Finally filming a vlog.
“Alright. Is it almost over…?”
If it’s that person, the work will surely be handled well.
Nodding repeatedly, I strolled through the shrine.
Hmm. Something feels missing…
Ah.
“Where’s the fortune-drawing place? Let’s start recording from that. We haven’t filmed anything since the airport…”
“Fortune? Ah, you mean omikuji?”
Ahyun rested her chin on one hand and slowly looked around.
She pretended to be indifferent, but she had been observing the shrine closely for a while now.
And before long, she quietly pointed to a spot.
“There it is. I’ll turn on the camera.”
While Ahyun rummaged for the camera, Arin and I headed toward the wooden booth first.
What we saw was a small wooden booth.
A place where you could draw fortunes.
In front of it, a long row of strings extended for tying fortunes.
If the fortune was bad, you tied it there; if it was good, you took it with you—that was the Japanese omikuji custom.
A common trope in Japanese romance light novels…
I put one hand in my pocket and smiled lightly.
“Since we’re at a Japanese shrine, it would feel like a waste if we didn’t do this, right?”
These kinds of things are surprisingly fun.
Arin crossed her arms and nodded.
“Oh, drawing omikuji sounds great! But every time I do this, my luck is weirdly bad.”
“Yeah, you’ve always gotten unlucky ones.”
Ahyun chuckled and added to the conversation.
Arin pouted and glared at her.
“You always get ‘Great Blessing’! It’s totally unfair!”
“I’m just lucky, that’s all.”
“Ugh. This time, I’m going to get ‘Great Blessing’!”
With that, she strode confidently toward the booth.
I followed slowly behind.
Inside the small wooden box were numerous omikuji sticks.
The method was simple—reach into the box with a small hole, pull out a stick, remember the number, and take it to the office.
100 yen per draw.
I inserted a coin and reached inside.
I felt the smooth texture of the wooden sticks at my fingertips.
Clatter, clatter—the sound of sticks bumping inside the box.
“This has a certain feel to it.”
Tilting the box, I pulled out a stick.
The number “67” was written on it.
“Oh, it’s number 67.”
“My turn!”
Excitedly, Arin shook the box.
Clatter, clatter!
She tilted the box and pulled one out.
“Hmm… number 99!”
“You sure have a talent for pulling high numbers.”
“Ah, whatever. Let’s go!”
Waving her hand excitedly, Arin took the lead.
Ahyun also quietly inserted a coin and shook the box.
Clatter.
She slowly pulled out a stick and checked the number.
“Number 15.”
“Oh, 15? That number gives me a bad feeling…”
For some reason, it felt like a number that signified many people leaving.
Ugh. So ominous.
Despite drawing such a dreadful number, she remained expressionless.
“It’s just a number.”
“Is it really?”
I playfully smirked and patted her back.
“Come on, let’s go get our fortunes.”
We headed to the office, holding our numbered sticks.
There were already a few tourists lined up in front of the shrine’s office.
We quietly joined the line.
There weren’t too many people, so our turn came soon.
I handed my stick to the staff.
“67 (Number 67).”
Since I had regained all of Nanoka’s memories, speaking Japanese felt natural.
The staff acknowledged the number and handed me the corresponding omikuji paper.
I slowly unfolded it.
Small Blessing.
Hmm… Not bad, but not amazing either.
“I got ‘Small Blessing.’ Pretty average.”
“0||0||~”
Arin eagerly handed her stick to the office staff.
“Number 99!”
The staff smiled in slight surprise and handed her a paper.
Holding it with both hands, Arin carefully unfolded it.
“Please, please, please… Ta-da!”
Flutter!
“Unni, can you read it for me?”
“Seriously? Why did you do this when you can’t even read Japanese?”
The fortune I received had the large characters “大吉 (Great Blessing)” written on it.
Below that was a detailed explanation of the fortune, but the problem was its content.
“Love fortune… This year, a very special connection will find you. However, be mindful of age differences…?”
“Huh? I’m going to have a romance? Isn’t that a good thing?”
Arin grinned innocently, while Ahyun and I silently stared at her.
Arin was a small girl, barely 150 cm tall, tiny and cute.
No matter how much someone liked pretty girls, if they were attracted to someone this small…
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Next to me, Ahyun tilted her head and read the paper.
Then she muttered a short comment.
“If someone were to date Arin…”
I quietly added,
“They’d be a pedophile. You should be careful.”
“…Ah! What the heck!!”
Arin finally realized the meaning, crumpling the fortune in frustration.
“What is this weird fortune!?”
I smirked.
“But it’s still ‘Great Blessing,’ so it’s not a bad fortune.”
“It literally says to be careful about age differences!! That’s way too ominous!!”
Arin’s face turned red as she read the love fortune again and again.
Ahyun, trying to smooth things over, clapped her hands and forced a cheerful tone.
“Maybe it means you’ll meet someone younger instead?”
“That would make me a shotacon!!!”
“Arin, don’t hide it. We all know what you like.”
“That’s not true!!!”
Pfft. Too cute.
I couldn’t hold back my laughter at her reaction.
“Still, Arin, you might start dating soon.”
“Never!! I’d rather stay single than believe in this dumb fortune!”
“But it’s the word of God?”
“It must be superstition! Anyway, no way!”
Arin, trembling, tightly tied the fortune slip to the shrine pillar.
Well, since Arin is reacting so intensely, I won’t say anything more…
Arin is a beauty in her own way, so if we just overcome the age difference, she could really be in a relationship…
Though, she needs to choose her partner carefully…
“Shall we go to Akihabara now and then head back to the accommodation?”
“Yeah! I need to blow off this feeling by buying some merch…!”
Arin let out a high-pitched “Eeeek!” and hopped excitedly.
Ahyun and I just looked at each other and giggled.
After checking our fortunes at the shrine, we took the train again.
A must-visit place in Tokyo—Akihabara.
As VTubers with an audience full of otakus, there’s no way we could skip this place.
“Alright! The holy land of otakus! We’ve arrived in Akihabara~!”
I spread my arms wide and shouted.
I expected Arin to respond with an excited clap, but for some reason, she was quiet.
I turned to look at her.
“I… I’m not an otaku.”
“Liar.”
“I’m serious!”
Yet, when we were heading to Akihabara, her eyes were shining so brightly.
If she had a fox tail, it would’ve been wagging non-stop…!
Suspicious. Very suspicious…!
Under my persistent gaze, Arin finally screamed in frustration.
“It’s just… I have a broad range of interests, okay!”
“No, you’re an otaku.”
I stated firmly.
Arin trembled and pressed her lips together tightly.
Meanwhile, Ahyun had already gone ahead, looking around.
“Wow… They really have everything…”
In front of us were anime merchandise shops, figure stores, retro game specialty shops, the Akihabara electronics district, and maid café billboards everywhere.
The signs were filled with anime characters’ faces, and the streets were filled with otaku-style BGM.
“Of…”
I took a deep breath.
This smell.
The smell of otakus.
Once you step into this place, there’s no way you can avoid becoming an otaku.
Games, manga, figures, illustrations, maids, electronics, and even idol culture.
Akihabara is where every otaku’s dream comes true.
“Hey? Look at that!”
Arin suddenly pointed.
On a giant street screen, a new PV for a popular virtual idol group was playing.
HanAlive 5th generation… Wait.
I suddenly stopped.
Then, I quietly looked at Arin.
“…Hey.”
“Huh, huh..?”
“Why are you showing that to me?”
“N-no…! I just thought it was interesting! No reason at all!”
Arin quickly waved her hands.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at her before smirking and looking away.
“Hmph. Well, it doesn’t bother me anymore.”
That’s right.
It doesn’t bother me anymore.
I came here as a tourist, not to chase the ghosts of my past.
“So, what should we do first?”
“Buying… some merch? Or maybe…!”
“Maid café.”
I firmly cut Arin off.
Sorry, but this is non-negotiable.
Coming to Akihabara and not visiting a maid café?
That would be like going on an onsen trip and not soaking in the hot springs.
Even if the sky splits in two, I have to go…
“A maid café?”
Arin blinked at me.
Then, she quietly spoke.
“…Sis, don’t tell me you’re an otaku?”
“You’re just realizing that now?”
I answered confidently.
“I’m an otaku. Accept it. And from now on, we’re going to a maid café.”
“No, no… I was just…”
Arin hesitated, shaking her head.
But I had already grabbed her hand.
And I took Ahyun’s hand, who was standing beside us, looking flustered.
“Everyone ready? We’re heading to Akiba’s best spot!”
“Uh… okay…?”
“Wait, sis! I’m not mentally prepared…!”
“Too late. You don’t need to be.”
I declared firmly.
This is an experience.
An experience you can’t get anywhere else.
Out of all the experiences I’ve had in life, maid cafés are special.
The reason is simple.
“They cast magic spells on the food.”
“…Sis, are you really going?”
“Ugh. Who’s going to stop her…”
After that, I ordered the most expensive items on the menu at the maid café.
I spent so much that even the maids looked flustered, asking if I was really sure I wanted to buy all the photo cards.
Not only that, but the café owner, after noticing our looks, even asked if we wanted to work there—offering five times the hourly wage.
And somehow, in the end, all three of us were posing with cat ear headbands on.
Well… good things are good, right?
In the end, the bad guys got what they deserved, and now we’re just enjoying ourselves.
Back in Korea, I’ll have some stories to share, but I’ve also properly wrapped up my past.
Honestly, this might have been the best trip I’ve ever taken.
“…By the way, sis. About that knife you showed me earlier… Won’t it get confiscated at customs?”
“…Huh?”
“It’s worth 200,000 won, but you might have to throw it away since you can’t use it. Well, at least you didn’t use it…”
“Aaah… I should’ve had it delivered…!”
Trip of a lifetime, canceled…!