NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17
[Alright, finally it’s Izumi’s turn!]
Somehow, M-chan’s voice seemed to tremble slightly.
“Hey now, are you thinking I’m going to mess up?!”
Don’t worry, M-chan! Who am I?
If I keep quiet, Aki says I’m mature, Akabane thinks I’m her master, and Utsumi wants to adopt me…
Most importantly, Koga wanted to get close to me from the very first impression!
That’s right, I am Kainoh Izumi…
There’s no way I’d mess up over something like this!
“I-I wrote this down.”
“Aki: Cute / Akabane: Cool / Utsumi: Pretty / Koga: Kind”
[Haaam…]
[Um, well.]
[Hmmm.]
[Thanks, Izumi!]
Huh? I clearly wrote all nice things, but why does it seem like everyone’s response is a bit off, except for Utsumi?
Especially Koga seems to be… getting, uh, bad vibes…
– Lol, all the peers wrote names, but Mei-chan alone is using surnames.
– But for someone with communication impairment, calling people by their names must be tough…
– Still, Mei-chan is (self-proclaimed) the ultimate social butterfly, right?
“Don’t put the word ‘self-proclaimed’ in there twice!”
I see. Everyone was trying to show friendliness by addressing each other by their first names, but here I am, bringing up surnames and honorifics. Who knew that would cause a problem!
The path to fitting in is rugged and tough.
[Well, there might still be some awkwardness.]
[I just said, the talking Izumi is cute…]
[It’s an honor that Izumi called me pretty!]
Is everyone at least somewhat agreeable…?
[Hmmm.]
Nope.
For some reason, Koga still seemed uncomfortable and was only letting out low sounds.
What on earth did I mess up?
[Haaam…]
[…Should I go?]
[Izumi, you seem to know a lot about me.]
[Why did you think I was pretty, Izumi?]
I heard that.
It seemed like everyone was too caught up in their own conversations that others couldn’t catch it, but I distinctly heard Koga say, “Well, let’s just move on.”
What on earth was wrong with the first impressions I wrote?
…I don’t know.
If I were sharp enough to catch this, I wouldn’t have communication impairment in the first place!
So, let’s just move on!
If there’s anything I’ve learned from my total of 40 years living, it’s that holding on to unsolvable issues is the dumbest thing one can do.
For example, trying to fix my social outcast status? Not a chance…
[So? Why did I think you were pretty?]
[You never give up, do you?]
So, I guess I should answer Utsumi’s question first.
“Well, Utsumi has, um, a super nice… chest…”
[…Huh?]
– ?
– What’s with the sudden boost?
“Huh?”
What’s wrong? Saying your chest is nice is a compliment, right? It means you’re incredibly attractive, doesn’t it?
Ah, I didn’t add additional explanations.
“Y-You have a big chest, so it gives off a sexy vibe, which makes you, uh, pretty.”
– Because you have a big chest, you give off a sexy vibe and that makes you pretty <<< What kind of logic is this? - Sounds like a perverted uncle. - I mean, you did mention liking anime aimed at males. - Is this a hint at some hidden agenda? -Stop the sexual harassment! "Why? Why? Isn't a big chest a dream for everyone?" Sadly, I’m not one of those girls. Or to put it more accurately, my chest is pretty decent in size, but it's not quite big enough to call myself a 'big chest' person. And this was enough to frustrate the manly urges swirling inside me. Well, I guess that's due to the fact that in the TS genre, the typical is a big-chested beautiful girl, right? I’m completely satisfied to have become a super cute girl, but the chest feels just a little bit lacking. I think it would be nice if it were a bit bigger... Of course, after living as a woman for 16 years, I know this. You know, big chests are pretty much useless for women, especially for someone like me. Even without a big chest, it feels heavy and sweaty, and it's hard to exercise. It’s just a tool to boost my self-esteem, so for someone with low self-esteem like me, it’s really useless. If it were the me from my previous life, I would have thought of it as a reward to see sweat glisten in a beautiful girl’s cleavage! …But that’s something I would have said if I were narcissistic enough to love myself that much. However! As someone still possessing some manly senses, I can’t completely give up on the fantasies that big chests provide. In front of me stands Utsumi, the rescuer of those desires. Hmm. This is hard to explain. - I’m starting to seriously doubt if Mei-chan is really an active JK or not. - The flow of logic makes no sense, haha. - Maybe Mei-chan is actually a 40-year-old uncle? - ＼(〇_ｏ)／ Wild speculations began flying in the chatroom. No need to rush, let’s take a slow approach to clarifying this. "So, having a big chest and being sexy means you have high... girl power, right?" - ? - That sounds pretty different from what I know as girl power... "So, having high girl power means being really, really pretty…." [Okay, that’s enough! I believe you all understand the general idea of what Izumi wanted to say, right? Right, Ayaka?] [Uh, sure! Thanks, Izumi!] Why is this happening? I just wanted to say Utsumi is super attractive because being big-chested and sexy is a charm only a real woman can possess. They say compliments make whales dance, but it turns out that was a total lie. - I think I know why Mei-chan became a social outcast. - I've never seen anyone so lacking in talent for compliments before. - Is talent needed even for compliments...? Ah, would it have been better to just say I wanted to squeeze her chest directly? No, that doesn’t feel right. Or maybe... [Alright, let’s move on to the next topic!] While I was in my existential crisis, M-chan smoothly transitioned the topic without a flaw. Are you scared of my sincerity, Stars Flow…! ★ After that, I continued the collab, leaving behind a lot of awkwardness. For instance, when 'Stars Flow' came up as the subject, I wrote ‘Demon?’ which made the chatroom explode. M-chan and everyone else just let out awkward chuckles. It was my ultimate joke, but the world still wasn't ready for my level. [It’s almost time to wrap up now.] [Hmm, it’s already been over an hour.] [I had so much fun that I didn’t even notice time passing!] [I’m sleepy…] [Hope we get to have another gathering like this!] "I thought that too, you know." - Haha, it’s super obvious you’re lying, right? - No need to push yourself, Mei-chan. - It’s funny hearing someone who asked if it’s okay not to join the collab say that. - I also think so (but please, don’t do anything like this next time). "Sh- shush!" If we could end nicely, that would be superb, so why are you trying to make me suffer? There seems to be too many abusive types in Iztomo…. Yet I still appreciate that they show interest in me. [Now, before we finish the broadcast, how about we call in a final special guest!] [What?] [I’ve never heard of such a thing before.] [I’m sleepy...] "Wait, suddenly at the end?!" Everyone, including me, expressed their confusion at M-chan's sudden announcement. It makes sense since we never heard anything about calling someone else besides us. [Ho, could it be Rena?] [Oh!] [That could definitely be possible.] - Oh - Is it real? Then everyone nodded along to Utsumi's words as if they found her idea plausible. Rena. Not the 'real' 0th generation that existed before Natsune... But the nickname of Aikawa Lenka, who is the representative and general producer of Stars Flow. As a pretty female CEO, she enjoys quite a solid popularity and frequently appears in Stars Flow's official activities. Her natural personality has managed to create many memorable moments every time she appears on broadcast, which makes many viewers particularly eager for her appearances on Stars Flow's official shows. Moreover, this broadcast is celebrating the monetization success of all the 2nd generation members through a collaborative special. As Utsumi said, the chances of Rena showing up were high. [Hehehe, then please welcome our special guest for today’s group collab!] [Yeay~!] Oh. Is that voice…? [I’m Natsune Nanase, shining star from your dreams!] Is this for real? [Everyone, Konhoshi!] - Natsune! - Konhoshi~ Looking at the broadcast screen, there stood her avatar. With her sparkling platinum blonde hair tied back, she radiated coolness that was refreshing on such a hot day. Her slightly deep pumpkin-colored eyes drew a dreamy atmosphere that focused everyone’s attention. Contrasting that vibe, her lively and bright sunny smile brought an instant smile to anyone who gazed at her. Wearing the outfit that debuted during her birthday live on June 30th at 9:30 PM, it featured a black base with her signature platinum blonde accents around the shoulder, which was called 'Starry Night'. [Today is a momentous day where all of my juniors! All 2nd generation members have passed monetization, and that's why I asked to make a special appearance!] [Thank you, Natsune-senpai!] [Koga, you can call me Nanase!] [Then I’ll switch to Suzuha...] [Alright, nice to meet you, Suzuha!] My ultimate favorite. My idol. My aspiration. My hero. Natsune Nanase stood there. [Izumi!] "Y-Yes? E-eh?" And the joy of being addressed directly by her is too overwhelming. [Every broadcast, I'm so glad you tell everyone that I’m the 8th star. I always appreciate it!] - Mei-chan is about to burst from sheer joy! - Just hearing her breath gives it away, haha. "Ah, w-well... um... I..." - Is Mei-chan possibly crying? - Her voice sounds a bit moist... - Aw, Mei-chan looks adorable touched (つ﹏⊂). [Izumi will surely become a great VTuber loved by everyone. You and I are very similar.] - ? - (Self-proclaimed) social butterfly Mei-chan, similar to Natsune…? - That’s quite the misinterpretation. [It's true! Everyone will be surprised later!] I was overwhelmingly happy that this Natsune was recognizing me. "Ah, wait, um, I’m... nosebleeding..." Tears started flowing down with a nosebleed… [Eh?] - ? - Hahahahaha. - What’s happening, haha! - It’s weird. It was such a nice atmosphere, but now... - A VTuber had a nosebleed in the middle of a broadcast, whoa. The world is torturing me…