From VTuber♂ to VTuber♀ - Chapter 28

My name is Han Yeoreum.

The stream had ended successfully. Or, at least, I thought it had.
Honestly, I had fallen asleep next to Toya while she was reading marshmallows, so I wasn’t totally sure.
But the first thing I saw when I woke up was Toya’s smiling face, so I just figured everything had gone well.

“Yeoreum, good morning~”
“…Morning?”
I turned my head slightly to check the time—
The clock hands were pointing to 12.
Did I really sleep that long?
I’m pretty sure I fell asleep around midnight, and now it was already noon.
Toya looked super refreshed too.
She must’ve gotten some sleep as well—right next to me.

“Uuugh, uuuuuuugh!”
“I can see your belly button. Boop!”
“Kyaa!?”

Since I’d fallen asleep on the floor instead of the bed, my whole body felt stiff.
I stretched instinctively, and just as I did, Toya poked my exposed belly button.
Startled, I let out a small scream—Toya immediately burst into laughter.
Her chuckles—heh heh heh—sounded pretty mischievous.

“So, did the stream wrap up okay?”
“Yup! Mane-chan called, but I just brushed it off and said we’d talk at the office today!”
“…You really shouldn’t brush off stuff like that.”

The viewers probably interpreted Toya’s casual remarks as:
Toya’s friend is going to debut as a VSPE VTuber.
Because she had just openly mentioned someone who should have remained private—the so-called “red pill”—on a live stream.
And not just mentioned—she let me join in.
Unless I was already a part of VSPE—or about to be—this was something you definitely shouldn’t do.
…To be honest, even if I were an upcoming member, it was still dangerously close to crossing a line.

“Oh, Yeoreum, wanna come with me to the office today?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. We’re on the same boat now, right?”
“Well… I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

Since things had already gone down on the stream, a minimum level of explanation was necessary.
I didn’t know how much I’d be able to convince VSPE’s CEO, but I was prepared to tell the truth—that I was Han Yeoreum.
I had to do this. I couldn’t risk causing trouble for Toya.

“Alright, then first—let’s wash up.”
“I can wash myself.”
“Oh really? Can you even reach the sink? I’ll wash you~ Just leave it to me~”

I appreciated the help, but did she really have to carry me to the bathroom?
I grabbed her collar in protest—she’d been picking me up way too often lately.
Stop treating me like a child.
We’re the same age, remember? You wouldn’t like it if someone treated you like that.

But even with all my silent protests, Toya just smiled brightly.
…Someday, I really need to give her a proper warning.

—

“This is our office.”
It wasn’t huge or anything, but the whole building had a sign reading Virtual Special.
Somehow, just being here made me nervous.
The last time I came to a company building, it wasn’t exactly under good circumstances.

Maybe Toya sensed my anxiety—she squeezed my hand a little tighter.
That small pressure gave me just enough comfort to keep moving.

“S-Should I start by apologizing?”
“I don’t think you need to. I’m the one who asked you to sit beside me in the first place.”
“…Still.”

Toya spoke as if it were nothing, but I had caused trouble.
The closer we got to the CEO’s office, the faster my heart started pounding.
Ugh, my chest hurts.
I clutched it and grimaced, and Toya quietly asked if I was okay.
I nodded. I was just nervous.

Knock knock—
“Boss, we’re coming in~”

Even though there was no response from inside, Toya opened the door anyway.
T-Toya?! You can’t just barge in like that!
Aren’t you supposed to wait until you’re invited in?

I stared at Toya in disbelief, but she just gave her usual “It’s fine, it’s fine~” attitude.
Well, you might be fine, but I’m not!

“Toya, again with the barging in—”
“Ah, hello…”

My first impression of the CEO? He looked like your average office worker.
But the dark circles under his eyes told a different story—this guy was definitely overworked.
Don’t CEOs usually delegate work to others?

While I was mentally raising an eyebrow, the CEO locked eyes with me. I quickly bowed.

“…Who’s the kid next to you?”
“Ah, this one?”

At the word kid, Toya let out a snort, and the CEO seemed confused by her sudden laugh.
I didn’t know if I should introduce myself or just keep quiet, so I ended up hiding behind Toya’s legs.
T-Toya brought me here, so she should do the talking!
I’m not great with face-to-face conversations.
Online, I can manage… but in-person? That’s still too much.

“She’s the Totomo-chan who was on my stream yesterday!”
“That girl? So… she’s your friend?”
“Yup, same age as me!”
“Same age?”

The CEO tilted his head and scratched his neatly combed hair.
Then he gave me another look—
It was clear he didn’t believe we were the same age.
Actually, he probably thought he misheard.

“Don’t tell me… the snow fairy you posted on SNS?”
“Knew it! You’re super sharp, boss~”
“No, but seriously… you’re saying you two are the same age?”

Still not convinced, the CEO looked at Toya, who just nodded confidently.
Well, yeah. Who would believe Toya and I are the same age just by looking at us?
I wanted to show my ID, but I’d left it back at Toya’s place.
So for now, I could only go with “just trust me.”

“Wait, that’s not even the point right now… What was that stuff you said on stream yesterday?”
“Ah! Well, she’s an aspiring VTuber!”

Toya?!

She pulled me from behind her like she was offering me as a sacrifice to a wild beast.
Aspiring VTuber…
I guess technically, I’m not an aspiring VTuber—I’m a former one.

“Uh… y-yes, I want to be a VTuber!”
“…”

I couldn’t ignore the eyes boring into me, so I ended up blurting it out like that.
Even if I wasn’t sure yet, I couldn’t exactly say “Actually, no” after what Toya said on stream.

The CEO stared at me in silence for a moment, letting out a thoughtful “Hmm…”
Of course this wouldn’t work. Right? Right…?

‘Toya, what are we going to do if this turns into a real problem?!’
‘It’s fine, it’s fine~ Boss isn’t that kind of person. If anything, I bet he’d really like someone like you~’

I tried desperately to signal my panic through my eyes, but Toya looked completely unbothered.
How can she be so relaxed about this?
Even if I got close to the CEO someday, I’d never be able to talk this casually about business.
It wasn’t the CEO’s fault—I was just bad at separating personal from professional.

“May I ask your name?”
“Oh no, Boss switched into CEO Mode~”
“…CEO Mode?”
“Yup. When something hits him, he instantly switches into business mode. Like when we first signed my contract, he suddenly got all formal. It’s like a switch—usually he’s just a dorky uncle, but once he gets serious, he’s all business.”

…Is it okay to say that right in front of him?

Despite hearing us talk about him like that, the CEO’s face didn’t change.
He looked exactly like a serious salaryman handling an important deal.

Ah, right. He asked for my name.

So, my name is—

‘…Wait, should I really say Han Yeoreum?’

Was that okay? Or not?

The thought hit me mid-sentence and my words got stuck.
Uh, um, well, my name is… uh…

I swallowed hard.
I should’ve picked a stage name or something beforehand.
Since it was a sudden question, nothing came to mind.

“You can be honest. The CEO’s a good person—he’ll understand. Remember what I told you about Japanese culture?”
“Still…”

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hesitant.
I hadn’t even fully made up my mind yet—could I really say it so easily?

But if I ran away now, I’d lose any chance to move forward.
I met Toya’s reassuring gaze and took a few deep breaths.

Yeah. It’s fine.
Toya said it would be okay—so it will be.

“My name is Han Yeoreum.”

With just that one sentence—

The CEO’s so-called “business face” crumbled instantly.

—