Hoshino Ren
It's been a while since I had a day off streaming. To enjoy some peaceful everyday life, I decided to order dessert first. The best part about this changed body of mine was that no matter how much I ate, my weight didn't budge. It seemed to stay exactly as per the settings I'd made. Thanks to that, I could recharge on sugar without a care.
Of course, the lack of physical changes wasn't limited to weight. Height, hair length—none of that changed either.
"Hmm, if only the height thing wasn't an issue, this wouldn't be half bad."
I'd just placed the delivery order and was waiting when my phone suddenly buzzed with a notification. It was a message from Ren.
Ren was sick? After spending months together as teammates, I'd grown really close to the others. I replied in shock right away.
That time. Yeah, had to be the magical day every woman goes through. Since my body changed, I hadn't experienced it myself. When I bought a question ticket from Neru and asked, the answer was this:
[Response: Menstruation is ultimately a physical reaction starting from the brain, so we can directly suppress it by regulating hormone secretion! Would you like us to disable this suppression?]
"...No thanks."
I had no desire to feel that pain. Anyway, I threw on some simple clothes and headed to Ren's place. She'd asked for painkillers, so I'd need to stop at a pharmacy too.
"Hmm... Guess I should grab some medicine and sweet snacks too..."
Oh right, I'd ordered dessert. It was arriving soon, so I could just bring that along.
The slice cake and coffee arrived right on time. It was supposed to be my lunch, but I held back for Ren's sake and took it with me.
......
A little later, I arrived at her villa and punched in the entrance code to go inside. Ren lived alone, independent. At 21, I was curious about the reason, but I decided not to pry.
Since she was in so much pain she couldn't get out of bed, I used the password she'd given me ahead of time and let myself into her place. The lights were all off, with only sunlight filtering through the windows to illuminate the rooms.
"Ren?"
No answer. I quietly slipped off my shoes and stepped inside. The living room was tidy enough—not spotless, but decent. I knocked on the door to what I assumed was the master bedroom.
"Ughhh..."
"Ren, you aren't dead, right?"
I cautiously opened the door, and there she was, writhing on the bed and groaning.
"I'm here. Hurting a lot?"
"Ugh... Neru sis...?"
"No no, don't get up. Stay lying down."
I rushed over as she tried to sit up upon seeing me and gently pushed her back down. First things first, I pulled out the painkillers I'd bought and offered them with some water.
"Take the meds first. Okay?"
"Mm..."
She obediently swallowed the pill and water I gave her while lying there with her eyes closed. After gulping it down, she gave an embarrassed little "hehe."
"Sorry... My cramps are always really bad..."
"Aigoo, have you eaten anything?"
"No... Couldn't get up to eat..."
Her voice was hoarse; she looked the part. I needed to get some food in her... But with her pallor, even the slice cake from earlier seemed too much.
"No helping it. I'll make you some porridge myself."
"Mm...? Sis can cook...?"
"Of course. Not great, but I know the basics."
Of course, my cooking skills were strictly solo-living bachelor level. Luckily, porridge fell into that category.
After starting college and naturally moving out for dorm life, I'd grown distant from my parents. We weren't super close to begin with. I remembered times when I was sick, wringing out a wet cloth for my forehead and boiling porridge without calling them.
Ren didn't have many ingredients, so I decided to whip up the simple egg porridge I'd made for myself back then. Cold rice in a pot with water and a pinch of salt, brought to a boil. Meanwhile, I chopped up leftover carrot and green onion, dumped them in, then seasoned with soy sauce and more salt. Done. When sick, topping it with kimchi made it heavenly.
"Time to eat."
"Mm..."
I brought over a steaming bowl of porridge with a spoon. The meds must've kicked in a bit; she managed to prop herself up weakly. I scooped some up and held it to her lips.
"Uh, mm? I can eat it myself..."
"Just eat. You're sick—what are you doing?"
"...Thanks so much."
Nom. She ate the egg porridge I fed her nicely.
"Tasty... hehe."
"Glad it suits you. It's what I used to make a lot."
Weird how natural this felt. Me, who never hung out much with girls, chatting so casually. Probably thanks to this female body.
After she finished, I helped her lie back down.
"Feeling better?"
"Mm..."
"Sleep it off. You'll feel way better."
I'd stick around till she dozed off, then head home. She must've sensed me leaving, because her eyes started to well up.
"Sis, you're gonna leave once I fall asleep...?"
"Uh, mm? Yeah?"
"Stay a bit longer... please?"
What's with her? I'd heard emotions run high on ladies' magic days. Hmm, with eyes like that, how could I go?
My resolve crumbled, and I stroked her hair.
"O-okay. I won't go. Sis'll stay right here today, alright?"
"Mm... Thanks..."
She nuzzled into my hand a little. Total spoiled brat mode.
......
Hoshino Ren. That was the VTuber alias of Lee Seo-yoon, an ordinary college student.
Seo-yoon wasn't the most outgoing kid growing up, but she loved hanging out with friends—gaming together, going out. But after starting high school, her parents' fights ramped up. They weren't wealthy, so both worked late constantly. She'd eat dinner alone after academy, review lessons till they got home. Even with good grades, she couldn't bring herself to speak first seeing their tired faces.
By senior year, the arguments exploded. Coming home from studying, it was either dead silence or bickering. If she brought home anything less than perfect, it splashed onto her.
"Who do you think we're suffering for right now!!"
"Stop it! It's not the kid's fault?!"
Seo-yoon shrank inward, loneliness gnawing at her. Finally, in September of her senior year, they divorced. Dad, fed up, suggested it first to Mom. Seo-yoon blamed herself and charged toward CSATs. Failing would've meant throwing away all their efforts.
Living with just Mom, she tiptoed around her till exams ended. Mom's mix of blame and self-loathing amplified her guilt. After CSATs, pent-up sorrow burst—good scores, but tears poured anyway. Other kids had parents waiting; Mom was away on a business trip. Tuition loomed.
Afterward, Seo-yoon jumped straight into part-time jobs.
"You're an adult now—earn your own way through school."
She got it, but it stung extra. I'm struggling too. You never acknowledged my efforts. But knowing Mom's sacrifices, she stayed silent.
College meant renting solo due to distance—all deposit and rent from her jobs. Campus life wasn't as fun as old friend hangouts, so she gamed at home. Days blurred in apathy.
End of freshman year, opportunity knocked:
Streaming. She'd kill time watching others from home—a vent for her listless routine. Maybe this could change things. Share games I love, chat with viewers, ease the loneliness.
She applied without hesitation and got in. There, she met the members: sometimes dumb but reliable Luna, vibe-master Yuzha, tiny-but-tough Neru. Living with them as Hoshino Ren, Seo-yoon was slowly mending her isolation.
"Neru sis... thanks..."
"No biggie. Sleep easy—I'm right here."
After nights needing sleep meds, Seo-yoon finally drifted into deep, med-free slumber for the first time in ages.