I have no thoughts.
Because I have no thoughts.
Lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, I notice the cute stickers
I put up while playing alone as a kid.
The first Golden Week of high school is coming to an end.
Obviously, I spent it all alone at home.
For me, holidays are time to relieve the fatigue built up while being alone at home.
Well, even when it’s not a holiday, I’m always alone anyway.
I stayed up late watching OnTube, woke up at noon, had a simple meal,
read some manga, anime, and light novels, played a bit of games.
Then, I spent the evening drawing while watching Nacchan or other VTubers’ live
streams until late at night, before going to bed.
-It’d be great if every day were a holiday.
-But today is the last day of Golden Week.
Starting tomorrow, I’ll be like a sheep tossed into a crowd of those extroverts again.
Scary, really~.
I should calm myself down in advance, maybe watch some clips before Nacchan’s live stream starts.
Using that as an excuse, I sat at my computer on the last day of Golden
Week and logged into OnTube.
4:50 PM.
The screen displayed a golden standby screen.
As usual, I took a deep breath, calming my heart to prepare to watch her.
Time passed slowly.
55 minutes. 56 minutes. 57 minutes. 58 minutes. 59 minutes.
10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
[From the shining star of dreams….]
Ding!
“What the heck.”
What’s with this notification sound that interrupted me just as
I was about to be the first to type ‘Konhoshi’?
Even if I wanted to ignore it, sometimes Mom sends important emails, so I couldn’t.
Konhoshi~
Of course, I’ll greet her before I go.
Greeting Nacchan is the most important part of my routine.
And when I checked the text on my phone, it contained something really important.
[StarsFlow: To Ms. Kayano Mina.]
[You have passed the document screening for StarsFlow’s second generation recruitment.]
Is this for real?
Of course, in my application and motivation video,
I couldn’t mention that my mom recommended me,
so I tried to put some thought and passion into it myself.
But still, I can’t believe it.
-That being said, today is the last Sunday of Golden Week.
-And they send the acceptance message today?
StarsFlow, are they really such a bad company after all?
★
“I believe in fate, even if just a little.
No, I have no choice but to believe it.
I experienced a past life myself, so what’s left not to believe?
In other words, what I’m trying to say is…
‘Mom, I got accepted into the second generation of StarsFlow.’
The moment Mom brought it up, I couldn’t help but think I was destined to become a VTuber.
[Really?]
Despite recommending it herself, Mom’s voice sounded half-skeptical.
Well, I can’t blame her. I don’t even believe it myself.
After all, who would think someone like me,
who couldn’t answer a single question properly during the interview after the document screening, would actually get accepted?
I have no prior broadcasting experience, and I’m not particularly social. Why did they pick me?
It’s a mystery for the ages.
‘Yes, they said the debut is in July, two months from now. And they mentioned they’ll contact you as well.’
[Got it. Anyway, congratulations, Mina. I’m busy, so I’ll hang up now.]
‘Okay, good luck.’
I hung up the call and slumped into my chair, staring at the monitor.
[Wow, you guys are really good at this.]
On the monitor, Nacchan was playing a racing game with her viewers.
As she’d mentioned at the start of the stream, this was her first time playing,
and she was getting mercilessly teased by the veteran players.
Even that side of her is adorable…
[Last place again. How many times is that?]
Eighth time in a row in last place.
It’s painful to watch.
Let’s play something else, Nacchan.
Maybe it’s better to switch games?
[Eh, we’re all playing together, so we should at least stick with it for two hours.]
I wanted to focus on Nacchan’s stream as usual, but I just couldn’t.
‘Wow, I’m really going to become a VTuber in the same company as Nacchan.’
It didn’t feel real, but the joy swelling in my chest was undeniable.
“Hehe.”
★
Of course, I couldn’t show this feeling to anyone, but a soft giggle escaped my lips.
Not that I have any friends to share this news with, anyway.
One day, I’ll get to collaborate with Nacchan, right?
I can’t wait.
Of course, the fact that I have to stream is a bit… no, very scary.
But hey, that’s for future me to deal with!
Future me will be twice as strong and an amazing extrovert by then.
I’m sure I’ll be great at streaming, too.
★Hang in there, future me.
Alright, for now, let’s send Nacchan a hyper chat to share this happiness.
Without hesitation, I charged 5,000 yen and sent her a hyper chat.
=Kayamina JP¥5,000: Something wonderful happened. I can’t give details,
but could you congratulate me?
Naturally, Nacchan smiled warmly and responded kindly.
[Kayamina, congratulations! I hope more happy things come your way!]
Nacchan really is an angel.
Ah, I need to clip this moment and save it so I can watch it every day.
‘Will it really be okay?’
‘It’ll probably be fine.’
Two women sat at a table.
One wore a slightly worried expression, while the other smiled gently.”
“It’s clear that Kayano really likes VTubers, especially Nanase.
But I don’t think she has any talent for broadcasting.”
The woman who had been frowning slightly, Katsuki Noa, a middle manager at StarsFlow, spoke in a calm voice.
She shook her head slightly as she thought of Kayano Mina.
When she first saw Kayano’s documents and the video of her motivation, Noa had a good impression of her.
[I’ve never had any broadcasting experience or special talent. But I really, really love VTubers…!]
At 16 years old, she was at an age perfect for dreaming big and being full of passion.
Noa thought that such enthusiasm was exactly what StarsFlow needed.
Even if she didn’t have experience now, she believed Kayano could become another popular VTuber, following in the footsteps of Nanase Natsune.
But on the day of the interview,
Noa’s expectations were completely shattered.
Kayano struggled to even make eye contact, couldn’t answer the questions properly, and couldn’t hold a proper conversation until the very end.
It made Noa wonder how she even made it to the office.
This isn’t going to work.
Noa had made up her mind to reject Kayano.
However, the woman smiling in front of her, Aikawa Renka, the CEO and head producer of StarsFlow, had accepted Kayano after all.
“No matter how you look at it, it’s impossible. If that girl tries to become a VTuber,
it will cause problems for the company, and she’ll definitely have a hard time keeping up herself.”
“Well, that’s what we’re here to help with, isn’t it?”
Noa couldn’t understand Renka’s reasoning at all.
Of course, Noa didn’t doubt Renka’s abilities.
When Nanase first applied to StarsFlow,
everyone at StarsFlow objected, saying there was no way such a clueless girl could survive in the already struggling VTuber industry.
But two people—Yeon Seona and Renka—insisted that Nanase had potential and pushed to accept her.
And in the end, Nanase had sparked a new golden age for the VTuber industry.
Because of that, Noa had to acknowledge Renka’s eye for talent.
But still…
★
“No matter how you look at it, this girl…”
Anyone would have to shake their head at this one.
Is Renka only hiring her because of her mother?
The thought briefly flashed through Noa’s mind—that Kayano was the daughter of Yeon Seona, an executive at StarsFlow’s parent company and an old friend of Renka.
But the idea disappeared just as quickly.
Noa knew how serious Renka was about VTubers, and to even think like that would be an insult to the work Renka had done.
“Aren’t you curious, Noa? That such a cute girl struggles to even speak a word in front of others?”
At Renka’s words, Noa recalled Mina’s appearance.
Her long, shiny brown hair, which reached down to her waist,
was so well-maintained that anyone could tell just by looking at it.
Her mysterious blue eyes, so striking that at first, Noa had thought she might be of mixed Western descent.
Her flawless skin, smooth and without a single blemish, paired with her adorable features.
Even though she was short, her body proportions were excellent.
When she stayed quiet, there was a calmness about her, making her look almost like a doll.
Of course, that illusion shattered the moment she opened her mouth.
But as far as appearances go, she was undeniably an incredibly cute girl.
“…That’s true.”
For such a cute girl to have such severe communication problems, it was hard to make sense of it.
“I thought maybe she’d been through something traumatic, but Seona said that wasn’t the case. So, it must be her innate personality. The fact that someone like that applied to be a second-gen VTuber—it’s really interesting.”
“I agree that her personality could be an appealing point if handled well, but it’s still such a huge gamble, don’t you think?”
★
“As I said earlier, helping her through that is our job, isn’t it?”
Noa made one last attempt to convince Renka, but in the end, she had no choice but to give up.”
“Phew.”
My heart is racing.
[Today’s broadcast ends here!]
On the screen was the avatar of Akabane Yukari, a fellow StarsFlow second-generation VTuber, wearing a cheeky grin.
Yesterday too, but the cheeky middle schooler concept with her red hair—it suits her so well,
including her voice.
[Finally, that guy is coming on the next stream! As I mentioned earlier, that guy is the absolute best among us!]
Can you handle the backlash if he disappoints?
You’re raising expectations really high, haha
Akabane, please don’t do that. I’m not confident…
[Well then, goodbye!]
With that final message, Akabane’s broadcast ended, and the ending video began to play.
It’s now 8:50 PM.
In 40 minutes, at 9:30 PM, my debut broadcast will finally start.
I’m starting to feel nauseous.
“…I want to give up even now.”
Of course, I can’t do that.
I’m 41 years old, combining my past life of 25 years and my current life of 16 years.
I’m an adult.
I can’t run away from this.
I quietly opened the window and reread my character’s profile, which I had seen many times before.
Name: Kaiuno Izumi (海野 泉)
Age: ???
Birthday: June 12
Species: Avatar of Water
Description: Human civilization has always existed with water. As an avatar, she takes pride in the development of human civilization and has a growing interest in experiencing civilization herself.
Currently attending a high school in Japan and enjoying her school life. Known for her vibrant personality and being popular among those around her.
I looked at the avatar on the screen.
She had black hair that fell to her shoulders, a hat perched on her head, and was making a V sign with her hand.
She wore an unbuttoned school uniform with a cardigan tied around her waist and a choker adorned with a silver gem around her neck.
★
Her face was bright with a distinctive smile, with fangs and red eyes.
She had the kind of trendy aura that anyone would have to nod along to.
“…This is still too much!”
Why did they give me such a character when they saw what kind of person I am in the interview?
StarsFlow, you really are a terrible company.
One important element of being a VTuber is RP, or Role-Playing.
Role-Playing.
Since being a VTuber is ultimately about playing a fictional character, it means you need to maintain at least the basic concept of your character.
But no matter how I look at it, this character is not one I can pull off.
Of course, RP is just one aspect, so you don’t need to perfectly embody the character.
It’s sufficient to do a broadcast that fits your own style while mixing in the character’s concept appropriately.
But this character is so different from me.
“I really want to give up!”
-Before I knew it, it was 9:28 PM.
-Two minutes before the broadcast starts.
-I’m so nervous I could cry.
-I’m already sweating cold on my back.
-The monitor displays the waiting screen.
[Manager: Please start preparing, Izumi.]
A text message from the manager that seems to say I really can’t escape now.
“Phew, phew.”
I take a deep breath and slowly put on my headphones.
“Why am I the last one in the lineup…?”
Three of my peers debuted yesterday.
And today, I’m the one to close out the StarsFlow second-generation debut.
I’d rather have gone earlier.
[Manager: It’s time to start.]
With the manager’s text, the alarm signaling 9:30 PM went off.
“Ugh…”
After turning off the alarm, I take one last deep breath.
Right.
This is the path I chose.
It’s time to really start.
I gathered my resolve and switched from the waiting screen to the screen showing my self-introduction.
Then, I unmuted the microphone.
“H-Hello everyone. M-My name is Kaiuno Izumi.”
?
Why is there still no sound?
It’s already 9:31 PM
I just clearly spoke, but the chat is saying that only the screen is switching and there’s no sound.
This is weird.
“H-Hello everyone. My name is Kaiuno Izumi.”Is someone talking?
Turn off the BGM
Starting off with a mistake on the debut broadcast
Oh, maybe the music is too loud?
I paused the music for a moment and then tried speaking again.
“H-Hello everyone. My name is Kaiuno Izumi.”
?
?
★ Your voice is super quiet, lol
★ Totally abandoned RP from the start
★ Is this really the vibe maker?
Guess the future of VTubers is bright, huh? (lol)
This is a disaster.
I immediately realized that.
Breaking the VTuber concept to some extent is quite common.
After all, it’s not easy to continuously act in character while broadcasting.
However, it’s an unspoken rule not to break the concept significantly on the first broadcast.
And right now, it feels like I’ve spectacularly broken that rule from the start.
“…Haha.”
My instinct, honed through years in the VTuber community, was telling me.
It’s a disaster from the beginning.
Damn it.
🥲