CFVT – Vol 1 Chapter 1 Part 1 – My Childhood Friend Is a VTuber

──Three months ago.

I, Miyasaka Rui, had been severely shocked when I went up to the room of my childhood friend for the first time in years. Posters of a blue-haired, droopy-eyed beautiful girl character dressed like a magician were plastered all over the walls, and in front of the numerous monitors lined up, there was an expensive-looking microphone.

“Nene~ what do you think? Cute, right?” (Ayaka)

The one boasting proudly and showing off various things in this room was Haneishi Ayaka. Ayaka was my childhood friend. She’s a bright and earnest girl characterized by her large brown eyes and reddish bob hair… Though, I had serious doubts about calling this nineteen-year-old childhood friend a girl.

But she was one of the few friends who understood my otaku hobbies and twisted personality. We used to play together every day, but since around the time we graduated from middle school, our interactions had dwindled to just occasional exchanges.

So, it had been quite a while since we last met and hung out like this… There were so many things to comment on that I didn’t even know where to start.

“No, Ayaka. What’s all this? With the microphone and everything… Did you become a Let’s Player or something?” (Rui)

“Hehe, it’s a bit different, Rui. I became a VTuber!” (Ayaka)

“A VTuber?” (Rui)

I’ve heard of VTubers before, but I don’t know much about them. Every now and then, I hear people talking about how big their live streams are or how much money they get from donations.

“Is it easy to become a VTuber?” (Rui)

“Yeah, in my case, I got accepted through an audition, and the management provided the necessities like character designs and stuff.” (Ayaka)

“When did all this happen… Wait, don’t tell me…” (Rui)

I once again looked at the posters of the beautiful girl character on the wall. Ayaka, looking satisfied, nodded enthusiastically.

“That’s right, I’m the person behind this character, Rei Azuril!” (Ayaka)

“…Ahaha! Seriously? You look nothing alike!” (Rui)

“Th-That’s natural, isn’t it!? I’m a VTuber!” (Ayaka)

I couldn’t tell if Ayaka was embarrassed or angry, but she said that to me with a red face. I know that they’re supposed to be a separate entity, but it was amusing how different the character’s hair color and appearance were compared to Ayaka. Well, I guess that’s the charm of VTubers—being able to become anything. Then, Ayaka changed the subject and made a proposal to me.

“More importantly, Rui, let’s play some games! That’s why I invited you.” (Ayaka)

“Oh, sounds good. It’s always more fun to play next to each other than online.” (Rui)

“Right, right? I’ll get everything ready, so just wait a bit!” (Ayaka)

With that, Ayaka sat in her pink gaming chair in front of the monitor and powered on her computer… Huh? Is she planning to play PC games too? No way, could it be…?

“Are you planning to stream?” (Rui)

“…Is that not okay?” (Ayaka)

“Of course, it isn’t okay. I didn’t come here to be part of a stream.” (Rui)

I came here to hang out with Ayaka, not to play with someone called ‘Rei’ or whatever. Besides, I only just found out she was a VTuber today… But Ayaka clasped her hands together, pleading with me.

“No, please, Rui! I told my viewers yesterday that I’d be streaming with an interesting friend!” (Ayaka)

“There you go again, doing whatever you want… In the first place, why me? If you’re a VTuber, you should play with other VTubers.” (Rui)

“Because I already talked about you on the stream! I bragged about having a super-skilled gamer friend!” (Ayaka)

“Seriously…?” (Rui)

…I had forgotten, but that’s just how she was. She genuinely admired my gaming skills and would praise me with her shining eyes. Being someone not used to compliments, I found it oddly satisfying, so, I secretly practiced tricks behind her back to show off to her… Ugh, my embarrassing past is coming back to haunt me.

“So please, Ruiii~! I’ve already set up the waiting room¹!” (Ayaka)

“You went that far already… Let me see your channel.” (Rui)

“Oh, sure!” (Ayaka)

I stood behind Ayaka and looked at the monitor screen. On the famous video distribution website ‘Yootube’, I searched for the channel, ‘Rei Azuril’, and the subscriber count displayed was…

“403,000…!? You’re that popular!?” (Rui)

“I know, right? But the agency’s support played a big part, too.” (Ayaka)

“Still, those numbers are impressive… By the way, what agency are you affiliated with?” (Rui)

“Ah, I’m not sure if you know, but they’re called, [Sky Sunriver]…” (Ayaka)

“Huh, I’ve heard of that agency before!” (Rui)

Even someone like me, who’s not very familiar with VTubers, has heard of that agency. If I recall correctly, it’s an unusual VTuber agency that has both male and female talents, with over a hundred talents in total… It’s amazing that Ayaka is part of such a prestigious group.

And then Ayaka showed me the waiting room.

“Look, look! There are already over five hundred people waiting!” (Ayaka)

“E-Eh…” (Rui)

Even though the stream hasn’t started yet, the comments were flowing non-stop. What caught my eye was…

“What’s with all these ‘Waiting for Rei 👻’ messages? They’re making me nervous.” (Rui)

“Oh, that’s because my name is Rei, so they came up with waiting comments that include my name to spam!” (Ayaka)

“What the heck…” (Rui)

I still don’t really get the VTuber scene…

“So… It’s almost time for the stream to start. Please, Rui! Won’t you play with me on stream?” (Ayaka)

Once again, Ayaka clasped her hands together and pleaded with me… Well, it seems like there are a lot of viewers looking forward to it, and Ayaka seems to trust me enough to tell me she’s a VTuber. It feels a bit awkward to refuse here. So… maybe I can help out just a little bit?

“…Alright. But just this once, okay?” (Rui)

“Really…!? Thank you, Rui! Childhood friends are the best!” (Ayaka)

“Yeah, yeah…” (Rui)

And so, I sat on the round chair that was prepared next to Ayaka, watching her do her final preparations for the stream. Well, even though it’s a stream, I’ll just be playing like usual. And since it’s only going to be once, messing up shouldn’t be that bad… At least, that’s what I thought at that moment.

Of course, I never imagined that I would become a VTuber myself.

👻👻👻

“So, what should I call you? Calling you Ayaka wouldn’t be appropriate, right?” (Rui)

“Yeah, that’s right. Just call me Rei!” (Ayaka)

“Got it, Rei… Ugh, feels weird…” (Rui)

This is the first time I changed how I address her… I’m afraid that I might accidentally blurt out her real name. Just one slip-up and her name could be immortalized on the internet forever… That’s a really scary thought.

“Speaking of which, is it really okay for a guy to appear on a VTuber stream? There must be various settings and stuff, right? I don’t really get the full picture, but that’s what I heard.” (Rui)

“Don’t worry about that! I’ve already told everyone beforehand, and I’ve said that you’re a friend I met at magic school!” (Ayaka)

“Isn’t that making things more complicated?” (Rui)

I’ve never been to a magic school, though?… No, wait. She’s like that too, isn’t she? Ayaka should be attending a local university, not a magic school.

Well… VTubers are like characters in a theme park, giving people dreams. Arguing about what’s inside would probably be tasteless.

“I’ve already drawn your character just in case, so don’t worry about anything! Just go with the flow!” (Ayaka)

“That’s so casual…” (Rui)

As I said that, I looked at the drawing Ayaka made, which resembled a handsome character similar to Rei. Oh, right, she’s good at drawing, too… Of course, it doesn’t resemble me at all.

“Well, your character is just a drawing and won’t move… Oh! And can I call you Rui?” (Ayaka)

“I don’t mind, but…” (Rui)

Since it’s just this once, using my real name shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, my name sounds a bit like it’s from an anime… Wait, why am I worrying about fitting into the setting?

“Alright, let’s start the stream!” (Ayaka)

With that, Ayaka pressed a button or something to start the stream, and she raised the tone of her voice and spoke into the microphone.

👻👻👻

“Hihi, good afternoon everyone! It’s Rei Azuril, the dark magician!” (Rei)

As Ayaka spoke, comments like “KonRei²~!” began to flood the chat. It’s a bit overwhelming… Is this how all VTubers are?

“So today is a special day…I finally invited my friend to join us! Let me introduce him… Rui! Come over here!” (Rei)

Seeing Ayaka beckoning me, I approached the microphone and, despite my confusion, managed to say something.

“H-Hello, I’m Rui. Uh, Rei… suddenly called me over, so I don’t really know what’s going on but nice to meet you.” (Rui)

The comments upon hearing my voice were filled with things like “The rumored person has finally arrived!” or “Newbie-san is here!” or even “Rei, you can go home now.” Well, I guess these are just compliments, but it’s somewhat reassuring to know that I’m somewhat welcomed.

…But isn’t Rei getting teased by the viewers quite a bit? With such a cute appearance, why is she being treated like a joke? Well, if they know the real Ayaka then, this won’t seem that weird…

“All right, let’s get into the game, Rui!” (Rei)

“Sure, but what are we playing?” (Rui)

“Ta-da! We’re playing [Marimo Kart]!” (Rei)

Ayaka’s words sparked excitement in the comments.

Comment: [Woahhhhh!!]

Comment: [Here it issss!!]

Comment: [Rei’s racing!]

Comment: [Aww, that’s -1 friend.]

Comment: [lol]

“…Why’s the chat so excited? What’s going on?” (Rui)

“Fufufu, I guess there’s no point in hiding it anymore… That’s right! I’ve been practicing time attacks recently! I’ve been training with the Rei Boys to get better!” (Rei)

“Rei Boys?” (Rui)

“That’s what I call my viewers! And the girls are called Rei Girls!” (Rei)

“Huh…” (Rui)

I’m not particularly interested, but I guess that’s a streamer and viewer thing… I secretly find it a bit cringy.

Comment: [Looks like Rui-kun isn’t interested, lol.]

Seems like the viewers noticed.

And Ayaka launched the game, moving us to the character selection screen… I don’t think I need to explain, but [Marimo Kart] (hereafter referred to as [Mari-Ka]) is a racing game with relatively strong party game elements, where you can use items during the race.

Well, even though it’s considered a party game, it seems like there are regular tournaments held for it. If you get serious, it’s actually quite a deep game.

“All right, I’m going to use [Maripio]!” (Rei)

Ayaka selected a lightweight Marimo character and chose a vehicle with wings on both sides. Come to think of it, Ayaka has always liked this character, hasn’t she…?

“Then I’ll go with [Mariji].” (Rui)

On the other hand, I selected a heavyweight character with long legs. And of course, I picked a vehicle with flowers on it.

Comment: [Huh?]

Comment: [Oh!]

Comment: [Ah…]

Comment: [Ah… (I see.)]

Comment: [The mood changed.]

Comment: [Well, Rei’s probably going to win. I’m going to go take a bath.]

Seems like some of the perceptive viewers have noticed it.

“Oh, Rui, do you like that character too? When I play with the Rei Boys, a lot of people picked that character!” (Rei)

“Oh, is that so?” (Rui)

I casually responded, but… she doesn’t know, even though she’s so into the game…? As of right now, this character and vehicle combination is considered the strongest…

Comment: [I bet 30,000 Pelica on Rui-kun!]

Comment: [Idiot, Rei’s good at this! Betting on the Marimo is a sure win!]

Comment: [But Rei’s better than most people, so I’m looking forward to it.]

…Well, I guess it’s normal for her to not get it given the nature of this comment section…?

“Then let’s go! Of course, no CPUs, it’s just you and me!” (Rei)

“Yeah, got it…” (Rui)

…Wait, no! Her gaze has been fixed on the game screen the whole time, so she’s hardly reading the comments at all! Shouldn’t a streamer be reading the comments too!?

“What course should we choose?” (Rei)

“Ah… you can decide on everything, Rei.” (Rui)

“All right, you said it yourself~! Don’t regret it, okay~!” (Rei)

Comment: [Cute.]

Comment: [Probably gonna lose immediately.]

I wonder if this side of her is what the viewers like…?

“Then for the course, let’s go with… Mario’s MariMall³~!” (Rei)

“Are you sure about that?” (Rui)

Comment: [Clip saved.]

Comment: [Can someone make a durability meter for earlier?⁴]

Comment: [Cute.]

Comment: [Unexpectedly got moe.]

Well… if Ayaka is loved for all that, I guess I’m a little happy too. With those thoughts in mind, I started tapping away at the familiar controller.

👻👻👻

──And so we played several races. The result? All wins… for me.

“What—! I lost again?!” (Rei)

With a voice not much different from her usual self, Ayaka expresses her frustration. Thanks to Ayaka setting up these one-on-one matches, the difference in skill between us became quite evident.

Comment: [Rei’s getting bullied lol.]

Comment: [As expected, isn’t Rui too good? A pro?]

Comment: [To be honest, even those guys making fun of Rei probably couldn’t win by such a huge margin lol]

Reading the comments, I couldn’t help but feel good. Ah, so streaming could be this fun… Well, maybe it’s only fun cause I beat Ayaka.

Comment: [Why doesn’t Rui stream even though he’s good?]

While the next course was loading, I spotted a nice comment, so I decided to address it.

“Why don’t I stream? Well, simply put, I just don’t know how.” (Rui)

I think that’s mostly the reason why skilled gamers don’t upload videos. I mean, I have no clue about equipment or editing… Even if I knew how, I don’t have the money or time to gather all that stuff.

Comment: [Ehh, what a waste]

Comment: [We’d support you if you started]

Comment: [Why not learn from Rei?]

Well, I guess I could learn from Ayaka, but… it’s not like I’m aiming to become a streamer or anything.

“Eh? If you want to stream, I could teach you, but… Oh no, I can’t do that! Rui would end up stealing all the love from my dear Rei Girls…!!” (Rei)

Comment: [LOL]

Comment: [Are the Rei Boys okay with that?]

Wow, that’s getting a pretty nice reaction from the viewers. Well, Ayaka can really say some funny stuff sometimes… With that in mind, I aimed my green shell (throwing item) at Ayaka’s Maripio, which was behind me.

“KYAAAA───────!!” (Rei)

“Noisy.” (Rui)

Comment: [Shut up!!]

Comment: [My eardrums are going to burst!]

Comment: [I think my computer sounds broke.]

Comment: [Volume warning!]

Comment: [lol]

After her scream, Ayaka rapidly pressed the home button on her controller to pause the game… and then started a different game.

“Fufufufu… That was just for fun, Rui…!! When I get serious, you’ll be no match for me, you know…!?” (Rei)

Comment: [Here it comes!!]

Comment: [Dark Rei’s here!!]

Comment: [First time seeing it live, amazing]

Comment: [This is definitely going to be clipped lol]

The comments are blowing up again, what happened this time…?

“Rei, why are the comments getting excited?” (Rui)

“Ah, well, that’s because I transformed into Dark Rei…” (Rei)

“Huh? But nothing changed…? Your appearance and everything still looks the same.” (Rui)

“No, t-that’s not what I meant…?” (Rei)

Comment: [She needs to explain LOL]

Comment: [I’m getting second-hand embarrassment.]

Comment: [Please stop it!]

Comment: [Somewhere along the way, it turned into SmashFy lol]

As I read through the comments and glanced back at the game screen, I saw the title screen of the popular fighting game, [Smash Fighters] (hereafter referred to as [SmashFy]) displayed there.

This game probably doesn’t need much explanation either, but [SmashFy] is a fun platform fighting game where various characters duke it out, and it’s incredibly popular. It’s loved not only by casual players but also by competitive gamers.

“Alright, this time it’s for real! I’ve practiced this like crazy, you know! I’m the strongest in [SmashFy] at magic school right now!!” (Rei)

“Oh, really…” (Rui)

No matter how much she’s getting thrashed by me, she hasn’t forgotten her persona. Surprisingly, she’s quite diligent about these things… And, once again, she selects the rules and we move to the character selection screen.

“Alright, let’s do this! The character I’m using is… [Atsuya]!!” (Rei)

Comment: [lol]

Comment: [Oh, here we go]

Comment: [No mercy, huh, Rei]

Comment: [You should use the mage character lmao]

Just by choosing her character, Ayaka gets the comments going wild… By the way, the character she selected, [Atsuya], is a hard-hitting fighter from a fighting game background, capable of pulling off instant death combos, making him a vicious character that gathers a lot of hate… But man, she’s not thinking about anything other than beating me.

Well, that’s fine, I guess. But as a VTuber character, shouldn’t she be using a cuter fighter? Is that just me meddling unnecessarily?

“Alright, then me too.” (Rui)

To match her, I also chose [Atsuya].

“Oh, same character choice… The advantage of picking last!” (Rei)

“Even if I were to go first, it’s not like you know how to use my main character anyways.” (Rui)

“…Alright, let’s go~! Ready~ Fighto~!!” (Rei)

“Don’t mess around.” (Rui)

And then Ayaka pressed the start button, initiating the battle. It seemed that Ayaka had already selected the stage beforehand, as a flat stage called [Omega] with no obstacles appeared.

Comment: [Omega fanboys are hereeeee]

Comment: [Isn’t this basically a different game now?]

Comment: [Just play the original]

Comment: [Mirror match in Omega is intense]

“Let’s go!” (Rei)

At the start of the match, Ayaka’s [Atsuya] began to approach me… but I already executed a special command, performing an invincible maneuver that nullified her attack.

“Ehhh!?” (Rei)

And I grabbed [Atsuya], executing a technique called [Fastest Freezing Fist], freezing the opponent. While they were frozen, I slammed them to the ground, then used a [Freeze] technique again to stop their movement.

“Ehh, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minuteee!!” (Rei)

I calmly repeated the combo, accumulating enough damage…

“Take this!” (Rui)

With a powerful uppercut, my [Atsuya] struck the opponent, turning them into stars as they disappeared.

Comment: [Too good lol]

Comment: [This is perfect, I’m dying]

Comment: [You must have practiced a lot]

Comment: [Getting rekt lol]

“Hey, isn’t this a bit too much, Rei!?” (Rei)

“Ahahaha!” (Rui)

Seeing how smoothly the game went, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Comment: [That wicked laugh though]

Comment: [Looks like his tension’s easing up lol]

Comment: [Did Rui-kun fall into the dark side?]

Comment: [Rei’s being bullied again]

“Mrghh! Next time I’ll… wait, ah!?” (Rei)

“It’s too obvious.” (Rui)

“Ah… s-stop it!” (Rei)

And as [Atsuya] respawned, I grabbed him again, executing another flawless instant-death combo… Apparently, this was the moment when the comments were most excited.

👻👻👻

After that, we battled several times. Since the outcome was again all in my favor, I was handicapped.

“Haah… Next, no traps, no instant deaths, no [Atsuya], and all the items are mine, right…?” (Rei)

“How much do you want to win?” (Rui)

Comment: [Is this one of those times when it won’t end until Rei wins?]

Comment: [Seems like it’ll continue until morning.]

Comment: [Is this considered an endurance stream?]

While it’s fine to continue the stream like this indefinitely, it’s already been two hours… Considering the viewers, it’s probably a good time to wrap things up.

“Rei, let’s make this the last one. No crying, okay?” (Rui)

“Got it… I’ll definitely win and end it once and for all, you hear me…!?” (Rei)

Ayaka, who was apparently still in Dark Rei mode, chose her character while talking in a weird way. As usual, her character was [Atsuya]. With [Atsuya] banned for me, I selected the bird character, [Rumbal], known for its high jump ability… Well, since she can use items, Ayaka might have a chance to win.

The stage was still Omega. As soon as the signal for the match to start sounded, Ayaka’s [Atsuya] rushed towards my [Rumbal].

“Take this! Eat my dash attack!!” (Rei)

“It’s a bit too obvious.” (Rui)

I perfectly guarded the kick, grabbed [Atsuya], launched him into the air… and executed a juggling combo.

“Daah—! No combos!!” (Rei)

“That’s unreasonable.” (Rui)

Comment: [Didn’t want to see Rei like this.]

Comment: [Rui-kun is too calm, it’s hilarious.]

Comment: [No combos in a fighting game lol.]

During [Rumbal]’s combo, Ayaka saw a summoned item drop and shouted.

“The item is mine, right?” (Rei)

“…” (Rui)

“The item is mine, right!?” (Rei)

“I heard you the first time.” (Rui)

Laughing at this familiar exchange, I finished my combo, taking one of Ayaka’s life without taking any damage.

“Ugh… Next, no combos, okay…!?” (Rei)

Saying this, Ayaka’s [Atsuya] descended from the respawn platform and slowly went to pick up the summoning item… but, of course, this item had a flaw. It required a fixed period of time to summon a helper character, during which the player was defenseless and couldn’t cancel the action. This meant it could be exploited like this.

“…Now’s the time.” (Rui)

While [Atsuya] was holding up the summoning item, I fired a series of blaster shots from a distance. [Atsuya] flinched for a moment and then resumed the summoning motion. The next blaster hit again, making [Atsuya] flinch and unable to move. He tried to summon the item again… and so the loop continued.

“Wh-Wh-Wh-What!? Rui! You tricked mee!!” (Rei)

“If Rei hadn’t picked up the item, this wouldn’t have happened.” (Rui)

“H-H-How do I get out of this!?” (Rei)

“You could pray that my B button stops working.” (Rui)

Comment: [LOL]

Comment: [This is hilarious]

Comment: [lmao]

Well, if I kept using the blaster, I could win by time-out… but I didn’t want to drag things out that much. Once [Atsuya] had taken a decent amount of damage, I decided to release him.

“Ah, I finally got out! I did it!” (Rei)

She seemed to think that she somehow escaped on her own… well, I’ll just keep quiet about it.

“Now then… time to start my counterattack. Summon!” (Rei)

With no more interruptions, [Atsuya] managed to summon successfully. The character that emerged from the summoning item was… the psychopathic chef, [Yamazaki].

“Go, [Yamazaki]!! Devour everything!” (Rei)

“Isn’t he supposed to be the one cooking?” (Rui)

While making a calm retort, I continued to dodge the plates [Yamazaki] threw.

“Ahahaha! With this barrage, you can’t get close to me, right?” (Rei)

Ayaka, attacking together with [Yamazaki], came at me, but her approach was still lacking. I used [Rumbal]’s special move, [Reflect].

As you can guess, this move bounces back the opponent’s projectiles, which means [Yamazaki]’s plates would reflect back with increased damage… you can imagine what happens next.

“…Eh, KYAAAAA──!!” (Rei)

Unable to react to the suddenly reflected plates, they hit Ayaka’s [Atsuya]. With the accumulated damage, [Atsuya] was launched off the stage with incredible force… then, the words “Game Set” appeared in the center of the screen.

Comment: [The transition was so smooth]

Comment: [lol]

Comment: [This is already art.]

Comment: [I laughed so hard I cried.]

Comment: [LOLOLOLOL]

Comment: [This stream is amazing.]

“…?” (Rei)

“…Rei?” (Rui)

With her body trembling all over, I cautiously called out to Ayaka… Then, Ayaka screamed at the top of her lungs like never before.

“……Uuaaahhhh────!! Ah, that’s it for today’s stream! I’ll read the Superchats⁵ next time! See you later, Rei Girls!!” (Rei)

Comment: [Nice]

Comment: [Good job, Rei]

Comment: [Good work, Rei]

Comment: [LOL]

Comment: [Don’t forget Rei Boys]

Comment: [Seriously, this stream was something else.]

Comment: [That was so much fun!]

After a short pause, Ayaka clicked the button to end the stream.

“Hey… is it over?” (Rui)

“……” (Ayaka)

Ayaka nodded silently… Uh-oh. Did I go too far after all? I thought she needed the content, so I overextended a bit. Maybe that was unnecessary… As I was reflecting on this internally, Ayaka firmly grabbed my shoulder. Then, with an innocent smile, she said:

“That was seriously… the best, Rui!” (Ayaka)

“……….Eh?” (Rui)

Illustration of Ayaka vs Rui

TL Notes:

Thanks for reading!

For the last half, I thought they were playing a fighting game like street fighter but apparently they were playing a platform fighting game like Super Smash Bros. It only clicked to me after it was mentioned that Ayaka’s character launched off the map. You can probably tell I don’t play either game.

Btw, chat is referred to as ‘comment’ in Japanese, so whenever you see that word during a streaming part of the story, it refers to live chat.