Chapter 109: A middle-aged man with a mental age of 40 wouldn’t be scared and cry over something like that, right?

It’s like this.

Not being able to see in front of you brings an overwhelming sense of fear that I hadn’t expected.

Only after receiving help from the staff and gathering my emotions was I able to acknowledge this fact.

When I think about it, it’s actually a simple story.

What I used to grab the object inside the box was, of course, my hand.

In other words, the hands that held my palms and wrists were naturally someone’s hands.

However, the fact that I couldn’t see made it so I couldn’t even recognize such a simple truth.

It’s true that the sense humans rely on most for perception is sight.

“I’ll start again, Izumi-san.”

“Ah, yes…”

As I received the HMD, I let out a quiet sigh.

I ended up stopping the broadcast and crying out of surprise, so it wouldn’t be strange for rumors to spread.

Everyone must be saying something about it…

As I put on the HMD, the same stage from earlier unfolded in front of me.

“I’m back…”

• You’re back!
• Welcome back!

At least, there was no particular comment in the chat immediately, right?

On the contrary, when they saw me fall backward after being surprised, there were many comments calling it cute.

Of course, I didn’t want such a reaction at all…

• You were so cute when you cried.

“Ah, I didn’t cry… I was just, just surprised.”

I had to clear up this misunderstanding right from the start; otherwise, it would become a problem later.

…Yeah. I didn’t cry.

I was just surprised and fell backward.

A middle-aged man with the mentality of a 40-year-old wouldn’t cry over something like that, right?

• It’s already been saved in clips, so there’s no reason to deny it, right?
• It’s normal for JKs to be scared and cry easily.

“I told you, I didn’t cry! There’s no way I’d cry over something like this…”

These guys. They keep sending these chats to slander me, but I’m not falling for it.

Because I didn’t cry.

• Anyone can tell you were crying, so why not just admit it?

But it seemed like the chat had no intention of letting this topic go.

Well, then there’s no helping it.

At times like this, ignoring it is the best option.

I couldn’t keep talking about this, so I’ll just move on to the next topic.

“Ahem. This time, I thought everyone would be curious about how I usually spend my time, so… this time, I’ll go to

the classroom where I teach…!”

• Is that how you’re going to play it?
• You’ve grown, Mei-chan d(>_<)

With those words, my vision went dark, and after waiting for a moment, the classroom scene I had just mentioned

slowly began to appear.

Maybe because I was conscious of the time I was broadcasting, the outside of the window was dark, and naturally,

there was no one in the classroom but me.

The penlights and cheering signs that had been in front of the stage earlier were, of course, not there.

What was here were only the neatly arranged desks and chairs.

Among them was the seat I once briefly sat in. No, even now, I still somewhat long for it.

It was the seat by the window at the back, the seat where anime protagonists sit.

“Hehe… How does everyone like it? This is the seat I, I sit in…”

• Liar.
• Mei-chan sitting there is a complete NG.

But in the chat, they were jeering, saying it didn’t make sense for me to sit there.

Of course, if I had to admit it, they were saying the right things, but I couldn’t accept it now.

Because I’m the ultra-popular mood maker, Kai no Izumi now.

So, in situations like this, it’s better to be strong.

“…Yeah, I guess you guys probably never sat in this seat when you were in school. Usually, otaku are at the bottom of

the school caste, so I get why you’d be jealous. But I’m at the top of the school caste, so it’s only natural that I sit

here, you know?”

• Huh?
• That brat’s got an attitude; they need to be taught a lesson.
• You were crying earlier because you were scared, and now you’re acting like this?

“I told you, I didn’t cry…!”

Today is supposed to be a huge day for my 3D debut, so why isn’t Tomo here to support me…?

Could it be that 90% of Izutomo is actually from the abusive faction?

If that’s true, I might be a little sad…

“Well, anyway, I usually sit here during class…”

I said this and plopped down into the chair.

Since there was nothing behind me, I didn’t need to worry about falling.

When I briefly took off the HMD earlier, the staff had placed a desk and chair in front and behind me.

“Sometimes, when I look out the window, I think… yeah, class is really boring…”

• Wasn’t that supposed to be important?
• It’s actually pretty important to talk about how boring school was during high school.

“So sometimes, I secretly sleep…”

Especially in math class, the teacher’s voice is so gentle that I often fall asleep without realizing it.

But something I’ve always wondered, even from my past life, is—what exactly are we supposed to do with formulas

like the Pythagorean theorem?

If someone wants to be a mathematician, I get it, but for most students, isn’t it useless?

…I know this sounds like middle schooler thoughts, but I still get curious sometimes.

• This kid might actually be failing their classes.
• You absolutely can’t fail, Mei-chan!

“I’m actually pretty good at studying…”

I’m not top-tier nationwide, but I’m definitely not bad either.

The school I attend is a private high school with a high variance in scores.

“Well, anyway… I enjoy school life a lot, I guess.”

Especially lately, I’ve been having conversations with Miyauchi and Tateyama a little, so it feels like I’ve really

become an insider.

“Ahhh….”

I had been talking non-stop, so I stretched my arms out and leaned over the desk to take a break.

The cold feel of the wood was nice, and without thinking, a meaningless voice escaped, but no one around seemed to

mind, so I guess it’s fine.

• Mei-chan, we can see everything, you know? (^_^)

“…You guys are seriously perverts…”

• Thank you for the meal!

After that, I showed the cardigan tied around my waist and the scene shifted again from the classroom to a new

location.

“And this… this is my home.”

There’s a waterfall flowing behind me, and beautiful blue jewels are floating above.

And the place I’m sitting in is a grand and majestic throne.

“When I’m not at school or doing a broadcast, I spend my time sitting here like this…”

A queen sitting on a luxurious throne in a cold atmosphere without saying anything. Doesn’t it give off a final boss

vibe, triggering all the male emotions? Isn’t it super cool?

That was the feeling I got when I first saw this space during rehearsal.

So, I was kind of hoping you’d praise me for looking cool, you know?

• Mei-chan is in blue? I think there’s a misunderstanding here.
• Mei-chan is definitely a red kind of girl, don’t you think?

Naturally, these kinds of reactions started flooding in.

Well, it’s fine. I expected this much already.

They always call me the Queen of Envy, so this is nothing new.

My mental state isn’t weak enough to be shaken by something like this.

“Well, anyway, it’s almost time for the next song…”

• You’re going to sing more?!
• I thought Mei-chan would be too embarrassed to sing more than one song.

I wonder what these guys really think of me, honestly.

Well, since they’re the ones watching my 3D debut live, I guess I’ll let it slide.

“Hemhem. This song is a cool one that really suits me, so everyone, please listen carefully…?”

• Is it Queen?
• Quean?!
• It doesn’t seem like it would suit Mei-chan at all, lol.

With my words, the chat about the next song started flooding in.

But I didn’t respond, instead quietly resting my chin on my hand and crossing my legs to settle into position.

The lights went out, and for a moment, my vision went black. But then, blue lights, split into three beams from

above, began to shine down on me.

A low, heavy instrumental began to play, signaling the start of the song.

“…I want to take over the world. I once said something like that.”

• Quean’s here! And the song I sang was, as everyone expected, one of the vocaloid songs, “Quean.”

“Then, in two days, it’s Akabane-chan’s 3D debut, so everyone, look forward to it! Bye-bye…!”

• Bye-zumi!
• Bye-zumi!

With the announcement of Akabane-chan’s 3D debut, my own 3D debut broadcast came to an end.

“Phew….”

“Thank you for your hard work, Izumi-chan.”

“Th-thank you…”

I’m exhausted, really exhausted…

Whenever I watched Nacchan’s live, I always thought one hour was too short, but now, I’ll never think that again.

I should be thankful for even one hour…

“U-um… Was my 3D debut successful…?”

Of course, I wasn’t obsessed with the viewer count.

But, well, what should I say? Since I worked so hard, I couldn’t help but feel a little curious.

Yeah, it’s only natural to be curious, right?!

This is my 3D debut broadcast, and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event!

…Well, no one really said anything, though.

“Ah, yes! It was really successful! The peak live viewer count reached 17,000!”

“…Eh?”

Hearing that, my thoughts stopped for a moment.

17,000?

My usual viewer count was between 3,000 and 4,000.

Roughly calculating, that’s about 4-5 times more.

Of course, special events like a 3D debut broadcast naturally get more viewers, but I never imagined it would

increase this much…

“Hehe…”

That fact made me feel like all the effort I put in wasn’t for nothing.

“Th-thank goodness…”

I let out a sincere sigh of relief.

Afterward, I ate dinner with the staff at the studio, then returned home in M-chan’s car, immediately took a shower,

and fell asleep.

“Eeeek?!”

I dreamt that M-chan’s hand was chasing me from behind.