Episode 51: A Normal Date
Morning light streamed through the window on a holiday morning. The two of them had finished breakfast and were getting ready to go out. Several weeks had passed since they started living together, and their daily rhythms, active even on holidays from morning, were perfectly in sync.
“Are you ready?”
“Yep. Let’s go.”
Hayato asked, and Riri, dressed more stylishly than usual today, replied. They walked hand-in-hand to the nearest station and boarded the train. Even though it was a holiday morning, the train car was more crowded than they expected. The two naturally drew closer to each other.
“Speaking of which, I wonder how big the billboard is.”
“According to what I heard from Tsuyoshi, it’s apparently a massive advertisement using the entire side of a building.”
“To think our Avatars would end up like that.”
The two brought their faces close and spoke in hushed voices. The Avatars they used for their streams. They had heard that these were being displayed as advertisements in various places. Today, they had decided to go see one of them.
When they arrived at the station in the electric town, a unique, fervent atmosphere enveloped them. Billboards for anime and games were displayed everywhere, and people in cosplay walked around casually. The lively voices of young people echoed throughout the town.
“It’s so lively, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. I’ve heard a lot about it, but it’s different actually being here.”
Soon after they started walking, billboards featuring characters from various works caught their eye. Characters from famous shonen manga, trending anime, and popular games. As they made their way through them—
“Ah.”
“Hm?”
“Look, over there.”
“Whoa.”
Riri informed him in a hushed voice. When Hayato also looked, there was a gigantic billboard, large enough to cover the entire side of a building.
The Avatars of Hayato and Lilia, John, Celestia, and Garret were magnificently depicted. Its dynamic composition was catching the eyes of passersby.
“That’s amazing.”
Hayato couldn’t help but murmur. They, who had fought risking their lives in another world, were now appearing in a place like this as entertainers. It was a strange sensation.
“Look, there are people taking pictures.”
Looking in the direction Riri pointed, several people were indeed aiming their smartphones at the billboard. Among them were even some young people mimicking the poses.
“It seems we’re really popular, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s starting to sink in.”
After gazing at the billboard for a while, the two headed towards a shopping area with stores selling anime merchandise. All around, many people were enjoying their shopping.
“The figures should be here.”
When they entered a large hobby section, figures and plastic models were packed tightly on display. Riri’s eyes sparkled as she looked around the display shelves.
“Um, the VTuber corner is… there it is!”
In the corner Riri found, various VTuber merchandise was displayed. And then.
“Huh? There are no figures…?”
Various figures were placed there, but they couldn’t find their own. Could it be that they weren’t sold here?
“Excuse me.”
Hayato called out to a nearby store clerk.
“I’m looking for figures of the Otherworld Party.”
It was a little embarrassing to ask about themselves, but he mustered the courage to ask the clerk. An answer came back immediately.
“I’m very sorry. That product is sold out. The next shipment is scheduled for next week.”
“Oh, is that so? Thank you.”
Hearing the clerk’s explanation, the two looked at each other.
“Sold out… We’re popular, huh?”
“That’s incredible.”
Afterwards, the two continued to visit other stores, looking at their own merchandise. Acrylic stands, clear files, pin badges. Their characters had been turned into various products.
And their merchandise wasn’t limited to official goods.
“Ah, look. There’s a novel out too.”
Riri picked up a book titled “Otherworld Party: Unofficial Novelization.” It seemed to be a fan-made work.
“I wonder what the content is like.”
“It looks like a story based on our streams. Huh, it’s selling quite well.”
As they looked around at various things, it became less like a date and more like market research, but they were both enjoying themselves. It was a time when they could truly feel that their activities were being noticed and accepted by many people.
“Shall we take a little break?”
“Yes. I’m thirsty too. Let’s rest.”
They entered a nearby café and sat at a window seat. The café had a calm atmosphere, and relaxing music was playing. Riri ordered a strawberry parfait, and Hayato ordered an iced coffee.
“It was fun seeing so many things today.”
“Yeah. It’s still a strange feeling to be getting this much attention.”
Riri said while poking at her parfait. Hayato also shared his thoughts on the day with Riri.
“Everyone doesn’t know our real selves, do they?”
“And that’s fine. Those forms are firmly etched in everyone’s memories. There’s no need to show them off.”
Hayato gently squeezed Riri’s hand.
“This current life isn’t bad, is it?”
“No, I’m very happy.”
Riri smiled and squeezed Hayato’s hand back.
When they finished their break and left the café, the soft evening light enveloped the town. The orange-tinged sky announced the end of the day. A group of young people passed by in front of the two as they walked side by side.
“Hey, did you see? The Otherworld Party billboard!”
“Yeah, it was super huge!”
“Hayato is so cool~”
“I’m a Lilia fan!”
Hearing his own name in the conversation, Hayato’s heart skipped a beat. He exchanged a look with Riri and they both chuckled softly. They walked past them, but naturally, they weren’t recognized.
“They didn’t recognize us, huh?”
“Yeah. As expected, our Avatars and our real selves are different.”
Returning to their apartment, the two sat on the sofa and looked back at the photos they had taken that day. Commemorative photos in front of the large billboard, pictures of various merchandise.
“By the way, it seems like we’re trending on social media too.”
Riri operated her smartphone.
“‘Saw the Otherworld Party billboard in the electric town today!’ ‘The figures were sold out (crying)’ they’re saying.”
“We have to be grateful to our fans.”
“Yeah. They’re the ones supporting us.”
Outside the window, the city nightscape sparkled. The two, who were once a Hero and a Sage from another world, were now walking through new days as modern entertainers, and above all, as lovers.
“Tomorrow’s the meeting for our stream, right?”
“Yeah. Let’s do our best tomorrow too.”
Their shadows overlapped with the night view reflected in the window. Such happy, ordinary days continued.