Chapter 93: Just Because the sweet is running from my eyes….

The two-week-long spring break, a time given under the name of a break.

Usually, during this long yet short time, people would either prepare for their second year or create new memories with friends.

But I had no intention of spending such a typical, mundane spring break.

Humans are beautiful creatures because they pursue new things.

“Ugh…”

It felt like a prison.

As if it would never allow me to escape, it bound my limbs and dragged me into an endless swamp.

Would it be easier if I just gave up everything here?

Perhaps the moment I give up, something unknown, something no one has experienced, will overwhelm me?

Once again, humans are beautiful because they seek novelty. In other words, exploring this unknown is my mission…

“Yeonmin! I told you to wake up quickly!”

“…”

I failed the first challenge the moment I lay in bed all day, doing nothing.

Someday, on a day when my mother’s interference is gone, I will definitely try again.

Internet broadcasting is about constantly taking on new challenges while offering viewers the familiar entertainment they enjoy. How contradictory and difficult is that?

In that space, the existence of a ‘virtual YouTuber’ is especially peculiar.

Instead of a real person’s face, a character with a set avatar is used to create the broadcast.

Since there are fewer real-world limitations, it’s easy to take on new challenges, and offering familiar entertainment is extremely simple.

However, that also means there are many failures, and it’s easy to get bored once it becomes too familiar.

Only those who can break through that wall are truly deserving of success.

For example, someone like Nats-chan.

Then, do I have the qualification to do that?

Have I been consistently challenging myself to offer new things while providing viewers with the familiar entertainment they expect?

That’s something I can’t answer.

I’m the one being evaluated, not the one doing the evaluating.

However, there is one thing I can assert without a doubt right now.

This situation is something I have never experienced before.

[【TLQ】I will become the Queen… #KaiNoIzumi #StarsFlow #TLQ #TheLastQueen’sCrown]

“…Is this… a lie?”

At my question, the viewers in the chat also couldn’t answer easily.

It was clear that this situation was so unexpected and bewildering.

“Ha ha…”

When you think of the broadcast of Kai No Izumi, a second-year student of StarsFlow, what comes to mind first?

Good or bad, even if I didn’t want it, what comes to mind first is probably the concept of “Enshou.”

She even has the infamous nickname, “The Queen of Enshou.”

But that doesn’t mean my broadcast only revolves around Enshou.

Even recently, I’ve had plenty of times when I just did a normal broadcast.

No. In fact, there have been far more days without Enshou, and considering that I got the nickname “Queen of Enshou,” it’s not entirely fair.

However, I cannot deny that the image of my broadcast is closely tied to the keyword “Enshou.”

So where did that image come from?

Was it my debut broadcast where I completely broke the RP from the start?

No, that’s definitely not it.

At that time, I had no broadcasting experience, and many of the viewers noticed that.

Of course, it might have had some influence, but in the end, that broadcast was more about enjoying the mistakes of a beginner rather than fixing my broadcast image as “Enshou.”

The broadcast that really solidified that image was the next day’s broadcast.

It was the TLQ broadcast where I played and engaged the viewers.

I met my sub-character, lost perfectly, found out the truth, and then screamed when I turned off the broadcast, but the microphone wasn’t off, so the viewers heard my shriek.

That was the broadcast that made my image “Enshou.”

[A Flame of Affection – Shiro (Silver Witch)]

And now, the one who caused that incident has come to face me in ranked battles.

“Ho, hoho…”

• I’ve never seen Mei-chan smile like this before.

Actually, I had no ill feelings toward the opponent “Flame of Affection.”

In fact, I’d even say that I felt grateful.

At the time, I did feel a bit wronged, but in the end, that broadcast helped solidify my character and contributed to the growth of my channel.

But that’s that, and this is this.

I still can’t forget the humiliation I felt from that defeat.

Even our characters were the same as back then—Shiro, the Silver Witch, and Leticia, the Blood Puppet Overlord.

It was the perfect opportunity for revenge.

[3, 2, 1.]

[Usurp The Last Crown!]

As soon as the game started, I summoned Leticia’s right-hand man, the Black Knight, of course.

I summoned the Black Knight and closed the distance between us, setting up either the Black Knight’s close-range

attack or Leticia’s long-range control move—two possible attacks.

The problem was, I had started the game like this before, only to be thoroughly played by the Flame of Affection.

But the me back then and the me now are different.

Now, I’m none other than Izumi Kaino, a V-Tuber with 183k subscribers who has cleared both the Arcana Shooter

Inferno and ST routes with my attitude.

Since that day, I’ve occasionally practiced TLQ alone, and I discovered that if you guard the Black Knight’s close-

range attack at the right timing, Leticia will experience a brief stagger.

However, since the Black Knight’s close-range attack is slow, its hitbox is very narrow, so it’s usually better to dodge than to guard.

The problem, though, was that the opponent was in the top 0.1% of TLQ players.

Guarding the Black Knight’s attack at the correct time wouldn’t have been difficult for him.

After creating a stagger with that, he took advantage of the situation and played me.

But.

“I-I can’t let that happen again…!”

As Flame of Affection’s Shiro used her guard, I used mine as well.

This prevented Leticia from getting staggered, and the turn to attack shifted back to me.

In other words, it was my turn to attack.

I input commands as quickly as I could and kept up my attack, but in the end—

[You Lose]

I won one round, but lost two consecutive rounds, and the game was over.
“Why….”

• You were too early to challenge him.
• Mei-chan was too weak.

“Ugh, uwa….”

• Are you crying?
  Don’t cry.
  “I-I’m not crying…?”
  It’s just… my eyes are sweating, that’s all…

[Maybe it’s time to give it a try.]

“R-Really?”

As the daily routine of singing practice ended, Koga-chan brought it up.

[You still can’t quite match the tempo, which is a little troubling… but at least the flow doesn’t break when you sing

anymore, right? I think the remaining issue isn’t something I can fix, so it’d be better to learn properly.]

Indeed, now when I sing, the stuttering that broke the flow has disappeared.

It seems like following Koga-chan’s advice, who has experience as an underground idol, would be the best course of action.

However.

“I-I think I’m okay because there’s no one around, and Koga-chan is the one I’m facing… but if I go for training, won’t I go back to how I was?”

[Huh… really? Yeah, I guess an environment you’re familiar with is important. Hmm…]

There was a slight lift in Koga-chan’s voice as she said this, but it wasn’t a big issue.

What was important right now was whether it was okay for me to participate in vocal training.

Of course, if I had it my way, I would have started vocal training right away.

The delay in the Starsflow 2nd generation’s 3D debut was obviously my problem, even if no one was saying it.

All the second-generation members, except for me, have uploaded cover songs and are regularly doing live singing broadcasts.

But I have no cover songs on my channel, and I’ve never even done a singing broadcast.

In that situation, there’s no way I could do a 3D debut broadcast where I would have to sing and dance.

So, if it were up to me, I’d start vocal training right away, but negative thoughts kept holding me back.

What if the improvements I think I’ve made are just an illusion?

If the reason I was calm was just because I was talking to Koga-chan alone?

What if I went to get vocal training, but it was impossible because of my stutter?

Such worries kept bubbling up endlessly.

“I still want to do live broadcasts. I haven’t changed my mind about that. But the thought that I might not have

changed at all… that’s so scary…”

When I opened up about such honest feelings, Koga-yan remained silent for a while.

But then.

[Izumi.]

“Yeah…”

Slowly, Koga-yan started to speak.

[You still want to do live broadcasts, right?]

“Yeah. I do…”

Because I want to shine like Nacchan.

[I don’t really stutter, and I don’t miss the beat when I sing like you do, so I have a hard time relating to your worries.]

“It’s okay. It’s all because I’m… lacking…”

[But when I used to be an idol, or when I was doing solo internet broadcasts, I had similar worries. The scary part is

not reaching the scene you wanted, feeling like you’re stuck in the same place, right?]

“Yeah…”

[But you know, if you stay still because you’re scared, you might be comfortable, but nothing will change. I think that’s even scarier.]

That was definitely a heartfelt piece of advice from Koga-yan, based on their own experience.

[So, how about just giving it a try? Of course, things might not improve at all, just like you’re worried.]

But Koga-yan continued.

[But so what? If we find out nothing has changed, we can slowly start again and change little by little from there, right?]

“Then it might be too late…”

[What are you saying? You’re not even in your second year of high school yet! That’s the perfect age to fail and still be fine. Don’t worry.]

“Right…”

[And if it’s okay because it’s me, then it’ll be solved if I stay with you during vocal training, right? I’m still getting

regular lessons too, so we can just adjust the schedule a little. Right?]

“Koga-yan.”

“Hm?”

“I feel really happy because I’m friends with you, Koga-yan…”

[…I sometimes wonder if Izumi is doing this on purpose.]

“Huh?”

Wasn’t the mood just really nice?