Chapter 8: Why is my fan here?

Finally, the day of the AGP event had arrived. I got ready for the outing, wearing my usual clothes and slinging a random bag I found lying around the house.

“Milk, I’ll be back. Watch the house for me.”

“Meow.”

I greeted Milk and left the house.

As the sunlight beat down on me, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d been going out a lot more since the Twin Party. Even though I didn’t stay home much due to working out or running personal errands, those outings felt like part of a monotonous routine, unlike this one, which filled me with a sense of excitement.

『Today’s Fortune』

• Your fortune today is “Unforeseen Connections.” A chance encounter may turn into a meaningful connection. Don’t take today’s meetings lightly, and even if today passes by, have faith that you may meet again.
• While heading toward the subway station, I checked my daily fortune out of habit, and the message struck me as rather significant. A chance encounter turning into a connection, huh? Have I had any such encounters recently?

・I hope you know that there’s someone who truly treasures you, Cosmo. Sometimes, I get the feeling that you don’t realize just how precious you are.

As I pondered and reflected on my memories, a face suddenly popped into my mind. If there’s anyone I’d like to meet again, it would be that person. However, the chances of such a coincidence happening are slim.

“…Holy $$$$.”

I finally arrived at the Atex venue where the AGP was being held, and I couldn’t help but let out an exclamation—whether it was amazement or a curse, I wasn’t sure.

Wow, what is all this?

People often compare large crowds to ants swarming, but I never thought I’d see such a sight for myself. How many people are here, anyway? Will I even be able to get inside today?

If I had known it would be like this, maybe I wouldn’t have come. The sponsor even mentioned that the lines would be ridiculously long and that I didn’t have to come if I didn’t want to.

I didn’t even get a ticket from them, meaning I had to pay my own way to get here.

So, should I just turn back? It feels like a waste to leave after coming all this way.

Besides, I should do my job properly since they entrusted even a small-timer like me with an advertisement. If I give a review of the AGP on the day of the ad stream, I could use that for some “Just Chatting” content too.

Alright, the line doesn’t seem to be moving that slowly, so I’ll tough it out. They say good things come to those who wait, after all.

“Excuse me, may I pass through for a moment…!”

“…Huh?”

Just as I was about to take out my phone and kill some time, I heard a familiar voice among the murmur of the crowd, making me instinctively turn my head.

Wait… is that…?

“Excuse me, sorry! Coming through!”

She quickly disappeared into the crowd, and I almost thought I had mistaken her for someone else. But someone that stunning would be hard to mistake, so I confidently stepped out of the line and headed toward the back.

There, I locked eyes with a woman standing at the end of the line, and we both widened our eyes in surprise.

No wonder.

“C-Cosmo!?”

“Oh…? You’re the one I met at the Twin Party, right?”

It was none other than the woman who had introduced herself as my fan at the Twin Party.

At that moment, today’s fortune, which I had checked before leaving the house, flashed through my mind like a panorama.

Wait, it was actually, right? That’s pretty incredible.

“Oh, hello. Fancy meeting you here.”

The fan, dressed in an ivory-colored coat and a checkered tennis skirt—which looked rather thin for the weather—bowed her head.

Why is she dressed so lightly? Maybe she doesn’t get cold easily?

“Yeah, did you come to check out the AGP today?”

“Yes, I was curious about the game you advertised, and I thought I’d take a look around.”

“I see. To be honest, I didn’t expect you to be interested in this sort of thing. It’s a bit surprising.”

Though I was trying to be polite, what I meant was that someone as pretty as her didn’t seem like the type to attend a nerdy event like this. Just by looking at her, you’d expect her to be at an art gallery admiring fine works of art.

“By the way, weren’t you in the lineup front? Why did you come back here…?”

“Oh, I heard a familiar voice, and when I checked to see who it was, I noticed a face I recognized. So, I decided to come by and say hello.”

As soon as she said that, I internally winced.

I hadn’t intended for it to come off that way, but what if it seemed like I was trying to make a pass at her? You know how they say men don’t give their time to women they aren’t interested in. Plus, she’s so pretty that she’s probably used to guys subtly approaching her like this, which made me feel a bit uneasy.

“Ah…! Thank you. When I saw you, I wanted to say hello, but I was worried it might be a bit burdensome for you…”

Thankfully, she didn’t seem to misunderstand my actions. Her smile and words reassured me, easing the burden on my mind.

Whew, I still can’t believe such a kind and beautiful person is my fan. Did I save a country in my past life or something?

“No, not at all. If anything, I’m the one who should apologize for speaking so carelessly.”

“Oh, no…! Really, it’s fine. I’m actually quite happy…”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

At times like this, being in the role of a streamer is really helpful.

If I had approached a woman like her in everyday life, it wouldn’t be surprising if I got a disdainful look for acting so familiar after only meeting her once.

“Well, since we’ve run into each other, would you like to wait in line together? I’ve been pretty bored and could use some company.”

“C-company… I-I’ll try my best.”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to go that far…”

It was just a casual suggestion, but she clenched her fist in determination, leaving me a bit stunned.

Despite her mature vibe, she seems to have an unexpectedly innocent side.

So, we made small talk—about what we had for breakfast or how long the line was—as we waited. However, I noticed that when she initiated conversation, she always started with phrases like “Um…” or “Excuse me…”

Hmm, we still have quite a while to wait. I can’t keep addressing her like that for the entire time.

“Oh, by the way, how should I address you? I didn’t get your Twitch name the last time…”

Summoning a bit of courage, I asked her how she would like me to call her, but suddenly, her eyes darted around as if she were confused.

“Uh… um, well, about that, my name is…”

She seemed visibly flustered, hesitating and stammering, starting to speak and then stopping repeatedly.

Oh, could it be that she’s not comfortable revealing her username or real name? Maybe there’s a personal reason behind it.

Some people might think it’s pretentious to withhold just a name, but everyone has their own circumstances. Pressing her for details would be quite rude.

In that case, I should come up with a suitable compromise. Let’s see… what could work… Ah!

“Would it be alright if I call you ‘noona’ if you’re not comfortable revealing your name?”

“H-huh? N-noona? Noona?!”

At my suggestion, the fan almost seemed like a broken doll, repeating “Noona? Noona?”

“When we met at the party before, you told me to call you that. I just suddenly remembered.”

I cautiously observed her reaction, worried that my suggestion might have been too forward, especially since we hadn’t spoken much. However, she didn’t seem to mind too much.

“I-I’m okay with it… but are you sure you’re fine with it, Cosmo?”

“I don’t mind at all. I have an older sister, so it’s not difficult for me to say.”

“Oh, right. You’ve mentioned that before.”

I had talked about it a few times during my streams, so it seemed like she remembered. She nodded so vigorously that it looked like her neck might snap.

Alright, I think it’s safe to assume I have her approval.

“Then, I’ll call you ‘noona’ for today. But if it makes you uncomfortable, let me know, and I’ll find another way.”

“No, no, it’s fine! In fact, I’m really happy…”

“Haha, I’m relieved to hear that.”

Though I doubt she was genuinely thrilled just because I called her ‘noona,’ I appreciated her saying it to ease my nerves.

“By the way, aren’t you cold, noona? There’s even a cold wave warning today.”

Feeling a bit closer to her now thanks to the new title, I mentioned her light outfit, which seemed unsuitable for the freezing weather. After all, everyone else around us was bundled up in padded jackets and layers of clothing, prepared to face the cold.

“Oh, I-I’m fine. I’m usually good with the cold… Ah-choo!”

“…Doesn’t seem that way to me.”

It looked like she was trying to act tough, but as she spoke, she tried to hide her red cheeks from the cold, only to succumb to a sneeze.

She’s going to catch a cold at this rate… Well, I don’t have much choice.

“Here, put this in your pocket. It should help a bit.”

“Huh? What is this…”

I pulled out the hand warmer I had tucked away in my right pocket and offered it to her. She stared blankly at the hand warmer and then at me, as if unsure of what it was. Surely, she knows what a hand warmer is.

“I’m dressed warmly enough, so don’t worry about me. Go ahead and use it—don’t think of it as a bother.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine…! Really, I can handle—Ah-choo!”

“Come on, don’t be stubborn.”

If we were closer, I’d probably lend her my jacket, but that seemed a bit too forward. This was the perfect compromise.

I practically forced the hand warmer into her hands as she kept trying to refuse. As I smiled at her, her already red face turned even brighter.

“So, why did you come dressed so lightly? It’s not like there’s anyone you need to impress.”

Watching her use the hand warmer to warm her frozen face, I couldn’t help but ask out of curiosity. I’d understand if she had a boyfriend or something, but if not, there didn’t seem to be any reason to dress like this.

“Oh, well… I just thought it would be nice to dress up.”

“…?”

Her response felt a little flat. She fidgeted with the hand warmer in her hands, staring at it absentmindedly.

I wanted to tell her that with her looks, it wouldn’t matter what she wore—she’d still look beautiful. But saying something like that to her face was too much, so I swallowed the words that lingered on the tip of my tongue.

Time passed as we continued to wait, and the line leading to the building had started to move quickly.

Author’s Note

Why couldn’t she just say she wanted to look nice?!