Chapter 24 : You should rest a little the day before your debut

The day before debut, I should take it easy.

• [RumiLive Gallery] –

[General] [WhitePalette announces debut ㅋㅋㅋ] [37]

(A clip of WhitePalette smiling slightly while declaring their debut)

Everyone kept saying it wasn’t promotion and were so defensive, but I told you, you *&$%#s, the last collab appearance was for promotionㅋㅋㅋㅋ

I was the only one who got it right. ㅇㅇ

[Comments]

[It’s not even a corporate debut; they’re debuting solo, so what’s with the promotion accusationsㅋㅋ]

• Here comes Sweet Water Buffalo againㅋㅋ

If it’s solo, isn’t that even worse? They used another company’s collab for their promotion.

[No matter what you all say, WhitePalette will debut and rake in money like crazyㅋㅋ Based on what I’ve seen, they have insane potential for pulling revenue.]

• Looks like they’ll excel beyond native VTubers at blowing people’s minds.
• The sudden voice change… I swear, it’s so… appealingㅋㅋㅋ

[General] [Uh, mind your own business~] [139]

(A clip of WhitePalette stammering during a RumiLive group collab)

(A clip of WhitePalette suddenly switching to a sexy voice)

(A clip of WhitePalette flustered by the ongoing harassment)

So who could possibly replace this cuteness?

[Comments]

[Originally a fan from Pencodachi, but after watching today’s broadcast, I canceled my membership… I love you, WhitePalette.]

• Calling them by a nickname they hate as a fan, huhㅋㅋ
• Please call me the White Color Palette~

[Rie is cuter, though.]

• Counterpoint

-ㅋㅋㅋ Counterpoint

• Trying to argue back, but they can’t speak Korean properly like Rie, huh?

[This is so unbearably cute that I’ve clipped just that part and replayed it 6,543 times today alone. It makes me smile for no reason, and even when people bump into me on the street, I don’t feel irritated. The way she blushes and gets flustered every time I say something sticks vividly in my mind.]

• Who created this gem?

[General] [The reason WhitePalette uses a voice changer…] [329]

(A capture of Misa crying in frustration after being repeatedly killed by WhitePalette)

No, nothing like that—just admire cute Misa.

“…Wow. This is worse than I expected.”

I thought it was a grenade explosion, but it’s like missiles are flying in.

The reactions—both likes and dislikes—are much stronger than I anticipated.

Of course, since this is the LumiLive gallery, there are plenty of haters, but there are even more people who like me. Why is that?

It makes me feel a little smug, but also a bit uneasy…

It feels like I won’t be able to meet those kinds of expectations.

“I don’t even have an avatar yet… I don’t think I’ve shown any particular charm.”

Of course, my strongest weapon will remain a secret for life.

“Wow…”

It always feels electrifying whenever I look.

It’s like a VTuber is constantly streaming from inside the mirror.

Every time we make eye contact, I end up thinking how beautiful they are.

Always, anywhere, from any angle—such a perfect appearance.

It’s not like there’s no use for it as a VTuber, but this face didn’t get scouted by a major agency for nothing.

Though, in the end, I just ran off after receiving only singing and dancing lessons.

Thinking back now, I feel a bit sorry for those people.

“Hah. Let’s stop feeling regretful.”

The past should stay in the past.

Anyway, Ahyun and Arin are super pretty too.

I’m probably not the only one who thinks it’s a waste of a face…

“Hmm. This could become a bit of a problem, though.”

Boing.

Before becoming a man, I didn’t have this large chunk of flesh on my chest.

I lifted one side of it with one hand.

Soft and fluffy.

It was springy and felt like something I’d never get tired of touching.

I heard in the community that this kind of thing is important when using a VTuber’s 3D avatar.

If the character is too flat or overly endowed, it might not match the person inside, leading to issues…

My gaze naturally fell to that.

…The overwhelming presence protruded so much that my feet were almost out of sight.

Though not grotesquely huge at first glance, it certainly made daily life inconvenient.

Even if I thoroughly covered myself when taking out the trash, people would still stare blankly from somewhere.

Even at the BBQ place last time, despite wearing a mask, I could feel the stares burning—probably because of my chest and hips that couldn’t be hidden.

At least I’ve never heard any issues about my hips…

“This chest, though, is definitely a problem.”

Still, since there’s no difference with the avatar, it’s just barely safe, I guess.

I’m glad my avatar was made to match me perfectly.

If I had become a woman without growing a bit…or if I had turned into a different species, it would’ve been much harder.

Thinking about it that way, I’m pretty lucky.

At least I still have my ID and bank account, and I don’t have any weird status screens popping up.

Even though my grim family history hasn’t changed.

I’m living a better life than before, so I guess I’m totally lucky.

Thinking that, I slowly straightened my back.

Crunch.

“Aagh…”

It felt like a lightning bolt struck me.

This sound shouldn’t come from a human body…

Maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time sitting at the computer, typing away.

It felt like my back was about to snap.

I ended up crawling around, clutching my throbbing back for a while.

Maybe I should get one of those gaming chairs like the one Ahyun uses to take care of my back.

Once my back recovered, I sat back in my chair and looked at the screen.

Several documents filled with long text were discarded, leaving only one titled, “The Real Final 4th Draft.”

“Phew. Is the script finally complete?”

It’s a script I wrote after agonizing over it for about three hours.

I even watched debut videos of famous native VTubers and, of course, LumiLive for reference.

Most were so lively, singing, and skilled—things that didn’t suit someone like me…

But there was one exception.

“Uh, um. Is the stream on…?”

A black-haired, red-eyed girl hesitatingly stammered in her debut stream.

Her small frame kept her gaze downwards rather than straight ahead.

Surprisingly, she was part of a group hailed as the leader and king of the VTuber world.

A member of Hanalive, a super-mega-corporation, and one of its most popular stars, Higurashi Nanoka.

Her avatar design was so opposite mine that it didn’t even remind me of my own.

One of my favorite combos: jet-black short hair, red eyes, and a majestic, traditional Eastern-style robe flowing so long it became a moe point.

And she even had a setting as the eighth gatekeeper of the underworld that tugged at my heartstrings.

Of course, as a nerd myself, I was used to such settings.

But the reason I found her so charming wasn’t her appearance or setting.

“Th-that is… Sorry. It’s my f-first time streaming. You… no, I mean, everyone, it’s your first time watching me too, right?”

Her hesitant, stuttering way of speaking, even when taking long pauses.

“Eh? You’re saying I’m good at games…? Th-thank you! I… never had anyone say that to me before…”

Her goofy smiles whenever she got compliments.

“Y-you’re too much. That’s so mean… Sniff…”

Her teary expressions whenever she was teased or given advice.

“She’s just like me in my memories.”

Even with my fragmented memories, the resemblance was uncanny.

It was like a mirror image of the bullied girl I was back in high school.

It’s a pity I don’t have more materials since I graduated just a month before becoming a girl.

But it was immensely helpful.

“I see. There’s a way to do it like this.”

Though unconventional, her personality grew through collabs and such.

It’s strange to see someone grow so much after experiencing just a few streams indirectly, but it’s a good thing.

Though the materials were limited, they were incredibly helpful.

I stared at Nanoka’s last live stream from a month ago.

Unlike her awkward debut, she was now smiling brightly as she streamed live.

Beside her were many colleagues and friends she made through her VTuber activities, singing together.

Someone she shared a teetee coupling with.

Someone known for having amazing chemistry with her.

From the composer who wrote her songs to the famous singer who sang alongside her.

The clumsy girl who used to make me laugh in her debut was now dancing as a full-fledged idol.

‘Everyone, thank you so, so, so much for watching this live!’

Even though she stood like a statue when she first got her 3D avatar, watching her wave her arms now filled my heart with emotion.

I haven’t been following her or know anything about her story, so why do I feel this way?

‘Thank you for loving Nanoka! Goodbye! Until we meet again someday!’

“Wow…”

Clap clap.

I felt a lump in my throat, and I thought I’d cry if I didn’t at least clap.

Without realizing it, I clapped my hands as I watched her final farewell.

What can I say?

It feels like reading the final chapter of a well-written novel.

“Alright. I’ve learned so much from you, Nanoka…”

Even though I’ve never met her before, a bond as strong as a teacher-student relationship had formed in my heart.

Should I leave a comment in Japanese to express my respect for my mentor?

After all, I’ve been into subcultures since I was young, so my Japanese is native-level.

Wow. Truly a mentor.

Even after a month, her video is still receiving tons of comments.

What are they saying?

“…Oh.”

It’s already been a month since Higurashi Nanoka left us.

Ah, this heartbreaking wait… (continued in later comments)

“No matter when you return, we will be waiting, so please rest well and come back.”

• Thank you for your hard work over the past two years. I wish you happiness.

“If we meet again somewhere…”

• I ended up crying during the final song. I can’t imagine living without Nanoka.

Most of the comments were so long that I had to click “Read more” to see the full text.

There were roughly 30,000 comments, and with so many being that long, it felt like reading several novels.

“To be loved this much…”

In the end, she graduated.

It felt strange.

Even as someone who wasn’t a fan, I felt this odd emotion.

For those who had followed her for years, they must have been truly heartbroken.

“…I must not graduate.”

I chuckled as I made a resolution so obvious that others might laugh at it.

After all, there’s no way so many people would watch me.

Besides, I have no reason to graduate either.

Ending my somewhat amusing daydream, I also finished the script.

I wrote down the final line that came to mind after watching my mentor’s last stream.

‘This is Shirahana Yuki, who just transferred here. Please take care of me.’

Nothing bad will happen, right?

Considering how common the term “graduation” is, this should be fine.