>>105918510
I'm sure you never did, my sweet summer child, but I'm also sure that you are in the significant minority on this issue. Not that you are wrong about the reality of their relationship, they really are just friends, but you are definitely wrong about their intentionally inflating the romance of their interactions to give the appearance of a yuri romance to their base.
Look at it this way: whatever you think of the average chuuba, they are all human beings with normal needs and desires. However since many people in their fanbase see them as love/lust/desire objects, if they openly admit to having any relationship with the opposite sex, then they will alienate or lose that large chunk of their fanbase, and they risk any growth prospects for their streaming channel. If you disagree with my analysis, please provide proof, as I can just point to what happened to Nimi Nightmare for my side of the argument.
Having a business relationship allows chuubas breathing space to explore normal relationships with less fear of being discovered. If they are seen with another male they can deflect and call him a friend, then ramp up the yuri element to calm the fears of their unicorns. So, a business relationship functions in the same way that a "beard" marriage to the opposite sex functions for a gay person. Its the flip side of the same coin.
Chuubas are not hired for their strict honesty, they are hired for their capacity to be entertainers and grow their streaming audience. I can't say that I blame them for wanting to have something that normal people take for granted: the ability to have a relationship with someone of their choosing.