Chapter 10
Chapter 10
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Because You'll Be There Tomorrow
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Myth hugged me.
Tight enough to take my breath away, wrapping her arms around my waist as if she would never let me go again.
Seven years' worth of time.
Emotions that couldn't be conveyed through Excode messages came flooding toward me all at once, like a dam bursting.
"How are you here?! No, wait—when did you wake up?!"
Questions bombarded me.
I wanted to answer right away, but first, I looked around.
Being at the airport, there were people everywhere.
They were smiling warmly, clapping as if we were long-lost lovers reuniting, but that didn't mean there weren't any concerns.
Myth was a mega VTuber with five million subscribers—too big to simply call "major."
Of course, even though she was a VTuber, her avatar looked strikingly like her, and that sparkling, star-like voice unique to Myth wasn't easy to hide.
Just then, someone behind her was desperately waving their arms at us.
'...Definitely the one who came out with Myth.'
A woman in a neat black suit with slightly bleached yellowish hair.
Her manager, maybe?
She was mouthing words with her mouth stretched as wide as possible.
'Fol-low. Me!'
This was truly sorry to Myth, who wanted to savor our reunion, but I quickly grabbed her hand tight.
"Wha—hey?! Legend?!"
"Let's go! Follow her!"
Grabbing the hand of Myth—who was sniffling, her face flushed beet red—I followed the presumed manager.
"Staff, please head home separately! Take a taxi, and I'll reimburse you later."
"Wha, us?! Who's that guy?! Her boy— I mean, uh, boyfriend?!"
"I'll explain later! For now, everyone get home as fast as possible!"
We rushed past the other wide-eyed staff members straight to the airport parking lot.
We'd made it out, but I should probably check first.
"Um, who are you, exactly?"
"I'm Yuuri, Myth's manager unnie! Hurry, this way!"
Myth's manager, who introduced herself as Yuuri, led us right to the taxi stand in front of Incheon International Airport.
"Take Myth unnie first. I need to go shut down the others quick."
"B-but now you're saying this, is it okay to leave her with a stranger?"
"You might not know me, but I know you inside out. I've heard about you nonstop for seven years, so you're good, Legend-ssi. Please take care of unnie."
Bam!
The taxi door slammed shut, leaving just the two of us in the quiet space.
A quiet, dark taxi interior.
The only sounds were our breathing and Myth's sniffles—
"Aigoo, welcome. Where to?"
Or not.
Right, this was a taxi.
"To XX Hospital, please."
"Whew, emergency? I can step on it if needed."
"No, nothing like that. Just drive safely."
The taxi pulled away from Incheon Airport.
Under the dark night sky of Korea, where no stars shone, Myth's choked sobs showed no sign of stopping.
"Hic... Hiccc..."
Myth's hands roamed all over my body.
As if to confirm that I was really here.
As if her fingertips needed to prove my existence.
Like handling fragile glasswork, or someone who might vanish if touched wrong.
I reached out and gripped her wandering hand firmly.
"It's okay. I'm right here."
I'm here.
Right now, right in front of you.
To etch that in, I squeezed her hand tight.
Only then did Myth's shaking shoulders calm a little.
It was a strange feeling.
Just yesterday, she was a girl I'd only just met, and now here was a fully grown Myth clinging to me, crying.
That fact felt a bit melancholic, but also—embarrassingly—joyful.
I was over the moon that she'd remembered me all these years until she grew up like this, that she was crying for me.
'O-of course. Just as a broadcaster and her fan.'
Still, she was my first fan, and in a way, a founding contributor to Myth.
This much should be fine, right?
Ignoring the faint, wistful emotion blooming in my chest, I patted her back.
My face was definitely flushed.
It felt hot even to me.
I could only hope the dark taxi interior and night's curtain would hide it.
"Is it really, really you?"
Myth asked me again.
I chuckled and ruffled the top of her head.
"Who else would I be?"
"Hehe."
As if she'd answered herself, Myth shook her head with a smile.
After a while, as the taxi finally entered Seoul, Myth seemed fully composed.
Though still clinging to my hand tight.
Like she wouldn't yield on that no matter what.
"By the way, how'd you know when I was coming back?"
It wasn't a big deal.
I shrugged.
"Heard you were coming today, so I was at the airport from midnight on."
I'd gone out, hopped in a taxi, but my phone died right after, so from then on, I'd waited endlessly at the airport, staring into space for you.
I didn't even know exactly where in Japan you'd been, so every time a flight from Japan came in, I'd wait at the exit for you.
"...Idiot."
Myth laughed and leaned her head on my shoulder.
A pleasant weight pressed down—thump—and the soft scent of cherry and strawberry lingered at my nose.
Huh, this scent feels familiar somehow.
Where'd I smelled it before?
Oh, right.
It was the first thing that greeted me when I opened my eyes, along with the unfamiliar hospital ceiling.
Yeah, you were by my side even then.
That realization made me so happy I unconsciously stroked Myth's hair.
Flinch.
Myth's body jolted hard—enough to startle even me, the one petting her.
Maybe she didn't like it? I tried to pull my hand away, but she quickly grabbed it and placed it back on her head, refusing to let go.
That cat-like motion made me stroke her hair again.
As I enjoyed the feel of my fingers tangling in her lush locks, Myth spoke up.
"Just wait at the hospital next time."
"I couldn't wait somehow. And..."
I turned my head to the window.
It was too embarrassing to say while looking straight at her face in my right mind.
My ears were probably redder than ever.
"This time, I wanted to come to you."
Just like you'd done for me these past seven years.
I thought it was my turn to come to you.
Thud.
Something dropped.
What was that? Did the car hit a bump?
No shake, though.
As I looked around puzzled, Myth's knee landed on my thigh.
Squeeze.
With enough pressure to feel a slight bind.
In that bewildering sense of restraint, I looked up.
"Legend. No, Seol-a."
There, Myth’s eyes gazed at me, gleaming eerily.
Was it my imagination that they shone vividly even in the dark?
Her face was flushed beyond what the night's curtain could hide, her breath carrying a faintly sweet scent.
"Uh, yeah?"
Ignoring my reply, Myth placed her hand on my shoulder.
Her light, slender hand felt impossibly heavy for some reason.
"No. Seol-a. Don't say stuff like that so casually."
"W-wait a sec?! Myth?! Myth-ssi?!"
"I've been holding back since the airport. I can't hold it anymore—"
Myth's face drew closer and closer.
Frozen in this incomprehensible situation, someone wedged in between us.
"Ahem! AHEM!!!!"
The taxi driver's fake cough halted Myth.
Snapping to, she hurriedly sat back in her seat.
The eerie glow in her eyes vanished in an instant.
...My imagination?
"Miss, it's sweet and all, but not in a moving car."
"S-sorry!"
Myth bowed her head deeply.
She and I stayed silent all the way to the hospital, too embarrassed to speak.
Of course, without letting go of each other's hands.
...Though honestly, my hand was starting to go numb, but if I tried to pull away, she'd really cry, so I couldn't do anything.
"Whew, youth is great, huh? Anyway, it's late—get home safe."
"Th-thank you."
With those words, the taxi uncle drove off.
The moment we got out in front of the hospital, white-haired doctors in gowns came rushing over.
"Patient Legend! Where have you been?!"
"Oh, right."
My face went pale.
Come to think of it, I'd been out all day without a word.
Far off, my father and mother hurried toward me too.
The tiny teardrop at the corner of Mother's eye stabbed at my guilt mercilessly.
Myth poked my side.
Her face was as pale as mine by comparison.
"You snuck out without telling anyone?"
"...It was sudden."
"I'm happy, but you can't do that."
The seven-year gap really shows in times like this.
Myth scolded me like a stern big sister.
Thinking about it, from my parents' perspective, their son who just woke up after seven years suddenly vanished.
How scared they must have been.
"...Seol-a. Even so, this is too much. Phone off and ghosting all day?"
"...No excuses."
"Right. There shouldn't be."
It took quite a while to calm Father and Mother, who waited in the room with demonic expressions.
I had nothing to say even if I had ten mouths.
The lecture dragged on for a full hour until Myth stepped in to mediate.
"I'm sorry, Mother-nim, Father-nim. I should have contacted you first."
"Mother-nim?! Father-nim?!"
Her sudden form of address startled me.
You might call friends' parents that, but hearing Myth say it felt off somehow.
But Mother and Father nodded as if it were natural, even patting Myth's shoulder.
"No, no. How's it the kid's fault?"
"Kid?! Mother, 'kid'?! "
"No, still, I should have greeted you first."
"No. We were so flustered we couldn't even contact you about Seol-a waking up. No need to dwell on it. Go rest for today."
"No, but even so..."
"It's fine now. Seol-a will be waiting here for you tomorrow too."
"...Yes!"
...Were these the same people who just lectured me for an hour?
Mother took Myth out of my hospital room, and I went inside with Father.
Ah, gonna get it now.
As I thought that, Father patted my shoulder.
Not hard, just right.
I could feel he was still very worried about my condition.
"Hold on tight."
"Pardon?"
What was I supposed to hold?
Father glanced toward the door outside.
I waved my hands in panic.
"No, no. We're not like that or anything."
Father's face crumpled.
I'd never seen that expression before.
Like he was dead serious.
I turned my head away.
At least, that's what I thought.
Father sighed and turned away.
"Whatever. Doesn't seem like that girl will let you go anyway."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. We're heading home, so call if anything—really call."
Father left after saying something incomprehensible.
"...Sigh."
I turned off the light and buried my face in the bed.
I wondered if I'd hidden my very flushed face well enough. That was all I could think.
>
Myth's apartment.
The moment she got home, Myth stripped off all her clothes and changed into light pajamas.
"What a shame."
She'd wanted to spend the whole day—all night—with Legend, but her parents had intervened, so no choice.
Still, you'd be there tomorrow too.
That's why she could come home now.
"And I'll see your parents plenty more. Hm. Gotta manage my image."
Myth smiled meaningfully.
Come to think of it, she'd almost made a huge mistake today too.
Recalling what happened in the taxi, her face flushed.
Though she was thinking something weird like, But Legend started it by seducing me first, so it's his fault.
Myth opened Excode.
- I'm home. Parents all gone?
- Yeah, all gone. Sorry for worrying them over me.
- No. Don't say that.
- I'm just grateful you came back.
- ...Why get so happy over something embarrassing.
- Tired, so heading to bed.
- Okay! Legend! Good night!
- Night.
Sending texts to Legend on Excode, Myth flopped onto her bed.
"Finally, this moment is here."
Myth placed her hand on her chest.
How long she'd waited for this.
You have no idea how much I'd prepared—for you, who made me who I am today; for the moment you'd wake.
Even though I'd strictly avoided any valuecoi-like romantic vibes in my streams, being a VTuber naturally builds that simmering broth of affection over time.
As a "VTuber," my plan to unite with you without a single scandal.
It starts with introducing "you" to the world.
The genius 3D modeler the entire VTuber industry has their radars on.
Legend himself might not know, but he's already a "legend" in the field.
The legendary figure who, seven years ago in those crude early days, created the "Myth" avatar still in use today.
The number of people asking me about her modeler every single day.
"The industry being mostly women is a bit annoying, though."
No helping it.
That was something she'd have to endure.
All while Legend remained oblivious to the sticky emotion spreading in her chest from the moment he opened his eyes.
Myth closed her eyes.
Do you know?
Every night when I closed my eyes, I prayed.
That tomorrow I'd meet your gaze.
That tomorrow I'd hear your voice.
Prayed again and again, through thousands of nights.
But no need anymore.
You've opened your eyes, and now you'll be by my side forever.
Thump.
Thump.
Her thankfully unburst heart pounded.
Because you'd be there tomorrow—joy beyond measure.
The three-day Japan tour, and today with so much happening, she was exhausted enough to collapse.
Yet her heart wouldn't let her sleep.
Insisting she savor this joy more.
"Hehe."
So happy, she giggled like a child.
See you tomorrow.
Those long-dreamed words.
Tonight, she'd sleep embracing them.
See you tomorrow.
Seol-a.