I Can See a VTuber’s Red Pills - Chapter 35

Ding.

Under the pile of blankets, my curled-up body twitched.

It was just a single notification sound, but it pierced my ears like a siren.

All my senses, heightened, turned towards where my phone lay beside the pillow.

The screen glowed faintly in the darkness.

I didn’t want to check it.

Feeling my fingertips grow cold, I swallowed dryly.

How much time had passed?

My hand, cautiously extended from under the covers, hesitated in mid-air for a moment.

The cold touch of the phone reached my palm.

As I slid the screen up with a trembling thumb, an unfamiliar yet somehow familiar profile picture came into view.

‘Rinne.’

My heart began to pound anxiously again.

Zelnaga Entertainment, Starlight Project.

It was a name within his domain.

As expected, it was indeed a message related to him.

Taking a deep breath, I cautiously checked the DM.

[Rinne]: Solar-nim! Hello! I’m Rinne!

[Rinne]: I’m sorry for DMing you so suddenly. I was worried because you ended your stream abruptly last time, wondering if you weren’t feeling well..

[Rinne]: It’s just that our CEO watched your stream last time, Solar-nim, and he said your singing was so good he became a huge fan!

[Rinne]: He even sent me links to your cover songs, Solar-nim, and was really excited for me to listen to them!

[Rinne]: But he’s a bit… very clumsy with his expressions.. He learned internet memes from somewhere strange and thinks they’re funny, but it often makes the listener flustered..

[Rinne]: So, our CEO was really worried that you might have been too surprised or upset by the strange message he sent when he suddenly sponsored you last time, Solar-nim…

[Rinne]: He earnestly asked me to convey his apologies on his behalf. He really, absolutely had no bad intentions or strange motives.

[Rinne]: He said he expressed himself in an excessive and strange way because he was so impressed by your singing, Solar-nim, and wanted to become friends somehow..

[Rinne]: So please, I hope you don’t misunderstand him too much..

[Rinne]: He said he thought you wouldn’t even read his DM if he sent it himself, so I am apologizing on his behalf. Again, I’m very sorry!

I read the long string of messages over and over again.

Rinne’s tone tried to be consistently bright and friendly, but I could sense carefulness and the difficulty of trying to cover for this ‘CEO’ person throughout her sentences.

‘Clumsy with expressions,’ ‘learned internet memes incorrectly.’

And.

‘Absolutely no bad intentions,’ ‘did it because he admired the song.’

‘…Could it be true?’

My mind became complicated again.

Rinne’s words had a certain persuasiveness to them.

The first impression he gave, his behavior and speech that deviated from common sense, were certainly far from normal.

It was as if a rich young master, ignorant of the world, was acting selfishly, or like a child immature in expressing emotions.

However, the overwhelming attention he had caused, and the wounds left by the terrible forgotten memories it brought back, did not heal easily.

Even if he truly had pure intentions, his actions had cruelly dug into my deepest trauma and pushed me into an abyss of fear.

Could he have known?

How much his clumsy expression of interest could shake a person’s soul.

‘No, even if he didn’t know.’

The result had already occurred.

I had run away again, and couldn’t even bring myself to start a broadcast.

But… Rinne’s message created a small ripple in a corner of my heart.

The fact that he didn’t approach me directly, but conveyed his apology so cautiously through her, a fellow VTuber.

It could be, however faintly, evidence that he was aware of the consequences his actions had brought and had the will to correct them.

‘Was it really… because of the song?’

Thinking of that possibility, my heart began to pound anxiously again.

Expectation.

The dangerous thought that there was someone who recognized my talent, that perhaps another chance might come.

It was the emotion I had to be most wary of.

I turned off the phone screen and closed my eyes.

I didn’t reply to Rinne.

I didn’t know what to say.

Should I say thank you?

Or should I say I was still displeased?

My mind was still a mess.

Time flowed on indifferently.

How many times had the sun risen and set?

Time in the room seemed to have stopped, as I still lay listlessly in bed, killing time.

I couldn’t even think of streaming.

Since that day, just seeing the Ggizzik platform icon made my heart sink.

But I couldn’t hide like this forever.

There were people waiting for me.

Not many, but people who consistently listened to my cover song videos and came to support even my occasionally awkward communication streams.

Messages like ‘Solar-nim, are you okay?’, ‘Is everything alright? We’re waiting for you’ were piling up one by one on the fan cafe.

‘……Let’s try again.’

I difficultly pushed myself up.

VTuber.

Hiding my face, communicating with the world only through my voice.

This was the last resort I had chosen.

If I collapsed here, it would truly be the end.

That night, after a few deep breaths, I pressed the broadcast start button with a trembling hand.

It wasn’t the extreme fear like last time, but my heart was still pounding anxiously.

[Just for a bit today]

I couldn’t even decide on a proper title.

For the opening screen, I used a calm piano piece I had played and recorded myself as background music.

I had neither the energy nor the confidence to greet them brightly.

However, as soon as I started the stream, viewers began to pour in faster than expected.

I couldn’t tell if it was because of the last incident or if they were fans who were genuinely worried, but the chat window quickly became lively.

– Solar is finally here~~~~~

– Did you think we wouldn’t notice you sneaking in like this???

– I was worried because there was no news for a few days ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– Welcome!!! How are you feeling???

– Take it easy with streaming for a while ㅠㅠ

– Solar, if you quit streaming, you die, I die.

Messages of worry, relief, and warm welcome.

The atmosphere was different from the chilling memory of last time, and I unknowingly felt a tingle in my nose.

“Ah, um… Thank you all for waiting. Last time… I suddenly felt really unwell… I’m sorry……”

My voice came out slightly hoarse.

It was still an awkward excuse, but this time, the viewers accepted it warmly.

– Don’t be sick ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

– It’s fine as long as you’re okay now hehe

– Just chat comfortably today, don’t overdo it.

– But seeing your hoarse voice, you must have really been sick.

Feeling my tension gradually ease thanks to their consideration, I cautiously tried to continue the conversation.

I just tried to fill the awkward silence with trivial topics like today’s weather or funny videos I’d recently watched.

About ten minutes passed like that.

[Zelnaga]: Uh.. um.. Hello..?

For a moment, it felt like my heart stopped.

All my muscles stiffened again, and my breathing quickened.

He had appeared again.

The chat window also started to stir.

– Oh oh.. no way..

– The cause appears ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

– That person is here again hehe..

– Hey hey, read the room, you b*stard.

– Ah, f*cker.

But Zelnaga didn’t immediately make a huge donation or send a strange message like last time.

He was just quietly chatting, like everyone else.

[Zelnaga]: No, I came to apologize..

I was a bit bewildered by his attitude, so different from our first encounter.

I hesitated, not knowing what to reply.

In the meantime, the screen flashed once more.

This time, it was a donation notification.

[Zelnaga has sponsored you with 10,000,000 Butter!]
[I learned that apologies are made with money. I am truly sorry about last time. I really, really, really had no intention of sexually harassing you or anything like that!]

“………”

It was an apology with content almost identical to what Rinne had conveyed.

Even his tone was completely different; it was a straightforward apology in a normal tone, just like others.

He seemed to be aware that his approach had been excessive and that it had startled the other person.

The chat window exploded as if it had been waiting.

– I’m seeing this b*stard apologize again kekekekeke

– Boss Zelnaga has reformed ㅠㅠ

– Did Rinne beat you up?? Why are you acting so normal??

– Still, he apologized hehe..

– Solar-nim, you don’t have to treat that b*stard like a human ㅇㅇ

– Zelnaga <<< Learned from internet streaming communities kekekeke

– Just think of him as a beast and feel free to crse at him~~~

– That b*stard must have been so flustered, he waited for days and then came to bow his head as soon as Solar started streaming kekeke

– He’s going this far, you should forgive him, right?

The viewers, as if by agreement, teased Zelnaga while subtly defending him, creating an atmosphere that urged me to forgive him.

Was it because their reactions were relatively peaceful?

Or had Zelnaga’s apology truly gotten through?

My heart was still beating fast and my fingertips were cold, but I wasn’t engulfed in the suffocating fear like last time.

Instead, my mind became even more complicated.

What is this person really?

Is he simply a rich and immature person?

Or is all of this a calculated act?

Did he really recognize my talent?

If so, what does he want from me?

Ah.

A small groan escaped me unknowingly.

The viewers on the screen were laughing and chatting, but I still felt lost in anxiety and confusion.

“Um… uh……”

My voice still wouldn’t come out.

Just when I was fidgeting, unsure what to do.

[Zelnaga has sponsored you with 10,000,000 Butter!]
[Hey, you f*cking bstards, Solar-nim is talking, so shut the f*ck up! And stop c*rsing in the chat, you crazy b*stards, you’re making her flustered!]

“……”

Startled by the screen flashing again with the sound of a donation, I hiccuped.

My thoughts stopped for a moment due to the bewildering situation.

And then, my senses quickly returned.

“B-but… y-you… y-you c*rsed too……………”

Unlike how my voice wouldn’t come out properly, the words I was thinking inwardly slipped out of my mouth naturally, without me realizing.

Startled, I clapped both hands over my mouth, but the words were already out.

[Zelnaga]: Aha?

– Aha WTF kekekekekekekekeke

– There’s even a b*stard who c*rses while telling others not to c*rse.

– Who are you? You think you’re someone special?

– Everyone.. please don’t fight..

– We’re not fighting, we’re admonishing him~

– Beasts usually listen only after being beaten~

Fortunately, people didn’t find it strange, and the person called ‘Zelnaga’ also seemed to recognize his mistake.

“……Pfft.”

At that ridiculous scene, a smile spread across her lips—she who had been depressed for days.