"Our B-Komachi YouTube channel is almost at 20,000 subscribers."
While I was lounging around with Ai as usual in the B-Komachi office, MEM-cho continued, sounding rather proud.
"Ah, hmm... is that all it is so far...?"
Said Kana-chan with a disappointed tone.
"I guess we need to try harder..."
My cute daughter, Ruby, added in a voice full of fighting spirit.
"Getting to a million subscribers is a long way off..."
"You're right."
Sigh... Should I get to work on this? The bad side of me was thinking that to myself.
"Praise me a little more, will you!?
20,000 subscribers!? We did all the filming and editing ourselves!!
We worked reaaaaaally hard without receiving even a single ounce of help from Yume-senpai!!
Give me some credit for growing the channel by trying this and that!
Praise me for having to re-edit dozens of times while Yume-senpai inspected it every single day!!"
"Wow, you did great, MEM-cho-chan."
I assume this is the kind of praise she wanted?
"Your heart isn't in it, Senpai!!!"
"...Sorry."
Honestly, I thought it would have grown a bit more thanks to my and Ai's connections, but the reality was different.
"Well...? But it's still only 20,000, right?"
Tsk, tsk. Kana-chan is taking the YouTube industry far too lightly!
"Do you know how amazing 20,000 is!!
Listen, okay!? They say there are 30,000 channels in this country alone on YouTube.
75% of them have fewer than 1,000 subscribers! Most channels don't even make a proper profit!!
It's an exploitative society that would make the Middle Ages blush, where just a few percent at the top monopolize all the wealth!!"
MEM-cho said this as she produced a graph out of nowhere, pointing a wand she was holding toward me and Ai.
"Especially! You two, with your ridiculous subscriber counts, are the top of the top!! Stars in the sky!!"
"Hmm?"
"Eh?"
I flinched as all eyes turned to Ai and me, looking back at MEM-cho.
"First off, Hoshino Ai-senpai!!!"
"Yes~ It's Hoshino Ai-chan~"
"Ai-senpai's main content is daily vlogs, but the reality of those daily vlogs is always videos of her living a lovey-dovey life with Yume-senpai!!
But the chemistry between these two, who have already reached the pinnacle of acting, is like an endless ocean, so their base view count is over 10 million!!
Ai-senpai is about to surpass 5 million subscribers on YouTube!! It's an insurmountable wall!!
And it's not just vlogs—communicating with viewers through live broadcasts is essential too!
Since Yume-senpai brings in all the necessary content personally, this is a battle that simply can't be won!!!"
"Oh my~ It's embarrassing if MEM-chan sees it like that~"
Even as she said that, Ai lifted her chin slightly and looked down arrogantly at the new B-Komachi girls. She looked quite haughty.
"And Yume-senpai!!"
"Yeah? Yes."
I felt a little curious. How did MEM-cho see me?
"Honestly, Yume-senpai is just a wall! No, he's a god!!"
Calling me a god is a bit unpleasant... No, wait, it's not? I mean, there's no way I'm like that damn 'Girl,' right?
Is this that 'dislike for one's own kind' feeling...?
"He's already surpassed 10 million subscribers, and even if he just uploads a casual video, it hits 5 million base views! If he actually focuses on a content theme, he's a god who can reach tens of millions!!
He doesn't just stick to one thing; he does so many different things, and yet!
Instead of falling, his view counts keep rising! He's a monster in this YouTube industry! A maverick!!
But that's what makes it interesting...!!"
"I appreciate you seeing me that way."
Actually, since I plan and film everything... I can edit too, but it's a chore, so I usually just handle the final inspection and set the framework.
"On the other hand! Excluding those two, we with 20,000 subscribers are still in the top 10%!
Please understand how amazing that is!! Stop talking nonsense about a million subscribers when you don't even know that, you brats!!
That is a towering wall reserved for the top 0.1% of all channels!!
It means standing at the peak atop a countless number of corpses!!"
Wow, she's spitting facts...
Since it's not wrong, I didn't say anything out loud.
It's definitely reassuring to have a child like MEM-cho who knows the YouTube industry well, as it leads to quite satisfactory results.
"But the profit for this month is only 100-something thousand yen, isn't it?
After the agency takes its cut... and paying the editor... and dividing it by the number of members, it's just pocket money.
Wouldn't it be better to just work a part-time job instead...?"
"Ahem."
I cleared my throat unconsciously. It was because she was too correct...
"Well, for now, yeah... It'll stay like this until we blow up.
The financial situation of 'New B-Komachi CH' isn't good right now. We have to use every card we can..."
My heart as a father hurts because you specifically refused when I said I'd help you, Ruby...
"So, we're going to film a Room Tour video!!"
""A room tour video!?""
"Room tour?"
"Room?"
Ai, you're getting shorter with your words as we go.
"It's that thing, right? Introducing your own room and all that..."
"Ah! You see those often!"
Oh boy... If they film it... well, since they're only filming Ruby's room, maybe it'll be fine?
Just in case, I might need to inspect this video very strictly...
"What? I totally hate that! Isn't it crazy to show your room on the internet?
Even if we lack video material, once you start selling your private life, it's over!!
I am absolutely against this plan!!!!"
Oh... Kana-chan is absolutely against it!
"If we film a room tour... everything in the room can be processed as a business expense."
"Ah, I'll pay for those expenses."
"Thank you, Yume-senpai!! Should we film right now?"
""Wow~ How mercenary.""
It seems Ai and I were thinking the same thing. Well, since they won't accept money directly, a senior should at least give their juniors gifts like this, right?
"Yes~♥ This is Chi●é's newest bag♥ It cost about 100,000 yen♥"
I was surprised she bought a bag that was cheaper than expected.
"I bought this thinking I might do a gaming stream, but it's a liquid-cooled gaming PC I don't use at all♥
Was it around 300,000 yen!!"
Honestly, I was thinking around a million yen, but I was rejected because it was 'too expensive.'
"The chair is a Herman Mill● Aeron chair..."
I should buy those for Ruby and Aqua later too.
"She bought some pretty expensive stuff... But Yume-senpai, who tried to buy her even more expensive things, is even scarier..."
"Ah, I'll buy something similar for you too, MEM-cho-chan?"
"Thanks so much!"
"It's fine since it was bought with my money! I mean, my money isn't really my money, but anyway, it's as good as my money, right!?
To remain a top-tier talent, the items you use need to be high-quality!!
In this world, if you look like a cheap woman, it's game over!!!"
"Mm-hmm, Kana-chan has a point~♥"
"I won't deny that."
"Hearing this from the very top actors makes it sound surprisingly truthful!?"
"On that note, for someone who says she's an unpopular actor, you live in a pretty nice place?"
At MEM-cho's words—
"Well, I have some savings and I manage them well. Especially the US stocks Yume-senpai told me about, long live those!"
Looking at Kana-chan as she continued to bow at a 90-degree angle in gratitude—
"Heh."
I simply raised my smartphone, and as if following suit, Ai raised hers too.
"Fufu!"
She laughed.
"Well, all talents should live in a double-autolock building. After all, the scariest thing in this profession is strange fans."
...She's not wrong.
Since things actually almost got dangerous before.
"Also, I heard about the great tax-saving methods Yume-senpai taught me. I should definitely film when I buy a car~♪"
A car, huh... I wonder what would suit Kana-chan? Once they become adults, I should get them each a car as a celebration. Of course, based on top-tier full options...
"You know how YouTubers often buy expensive things and film them? Most of that is to process the purchase as a business expense. Of course, using Yume-senpai's money in this case."
"Wow~ The reality I didn't want to know~"
Wow~ The reality I didn't want Ruby to know~
"I'll help you too, Ruby, if you're going to film a room tour."
"Ummm... but I don't really buy expensive things..."
...This is bad! Most of the items in Ruby's room are designer brands...!!! If I had known this would happen, should I have been a bit more thrifty...!!!
"Wow~ I can hear Yume's thoughts from all the way over here~"
"Be quiet, Ai!"
"Pfft!?"
I lightly suppressed Ai, who was acting up.
"If you say things like that, you're the one who'll be crying during the final tax return, okay? You'll understand how scary taxes are when you're an adult..."
"I'll... I'll think about it..."
Ruby, leave your taxes to your father!! I'll handle them in the cleanest way possible!!
In the end, today's filming concluded at Kana-chan's room. Ai had to leave for her schedule, so only Ruby and I returned home.
Ruby held my hand and slowly entered her room, then said—
"Should I take down Mama's poster and Papa's poster?"
"Why do you think that, Ruby?"
Ruby murmured as she hugged me, acting like a fussy child.
"I can't tell anyone the secret that I'm Mama and Papa's child."
"....."
"Mama and Papa are always in my heart. But I wonder if it's okay to hide it... What is right for an idol... I wonder what Sensei would say..."
"...."
Sensei... She's probably referring to Sensei Goro, who looked after Ruby in her past life as Sarina...
"What do you think the Sensei you mentioned would have said, Ruby?"
I spoke while slowly stroking Ruby's hair.
"He'd definitely brush it off and say something like 'just do whatever your heart tells you'..."
Ruby burrowed deeper into my embrace, hugging my waist tightly as she whispered.
"Then why did you decide on B-Komachi as the unit name?"
"...One reason is that I wanted to inherit the dream Mama achieved... the other is... a secret."
"I see."
The other reason is likely her hope that if she becomes famous, the missing Sensei Goro might come find her.
But Sensei Goro is already...
"Should we just do this today and take a nap?"
"Yeah..."
I shared a bittersweet nap with Ruby, who was being particularly spoiled today.
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