Atem is now famous, a fact he has noticed and does not care about.
Yugi cares a great deal. Public relations would like to make it official.
What follows: a commercial, a hundred million new followers overnight, product descriptions that do not describe products, an afterlife branch office, a chain of museums built because Seto found the alternative tiresome, a rejected handshake event, and a lecture on love that turns into an interview about what Seto is like in the morning.
This is a translation of an original work on Pixiv.
Original Title: 愛と理論 13 王、アイドルになる
Original Author: 葉人(@Hathor_yuki)
Personal site: https://prideshipping.sakura.ne.jp
While the heat of the afterlife travel article had yet to cool, Atem had inadvertently become a celebrity.
On social media he was disseminated as the Beauty King model.
Walk through town and someone turns around saying "hey, isn't that him?"
But the man himself has not noticed in the slightest.
Or rather, having noticed, he does not care.
One such day, he came to meet Yugi again for the first time in a while.
The meeting place was, of course, a sa-ten.
The instant Atem showed himself.
"Atem — !? Eh, wai— ehhhhhh!?"
Passersby stir, and several set up smartphones and release the shutters.
It had every appearance of the scene of an encounter with a celebrity.
Atem turns a dignified smile on him.
"Yo, Aibou!"
"Not yo! Why are there cameras pointed at you!?"
"Who knows. Weren't people moved by mine and Seto's afterlife diplomacy?"
"No, only people who read the article would get that!"
Amid the stirring around them, Yugi hurriedly pulled Atem by the arm and shoved him into a taxi.
The destination was, as a matter of course, the safe zone: the Kaiba mansion.
No sooner had they arrived in the hall of the Kaiba mansion than Yugi lowered himself onto the sofa and held his head in his hands.
"Atem. What on earth are you doing?"
Atem answers proudly while drinking herbal tea.
"I'm an employee of Kaiba Corporation. Since I haven't been fired."
"No, that isn't the issue!"
"Then which issue is it?"
"You're becoming a celebrity! You are! People who saw you on the news were making a fuss about it's the real thing!"
Atem paused a beat, and
"...I see," nodded lightly.
"Well, no problem. Seto is always being looked at as well."
"No, Kaiba is... he was that sort of person from the start...!"
At that point, Seto appeared from the back.
A pale grey suit, a cool expression.
Completely in the usual president mode.
"Yugi, is it... What are you making noise about."
Yugi stands up and pleads.
"Kaiba! Atem has changed!"
Seto quietly sets down his coffee and looks over at Atem.
"Changed? This man has been like this from long ago."
"Eh." "See?"
Yugi's and Atem's voices overlapped.
Seto continues.
"He stands out, he carries himself with dignity, he doesn't care about others' reactions. And he means no harm by it. Not one thing has changed since we met the other one."
"But Seto, you stand out plenty yourself."
"I'm aware of it. You're inadvertent."
"...Let me take that as praise."
"That you take it that way is what makes it worse."
Watching the exchange between the two, Yugi held his head, and yet inadvertently laughed a little.
"...Ah, I see, I'm relieved. He hasn't changed; he's stayed the same."
"Of course."
Atem smiles and lowers himself beside Seto.
Seto shrugs and, without a word, handed him a cup.
Yugi let out a sigh.
"Honestly... Atem stays a king, and Kaiba stays a president."
Atem laughs, looking delighted.
"And you are, as ever, a hero who worries too much."
Yugi gave a wry smile.
"...All right, let's leave it at that."
That night, the top of the net news read like this.
Atem, Hero of Afterlife Diplomacy, Gives Fans the Divine Treatment in the Street!
And as Seto's comment, a single brief line.
"The man himself has no awareness of giving treatment."
Days passed further from there, and Atem had evolved from an unwitting celebrity into an unqualified idol.
Walk through town and,
"So little... so cute!"
"Sublime...!"
can be heard from somewhere or other.
As for the man himself, he pays not the slightest mind to gazes of that sort, and only walks with a dignified stride.
Incidentally, Seto walks beside him, exasperated. He does not even notice that he is the object of comparison for little (or else is ignoring it).
One such day, Kaiba Corporation's public relations department.
At the centre of a stirring conference room, a single item of business was placed.
On the Matter of Wishing to Make Mr. Atem an Advertising Figurehead
"I mean, he's already half naturally become an advertising figurehead!"
"The social media tag #thesamephonecaseasLordAtem is in the trends every day!"
"The virality rate of #sublimeKaibaCorporationmade is abnormal too!"
The division chief groaned.
"...But the final permission is the president's. We must obtain authorization."
Silence flows.
Everyone thought:
(...That man is absolutely going to say tiresome.)
Sure enough, the presentiment landed on target.
Having heard the public relations department's report, Seto propped an elbow on his desk and said quietly:
"...Even left alone, if that man uses our own products, an advertising effect will arise of its own accord."
That fact, Seto understood by now to a painful degree.
Any number of times in the past, the servers had gone down merely on the grounds that Atem used it.
But this time was different.
The heat of public relations was at a boil.
And more than anything, resignation had by now been mixed into Seto.
And so.
"...Do as you like."
Seto issued the permission.
That night.
Atem said happily, gazing at materials in the living room:
"Seto, I heard. I'm to become an advertising figurehead."
"Without your knowing it, no doubt."
Atem smiles brightly.
"I'll become an advertising figurehead. Seto does it too, so I'm sure I can as well."
"...You appear to have the will for it."
"Naturally. I have a track record as well. The Love and Theory series is my naming."
"Say the naming that got treated as never having happened."
"Quantum marriage? That one, I can't give up on."
"...Even if I bound your mouth, you'd inadvertently let it slip... Do as you like already."
And several weeks later.
Broadcast of Kaiba Corporation's new commercial began.
Particles of light spreading across the whole screen.
Dancing like quanta, and Atem standing at the centre speaks with a calm smile.
"Love and theory are both in the palm of your hand."
Kaiba Corporation, the Love and Theory series.
Behind it, Seto's low resonant narration overlaps.
"Theory can be proven. Love, likewise."
At the instant the footage ends, the screen fades out on a cut of the two standing side by side, gazing at each other.
On social media, into the trends immediately after broadcast.
#quantummarriageCM
#toosublimelogiccollapse
#Kaibamarriedcouple
and so on — the number of tags is astronomical by now.
The internal chat the next morning.
One of the public relations staff typed a message with trembling fingers.
"President... Lord Atem's follower count increased by one hundred million overnight..."
Seto returned it briefly.
"Already grasped. The servers are screaming."
And Atem, without knowing of that internal confusion, was coming in to work with dignity today as well.
"Good morning. Fine weather for advertising love and theory today as well."
"...You merely walking is already an advertisement."
Even while letting out a sigh, Seto's mouth alone was smiling, just a little.
The title of advertising figurehead was an unknown domain for the King.
Atem accepted it with dignity at first, throwing out his chest and saying I can manage it, but he was soon to notice that it was harder than he had imagined.
First, he must not give off the domesticity he had acquired.
Never mind the King's breakfast — even the King's bed hair is prohibited.
But the man himself tries to come in to work in the morning with bed hair on as a matter of course.
"Atem, the angle of your hair is subtly off. Do it over."
"Seto, don't you think even the King's bed hair is divine?"
"...That way of conceiving of it is what's out of line. I'll fix it, come here."
And then, though he is sufficiently attractive in his natural state, he must not show too much of an opening either.
During a shoot, the instant the photographer requested "a slightly softer expression," Atem looks at Seto.
At once the expression changes completely.
Past soft and into a face besotted.
"...Cut. No, it's fine, but... that's some tremendous destructive power..."
(The next day, the King whose expression changes just from looking at Seto went into the trends.)
Furthermore, his idol-like popularity was a problem too.
On the way to work, he gets caught by fans.
"Lord Atem! Grant us the King's protection!"
"Lord Atem! The quantum marriage pose together!" (*the quantum marriage pose = a gesture the man himself did as a joke, which took root among the fans)
As a result, he nearly ends up late for work.
"A reason for lateness like I was surrounded by fans — only you. Stop going on foot."
"It's the King's duty. I can't refuse."
"You're a company employee at present."
Even while letting out a sigh, seeing the figure of Atem talking happily, Seto could say nothing.
And, one more thing.
The trial of explaining products awaited.
As Kaiba Corporation's advertising figurehead, in order to explain the features of each product, Atem receives thorough education from the public relations department.
His memory is perfect.
He understands the theory too.
Only, his output was far too idiosyncratic.
"This smart watch grants the sensation of transcending time."
"Wrong. Say it keeps accurate time."
"These earphones are for hearing the voice of the soul."
"Wrong. It's reproduces natural sound at high audio quality."
"This air purifier is the same as the prayer of a priest."
"...That one will do already. It's as though it explains and doesn't explain..."
Without Seto there at every turn, the interpretation cannot keep up.
But there was one problem.
Even so, the products sell.
Few human beings understand Atem's words.
But there were mountains of human beings who don't understand but come to want it.
As a result.
The sales of Kaiba Corporation products record an abnormal upward climb both in the fields Seto advertises and in the fields Atem advertises.
The voices on social media are like this.
"The president's commercial = buy two"
"The King's commercial = buy every colourway"
"The married couple's commercial = buy one to use, one to preserve, one spare"
Seto said quietly while looking at the report.
"...In the end, whichever of us does it, it sells."
Atem laughed.
"Seto, sales rising is a good thing, isn't it? My explanations were effective too."
"A world where earphones for hearing the voice of the soul sell. It's the end times."
"Which is to say, theory has surpassed love."
"The reverse. Love is distorting theory."
At the conversation of the two, the public relations department said nothing more.
The conclusion alone is clear.
So long as these two exist, Kaiba Corporation is invincible.
A concert.
The day that word reached Atem's ears came at a certain point.
"Lord Atem, when will you hold a concert?"
"Eh, if he stood on a stage with that kingly aura it'd absolutely be amazing!"
"A music event connecting the afterlife and the mortal world would be the best, wouldn't it?"
The more the heat of the people rose, the more Atem tilted his head.
"What is a concert?"
Seto, who was beside him, lets out a deep breath.
"...A venue for exhibiting song and performance before an audience."
"What is the difference from showing oneself before the people?"
"The difference is the acoustic equipment, the lighting, the staging, and how much money it costs."
"I see, so it costs money."
"Don't take that as your way of understanding it."
Seto, meanwhile, was in no position for that.
The quantum marriage effect.
Love and theory shake the market, and Kaiba Corporation's production lines are near their limit.
Orders know no ceiling, the warehouses are at full operation.
"...At this rate the mortal world alone won't turn it over."
Seto made a quiet decision while operating his terminal.
"Kaiba Corporation Afterlife Branch, full-scale operation."
The priests have already been educated.
Etiquette, theory, technique — all of it hammered in Seto-style.
(However, the loyalty that consists of giving the King's words top priority was still in fine health.)
The opening ceremony of the afterlife branch.
The site was orderly, and perfect just as the report said.
Seto confirms the footage across his terminal and nods slightly.
"There's no problem... presumably."
And then the moment arrives.
Atem said:
"Seto, I'll go. As your proxy."
Seto raises one eyebrow.
"...Even knowing that sending you will cause a problem, should I send you."
"Let me take it that I'm trusted."
"It's an observation of learning effects."
"Which is to say, a test subject."
"That's right."
When Atem arrived in the afterlife, the branch's priests were lined up in ranks waiting.
"O King, the afterlife branch is at an operating rate of 128 percent!"
"Logistics without a hitch as well!"
"The Love and Theory sweets are already sold out!"
Perfect.
Far too perfect.
Since Seto educated them, of course it is perfect.
Atem put a hand to his chin and thought.
"...Strange, there's nothing to do."
After a while of silence, Atem said:
"Then let's build a KC Café afterlife branch."
The priests stirred as one.
"As expected of the King!"
"If the King moves, the afterlife moves!"
"Once again light shall illuminate the afterlife!" (*this time not a metaphor; this is about the actually glowing sweets)
And the King's sudden idea becomes reality at once.
The priests procured materials for the café and began trial production of a drink filled with light.
The lighting team, in an uncanny state of high tension, researches divine lighting.
Atem tours the inspection looking satisfied.
"Good. Here, rather than settling, there's a sense of floating."
"We have been granted splendid words!"
"What is a sense of floating?"
"Put in terms of theory, the phenomenon of the soul growing lighter."
"Incomprehensible, but sublime!"
"That will do."
The mortal world, the Kaiba mansion
To Seto's terminal arrive logs of the afterlife branch progress report.
The King supervising personally
A glowing café born at the branch
Sweets development, King-led
Seto pressed at his head.
"...As I thought, a problem occurred."
That was as predicted. Or rather, faster than predicted.
The terminal's notification sounds continue.
The King lecturing local residents on recipes
"God-King Café" trending on the afterlife's social network, Nefer-Link
Afterlife branch in confusion from excess customer traffic
"...Atem, you really do look like you're having fun."
Laughing with a sigh mixed in, Seto slides a finger.
Afterlife branch: temporarily approved under presidential authority
And then he murmured.
"He'll do it anyway even if I stop him. Then I may as well have him do it perfectly."
At the corner of that mouth, a faintly satisfied smile had surfaced.
It did not take long for the rumour of the afterlife branch to reach the mortal world.
Social media overflows with voices of "I want to go to the afterlife" and "I want to go to Lord Atem's café,"
and among them came inquiries going as far as "is a postmortem sightseeing tour possible?"
But as a practical matter, there is no human being who can go to the afterlife. Even if one could go, there is no guarantee of coming back.
Kaiba Corporation's afterlife affairs division was pressed day after day with responding to inquiries.
"...Where is the location of Lord Atem's café?"
"...What is the means of transport from the mortal world?"
"...Can I tour it with my soul alone?"
The staff in charge are gradually having their spirits worn away.
It was around that time that Seto received that report.
"Which is to say, I'm busy again because of Atem."
Propping an elbow on his desk, Seto quietly closed his eyes.
The afterlife branch is going well.
The afterlife café is explosively popular.
And in the mortal world, ancient Egypt features were sweeping the media of every nation.
Bring out the King's name and you take the ratings.
Quote the King's words and you go viral.
Print the King's smile and it sells.
"That a king who knows nothing of the concept of commercial use should generate the greatest economic effect."
After letting out a light sigh, Seto said while operating his terminal:
"We'll build an afterlife museum."
His subordinates opened their eyes wide.
"A-a museum... is it?"
"That's right. If they can't go to the afterlife, they need only learn about it."
"And the location?"
"All over the world."
"...The world, you say?"
"It's tiresome. In that case I'll do it all at once."
In that tiresome there was a fearsome persuasive power.
After all, Seto Kaiba's tiresome is the reverse side of worth doing.
Several weeks later.
In every region of the world, near-future buildings based in black and blue appeared.
*KaibaCorp afterlife Museum* — the Afterlife Museum.
Solid Vision three-dimensional images of Atem and Seto greet the visitors.
Inside, the culture and technology of the afterlife and the work of the priests are reproduced.
The afterlife branch's café menu is also offered on a limited basis,
and the visitors wore smiles with a "soul-frothing cappuccino" in hand.
Furthermore, the "Atem goods" and "president goods" that had been flooding out unofficially also began being sold openly on official lines.
· President Kaiba figure (Composed Ver., Lecture Ver., Smile Ver.)
· Atem Royal Teacup Set (priest-supervised)
· Afterlife Branch Café Perfume (actually glows)
Sold out. Same day. Worldwide.
Opening day of the museum.
The news of every nation took it up all at once.
"Do Not Speak of the Mortal World Without Knowing the Afterlife"
"King Atem and President Kaiba Move the World Again"
And at the sight of the King's and the president's Solid Visions standing side by side, a great many people wept.
"...I felt as though I saw the real thing"
"I'm glad I lived"
"Next I really want to go to the afterlife"
Night.
Seto was quietly gazing at data in his room.
Visitor numbers surpassing ten million on opening day.
Sales at twenty times the projection.
Perfect.
A result no one could find fault with.
But Seto's expression was calm.
"With this it should be quiet for a while... so long as Atem doesn't do something."
Several weeks since the afterlife branch began operating stably.
The quiet time Seto obtained for the first time in a while was brief.
The terminal lights up for just an instant.
Report from the afterlife branch. The King is considering holding an afterlife festival.
"...Five minutes, was it."
Seto pressed at his head without a word.
And laughed, a little.
...Emergency contact from the afterlife branch. The King is scheduled to hold a "festival," it says.
"Scheduled in two minutes?"
Seto quietly knitted his brows.
"A music event... you say?"
Yes. As for details, it is "in order to convey love to everyone."
Silence.
An uncanny tension ran through Kaiba Corporation's conference room.
"...Left alone, he really will do it."
What will you do?
"I'll consider it."
Seto headed for the afterlife at once.
At the temple ruins designated as the planned venue, the priests are already installing acoustic equipment.
The afterlife's first music festival was one step short of becoming an established fact.
"Atem. Can you sing?"
"What sings is the heart."
"Can you dance?"
"Leave dancing to me — music is heard, the body begins to dance."
Which is to say, no experience.
Seto let out a deep breath, gathered staff and assembled a trial stage.
And made Atem stand on it.
The result.
Sing, and the air of the afterlife trembles;
dance, and the priests were wrapped in light and wept.
A cuteness that seemed to belong neither to this world nor to the afterlife.
But at the same time, Seto understood.
"...Training him up to the point of standing on a stage is impossible."
Because Atem, when there is an audience, goes into individual response mode 100 percent of the time.
Since he tries to return love to each and every gaze, the staging as a whole doesn't hold together.
Atem, who had been drinking herbal tea at the afterlife branch café, suddenly murmured:
"Setting the festival aside, it seems a handshake event is a good thing."
One of the priests who heard that word quietly took up a brush. And began writing his will.
"O King, I say this knowing my impertinence. ...To touch the King is utterly out of the question...!"
"We share love, don't we?"
"Ha...! But, to touch...!"
"The one who grants permission to touch is me."
"No, um, at the very least... a guarantee of the life of the one who touches..."
The result.
The handshake event was rejected.
But Atem did not give up.
"Then let's make it a gathering to speak of love."
In a room of the temple, several hundred citizens of the afterlife chosen by lottery gathered. Those who lost the lottery stood by outside the hall for the sound leaking out. In the end it became an event on the scale of the entire afterlife.
Atem stood on the platform and spoke.
"Love is the same as observation. By being seen, it takes form. But if the heart of the one seeing wavers, love wavers too. Love and quanta are alike."
At first it was a philosophical lecture.
The questions were theoretical too, and the priests were recording seriously.
But.
"O King, what is daily life with Lord Seto like...?"
"O King, when did you first say I love you?"
"O King, what is the president like when he wakes up?"
The current changed.
Atem thought for just an instant, and answered frankly, as always.
"In the morning he's in a bad mood. But if he sees me, he becomes calm."
"I noticed I loved him after we met again in the afterlife."
"Seto is gentlest when he's angry."
The afterlife trembled.
By the next day it was published in a grand manner at the top of Afterlife Communications.
[THE KING SPEAKS OF LOVE]
[PRESIDENT SETO IS IN A BAD MOOD IN THE MORNING, BUT SMILES FOR THE KING ALONE]
And it leaked out into the mortal world just as it was.
Of course, it caught the eye of the editorial department of that magazine with the pink cover, Z — xy.
"It seems the King spoke about how he and President Kaiba got together!"
"This time we want to put together a feature in the mortal world!"
Feature title:
Quantum Marriage Once More ~ The Equation of Love That Shook the Afterlife ~
The article raced across the world in an instant.
At bookstores in the city, sold out on the first day of release.
On the net, the King's collected sayings were disseminated as an anthology of famous quotes.
And a new notification arrives to Seto.
[Report from the afterlife branch] The King announces a concept for a next "Duet Live of Light and Love"
Seto quietly closed his terminal.
"...It's useless to stop him anymore."
But that mouth was loosened, somehow looking happy.
