……Two days later. Today was the day for my solo stream, as I had announced during my first stream. The collab stream with Ayaka and Lily was still a bit further off, so please be patient… With that said, let’s start the stream.
I awkwardly prepared for the stream… and then spoke into the microphone.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Rui Astica from [Sky Sunriver].” (Rui)
As I said that, as usual, various greetings flew around in the comments section.
Comment:『KonRui~』
Comment:『KonReiRei』
Comment:『KonNoodles』
Comment:『Been waiting』
Comment:『Yo~ Ramen』
“Tease me if you want, but at least call me by my name… So, today is the second stream. I’m still pretty nervous… but I’ll do my best.” (Rui)
Comment:『Hmm?』
Comment:『?』
Comment:『Second time?』
Comment:『Don’t pretend the apology stream didn’t happen』
Comment:『Did you erase your memory or something lol』
Comment:『The apology stream is still up, you know…』
“So today, I thought I’d play the popular FPS game, Apecx. Everyone knows it, and the rules are easy to understand.” (Rui)
Comment:『Oh』
Comment:『Nice』
Comment:『Are you good at it?』
Comment:『What’s Rui’s rank?』
“You want to know my rank? Prepare to be amazed… It’s Bronze.” (Rui)
Comment:『lol』
Comment:『Don’t need to build up suspense』
Comment:『What’s with that pause』
Comment:『He’s so good…』
Comment:『Nowadays, being Bronze is rare』
Just to clarify, Bronze rank is the second lowest rank from the bottom. Well, below that, there’s the Rookie rank where rank points don’t decrease, so in reality, Bronze is like the true bottom layer…
“I’m still practicing, so I plan to climb the ranks once I get a bit better. Now, let’s start the game…” (Rui)
Then I clicked on Apecx on my desktop. However, instead of the title screen, an update check screen appeared…
“Ah, crap… I didn’t update.” (Rui)
Comment:『lol』
Comment:『Arara』
Comment:『You really did it now』
Comment:『Make sure to check next time lol』
Comment:『It’s only your second stream, so it’s understandable』
“Y-Yeah, it’s only my second time, so I’m not used to this yet… Please forgive me.” (Rui)
Comment:『Unforgivable』
Comment:『Unforgivable』
Comment:『I forgive you!』
Comment:『But this guy──』
“Enough with that already!!” (Rui)
…But this is troublesome. This update seems like it’ll take a long time. Playing another game to kill time doesn’t feel right either. In that case…
“Hmm, then… how about we chat for a while until the update is done?” (Rui)
At my words, the comments section erupted in excitement.
Comment:『Yesssss!!』
Comment:『It’s hereeeeee』
Comment:『I’m so glad to be alive』
Comment:『Rui’s chatting session!』
Comment:『Alright! I’m getting my ramen ready!!』
…Is it really something to be this happy about?
“… I didn’t prepare any topics to discuss, and I’m not used to it either. So, does any RuiMins have anything they want to talk about?”
With that, I started scanning through the incoming comments. Let’s see…
Comment:『Even if you say that』
Comment:『Anything is fine』
Comment:『Just talk about whatever you want』
Comment:『How about a ramen talk?』
Comment:『By the way, I tried that ramen you mentioned before, and it was delicious』
“Oh, you tried the Uma Tonkotsu? That makes me happy.” (Rui)
Sharing my favorite food with my viewers, and having them acknowledge it, genuinely makes me happy… Although, this started because I slurped some ramen.
Comment:『Nice, I want to try it too』
Comment:『I had it too! Switched from Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen to Tonkotsu (pork bones) ramen!』
Comment:『I ordered some, but it hasn’t arrived yet』
Comment:『Got it shipped from my grandma’s place in Kyushu』
“But… isn’t everyone a bit too motivated by this?” (Rui)
Apparently, a lot of people are trying it. Are my viewers just easily influenced…?
Well, there was a time when I imitated the actions of my favorite anime characters and ate melon bread for every meal… Maybe everyone is going through a similar phase in life.
Comment:『Well, they make it look so delicious』
Comment:『Now I’m craving it too』
Comment:『I want Rui to give food reviews』
Comment:『Hey Rui, search for ‘#RuiMinRamenClub’!』
“Indeed, doing food reviews sounds interesting but… huh, what? ‘#RuiFansRamenClub’…? I didn’t create such a tag though…?” (Rui)
Picking up on the intriguing comment, I quickly searched the hashtag, and… What popped up were numerous photos of delicious-looking ramen.
“Wow! They look so delicious!” (Rui)
There were pictures of ramen from restaurants and instant ramen. Along with the Uma Tonkotsu, there were also photos taken with Rei’s keychain placed next to them.
It seemed like there weren’t any specific rules; as long as there was ramen in the photo, it was fine.
Of course, it makes me happy that they’re getting excited and creating their own tags for this… but there’s one thing that bothers me. While scrolling through Twitter, I muttered—
“But aren’t there too many photos…? Are all these really from RuiMins?” (Rui)
Even though it had only been a few days since my debut, there were over a hundred posts with that tag. I was puzzled by this abnormal number, but the comments seem to be certain…
Comment:『Yeah』
Comment:『That’s right』
Comment:『Exactly』
Comment:『My account is in there too!』
Comment:『Check the names properly』
“Check the names properly, but… everyone’s just using normal names…” (Rui)
Comment:『Next to that』
Comment:『The one on the far right』
Comment:『The one with the ramen』
Comment:『It has a fan mark, doesn’t it?』
“A fan mark…?” (Rui)
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that at the end of the usernames of those using the tag, there was a <🍜> mark… I hovered my mouse cursor over the emoji and asked everyone.
“…This?” (Rui)
Comment:『That』
Comment:『That』
Comment:『This』
Comment:『🍜』
“No way…” (Rui)
Alongside 🍜, there were other fan marks in their names, probably belonging to other VTubers. Honestly, I hadn’t fully grasped all the marks used by everyone in [Sky Sunriver].
Because of that, I didn’t assign one during my debut stream. I figured I’d decide on one eventually, but it was also fine to leave it as it was…
“Is this really okay? It’s just ramen, you know!?” (Rui)
Comment:『Yeah』
Comment:『Yeah』
Comment:『🍜🍜🍜🍜』
Comment:『It fits perfectly』
Comment:『I’m going to add it now too』
“Nonono! It’s weird to say it myself, but don’t you know that I’m a pretty amazing sorcerer!? Did you guys forget!?” (Rui)
Comment:『Oh, really?』
Comment:『I didn’t know that』
Comment:『Come to think of it, you’re wearing some strange clothes』
Comment:『That’s a pretty pointed hat for a chef’s hat』
“You guys… aren’t going to consider other options?” (Rui)
Comment:『Can’t think of anything other than ramen』
Comment:『Well, the fan marks are already saturated lol』
Comment:『The cool hats and staffs have already been taken』
Comment:『Then let’s use the same mark as Rei-chan』
“Using the same mark as Rei, I don’t get the meaning behind that…” (Rui)
…It seems like everyone really wants it to be ramen. I can’t say I’m entirely convinced… but it seems like some people are already using it. If this is also a form of love, then I guess I have to go along with it…
“…Alright, I get it. If you all really want it to be ramen, then fine, I’ll accept it… But once we confirm this, everyone, including me, has to use it, okay?” (Rui)
Comment:『Hmm…』
Comment:『Hmm』
Comment:『That’s a little…』
“Why are there so many negative opinions now… But it’s too late…!!” (Rui)
Comment:『Ahh』
Comment:『Here we goooo』
Comment:『Rui-kun’s gone crazy』
Comment:『Rui… are you serious!?』
“I am serious, right here, right now…!” (Rui)
And then, I went ahead and transitioned to the profile editing screen. I placed the <🍜> emoji next to ‘Rui Astica’.
“Heheh… I did it! You know whose turn is next, right?” (Rui)
Comment:『?』
Comment:『I have no idea』
Comment:『Hmm?』
Comment:『Who could it be…?』
Comment:『I don’t think he mentioned anyone else, so everyone can relax』
“…Y-You cowardssss! Don’t run away! Don’t run away from ramen!!” (Rui)
👻👻👻
…And with that, the chat livened up, and about two hours passed.
“Fuu~ We talked quite a bit, huh? Starting to feel a bit tired.” (Rui)
Comment:『Good job』
Comment:『Is the stream ending now?』
Comment:『Let’s talk a bit more』
Comment:『Rui’s chat was interesting』
Comment:『Oh yeah, Rui’s also going to do a love talk stream with Rei-chan. That’s unexpected』
“Oh, right. I’ll also be joining Rei’s love talk stream next week. It’ll most likely be on Rei’s channel. So, if anyone’s free, I’d appreciate it if you could come and watch.” (Rui)
Since someone already pointed it out, I might as well promote the collaboration. It seemed like everyone responded quite positively…
Comment:『Ohh』
Comment:『Yay, collab!』
Comment:『Rui doing love talk?』
Comment:『Wasn’t Rui one of us?』
Comment:『Rui’s popular, huh…』
“It’s not like that. I won’t be talking about my love life. We’ll just be hearing love problems from viewers, and we’ll just be nodding along to it. At least, that’s what I’ve heard from Rei.” (Rui)
Comment:『lol』
Comment:『What does ‘nodding along’ do?』
Comment:『So you won’t help resolve it…』
Comment:『Let’s hear about Rui’s love life too~』
Comment:『People who seriously need love advice wouldn’t go to Rei-chan…』
That’s true. I’ve never heard her give love advice, let alone have a boyfriend. It could just be that I don’t know much about her…
“Well… regardless of Rei or Lily, I’ve never actually been in a relationship, so don’t expect any decent advice from me, okay?” (Rui)
Comment:『Really?』
Comment:『No way. Rui must be popular』
Comment:『Even though you’re handsome?』
Comment:『Could he be dense?』
Comment:『You still have time to confess!』
“Confess to what? It’s true, so there’s nothing to confess… Well, I have read quite a bit of romance manga and light novels, though.” (Rui)
Comment:『Are you really one of us…?』
Comment:『Are you a comrade?』
Comment:『Can we trust you!?』
“Whether you believe it or not, I don’t think I’m that different from you guys… As everyone knows, I’m just a high school student who loves games.” (Rui)
Comment:『Just a high school student (top of the magic school)』
Comment:『We can’t use magic like you』
Comment:『Do I also have the ‘Magic Eye’…?』
“Well, don’t think too deeply about that…”
As I said that, my eyes stopped at one particular comment.
Comment:『Hey Rui, isn’t the update finished by now?』
“…………Oh. I totally forgot… You’re right! I was supposed to chat while waiting for the update! This wasn’t supposed to be a chat stream!” (Rui)
Comment:『lol』
Comment:『Finally remembered lol』
Comment:『I forgot too』
Comment:『Please check if it’s finished』
“Yeah, I’ll go and check…” (Rui)
I opened up Apecx again… It seemed like the update was indeed finished, as the usual title screen appeared.
“Yeah, looks like the update’s done properly. Um, so… what should I do?” (Rui)
Comment:『Let’s do it』
Comment:『Go ahead』
Comment:『Not doing it?』
Comment:『Show us your skills』
It seems like everyone’s expecting it. I was planning to end the stream soon, but I can’t just ignore their expectations. And well, I have to wake up early tomorrow…
“Okay… just one game, okay? Let’s do one game and call it a day.” (Rui)
Comment:『Sounds good』
Comment:『Yessss!』
Comment:『Alright』
Comment:『Here we gooo!』
And so, in the lobby screen of Apecx, I set up the match settings.
“Ranked matches are a bit scary… so let’s go with casual (does not affect rank points). Is duo (two-player team) okay with everyone?” (Rui)
Comment:『Oh?』
Comment:『Why duo though?』
“Well, because I’m not very good. I thought it would be better to have fewer teammates who would suffer…” (Rui)
Comment:『lol』
Comment:『Isn’t that too negative?』
Comment:『That doesn’t sound like you, Rui』
Comment:『Remember when you crushed Rei-chan?』
“Well… I’m just not good at FPS games…” (Rui)
While saying that, I clicked the ready button and started searching for a match… I’ll probably get taken out quickly, but it might be amusing to end it nonchalantly… or so I thought. That notion would be shattered just a few seconds later.
“Alright, we’re matched. Now, what character is my teammate going to use… huh?” (Rui)
Before I could finish speaking, the comments section erupted. There was no mistaking it, this was the flow that occurs when you match with someone famous…!
Sensing this, my heart rate quickened… Who could it be…!? I checked the player names displayed below…
Comment:『Ah』
Comment:『Oh』
Comment:『Ehh!?』
Comment:『Seriously!?』
Comment:『Is this real!?』
Comment:『It’s her!?』
Comment:『It’s happening again lol』
Comment:『Is it Raimu-chan!?』
“[Hasumi Raimu | Skysun]… No way…!?” (Rui)
…For those who might have forgotten, Hasumi Raimu-san is a highly skilled FPS gamer affiliated with [Sky Sunriver]. She specializes in using sniper weapons and is said to rival that of a pro in terms of skills. She’s also one of the VTubers I’ve been studying through clips.
Why would such an amazing player…?
“Why… Why is a beginner like me matched with her!?” (Rui)
Comment:『lol』
Comment:『That’s true』
Comment:『Is she the real one?』
Comment:『Well, Apecx does random matchmaking』
Comment:『It’s casual mode after all』
“No, I didn’t know that! If Apecx matches are so random… then does that mean I’ve been thrown into a high-ranking match!? That’s not fair!” (Rui)
<System activated, preparation complete.>
On the screen, an Apecx character’s voice can be heard. It seems that Raimu-san chose [Baz], a robot character known for its mobility. Oh, now it’s my turn…
“Uh, oh no, what should I do, what should I do… then, I’ll go with this one!” (Rui)
In a panic, I chose [Hanka], a combat-focused soldier character. There should have been characters more suitable for beginners, but I wasn’t thinking clearly at the moment.
<Amateurs, step aside. This is where the real battle begins.>
“Don’t you say that…! I’m the amateur here…!” (Rui)
Comment:『LOL』
Comment:『LOL』
Comment:『LOL』
Comment:『LOL』
…And just before the match began, a banner introducing the squads appeared. On Raimu-san’s banner, there were three incredibly shiny rare badges attached. So, this was definitely “real.”
“Ah…” (Rui)
Comment:『lol』
Comment:『Oh, it’s definitely real!』
Comment:『It’s the real one!!』
Comment:『Too funny』
Comment:『I wonder if Rui is gonna go viral again today.』
Comment:『The man who can’t stop himself from trending.』
No, no, this isn’t the time to talk about such things…! If it’s the real one, then Raimu-san is most likely also streaming or recording for a video… which means Raimu’s viewers are also watching what I do… Even if it’s casual, I can’t afford to do something stupid…!
Comment:『Oi, watch the screen』
Comment:『Rui, you’re deciding the landing spot.』
Comment:『Fly Rui』
Comment:『To America!!』
It seems I’m designated as the jump master to decide the landing spot. This job should be handed over to the much more competent Raimu-san…
No, I don’t know where to go! If I choose, I’ll definitely dive straight into the enemy’s location! I want to avoid going down immediately if possible…!
“Sorry everyone! Let’s play it safe!!” (Rui)
Comment:『Sure』
Comment:『If you’re going for the win, it’s the right call』
Comment:『Well, initial drops aren’t fun anyway』
Comment:『It’s time to play chicken!!』
Thinking so, I took my time and landed away from the center. There didn’t seem to be any enemy squads nearby… Phew. At least I can breathe a sigh of relief for now. With a bit of calm restored, I asked everyone this:
“We managed to land… Hey guys, do you think it’s okay if I say hi to Raimu-san?” (Rui)
Comment:『Huh?』
Comment:『Sure』
Comment:『That’s sudden』
Comment:『Go loot first』
Comment:『Do whatever you want』
Though there were mixed reactions, she’s still a senpai VTuber. Since opportunities like this are rare, I thought, why not? So, I sent a message in the in-game chat saying “Hello” And soon enough, a reply came back: “yoooooo!”
“…A rapper?” (Rui)
Comment:『LOL』
Comment:『It’s rare for Raimu to respond in chat』
Comment:『She probably noticed you…?』
Comment:『She probably knows about you, right?』
Comment:『Your name is pretty straightforward』
By the way, my in-game name is [Rui Astica | VTuber]. It’s as straight as it gets.
“Alright. Now that we’ve exchanged greetings, let’s find some weapons… Oh, how about this sniper rifle? Maybe Raimu-san will use it?” (Rui)
I marked the sniper rifle I found inside the building. In response, Raimu-san quickly zipped over to us using her character’s grapple.
“Wha-!? You can fly like that!?” (Rui)
And with the sniper rifle in hand, [Baz] swiftly set up a zipline with his ultimate ability and zoomed off to the next safe area.
“Hey, wait up! I can’t keep up with you!” (Rui)
<Enemy spotted>
“Where!? Where are they!?” (Rui)
Raimu-san marked the enemy with a red pin, but I couldn’t see them at all. I figured I wouldn’t be able to see them until we got closer… but that thought didn’t last long.
Soon, the sound of sniper rifle shots rang out from afar, and [Baz]’s voice line confirmed that an enemy was downed.
<Enemy down>
“Whoa! That’s impressive!” (Rui)
If one enemy was down, we should push to finish them off… I hurried in the direction of the pin… but then I heard several more shots from the sniper rifle. And then, [Baz]’s delighted voice.
<Squad eliminated, we did it!>
“…Does she even need me?” (Rui)
Comment:『LOL』
Comment:『Have confidence!』
Comment:『Pull yourself together, Rui!』
Comment:『You’re fine, you’re fine!』
Comment:『Just being alive is amazing, right?!』
Comment:『Maybe she could handle everything on her own.』
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
At times like this, the only thing you can do is to let yourself get carried and don’t die. Also, is he getting stream-sniped by Raimu lol.
Isn’t it normal to have like some sort of elo system even in casual to prevent pubstomping? Or at least that is how I feel anyways.
Footnote:
- None