, that’s the reaction you’d get. Even I don’t really get it, but maybe it’s like a Christmas present for game streamers and Vtubers? So, maybe, I can stream it, you know? But, like, the specific rules and whether it’s really okay to stream, could you check with Beryl once?”
”Oh, okay. Uh… sorry. Can you hold on for a sec?”
”Sure thing.”
Clicking sounds from the mouse can be heard.
”I got an email from Beryl.”
”No way.”
”Yeah. The R18 version might be tough according to the streaming site’s terms, but everything else seems fine to stream. There aren’t any standout rules or anything. Can I send the email now?”
”Absolutely.”
As I open the attached file from my manager’s email, I scroll through the screen.
The rules seem to be the usual stuff, like not making statements that would harm Beryl members or the like.
”Ah, it says not to show the footage after the ED in the staff roll.”
”True. Just that part, then?”
”Yes, it seems so. It should be fine if we’re careful only about that. Also, it’s forbidden to upload the footage and audio after the ED in streams or videos, but it’s okay if it’s just the screen dark with the reactions of the streamers.”
”OK! I’ll make sure to remember that.”
I jot it down on the sticky note I had. It’s something common among streamers. Information needed for promotional streams or things that need to be said during the stream – I write them on sticky note memos like this and stick them on the frame of the display or the computer.
”What about you, Inko-san? Do you need a studio in Osaka or stream from home? I can head there immediately by Shinkansen or plane.”
”No, I’m getting on the Shinkansen now to go to the Tokyo studio just in case something comes up. I’ll be leaving home right away, so can you handle the studio preparations and arrangements? If I leave now, I should be able to catch the Shinkansen around 6, and I think I can get to the studio by around 9.”
”Understood. Oh, and please get receipts for the train and taxi.”
”Got it! Well then, talk to you later.”
After hanging up the phone, I posted on social media that I received a Christmas present from Beryl. While it’s almost certain that I will be able to stream, there’s still some time before the actual streaming. So, I gave a vague answer to the question about whether I can stream in the comments.
”Alright, this should be fine.”
I carried the luggage I had prepared while making the call and went down the stairs, entering the kitchen where my mom was.
”Mom, I’m going to Tokyo for a bit for work.”
I opened the refrigerator and checked if there was anything inside. Oh! There’s something good in here!
I take out the leftover croquettes from yesterday and place them on a slice of bread. I drizzle okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise that were nearby. Folding the bread over like a sandwich, voila—a simple croquette sandwich is complete.
Cooking is not my forte. If I toast the bread, it’ll undoubtedly turn into a charred sphere, and if I microwave the croquettes, the microwave might explode. That’s the skill level of my cooking.
”Huh? Suddenly? Sumi-chan, what about lunch and dinner?”
”I’ll eat lunch over there. As for dinner… I don’t know.”
”What do you mean, you don’t know?”
”I might eat and come back, or I might come back before that. If I can’t come back, I might stay over there. I might be over there for a while, or I might not. It’s still uncertain.”
”What’s up with that! That’s a problem. Mom is the one who prepare the dinner, after all!”
”Sorry.”
”Geez! When you need a meal, contact me before getting on a train or plane. Last time, you came back without notifying and said you were hungry…”
”I know. I’ll contact you next time.”
I quickly devour my homemade croquette sandwich and gulp it down with the tea nearby. Of course, in the meantime, I use a taxi app on my smartphone to arrange for a nearby taxi.
”Well then, I’m off!”
”Sumi-chan, take care, okay? You know, recently, Tokyo has been a bit dangerous. On the noon national broadcast wide show, there’s this slightly pretty and funny comedian, Hogekawa-san. That person mentioned it. If you’re walking around the station, followers of some new religion might come up to you and ask, ‘Would you like to worship God?’”
”Oh, Morikawa-san. If it’s about religion, I’m covered with the Vertical Stripe Faith, so it should be okay.”
”That’s right, and also, in Tokyo, just be careful of people wearing orange clothes!”
”I got it. Well then, the taxi is here, so I’m off!”
Leaving my house, I get into the waiting taxi and tell the driver my destination.
”To the station, please.”
”Sure. Is it a trip?”
”No, it’s work on Christmas.”
”Really? Working on Christmas, that’s tough.”
”Even if you say that, you’re working too. And this early in the morning, thanks for your hard work.”
”Thanks. It makes me happy when you say that.”
By the way, though the ladies and I are meeting for the first time, this is common in Kansai. Until we reached the station, I had a lively chat with her.
”How was last night? Were there few customers?”
”Yeah… it seems there were few at night. But after Beryl’s broadcast ended, there were people coming out into the streets here and there. Still, it seems to have been fewer than usual. I stayed at home too.”
”I see. Business was slow then.”
”Yeah, it’s fine. With that, there seems to be movement today, and I wanted to watch Beryl rather than work on Christmas.”
”I understand that.”
”Isn’t it? Hey, have you seen Aqua-sama from yesterday?”
”Yeah, I saw it. Anyone who hasn’t seen it is probably not a Japanese citizen.”
”Well, a non-citizen also sees Beryl. Look, like people from Stars and all.”
”Oh, really! So, those who haven’t seen it are like diligent women working seriously or people not from Earth.”
”Yeah, that’s right. So about Aqua-sama from yesterday, when I saw that, I thought, ‘Wow, there really is a prince…’ Oh, customer, over here. I’ll turn left at this time because the road is congested with delivery trucks. Is it okay?”
”Yeah, sure.”
”This way is faster, after all.”
I nod, and the driver’s big sister flicks the turn signal and turns onto the left street.
”Still, I get it. In Osaka, there’s no one like Aqua-kun, with that neat and tidy vibe.”
”Customer, that’s right. Mayuzumi-kun and Toa-kun both look sharp, but Aqua-sama somehow seems like a foreign prince, desu~wa. Our generation, you know, likes that kind of thing.”
”It’s Yuujin-sama, is it?”
”Yeah, yeah, exactly. There’s no Osaka lady who hasn’t fallen for Yuujin-sama.”
”I get it. My mom also has a poster of Yuujin-sama on the fridge.”
”Same here! I also stretched and pasted Yuujin-sama’s face photo on the fridge.”
”Really? Well, when beryl&beryl came over here, we all made a fuss about it.”
”Yeah, true. Oh, tonight, there’s a continuation of beryl&beryl!”
”Oh, I forgot about that. Ah, will I finish work by tonight…”
”Customer, looks like you’re having a tough time. What kind of work do you do?”
Of course, I can’t say here that I’m doing Vtuber activities at home.
So whenever I’m asked this, I always respond like this.
”I do a job that’s about making people just a little happier. Well, it’s not anything grand, but I provide moments where those tired from their daily work or studies, or those struggling with relationships or family matters, can feel a bit relieved. I offer them the kind of time where they might crack a smile. That’s why I love what I do.”
”Oh, I see. Can’t quite grasp it, but sounds like an amazing job you’ve got there. It’s like making people happy, just like with Aqua-sama.”
”Exactly…! But well, my work leans more towards humor, if anything. It’s closer to what Morikawa-san does. Everyone tends to smile when they see Morikawa-san, in a different way than with Beryl.”
”Haha, speaking of customer, did you see Hogekawa-san yesterday?”
”Looked at it. What’s that? Her skills are more intricate than Kansai comedians. Is that person originally from here? And, she is often wearing yellow clothes.”
”Oh, come to think of it, that’s right. Certainly, Hogekawa-san often wears yellow dresses, lots of yellow. Maybe it’s the Tiger spirit. Oh, you are lucky, customer. It wasn’t crowded over here.”
”Really, huh? Thank you.”
I check the time on my phone.
At this rate, I might be able to catch an earlier train than planned.
”Oh, but Morikawa-san attended the Tsubame team’s first pitch before, right?”
”Customer, that’s fine. As long as it’s not orange.”
”Come to think of it, Morikawa-san threw an amazing ball back then.”
”I remembered. It was a no-con, but she threw a ball close to 150km.”
”Her pitch is faster than Hoshi-san’s. Instead of getting those strange foreigners, wouldn’t it be better for the Tatéjimars to make an offer to Morikawa-san?”
”I get what you mean. You know, that foreigner with a grass-like name, Green something.”
”Yeah, I remember.”
”Morikawa-san would definitely be more useful than the guy who returned home on a divine revelation. Hogekawa seems to have some power… sigh, I heard they’re planning to bring in some other unknown foreigner next year too. Is Tatéjimars really okay?”
”It doesn’t seem good. The foreigner who came before looked like she could hit, but the scout mistakenly offered a job to the interpreter or equipment manager. That’s the level of their scouts.”
”This means winning next year’s championship is out of the question, huh?”
”Well, that’s fine in its own way. My grandma used to say that. She said if she sees Tatéjimars winning three times, she’ll die before she sees the fourth…”
”Oh no, customer… I’ve already seen it twice. This is getting critical…”
”Hey, it’s all good, it’s not like they win every 20 years or so. They’ve still got a ways to go.”
”Yeah, true that. And if they don’t win, they can still celebrate making it through another year, right?”
”Yeah, exactly. Plus, when you don’t expect to win and you do, that’s the best feeling.”
”I get you. Horses are the same. Oh, customer. Looks like we’ve got one today.”
”Well, our horses aren’t performing, but hey, how about you?”
”Oh, well, it’s just loss after loss after loss… So, you see, even on Christmas, I’m hustling hard to make ends meet.”
”It’d be nice if it was winning, though.”
”Customer, that’s not it. ‘Winning’ here isn’t about victory; it’s frozen in losses, chilling and getting colder, like a click. Just like a ‘Tatemars.’ Before the year ends, my wallet feels like it’s freezing to death.”
”I see. So, in life, is it all about grinding away, after all?”
”Ah, really. I’ve been buying lottery tickets for 20 years, but I’ve never won more than 300 yen.”
”That’s quite something. Even my mom won 10,000 once.”
”Well, that’s lucky. Ah… we’re almost there.”
”Oh, thank you. Well then, I’ll buy tickets for the Shinkansen departing at the nearest time.”
I take out my wallet and purchase the train ticket on my smartphone.
Oh, just to be sure, I should check if I forgot anything.
I’ve got the essential game with me, and yeah, as long as I have this, everything should be fine.
While doing that, the taxi arrives at the station.
”Here we are. It’s 5,300 yen.”
”Here you go. Oh, keep the change.”
I handed the taxi’s big sister a ten-thousand-yen bill.
”Huh? Really, customer?”
”It’s a Christmas present from our place. Use the change for a ticket to the horse races!”
”Oh, thanks a bunch! So, turns out when you said you work to make people smile, it was the real deal. Lifesaver!!”
”Merry Christmas! Well then, catch you later!”
”Good luck with your job!”
I got out of the taxi and dashed into the station.
Hello, there’s a new work featuring a heartwarming story where the heroine’s limbs are severed, and the main character takes care of her, with a hint of ero mana transfer. I hope you can read it, and don’t forget to rate it max. Here’s the link : [Link]
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.