Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: If There Are Meetings, There Are Also Partings!
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When I opened my eyes, the clock hands were pointing to around 9 o'clock.
Rine-chan had woken up even earlier than me and had already finished showering.
I took a belated shower myself and headed down with her to eat the hotel breakfast.
"Da-jeong, good morning."
"Good morning."
"Uh, yeah. Good m-morning to you too... Huh?"
Charlotte-chan and Shuri-chan were already in the dining hall.
I waved happily, but then I noticed something and my eyes widened.
Standing next to Shuri-chan was a girl just a tiny bit taller than me.
"Heh, so you're Jeong Da-jeong, then? First time meeting in the real world."
"Y-Yes...?!"
Her height was about the same as Yuna's, maybe a little taller.
Her dark blue hair reminded me of Lucrezia, Ra-hee unnie's avatar.
She wore an eyepatch over one eye with a hexagram drawn on it.
One person greeted me with a dark smile, like a novel's black幕 villain.
W-Wait a second.
This speech pattern and voice... I've heard them somewhere before?
Could she be...
"C-Could you be... Bea-chan?"
"Don't call me Bea-chan! Call me Beatrice! Or at least use my real name!"
As I cautiously said her name—or rather, her VTuber alias—
Bea-chan—no, Beatrice—puffed out her cheeks in anger, looking like she was about to steam from every direction.
"S-Sorry. You're... Lily, right?"
I couldn't call her by her avatar name in real life, after all.
I tilted my head, recalling the real name Charlotte-chan had told me yesterday.
Lily snorted in annoyance and crossed her arms.
"Hmph. To think you already know this one's true name. Looks like my retainers have been blabbing unnecessarily... Ow?!"
"Lily, quit the nonsense and greet her properly. That's basic manners, right?"
Just as she was about to open her mouth in her usual haughty tone,
Shuri-chan flicked her forehead hard to shut her down.
Th-That sounded pretty loud... Does it hurt?
"O-Okay, just stop hitting me! You always lead with your fists, that's your problem!"
"You're the only one who makes me do that, you chuunibyou patient."
"I-I told you not to call me that! How dare you slander me like—!"
Yeah, I don't know the details, but...
It feels like total chaotic pandemonium.
But the biggest shock was Lily's behavior.
I'd heard fans jokingly say, "Bet Beatrice is like that in real life too," but to think it was actually true.
"Ugh... Anyway, as the Ruler of the Night, allow me to greet you properly once more. I am Beatrice Triminia. In the real world, I go by Lily Snow."
"Didn't you used to say your real-world name was your true name or whatever? Setting changed already?"
"Q-Quiet! Be silent! Can't you see this lady is in the middle of a greeting?!"
"And the first-person pronoun changed in three seconds."
Wow...
Shuri-chan seemed so gentle and sisterly yesterday.
But she's ruthless with Lily.
Feels just like real sisters.
"Y-Yeah. Nice to meet you, Miss Snow. I'm Jeong Da-jeong. I go by Lulu right now."
The other members had called each other by names casually from the start.
But with Lily—or Miss Snow—I was worried about offending her,
So I carefully used her family name, and she looked satisfied.
"Miss Snow, eh? Quite the well-mannered one. I like it. You have special permission to use this one's true name."
"R-Really? Thanks. Then, Lily—"
"No need. Just call me casually like the others. This one isn't so rigid in the real world."
Uh, yeah.
It's a bit hard to parse honestly.
But I get that she likes me and is okay with first names.
Safe to say my first impression wasn't bad?
"I've heard a lot about you, anyway. Especially that crow girl who keeps bringing you up whenever she gets the chance."
"C-Crow girl?"
Oh, she means Rine-chan?
Since Verdia's concept is mistress of crows.
I blanked out for a sec since I didn't expect the RP to carry over to real life.
As we exchanged greetings and filled our plates with food, bringing them back to the table.
Lily-chan, sitting across from me, scanned me with sharp eyes, then smirked.
"Hmm, looks like you've got some real potential. It's been two hundred years since I last saw someone with the aura of a king, just like this one."
"You said the same thing about that Japan trip three months ago. Two hundred years my foot."
"Y-You, shut your mouth! You're interrupting!"
Even as she jumped up furiously at Shuri-chan's jab again,
Lily-chan cleared her throat with a hem-hem and continued.
"But you haven't hatched your egg yet. A pity."
"Um, Lily-chan? King's aura? Hatching an egg? What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. You have the potential to reach a level similar to this one. There was someone like that in Japan too. Himeka, was it?"
"H-Himeka? You mean that Himeka?"
Akehoshi Himeka.
Japan's undisputed top VTuber right now.
Just like Lily-chan, she's closing in on 2 million subscribers, a world-class star.
So Lily-chan sees that kind of potential in me?
No way, no way, no way!
That's way too much overestimation!
"Hmph, looks like you don't trust this one's demonic eye of insight."
"N-No, it's not that I don't trust you, Lily-chan... But isn't that a bit unrealistic...?"
Did she read my mind or something?
Lily-chan twitched her eyebrow in displeasure.
I panicked and denied it, fidgeting with my hands as I added more.
Surprisingly, the other members backed her up.
"Of course Da-jeong wouldn't believe it right away, but surprisingly, Lily's got killer instincts despite being a chuunibyou patient."
"Yeah, her eye for talent is sharper than anyone's, chuunibyou or not."
"All the VTubers she said had 'it' actually made it big. Her judgment on that's solid. Even if she is a chuunibyou."
"Y-You lot! Don't pretend to defend me while sneaking in insults!"
Yeah, I think so too.
That's not shielding; that's hitting with the shield.
"Ahem! Anyway, my retainers have proven the power of my demonic eye, so no more explanation needed. Believe it or not, up to you."
"Mhm, thanks, Lily-chan. For saying that much... You're really nice, huh?"
"N-Nice? That's an ill-fitting word for the Ruler of the Night... Heh heh."
Huh?
For a second there, Lily-chan's face seemed to flush red.
Is Lily-chan weak to praise?
"Lily-chan, does praise embarrass you?"
"N-No, it doesn't! As if the Ruler of the Night would be embarrassed by mere praise..."
"Ehehe, I think Lily-chan's cute like that too."
"C-Cute?! Don't call me that, you lowly thing!"
Ugh, too harsh. Lowly?
But that's probably Lily-chan's way of showing familiarity?
Guess we're close enough now.
"Lily-chan, wanna exchange contacts later? I wanna get closer to you."
"Hmph, always climbing when given an inch. Well, fine. Could be amusing for a bit."
My hunch was right; luckily, Lily-chan even swapped contacts with me.
And we chatted enjoyably until it was time for me to leave the hotel.
After finishing breakfast, I said goodbye to everyone.
And with a twinge of regret, prepared to head home.
When I announced I was heading out,
The Prism Company members came out to the front of the hotel to see me off.
"Ugh... Waking this sleeping one..."
Lily-chan, who had gone back to her room right after eating to nap,
Came out looking disheveled, still rubbing her eyes.
Someone must have dragged her out by force.
S-Sorry for the trouble.
"Da-jeong, you sure you're okay going alone? I can ask the manager to drive you."
"Yeah, it's fine. Subway's quick."
Rine-chan looked worried, but
I waved it off with a smile.
It's a bit far from home, but just a subway transfer away.
Better than bothering someone.
"Don't gooo... Let's meet again soon! Okay?"
"Ughh...!"
Rine-chan waved lightly with a casual goodbye,
While Charlotte-chan hugged me tight, eyes welling up like parting from family.
Th-That means we're really close now, right?
More importantly, Charlotte-chan, I'm dying here.
This pressure rivals Ra-hee unnie's.
"Tell me if you ever visit. We'll all come welcome you."
"Y-Yeah. Not sure if I'll ever make it to America, though..."
I'd heard the Prism Company members were all living together in the US,
So I nodded at Shuri-chan's words but couldn't commit.
America's a whole other world for me.
"Take care, Lily-chan. Thanks for the fun chat today."
"Hmph, just go already. Someone might think we're close."
I said goodbye to Lily-chan too,
But she just crossed her arms, snorted, and shooed me away dismissively.
Ugh.
I thought we got pretty close.
Doesn't Lily-chan feel that way?
"S-Sorry. I thought we were friends now, so I got too friendly..."
"N-No need to look so down! Makes it seem like I bullied you!"
As I bowed my head apologizing,
Lily-chan hurriedly waved her hands.
"Ahem! Well... It was enjoyable enough. Hope we cross paths again."
"Hehe... Yeah! I wanna see Lily-chan again too!"
"...Never met anyone this pure before. Even the Ruler of the Night feels cleansed."
I think Lily-chan muttered something at the end,
But it didn't seem important.
"Alright, I'm really off! If you ever come back to Korea, let me know! I'll meet up with the members!"
"Yeah, we'd love to see the other Blue LUV members too."
"Bye, Da-jeong. Had a blast thanks to you."
"Hit me up if there's ever a collab!"
"Safe travels."
With that final goodbye to the Prism Company members,
I headed to the nearby subway station.
This was the first time I'd spent so long with people outside our group,
But it was so much fun.
I gotta tell the members and the Cherries all about it.
How great a time it was.