Steal the Brother's Heart

The door slid shut behind me as I stepped into the black booth.

Inside, there was nothing but two chairs facing each other and a small screen. One entire wall was made of one-way glass, offering a clear view of the stage outside. From the other side, apparently, the interior was invisible. It was a two-way mirror setup.

"Alright! Everyone's inside, right?"

Kang Segu's voice drifted in from outside.

"Then let's move on to our second corner — Steal the Brother's Heart! Let me explain the rules!"

A large number appeared on the screen.

So that was my booth number.

"First off, all of your brothers' voices will be fully modulated. That means the VTubers have no idea which brother is in which booth!"

Only after ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hearing the rest of the explanation did I understand why everyone was hiding their identity.

"Once the game begins, the booths will light up one by one, starting with Booth 1. VTubers, use your time limit to charm the brother inside to your heart's content!"

"...Charm them?"

"Conversation, aegyo, singing — anything goes! You can also send messages or photos through secret chat. When your appeal time ends, the brothers will rank everyone on their charm, and we'll combine all the results to determine the final rankings!"

It was getting more and more ominous by the second.

Kang Segu added playfully, "Oh, and one more thing! Even if you love your own brother so much that you pick him for first place, any score you give your own sibling will be counted as zero!"

A brief silence fell.

"So please keep that brotherly love tucked away in your hearts!"

The chat exploded immediately.

"And now for the most important part!"

Kang Segu drew out the pause deliberately.

"Who was in which booth will only be revealed all at once, after every single judgment and ranking is complete!"

At last, I fully grasped the corner's purpose, too. The VTubers would pour out aegyo and say all manner of things to a stranger — who might well be their own brother — only learning his identity once everything was over.

What a twisted hobby.

Before long, the VTubers' appeal time began.

Beyond the two-way mirror I could watch the stage, and I could hear every exchange taking place in the other booths. The brothers' voices were modulated, but their speech patterns and reactions weren't hidden. Thanks to that, guessing identities kept me plenty entertained until my turn came.

That one's probably Sama Chunja's brother.

His voice was different, but his terseness and the way he answered without hesitation closely resembled Chunja's brother from earlier.

Before long, a brusque voice drifted over from another booth. ...That rude way of talking — that has to be Sera's brother.

The chat was running the same detective work.

Conversely, a few mischievous brothers were deliberately altering even their manner of speaking, acting a part to keep their own sisters from recognizing them.

In the end, someone pulled out her ultimate aegyo on a man who might have been her own flesh and blood.

"Oppa~ there's someone I really, really like now~"

It was a voice pitched to maximum cuteness, completely unlike her usual tone.

Instantly, laughter burst out from the other booths.

"..."

The man actually on the receiving end couldn't answer for a good while.

"I've gone this far, so you have to rank me first!"

"I will... review your candidacy as favorably as possible."

And so the judging moved through booth after booth — until at last, the light came on for my screen.

The door opened.

The first to enter was Esterina.

"Hello."

"Hello."

Even to my own ears, my voice sounded like a completely different person's.

Esterina hesitated a moment before taking the seat across from me.

"This is my first time doing anything like this, so I'm a little lost."

"So am I."

"What would it take for you to give me first place?"

"Hmm."

I thought for a moment. "I like people who sing well."

Esterina's eyes widened slightly. "Singing?"

"Yes."

"Then I might have a bit of an advantage."

"Confident, are you?"

"A little."

A moment later, that familiar voice flowed out.

It was a short song, sung without any accompaniment.

Perhaps because there was no backing track, her voice came through far more crisply than it ever did on her cover songs. Cleanly controlled pitch, breath flowing smoothly from phrase to phrase — and above all, the voice itself was simply beautiful.

The song ended.

"So? What do you think?"

"It's good. What's that song called?"

"It's my own composition."

"An original?"

"Yes. I haven't even settled on a title yet, and you're the first person I've ever sung it for."

"Really?"

"Really."

The corners of Esterina's mouth lifted slightly. "Then please think of me as a first-place candidate."

"I'll think about it."

"Please do!"

The time-up chime rang out.

Once Esterina left, her name was added to the candidate list at the side of the screen. A few more VTubers came and went after her. One sent photos of food she'd cooked herself; another bulldozed straight through with sheer aegyo.

Then the door opened again.

Red hair. It was Sama Chunja.

"Hello there."

"Yes. Hello."

The moment Chunja entered, she circled slowly around me once, then planted a hand on her hip.

"So, what kind of woman do you like?"

A straight fastball right out of the gate.

"...That's sudden?"

"It's a corner called Steal the Brother's Heart, isn't it? I've got to know your tastes first."

Fair point.

"I like pretty women."

"That's honest of you."

"Is there anyone who doesn't?"

Chunja laughed. "Then what about me?"

Looking at her again, her avatar really was close to my type. Deep red hair and golden eyes, a flashy and striking presence.

"Based on the avatar alone, she's very much my type."

"Oh?"

Chunja's reaction shifted instantly. "Really?"

"Yes."

"What about beyond the face?"

"Like what?"

"Like the figure, for instance."

I gave Chunja's avatar another once-over. She was, admittedly, glamorous. Glamorous to the point that your eyes went there whether you meant them to or not.

"But can't you people change an avatar to whatever you want?"

"Curious about the real thing, are you?"

Ding.

A secret chat notification went off.

Apparently the fact that a photo had been sent was displayed on the broadcast screen as well, because the chat exploded at once.

I tapped the photo.

"...Oh."

It was a woman in a swimsuit. That she had a good figure went without saying — but something else caught my eye first.

"Hold on, this isn't blurred out. Are you sure that's okay?"

Chunja froze mid-motion. "...Sorry, what?"

"Your face. It's showing, plain as day."

"Huh?"

A beat of silence.

"Wait wait wait! I sent the wrong one!"

"Want me to delete it?"

"Yes! Right now!"

I closed the photo and fumbled for the delete button. The chat, without having any idea what the picture even was, spiraled into an even greater frenzy.

Chunja had both hands clamped over her head. Had she really just made a mistake?

"...You saw it?"

"It was already open."

"So... how was it?"

"Very pretty."

Chunja peeked up at me. "And the body?"

"Do you absolutely have to ask that on broadcast?"

"You've seen the photo — you can't even tell me that much?"

I considered for a moment. What was I supposed to say here?

"I've done a fair bit of traveling, you see..."

"Go on."

"And this looks a bit... South American to me."

Chunja tilted her head. "...South American?"

"Yes."

"What kind of body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠type is that supposed to be?"

"The kind you see a lot in Argentina — no, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠around Brazil—"

Mid-sentence, I realized how absurd I sounded. Chunja burst out laughing.

"What on earth are you talking about!"

The chat exploded too.

"So — good or bad?"

"On the good side."

"Then we're all set."

Chunja smiled in satisfaction just as the time-up chime rang.

"You have to give me first place."

"Is this bribery by photograph?"

"Appealing yourself is a skill too."

"That much, I'll grant you."

Chunja headed for the door. In more ways than one, she was intense.

After a few more came and went, a familiar avatar stepped inside. My little sister.

I very nearly laughed out loud. She had no idea who I was.

"Hello!"

"Hello."

Han Byul hesitated. "Um... you will give me first place, right?"

"Let's see how you do."

"You're so cold."

Her tone was a little different from the one she usually used with me. She seemed to be putting on her streaming voice.

"Do you happen to like cute girls?"

"Hmm."

"Because I'm cute."

I bit the inside of my lip. Don't laugh. Do not laugh.

"I really am. Even the chat agrees, right?"

Han Byul pressed both hands to her cheeks.

"Oppaaa~ pleeeease rank me first~♡"

"..."

Goosebumps erupted all over my body. Hearing that sound from my own little sister packed far more destructive force than I'd expected. In a very different sense.

"Why aren't you answering?"

"Nothing."

I steadied my throat. "Please, continue."

"Ugh, this is so embarrassing."

And yet apparently the prize was that important to her. Han Byul gritted her teeth and formed a heart with her hands again.

"Aren't I the cutest one here today?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"I learned that for the first time today."

"...Learned what?"

"Never mind."

The laughter kept threatening to leak out.

She proceeded to unload every species of aegyo in her arsenal. I now had material to tease her with for the rest of my life.

When the time-up chime finally sounded, Han Byul let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew, I thought I was going to die."

"Well done."

"You'd better really rank me first!"

"I'll think about it."

"Promise!"

Han Byul headed out. It made no difference anyway — any score I gave my sister would be thrown out of the tally regardless of rank. But I was a little curious what face she'd make when she learned the person she'd been charming all this time was me.

Once the last VTuber had passed through the booth, a ranking window appeared on my screen.

The names of the participants appeared — Esterina, Sama Chunja, Han Byul, and the rest. After a moment's deliberation, I settled the order. Since the score for Han Byul would be discarded no matter what, I focused my consideration on the other participants.

Before long, Kang Segu's voice rang out.

"And that's it — every judgment is complete! All the brothers have submitted their rankings, too!"

The chat scrolled rapidly upward.

"Then it's time for the reveal you've all been waiting so, so patiently for—"

Kang Segu cut herself off. "—right after!"

Something was off.

"Let's take a quick commercial break!"

The screen went dark.

Along with a roar that shook a colossal concert arena, tens of thousands of light sticks swayed like stars. Beneath dazzling stage lights, six characters emerged into view — and among them, I spotted a familiar shade of violet hair.

Esterina.

Apparently the members had held individual online concerts before. But this was the first time all six would share a single stage at an offline venue — and a dome performance at that.

On screen, Esterina was singing — a completely different creature from the girl who'd sung a short piece alone in front of me just moments ago.

The ad ended, and the studio feed returned.

"Looks like tickets are on everyone's minds."

Kang Segu smiled. "Which is why we've prepared something special today!"

Golden letters rose onto the screen.

"As a token of our gratitude to all the brothers taking part in today's collab..."

Kang Segu held up two fingers.

"Everyone gets two tickets to the dome concert!"

"Since it's two tickets, you can bring your sister! And if your sister is one of the performers, feel free to bring a family member or a friend instead!"

A familiar voice shot up from outside the booths.

"For real?!"

It was Han Byul.

I snorted. Apparently this mattered more to her than any of today's actual prizes.

"Alright! Now that the gifts are revealed, let's really get to it!"

Kang Segu clapped her hands.

"Time to unveil the brothers' true identities!"

Seven booth numbers appeared on screen, one after another.

"So — whose brother was waiting inside which booth?"