“…Okay. All set and ready to go.” (Keitaro)
On that night.
I sat in front of my PC in my room, confirming that everything was ready for standby.
Today, there’s an important event.
Guess what? Yuki is going to appear on a live talk show on YouTube.
The channel is called ‘Nuts’ Event Talk’, and the base premise is that the host will invite various personalities such as YouTubers, gamers, celebrities, and sports players to showcase a different side of themselves.
Nuts-san, the channel owner and host, uses her witty talk to bring out the new charm of the guests, making it a wildly popular channel with a massive number of subscribers and supporters.
With Yuki set to appear in this upcoming livestream, it’s absolutely impossible for a Yuki fan like me to miss it.
I’ve even prepared to record it and have a backup plan in place in case that fails.
Looking at the clock, I realize it’s starting in just a little over ten minutes. My excitement is reaching its peak. The thought that I might see a side of Yuki that I’ve never seen before… it’s too much to handle.
Moreover, there’s another reason for my excitement.
After the end of the stream, the live stream for ‘Mariel-sama’ will start.
—Daitenin Mariel
She is a popular VTuber affiliated with the major VTuber agency ‘Twinkle Live’. For context, she reached several million subscribers in just under a month after her debut.
I was one of the people who watched her streams when she first debuted, and I found her content so entertaining that I immediately subscribed to her channel and became a member.
Since then, I’ve been following Mariel-sama’s streams without fail, and she has become my favorite oshi among the many VTubers out there.
My oshi idol Yuki and my oshi VTuber Mariel-sama.
Being able to watch the live streams of both of them one after another is nothing short of pure happiness for a devoted fan like me.
“I even got to see Yuki at school today. Today might be the best day of my life, after all!” (Keitaro)
My excitement might be a bit too much, as I’m even talking to myself.
Well, that’s just how excited I am waiting for the live stream to start.
*Konkon*
“…Onii-chan, is now a good time?” (Sana)
At that moment, a knock could be heard, and my imouto (little sister), Sana, peeked in from behind the door.
“Hmm? Sana, yeah it’s fine. What’s up?” (Keitaro)
As I turned to respond, Sana entered the room without hesitation.
When she stands in front of me, my petite sister has to look up at me due to our height difference. Initially, it seemed somewhat strange and almost ticklish, but after six months, I’ve grown used to it.
With her wide, expressive eyes and a perfectly shaped face resembling a doll, she’s a beautiful girl who, despite being two years younger, is in her third year of junior high. However, she looks nothing like me.
And there’s a reason for that – Sana is my step-sister, with no blood relation. She became a part of the family when our father remarried six months ago.
Initially, having a step-sister was a bit bewildering, something that seemed to exist only in anime or light novels. However, now I feel like we’ve become close – at least that’s what I want to believe.
Well, Sana doesn’t seem to have any strange reservations about me, and I like to think that she feels the same way about me. I’ve had plenty of experience becoming a step-brother in games, so I’m sure we’re getting along just fine.
“…I’ve just finished making a new cos, and I’d like you to see it.” (Sana)
With such thoughts in mind, Sana spoke in her usual flat tone.
By the way, ‘cos’ refers to cosplay costumes.
Actually, my sister has a hobby of cosplaying, and she often shows off her outfits to me.
“Oh, I see. …Ah, but not right now.” (Keitaro)
I started to nod at her words for a moment but immediately stopped myself. It’s not good right now.
“What’s wrong?” (Sana)
“Well, there’s a live stream with Yuki starting soon. After that, there’s Mariel-sama’s stream, so it’s a bit tricky today.” (Keitaro)
“…Mm.” (Sana)
In response to my words, Sana visibly furrowed her brows. Her cheeks slightly puffed up, revealing a clear look of displeasure.
“Refusing your imouto’s request, you really are a hopeless idol and VTuber otaku.” (Sana)
“Yeah, that’s right. I’m an idol and VTuber otaku, so what?” (Keitaro)
“…You’re so shameless about it.” (Sana)
“Haha, well, because there’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in being an idol and V-tuber otaku. If anything, I take pride in being both.” (Keitaro)
“…You’re so shamelessly proud of it. Onii-chan ecchi, hentai, sukebe1.” (Sana)
“Sister dearest, you’re too naive. Assuming that I don’t look at Yuki and Mariel-sama with such twisted eyes, for an otaku, those words are no longer insults, but rather compliments! Being able to acknowledge and transcend one’s own libido is an extreme feat that only an otaku can achieve!2” (Keitaro)
“…You’re creepy.” (Sana)
“Ah, sorry. Please forgive me.” (Keitaro)
I apologized with a bow to Sana, who was giving me a disapproving look.
Hentai and sukebe are fine, but ‘creepy’ is tough to handle. Even if an otaku tries to act tough, they generally have delicate hearts, so please refrain from using words that can genuinely hurt!
“On a serious note, please spare me for today, I’m begging you! I’ve been looking forward to today’s livestream for a long time!” (Keitaro)
“…Well, fine. I’ll look for you another time.” (Sana)
As I clasped my hands and pleaded, Sana sighed with a resigned expression.
Despite the banter, Sana genuinely understands my hobbies, including my gaming channel. She shows consideration, and even though she may throw teasing remarks, there’s no malice behind them. In fact, I appreciate Sana’s somewhat sharp tongue; it makes me feel like she sees me as a family member.
Ah, just to make it clear, I’m not some masochist who enjoys being insulted, okay?
“…Why are you grinning like that? Are you that excited about your idol and VTuber livestreams? Hmph.” (Sana)
As I was having this heartwarming moment about my sister, she seemed to misunderstand something and showed an even more irritated expression. Somehow, her words now sound sharper than before?
Sana always seemed displeased whenever I talked about my oshis. Maybe she’s not a big fan of idols or VTubers.
Sana turned on her heels and left the room without saying anything.
“Sorry. I’ll properly indulge you next time—wait, the time!” (Keitaro)
While all this was happening, it was time for the live stream, so I quickly settled down in front of my PC.
Opening the live stream, it seemed to have just started. The usual opening played along with lively music, and I found myself swaying to the beat. Yeah, pretty creepy, I admit.
“(Alright, it’s time for today’s Nuts Event Talk!)” (Nuts-san)
As that ended, a super anime-voiced Kansai dialect came through, and a girl with a smile that could pass for an elementary school student appeared. This girl is Nuts-san, the host of the channel. By the way, despite her appearance, she’s confirmed to be an adult, making the concept of age seem like it has a bug.
“(Now, now, today’s guest that everyone’s been waiting for! One of the Five Archangels of the top idol group, @ngeL25… Let’s welcome Yuki, aka Nozomi Yukina-san!)” (Nuts-san)
“(Good evening, Nozomi Yukina desu.)” (Yukina)
“Yuki’s hereee!!!” (Keitaro)
Just after Nuts’ introduction, Yuki appeared, and I couldn’t help but clench my fists.
Yuki during her concert is cute, but Yuki through the screen is also unbelievably cute…!
No, Yuki has always been too angelic. She’s so precious it makes me genuinely tremble. Uh-oh, my excitement is getting too high, and I’m starting to fidget.
“(Today, we’ll introduce everyone to Yuki’s unknown charms. So, Yuki-san, thanks for being with us today!)” (Nuts-san)
“(Yes, thank you very much for having me.)” (Yukina)
Responding to Nuts’ playful introduction with a sincere reply… even to such casual reactions, I couldn’t help but release a deep sigh of admiration. Seriously, she’s so precious…!
And so, the livestream began, and I focused intently on the screen, not wanting to miss any aspect of Yuki. I may be recording it, but I wanted to engrave every detail in my memory as well.
The livestream proceeded to progress smoothly without any hiccups. Guided by Nuts-san’s witty talk, Yuki answered in her usual cool and serious demeanor. The mood remained pleasant throughout, and Yuki’s charm, with her calm demeanor, was effectively conveyed.
The number of concurrent viewers reached an impressive one hundred thousand, and the comment section was buzzing with excitement. Somehow, I felt proud of my oshi’s popularity.
It’s a bit embarrassing, but when you realize that this incredibly beautiful angel is your oshi, you can’t help but want to announce it to the world.!
“(Eh, so Yuki-san is a dog person, huh?)” (Nuts-san)
“(Yes, that’s right. I have one at home, a Shiba Inu.)” (Yukina)
“(…I see. I knew Yuki liked dogs, but I didn’t know the breed was a Shiba Inu.)” (Nuts-san)
As I watched the livestream, I nodded repeatedly, considering this new piece of valuable information.
Even though I don’t think there’s anyone questioning the sanity of knowing such detailed information, I’ll mention it just in case. Fans want to know everything about their oshis. Knowing these kinds of details allows us to imagine Yuki happily playing with her pet dog every time we see a Shiba Inu. It’s truly precious.
The talk covered a wide range of topics, including the usual ones like hobbies and favorite foods, but also unique information that you wouldn’t hear outside of this livestream. Questions like where she wanted to travel, the first song she bought and listened to, or what she would bring if she could only take one thing to a deserted island. I silently gave a thumbs up to Nuts-san for asking great questions and gratefully stored Yuki’s answers in my heart.
“(By the way, what do you do during your days off lately?)” (Nuts-san)
“(Well, recently, I’ve been playing games. I’m not really good at it, though.)” (Yukina)
Soon, the conversation shifted to how Yuki spends her days off, and when she mentioned the word “game”, I couldn’t help but react.
…Yuki play games? That’s news to me! Seriously?
As a gaming enthusiast, this was the most interesting topic I had heard so far, and I found myself leaning forward involuntarily.
“(Oh, that’s unexpected. By the way, what kind of games do you play?)” (Nuts-san)
“(Well, it’s a game called Line of Fire—)” (Yukina)
“(Eh!? LoF!?)” (Nuts-san)
And in the next moment, I found myself almost standing up from my chair.
Line of Fire—commonly known as LoF.
It’s a team-based battle royale FPS released about a year ago, and it became a massive hit with many gamers entering the scene due to its high quality.
I had been part of LoF since the beta release, and truth be told, it was this game that inspired me to start doing game commentary. It’s a game I love, and it’s also the main content on my YouTube channel. Seriously, it’s an amazing game, so everyone should play it.
Given the emotional connection I had with this title, I never expected to hear it come from Yuki’s mouth, and I was quite surprised.
“(Oh, LoF, huh? It’s really popular right now. I play it too, but to think that Yuki-san is playing it as well, that’s amazing. By the way, how good are you?)” (Nuts-san)
“(Well, I’m really not good at it. I haven’t played many games, so it’s quite challenging for me… But it’s a lot of fun.)” (Yukina)
“Wow, seriously! Yuki playing LoF… Wow!” (Keitaro)
With a smile, Yuki’s response sent my excitement skyrocketing.
Playing a game that your oshi enjoys—just thinking about it makes me incredibly happy.
“Maybe, somewhere out there, Yuki and I have been matched in a game…!?” (Keitaro)
I couldn’t help but let my imagination run wild, squirming in delight.
I know my imagination is running wild, but please bear with me. Being an otaku and not daydreaming is like having curry without roux. I don’t wanna hear stuff like, “Did you know that real curry doesn’t have roux?” Please, just let it slide!
Setting that aside, the discussion about Yuki and Nuts playing LoF continued.
“(It is, isn’t it? LoF is currently one of the hottest games out there so there are plenty of content creators playing it. I’ve even done some live commentary collabs with some of them before. Speaking of which, Yuki-san, do you watch live game commentary?)” (Nuts-san)
“Wow, Nuts-san, that’s an excellent question!” (Keitaro)
As someone who streams LoF, that was exactly the question I wanted to hear.
Of course, it’s irrelevant to a small channel like mine, but if Yuki watches any streams, I must absolutely take note.
With such thoughts in mind, I anxiously waited for Yuki’s response, my heart pounding.
But then, something unexpected happened.
In response to Nuts’ question, Yuki’s eyes sparkled.
“(Yes! Actually, there is a gaming commentary channel that I like…!)” (Yukina)
And with that, Yuki leaned forward, delivering her response.
Yuki tightly clenched both hands, her face slightly flushed, and her eyes sparkling. She spoke with an enthusiasm reminiscent of a small child talking about their favorite thing. It was a side of Yuki that I had never seen before, and before savoring her cuteness, I was taken aback.
But the real surprise was yet to come.
“(Ah, your excitement suddenly went up. I don’t think I’ve seen Yuki-san like this before.)” (Nuts-san)
“(S-sorry, but I really love that channel…!)” (Yukina)
“(It’s fine. Since this stream is about showing a different side of you, feel free to react as you feel. So, what’s the name of the channel? If Yuki-san watches it, it must be a well-known channel, right?)” (Nuts-san)
“(Ah, no, that channel has less than five subscribers… but regardless of that, it’s incredibly entertaining!)” (Yukina)
“(Eh? It’s a channel with single digit subscribers?)” (Nuts-san)
Ignoring Nuts, who seemed genuinely surprised, Yuki nodded and, with the best smile she had shown so far, answered.
“(Yes. The name is Kei’s Game Commentary Channel!)” (Yukina)
“……………………..Eh?” (Keitaro)
At that moment, my body stiffened as if turned to stone.
I felt like I heard my own channel’s name coming out of Yuki’s mouth.
…No way.
…No, no, no. That’s impossible… No no no no!
…Fuu, this is bad. Even though I’m a dedicated Yuki fan, it’s getting weird to the point of hearing hallucinations. I must have misheard something—
“(Oh, really? Kei’s Game Commentary… That’s a name I’ve never heard before.)” (Nuts-san)
“(That’s right, Kei’s Game Commentary! I really like that channel!)” (Yukina)
But it was clear as day; In what was supposed to be a hallucination, I heard my channel’s name again.
“……………….” (Keitaro)
Unable to grasp the situation, I stood there dumbfounded, staring at the screen.
Experiencing a brain freeze due to not being able to process information is a first for me… Well, when faced with unexpectedly bizarre situations, humans tend to freeze up. Source: Yours truly.
“(Heh~ Yuki-san, you really love that channel, don’t you? That channel must really be something. Is there anything you can tell us about that channel?)” (Nuts-san)
“(It’s an incredibly entertaining channel! Ever since I found it, I’ve been hooked! I watch it every day, and I never get tired of it! Oh, speaking of which, it’s a game commentary channel, mainly focusing on LoF. The person behind the channel is incredibly skilled and I can’t help but be mesmerized! I actually started playing LoF because of that channel, hoping to get closer to Kei-kun’s skill level. Oh, by the way, Kei-kun is the name of the commentator! Formally, the channel is called Kei, but I’ve always called them Kei-kun! Kei-kun is incredibly cool! His gameplay is superb, and I often wonder how they can make such moves! And his commentary is genuinely entertaining! Even though I didn’t know anything about LoF at first, his explanations are so easy to understand! When I first started watching, I got so into it that before I knew it, hours had passed! Oh, that’s not all—I also love Kei-kun’s voice! It’s not just cool; it’s warm and gentle, and I can listen to it forever! And then, and then…!)” (Yukina)
“(Oh~ you’re really passionate. It’s a completely different atmosphere from before.)” (Nuts-san)
In the midst of Yuki’s overwhelming enthusiasm, Nuts-san seemed quite interested in the topic.
From Yuki’s enthusiastic gestures and passionate explanations about the channel, it was evident that she truly loved that channel.
Of course, I, who was already shocked by the revelation, coupled with the impact from earlier, experienced a complete brain crash.
“(…That’s how it is! I’m a big fan of Kei-kun!)” (Yukina)
However, as Yuki concluded her lengthy speech, my head slowly began to reboot. Although the speed was comparable to an outdated CPU found in a budget laptop, at least it started moving again.
On the screen, Yuki wore an undisturbed smile, and the talk was still ongoing. However, the details of the conversation were no longer registering in my mind.
“…………Um, let’s see. First, let’s calm down. So, to summarise, Yuki seriously mentioned my channel…?” (Keitaro)
I tried to organize the situation while attempting to move my malfunctioning brain. To confirm, the situation, I entered ‘Kei’s Game Commentary’ in the YouTube search bar.
There might be a possibility of a more prominent channel with the same name.
Contrary to that possibility, the search results only showed my own channel.
As a test, I opened the latest video uploaded this morning.
“Whoa!? Th-this is…!” (Keitaro)
Then, the views, which had been in the single digits, had now exceeded over fifty thousand. I widened my eyes, having never seen a five-digit number before. Meanwhile, the view count was increasing at an unbelievable speed, and the comment section was flooded with an overwhelming number of comments.
The contents of the comments ranged from ‘I came from Nuts Channel’ to ‘Is this the one Yuki was talking about?’ to ‘Is it true that Yuki is endorsing this?’ to ‘I’m going to check it out now!’ and more. It was clear that they were viewers who heard Yuki’s statements in the ongoing livestream.
“What… what’s with this amount of comments…? I’ve never experienced anything like this before—wait, no, don’t lose your composure. Stay calm in situations like this… Yes, stay calm!” (Keitaro)
Despite trying to reassure myself, it was clear that this was not an easy situation to stay calm in.
I don’t know what to do. There’s no outlet for the overwhelming emotions surging within me. I feel unusually restless and incredibly confused. I couldn’t sit still at all.
After aimlessly walking around my room for a while, I decided to try to return to my usual rhythm, at least for now.
Let’s put this abnormal situation aside for a moment… No, no, I know I’m just running away, but still! In order to calm down, I should get back to my usual routine. Yes, routine work is essential!
“…Um, first, I was watching Yuki’s live appearance on Nuts Channel… So, let’s continue that… wait, it’s already over!?” (Keitaro)
It seemed that the livestream had already ended while I was in a daze. I panicked as I rewind the stream to where I left off… Well, watching this won’t calm me down given that it was the source of the current confusion… I should watch this when things settle down instead.
“Th-then, let’s watch Mariel-sama. Mariel-sama’s livestream should be starting. I’ll just watch that and enjoy it without thinking too much. I can think about the Yuki situation later…” (Keitaro)
Yeah, that’s it. That’s a good idea. If I focus on Mariel-sama’s livestream without overthinking it, my head might reset.
With that in mind, I headed towards Mariel-sama’s channel… but
“Wait, what? She’s not streaming? But there was one scheduled around this time. Could it be a sudden health issue, and she had to cancel today?” (Keitaro)
Upon learning that Mariel-sama’s stream, which I had been counting on, was suddenly canceled, I became anxious.
Although I’m worried about her health, I feel disappointed at the same time because I was looking forward to taking a breather with her stream, and now, with the combination of various emotions from Yuki’s situation, I become even more restless.
“…This can’t be happening. What should I do…!” (Keitaro)
Having lost another anchor, I mindlessly wander around the room in frustration.
“Ah, onii-chan!” (Sana)
At this moment, the door suddenly burst open, and Sana rushed into the room in an unusually flustered manner.
“…Onii-chan, your channel is trending on social media! There’s a hashtag for [Kei’s Game Commentary], and there’s also one for [Nozomi Yukina]!” (Sana)
Breathing heavily, Sana pointed her smartphone in my direction.
Indeed, as Sana mentioned, it was clear on her screen that both my commentary channel and Yukina’s name were trending simultaneously… I see, even on social media, huh?
“…Hey, Sana.” (Keitaro)
“W-What’s wrong, onii-chan?” (Sana)
At this point, I finally felt like I fully understood the situation.
Until now, the possibility that it was just my imagination couldn’t be entirely ruled out, but seeing Sana in this state made it impossible to deny.
With unsteady steps, I stood in front of Sana, and in a detached manner, I muttered.
“…I might have got caught up in Yukina’s buzz. What should I do?” (Keitaro)
By the way, upon hearing that, Sana responded with a simple “I don’t know”, followed by “Why is this happening?” But even if she asked why, I wouldn’t have an answer because I don’t know what’s going on either.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Mariel reached millions of subscribers within a month of debut? This is some Dream level of growth right here. She must have broken the YouTube algorithm somehow. Even Gawr Gura managed to only achieve 1 mil in one month.
I’m surprised that Yukina uses her real name as her stage name… unless Nozomi Yukina is the stage name all along.
Where is the childhood friend, she looks like a Tsundere character, and I unironically like Tsundere char
Thanks for the chapter!
Alright. I can see that this is written with the intention of being a dream story for a Vtuber otaku and the like. I don’t actually like that trope since usually the MC will be your typical “pathetic” persona. But the world building seems okay, so I hope it only goes better as the chapters went by.
Bet that his sister is the Vtuber LOL
Edit : Holy, I just noticed it. She wears such a nice outfit in home?
On the second note, I suppose it means around the line of “being a fan without having sexual thought about their oshis”
I don’t like how this guy is reacting to his idol, it reminds me of Stan culture. We are all humans and equal beings, stop idolizing people, they are just normal. Just cause someone can sing or act well or looks good, you have to worship them? That’s so stupid, they aren’t better than anyone else and don’t deserve better treatment, I will never get starstruck meeting anyone, cause like I said, they are just normal. Act normal around “celebrities,” they don’t have superpowers, they are made of the same skin and bones as the rest of us. Don’t let them convince you they are better than you, they have no right to be arrogant no matter how famous, successful, or wealthy they are, because we are all equal.
i get what you are saying, but I feel like his reaction is better than the fans that go stalker or unicorns. I’ve never been a celebrity, but I imagine above a certain level of fame you are more appreciative of those who give a reasonable space. IE, not staring in public chance encounters or asking for an autograph/photo/etc.
I mean, yeah, I agree with you, but this is the entire concept that Japanese idol culture is built on. It’s not that this guy is reacting this way to his idol, it’s every single idol otaku. This is how they are expected to behave. It’s called “idol” because they are “worshipped”. Otherwise they’d just be called, like, an artist.