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“Is it really necessary to show up so early for this, Michiru?” Lumina asked.
“Of course it is, shishou! I mean, you can check the sales data and social media posts and stuff, can’t you? Everyone wants this thing,” said Michiru.
“Well, I understand all that, but… I could just hack the lottery for you if you’re so desperate for this,” said Lumina.
“That wouldn’t be fair to everyone. It would go against our honor as otaku! Besides, shared struggles like this are what builds a sense of community,” Michiru insisted.
“A bunch of people waiting to try and buy a video game console is a community?” Lumina asked.
“Of course it is,” said Michiru, “Like… don’t you hear all the cheering.”
Michiru was right. There was cheering for some reason, along with some kind of music. And it seemed to be coming from the direction of the store that Lumina and Michiru were going to. As they approached, they saw that right in front of the store, a crowd had gathered around a pair of girls holding a street concert.
“Hey, aren’t those girls from that band that made the theme song for that NFO anime that just came out?” Michiru asked.
“Indeed. And Roselia is famous for a lot more than just that. But I didn’t hear a bout them doing any kind of promotional event for the Switch 2 launch,” said Lumina.
“They must be true gamers just like us,” said Michiru.
Lumina did a quick check. The two girls performing, Udagawa Ako and Shirokane Rinko, did indeed seem to be avid gamers. It seemed that Michiru was right.
“They are,” Lumina said.
As they got closer, one of the girls at the edge of the crowd greeted them.
“Are you two here for the switch launch, or just the guerilla concert?” she asked.
“We’re here for switches,” said Michiru.
“Then let me give you a number ticket. The line kind of turned into a blob when the concert started, so this is how we’ve been handling things,” said the girl, “You two got here just in time. You’re number 34 and 35. I heard there were only 36 consoles at this store.”
“See, shishou, I told you we should have come here earlier,” said Michiru.
“But isn’t this optimal since we’re waiting the least possible amount of time while still getting our consoles?” Lumina pointed out.
“Uh, well… we could have listened to more of the concert if we’d gotten here earlier,” said Michiru.
Their place in line settled, Lumina and Michiru’s attentions turned towards the concert. Even with only two members of Roselia there, it was incredible. Ako’s drumming carried all of the energy it usually did, and Rinko managed to use a single keyboard to create lush and epic soundscapes. Neither girl’s singing was as powerful as Yukina’s, but the sweetness of Ako’s voice and the depth in Rinko’s voice made a wonderful combination on their own. Lumina made sure to analyze every vibration.
Michiru enjoyed the concert in a much more external and visible way, dancing in place. Doing a quick database check, Lumina matched several of the dance moves to video games and memes. But Michiru soon got an itch than not even Fortnite dances could cure.
“Hey, shishou, do you think you could help me hack my phone into that speaker they’re using?” Michiru asked.
“Probably, depending on the connections it uses, but what exactly are you planning?” Lumina asked warily.
“If two members of Roselia can put on such a fire concert, then why can’t two members of Unichord put on an amazing concert, too?” Michiru replied.
“Hold on there, Michiru. Think for a moment. How would you feel if we were having a concert and Roselia suddenly stormed onto stage and interrupted us?” Lumina asked.
“That would be so hype!” Michiru replied.
Michiru was hopeless. All Lumina could convince her of was to wait until the current song was done before breaking onto the stage.
“That was Opera of the Wasteland,” Ako announced, “Our vigil of darkness will continue with-”
Suddenly, the sounds of Rinko’s keyboard playing cut out and heavy bass beats filled the air.
“Your vigilance of darkness is going to stop right here because the forces of light have arrived! And to announce the advent of two internet angels – Internet Overdose!” Michiru yelled.
Lumina gave Ako and Rinko an apologetic glance before starting to sing. Thankfully, Ako and Rinko seemed unbothered. In fact, Ako began to drum again, this time supporting Lumina and Michiru’s song.
It felt like no time at all before Lumina was singing the final notes.
“So, you internet angels are here to stop us gaming demons, huh? Well then, we’ll just have to overpower you!” Ako exclaimed, “Black Shout!”
Lumina figured out a way to connect the speaker to both Rinko’s keyboard and Michiru’s phone. As Michiru started to play Peaky P-Key’s version of the song, Lumina joined Ako in singing.
In the end, Lumina supposed that Michiru was right. Even a group of people brought together by nothing more than wanting to buy the latest video game console from a certain store could become a community. A community that Lumina, Michiru, Ako, and Rinko all ended up being thankful for because without their reminder, they’d have gotten so lost in their concert that they’d have forgotten to purchase the console that they’d come all this way to buy.