“Is this… an arcade?” (Keitaro)
We arrived at a different floor of the same building, which turned out to be the game corner. It was quite spacious, with many game machines surrounding us.
“If it’s games you want, couldn’t we have just stayed at the café earlier? Unlike here, we have it all rented out for ourselves.” (Serika)
Serika’s observation was correct, but Yuki said that she could only do it here. Eventually, it seemed she found what she was looking for, as she headed towards a large machine for a dance game.
“This is it! I’ll be playing this, so Kei-kun, I want you to watch me.” (Nozomi)
“That’s fine, but… why?” (Keitaro)
“Sorry for the sudden request. I want to show a good side of myself to Kei-kun too… Besides, I’ve done this before, and I’m pretty good at dancing.” (Nozomi)
With that said, as Yuki stepped onto the platform, we decided to stand around and watch.
I was taken aback by the suddenness of it all, but deep down, I was quite excited to see Yuki’s dance live (albeit in a game). However, as she selected the song and the game began, the atmosphere around her changed.
Yuki energetically raised her hands and struck a pose.
Of course, such movements weren’t necessary as the game’s outcome was determined solely by tapping on the panel at her feet. Yet, in that moment, the arcade transformed into a pseudo-live stage.
The playful demeanor she had shown just moments ago disappeared somewhere, and in its place stood the cool and artistic idol, Yuki.
Perhaps sensing the extraordinary presence, a crowd of onlookers quickly gathered around us.
“Wow…!” (Audience)
“That’s so cool…!” (Audience)
“Hey, is she a pro?” (Audience)
“Mom, that lady is amazing!” (Audience)
“She’s beautiful…” (Audience)
“She’s like a goddess…!” (Audience)
Amidst the shower of praise from everyone, Yuki proceeded to complete the song with flawless steps.
With an all-perfect high score, cheers and excitement echoed throughout the store.
“…So, what did you think? Did I live up to your expectations?” (Nozomi)
After finishing the game, Yuki asked without even breaking a sweat.
I overwhelmed with emotion, could only nod silently in response. Seeing that, Yuki smiled happily and said, “Hehe, I’m glad…” The combination of her emotions and cuteness almost overwhelmed me to the point where I felt like rolling around on the floor right there.
“Wow… that was amazing.” (Audience)
“Hey, doesn’t she look kinda like Yuki?” (Audience)
“Yuki as in the idol?” (Audience)
“Uhh, let’s change locations for now…!” (Keitaro)
But just as we were about to talk, we noticed the crowd discussing such things, and even though we were in disguise with hats and glasses, drawing attention was not a good idea. So, we decided to move to a quieter place.
“No, seriously, that was amazing…! Your dancing was beyond what you’d expect from a game…!” (Keitaro)
Taking a moment to catch my breath, I expressed my admiration once again. The fact that Yuki was a top idol had been directly hammered into me, right before my eyes.
“Ehehe, thank you… I worked hard so as not to embarrass myself in front of you, so I’m glad to hear that.” (Nozomi)
Yuki showed a satisfied smile. Despite effortlessly gathering such a crowd and displaying her innate idol power, she remained humble. It made me realize once again how amazing it was to have someone like her supporting me.
“Ketaro, come with me for a moment!” (Serika)
At that moment, Serika, who had been quiet all along, stepped forward with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.
“What’s up? I’m still basking in the afterglow–” (Keitaro)
“Just come here!” (Serika)
And so, I found myself being dragged around by Serika.
While wondering what was going on, we headed to the rhythm game corner, where Serika stood in front of a game machine.
“Y-You’re my oshi too, right? Then I have no choice but to show off my skills too!” (Serika)
“Well, it’s not like you have to…” (Keitaro)
“I can’t let Yuki Nozomi have all the spotlight! I won’t allow it!” (Serika)
It seemed like Serika was trying to compete with Yuki by showing off her skills. Well, regardless of whatever she’s doing right now, my devotion to Mariel-sama wouldn’t change. Besides, a rhythm game… wait a minute? When it comes to rhythm games…
“Just watch me…!” (Serika)
Serika started the game with overflowing enthusiasm. It was a game where you touch icons on the screen in rhythm with the music, but the quantity and speed were staggering. Even to the casual observer, the high difficulty level was apparent.
However, Serika effortlessly handled it with graceful hand movements. She kept hitting perfect after perfect notes without a single miss. As I watched in astonishment, something clicked in my mind.
…That’s right, when it comes to rhythm games, Mariel-sama once did a livestream endurance challenge attempting to achieve a perfect run of all songs, but she cleared it so quickly that it went viral.
With her cute voice, skilled gameplay, and entertaining commentary, combined with her outstanding sense of rhythm, the immensely popular VTuber, Daitenin Mariel, had it all. Seeing her real-life counterpart showcasing those skills in front of me, I could do nothing but admire her.
“Wow…” (Keitaro)
“I’m just getting started…! This isn’t even my final form1!” (Serika)
She’s starting to sound like Mariel-sama, but Serika herself doesn’t seem to notice it, as she remains focused on the game.
“This is it desu wa!” (Serika)
Once she finished playing, Serika turned around with plenty of confidence.
On the game screen visible from behind her, the words “All Perfect” were prominently displayed.
“Hehe, I’m quite confident in my sense of rhythm. I’ve studied various games, but this is the one I’m best at after all. What do you think, Ketaro? This is the true power of Daitenin Mariel desu wa.” (Serika)
“Uh, yeah, it was amazing. A masterpiece, but…” (Keitaro)
Perhaps it’s because of the excitement of achieving a perfect run, but Serika’s tone hadn’t returned to normal, leaving me unsure of how to react despite feeling delighted to have witnessed Mariel-sama’s play firsthand.
Could it be that she switches into Mariel-sama mode whenever she’s playing rhythm games? While pondering this, Serika smiled contentedly, took out her smartphone, and started taking pictures of the game screen.
As I wondered what she was up to, a notification popped up on my phone saying that Mariel-sama had just posted on her social media account.
It was the same picture she had just taken a moment ago, and it was receiving an overwhelming number of replies. As expected of Mariel-sama…
“Hey, isn’t this the one Mariel-sama just posted?” (Audience)
“Seriously? Let’s give it a try!” (Audience)
“Come to think of it, didn’t we hear a voice that sounded like Mariel-sama’s earlier?” (Audience)
“Maybe it’s just our imagination?” (Audience)
Voices from behind made me stiffen in surprise.
W-Were they listening?! Did they already see the post?! Sensing danger, I quickly led everyone back to a less crowded area.
“Hehe, being an influencer sure is tough, huh?” (Serika)
Finally, Serika’s tone returned to normal.
I couldn’t help but think she should be more careful of the situation, but Serika remained in high spirits, unfazed by it all.
“……Muuu.” (Sana)
This time, Sana, who had been quiet all along, suddenly tugged at my clothes.
When I asked what was wrong, she looked up at me with a displeased expression.
“Sana wants to impress Onii-chan too.” (Sana)
While sending occasional glances towards Yuki and Serika, she expressed her feelings as such.
“I’ve told you, even without doing something like that, I already know you’re an amazing cosplayer, and my feelings won’t change—” (Keitaro)
“…But Sana wants to show it too. It’s not fair.” (Sana)
Sana said while still gazing at the two. Despite that, I couldn’t help but think that she didn’t need to get so competitive. Nevertheless, Sana grabbed my hand and started walking.
“W-Where are we going?” (Keitaro)
“Sana wants to dance too. Let’s give it a try.” (Serika)
With those words, we headed to the dancing machine that Yuki had played earlier.
…Wait, is Sana actually good at dancing? I’ve never seen her dance before…
As I watched with a mixture of doubt and curiosity, Sana, unusually determined, climbed onto the platform. And when she started playing and dancing, I was amazed.
“……Mm, …Mmm!” (Serika)
…H-Her movements couldn’t be more uncoordinated!
Watching her desperately trying to follow the steps while alternating between the screen and her feet, it was obvious that she was struggling. Still, Sana’s earnest efforts reminded me of a determined child…
…What’s this feeling? Sana has always been cute, but right now, she’s cute in a completely different way!? It’s like she’s stirring up my desire to protect her…!
“Wow…!” (Audience)
“What’s that, it’s so cute…!” (Audience)
“Oh, isn’t that cute?” (Audience)
“Mom, that girl is trying so hard!” (Audience)
“What a beautiful girl!” (Audience)
Before I knew it, a crowd had gathered again, but this time, they were buzzing with a different kind of excitement, unlike Yuki.
Why do I suddenly feel the urge to brag about my sister?
“Ugh…” (Sana)
When Sana returned after finishing the game, her expression clearly showed dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, I felt strangely fulfilled. …No, I was satisfied.
“Ugh… that was bad…” (Sana)
“No, you did great. It just made me want to support you even more.” (Keitaro)
“…Sana’s not happy about it. It’s unfair without cosplay. Muu!” (Sana)
“That’s not true! Sana-chan, you were cute!” (Nozomi)
“That was something… I recorded a video of it, but do you want to upload it?” (Serika)
Encouraged by Serika, Sana reluctantly uploaded the video of her dancing to her own social media account while wearing a dissatisfied expression. But in no time, the responses flooded in, all praising her cuteness.
…Yeah, as her brother, I’m totally satisfied. Even if she’s still feeling dissatisfied herself.
“Good work! I’m glad everyone was able to show Kei-kun their good side.” (Nozomi)
Yuki said that while smiling and looking around at everyone.
To this, Serika replied, “Indeed,” and Sana, still somewhat dissatisfied, nodded in agreement.
While I didn’t need them to show me anything special to support them, I couldn’t deny that I felt even more inclined to support them after today. In that sense, I couldn’t help but feel like I fell right into Yuki’s plan.
Feeling a bit embarrassed by that, I changed the subject while looking at my phone.
“…But seriously, the response to Mariel-sama and Sana’s posts is amazing. Yuki might not be able to upload to social media, but if she did, it would surely attract the same amount of attention. Influencers sure are something, huh?” (Keitaro)
I said this with a sense of emotion. Being supported by such amazing people, it’s no wonder I still feel like this is all somewhat unreal.
“What are you talking about? You’re a hugely popular gaming commentator now.” (Nozomi)
“That’s all thanks to you guys. But before that, I hardly got any reactions.” (Keitaro)
Comparing my channel now and then is like comparing day and night. It’s not even close.
“I mean, back then, even just one comment would get me all excited.” (Keitaro)
“Ah, I’ve been checking Kei-kun’s social media and commenting on his streams and videos for a long time!”
Yuki raised her hand while speaking. Her gesture was so cute, especially compared to her usual cool demeanor.
“Yeah, Wankoromochi-san’s comments always cheered me up. Thanks to them, I was motivated to keep doing commentaries.” (Keitaro)
“K-Kei-kun…! Ehehehe…” (Nozomi)
Yuki blushed and covered her cheeks with her hands. Well, I didn’t even know those comments were from Yuki back then.
“I-I’ve been checking out Ketaro’s streams all along too! I might not have left any comments… but! I remember every single detail of your videos perfectly!” (Serika)
Now it was Serika who chimed in. She crossed her arms as if trying to compete with Yuki but trying to one-up her like that wasn’t necessary.
“…Well, Sana’s the same. She’s been watching Onii-chan’s YouTube videos too.” (Sana)
“Huh, really?” (Keitaro)
Sana joined in, but I couldn’t help but ask back. That’s news to me? You were watching my streams all along?
“So that’s how it is! Even Sana-chan…! So basically, Kei-kun’s our oshi, which makes us ‘oshi buds’!” (Nozomi)
“…Well, I guess so, but was there even such a term?” (Serika)
Well, leaving aside Yuki’s habit of making up words, I get what she’s trying to say.
“Fuwa, I’m so happy…! I’ve never met fellow Kei-kun fans before, and now that I’ve become friends with Serika-san, and even Sana-chan…! From now on, we can all have lots of talks about Kei-kun together!” (Nozomi)
I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by Yuki’s genuinely happy smile.
To think that I could see such an amazing smile and to think that she was doing it while talking about me…
I’m definitely in a position where I should be the one offering thanks. Maybe I should just buy more Yuki merchandise for now.
As I pondered such things, Yuki and the others started getting heated up talking about me, or rather, having an oshi talk, as they call it.
They were eagerly discussing things like what happened in that one stream, or in that particular video. It’s a bit uncomfortable hearing them talk about me like that, but it’s clear they really do support me.
…But when it comes to being an ‘oshi’, I’m not backing down either, you know? Just like how you’re supporting me, I’ll support you all even more from now on! However, I’ll have to think about the specifics later.
As I fueled this mysterious sense of rivalry, I suddenly noticed a tense atmosphere in the air. And the source of it… well, obviously, there were only the four of us here: me, Yuki, Serika, and Sana.
Wait, what’s going on? Where did the relaxed atmosphere we had just moments ago disappear to?
“I still think the best version of Kei-kun is the Kei-kun during his streams. Oh, but the Kei-kun at school is also pretty irresistible. The Kei-kun at school—” (Nozomi)
“Hmm? But aren’t you just scratching the surface with that? I think you really need to know the old Ketaro to appreciate the good points of the current Ketaro. Come to think of it, back when we were kids, these kinds of things—” (Serika)
“…You haven’t seen each other much in recent years, right? As a family member, Sana knows his gap the best. Onii-chan at home—” (Sana)
It seems like they’re discussing which kind of me they support the most, each talking about their own version, but… is it me or do they look like they’re subtly competing for something else? Maybe it’s just my imagination, but can we please stop this potential argument?
“Um… It’s really nice that you all support me, but, um, it’s a bit uncomfortable when you… you know, argue like this…” (Keitaro)
I timidly interject. Please don’t say something like “how pathetic”. Approaching a group of girls like this is seriously a courageous act, you know!? Especially for an introvert like me!
“Eh? What are you talking about, Kei-kun? We’re not arguing, are we?” (Nozomi)
“Yeah, what’s with you? We’re just chatting normally.” (Serika)
“…Please don’t misunderstand. We’re just having a friendly chat about our oshi.” (Sana)
…Well, they say that, but their smiles don’t quite reach their eyes. It’s like I can hear ominous background music playing…! In the end, I couldn’t find an opportunity to intervene, and the discussion (??) continued.
It’s still unsettling, but it doesn’t seem like anything bad is about to happen, so for now, it seems like all I can do is watch over.
Since I had nothing to do, I decided to pass the time by checking the reactions to the videos and posts I put up earlier until their talk was over.
Regarding the video on the solo boss win, most of the comments were positive, like “amazing” or “impressive,” which was nice to see, but there were also a few negative ones that caught my eye.
Some comments were dismissive from the start, saying it’s impossible to do solo, while others laughed it off, saying it’s not a big deal and that other players could also do it. There were even comments implying that they were better at the game, which made me amused, but then there were others accusing me of cheating.
“…Nono, it’s definitely not a cheat. You can tell if someone’s using cheats just by looking.” (Keitaro)
I couldn’t help but laugh at the low-level comments.
But then, at that moment, everyone who had been chatting lively just a moment ago suddenly stopped and turned their attention towards me all at once. It seemed they reacted to my muttering, but the intensity of it made me flinch.
“…What did you just say, Kei-kun? Cheating…?” (Nozomi)
“N-No, I just saw a comment stating that earlier…” (Keitaro)
“What!?” (Serika)
Serika quickly takes out her phone to check. Yuki and Sana follow suit.
“Haaaaaa!? What is this comment!? There’s no way Ketaro would cheat! Who does this damn commenter think he is, accusing him of something like that?!” (Serika)
Serika gets infuriated as she reads the comment. …That’s not exactly the language one would expect from a young lady (ojou-sama)!?
“…This is terrible. There’s no way Kei-kun would cheat. It’s unforgivable to write something like this, even though it should be obvious just by watching…” (Nozomi)
Yuki suddenly returns to her usual cool demeanor and expresses her anger quietly. Her cold and quiet tone made her anger apparent and I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of fear.
“…Who are these losers? Insulting Onii-chan like that is the worst. They should just die.” (Sana)
Sana, in her usual energetic manner, expressed the most extreme sentiment. It’s reassuring that she’s angry on my behalf, but I wish she could be a bit gentler.
Well, each of them has their own way of expressing it, but it seems like everyone is outraged by this comment. And even though they were arguing just a moment ago, now they’re all united in roasting this commenter. What a contrast.
“We won’t let these haters win. Let’s keep promoting Kei-kun’s good points from now on!” (Nozomi)
“That’s right. There’s no point in trying to deal with haters, so let’s just ignore them and keep boosting Ketaro up!” (Serika)
“…Agreed. Haters have no right to speak. Everyone should become believers of onii-chan.” (Sana)
“As members of the Kei-kun’s oshi alliance, let’s join forces from now on. For starters, let’s share information about Kei-kun among ourselves. I’ll be in charge of gathering information about Kei-kun at school.” (Nozomi)
“Yeah, then I’ll provide information about Ketaro from when he was a kid.” (Serika)
“…Sana will give details about Onii-chan at home.” (Sana)
“Thank you, Sana-chan. Oh, and Sana-chan, we need to add you to our messaging group.” (Nozomi)
And before I knew it, a mysterious alliance had been formed. …What on earth just happened?
I don’t think anything good will happen if I say something, so I decided to refrain from commenting on this matter, even though it’s related to me.
…But honestly, there’s no need to get worked up over such comments.
As someone from a generation that has been connected to the internet since birth, I know that comments like these are just part of the daily routine, and they don’t faze me that much.
Yes, if there’s anything that would unsettle me, it wouldn’t be comments like these.
I checked the comments section again. And as I scrolled through, my finger stopped at a particular comment.
Comment: [This guy’s been getting a lot of attention from celebrities lately, but isn’t he getting carried away?]
An empty, low-level comment akin to a thug’s baseless accusation.
Normally, there would be no need to pay it any mind. And as evidence, this comment had neither likes nor dislikes. In essence, it was just a mere complaint.
…However, comments like these hit me the hardest right now. It’s a fact that I only reached where I’m at because of Yuki, Mariel-sama, and Sana giving me exposure. That’s why I need to work even harder from now on—
“Hmm?” (Keitaro)
As I pondered these thoughts, I felt a gaze upon me and lifted my head to meet Yuki’s eyes.
But the gaze was quickly averted, and Yuki resumed the conversation as if nothing had happened.
It was just a momentary glance, but it seemed like there was some uncertainty in those eyes. Or was that just my imagination…?
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
I have no idea what dafuq happened at the end but ok.
Let’s be honest, Serika should have totally gotten exposed right then and there. She straight-up name-drops Mariel in her voice when playing. She didn’t even wait until she got home before posting it online.