Chapter 3 – March 3, Sakurazaka Jin.

Chapter 3: March 3, Jin Sakurazaka.

“What are you doing standing in a daze without even making lunch?”

My sister, standing tall on the wooden deck with her arms crossed, looked at me disapprovingly as she opened the window that led to the garden.

“If you want, Yae-nee can make lunch for you. Just say the word and I’ll happily make it with love!”

I called out in a hurry to my sister’s back as she turned around with a smile on her face.

“No, it’s okay! I’ll make it myself,” I said.

I had been lost in thought, and my mind was not functioning properly.

My sister didn’t hate cooking and didn’t leave it up to me because she was lazy, but rather because she was catastrophically bad at it and I was in charge.

Although we were both busy almost every day for the past month, I couldn’t afford to get sick.

“Aww, I wanted to show off my cooking skills after a long time,” she said.

“I’ll pass,” I replied.

“Hmm. So, why were you just standing there in the garden?”

“I was thinking,” I replied.

Our backyard was of a decent size, but it was plain-looking.

Since we regularly pulled out the weeds, the soil was exposed. Surrounding the yard and our house was a plain white fence that stood twice as tall as me.

The high and unadorned fence gave off an intimidating feeling, reminiscent of a prison…… though I’ve never been to one, of course.

The yard surrounded by an intimidating fence, which obstructed the view of the beautiful scenery, had nothing to offer except for a well located in the corner of the yard, equipped with a hand pump.

This area was rich in water resources, with a small stream flowing nearby, and the well water was also of sufficient quality for drinking, as confirmed by inspections.

The original plan was for my parents to create a beautiful garden from scratch, but that dream was never realized, leaving the yard in its current state.

As I gazed at the house from the yard, it always looked square.

Our house was not made of wood but rather reinforced concrete, giving it a gray, square appearance. Together with the surrounding walls, it enhanced the prison-like feeling.

I personally liked this simple and rugged design, but my sister didn’t seem to share the sentiment.

“It’s too heavy, plain, and not cute at all. It looks like a block of tofu,” she said.

It was lamentable that she couldn’t appreciate this heavy and rugged style.

“Looking at our house like this, it seems suitable for defense,” I commented.

“Defense? Oh, I see. We might get attacked by zombies,” she replied.

To protect oneself from the overflowing zombies in town, staying at home is the best option. We don’t know what they are exactly, so let’s just call them zombies for convenience.

In games or foreign movies, there is an option to arm oneself with guns and fight back. However, it’s almost impossible to obtain such means through normal channels in Japan.

“But staying holed up in here might not be enough,” I said.

I circled around the house, checking every detail. The fence is ideal for defense in terms of appearance, but the problem is its strength. When I lightly tapped it with my fist, it made a hollow sound despite its sturdy look.

“We should reinforce it. As for the house…”

Looking back, I intently observe my house.

As our home is made of reinforced concrete, it is sturdier than a wooden house and there is little risk of the walls being destroyed. However, what about the fixtures?

I believe the doors are okay, but the problem lies with the windows.

“I wish we had at least iron bars.”

Some houses have bars on their windows for security, but we don’t. Especially for the first floor windows, we should consider fitting them with iron bars, as well as the second floor.

“It makes it hard to see the outside scenery, doesn’t it?”

“It’s better than dying, isn’t it? Besides, this fence was already blocking the view of the garden. If you want to see the scenery, you can go up to the second floor or the rooftop. As for the rest…the large windows by the entrance and in the garden have shutters, but we should replace them with ones that have better performance.”

We put the shutters down before going to bed and during strong winds like typhoons, but I’m not sure if they would be able to prevent zombies from barging in.

“Well, that sounds like it could be a pretty complicated job. And we also have to think about installing solar panels.”

“I know that, but I have an idea.”

While it’s clear that hiring a contractor would be the best option, there’s actually a problem that has arisen.

Last year, this area was hit hard by a major typhoon, causing damage to many buildings, including roofs, windows, and walls. It seems that nearby construction companies are busy with repair work for the rest of the year.

Moreover, since we’re in a rural area far from the city, the number of available contractors is limited.

“I was thinking of hiring someone who’s experienced with this kind of construction, and who can handle the installation of a high-quality security system made overseas,” I said. “Someone who has connections and expertise in this field.”

“Do you know someone like that?” she asked.

“Well, actually…there’s one person that comes to mind,” I replied.

I took out my smartphone and scrolled through my contacts. After finding the number I was looking for, I pressed the call button and held the phone to my ear. After a few rings, the call was answered.

“It’s unusual to hear from you here instead of on your PC. Oh, and sorry for avoiding direct interaction with fans.”

“I remember being treated several times during the time when I had less than 10 subscribers.”

“If you like my content, please like and subscribe to my channel!”

“Even as a closing line in a video, it’s annoying so please stop.”

It’s a classic line that’s been heard dozens of times.

“Hey, Jin-chan, you sound like you’re having fun, but who are you talking to? Is it a woman’s voice?” my sister asked

Before I knew it, my sister was standing next to me, staring at me intently.

She seemed a little displeased, probably because I left her out of the loop without any explanation.

I switched to speakerphone so that my sister could hear the conversation.

“The person on the other end is a YouTuber.”

“Hmm? So, that means they’re someone who’s active on the video-sharing site YouTube, right?”

Thanks for explaining. That’s correct.

“What are you mumbling about… Wait, could it be… the rumored older sister?! Nice to meet you, I’m Diya, a DIY-oriented YouTuber!”

It seemed like my sister had a question, as a lively voice echoed from my smartphone.

“Hello, my name is Yae and I’m Jin-chan’s sister. – She speaks fluent Japanese even though she’s a foreigner.” Sister said

She whispered the latter part so that only I could hear it, but it seems she had a big misunderstanding.

“Yae-nee, ‘Diya’ isn’t her real name. It’s like a stage name that she uses for her livestreams. She’s actually a full-blooded Japanese person.”

“It’s spelled DIY-A, but please call me ‘Diya’.”

By the way, I once asked about the origin of this naming. The answer was that it means “DIY Ace YouTuber” in the DIY YouTuber community. Though it’s self-proclaimed!

Despite the self-proclaimed title, the content of the videos mainly involves DIY projects such as remodeling and repairing homes, as well as making furniture. And they’re a bit unique.

“That was really fun, making a secret base episode 17.”

“Really?! If you liked it, please hit the like button!”

“I did, I did!”

“Thanks a lot!”

Their high-energy conversation almost made me want to join in.

Even though some viewers criticize her for being annoying with her constant excitement, she keeps her character consistent throughout her videos.

“We’ve been talking about all sorts of things, but let me get serious for a moment. I have a request or proposal to make, so could you please stay quiet?”

Once again, I thought she would interrupt, but there was no sound from her smartphone.

“I remember you were doing live streaming of game commentary before. You were playing a tower defense game where you had to defend against zombies. And you shouted, ‘I want to build a fortress-like house in real life!’ Do you remember that?”

“Yeah, I remember. The ultimate goal is to DIY a fortress with my own hands.”

“What if I told you I could make that wish come true?”

“‘Pfft, what’s with that unfunny joke? It’s a month too early for April Fool’s, you know. I’m not the kind of Diya-sama who falls for that kind of thing. Don’t underestimate me just because you’re my first experience with virtual Urucha!'”

“Hey, Jin-chan. What’s a first experience, ‘Urucha’?”

As her sister placed her hands on both cheeks and forcibly turned her head to the side, I saw a smiling face, but her eyes did not seem to share the same expression.

“You seem to have some misunderstanding, but ‘Urucha’ is short for ‘Ultra Chat.’ It’s a system where viewers can send electronic money as gifts to the person doing the live stream.”

“Your little brother has been spoiling me with lots of gifts,” she says with a strangely seductive voice.

Her face quickly turns sour.

“I don’t appreciate you teasing my sister like that.”

“You see, during her streaming days, she didn’t have much popularity and was struggling a lot. She tried increasing the exposure of her clothing, wearing animal costumes, and cosplay to gain more views. It was too pitiful to watch, and out of sympathy, I gave her a high-value Ultra chat donation, and she has been fond of me ever since,” I explained.

It was back when she had barely reached double-digit viewers. Her halting speech was oddly endearing, and when I whimsically made a high-value donation, people unexpectedly started to flock to her, eventually becoming regulars.

After listening to my explanation, my sister seemed to be somewhat satisfied and kept her mouth shut for a moment. However, she seemed to be preparing a barrage of questions later tonight.

“Let’s get back to the main topic. This is not a joke, but a serious proposal. I want Diya to turn my house into a fortress. I’ll cover all the costs.”

“Huh? Um, um… Are you serious?”

“I’m dead serious. I have my own reasons for making this request, and we’ll discuss it together. As for the cost… how about starting with around 10 million yen?”

“What’s up, Diya? Are you listening–“

“W-What is it, Jin-san! Um, would you prefer to be addressed as Jin-sama? Or should I call you our sponsor?”

“I’m impressed by your sudden change of heart. I can hear the sound of your phone rattling. Are you bowing down to me right now?”

“But, but, is it really okay to receive that much money and do whatever I want? I can’t believe it all of a sudden. I’ve heard before that you’re wealthy, but I thought you were just showing off. It turns out that it wasn’t just an empty boast.”

I hear the softly muttered words clearly.

“I don’t want you to do whatever you want. But I do want to fortify my house, so I can meet your expectations.”

“Oh, umm… I’m not dissatisfied or anything, but can I ask why you want to fortify your house?”

The hesitant question is asked, and I am unsure of how to respond.

If I simply said “because zombies will appear in town in a month and I want to prepare for them,” it would not be believed.

So, I move a little away from my sister and into a corner of the garden.

“I actually… my sister is the type who lives for the internet and easily gets fooled because she’s too kind-hearted. Lately, she’s been taking online conspiracy theories seriously and saying things like ‘Japan is also in danger, so we need to strengthen our security measures!’ and not listening to reason. So, I want to reassure her by having excessive security measures in place. Even though it’s something like this, she’s my only family member.”

I said this with a serious tone.

Everything except for the last sentence was a lie.

“Wow, so you’re… ahem. Despite everything, you’re really soft on your sister, aren’t you, JIN-sama? Maybe you have a sister complex? Hmm… I’m not convinced, and I feel like there’s something more to it, but it’s definitely a good deal for me, so I won’t ask any further. Yes, I’ll take the job. Oh, I have one question to ask. Can I make a video of this and share it online?”

Diya talks quickly, and her face selling her services is clear in my mind.

I knew she would ask that. She couldn’t possibly overlook such a juicy story like this.

“I’m okay with it, of course. However, there is a condition.”

“Of course, there’s no way such a good deal would come without any strings attached… wait, what?! You’re not going to ask me to lick Diya’s feet in exchange for 10 million yen, right?!”

“What benefit would I get from that? The condition is simply that you must post the video after April. That’s all.”

“Oh, is that it? That’s totally fine. It’s actually better to wait and accumulate footage before editing it anyways.”

They readily agreed to the condition.

Since the video would only be posted a month later, it doesn’t matter considering what will happen, it was like I’m deceiving her… but it wasn’t a lie.

They decided to discuss the details later and exchanged their addresses before ending the call.