From VTuber♂ to VTuber♀ - Chapter 194

Vacation (2)

—

“​So, did you pack everything?”

“Yeah, I’m all set… though honestly there wasn’t much to pack.”

Five days’ worth of clothes—that was everything I brought.
Even if it turned out to be too little I could always buy more in Korea, so it wasn’t a big deal.
I’ve been speaking Japanese nonstop lately, but Korean is still my mother tongue, after all.
Buying clothes back home wouldn’t be any trouble.

“You explained it properly to the listeners, right?”

“Of course I did.”

I nodded at Toya’s question.
For a bunch of people who’d been pestering me—“When are you taking a break? Isn’t it about time for a break?”—their reactions were pretty extreme when I finally told them.
Well… I managed to squeeze their permission out of them somehow.
It’s not like I’m going to meet my fiancé’s parents or anything, they were just being picky…

– Nat‑chan! You have to come back from Korea, okay?! Promise!?
– Hold Toya’s hand tight and DON’T let go!
– Even if the kimchi tastes like heaven, you’d better fly back to Japan, Nat‑chan!
– Nat‑chan… let’s be real, sushi is still tastier than kimchi, right? There’s oyakodon, there’s gyūdon, so please…!!
– Oyakodon *and* gyūdon? That’s too low‑budget, lolol.
– If you’re going to tempt her, at least offer wagyū, grass.

Their desperate wailing still echoed in my head.
If it were a love song, it would’ve been downright clingy.
It’s not like I’m getting married or running off forever; they totally overreacted.
Where would I even go without my listeners?

…Though I understand why they worry, given my track record.
One thing I could say for sure: I wasn’t going to run away from my listeners ever again.
Streaming is my life.
So whether I’m on break or online, I plan to share everything with them.
Really, there’s no need to be so anxious.
(Not that saying that actually calms them.)

“Got your passport?”

“Obviously.”

Funny—this was my first time taking a passport into Korea.
It struck me that I’d never come home from abroad before.
The thought of returning to my hometown felt… strangely fresh.
Truth be told, it felt less like going home and more like just another overseas trip.

“Okay, let’s head out.”

“Mm‑hmm.”

A trip to Korea with Toya.
I’d been in Korea with Toya before, but this was our first real vacation together.
Thinking of it as a trip made it feel new.
I stared at the hand held out to me, then clasped it with a soft clack.
Warmth filled my palm and my heart started pounding.
So this is what it feels like to take a new step forward.
It was a good, exhilarating feeling.

—

—

[ I think I just saw the gal‑owner* at the airport—am I imagining things? ]
[ Can’t give the exact time & place, but I’m pretty sure she really landed in Korea? ]

└ [ No way, stop lying ]
└ [ Dude I’m serious. I was boarding for Japan and saw her lol ]
└ [ How would you even know it was her? ]
└ [ Bro, the real problem is not recognizing gal‑owner on sight. If you can’t spot her IRL you’re not a true fan lol ]
└ [ Does she really look that much like the avatar? ]
└ [ Not “that much,” literally identical lol ]
└ [ I might’ve seen her too—was that lanky guy in glasses next to her a fellow fan? ]
└ [ Lanky guy with glasses, what? lol ]
└ [ Yeah, lanky glasses guy was me. You the glasses‑wearing pig? ]
└ [ Bruh savage lolol ]
└ [ The replier isn’t even the OP lol ]
└ [ (Natsu you got a death wish? kon) ]
└ [ Lanky glasses guy here, confirmed ]
└ [ Neck reveal when? ]

[ I run a taxi; gal‑owner got in my cab ]
[ Honestly I wanted to fangirl, ask for a sig, a pic, everything—but I held back lol ]

└ [ How old is this fan‑taxi‑driver… ]
└ [ “How old” lmao ]
└ [ I’m not that old ;; ]
└ [ Be real, no one young drives taxis for a living lol ]
└ [ Guess I’m beyond reason, then lol ]
└ [ So what does she look like? Cute? ]
└ [ Can’t give details, but her avatar doesn’t do her justice. Totally ineffable vibe ]
└ [ Was she alone? Nobody with her? ]
└ [ Girl ranked #1 in donos was beside her—stone‑cold ice beauty, felt like her stare could freeze the cab lol ]
└ [ Manager maybe? ]
└ [ Yeah, sending gal‑owner alone would be scary; she was tiny… ]
└ [ Nuoooo lol ]

[ I’m the one who paid for the Ichinose Natsu “Welcome to Korea” station ad. ]
[ Saw her take photos with the billboard after work… I was moved to tears… Wanted to post pics so bad but restrained myself… Dai‑Natsu… Eternal Yeo-reum… I will worship forever… ]

└ [ Another recruit for Team Yeo-reum. ]
└ [ Bro, if he bought the ad he’s obviously Team Yeo-reum, you fool lol ]
└ [ Ah. ]
└ [ “Ah” my foot lol ]
└ [ I saw her at the station too lol ]
└ [ Way too many sightings; she’ll hit the evening news at this rate lol ]
└ [ Maybe not the news, but the eyewitness reports are insane lolol ]
└ [ How famous do you plan on getting, Han Yeo-reum!!! ]
└ [ I met her near the station too—she was feeding bread to the friend she came with, so cute lol ]
└ [ I want to feed bread to gal‑owner… ]
└ [ (Natsu heading to jail, kon) ]
└ [ You won’t feed her bread, you’ll become bread lol ]
└ [ Show some basic manners, you degenerates… ]

—

“Mm‑hmm…”

“What’s wrong, Yeo-reum?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

Toya didn’t seem to notice, but I could feel the stares—no, the onslaught of stares.
Not one or two people; way more than that.
It wasn’t stalking, exactly, but the sheer number made my nerves stand on end.
I shouldn’t have to be on guard in Korea, yet all those eyes left me no choice.

I guess I should’ve dyed my hair after all.
But the doctor said dyeing my hair would be poison for me.
“Color it once and I won’t be responsible when it falls out in clumps,” he’d said—those words were still crystal‑clear in my mind.
Right. No matter what, my health comes first.
I need to stay healthy if I want to keep streaming.

“Want to switch hats?”

“No—if we do, we’ll stand out even more.”

If I swapped hats with Toya, people would definitely stare.
One hat covered the entire face; the other barely perched on her head.
Anyone would look twice—maybe thrice.

“Let’s just hold out till we reach the hotel, Yeo-reum.”

“…Okay.”

Once we got to the hotel everything would calm down—hopefully.
Really, I was the problem: flashy hair, flashy eyes.
If I’d had plain black hair and plain black eyes, maybe things would be different.
I pulled my hat even lower and sighed.
Never thought I’d live to worry about being noticed by people.

“Welcome aboard~”

“Uh, Seoul Plaza Hotel, please.”

“Certainly~”

We finally broke through the staring crowd and got into a cab.
I only relaxed for a moment; then I noticed the driver kept glancing at us in the rear‑view mirror.
He looked much younger than most taxi drivers.
Did he recognize me? Was it just the hair color?
I forced myself to ignore the questions and stared out the window.

It’s changed more than I expected…

It had been two years since I’d flown out of this airport on my way to Japan.
A long time and a short time all at once—and my hometown had changed so much.
Yet the familiar sights, the nostalgia, kept me from calling it completely different; I fell silent instead.

“It was snowing the last time we were here.”

“Ah, that’s right. Sorry—you must’ve had a tough time because of me.”

“Come on, it wasn’t that bad.”

Toya patted my shoulder, and the gesture calmed me.
Yeah—last time she came to Korea, the snow was piling up everywhere.
Deep enough to bury my footprints in seconds.
And Toya had trudged through that snow to find me.

…Hard to believe that was already two years ago.

I squeezed the hand resting obediently on the car seat, and Toya’s eyes went round.

If I startled you, sorry.
I just… felt grateful.
Grateful to the one who came looking for me.

“Thanks for coming with me, To— ahem… Momiji.”

“No need to thank me.”

Just like back then, Toya’s smile was truly beautiful.
Seeing it again reminded me why I’d followed her all the way here.

—