ãShitenno-kun!? Th-this is not what it looks like!?ã
ãS-stay with me, Shitenno! It's okay, the wound is still shallow!?ã
Shitenno was staring intently at my neck.
Panicking, I quickly rewrapped my scarf to hide the hickey while making excuses.
Even I could tell that after a confession, it was clear she had feelings for me.
I thought I should be a bit considerate⦠But then, he just laughed.
ãHey, hey, what are you panicking for? Itâs just a prank by that roommate of yours, right? I can tell. You two get along well.ã
ãHuh? Well, yes, that's true⦠but⦠huh?ã
Unexpectedly, Shitenno was calm.
A bit anticlimactic, but if thatâs how it isâ¦
ãY-yeah, that's right. It-it's definitely just that. R-really, it isâ¦ã
Shitenno was sweating like a waterfall, his legs were shaking like a newborn deer, and his eyes were looking in different directions.
Not okay at all!?
ãIroha has a guy? A boyfriend? That's ridiculous. This must be a dream. It's not real. Yes, my dream was to become a butterfly. To flutter away somewhere farâ¦ã
ãShitenno-kun, calm down!?ã
ãShitenno, thatâs not your dream at all!?ã
ãAhh! Collapse~ã
ãSh-Shitenno-kun!?ããSh-Shitenno!?ã
Shitenno fainted as if his brain had been shattered.
He was taken away by an ambulance and left school early.
â¦Is it still called "leaving early" if you leave before first period?
Well, putting that aside.
ãUh, anyway⦠I'm really sorry.ã
Somehow, things got out of hand.
Iâd react the same way if my favorite VTuber were in that situation, so I understand how he feels.
It's partly my fault, and American ambulance rides are expensive. I guess Iâll cover the cost.
â¦But, I could use that money for super chats or gacha rolls.
No, I feel bad for Shitennoâ¦
Next time we meet, Iâll properly âapologizeâ! Yeah, thatâs good!
***
The next day, I was prepared.
I thought heâd be bedridden for a few days, but Shitenno came to school right away.
ãHey, good morning, Iroha! It's a refreshing morning, isn't it! Ha ha ha!ã
ãâ¦.G-good morning?ã
ãAh, good morning! Morning, everyone!ã
For some reason, Shitenno was excessively energetic.
Is he really okay? Did his character change?
The girls gave me questioning looks, but they just shook their heads.
So, I spoke to him myself.
ãUm, sorry about yesterday? But it really wasnât âlike thatâ, okay?ã
ãâ¦Yesterday? Iroha, you say funny things! Nothing happened yesterday!ã
ãOhâ¦ã
I realized. Shitenno had lost his memory due to the shockâ¦
Thinking for a moment, I nodded deeply.
ãYeah, nothing happened yesterday!ã
ãExactly! Ha ha ha!ã
ãOh, by the way, Iroha-chan⦠no, Master Iroha, I need your advice. If the person you like has another âloverââ¦ã
ãGah!? My head is splitting!?ã
Upon hearing the girlâs words, Shitenno clutched his head in agony.
Was that question intentional?
ãâ¦So, this is what's happening, Master Iroha. It feels like the difficulty level just went up, donât you think?ã
ãW-well, even if you ask meâ¦ã
ãYeah, really, what should I do from now onã
The girl seemed to have a hard time.
I donât know what difficulty she was talking about, but⦠good luck.
***
That night, after the Halloween chaos settled.
An email arrived at my work address.
ââ¦Itâs finally hereâ
I muttered, looking at the message.
At the same time, multiple messages popped up on LIME.
[Iroha-chan! The time has finally come!]
[Iroha-chan~, I heard from my sister! Itâs finally happening!]
[Iroha-sama, did you get the message!? Letâs have a meeting today or tomorrowâ¦]
As I was replying in the living room, Angu Ogu burst out of her room.
She was about to shout⦠but then stopped and said solemnly.
ãItâs finally happening, Irohaâ¦ã
ãâ¦Yeahâ¦ã
***
A few days later, the information was announced by each agency.
At Angu Oguâs agency, a live broadcast labeled [Important Announcement] was held.
The VTuber host spoke with a serious expression.
âEveryone, we have an announcement. Please listen carefully. Guess what! Finallyâ¦!â
âThe âVTuber International Eventâ will be held again!â
â«Whoa!? Seriously!?
â«The one that was canceled because of that incident!?
â«Amazing! Iâve been waiting for this!!
The comment section exploded.
SNS was filled with surprised reactions, and it instantly trended worldwide.
Yes, the large-scale VTuber event was finally being held again.
Although, as performers, we had known about it for a while in preparation.
And the email yesterday was the notice to release the information.
â¦Weâve finally come this far.
âSo, weâd like to invite a guest today. Ah, ah, can you connect?⦠Huh?â
A notification pinged on my computer.
To calm my nerves and excitement, I took a deep breath.
VTubers from all over the world would gather for a huge live event.
I went to America to see this, died, and was reincarnatedâ¦
Itâs been a long journey.
Reflecting on everything that happened, I turned on the mic and greeted with my usual introduction.
ââMay my words reach you!â Iroha the Translator Girl here!â