Chapter 23: KNOW THIS YOURSELF

[Virtual YouTuber Minor Gallery]

[Title: Mei-chan Surprise Collaboration!] [Posted by: Choinssagaeguminmei-chan]

It’s our lovely and cute dork, Mei-chan!

https://ontu.be/XXXXXXX

[Recommended: 13 / Not Recommended: 1]

Hwasin’s Opponent: Ah

└ Hwasin’s Opponent: I’m working ᄉᄇ ᄏᄏ

Loo: Is work more important than your favorite?

Hwasin’s Opponent: I need to work to send hyperchat to Mei-chan, you jerk!

Loo: Oops!

ᄋᄋ: Is this real?

Loo: Would I lie?

Suzuizu: Suzuizu is definitely real…!

Loo: Season 1’s miracle revival ᄃᄃᄃᄃᄃ

Our Mei-chan, are you seeing this? Is this the connection of the Starful second generation? ᄃᄃᄃ

[It’s okay, Izumi. It’s just a bit scary at first, but you’ll get used to it quickly.]

“Y-You, I don’t want to! Ko, Ko-chan, please just this once….”

[No. A promise is a promise.]

Why did it come to this?

If I had to point out what I did wrong, it was my fault, but this isn’t what I wanted.

[Come on, just give up and accept it.]

“EEEEK!”

Ko-chan, saying that, seemed quite pleased…

“How about it! I-I can do it too! Praise me quickly!”

Wow, that’s really amazing.

I’m moved.

So how did you get this? Did Starful suggest it?

The chat was filled with questions, thinking I would never propose a collaboration first.

“Ah, no. I-I proposed it first.”

[This morning, Izumi-chan suggested a collaboration, and I agreed.]

-Q…

You’ve really grown.

Organizing a collaboration on the same day, Mei-chan, the atmosphere maker of the second generation ᄃᄃ

“Fuhuh.”

With Ko-chan’s words, the doubts vanished, and compliments started flooding in. The earlier awkwardness caused by Mai-caron also faded.

Is another me watching?

This scene created through your sacrifice, I will never forget it…

[So, is the topic of today’s collaboration just chit-chat, Izumi-chan?]

“Eh?”

[Hmm?]

…Oh no.

Thinking about it, I had planned to do a collaboration this time, but I hadn’t prepared any content for it.

B-But I struggled because of that Mai-caron, you know?

So I was only thinking about somehow going through with the collaboration.

[So, you haven’t thought of anything?]

Ko-chan’s voice began to fill with anxiety.

“Th-That’s…!”

…Image it.

Always the atmosphere maker in my imagination…!

In my heart, I must become the ultimate insider and overcome this crisis!

“Umm, I-I’m sorry, there’s nothing….”

ᄏᄏ No, this is a bit…

Collaboration proposal (nothing decided)

Is this really an atmosphere maker…?

Isn’t this a bit much, Mei-chan…?

If there’s a problem right from the start, maybe I’m not cut out for collaborations after all?

YVöOL SEAUTÓV (Gnoti Seauton)

Meaning “Know Thyself,” this saying is attributed to Socrates, but it’s actually inscribed on a column inside the Greek Temple of Delphi.

I see…

Because I didn’t know myself and imagined I was an insider and an atmosphere maker, I lost…

[Huh. When I asked about the plan earlier, I expected you would say you’d change the atmosphere with me being recruited because of Mai-caron, but I had an inkling it would go this way….]

Ko-chan’s sigh echoed loudly in my ears.

That sigh felt like the wrath of a god, causing me to shrink my shoulders even though no one was around.

What if I just end the collaboration here?

That thought began to creep in.

[Well, since it’s you, Izumi-chan, I can’t help it. How about continuing to read the Mai-caron we were on earlier? I can answer anything I can.]

But thankfully, the great angel Ko-chan did not give up on me.

Is she a goddess…?

“Th-Thank you….”

[No problem. I should have thought it was natural for this to happen. But if there’s a wish you have for me in the future, could you grant me just one?]

“Eh? Ah, okay……..”

ᄏᄏ This feels right.

I should have known that collaborating with Mei-chan would definitely cause an accident…

Pay the price.

Ko-chan’s avatar was definitely smiling, but for some reason, it felt like she was glaring at me with cold eyes.

Well, even if that were the case, I had nothing to say right now…

B-But since it’s Ko-chan, she wouldn’t wish for something ridiculous, right?

“Okay! Then should we go back to Mai-caron?”

[Hi, Izumi!]

[Who do you talk to the most among your classmates?]

“Ko-chan!”

I could confidently say this.

Ko-chan, Utsumi-chan, Akabane-chan, Aki-chan.

All of them are kind classmates who talk to me to some extent, but the one I contact the most is definitely Ko-chan.

[Eh?]

However, Ko-chan seemed puzzled by that fact.

“Is there a problem, Ko-chan?”

Could it be that Ko-chan talks more with the others than with me?

Well, of course, that could be the case, but I really don’t want to know that information!

[No, well. I do contact Izumi-chan the most, but can we really call that a conversation?]

“Eh?”

This time, the question came from me.

I was about to think about that, but Ko-chan didn’t stop.

[Aside from the collaboration proposal we talked about today, you’ve never contacted me first, have you?]

“W-Well…”

That’s true, but I thought if someone like me, with communication issues, initiated a conversation, the topic would get weird…

[Well, even if I acknowledge that’s your personality, whenever I try to start a conversation, the replies are usually just one-word answers. If I don’t ask a specific question, you usually just respond with ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ right? Especially recently, it’s gotten worse.]

“Y-You’re right.”

[Can we really call that a conversation?]

With Ko-chan’s words piercing like a dagger, I found myself at a loss for words.

What’s going on?

I’m clearly the host of this broadcast, so why am I the one being punished here?

Of course, the chat was already blazing with comments.

Is this what the connection of the second generation looks like?

Suzuizu doesn’t exist…

But this is a bit much for Mei-chan.

Is today’s collaboration maybe for this revelation?

But thinking about it, this feels a bit unfair.

[So I just wanted to tease Izumi-chan, who didn’t prepare properly today…]

“Ah, so what you said earlier about enjoying our daily chats was a lie?”

[…Huh?]

?

What do you mean?

“Earlier, when we were on the call, you said you were happy to be able to chat every day!”

[H-Huh?! W-Wait, what do you mean? It’s been a while since we had a call, but I said it’s okay since we chat every day!]

“Not at all! You clearly said you were happy! Even if you said it was fine, I could hear that you were happy inside!”

My delusions are the proof!

[That’s just unreasonable, Izumi!]

Chaos ᄏᄏ

Their relationship is suspicious (A)

By the way, Suzuha-chi’s RP also got broken ᄏᄏ

This is interesting.

Alright. The flow of the chat shifted towards me.

“It’s not unreasonable; it’s the truth!”

[That’s just heartfelt nonsense!]

In the end, our argument lasted about 10 minutes and ended in a draw.

“That was a good match, Ko-chan…”

[Could you not wrap it up in strange words…?]

Or not.

By the way, Ko-chan seemed to have resigned herself, as she was speaking informally like she does in DMs.

“It’s going according to plan…”

[Can we stop with the weird talk and quickly move on to the next Mai-caron?]

“Okay.”

In just 10 minutes, a considerable amount of Mai-caron questions had piled up.

Well, many of them were unnecessary due to our earlier argument, but let’s just move past those.

[Hi, Izumi! Suzuha-chi!]

[Do Mei-chan and Suzuha-chi like movies?]

“Hmm, movies? I don’t really like them that much…”

That makes sense; after all, you have to go out to watch a movie in theaters, right?

And theaters are the symbol of insiders, right?

If I go there, a massacre with the “insider-kill beam” might occur…

In other words, I could say I’m protecting world peace by not going to the theater.

Well, to be honest, I can watch movies at home too, but I hardly feel like I want to go that far to watch one.

“The movies I watch are just fine at home; anime theatrical releases are enough for me.”

[I actually quite like them, especially the drama genre.]

“Ko-chan, you’re such an insider…”

Drama genre films, huh?

Those are the types that evoke emotions through the protagonist’s growth—perfectly optimized for insiders.

A shut-in like me would burn up like a vampire seeing sunlight.

[I don’t think that’s something I can call myself an insider for…]

That’s true.

Isn’t Mei-chan just a hikikomori?

“I-I’m not a hikikomori! Next!”

I’m just a healthy shut-in who can go out normally.

No, now that I have friends like Ko-chan and Izutomo, I’m practically an insider.

My pride can’t accept being labeled as a hikikomori.

Wait a minute. Does that mean I could die from my own insider-kill beam?

[Hi, Izumi!]

[Do you like horror games?]

“Ah, wow, I completely hate them.”

I can say that with certainty.

Horror games are the worst genre of games.

Because I have absolutely no immunity to that kind of thing.

It’s to the extent that I trembled and held my breath while watching Nats-chan’s stream of “There’s No Absolute Ending.”

If the player weren’t Nats-chan, I wouldn’t have even looked at it.

No matter how much of a genre-agnostic otaku I am, there are definitely limits.

Why waste time suffering?

That’s just masochism.

[I’m indifferent; I neither like nor dislike them? Ah, but I enjoy watching others play.]

Then Mei-chan can play, and Suzuha-chi can watch!

“I wouldn’t do that!”

[Oh, that sounds like a good idea…]

Huh?

[Then that wish of yours will be for Izumi to play a horror game.]

“…Huh?”

My thoughts froze.

Did I just hear something strange?

[I’ll pick the game and let you know later in DMs.]

“W-Wait a second! Are you joking, Ko-chan?”

Am I going to cry? Do you really want to see a 40-year-old’s pathetic tears?

[It’s okay, Izumi. It’s only a bit scary at first; you’ll get used to it quickly.]

“I-I don’t want to! Ko-chan, please, just once…”

[No way. A promise is a promise.]

What on earth is happening?

If I had to assign blame, it would be mine, but this isn’t what I wanted.

[Come on, just give up and accept it.]

“Eeek!”

Ko-chan, saying that, seemed to be quite enjoying herself…

In the end, it was decided that I would do a horror game collaboration with Ko-chan two days before the end of summer vacation, on August 30.

[Ko and Suzuha: If you’re that scared, should I stay with you in reality on the 30th?]

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