“(Ah, Kei-kun? Today’s stream was amazing as always!)” (Nozomi)
“(Yeah. I’m sure Ketaro’s fanbase have grown even more after this.)” (Serika)
“(…Sana wants to attract more Onii-chan believers.)” (Sana)
One night, we were having a voice chat in our messaging group.
Previously, our interactions were all through text, but recently, Sana had also joined the group. Perhaps because of that, we transitioned to voice chatting and that became the norm.
“(You know, I’ve been thinking for a while now, but Kei-kun’s streams are just too precious. Despite that, there’s no way to express gratitude for that preciousness. So, I have a suggestion. Kei-kun should enable superchat1 and allow people to donate!)” (Nozomi)
“(Heh~ Yukina Nozomi, you’re onto something. I completely agree with that. Ketaro’s streams deserve more appreciation.)” (Serika)
“(…Agreed. Superchat is a good idea.)” (Sana)
“Hey, hey, hey, hold on a second…” (Keitaro)
The main topic of our voice chat session today was the stream that I had just ended a moment ago.
Despite just starting the voice chat, the conversation was already moving ahead without me.
“(So, Kei-kun, can you set up superchats?)” (Nozomi)
“(You’re already monetized, right? Make sure it’s set up by the next stream.)” (Serika)
“Nono, I can’t just accept money from everyone…” (Keitaro)
“(…It’s normal for fans to donate to their oshi. If onii-chan hesitates, then Sana will go to onii-chan’s room right now and set it up.)” (Sana)
Sana said something outrageous, and Yuki and Serika praised her for it.
In the end, despite my reluctance, I was somewhat forcibly made to set up superchat.
But still, these three are always supporting me, and the more they push me like this, the stronger my desire becomes to do even better. It’s not exactly peer pressure, but more of a feeling that I need to meet their expectations even more.
“(…Kei-kun, are you okay?)” (Nozomi)
“Huh?” (Keitaro)
While I was lost in thought, Yuki suddenly asked me that.
“What do you mean.” (Keitaro)
“(I-I mean, you seemed a bit down…)” (Nozomi)
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. Probably just your imagination.” (Keitaro)
I answered like that. Maybe she sensed that I was a bit uneasy, but it wasn’t anything to be really worried about.
“(Is something bothering you? Did you not get an SSR in a gacha or something?)” (Serika)
“Like that would happen. Oh, but if I don’t get a rare skin in LoF, it’s a different story.” (Keitaro)
“…Come to think of it, onii-chan, you seem a bit off lately.” (Sana)
“…Really?” (Keitaro)
I hadn’t realized it, but was I really starting to lose my composure?
“It’s nothing. It’s just that I didn’t get an SSR from a gacha game.” (Keitaro)
“(You just said it wasn’t that! If it’s because of an adult-themed mobile game, I won’t go easy on you!)” (Serika)
“Don’t just assume things! That’s not it at all!” (Keitaro)
“(…It’s okay. The mobile games onii-chan plays are rated for ages 15 and up.)” (Sana)
“You promised not to say that, Sana-san!” (Keitaro)
I feel like I’m taking unnecessary damage, but it was kind of a relief that the conversation veered off track.
After that, the topic continued to change, and a debate erupted about gacha games.
“(……)” (Nozomi)
Amidst the conversation, Yuki alone remained silent, tilting her head slightly, and there seemed to be a shadow of unease on her face.
===
The next day, at school.
I noticed something unusual. Yuki seemed off.
At first glance, she appeared to be chatting with friends as usual, but upon closer look, I could tell her mind was elsewhere. Oh, look, even now her friend is asking, “Yuki, are you listening?”
And her expression seemed somewhat tense. It’s not just that she seems tense, but also somewhat gloomy…?
It seems like the others haven’t noticed. Maybe Yuki is being careful not to attract anyone’s attention. As a dedicated Yuki fan, I can pick up on these things perfectly… Well, I don’t really know the exact cause, though.
Hmm, it’s bothering me. No, it’s worrying me. I wonder if something happened.
Speaking of strange, she’s been making a lot of eye contact with me lately. Despite being in the middle of conversations with her friends, she keeps throwing glances over here. Because of that, even though I’m a pro at averting my gaze at the last moment to avoid being noticed, I keep making eye contact with her. …Man, saying that out loud, I sound really creepy. I’ll try not to look at Yuki for a while…
Despite trying not to worry about it, Yuki’s behavior remained unchanged, and she continued acting like this throughout the day.
After school, I finally decided to ask Yuki if something was wrong. Normally, I try to avoid initiating conversations due to wanting to maintain a certain distance, but I can’t keep silent any longer.
…Come to think of it, Yuki usually initiates contact with me quite actively, but today she hasn’t done that at all. Now that I think about it, that’s also quite unusual. Could it be that she stopped being my fan…? While harboring such slightly negative thoughts, I waited for the moment when there were no people around Yuki and called out to her as she was leaving.
“Um… Yuki?” (Keitaro)
“Ah, K-Kei-kun? What is it?” (Nozomi)
Yup, something’s wrong. She seems suspicious… or maybe uneasy.
After pondering for a moment, I decided to ask straightforwardly.
“It seemed like something was off with you today. Did something happen?” (Keitaro)
“…Ah, so you noticed?” (Nozomi)
Yuki responded with a somewhat sheepish smile to my question. From her reaction, it didn’t seem like her troubles were too serious, which relieved me for the time being.
But still, something was indeed bothering her, so I cautiously asked about it.
Yuki fidgeted for a while but eventually spoke up.
“Well, you see, I was worried because it seemed like Kei-kun wasn’t feeling well during the voice chat yesterday… Kei-kun said it was nothing, but I couldn’t stop worrying, so I’ve been agonizing over whether to ask directly.” (Keitaro)
“Uh…? So, does that mean you’ve been worrying about me this whole time?” (Nozomi)
As I said that, Yuki nodded bashfully. …So, she’s an angel after all!
“Well, with how you were acting today, I was worried about you too.” (Keitaro)
“Huh, so does that mean Kei-kun was worried about me worrying about him?” (Nozomi)
Realizing this, we were both initially dumbfounded, but soon we both burst out laughing. What are we even doing?
“…Can we talk while we walk?” (Nozomi)
After we finished laughing, Yuki suggested this, so we left the classroom.
As we walked slowly down the hallway, I patiently waited for Yuki to speak.
“…Starting tomorrow, I have a live performance in a different region for a few days. That’s why I won’t be able to come to school, and I won’t be able to see you either.” (Nozomi)
After a while, Yuki began speaking as if talking to herself.
I was already aware of her regional live performances. I keep track of all of Yuki’s publicly announced schedules after all. It’s just what a dedicated fan does, but unfortunately, as a high school student, I can’t attend all of her live performances. Being a high school student is inconvenient both financially and position-wise. Of course, being a working adult is probably even tougher.
“Is that also the reason why you seemed off today?” (Keitaro)
“Yeah, but I think the main reason is you, Kei-kun. Even though you say you’re okay, you just didn’t seem like your usual self… Remember when we all went to the game café together recently, and you uploaded that video? There were some weird comments on it, and I thought maybe you were affected by it.” (Nozomi)
I felt happy that she noticed even such small details. At the same time, I wondered if the pressure of doing better in my streams was showing outwardly without me even realizing it.
“Don’t worry. Besides, maybe even feeling down is just in my head.” (Keitaro)
Anyway, I answered with a smile. I didn’t want to make Yuki worry unnecessarily.
“…Yeah.” (Nozomi)
However, Yuki’s response seemed somewhat lackluster.
Is she still worried about something…? As I pondered this, Yuki’s cheeks somehow flushed slightly, and she began to fidget as if she wanted to say something.
“Um, there’s something I want to ask you…!” (Nozomi)
With a sudden surge of determination, she opened her mouth and said that.
“What is it? Of course, if there’s anything I can do, just tell me. I’ll do my best even if it’s something I can’t do.” (Keitaro)
As I encouraged her, Yuki seemed to relax a bit but still fidgeted for a while before finally speaking.
“Um…! C-Can I come over to your house from now on…!” (Nozomi)
“Huh?” (Keitaro)
However, upon hearing her request, I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.
…Wait, what? If I heard correctly, Yuki just said she wanted to come to my house, right…?
Th-That’s, um, problematic. It’s problematic in so many ways.
Having a popular idol like her come to my house so casually, it’s like a scary super rare event of my life. My heart is pounding like crazy.
As someone who values the distance between a fan and an idol, this is something I can’t just overlook. I’ve been kind of lenient about it until now, but crossing this line seems really dangerous. Not in a weird way, but it’s just too close for comfort.
“No, um, that’s…” (Keitaro)
So, I thought about refusing. It felt like tearing up a winning lottery ticket with my own hands. Yes, the internal struggle was that intense. But still, thinking about what’s best for my oshi, I felt that I had to refuse this.
“…No?” (Keitaro)
But that expression again. It’s the forsaken puppy eyes.
…Why does she have to make such a helpless, pitiful expression!? How does she naturally evoke this protective instinct in me!? Is she some kind of devil!? An angel and a devil combined!? Is Yuki actually a fallen angel!? …No, that’s Mariel-sama’s domain; Yuki is undoubtedly a genuine angel! In other words, angels can sometimes be devils too! A new theory is born!
“…Um, it’s okay. Sure, yes…” (Keitaro)
My mind was a mess, but before I knew it, I had agreed.
It couldn’t be helped. It really couldn’t. There was no way I could refuse Yuki’s request from the start.
It’s all because Yuki is just too adorable. It’s the fault of her being too cute. There’s no way someone like me can stand against an embodiment of the concept of cuteness.
“Really!? Thank you so much! I’m glad…!” (Nozomi)
Look at that radiant smile. There’s no way I can win. The desire to see my oshi happy is irreplaceable. However, it doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned my principles. I still need to maintain a steel will to ensure I don’t cross certain lines.
…Well, the problem is that this line has been steadily lowering.
We left the school gate and headed towards my house. Yuki was in high spirits, talking happily about things like “I wonder what Kei-kun’s house is like”, “I need to remember the direction”, and “Oh, I have to make sure to greet your family properly” among other things.
By the way, both my parents are out for work, so there’s no need to worry about the last part. But at the same time, that situation could pose its own set of problems, so I could only hope that Sana is home today.
“…By the way, why my house? Is there a reason(Keitaro)
After walking for a while and regaining my composure, I asked this important question.
Even though Yuki is my oshi, she wouldn’t just come to my house without any reason…right?
“Huh? W-Well, um… it’s a secret for now. I’ll tell you when we get there.” (Nozomi)
Yuki replied while putting her index finger to her lips.
Well, setting aside the fact that she’s cute… What could she mean by “it’s a secret”?
I was curious, but I couldn’t dwell on it too much. In fact, there was another important matter to pay attention to in this situation, so I had to allocate my mental resources there.
The main concern was the eyes of those around us. After all, bringing an idol to my house required the utmost caution. It would be problematic if someone saw Yuki entering my house. If, by any chance, someone from school caught sight of it, rumors would undoubtedly spread. I couldn’t let Yuki get involved in any trouble like that, so I had to be constantly vigilant.
…Try not to stand out, try not to stand out, but still keep an eye on our surroundings…!
“Huh? What’s up, Kei-kun? You’re looking around so much. You’re standing out a lot, you know?” (Nozomi)
“…Ah, sorry about that.” (Keitaro)
Today’s lesson: Amateurs should avoid doing things they’re not used to.
…But what can I do!? Of course, I have to be cautious!
I scolded myself for my carelessness while trying to adjust my behavior to act normally.
But then, something suspicious caught my eye, and tension ran through my entire body.
“Huh? Kei-kun? What’s wrong, why did you stop?” (Keitaro)
Yuki still seemed unaware, but there was definitely a suspicious man ahead. He looked like a typical photographer with a large camera hanging from his neck, constantly scanning the area as if searching for something. He hadn’t noticed us yet, but…
“…Ah.” (Keitaro)
I involuntarily gasped as I remembered something.
There’s a journalist from a weekly magazine aiming for a scoop on Yuki. I heard rumors at school that he’s been lurking around this area recently.
I don’t remember where I heard it from. I don’t have acquaintances who would talk about such things, so I must have overheard someone talking about it by chance. But I remember the rumor itself vividly.
…This is bad! That guy over there must be the one! No ordinary person would dress like that! And I can already see his camera!
I panicked and looked around frantically. If Yuki and I were caught together in a photo, it wouldn’t be a laughing matter. Is there anywhere, anywhere at all, we could hide…!?
As I scanned the surroundings, a certain sign caught my eye.
…That’s a manga cafe! That’s our only option, we have to go in there!
“Eh? Ah, Kei-kun!?” (Nozomi)
I grabbed Yuki’s hand and dashed into the shop. Yuki let out a surprised noise, but I couldn’t afford to pay attention to that right now. I was only thinking about hiding as quickly as possible.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Yeh, right MC. You don’t want to make Yuki worried and yet you dodged the question, even though you know that the cause of the worries was you not telling her. Also, his determination to refuse the request lasted like 5 seconds bruh.
Well, the good/bad news is that we are nearing the end of the volume. After finishing all the parts of this chapter, only the epilogue is left.
I was thinking about what I’m going to translate after this… I’ll just say straight up that I don’t plan on translating vol 2 of this LN, cause… well, the writing is a pain to edit.
Honestly, I’m tired of translating so many long chapters so I have plans of cutting down to one LN and one WN series at a time. The problem is I have a LN I really want to translate. It’s called “The Vampire Princess Likes to Fawn After Kissing Every Night” or at least I think I translated the title correctly.
It’s from the same author who wrote “This Is the Memory Until the Girl Who Said ‘Please Be My Friend Forever’ Is No Longer My Friend” so it should be a decent read, right? Haizz, what do I do?