Date?
"Then... the dorm was in Shinjuku, right? Let's meet near the station."
"Yeah... unni."
Ugh... that forbidden thrill of being called unni by someone way smaller than me. Hmm... actually kinda nice? Anyway, glad we've gotten a bit closer while chatting. Honestly, she seems younger than five years my senior, but whatever—close enough is good enough.
As I left the Sora Group headquarters, I headed to the hotel they'd booked for us in Shinjuku. Probably picked it for the convenient transit, despite the chaos. A top-tier spot by Shinjuku standards.
The room perks included unlimited sake and booze, but as a minor, I sadly couldn't indulge. Dad's not big on drinking anyway, so no whining about missing out solo. At least they offered breakfast—small consolation.
"We're grabbing dinner later, right? Here's some pocket money. Dad's got stuff to do..."
"Ah~ maid cafe?"
"Ahem..."
My data-driven deduction based on solid reasoning made him cough awkwardly before vanishing somewhere. The cash on the table? A whopping 15,000 yen.
Hmm... guy's got deep pockets.
99% chance he was maid cafe-bound—not like I'd seen him in a year or two. I sprawled starfish-style on the massive hotel bed, staring at the ceiling.
Hmm... maid cafe, huh...
Of course, I had no room to judge Dad. My head was already flooded with fantasies of Yuri unni belting out Loli God's Requiem in her mature avatar body.
"Heh heh heh..."
Just imagining it had my lips curling up creepily. If I looked like a normal male otaku instead of a girl, I'd probably get "Eek, monster! Get outta the VTuber scene!" Nah, more like "Fellow comrade DAZE!" in wizard-speak, bonding instantly. Can't wait to see her face when she hears those lyrics.
Honestly... even if the lyrics scream sex from a guy's memories, it blew up huge—not something you'd peg as a VTuber tune. Anyway, box office gold? Win-win.
Two hours till meetup, and with Dad likely maid cafe-ing, I decided on my own Japan tour. Sure, as Lee Haru I'd popped over occasionally, but first time since getting the guy's memories.
Japan trip essential: convenience store oden... outdated trend. Settled for scooping a massive spoonful of their pudding.
"Mm... like steamed egg custard with sweet milk?"
First pudding attempt: flop. Tried anime staple dango next, but the slightly salty sauce crushed my sweet expectations.
"Arrrgh! Heavens above!"
Reality so far from anime. Is anime just... anime? Boo hoo... Haru's memories said I'd eaten it before, but guy's recall made me doubt, so retry failed.
If only I had a super maid robot, problem solved... damn 17, not 10. Grabbed cup ramen with chunky inari instead—top rec for Japan conbini trips, image screams big fried tofu.
"Oh, this slaps!"
One win erased past fails. Wanted more snacks, but ditched for 6 PM with Yuri unni. Post-date, snag ramen for "midnight munchies at home" vibes. Outta the store.
"Hmm... Seoul, Shibuya—same sky."
Heading to our meet spot under the stars, a familiar petite figure caught my eye. She'd swapped the rushed T-shirt for proper threads.
"Haru-chan! Here! Here!"
"Neeeh~!"
And Haru-chan... fills my fanboy heart a tad. Feels like I'm an active JK? Sure, I am a Korean high schooler, but vibe shift.
"You beat me here. Wait long?"
"Nah! Just got here myself!"
Yuri unni smoothly tried linking arms—height diff fail—but grabbed my hand instead, strolling naturally.
Heart-fluttering height gap... her dainty build made it ambiguous, torn between "aww" and "lol shorty" double-layer feelings. If I were pure shortstack fan, I'd scoop her up.
"Yuri unni, you come here often? And won't someone recognize you without voice modulation?"
"Shibuya? Sometimes. Psh~ who'd spot me? We're speaking Korean anyway."
She puffed her chest proudly, but sadly, her real bust was avatar's polar opposite—tragically flat. Big ones suck sometimes, but seeing her pancake chest... maybe not?
Ah...
Mourning inwardly, she led me confidently down a narrow alley like a pro. Shibuya brimmed with Insta-minefield fashion girls, but date mindset ignored 'em. They look cute superficially... but touch at your peril vibes.
"This is where, after first avatar design chat with President Hanok, I got my startup 'salary' during prep and treated myself first time. Back then, 50,000 yen felt huge—even for a startup under a big corp, guaranteeing pre-debut minimum monthly? Sweet."
"I see..."
Hidden gem feel as we entered. White-haired elder chef grinned kindly. Total master vibe—like if you said "How many grains? Rice ball style," he'd boom "320!"
They chatted like old pals, we sat at the counter. My anime-Japanese half-got it: called me her little sis.
Aaah, old man, tried avoiding this card... weep, hell demon sword! He prepped sashimi into sushi lightning-fast, plating it up.
"Pricey spot, but counter seating makes it cheaper. Fresh ingredients too."
"So good."
Sushi on another level—addictive for a reason. Perfect rice temp, fish harmony, fresh wasabi zing.
Mid-bite, Yuri unni dove in.
"So, Haru-chan. That unique concept from earlier? What's the vibe?"
Her real angle? Or icebreaker. Doesn't seem workaholic enough for sushi biz talk.
"For Japanese speakers, lyrics shock hard. For others? Super catchy. That kinda thing."
"Oh?"
She spilled on personal life, VTuber woes. I chatted composing, but her earnings floored me.
"Visit Korea later? Show you around?"
"Sure, love to."
Chit-chat turned to last month's haul—Dad-level? Nah, crushingly superior. Flagship VTuber for a reason. Dad pity-thought fizzled; focused on her.
*
Meanwhile, as Haru and Yuri chatted away, Dad—as predicted—splurged wildly at the maid cafe.
"Goshujin-sama. Sore dewa mahou no jumon o tonaemasu ne. (Master. Now, I'll chant the magic spell.)"
Back home, maid cafes demand public execution courage. Japan? Unique rush impossible stateside. Plus, dancing with the director risked face exposure—Japan trip: golden chance.
"Oishiku naaare, oishiku naaare, moe moe kyun! (Become delicious~ Become delicious~, moe moe kyun!)"
That day, Lee Suhyeon torched 20% of his monthly allowance without regret.