9 Ordinary shop manager
Eclraire, aka Erea
Erea is my shop employee and a girl I ended up protecting due to various circumstances.
Normally, she resides on the second floor of the shop, essentially living there as a lodger.
Come to think of it, I mentioned before that the card shop is a two-story facility.
It was renovated from a vacant local building, and the second floor was originally intended for me to live in.
Well, my family home is very close to the shop, within walking distance for commuting, so I don’t really mind.
There was also a proposal to have Erea stay at my family home.
My parents sympathized with Erea’s circumstances and even thought of her like a daughter.
First, simply because Erea said she would be okay living alone.
Then, she said it would be helpful for her to stay at the shop.
And finally, there was one more major reason.
As for how it’s helpful for Erea to stay at the shop –
It’s extremely helpful for security purposes.
As a former scout soldier, Erea is extremely sensitive to movements in her surroundings.
If there were any suspicious individuals nearby, she would undoubtedly notice.
In other words, if a robber came at night, she would wake me up.
Erea is a night owl, so that’s not an issue either.
In fact, there’s a reason Erea usually stays up very late at night.
Yes, live streaming.
That’s the reason why Erea avoids living at my parents’ house.
It was so that she could stream in an environment where she did not have to worry about people…
That day, when I arrived at the shop with the lights still on upstairs, I confirmed Erea was awake.
The time was probably just before midnight, quite late.
As for why I came to the shop at such an hour, the answer is simple.
I had forgotten my smartphone.
Specifically, in the living room upstairs — the space where Erea resides.
You might wonder what I was doing there, but
on days when I stay late at the shop, Erea and I usually have dinner upstairs before leaving.
Today was the same, we had dinner, and just as I was about to go home and sleep, I realized I forgot my phone.
So I hurried back to the shop’s residential space.
And what I saw there was —
“So then, let’s get started with today’s live stream!”
Erea speaking into the microphone.
She was clearly live streaming.
This was the living room area, not her private room.
There was a table in the center with a sofa.
The TV was positioned perfectly for viewing from the sofa, and Erea had set up her streaming equipment there.
Wouldn’t it be normal to stream from her own room?
“…Why aren’t you streaming from your room?”
“Eep! Manager!? Why are you here!?”
“Well, I made noise coming upstairs…”
“I had my headphones on so I didn’t notice!!”
Looking closely, the TV showed some kind of exercise game screen.
Ah, so she’s using the living room because her room is too small for this.
“Oh no, the comments are going crazy…”
“Eh, what’s happening?”
I picked up my smartphone that was left in the living room and checked it out.
Opening the shop’s streaming channel, I saw —
“Whoa, a ton of superchats rolling in?”
“It’s because the manager is here!”
There were indeed a flood of superchats and comments saying “The manager is here!”
What’s so great about me being here?
“Why is this happening?”
“The manager is actually quite popular, you know?”
“No way, I’m just an ordinary-looking plain guy.”
Even my hairstyle is modest compared to some people’s.
Just a regular hairstyle you’d see in a general hobby anime.
What’s so popular about an ordinary-looking guy like me?
Well, I suppose it is somewhat distinctive? Yeah…
But usually wouldn’t any popularity go to someone like Daia instead?
…No, if that shady-looking guy got popular, it’d be bad news.
The only viewers would be deviants.
I mean, he’d probably have some demand, but still.
“Wha- Why do you think you wouldn’t be popular?!”
“Eh…dunno.”
“Take an objective look at your own position!”
As she says that, I reflect on it.
I’m Mitsuru Tanafuda, the manager of the “Duelist” card shop.
…And that’s it.
“And that’s it…? No, it’s not!” Erea protests. “Your life counseling through duels gets featured in streams quite often, you know?”
“Never heard you say ‘it’s not’ like that before…”
Well, now that she mentions it.
I myself have noticed that according to Erea, I very frequently engage in what she calls “life counseling through duels” — in other words, acting like a protagonist from the previous series.
It can’t be helped, since everyone I meet seems to be struggling with problems or has lost their way.
It happens frequently enough during shop tournament streams, so it’s no surprise it gets captured on video.
“You have a calming presence, undeniable dueling skills, and are always guiding people as a mentor figure. That’s the manager.”
“You’re really going on about this…”
“In other words, you’re ‘our manager’!”
“Oh, thanks.”
As I said that, another wave of superchats came in.
Well, I understand that I’m popular, but still.
I can’t quite grasp it…From my previous life, I was never the type to stand out in front of others.
Even in this world, I basically avoided being in the spotlight.
I’m just not used to being evaluated, so it feels kind of itchy and uncomfortable.
“Geez, I wish the manager had more self-awareness about his own popularity…”
“Oh, uh, I’ll try to process it.”
Though come to think of it, this enthusiastic side of Erea is new to me.
She’s usually more of a downer type, in real life and on streams.
Of course, she’s a former scout soldier when it comes to dueling.
But this current Erea, how should I put it?
She seems really fired up about praising me.
Erea has a bit of an otaku side – when she gets going on a topic she likes, she starts talking rapidly.
Is that what’s happening here?
In any case, it’s good to see Erea so lively.
…Why are the comments flooding with “teetee”?
TLNOTE : teetee = てぇてぇ = 尊い = wholesome
Are the viewers really okay with that?
“By the way manager, have you thought about trying a stream yourself?”
“…Isn’t it more valuable in being a rare guest appearance?”
“That’s true.”
“And I’m already heard on the shop tournament streams anyway.”
To be honest, I’m not that interested in streaming myself.
I’ve left the shop’s social media promotion entirely to Erea too.
More than anything, Erea has pretty good judgement.
She always double checks anything that needs confirming, so there’s no risk of any controversies.
Frankly speaking, she’s much better at internet stuff than I am.
“Oh, how about a one-time impromtu collab stream then?”
“Ah, so I’d be a side guest watching your stream?”
“The manager can join in the exercise game too.”
“Unlike you, I’m a day person though.”
I’m quite tired right now, what with being up this late.
That said, since I happened to come across Erea’s stream like this,
I can hang around for a bit as a guest.
“Anyway, the manager has joined us as a guest today. He doesn’t usually watch my streams, so this is kind of novel.”
“Can you at least start the streaming before the date changes? I’m sleeping when you’re streaming.”
“This is just when I’m most active.”
“Staying up late is bad for your health.”
“I’ll be fine.”
…Right, Erea isn’t human, she’s a monster.
While she has a similar physical body to humans, she’s apparently more durable and has a slightly longer lifespan.
No matter how unhealthy her lifestyle with staying up late, it supposedly won’t affect her future wellbeing.
Though she can still gain weight from overeating.
Which begs the question of why she’s playing an exercise game then?
But upon reflection, that’s probably not something I should ask a girl about.
Also, the fact that Erea is a monster is supposed to be a secret, so I can’t bring it up on stream either.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
TIPS: Since the viewers watching Erea’s stream are dedicated fans, the comments are generally just filled with harmless “teetee” from the shop’s regulars, so it’s peaceful.
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