Today is the first meeting between Shiba and Yukiya. I thought a casual meal at a family restaurant might help them bond.
I waited with Yukiya at the family restaurant for Shiba to arrive. By the way, I hadn’t told Yukiya who his new party member would be yet; I figured it’d be a fun surprise to keep him in the dark.
“Hey, Eito-kun, what kind of person is this dungeon streamer joining the agency?”
“Someone a total beginner like you wouldn’t normally meet.”
“Really? Now I’m curious.”
“Just remember, be polite, okay?”
“Ha! What if you’re overhyping this person and they’re not all that impressive?”
Still unaware that Shiba, the strongest in the region, was joining, Yukiya kept up his cocky attitude. I wondered how long it would last.
“Hello, Eito.”
“Oh, Shiba-san!”
Shiba-san came over to our table.
“Huh… what? Wait, seriously?”
As expected, Yukiya was completely stunned.
“Shiba-san, let me introduce you. This is my childhood friend and the first dungeon streamer under our agency, Hoshi Yukiya.”
“Nice to meet you, Yukiya-kun. I’m Shiba.”
“H-huh, uh…”
“Yukiya, stop freezing up and introduce yourself properly.”
“Oh, um, r-right! Nice to meet you! I became a dungeon streamer because I admire you, Shiba-san!”
This guy… he’s never mentioned that to me before. Even when he’s nervous, he’s quick on his feet.
“Quite the character. Let’s work well together as a party from here on out.”
“Yes! But, come on, Eito-kun. You could’ve told me Shiba-san was coming. I’d have worn something better.”
“You should dress better no matter who’s coming.”
“Right, I should’ve worn a suit or something.”
No need to go that far.
“But Eito-kun, how did you even get Shiba-san to join? It’s not like he’s the type you can recruit just because you have money.”
From Yukiya’s point of view, it’s probably hard to imagine someone like me, who stayed reclusive for two years after high school, being able to bring in someone like Shiba.
“It’s all about connections.”
“Eito-kun, that’s amazing…”
It wasn’t exactly a lie, but he’s believing me way too easily.
“Oh, by the way, Eito-san, has a name been decided for the agency yet?”
“Not yet. I’ve been brainstorming, but I don’t have a knack for names.”
“I see. I’m not very confident in my naming skills, either.”
That’s a problem. If even Shiba-san can’t think of one, how will we decide?
“Heh heh heh.”
Yukiya chuckled ominously. But anyway, we needed to come up with a name.
“Looks like it’s my time to shine! Ta-dah!”
“What?”
“I’ll come up with a cool agency name!”
What’s with his energy?
“Yukiya, you’re in front of Shiba-san. Don’t embarrass yourself with some weird name.”
“Come on, Eito-kun, that’s harsh!”
“Well, let’s hear Yukiya-kun’s idea,” Shiba-san said calmly, taking charge of the situation with the grace of a composed, capable adult.
“I’ve had a name in mind for a while, and today, meeting Shiba-san, it’s finally found its meaning.”
“Enough suspense; just say it.”
How long is he going to draw this out just to announce a name?
“All right, Eito-kun, listen up! The agency name I came up with is… ShadowStars!”
“ShadowStars… what’s the meaning behind that name?”
Depending on the thought behind it, it might actually work.
“First, Shadow. That comes from Eito-kun’s last name, Kageno. And as for Stars…”
“It’s for Hoshi Yukiya, right?”
Shiba-san interjected. I expected as much, but Yukiya shook his head.
“Nope! Star refers to me and Shiba-san!”
“Huh? I’m included?”
“Yes! I’m a star because of my name Hoshi, and Shiba-san is a brilliant star. Since there are two stars, it’s plural—Stars!”
I see. So that’s why it’s “Stars” in the plural form.
“I’d like the name to remind us that no matter how big the agency grows, it all started with the three of us. What do you think?”
“…Yeah, I don’t mind it.”
“I think it sounds good too.”
With approval from Shiba-san and me, Yukiya struck a proud pose.
“So… it’s settled then?”
“Yeah. No other ideas came up, so ShadowStars it is.”
Thus, the agency’s name was decided. I’ll work behind the scenes while Yukiya and Shiba-san give it their all as dungeon streamers. Let’s make this work.
◇
Within a three-minute walk from my place, there’s a marker indicating the entrance to a dungeon along the path kids take to school. It’s fenced off to keep children away, and local adults regularly patrol it.
A dungeon closer than the nearest convenience store. This is ShadowStars’ first target!
Standing before the marker, it was me, Yukiya, and Shiba-san.
“All right, this is it. My first time entering a dungeon… I’m getting nervous.”
“Yukiya-kun, no need to be tense. I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you, and I’ll train you to stand on your own someday.”
“Oh, wow… do you think I’ll really manage on my own someday?”
“That’s up to your effort.”
Looking closely, Yukiya’s legs were trembling. For all his bravado, he must be feeling the fear now that he’s in front of an actual dungeon.
“Yukiya, listen to Shiba-san, and don’t act on your own.”
“I got it.”
“Right, let’s do a final check on the stream setup.”
The streaming room was set up, and checking in on it from my phone, I saw nearly 2,000 people waiting. This is probably the “Shiba effect,” thanks to our successful promotion.
: Is Shiba really going to appear?
: This isn’t just some weak channel lying to boost views, is it?
: If Shiba doesn’t show up, I’m unsubscribing.
The comments were all about Shiba-san, which was no surprise. Nobody even knew about Yukiya, Shiba-san’s new partner.
If this were just Yukiya’s channel… well, there’d probably be no comments at all. We’d be lucky to have even one viewer. It’s that tough for new streamers these days. Just being seen isn’t a given anymore.
“Let’s see… water, check! Food, check!”
Yukiya began going through his supplies. It’s good that he’s thorough, though he’s usually pretty laid-back.
“Yukiya-kun, are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go. Follow behind me.”
Shiba-san placed his hand on the marker, and his body began to glow with a pale light as he vanished.
“Whoa, so this is how dungeon transfer works… all right, here goes nothing!”
Yukiya reached out and touched the marker.
