Everyone Has Talent. If Only We Could Realize It - Volume 1 Chapter 0.2

Invitation 1

“I’m tired… I don’t want to go outside… The sunlight, it’s melting…”

“Don’t be selfish.”

That day was warmer than the average for that time of year. It was still early April, and quite hot for the middle of spring break, before any wardrobe changes for the season. Just walking around caused sweat to trickle down my forehead, slide down my cheeks, and drop off my chin.

“Next week, I’ll walk enough for two days, so let’s call it even… No?”

“No.”

“…Stingy brother. Cheapskate brother.”

“Hahaha, your insults lack vocabulary and creativity; they hardly affect me. If you want to make me mad, you’d better start reading a thesaurus.”

“Indoor geek virgin.”

“There are things you’re allowed to say and things you’re not, you knoooow!?”

On a weekday, smack dab in the middle of it. Despite there being no special events or reasons, why were Shika and I, a brother and sister pair, walking around outside on such a hot day? Well, we had our unavoidable circumstances.

“It’s a promise, remember? At least once a week. More than an hour outside, taking a walk. —I’ll indulge any of your whims, but this is the one thing I won’t budge on, okay?”

“Mmm…”

My sister’s sulking face was still cute.

I wanted to give in to her every whim, but for the sake of her health, I had to be strict.

Regular exercise is super important.

Especially for someone who’s been a shut-in since middle school, barely ever leaving the house. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing my sister to a lifestyle-related disease caused by a lack of exercise.

A typical suburban city, just 30 minutes by train from the bustling metropolis, is where our home was located.

A short walk would bring us to a desolate park. Whether due to complaints from the local residents or just the flow of time, there were hardly any playground equipment left. They might as well remove everything to tidy it up, but for some reason, a pathetic little slide meant for preschoolers stood alone in the middle of the park.

“Not a single child in sight, even though it’s spring break.”

“It can’t be helped. Playing at home is more fun now.”

“Enough entertainment with just a smartphone, huh? Ah, I hate it. Families that let their kids freely play mobile games and watch unlimited videos from a young age are already privileged. They should use taxpayer money to create places for less fortunate kids to play.”

“I’m fine with this… Hah…”

While I grumbled nonstop, Shika smoothly slipped past me and perched herself lightly on the slide.

“We came here to exercise, don’t just sit down…”

“There’s no space for brother.”

“Acting like a child?”

Shika, claiming ownership of the slide by puffing her cheeks, didn’t seem her age at all, having just graduated middle school.

Her words and actions were childlike, and her physical development seemed a bit delayed.

Just by looking at her, one wouldn’t guess that Shika was a talented singer.

“By the way, brother. Can I make a comment?”

“Sure, but what’s with that question?”

“Why do you care about health but always eat instant noodles?”

“Because we’re broke.”

“Cooking at home is cheaper, I read it online.”

“That info is outdated. Plus, it’s an armchair theory from someone who’s never truly compared home cooking with alternatives.”

“Is that so?”

“Wanna go to the supermarket? Vegetables these days are like luxury items.”

“Shocking.”

“Your surprise doesn’t really come through when your expression doesn’t change.”

In reality, Shika has no idea about the state of our household finances, nor does she seem much interested in why our meals are what they are now. She just eats whatever is placed in front of her. Apart from singing, she has little interest in anything else, for better or for worse.

“Is our income not enough?”

“Thanks to you, we’re making a decent amount… but it’s still not quite enough to cover our living expenses.”

“Wow.”

“The ad revenue from our ‘Sung It’ videos on WAYTUBE, half of it goes to the original song’s rights holders. Despite the number of views, the singer’s take-home pay is quite low. And producing original songs isn’t something we can easily mass-produce.”

“Huh.”

“Such a lukewarm reaction!”

“I don’t really understand complicated stuff. I’ll leave it to my brother.”

“Well, that was the agreement from the beginning.”

Shika’s carelessness about our financial situation isn’t something new; she’s been consistently detached since we first started our activities as “Seekers.”

Originally, it was me who noticed my sister’s talent in singing and encouraged her to pursue it. As often is the case with geniuses, Shika herself lacks a desperate desire to become famous or make money, preferring to do what she wants, how she wants. I took on all the bothersome tasks unrelated to singing, like managing money and rights, wearing the VTube persona— that was our agreement when we began this journey.

However, things are getting tough. Despite managing somehow, living solely on WAYTUBE income might become unsustainable. I’m also aware that surviving on cup noodles isn’t healthy.

Three groups of mothers with children arrived at the park’s entrance. They probably planned to let the kids run around while they enjoyed a little gossip session among themselves.

But upon seeing us, they clearly frowned and began whispering among themselves.

Their eyes were filled with disdain.

A scruffy-dressed man wandering about in broad daylight… That’s how they saw me.

This isn’t a misunderstanding or paranoia.

Every time I go out to buy dinner, I’m subjected to these types of stares.

People in this country are cold to the unemployed, who seem to have free time during weekdays.

“But well, if we really can’t make ends meet, I guess I have to work, huh?”

Me, Ikebukuro Rakuto, eighteen years old.

Riding on my sister’s talent, I wanted to live my life without getting a job, just taking care of the house, playing online games, and looking after my sister. But maybe it’s time to finally pay my dues.

“No way…”

The thought of being worn down by pointless office relationships, just imagining it makes me nauseous.

But I still want to find a way to live without working.

“Kyaaa!!!”

Suddenly, a scream snapped me back to reality.

In broad daylight, had a pervert shown up?