From VTuber♂ to VTuber♀ - Chapter 35

Met a Really Strange Person. (2)

“Anyway, Toya. Are you sure you two are friends? You’ve been hiding such a cute friend all this time?”

“Of course we’re friends! Look—if this isn’t what a friend is, then what is? Pfft.”

Inari, now somewhat collected, looked between Toya and me with a suspicious expression.

Well, yeah, it makes sense. Out of nowhere, Toya brought someone she never even mentioned before into her house, had her appear on a stream, and even agreed to a meeting just because Inari asked?
Anyone would wonder where this person suddenly came from.

If I were Inari, I’d think it was weird too.
Yeah… I wouldn’t be able to accept some strange person suddenly clinging to Toya either.

“So, how did you meet such a cutie? Was it during your trip to Korea?”

“Hmm~ Do you think Totomo-chan looks Korean?”

“…”

Toya poked my cheek with her finger, and my face puffed up from both sides.
Inari frowned as she looked at my squished cheeks.

Yeah, I guess I don’t really look Korean?
Since coming to Japan, I haven’t used Korean at all in front of other people.

Still, you’d think someone might vaguely guess I’m Korean based on my East Asian appearance.

“You don’t look Korean at all.”

“…Really?”

“You look like a winter fairy from the land of fairies. Like a mascot character that suddenly turned human and says, ‘Make a contract with me and become a magical girl!’ or something.”

“…That’s oddly specific.”

Aside from my pale skin and red eyes, I don’t think I resemble that kind of character at all… Though, I guess the color scheme is similar.

I’m not that evil though.

Anyway, I slowly hid behind Toya’s back in response to Inari’s intense stare that made it seem like she might pounce on me at any moment, just like when we first met.

“Inari?”

“N-No, it’s not like that!”

“What’s not like that?”

“I absolutely would never pounce on Totomo-chan or lick, fondle, pet, cuddle, lift up, or sleep hugging her or anything like that!!”

…This woman’s dangerous.

I completely hid behind Toya, unable to deal with Inari’s wild declarations.
Okay. I’ve made up my mind. I will never be alone with Inari.

Though she looked genuinely upset, Inari had already long since lost my trust.

“Anyway, that’s not the point! Who are you really? If you’re not a fairy, then are you a friend Toya made in Korea?”

“She’s not someone I met in Korea, right?”

“…Yeah, that’s true.”

I am Korean, but I didn’t become friends with Toya in Korea.

We just happened to play on the same team in a game, and that’s how we met.

Toya’s face lit up with a smile as if she were reminiscing about that moment.

Inari, meanwhile, had a completely confused look like she didn’t get the joke.

“Toya, Inari’s okay, right?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. A strange person, but not a bad one.”

“…Hey, I’m right here, you know? It hurts when you call me strange like that.”

“But you are strange.”

“Guh…”

Toya had insisted Inari wasn’t strange before introducing her to me, but it seemed she’d changed her mind.

Anyway, I didn’t want to lie to one of Toya’s colleagues, so I decided to carefully bring it up myself.

I could’ve argued that staying silent isn’t the same as lying, but… well, no secret lasts forever.

“Should we move somewhere more private?”

“What kind of conversation do you need to move for—okay, got it.”

Maybe she saw the seriousness in our expressions.
Inari, who was about to crack a joke, paused when she saw our faces and nodded with an equally serious look.

Alright. Where should I begin…

—

“So, so you’re saying this girl is Yeoreum? Really? Really?!”

“Hello, I’m Han Yeoreum, formerly of Straight Corp… and a retired VTuber.”

After we finished explaining, Inari pointed at me with wide, shocked eyes.

Yeah… it’s hard to believe, right? That I’m Han Yeoreum.

Toya, making a beak shape with her fingers, playfully pressed my cheek while making a “chomp” sound.
But whether or not someone believed it, the truth wouldn’t change.

As embarrassing as it was, I really was Han Yeoreum.

“You’re joking, right, Toya? This is just some kind of elaborate prank—”

“…”

“—You’re serious.”

Toya liked to joke around, but not in a way that would mess with people’s feelings like this.
She only ever did lighthearted, playful pranks.

If things had gone this far, she had to be telling the truth.

Of course, it wasn’t a problem if Inari didn’t believe I was Han Yeoreum.

We told the truth. Whether or not she believed it was up to her.

“Ugh, if I’d known, I would’ve tried to get close to Yeoreum too!”

…She believed it easily.

Inari looked genuinely regretful as she messed up her own hair in frustration, letting out something between a groan and a wail.

Was she really that disappointed?

Her reaction was so visible and dramatic that I couldn’t help but let out a little laugh.

‘Come to think of it, the twin excuse is really convenient… or maybe not an excuse?’

She could’ve kept doubting me, but just hearing that we were “twins” made her accept it immediately.

Funny how everyone’s so generous when it comes to twins.

Isn’t it more normal to be skeptical?

I tilted my head at the lingering curiosity, but remembering how Toya and her manager reacted too, I just accepted it.

“You can still get close now, can’t you?”

“That’s it!!”

Toya, stop with the unnecessary suggestions…

I’m not sure what she’s planning by getting closer to me, but it was clear she was very determined to become friends.

Well, whatever. I guess it’s fine.

She might be very strange, but she didn’t seem like a bad person.

“Nice to meet you, Inari.”

“Same here! Yeoreum… Kk—Nope, I can’t handle being formal with someone this cute! I’ll call you Yeoreum! So please call me Inari!”

…The real problem is that she’s extremely strange.

I really wanted to smack Toya, who was smirking off to the side, but I was stuck being held by Inari.

Toya, just wait till I get out of this.

My mouth moved in that threat, but Toya didn’t even flinch.

‘Does that mean my threats aren’t scary at all?’

I’ll get you for this.

As Inari squeezed me in a way that was clearly “controlled” compared to earlier, I made that vow.

—

[Inari’s Stream Transcript.txt]
[Today, Toya said she’d introduce me to a friend. Or well, I was the one who begged her to let me meet Totomo-chan after watching her stream, actually.
But guess who was there? An insanely cute girl!!
Totally my type. Super cute, cute, and cute again… Kk—And she’s even delicate and sweet!!
Ahhh, I miss Totomo-chan. I want to do an off-collab with her…
Ah, I know Totomo-chan isn’t a VTuber yet, but… Ahhh Totomo-chan!!
After that, no matter what topic came up, I just kept talking about Totomo-chan, so I ended the stream. lol]

> [Who the heck is Totomo-chan…?]
[Even the degenerate fox fell for her lol]
[Wait, all three of them met up?]
[Shouldn’t Toya have said no?]
[Inari might be a little weird and into lolis, but she’s not a bad person…]
[But isn’t liking lolis inherently bad?]
[(Pedobear extermination squad)]
[(Inari pedo-extermination squad)]
[Don’t make memes like that with Inari lol]
[She really said Totomo-chan like half the time on stream?]
[Yeah, like literally half the stream was about Totomo-chan lol]

> [I’m dying to know what Totomo-chan’s blue pill is.]
[(Gentlemen, I like lolis. Inari’s video.MVI)
If a pervy lolicon-pedophile-child-lover like Inari is losing it over her, just how cute is this girl?]
[LMAO]
[I saw that one image where Toya’s holding Totomo-chan (probably), and yeah, she looks tiny.]
[When’s Totomo-chan gonna debut already?]
[Just being short and having a cute voice and being a girl doesn’t mean you’ll debut.]
[Well, I’m short too. Does that mean I can debut?]
[Debut, then drop your I-Tube link. lol]
[But Inari just likes anything small and cute, right?]
[Nah, she doesn’t like shota.]
[And she’s not really into real-life kids either.]
[She’s strictly a 2D-only lolicon lol]
[If even Inari likes her, how cute is this Totomo-chan…]