Chapter 99: Stepping Into the Spotlight

Ryuk woke up with a sense of excitement coursing through him. Today was the day of the YouTube Creator Summit. He had rehearsed his speech countless times, and yet the butterflies in his stomach were relentless. He rolled over to see Elina still peacefully sleeping beside him, her chest rising and falling in a calm rhythm. For a moment, he considered waking her up, but she had been exhausted from the late-night studio session she'd had the day before.

After a quick shower and a light breakfast, Ryuk sat at his desk, checking the final details for his vlog. The previous night, he had posted a teaser for the Creator Summit video, and as expected, the response from his fans was explosive. He couldn't believe how much attention the channel was receiving.

Sipping on his coffee, he glanced at the analytics. The numbers kept climbing. His subscriber count was at 1,800,000, and the views on their videos were inching closer to 700,000,000. It was surreal. Ryuk leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath. He thought back to when he had started his channel in his small room with no expectations. Now, people all over the world were tuning in to watch his life, and they were just as invested in Elina's journey as they were in his.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock on the door. Elina peeked in, her face lighting up when she saw him. "Hey, superstar," she teased, walking in with a sleepy smile. "Big day, huh?"

Ryuk grinned. "Yeah, it is. I think I'm ready though."

Elina sat on the edge of the bed, tying her hair up in a messy bun. "Of course you are. You've worked so hard for this. Just be yourself, and everything will be great."

Her words always had a way of calming him. He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Thanks. I couldn't have done any of this without you, you know."

Elina smiled and playfully pushed him back. "Oh please, I'm just here for the coffee."

They laughed, the room filled with the kind of easy, lighthearted atmosphere that only comes from spending years together. As much as the world seemed to be watching them, Ryuk knew that this was what mattered most—these small moments of love and connection with Elina.

The event was happening virtually, but the gravitas of the occasion felt the same. After a few final touches on his setup and a check on the camera, Ryuk sat down, ready to go live for his part of the summit. Thousands of fellow creators and fans were watching from around the world, waiting to hear his insights and stories.

When the moment finally arrived, the countdown appeared on his screen. Ryuk's heart raced, but as soon as he saw the audience appear on the screen, the nerves melted away. He started with a genuine smile, greeting everyone with his signature warmth.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Ryuk began. "I can't believe I'm here speaking at the Creator Summit. Honestly, it feels like just yesterday I was posting my first vlog."

He delved into the journey that had brought him to this point—the struggles, the triumphs, and how staying true to himself and his passion was the key to his success. Throughout the talk, he shared anecdotes from his life, like when he and Elina got lost in Venice or how vlogging had brought them closer as a couple.

As he spoke, the chat buzzed with comments from viewers. Some offered congratulations, others shared how much Ryuk's content had inspired them to start their own channels. It was moments like this that made all the hard work worth it.

When he finished his speech, the applause—though virtual—was overwhelming. Ryuk leaned back in his chair, grinning ear to ear. Elina, who had been watching from the other side of the room, clapped her hands with pride.

"You nailed it!" she exclaimed, rushing over to give him a hug.

"I was so nervous," Ryuk admitted, still catching his breath.

"But you didn't show it at all," Elina said, pulling back to look him in the eye. "You were amazing."

The rest of the summit went by in a blur. Ryuk participated in panel discussions with other top creators, sharing tips on content creation, audience engagement, and staying authentic in an ever-evolving digital world. He couldn't help but feel honored to be among such talented and influential people.

Later that evening, after the summit ended, Ryuk and Elina decided to celebrate with a quiet dinner at home. As they sat down to eat, Ryuk's phone buzzed with notifications again. The vlog they had uploaded before the summit was blowing up, and their fan base was growing even faster than they had anticipated.

Elina leaned over to check his phone. "Whoa! Look at these numbers!"

Ryuk opened the analytics app, his eyes widening in disbelief. His channel had reached 1,820,000 subscribers, and the total views on his videos had skyrocketed to 710,000,000.

"Looks like our adventures in Venice really paid off," Ryuk said, still trying to wrap his head around the growth.

Elina laughed, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Well, they do love seeing us together. Maybe we should start thinking about our next big adventure."

Ryuk nodded, already imagining the possibilities. The future was bright, and with Elina by his side, he knew they could conquer whatever came next. They were just getting started.

---

Subscriber count: 1,820,000

Total views: 710,000,000