NOVEL NEXT Chapter 312
[【Chat】First Collaboration with Izumi Senpai! We’ll have a fun chat, and I’ll be reading My Caron too~! #IroHibana#IzumiKainoh#StarsFlow]
“…Hehe. But Izumi Senpai, it seems you really paid a lot of attention to this part more than I thought.”
[…Huh?]
“How cute…. ”
Iro’s words slipped out unconsciously, without even realizing it.
It was certainly her true feelings, but it also wasn’t.
The fact that Izumi caring about senpai-kohai relationships was cute was indeed her true feelings.
– Squee Hahaha
– “Senpai treatment is weird” LOL
However, trying to push Izumi was definitely not her true feelings.
It wasn’t at all… right?
[Um, hey, Hibana-san… what do you mean by that…?]
Izumi seemed to sense the odd atmosphere, and her previously lively demeanor disappeared in an instant.
Now, the cheerful Izumi was looking at Iro for guidance.
“…”
And Iro was suddenly feeling an exhilaration.
She thought Izumi was cuter than ever.
She didn’t want to lose this tingling sensation.
“Hmm? I just meant that it’s cute when Izumi Senpai is…”
It sounded like a compliment, but the tone said otherwise.
Even though she was calling her senpai, the atmosphere felt anything but respectful.
[Wha…?]
And the realization struck Izumi, and she genuinely got scared.
“By the way, is it really right to call you Izumi Senpai? Kind of feels… a bit off~.”
[But I’m a second-year… I’m a senior…]
“Eh~. So you really want to be treated like a senpai? Got it. I. Zu. Mi. Sen. Pai?”
[Uwooo….]
“Haah….”
This won’t do. I want to keep this up.
I want to see Izumi Senpai smile. I want to see Izumi Senpai on the verge of tears.
Conflicting feelings, clashing endlessly.
Should she follow her true feelings of positive affection or conform to the trends of bullying?
And the victor of this battle is…
“But well, it’s hard to think of Izumi Senpai like other second-year seniors~.”
The bully faction wins.
That statement could have been a huge disaster in the old Stars Flow days.
Izumi would have been a rare victim of bullying.
But now, the atmosphere was different.
“Then let’s say Izumi Senpai is… a 2.5 year student?”
[No, I don’t want that….]
“Eh?”
[Uwoo….]
The vibe in Stars Flow had changed a lot in the three years Izumi was absent.
Starting with Hikari and Shoko, fans had come to know just how amusing it was to see juniors consume their seniors.
Of course, some viewers expressed discomfort, but for most, the key was always fun.
And since Izumi had always been someone who was ‘on the receiving end’ from the beginning, this dynamic was familiar to Izutomo.
“Got it. Then let’s call you 2nd year (2.5 year) from now on.”
Knowing how much Iro liked Izumi, the Irotomos thought this was just Iro’s effort for the sake of entertainment.
No one believed that those statements were Iro’s true feelings.
[Ah, um….]
In the end, the only victim spawned from this collaboration was Izumi.
“Let’s get along from here on, Izumi Senpai?”
[Yes….]
And there was no way Izumi could break this atmosphere.
★
[【Chat】Collaboration with Hibana! Planning to read My Caron….#KainohIzumi#HibanaIro#StarsFlow]
It’s so scary.
[Let’s get along from here on, Izumi Senpai?]
“Yeah….”
This atmosphere, Hibana is so scary.
Honestly, it made me want to cry it was so frightening.
But I felt like senpai would say I shouldn’t act that way.
This collaboration… I really should have tried to escape from the beginning…
I couldn’t shake that regret from my heart.
I felt like I was hated by Hibana way more than I imagined.
Before the broadcast started. And right after it began, the kindness and benevolence she showed must have been to plunge me into deeper despair.
I don’t regret returning, my debut again.
But I really should have prepared for a situation like this beforehand.
It was all my mistake.
[Izumi Senpai? Why are you suddenly so quiet?]
– Squee Amazing…
– “Iro-chan ended up being the bully too, huh?”
“…Huh? Bully?”
What the heck does that mean?
Saying it like that makes it seem like Hibana is an Izutomo as well.
But there’s no way that could be true.
No one has ever mentioned Hibana is an Izutomo before.
[Huh? Bully? What do you mean?]
“Ah, no. Someone in the chat just said Hibana is a bully, and….”
[That can’t be true.]
See?
With such a firm denial, there’s no way Hibana could be an Izutomo.
Hibana just dislikes me.
I thought Stars Flow would be a kind place to me.
…Well, with so many people now, it’s only natural to have people who don’t get along.
It’s inevitable that Hibana doesn’t like me.
But I… since we are both part of Stars Flow, I want to get closer to Hibana.
So I guess I just have to work hard moving forward.
To turn hate into affection definitely requires immense effort.
★
“That can’t be true.”
Of course, when Iro denied that, it meant she wasn’t part of the bully faction.
Iro firmly believed she was a positive affection type Izutomo.
And now that Izumi had returned to Stars Flow, there was no need to hide her feelings toward her anymore.
The thought that she could get closer to Izumi made Iro smile unconsciously.
‘Everyone says she’s super cute, you know….’
Members of Stars Flow who have actually met Izumi always said such things.
To think there would be such an ultra-perfect beauty with such a cute demeanor. And to top it off, she’s my favorite.
That’s just insane….
Iro nearly shed tears of joy thinking about it.
While Iro was lost in thoughts of flowers blooming in her mind.
‘What should I do from here? Should I suggest an offline collab? Or how about asking her to hang out together? But she wouldn’t want to meet just the two of us, right? If we meet, I wouldn’t know what to say….’
Iro had no way of knowing that Izumi was struggling with such thoughts of her own.
She wasn’t Suzuha.
★
“Hmm…! Then should we end it here for today? What do you think, Izumi Senpai?”
[Umm, I think it was nice….]
“It was nice? Really?”
Hearing that the collaboration with her was good filled Iro’s emotions with happiness.
“How nice was it? Which part? Did you want to do another collaboration? How about we could do an offline collab too? What if we hang out together later? Is that okay?”
In her happiness, Iro poured out her genuine feelings without a break.
But there was a problem with that.
[Ah, um…. Well, uhm….]
– “Poor Mei-chan”
– Squee So scary…
– Horror
– “As expected of the leader of Phantasm”
Even though that wasn’t her intention, the concept of Iro during today’s collaboration had been set as ‘bullying Izumi’.
Moreover, Izumi thought Iro hated her.
Now, Iro’s statements could only be interpreted as pressure by both Izumi and the fans.
[Uwooo….]
Izumi Senpai, who couldn’t speak properly from tension, was too cute!!!
Only Iro was fully enjoying the situation at that moment.
★
[Iro Hibana: Today’s collab was really fun! Izumi Senpai!]
[Kainoh Izumi: I’m sorry….]
[Iro Hibana: Huh? What for?]
[Kainoh Izumi: I’ll try to make an effort so that Hibana can like me.]
[Iro Hibana: What do you mean?!]
[Kainoh Izumi: No, I made a mistake. I definitely don’t deserve to be called senpai.]
[Iro Hibana: Huh???]
It was then that Iro felt something off when they exchanged DMs after the collaboration ended.
For some reason, Iro thought Izumi genuinely seemed to be scared of her, and dismissed it as ridiculous, calling Izumi on miscode.
[I’m s-sorry…. I’ll work hard from now on….]
“What do you mean?!”
[U-Um, I want to be friends with Hibana… Of course, if you think that’s too rude….]
“No, no! That can’t be true?! Why would you think that…?”
And by the time Iro reached that point, she finally realized.
‘But then again, is it really right to call her Izumi Senpai? It feels a bit off~.’
‘Eh~. So you really want to be treated like a senpai? Got it. I. Zu. Mi. Sen. Pai?’
‘But well, it’s hard to think of Izumi Senpai like other second-year seniors~.’
‘Then let’s say Izumi Senpai is… a 2.5 year student?’
‘Got it. Then let’s call you 2nd year (2.5 year) from now on.’
‘Izumi Senpai? Why is there suddenly so little talk?’
Iro realized her statements today were a level that Izumi’s personality couldn’t take as a joke.
‘Huh? Bully? What is that even about?’
[Ah, no. Someone in the chat just said Hibana is a bully, so….]
‘That can’t be true.’
And she understood that said remark wasn’t a denial of Izumi being a bully but a denial of her being an Izutomo.
Izumi didn’t even know that Iro was an Izutomo in the first place.
It was only now that she realized this.
As a person who is generally shy, it was impossible for Izumi to react positively to such words from someone she was collaborating with for the first time.
Noticing that a misunderstanding that shouldn’t have happened to Izumi had occurred, Iro frantically began to clarify.
“Izumi Senpai? Everything you’re thinking right now is just a misunderstanding!”
[No, it’s fine. You don’t need to worry about me….]
“I’m saying I’m an Izutomo. Okay? Really, everything you’re thinking right now is just a misunderstanding!”
[Um… No way. I can’t believe that. I’m sorry. I might have done something to make you not like me….]
But that clarification… was far too late.
A distance that was impossible to measure had already formed between Izumi and Iro.
[I’m sorry…. Haa, huu… sniff I made a mistake.]
“No, that’s really not it…! How am I supposed to explain this…?”
In the end, unable to stand the pressure Iro put on her, Izumi began to cry, and their misunderstanding continued until Iro called Suzuha.
[So don’t worry, Izumi.]
[Huh…? Is that really true?]
“Yeah. I really like Izumi Senpai. I even said I was Izutomo during the Stars Flow interview.”
[Thank goodness…. Hehe….]
‘So cute!!!’
As soon as their misunderstanding was cleared, seeing Izumi smiling bashfully made Iro internally scream.
[Let’s get along from now on, Hibana….]
“Yeah. I’ll rather say let’s get along. I’m really sorry, Izumi Senpai.”
[It’s fine. Thank you for liking me. Hehe….]
After that, the conversation between Izumi and Iro came to an end.
“Seriously, isn’t Izumi Senpai so cute?! The strongest in the world. No, the strongest in the universe! Aaaaah!!! I really love you!!! You’re amazing!!! This is unfair!!!”
– “I’ve never seen Iro-chan go wild like this before lol”
– “Today’s collab must have been that good…”
Iro immediately turned on her special broadcast to boast about her love for Izumi.
‘…But even her crying face was super cute. Can I see it again? Can I… make Izumi Senpai cry again…?’
Iro was still… an unwavering positive affection type? An Izutomo.