Chapter 145
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: Dream (3)
She told him to sit down because she had something to say.
For some reason, it felt like he'd regressed to his childhood innocence.
Was it because he'd chugged too much strong liquor one after another? Chuckling to himself at how the buzz was filling his head with strange thoughts, Asahi sank onto the sofa.
"Something to say? What is it?"
"You know about what happened during the summer horror special, right?"
Mika seemed to hesitate for a moment before glaring at Asahi.
The incident from the summer horror special?
What did that mean?
His buzz had wiped his memory clean? He racked his brain, but nothing came to mind.
He knew they'd done a summer horror special event—
'Huh.'
Come to think of it, when was the last time he'd watched a DreamMems stream?
He couldn't quite remember.
Apparently, it had been quite a while since he'd been too busy getting pushed around in the president's seat to even watch streams.
He used to keep them running in the background while working, but maybe he was just getting old.
"Fine. Your face says it all—you have no idea. I figured as much."
DreamLive's third-in-command in terms of entry, Mika had spent more time with Asahi than anyone else amid the company's shaky early days, juggling operations herself.
There was no way this inflexible man would pull something that stupid.
Thinking she'd wasted her time, Mika started to stand and leave, but Asahi grabbed her this time.
"Tell me what happened, Mika."
"You'll just get tired hearing about it. You hate that stuff."
"...I have a responsibility to know what's going on inside the company."
Mika looked at Asahi.
His breath still carried the scent of alcohol, but his eyes quietly met hers.
Haa.
She'd just wanted to head home quick, but this would drag things out again.
Mika waved him off.
"Go gargle first."
"...Right."
She still had to do what needed doing.
Chatting amid booze breath wasn't her thing.
The darkened company headquarters, now just the two of them left in the president's office.
Mika laid out the whole story for Asahi.
What the board of directors had done to snag that avatar.
Asahi listened quietly, tilting his glass.
Not booze, of course—just a cool glass bobbing with ice.
'I knew the board kept pulling shady stunts.'
But he hadn't expected them to stoop that low.
Actually, it would've been weirder if they hadn't. An event built purely on trust, no oversight, and considering Mika's acting skills—it would've been odd for those board members to pass up the chance.
Still, Asahi couldn't hold back a sigh at them gambling the company's reputation without so much as a heads-up to him.
"That's why I said, no matter how tough things got, we couldn't hire too many outsiders."
"...Back then, we had no choice if we wanted to save the company. The VTuber scene was super niche in subculture before Kolon."
"Yeah. I'm not here to rehash old arguments anyway."
Mika changed the subject.
She still had plenty she wanted to say about that personally, even years later, but with the board overstepping and trying to seize control, there was no point fighting over the past.
What Mika wanted instead was simple.
"So, what're you gonna do now?"
The past was the past—what mattered was moving forward.
Asahi turned the question back on her.
"What do you think I should do?"
"Boot 'em out."
Mika's answer was firm.
Sure, the board and their investor backers had pull, but not enough to make them untouchable yet.
What they'd done was straight-up criminal inside the company.
Drag it to court, and they could fight it out.
That was Mika's plan.
It'd shake things up, cause friction, and be a pain, of course.
But for DreamLive's future, it had to be done.
'Purge them all.'
But hearing it, Asahi already felt exhausted.
A legal battle that could drag on for years.
Opponents with ties everywhere, serious backing.
They'd win, though.
Japan's justice system wasn't some 1900s relic, and the other side weren't political heavyweights—just old-school dinosaurs who'd mastered making money.
No way they'd lose a winnable fight.
But the opponents would cling and bite relentlessly.
Tenaciously, viciously, enough to make his side want to quit.
'Age is hitting home here too.'
Mika, burning with resolve to fight for the future no matter the pain.
Himself, already dreading the fallout before it even started.
...Had his younger self burned like Mika?
He wasn't sure anymore.
His memories had faded for real now.
"Alright. Head home for tonight. I'll give you a card on the way out—take a taxi."
"What, you think I'm still that kid from seven years ago?"
Mika chuckled at Asahi's joke and stood.
Before leaving the office for home, she turned back to him.
The current Asahi, gazing at her with eyes that felt nothing.
Frustrated by how small he seemed, Mika let slip one line.
"Hey, remember what you said to me when you scouted me?"
"...I'm drunk—can't recall."
Was it a lie?
Or a dodge?
Didn't matter.
Mika quietly repeated the words she'd heard back then.
"You said you'd make my dreams come true. That was you."
"...Mika."
Satisfied as Asahi's eyes widened slightly, Mika quietly left the room.
The darkened president's office.
Asahi stared quietly at the monitor, lost in thought.
The board of directors.
What to do?
He knew fighting was the best move, but he was too worn out now for courtroom brawls.
Even with the legal team handling it, being the central figure meant stress was inevitable.
Like any mid-40s office drone, already strung with meds, Asahi felt his stomach twist preemptively.
Strictly speaking, it was more mental than physical, but a frayed mind wrecked the body eventually.
"I've got plenty of money stashed away, at least."
As president at the top of the industry, cash was never an issue for Asahi.
He closed his eyes.
Mika had left hours ago, but her passionate gaze lingered vividly.
He recalled the pure fervor of the boy debating dreams at the cafe today.
Through years of industry battles that extinguished his own fire, he envied how they still shone.
Back then, those flames would've reignited his—but an out flame wouldn't relight.
"Mutual destruction as plan B, then."
That's why he could forgive his own weak words.
He was too tired for the mud pit.
Drowning together before the fight even started felt better.
Mika was there, and DreamLive's own staff—sans the board—weren't lacking.
Temporary chaos from investor and board gaps, but solid-ground DreamLive would snag better backers soon.
'Hit some bars, stir scandals, leak to press first and—'
Other companies might suffer backlash, but loyal fans defined this biz.
The VTubers knew nothing.
The big shots messed up.
If the VTubers spoke out in condemnation, perfect.
Viewers would pity VTubers slaving under dirty adults for cash, loving them more.
Yeah.
Easier than fighting.
So what if he played villain?
Society hating him? Fine.
It was comfortable.
Asahi had no drive left to fear the public eye.
Sick of obligatory commutes, charts, reports, rubber stamps.
A sleazy retirement? Whatever.
Asahi cackled for the first time today, queuing a video on his computer.
『DreamLive VS Label! Summer Horror Special! Who'll Claim the Legendary Avatar?!』
...Were thumbnails and titles this hyped now?
Leaning back relaxed for a rare VTuber stream, Asahi watched.
Piles of paperwork from tonight's drinks stared him down, demanding resolution—but retirement-bound Asahi shrugged them off.
When was the last time he'd watched so carefree?
Might as well go all in—grabbing peanuts and spare 100-yen canned sake from the fridge, he kept watching.
『Kyaaaaah!!!』
"Her pipes are still killer."
Mika dashing through the legendary map and ghosts, screaming and scrambling—it cracked him up.
Enough to regret skipping recent streams.
Watching Mika actively confront the horror by sprinting everywhere, Asahi finally got why Legend was pissed.
He reached for a chart.
Myth and Mika's metrics, diverging sharply since Legend awoke.
Even after the new avatar reveal he'd hoped would turn things around, the gap only widened—no recovery.
Staring at those numbers, he'd thought Mika got crushed by Myth.
『Get outta the way, get outta the wayyy!! Why's anyone still doing this ancient gimmick?!』
"She was shining."
Some things numbers couldn't capture.
This moment proved it.
Asahi couldn't hide his bitterness, downing the cheap sake.
A sharp burn rose.
Unpleasant scorch down his throat, but not a bad vibe.
And the grand finale.
『Legendary avatar? I don't need it.』
『I'll reach the top with just me and our power.』
『Watch me.』
"...Haha."
Hearing those lines, Asahi shut off the stream, stood, and gazed down at the office building.
Tokyo's nightscape, lit by spots still aglow despite the hour.
Regrettably, his extinguished flame didn't reignite.
No childhood spark returned to this old man.
"...Shall we?"
But a new fire could blaze.
Chuckling, Asahi drained the last drop from the can.
Things would get busy tomorrow.
"Oh, right—I should send Legend a proper gift."
He hadn't known the company stooped that low.
More work ahead, but joy over weariness, Asahi smiled.