Game Market 1983

Chapter 224: Complete Joy

The spectacular start of the live performance, marked by Sheryl's appearance, instantly captivated the hearts of the users gathered in the concert hall. The character on the screen was dressed in a navy blue military uniform, and the leather boots that reached up to the calves added a strangely sexy vibe.

"Wow! The first song is by Sheryl~!!"

Sheryl's "Beating Heart," chosen as the opening song for the concert, could easily be seen as an excellent selection.

Among the four heroines, Sheryl, with the most intense presence, overwhelmed the audience with her charisma alone.

As her brightly bleached pink hair and sparkling eyes met mine, I found myself frozen in awe.

Finally, when she slightly smirked after grazing her lips with the tip of her tongue, she began to speak.

The actual singer appeared on stage.

"Wow!! What!?"

It was as if she jumped out of the screen, dressed exactly like her character, confidently placing her extended leg, clad in a tank top, on the speaker while wielding the microphone.

"Gravity-defying, my Beating Heart inside you. Do you know? With a daring kiss that even surpasses time."

Gradually building up the live performance with the audience, she reached a peak moment and extended the microphone towards those cheering her on.

Those who knew her title song cheered enthusiastically, singing along with the climax of "Beating Heart."

"Take away~!!! My heart towards you~!!"

Gazing at the users responding to her every move, she slightly lifted the corners of her mouth and, turning around, casually discarded her outerwear.

"Whoa!!!"

"Wow!! Amazing.."

Despite wearing a tank top inside, the sheer heat of the stage made the sweat glisten on her chest, which unavoidably caught one's attention.

At that moment, Mayumi's hand plunged into my side, digging deep as if trying to tear away my ribcage.

"Ouch!!"

Screaming in pain as if pierced through the lungs, I received a reprimanding look from Mayumi.

"Are your eyes just there for show?"

"Ack! Sorry! That was just instinctive..."

"Instinctive? Really!?"

"Okay, okay! I won't do it again~!!"

"If you're going to fight, take it outside."

Already feeling uncomfortable about the attention from other guys in the concert hall during the virtual idol's performance, my banter with my girlfriend attracted comments from here and there.

"Nakamura Kensuke. I'll let it go this time because of Kanna's performance."

"Oh, okay. I understand."

Sheryl's voice actor's bold performance instantly escalated the atmosphere of the live show.

Her portrayal of the character on stage seemed to break through the pent-up anticipation for the release of the virtual idol, uplifting the audience's spirits.

"Wow~!!"

"This is amazing!!"

"Cough.. Your Highness, there's no regret in purchasing your package."

Amidst the multitude of applause from the audience, she concluded her song in the center of the stage, confidently adjusting her slightly tilted beret.

"Thank you sincerely to everyone who came to the Virtual Idol Live today~!! Thank you all~!!"

Finally, when she squarely met our eyes, her face looked around the early twenties.

With one hand resting on her sexy hip, she caught her breath for a moment, deeply breathing, and continued the live performance.

Alongside a brief self-introduction and how she became a virtual idol, she engaged in small talk about her favorite character. After a while, with a mischievous expression, she asked the audience a question.

"If anyone here has purchased the Cheryl version of the Virtual Idol here today, could you please raise your hand?"

At that moment, even I unknowingly raised my hand at her question. However, recalling being pickpocketed of my shopping bag earlier, I slowly lowered my hand.

Nevertheless, about a third of the audience raised their hands in response to her question, surprising even her. She expressed gratitude to the users, blowing a kiss as a final gesture.

"Actually, before coming here today, I heard some unfortunate news. A user who purchased all of Complete Laon and today's released games was pickpocketed in the parking lot. Thankfully, they weren't hurt. Is that user here now?"

Raising my hand slowly at Sheryl's wandering gaze, she smiled at me.

"After the live ends today, there'll be a raffle. So please stay until the end."

"T-Thank you."

"May luck be with you... Well then~ The next song I'll be performing for you is the stage of Konno Azusa, the youngest character in Virtual Idol."

As her performance as Sheryl ended, all the lights on the stage turned off suddenly, engulfing the surroundings in darkness for a moment. Then, the sound of drumsticks clashing.

"One, two, three, four."

Amidst the darkness, the screen displayed the figure of Konno Azusa with the girl's tense voice. At that moment, Mayumi beside me burst into laughter and said to me:

"Konno Azusa is quite cute as a character. She's popular too, isn't she?"

If Sheryl was known as the queen, Azusa's nickname was the younger sister.

With her loosely wandering personality represented by the sword strapped to her knee and the spiky hair style on one side, her school uniform attire, unlike Sheryl's glamorous stage outfit, oddly evoked familiarity everywhere.

Perhaps because of this, her fan base ranged from children to adults, encompassing various age groups.

Even female users who, like Mayumi, felt repelled by Sheryl were absorbed, contributing to the undeniable popularity of Konno Azusa.

If the virtual idol appeared in a trio excluding Tsubaki, it would undoubtedly have garnered a much larger following than it does now.

"That's because loving oneself is the most important thing~"

"If you don't love yourself, you can't love anyone else~!!"

"Onstage, her voice actress appeared once again, dressed exactly like the character in the game.

"Am I the only one who thinks they look eerily alike?" I mused, observing her nervously delivering her lines this time, unlike the relaxed demeanor when she voiced Cheryl. Yet, even amidst her palpable tension, she didn't lose her smile and finished the song.

"Haah... Haah... Thank you."

Though the performance didn't match Cheryl's perfection, it felt like watching a high school talent show, and the audience cheered and applauded.

"Well, it's probably natural for them to be nervous; after all, today marks their debut," I thought as two songs ended, expecting Kanna to take the stage next. Instead, Director Kang Junhyuk stepped onto the stage.

As the main director of Virtual Idol and the developer of Complete Laon, he stood at the center, greeting the audience before calmly smiling.

"Thank you to everyone who attended the live performance of Virtual Idol along with purchasing Complete Laon. Before showcasing the performance, allow me to briefly explain the gameplay of Virtual Idol. While it may seem like a simple idol-raising simulation, it holds a slightly different significance."

Those who didn't quite grasp Director Kang Junhyuk's words gazed at the stage, puzzled. Even I, alongside Mayumi, was among them.

With a flick of his finger, Kang Junhyuk pointed to the screen behind him, and a PowerPoint slide appeared.

After glimpses of heroines in various stage costumes, the screen divided to reveal the debut appearances of four characters.

Curiosity struck as dates were listed beside the girls' profiles, showing intervals of two to three weeks across different regions in Japan.

"What's that?"

"Maybe some kind of event?"

Amidst the murmurs, Director Kang Junhyuk clarified, pointing at the screen.

"The dates beside their profiles are the days of their live performances."

"Huh?"

His abrupt statement left the audience puzzled. Live performances even after the game's release?

However, with each girl having separate venues on the same date, doubts among the audience grew deeper.

"As I mentioned earlier, Virtual Idol is more than just a simple simulation game. To elaborate in extreme terms, the game discs you've purchased serve as an audition device to aid their official debut."

"An audition?"

Once again, Kang Junhyuk's explanation about Virtual Idol's gameplay made me tremble at the unique gaming essence behind the name 'Pentagon.'

"Virtual Idol is an evolving content. The points you acquire by nurturing your favorite character can be used diversely. You can dress up characters in stage costumes, casual wear, accessories, access monthly updates for new live songs or new stage costumes. And lastly, the most crucial..."

At a crucial moment, his deliberate pause heightened the suspense, leaving everyone hanging.

"What's the most crucial aspect!?"

"You can exercise voting rights."

"Voting rights? What is that for?"

At that instant, Kang Junhyuk's mention of an 'audition' echoed in my mind.

Could it be... Is he saying what I think he is?

"That's right. To ensure your cherished character doesn't fall behind, you'll have to compete with other users. It's quite simple. Attend her live performance on the designated day. If it's too far, you can visit a nearby Pentagon Shop and transmit points through a portable Laon communication terminal."

An inquisitive user couldn't contain their curiosity and asked Kang Junhyuk.

"What... What happens if the points for the character I purchased are the lowest?"

Kang Junhyuk sighed softly before answering the query.

"After the live performance, updates about her will cease. You can continue playing the game, but content updates related to her events or stage costumes will completely halt."

"Ugh..."

"Then, can someone who bought two or more titles vote for all their characters?"

To this query, Kang Junhyuk still wore a wry smile as he shook his head.

"That's quite an inefficient method I wouldn't recommend. You see, there are days when multiple characters have overlapping performances. If, say, Erica and Tsubaki, or Cheryl and Azusa have shows on the same day, whom will you choose to attend?"

His response left the audience pale-faced.

Is he... Is he intending to spin users around until their characters get eliminated?

>

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