Chapter 61 : I am the first daughter, you thieving cat of a wench!!!

“I am! The first! Daughter, you thieving cat of a woman!!!”

Zzzt-

Sayo’s blue eyes (which are actually lenses) and Ahyun’s green eyes (hers are natural, since she is of mixed heritage) glared at each other.

Their gazes were so intense that they were almost visible… and terrifying.

“…Unnie! Do something about this atmosphere…!”

“Even if you whisper like that, there’s nothing I can do…”

Ahyun grabbed my arm, whispering in a panicked voice.

But what am I supposed to do?

In front of me, the two were staring each other down, locked in a fierce battle of wills.

Takahashi Sayo.

And Ahyun.

Both exchanged cold glares, maintaining a tense atmosphere.

Was this fight really necessary…?

Mama, answer me. I am the first daughter, right?

Sayo spoke in a calm yet firm voice.

But behind her tone, an undeniable obsession was evident.

Her hands were trembling ever so slightly at the fingertips, and her blue eyes were filled with anxiety and anticipation.

As expected, both of them were incredibly tense…

“No, you’re not?”

Ahyun retorted sharply.

“Unnie’s first creation in Korea was Yui. So the first avatar was Yui!”

What are you talking about? Haru came first. I remember it clearly!

“That’s just your misunderstanding. Mama—no, Unnie, it’s obvious who you poured more affection into.”

What do you mean?

“Haru has way higher quality and is fully detailed down to the smallest aspects!”

“That…!”

Sayo’s expression twisted slightly.

But she quickly regained her composure and looked at me.

That’s only because it was refined later. The first avatar ever created was Haru! So I am the first!

Then she suddenly straightened her back and declared confidently:

I have 1.4 million subscribers, and I’m a well-known, popular YouTuber on HanaLive! Haru is already a brand! So Mama has to acknowledge it!

As soon as she finished speaking, Ahyun frowned slightly and muttered under her breath.

“…But Yui has 300,000.”

Wh-what!?

Sayo’s face showed utter shock, as if she’d been struck by lightning.

Why are you the one who’s surprised?

Then, as if she had won, Ahyun crossed her arms with a smug expression.

(See! Haru is obviously more popular! It’s only natural that Mama poured more love into me!

“Th-that’s….”

Ahyun shut her mouth tightly.

Normally, she would have argued back, but the overwhelming subscriber difference was an undeniable fact.

Hahaha, as expected, my victory.

Sayo chuckled confidently, running her fingers through her hair.

I let out a deep sigh as I watched her.

“Hey… is this really something worth fighting over?”

Mama! This isn’t just about numbers! This is about love!!

Sayo shouted desperately.

But Ahyun still looked dissatisfied as she turned to me.

“Right. Now we have a clear answer on who Unnie loved more, don’t we?”

I looked back and forth between the two, feeling extreme distress.

‘Ah, seriously, what do I do about this…?’

At that moment, Arin raised her hand.

“Wait, wait!”

Everyone’s attention turned to Arin.

She crossed her arms and nodded with a serious expression.

“So, to sum it up, the real issue here is who Mama created first, right?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s right.”

“Then why don’t we just ask Mama directly? Who did she pour more love into?”

I shut my eyes tightly.

Damn. She really threw it back to me like this.

‘…The one I spent more time on… was Yui.’

Clench.

Sayo bit her trembling lips hard.

Her blue eyes shook, and soon, tears welled up.

“Why… why would you say that…?”

Her voice cracked.

I felt like I should say something, but no words came out.

Sayo clenched her fists tightly before slowly releasing them and stepping back.

We weren’t… just characters…

She quietly lowered her head.

And at that moment, what flashed through Sayo’s mind—

Were the memories of the past.

The days spent together on HanaLive.

“Mama~! Today’s stream is a Mario Kart match! Mama, do you think you’ll win today?”

A cheerful voice coming through the monitor.

A lively chatroom.

On the screen, Haru’s avatar was smiling while sitting in a red kart.

Ahahaha, Mama’s driving is a mess! Aren’t you gonna crash into the wall again?

Sayo had been so happy back then.

Playing games with Suhyun, laughing and chatting, teasing Suhyun when she made mistakes.

And Suhyun, grumbling cutely whenever she got teased.

“Hey! Stop pushing me on purpose!”

The world of competition isn’t that easy!

Streaming together, laughing and chatting every day.

“Mama, how about my new song cover?”

“Eh? Let me hear it.”

Sayo opened the file with trembling hands.

And Suhyun quietly listened to the music.

She could be seen nodding her head slightly to the rhythm.

“Wow, Sayo, you’ve really improved. I love how the emotions peak in this part.”

“Really…? Mama saying that makes me happy…”

At that moment, Sayo felt warmth in her heart.

To her, Mama was not just a colleague.

She was her closest friend, teacher, and family.

“I’m getting sleepy now…”

“Ehh!? But it’s only 5 AM!?”

“…That’s the problem.”

Sayo smiled and checked the chat.

It was filled with messages like “Mama being sleepy is so cute lol.”

When she streamed with Suhyun for long hours, she lost track of time.

Spending time talking, joking, and singing together until morning came.

Sayo clenched her fists tightly.

Tears ran down her cheeks.

“Mama… I… I’ve been waiting…”

She looked up at Suhyun and spoke in a trembling voice.

“Why… Why won’t you smile like you did back then…?”

Suhyun bit her lip.

Her mind went blank.

Sayo’s words, her tears, felt like they were piercing deep into her heart.

With a trembling voice, she carefully opened her mouth.

“I…”

Sayo looked at her with hope.

Suhyun, with eyes as cold as ice, spoke with certainty.

“I don’t have any memories of Hanalive.”

At that moment, the air froze.

Sayo’s pupils trembled.

Her lips quivered slightly as she swallowed hard.

“…Eh?”

Her expression slowly crumbled.

Shock, as if she couldn’t believe it, flashed across her face.

“Mama… You’re lying, right?”

Sayo grabbed Suhyun’s hand tightly.

Her fingertips were cold.

Anxiety flooded her body, as if she were holding onto something that might disappear at any moment.

“You’re joking… right?”

But no matter how hard she tried, Suhyun couldn’t recall anything.

She shook her head.

“It’s true. I have no memory of being in Hanalive… at all.”

The color drained from Sayo’s face.

“That can’t be…”

She slowly, weakly stepped backward.

Her face looked as if everything was crumbling apart.

“Mama… forgot about me…?”

Sayo’s voice grew weaker and weaker.

Her shoulders began to tremble.

At that moment, all the memories in her head violently swirled around.

Laughing together, chatting together, singing together.

But now, all of it was gone.

She could no longer speak.

Her voice was cut off.

It felt like she had ceased to exist.

Tears fell from Sayo’s eyes once again.

Then, her lips moved slightly.

A trembling voice.

“Then…”

She took a deep breath and looked at Suhyun.

“Then, Sakura… do you not remember her either?”

At that moment, Suhyun’s heart dropped.

Sakura.

A name that felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.

The moment she heard that name, an inexplicable sense of foreboding filled her mind.

‘Sakura…?’

Without realizing it, Suhyun bit her lip.

“…Sakura?”

She repeated the name in a low voice.

But no memories surfaced.

Only a void.

It was just a strange name, yet her heart pounded strangely.

A sense of unease, as if she were missing something important, crept in.

Sayo carefully observed Suhyun’s reaction.

Then, as if she had realized everything, she smiled bitterly in despair.

“So you really… don’t remember…”

Her smile was stained with tears.

Sayo took a step back.

She covered her face with both hands, as if trying to stop her tears.

But her shoulders were trembling slightly.

“It’s true…”

Suhyun hurriedly spoke.

She didn’t even know why she was trying to explain herself, but she felt desperate to fix this situation.

“I really don’t know anyone named Sakura…”

Sayo slowly lifted her head.

Her eyes wavered, but deep within them lay something bitter and profound.

“Then…”

She struggled to part her lips and continued.

Then… That devilish woman… you’ve forgotten what she did to you, too. Good for you.”

Suhyun couldn’t let that go unnoticed.