[Aya’s PoV]
“Everyone, look! That’s two in a row! Two in a row!” (Ayaya)
It was Wednesday night, just three days before the start of the Ebe Festival.
Her concurrent viewers had exceeded 12,000.
Lately, she had been consistently drawing five-digit viewership numbers, and with the word [CHAMPION] displayed on her stream, the VTuber Ayaya had been extending her streaming hours in preparation for the upcoming event.
Running solo ranked matches, she consistently placed near the top in every game, delivering hours of can’t-miss content.
“Nene~ don’t you think I’m getting better with this character?” (Ayaya)
After finishing her ABEX match and returning to the home screen, Ayaya switched into chatting mode and began reading the comments flowing across her sub-monitor.
Comment: [You’ve changed characters and you’re already up 300 RP (rank points)…]
Comment: [And you’re doing it in the highest tier…]
Comment: [Even though Ayaya’s main is Octone lol.]
Comment: [Seriously, you’re really getting the hang of it!]
“Right!? I’m amazing, aren’t I!?” (Ayaya)
Ayaya became delighted by all the praise.
Since she would be handing her main character over to Oni-chan for the Ebe Festival, Ayaya had needed to polish her skills with a different character before the event. Judging from her performance, she felt confident that she had made it in time.
“I’ve gotta keep this momentum going until the Ebe Festival…! With our team comp, firepower is the key above all else.” (Ayaya)
Their team was a full-on breakthrough type: two fight characters and one support, focused on seizing control of areas through sheer firepower.
If they couldn’t output enough damage and ended up taking too long to secure areas, they’d find themselves stuck in a hellish battlefield and get cleaned up by other teams.
And since they were participating in a major event like the Ebe Festival, it was only natural that Ayaya didn’t want to be a burden to the team.
That’s why she had been streaming longer than usual and playing more ABEX—to make sure she could maintain high performance during the real event.
“…Ah, sorry everyone! I’m out of drinks, so I’m gonna go refill! You all take a quick break too!” (Ayaya)
It had been four hours since the stream began.
During that time, since she’d been talking almost nonstop, even the large cup of tea she’d poured had run out.
Comment: [See you soon!]
Comment: [Come back quick]
Comment: [I’m heading to the bathroom too!]
Comment: [By the way, I wonder what Ayaya drinks]
“I drink barley tea that I brew in a pot~! It’s the amazing kind where one tea bag makes a whole liter!” (Ayaya)
Comment: [Wait, you’re still here!?]
Comment: [lol]
Comment: [Just go already lol]
Comment: [See you soon]
“I-I was looking for background music to play while I’m away…! Okay, I’m going for real this time!” (Ayaya)
Silent moments could leave a subtle sense of loneliness.
To avoid making her viewers feel that way, Ayaya switched the screen from the ABEX lobby to a looped animation made by a fan, played some upbeat, rhythmic music, and finally stepped away from her desk.
Ayaya opened the fridge, poured herself some barley tea, and hurried back to her streaming room with quick steps.
As she sat back down in her gaming chair and glanced at the comment section again, she noticed something.
There were now hostile comments that hadn’t been there before she stepped away.
“I’m back, everyone~ Wait, it kinda looks like there’s a fight going on… What happened while I was gone?” (Ayaya)
Technically, it wasn’t something she needed to address. But since it was during a short break, and some viewers who went to the bathroom hadn’t returned yet, she chose to bring it up to keep the atmosphere connected.
Comment: [The moment Ayaya stepped away, Oni-chan’s fans started going wild]
Comment: [If you’re gonna troll, go somewhere else]
Comment: [Let’s stop with the negative stuff]
Comment: [Focus only on Ayaya]
When streamers do a collab, and the other party isn’t streaming at the same time, their viewers often spill over into the other stream.
With over 10,000 concurrent viewers at that moment, it was clear that some of Oni-chan’s fans had flowed into Ayaya’s stream.
Pausing the fast-moving comment section several times to read through it, Ayaya gradually began to grasp the situation.
“Ahh, I get it now! So it looks like some of Oni-chan’s viewers came and started posting some criticism about him, and then my viewers got into a fight with them like, ‘Don’t post that kind of stuff here’—something like that, right?” (Ayaya)
This wasn’t Oni-chan’s channel.
Ayaya’s viewers were in the right—spamming and criticism of others were grounds for being banned. But she also realized that this wasn’t just simple trolling—it had a different tone.
“Nee~ Why are Oni-chan’s fans attacking him? I won’t ban anyone, so can someone please tell me?” (Ayaya)
Oni-chan was not only her teammate for the Ebe Festival, but someone she had a bond with outside of that too.
She wanted to understand the situation as much as possible.
Once she asked the question, a flood of comments came in from people who appeared to be Oni-chan’s viewers watching the stream.
Comment: [There’s barely any time left before the Ebe Festival and that guy’s been streaming way less.]
Comment: [His gameplay’s been off too. No motivation at all.]
Comment: [Even though you, a pro, gave up your main character for him, he’s slacking on practice.]
Comment: [It’s a team game, but Oni-chan’s the only one who doesn’t seem serious.]
Comment: [The only thing he keeps posting is edited videos. Like, get your priorities straight.]
Comment: [Huh? For real? Oni-chan’s trash.]
Comment: [That’s just disrespectful. I used to look up to him.]
Comment: [You guys are totally right! He’s not streaming right now either—his stream frequency and hours are seriously down.]
“I see, I see…” (Ayaya)
As Oni-chan’s fans began reporting what had been going on, Ayaya’s own viewers—who had just been clashing with them moments ago—started to realize the situation.
Once sympathy kicked in, the comment section became even more chaotic.
The more passionate a fan is, the more strongly they feel the need to call things out when they believe something’s wrong.
In a team-based competition, the one perceived as not putting in effort was naturally the easiest target for backlash.
Comment: [It might be too late, but let’s have Rina-san scold him. Seriously.]
Comment: [Ayaya, you can get mad at him too.]
Comment: [If Oni-chan screws up during the event, it’s going to blow up like crazy…]
Comment: [Yeah, no doubt about that given how things are now.]
The viewers who had been keeping the comment section under control were now gone.
They had completely shifted into people bashing Oni-chan.
“……” (Ayaya)
It was true that the angry viewers had valid points.
It was also true that Oni-chan being criticized might be inevitable.
But—only if all of that were really, entirely true.
“Hehe… hey, everyone, let’s calm down for a second.” (Ayaya)
Because they were friends, fellow streamers, and acquaintances in real life, Ayaya knew things that the viewers couldn’t possibly see or understand.
“You know, everyone, you’re really misunderstanding things.” (Ayaya)
Comment: [It’s not a misunderstanding.]
Comment: [Trying to cover for him is a bad move, Ayaya.]
Comment: [There’s no excuse for the drop in his stream frequency and hours.]
Comment: [You should be calling out Oni-chan too, for his sake.]
Their hostility remained sharp, and that aggression began to turn toward Ayaya as well.
The more she defended him, the more backlash she faced—but Ayaya was brimming with confidence that she could turn this situation into something entertaining.
“Because right now, Oni-chan’s actually like this, you know?” (Ayaya)
Switching from the animated standby screen back to the ABEX lobby screen, Ayaya moved her mouse and opened her friends list.
Among the dozens of people currently online, she hovered over one particular user—the only one marked as being in the “Shooting Range (58:19s),” having been holed up there for nearly an hour.
Comment: [What the hell is he doing lol]
Comment: [58 minutes in the shooting range lmao]
Comment: [Just go play ranked already (lol)]
Comment: [I’ve never seen that long of a timer before]
The reaction was a mix of disbelief and laughter—of course it was.
After all, the shooting range was usually only used for about five to ten minutes before jumping into the first ranked match.
Of course, this would be a different story for beginners—but Oni-chan was a top-ranked player, so the time shown was clearly abnormal.
Especially considering that Oni-chan was someone who could gather thousands of viewers just by streaming, yet here he was, spending time practicing off-stream without earning a cent from it.
“See? That’s why he’s working really hard. Oni-chan’s preparing for the event too.” (Ayaya)
Comment: [Damn, I totally got played by Oni-chan’s fans.]
Comment: [He’s been practicing like crazy lol.]
Comment: [He’s going all-in for real.]
Comment: [Anyone who was bashing him should apologize.]
With just this one piece of information, many viewers who had misunderstood Oni-chan now saw the truth.
However—some viewers still weren’t convinced and remained in the comments.
These were likely the ones who were truly passionate about Oni-chan.
Comment: [That’s just him afk.]
Comment: [He’s only pretending to be working hard.]
Comment: [He’s hiding something, that’s why he’s not streaming.]
Comment: [If it were really Oni-chan, he’d stream and earn money.]
“Ohh… the afk theory!” (Ayaya)
It wasn’t an entirely off-base opinion.
The idea that he wasn’t streaming because he was actually just idle did make a kind of logical sense.
Comment: [Oni-chan haters are persistent lol]
Comment: [Isn’t it enough that he’s trying his best?]
Comment: [Oni-chan wouldn’t leave the game running just to waste electricity.]
Comment: [If he screws up at the actual event, then bash him all you want.]
As the comment section once again burst into conflict, Ayaya smiled as she watched the lively debate.
“Well, I mean, that’s possible too, but yesterday morning when I logged in for a bit, Oni-chan had already entered the shooting range at 5:30 a.m., so I’m pretty sure he was actually practicing.” (Ayaya)
—Once again, she slipped in a key detail.
Comment: [How seriously is he taking this lol]
Comment: [That’s some hardcore solo training lmao]
Comment: [Yeah, no way he’d wake up early just to leave it afk.]
Comment: [If he had just streamed it, none of this mess would’ve happened.]
Some viewers, unable to see the proof, might not believe her, but those who do will choose to trust Ayaya.
“This is just my guess, but if he’s spending so much time in the shooting range, I think Oni-chan’s adjusting his sensitivity settings and is currently getting used to it.” (Ayaya)
Comment: [He’s definitely preparing for the Ebe Festival in some way.]
Comment: [It must be really tough doing this for so long lol.]
Comment: [It’s so cool that he’s working hard behind the scenes.]
Comment: [There are still people saying he’s just afking. Trust in Oni-chan.]
No comments like “You’re just covering for him” appeared, because Ayaya’s reasoning was solid enough to make such accusations seem unfounded.
Still, the comments attacking Oni-chan hadn’t completely disappeared.
“[But that still doesn’t explain why Oni-chan isn’t streaming, right]? Hmm, well, this is just my guess again, but I think it’s because streaming while adjusting sensitivity is boring and hard to make interesting! With not much time until the event, he has to focus on his settings. Plus, I think it’s hard to make money from streams that aren’t fun to watch!” (Ayaya)
Comment: […Wait a minute, Ayaya’s response is really smooth, isn’t it?]
Comment: [I’m starting to suspect Ayaya knows more about this from Oni-chan himself lol.]
Comment: [Even as a joke, don’t touch on that, lol.]
Comment: [I love how kind Ayaya is as always.]
“N-N-No! I’m just guessing, okay!? I haven’t heard anything about this from him!” (Ayaya)
Ayaya did her best to skim past the sharper comments, keeping her tone calm and composed—but her expressive, easy-to-read nature was also one of the reasons she had become so popular.
Comment: [She’s definitely covering for him lmao.]
Comment: [Just calling it a “guess” doesn’t make it fly every time, you know.]
Comment: [He probably told her to keep it a secret.]
Comment: [With her character, she really can’t afford to let something like that slip lol.]
“A-A-Anyways! Let’s just say that the so-called slacking Oni-chan is actually doing his part… okay?!” (Ayaya)
When things get inconvenient, best to cut them off cleanly.
Bringing up the friend list again, Ayaya showed that Oni-chan was still in the shooting range even after more than an hour, broadcasting the elapsed time on screen once more to tie things off neatly.
“Alright then! I’ve had my break, so I’m gonna start grinding some ranked matches now!” (Ayaya)
Just as she was giving her usual update and moving to hit the “Ready” button—
Comment: [At this point, let’s just peek into Oni-chan’s training session, lol.]
Comment: [Take a quick look before starting ranked, come on.]
Comment: [If you peek in, we’ll all pretend we never brought up that behind-the-scenes stuff!]
Comment: [It’s totally fine if you’re teammates. For real.]
The comment section lit up with an explosive reaction.
Comment: [Please.]
Comment: [We’re begging you!]
Comment: [Once in a lifetime request!!]
Comment: [We’ll seriously pretend we didn’t hear anything!]
“……” (Ayaya)
Staring at the flood of comments streaming down like a waterfall, Ayaya silently moved her cursor left, right, and left again, visibly torn as she wrestled with the decision.
“…………” (Ayaya)
Without uttering a single word, she opened the friend list for the third time, moved the cursor over the ID labeled Oni_chan, and swiftly clicked the Join Party button.
Comment: [She did itttttttt!!! lol]
Comment: [Ayaya, you’re the best!]
Comment: [What a goddess!!]
Comment: [But she suddenly stopped talking lol]
After a few seconds of loading, Ayaya’s stream showed her descending into the shooting range.
Gunfire rang out immediately.
When she turned her camera—there he was. Oni-chan was moving his character, silently practicing his aim at the targets all by himself.
Comment: [Oni-chan is seriously just shooting nonstop…]
Comment: [This is getting kinda scary lol]
Comment: [How does he not notice Ayaya lmao]
Comment: [He’s way too focused, I can’t]
“E-Everyone… u-um, what should I do now…?” (Ayaya)
Ayaya had assumed she would be noticed immediately after joining.
She had even planned to leave the moment that happened—but caught off guard by the unexpected situation, she couldn’t find the right timing to exit.
For now, she hid behind a rock, but since she had joined the party, her ID, Ac_Ayaya, was clearly displayed in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Naturally, it was also visible on Oni-chan’s screen.
Comment: [Let’s just wait until he notices lol]
Comment: [What am I even watching lmao]
Comment: [She’s moving like a cockroach trying not to get caught]
Comment: [He’s clearly practicing with real combat in mind]
While Oni-chan had embraced a toxic, entertainer-type persona, his skills were undeniably top-tier.
He mixed in crouch-shooting to avoid getting hit and fired while moving side to side—his movements were so sharp they were worth studying just by watching.
The flow of the comment section actually started to slow down… but that didn’t last long.
Comment: [Wow, he still hasn’t noticed!?]
Comment: [This is beyond just being focused]
Comment: [He’s way too oblivious!]
Comment: [What the hell is going on!?]
Not being noticed for several minutes brought the energy back into the comment section.
“Hehehe.” (Ayaya)
Even Ayaya found herself laughing at the situation, having finally relaxed a bit.
But then—the constant gunfire suddenly stopped.
“Hm?” (Oni-chan)
It happened in that instant of silence—
“Hyah!?” (Ayaya)
Dozens of bullets were suddenly fired into the large rock she was hiding behind.
After confirming that the barrage of bullets had stopped, Ayaya pressed a key to uncrouch—and locked eyes with Octane, the character being controlled by Oni-chan.
Finally—that moment had arrived.
Comment: [Busted LOL]
Comment: [Wait, wasn’t that accuracy insane?!]
Comment: [Doesn’t look good Ayaya~]
Comment: [If her body had been showing, she would’ve been down instantly…]
Some viewers enjoyed the crisis unfolding, while others were stunned by Oni-chan’s recoil control, managing the gun’s kickback with incredible precision.
Then, as if to push the situation further into chaos, Octane slowly—very slowly—started walking toward her.
Comment: [Scary, scary!!!!!!!!!]
Comment: [Ayaya, just run already!]
Comment: [He looks mad lol]
Comment: [Ayaya, do something!]
“!!” (Ayaya)
What snapped Ayaya out of being completely caught up in the moment wasn’t the comments—
Her phone, which was sitting on the desk, suddenly rang.
“Umm… Oni-chan’s calling me…” (Ayaya)
Comment: [This is like a horror scene lmao]
Comment: [You’ve got no choice but to answer!]
Comment: [Oni-chan definitely knows what he’s doing lol]
Comment: [Make sure the call audio gets picked up by the stream!]
Glancing at the comment section, Ayaya picked up her phone, answered the call, and turned on the speaker.
“H-Hello, Oni-chan!? Ah, I’m streaming righ—” (Ayaya)
“—You!! Don’t go leaking that I’ve been at the shooting range since this morning during your stream! And don’t sneak in like that!” (Oni-chan)
Comment: [He’s actually mad lol]
Comment: [Oni-chan’s the best lmao]
Comment: [The mic’s peaking hard haha]
Comment: [Is it okay to yell like that in the middle of the night lol]
“W-Wait a sec! How did that reach you already!?” (Oni-chan)
“I got bombarded with friend requests and tweets while being spammed with messages!” (Oni-chan)
“S-S-S-S-Sorry!?” (Ayaya)
“You just laughed, didn’t you! Don’t screw with me!” (Oni-chan)
Comment: [Oni-chan’s comebacks are on fire lol]
Comment: [Glad to see he’s doing well, at least]
Comment: [Finishing work, grinding the range for an hour, and still yelling like that—respect lol]
Comment: [No wonder Ayaya laughed]
As Ayaya got chewed out hard, the comment section burst into laughter.
Oni-chan, having delivered exactly what everyone wanted, left one final line—“Get out!”—before abruptly hanging up the call.
“Hehe, I’m out~!” (Ayaya)
Returning her phone to the desk, Ayaya obediently followed his words and exited the shooting range.
Comment: [Oni-chan’s delivery was absolutely flawless!!!]
Comment: [This actually brought them closer together lol]
Comment: [Nah, the group’s a total mess lmaooo]
Comment: [The fact that Rina wasn’t here is a damn tragedy!!!!!!!!!!]
As Ayaya returned to the ABEX lobby, the energy in the comment section was at its peak, thanks to Oni-chan.
It was only fitting for a streamer who had gathered over 200,000 subscribers on his own channel.
“Hehe, he really was amazing.” (Ayaya)
Ayaya shared that thought on-stream, then pressed the “Ready” button and waited for the ranked match to begin.
And during that moment—
“Thanks for jumping in. Let’s both keep doing our best!” (Oni-chan)
Seeing the message Haruto had sent after their call, Ayaya quietly… felt her chest warm with emotion.
∮
[Rina’s PoV]
The following day, under the beautiful stars and the full moon in the night sky.
“(Ufufu, that person really works hard, doesn’t he? If he weren’t doing that toxic type of content, I would’ve scouted him into our streamer division. He’s definitely a creator who’ll grow even more from here on out, and he’s great at both being considerate and collaborating.)” (Chiyo)
“Heheh, you’re totally praising Oni-chan, huh?” (Rina)
“(Of course I am. I like people who give their all to what’s right in front of them. Just like Rina-chan.)” (Chiyo)
“…Th-Thanks.” (Rina)
“(Oh my, you don’t have to get so flustered.)” (Chiyo)
“I-I’m not flustered or anything!” (Rina)
Rina, who could get along with anyone and was always full of cheer. Rina, the master of teasing others. Yet she had one person—just one—who always managed to throw her off her game.
Someone she could never win against.
And someone she deeply respected: the owner of Axcis Crown, Chiyo. She was currently on the phone with her.
“Wait, Chiyo-san, you already knew? That Oni-chan had been holed up in the shooting range for over an hour?” (Rina)
“(Of course. I didn’t hear it directly, but it seems Ayaya-chan decided to poke at him a little.)” (Chiyo)
Her tone laced with amusement, Chiyo let out a soft chuckle.
When someone was seriously dedicating themselves to something, Chiyo considered it off-limits for interference and made such behavior a target of her lectures. However, she was also flexible enough to see things as an “exception” when both parties involved were in agreement.
“So info like that gets to you real fast, huh… Kinda scary.” (Rina)
“(This time, it was mostly because the clipped video had such a big reaction. It even showed up on the official Twitto.)” (Chiyo)
“Ahh—! It has to be that one. The one titled ‘The Trolling Executioner Ayaya’ with a thumbnail showing how long Oni-chan was in the shooting range.” (Rina)
“(Fufu, correct. The editor’s sense really shone in that one, didn’t it?)” (Chiyo)
“Over 200k views in less than a day… seriously amazing.” (Rina)
Mutual respect from every angle—there was a certain comfort in their conversation that was hard to put into words.
“(You can’t afford to lose either, Rina-chan.)” (Chiyo)
“Of course not. I’m surrounded by younger teammates who are all tough as hell, and I’m lucky to be in a team I have absolutely zero complaints about.” (Rina)
“(Flatter me all you want, I’m not giving you anything.)” (Chiyo)
“Aw man, I was hoping that it would.” (Rina)
“(Come to the office right now, would you? Time for a little scolding.)” (Chiyo)
“P-Please, anything but that…” (Rina)
Even though Rina usually gave off an older-sister aura, both on and off stream, in front of Chiyo she turned into the youngest sibling.
This, too, was simply proof of how much she trusted her.
“Wait, Chiyo-san, are you at the office this late?” (Rina)
“(That’s right. I’m helping review the footage for the Ebe Festival. Though, since it’s already the final version, there’s really nothing to point out.)” (Chiyo)
“Still, it feels like everyone’s always relying on you.” (Rina)
At just 24, Chiyo had built a professional gaming team that could easily be called prestigious. It wasn’t just her skill and leadership, but also her ability to build goodwill that stood out.
“(Being so popular is exhausting, you know.)” (Chiyo)
“…You say that, and yet you’re still single.” (Rina)
“(Ahem, you haven’t dated anyone either…)” (Chiyo)
“Well, that’s true. So I guess we’re comrades.” (Rina)
“(Hehe, I guess you’re right.)” (Chiyo)
Some might think that Chiyo only shows a special level of intimacy with Rina, but that’s a misunderstanding.
The truth was, she treated everyone this way.
Her refined appearance and polite manner of speaking might make her seem hard to approach at first, but once you interact with her, you quickly notice the charming gap in her personality.
This is also one of the reasons why the owner is so well-liked.
“(—Hey.)” (Chiyo)
Chiyo’s voice shifted to a serious tone as she spoke.
“(Would you mind listening to how I’m feeling right now?)” (Chiyo)
“W-What is it?” (Rina)
“(I really, really want to play a game.)” (Chiyo)
“Pfft, what? That came out of nowhere. I mean, I get that reviewing the Ebe Festival footage could get you fired up, but still.” (Rina)
“(Right? So I think you already know what I’m about to say.)” (Chiyo)
“Of course I’d be happy to play, but… don’t you think using your owner privileges for this kind of thing is a bit much?” (Rina)
“(Aya-chan has a collab stream until midnight, right? Right now, you’re about the only one I can invite. And games are always more fun with others.)” (Chiyo)
“I see. Understood.” (Rina)
Being the owner of a professional gaming team came with all kinds of responsibilities and things to be cautious about.
Rina understood that perfectly—yet couldn’t quite hide her joy as she started adjusting her plans.
After making plans to game together from 11 PM—
“(So then, what was it you wanted to talk about? You said you’d like to call me, after all.)” (Chiyo)
Chiyo smoothly shifted to the main topic.
“Ah, yeah. About that… the Ebe Festival starts the day after tomorrow, right?” (Rina)
“(Fufu, for you, Rina-chan, you’re being unusually careful with your words. Are you trying to bring up something difficult?)” (Chiyo)
“Y-Yeah, sort of?” (Rina)
She had already known she’d be seen through.
Scratching her cheek with an awkward smile, Rina opened her mouth.
“So, uh… this is gonna sound super selfish, okay? I’m just gonna say it, okay?” (Rina)
“(Go ahead, speak your mind.)” (Chiyo)
“I, uh, really want you to watch the Ebe Festival, Chiyo-san. And if I could get your thoughts afterward, that’d make me really happy…” (Rina)
“(Ara)” (Chiyo)
Knowing how busy she was, Rina naturally hesitated.
Even so, she spoke up—because she wanted someone she respected to see it.
Because she wanted to hear kind words from her.
“So… what do you think? Is it possible?” (Rina)
“(What are you talking about? A team member is participating, of course I’m going to watch. I’ve already made time for it.)” (Chiyo)
“Wait, for real!?” (Rina)
“(Yep, for real.)” (Chiyo)
“Yesss!” (Rina)
Rina did a victory pose, kicking her feet excitedly.
That was how happy she was about the news.
“(Results are important, of course, but since this is a casual event, make sure you enjoy it to the fullest.)” (Chiyo)
“Got it!!” (Rina)
It wasn’t a video call, so none of it was visible—but Rina gave a sharp salute, grinning from ear to ear.
“Oh, and one more thing! I know that it’s a bit late to mention this, but thanks for letting us do this with Oni-chan. Thanks to that, I got to have a super fun collab last time.” (Rina)
“(I’m glad to hear that. In that case, your thank-you gift will be making sure I have a good time at 11 p.m., understood?)” (Chiyo)
“Nihehe~ just leave it to me. So yeah, I’ll be waiting for your message after work.” (Rina)
“(Thanks. If I end up running late, I’ll let you know in advance.)” (Chiyo)
“Okay!” (Rina)
With a bright and cheerful reply, Rina ended the call, narrowed her eyes happily, and quickly booted up ABEX.
And so, at 11:10 PM, Rina and Chiyo’s ABEX session began. By midnight, Aya also joined them, and the trio tore through their opponents with ease.
One of the casualties… was a toxic streamer who had been grinding solo ranked matches to record footage for their channel.
That entire scene was perfectly recorded on Rina and Ayaya’s streams.
Comment: [He really got destroyed lol]
Comment: [No surprise when three of them surround you]
Comment: [He’s probably slamming his desk right now]
Comment: [Props to him for giving us good content]
Once again, Oni-chan earned praise—not just for his performance, but for creating entertaining moments.
∮
[Haruto’s PoV]
The day before the Ebe Festival, under the setting evening sky.
Inside a stylishly book café.
“—Since you mercilessly crushed me yesterday, I’ve come to return the favor.” (Haruto)
“Eek—Cold!? …W-Wait, Haruto-kun!?” (Aya)
“Haha, long time no see, Aya-san.” (Haruto)
While joking around, Haruto mischievously pressed the cold fruit tea bottle against the back of Aya’s hand.
“Eh, Haruto-kun, you were working today!? You weren’t at the register, so I thought you had the day off.” (Aya)
“I guess it’s because you checked right as I went for my break. Honestly, I was surprised too. I looked at the cameras in the staff room and saw you in here—wait, is it okay?” (Haruto)
“Yeah!” (Aya)
As they continued chatting, Haruto saw Aya softening her expression while organizing the university study materials spread out on the table. Her gesture clearly said, “Go ahead and sit.”
“…But isn’t that for your university assignment? Wouldn’t it be a bother if I stayed too long?” (Haruto)
“That’s not true at all. I’d rather you sit down than leave.” (Aya)
“R-Really?” (Haruto)
“Really!” (Aya)
“Then… I’ll take you up on that. Thanks.” (Haruto)
“Don’t mention it!” (Aya)
Though he understood it was just a way to put him at ease, Haruto still felt his heartbeat quicken a little.
Feeling genuinely happy, he sat down and quickly picked up the conversation.
“Still, I didn’t expect you to drop by today, Aya-san. I figured you’d be resting up for the event tomorrow.” (Haruto)
“Fufu, seems like we’re thinking the same thing. That’s why I didn’t imagine you were just on break either when I didn’t see you at the register.” (Aya)
“Ah, that explains it. Honestly, I would’ve liked to take the day off if I could. But, well… after getting steamrolled by a certain team yesterday, I wanted to squeeze in a bit of practice time.” (Haruto)
Though he kept his words vague out of consideration for the nearby customers, the smirk on Aya’s face showed she understood perfectly.
“Really, thanks for that match yesterday, Haruto-kun.” (Aya)
“Huh? I don’t think I did anything worth being thanked for.” (Haruto)
“That’s not true. You changed your playstyle just to make sure you’d run into us, didn’t you? I noticed because your kill log barely showed up after the early game.” (Aya)
The “kill log” was a system that displayed on screen which player had defeated whom. Thanks to that, one could tell when they were matched with a famous player or which team was dominating the field.
“Wow… you can figure that out just from that?” (Haruto)
“Since Haruto-kun is the kind of player who actively goes for kills, it’s especially easy to notice with you.” (Aya)
“I-I see… Yeah, I did change my playstyle for that one match, but that was just because I wanted to fight a certain full team head-on…” (Haruto)
“――You say that, but it was to make our stream more exciting, right?” (Aya)
“Ugh…” (Haruto)
As Aya leaned in with a skeptical look, Haruto sensed that she had more or less caught on.
“Uh, well… Even if I had that in mind, it was like… ninety percent about the fight, ten percent maybe about the stream…” (Haruto)
“Actually, wasn’t it more like fifty-fifty?” (Aya)
“Nonono! If anything, I’d accept eighty-twenty!” (Haruto)
“Then let’s settle on forty-sixty?” (Aya)
“Absolutely not!” (Haruto)
“Then it’s fifty-fifty.” (Aya)
“Okay, okay, this topic is officially closed.” (Haruto)
“Fufu, Haruto-kun really is just like always.” (Aya)
“…” (Haruto)
A losing battle.
Haruto used a sip of his fruit tea as an excuse to shut his mouth, but from his reactions, Aya seemed more than convinced.
And even while chatting, she had clearly kept her brain working.
With her pen in hand, Aya smoothly filled in two blank sections of her assignment with neat handwriting.
Watching her, something crossed Haruto’s mind.
“Hey, Aya-san. This is a bit of a change in topic, but… is this the only university assignment you have right now?” (Haruto)
“…Actually, I’ve still got three more reports to write…” (Aya)
“Eh!? Is that okay? What about the deadlines…?” (Haruto)
Having never attended university himself, Haruto didn’t know the details, but he did know that missing deadlines could affect one’s credits.
“Umm… If you ask whether I’m okay, I can’t really say I am… But worst case, I could just skip university for a day and power through it, so it’s still manageable!” (Aya)
“I-I see…” (Haruto)
Skipping university to do assignments.
The very fact that such a thought crossed her mind clearly showed she was under a lot of pressure. Between her daily university classes, streaming, preparing for the Ebe Festival, and editing her own videos—
With so many things piling up, and the need to maintain her stream’s popularity while also earning enough to cover tuition, it was no wonder her priorities were all over the place.
“By the way, just checking… is your schedule set up so you’re actually getting enough sleep?” (Haruto)
“Of course I am!” (Aya)
“Are you… really?” (Haruto)
“…” (Aya)
It wasn’t so much intuition as it was that her overly quick response raised suspicion. The moment he questioned it, it showed.
Aya blatantly averted her eyes.
“Aya-san?” (Haruto)
“…………” (Aya)
When he pressed further, she put down her pen and covered both eyes with her hands.
She was clearly trying hard to dodge the issue, but her attempt was way too obvious.
“Just so you know… my body’s on the tougher side, so…” (Aya)
“That doesn’t mean it’s okay to push yourself, right? That’s something I picked up from my imouto.” (Haruto)
“…Haha. I really have no comeback for that.” (Aya)
“Well, there are times when the only option is to cram everything in. I get that feeling all too well.” (Haruto)
Ever since it became just him and Yuno as a family, he had felt this kind of thing even more deeply.
That’s precisely why he knew a small way to help.
“Aya-san, how long are you planning to stay here today?” (Haruto)
“Hmm… I’m planning to hang in there until I finish my assignment, so… probably until you finish your shift, Haruto-kun.” (Aya)
“Then, if you end up staying until the end, how about the two of us swing by the supermarket real quick? Even just having a few nutritional drinks might help.” (Haruto)
“Ah! If you say stuff like that, I… I might end up relying on you, you know?” (Aya)
“I’d actually prefer it if you did. I’m even looking forward to going shopping with you.” (Haruto)
“…Th-Then, I’ll take you up on that…” (Aya)
With Aya glancing up at him, Haruto nodded deeply, continuing with a smile.
“And until I’m off work, I’ll serve you drinks or whatever you need, so just come ask anytime.” (Haruto)
“That’s going too far!?” (Aya)
“It’s fine, it’s fine! Anyway, my break’s about over, so I’ll head back to work.” (Haruto)
“…Ah, okay. Got it. Then, let’s both do our best with the time we have left!” (Aya)
“Haha, thanks.” (Haruto)
With that exchange over, Haruto quickly picked up his empty drink and made his way back to the staff room. Aya watched his back until he was out of sight.
She then spread her textbooks and assignments back out across the table — and her expression softened.
She had come to the café to make progress on her assignments, but now she had also made plans to go shopping with Haruto.
—Just that alone made Aya feel like coming today was worth it.
From there, things continued.
“Eh!? Two whole boxes? That’s 20 bottles!” (Aya)
“If you’ve got space for them, it’s way better to have them! Wanna go for a third box too?” (Haruto)
“Wha—! T-Then two is enough!” (Aya)
“Alright, let’s stick with two for now.” (Haruto)
Just as promised, Aya stopped by the 24-hour supermarket, and when Haruto, without hesitation, tried to add a third box of energy drinks into the shopping basket, she flailed a bit and grabbed his arm to stop him in a panic.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
“Hey Aya-san, doesn’t this look pretty good? A steam eye mask. It says something amazing here—’relieves tension from deep within’.” (Haruto)
“Ah, that one’s super popular, apparently. Rina-san uses it all the time.” (Aya)
“Really…? Then maybe we should get four boxes.” (Haruto)
“Shouldn’t two boxes be enough!?” (Aya)
“This one’s definitely a four-box item. And if you don’t use them, we can always give them to Rina-san. Right?” (Haruto)
“Then… three boxes.” (Aya)
“Four it is.” (Haruto)
“Mou~! Hehe.” (Aya)
*Pon pon pon pon*
One after another, Haruto dropped them into the shopping basket, and at this point, Aya could do nothing but surrender.
Everything in the shopping cart was a gift from him.
—To help her recover faster when she pushed herself too hard.
—To help her feel better quickly when she was exhausted.
Those were the feelings packed into each item.
That’s why… just the act of him trying to buy so much for her made Aya truly happy.
To think that he cared about her this much…
That thought came through so strongly in that moment, her heart couldn’t help but race.
“What else might be good, I wonder? Is there anything you’ve been interested in, Aya-san?” (Haruto)
“Actually… I’ve run out of bath salts…” (Aya)
“Alright! Then let’s head to the next aisle.” (Haruto)
“O-Okay…” (Aya)
Having decided where to go next, Aya walked beside Haruto, so close their shoulders brushed—closing the distance between them just slightly, but deliberately.
Because he was so focused on shopping, it was easy for her to do what she wanted in that moment.
Since their shopping felt just like what a couple living together might do… she couldn’t help but get swept up in that feeling a little.
“Oh, let’s buy lots of bath salts too. Look, it even says here it helps with fatigue and shoulder stiffness.” (Haruto)
“Thank you so much… Then, is it okay if I pick this ‘Aroma Night’ one?” (Aya)
“Of course.” (Haruto)
“Hehe, yay.” (Aya)
Not because she really wanted it.
Not because she was picky about it.
Aya chose the bath salt because it was the one Haruto had picked up first.
“Wouldn’t it be fine to grab two or three more boxes? It’d make bath time more fun if you had lots of kinds, right?” (Haruto)
“Again, that many!?” (Aya)
“Well, if you have the space for them, it’s not a loss, right? Come on, pick three more that catch your eye.” (Haruto)
“W-Wait a minute! Three more boxes are definitely too much!” (Aya)
“It’s fine, it’s fine. The more the merrier.” (Haruto)
“W-Well, if I can’t use them all, then you’ll come over and use them, right? You’re making me buy all of this stuff, so you’ll have to help me finish them!” (Aya)
“Haha, then I’ll come over and use them when that actually happens.” (Haruto)
“…!” (Aya)
No matter what she said, he had no intention of changing his mind.
The fact that he was being so generous and going out of his way to spoil her made her heart feel warmer and warmer.
Living alone, she could really feel the difference.
—If someone like him were always by my side, I’d feel so much more at ease…
—Everything would be so much more fun…
At that moment, she truly envied his younger sister.
“T-Take it easy, I’m more worried about you, Haruto-kun! You’re spending so much money…” (Aya)
“If you’re worried about that, I’d be happy if you didn’t push yourself too hard.” (Haruto)
“Your reasoning sounds a bit unfair…” (Aya)
“People who say they’re ‘strong’ tend to push themselves too much.” (Haruto)
And there was one more thing.
It was a moment that let her see a side of Haruto that was beyond her control.
Some people might dislike this kind of meddling, but when someone you care about does it with kindness, it’s a happiness that words can’t even express…
“T-That’s a point that applies to you too, you know…” (Aya)
“Haha, that’s probably true.” (Haruto)
“Mou…” (Aya)
Seeing his natural smile so close to her made Aya’s heart race, almost to the point of breathlessness.
The fact that she had instinctively come up with an excuse to invite him over by saying “come use them” instead of just handing him the bath salts.
The fact that, without realizing it, she had wished for him to come over…
—Aya realized that her feelings for Haruto were deepening.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
It felt like it has been forever since the two of them talked to each other irl. Well, maybe it has something to do with my crappy translation schedule making it feel long.
What on earth is a steam eye mask? It sounds interesting. Maybe I should try one.
Footnote:
- None
