Chapter 7: Otaku Package
The power was stable that morning, which felt like a small miracle in itself.
Ash stirred sugar into a cup of instant coffee, sitting cross-legged on his bed. The cup was chipped near the rim, but he knew exactly where not to place his lips. He glanced over at his laptop. The dashboard was open. Comments still trickled in on his last video, mostly kind. A few trolls, of course—but nothing cruel.
He sipped slowly.
This time, he didn't open the Studio app to check numbers.
He opened a blank Google Doc titled:
next_vid_ideas
A cursor blinked on the white screen.
[System Alert: Minor Algorithm Trend Report Ready]
Ash blinked once to confirm.
[Based on current viewer interest and channel engagement, suggestion generated:
→ Topic: "Anime Product Haul"
→ Concept: Buy anime merchandise online. Review and rate each item (cheap to premium).
→ Audience Interest Score: 79%
→ Note: Risk Level – Low. Viewer retention likely.]
Ash smiled faintly.
Anime.
It was obvious, really. The system didn't know him emotionally, but it tracked behavior. It had scanned his search history. His room alone was a shrine of subtle otaku disorder—stacked manga, a plastic katana on the shelf, and faded posters of Fullmetal Alchemist and One Piece taped to the wall since his teen years.
He didn't show it in his videos. Not yet. He liked having that barrier. The hidden space between who he was and who Creepy Crap was.
But maybe it was time to test the edge of that line.
He began typing:
Video Idea: Buying Anime Stuff from Local Online Shops
– Budget: $25 / $100 / $300
– Order small items (keychains, figures, posters) from three different sellers
– Check packaging, smell, weirdness
– Rate quality, compare price to what he expected
– Maybe wear gloves? Add some fake "mystery crate" vibe
– Add a fake 2-second "cursed object" gag?
He sipped more coffee, a warmth growing in his chest. Not from the caffeine. From this—from building a weird, creative idea out of nothing. Turning it into something people might actually watch.
[System Note: Fund Allocation Ready – Maximum Spend Limit Set by Creator]
Ash opened the side panel.
[Allocate Budget for This Video?]
[→ Available: ৳214,000 (Locked for production use only)]
[Enter Spending Plan:]
He typed carefully:
Budget Tier 1: ৳2,500
Budget Tier 2: ৳10,000
Budget Tier 3: ৳30,000
Total: ৳42,500
Notes: Items must arrive within 5–7 days. Prioritize variety.
[Confirmed. Searching vendors on verified marketplace network.]
Ash leaned back.
He didn't need to search himself—the system would place anonymous orders using freelance bots. His address and identity were encrypted. Even the delivery guys wouldn't know his real name. Everything was funneled through "Creepy Crap Media Desk"—an identity the system generated and protected.
[Purchases Complete. Estimated Delivery: 3–6 Days]
He closed the laptop and exhaled.
Then, something new appeared.
[Unlocked: Minor Editing Upgrade – "Auto Voice Mask FX" Available]
[Description: Allows subtle mood-based voice filtering. Can make you sound more energetic, deadpan, anxious, or sarcastic based on script input.]
Ash stared at the text. It sounded small. But it mattered.
He didn't want to become a character—but it helped to have a little flavor.
He clicked "Enable".
The rest of the day passed in quiet tasks. He folded his laundry. Bought vegetables. Bargained with a shopkeeper who tried to charge ten taka extra for a small bottle of soy sauce.
When night came, he returned to the rooftop.
It wasn't stormy, but the sky had that pressure—thick with hidden thunder. Dhaka was like that sometimes. It didn't always storm—it just threatened to.
Ash scrolled through anime forums while the system idly offered trivia.
[Did You Know? Bangladesh has over 50 online sellers listing anime merch, but only 12 offer verified original imports.]
[Buyer Warning: Avoid "UltraJapanFan77" – 63% negative feedback, product duplication reports.]
Ash nodded and bookmarked a few links.
As the breeze picked up, he imagined the video intro.
"Three prices. Same obsession. I bought anime merch from the internet so you don't have to. Also, I may have accidentally summoned a cursed pillow."
He smirked.
He didn't always laugh at his own jokes. But that one got him.
The wind tugged at his hair. He closed his eyes.
He was still anonymous. Still hidden behind the name, the voice mod, the hologram blur. But that made him feel strangely… safe.
Like he had a second skin.
And within that skin, he could make anything.
He went back inside.
At his desk, he wrote the voiceover draft.
"We start with the cheapest one. A 250 taka mystery box claiming to include a Naruto headband, an L keychain, and... uh… a surprise. The surprise turned out to be sadness. You'll see why."
"Then we move to the mid-tier, where things almost made sense. One piece of merch? Cool. Five knockoffs of that same piece? Cooler."
"And finally, the high-end box. ৳30,000 worth of anime greatness. Spoiler: I might be in love with a figure. No, I won't say who."
His typing slowed. He reread the lines.
They weren't perfect. But they had something.
Ash reached under his desk and pulled out a small drawer. Inside was an old pen—silver, with blue ink—and a paper notebook.
He flipped to the last used page.
It was dated nearly two years ago.
Back then, the page said:
"New Year's Resolution: Stop Wasting Time. Do Something. Anything."
Below it, scribbled messily:
"Don't let regret become your job."
Ash wrote underneath, in smaller letters:
"Creepy Crap: Next video in progress. I'm doing something."
He closed the notebook.
The cursor blinked on his screen.
Outside, rain tapped gently on the window.
The video wasn't filmed yet. The boxes hadn't arrived.
But it had already begun.
A new chapter.
One born not from ambition, but from curiosity.
And maybe… finally… from joy.
End of Chapter 7