Chapter 142: 142 | The ROI of a Good Carpool Karaoke Session
Kumiko bounced in the backseat of Jordan’s Civic as they pulled out of the Cooper Garment Lofts parking garage. The afternoon sun streamed through the windows, catching the silver threading in her pink crop hoodie and making her twin tails shimmer. She had her phone out, already pulling up the Micro Center website to check inventory levels for everything on their shopping list.
"Okay, so they definitely have the Audio-Technica AT2020 in stock," she announced, scrolling through product pages with the enthusiasm of someone planning a military operation. "And the Logitech G915 keyboard in both tactile brown and clicky blue switches. Chloe, what’s your preference on key feel?"
"I have no idea what that means," Chloe said from the passenger seat, her blue streak catching the light as she turned to look back at Kumiko. "You’re the expert."
"Tactile gives you feedback without the clicking sound. Clicky is louder but more satisfying. Linear is smooth all the way down with no bump or click."
Jordan glanced in the rearview mirror. "What do you use?"
"Clicky blue switches. I like knowing exactly when the key registers." Kumiko demonstrated by tapping her nails against her phone screen in a rhythmic pattern. "But for streaming, tactile might be better. The clicking can get picked up by the microphone if you’re not careful with noise gates."
The GPS announced they had thirty-two minutes to their destination. Kumiko settled back into her seat, watching the familiar Newport Beach landscape roll past the windows. She loved road trips, even short ones like this. Something about being in a contained space with people she cared about made everything feel more intense, more real.
Chloe connected her phone to the car’s Bluetooth and started scrolling through Spotify. "What does everyone want to hear?"
"Surprise us," Jordan said, adjusting his rearview mirror slightly. Kumiko caught his hazel eyes in the reflection for just a second before he focused back on the road.
The opening notes of "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift filled the car, and Chloe immediately started singing along. Her voice was beautiful even when she was just casually harmonizing with the radio. Kumiko joined in on the chorus, her higher pitch blending with Chloe’s more sultry tone.
Then Jordan started singing.
Kumiko’s voice caught in her throat. She had heard him at karaoke, but hearing him sing in the enclosed space of the car, his voice resonating off the windows and mixing with theirs, hit different. The Alluring Whisper trait was doing its work, though Kumiko had no idea such a thing existed. She just knew that Jordan’s voice made her stomach flutter and her cheeks heat up.
"Jordan, oh my god," Chloe said when the song ended. "Your voice is honestly unfair."
"It’s really good," Kumiko managed, trying to keep her tone casual. "Like, really, really good."
Jordan’s ears turned slightly pink. "It’s just singing."
"That’s not just singing," Kumiko protested. "That’s like, professional level singing. You should seriously consider doing covers on YouTube or something."
The next song was "As It Was" by Harry Styles, and this time Jordan took the lead vocals. Kumiko found herself staring at the back of his head, watching the way his newly fixed dirty blonde hair caught the sunlight. His shoulders moved slightly with the rhythm, and she could see the definition of his back muscles through his black t-shirt.
She was in so much trouble.
The song ended and shuffled to something upbeat and electronic. Chloe turned the volume up and started moving to the beat, her enthusiasm infectious. Kumiko pushed her confusing feelings about Jordan aside and let herself get caught up in the moment. This was what she had been hoping for when she offered to help with the streaming setup. Not just the technical aspects, but the friendship. The collaboration. The feeling of building something together.
"So I’ve been thinking about content ideas," Kumiko said, leaning forward so her voice would carry over the music. "Obviously we want to start with Just Chatting streams to build an audience, but eventually we could do collaboration content. Maybe cooking streams where I teach you to make Japanese dishes? Or cosplay tutorials? I have so many wigs and accessories we could experiment with different looks."
Chloe twisted in her seat to face Kumiko more directly. "I love the cooking idea. My Korean cooking skills are basically limited to ramen and kimchi fried rice."
"Perfect! We can start simple and work up to more complex dishes. And Jordan could be the taste tester."
"I volunteer as tribute," Jordan said, and both girls laughed.
The GPS directed them to take the next exit. They were getting close to Micro Center, and Kumiko could feel her excitement building. She had been to the store dozens of times, but never with friends, never as part of a project this important. Usually she went alone to upgrade her own setup or replace broken components. Having Chloe and Jordan along made it feel like an adventure instead of an errand.
"Oh, and we need to talk about streaming schedules," Kumiko continued, her mind racing through possibilities. "Consistency is everything. The algorithm rewards streamers who go live at the same times. I usually stream Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights from eight to eleven. Maybe you could do Monday, Wednesday, Friday? That way we’re not competing for the same audience, but we can still raid each other and share viewers."
"Raid?" Jordan asked.
"When you end your stream, you can automatically redirect all your viewers to another streamer who’s currently live. It’s how smaller streamers support each other and help build communities."
Chloe nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Cross-promotion."
"Exactly. And if we’re both building audiences at the same time, we can eventually do collab streams that pull from both our follower bases. Gaming together, reacting to videos, chatting about whatever. The possibilities are endless."
Kumiko’s phone buzzed with a text from her mother asking what time she would be home for dinner. She quickly typed back that she was shopping with friends and would probably be late. Her parents were understanding about her streaming career, but they still worried when she stayed out past sunset.
The music shifted to "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo, and all three of them immediately started singing along. Jordan’s voice blended perfectly with theirs, creating harmonies that sounded almost professional. Kumiko closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the sound. This was what happiness felt like. Pure, uncomplicated joy shared with people who mattered.
When the song ended, she opened her eyes to find Jordan watching her in the rearview mirror again.
"You okay back there?" he asked.
"Perfect," she said, and meant it. "I’m just really excited about all this. It feels like we’re starting something big."
"We are," Chloe said, reaching back to squeeze Kumiko’s hand. "Thank you for making this possible. I couldn’t do any of this without you."
