Chapter 190: Moving
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 190: Moving
It was supposed to be just a spacious studio apartment.
I had come to help Doah with the last of her packing before the move, and I couldn't help but be stunned by the mountain of things.
“Were all these things really crammed into this tiny place?”
“...Half of it is gifts from fans. How could I throw any of this away?”
“Of course you have to keep all of it.”
I grabbed the SD cushion of Luka, which was too bulky to even fit in a box, and idly poked its belly.
“Are you all done, Oppa?”
“I finished a while ago.”
“You should have called me. I would have gone over to help.”
“Yeah, right. With all this stuff of yours, who’s helping who?”
I would have called her if I needed help, but there was no need.
Excluding the furniture, it felt like I could move everything in two suitcases.
It was the first time I’d ever thought I had so few clothes.
“What time did you say the truck was coming tomorrow?”
“That... 10 a.m., I think? Something like that.”
“Ugh... It feels strange, thinking this is my last night sleeping here.”
“Feeling sad about it?”
“Nah. We’re moving to a better place, after all.”
Doah, perched on the edge of the bed, let her eyes wander around the room.
“But... there is this feeling... that this is where the girl named Luka began, you know?”
“Hmm. So, like, it represents your roots?”
“Exactly. My roots... Goodbye...”
“Your avatar back then did look a bit cheap.”
The pilot behind Luka was cute, of course.
But compared to her current avatar, it was true that the old one was a lot more awkward.
“What are you talking about? I worked my butt off saving up for that, huh? I scraped together every single dono I got to pay for it!”
Seeing Doah flare up, I smiled and stroked her head.
“So. Where are you sleeping tonight?”
“Where do you want to sleep, Oppa?”
“I don't really mind either way. If things are too hectic with the move, it's fine if we just sleep at our own places.”
It was a practical suggestion, but Doah shook her head from side to side.
“It's the last night, so let's be together.”
“Alright. Then come sleep at my place. It looks like there's no room to even set a foot down in here.”
After neatly packing Doah’s books and equipment into boxes and sealing them, we held hands and went out for lunch.
The matching tracksuits I bought because Doah said she wanted them.
We were both wearing dark navy pants.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Hmm... I don’t know. Should we just go to that diner we always go to? Since it's the last time and all.”
“Geez. We’re just moving 15 minutes away, and you’re going on about ‘the last time’.”
It was September, when the summer heat was starting to die down.
The weather had turned a little too chilly to just wear a short-sleeved shirt.
Autumn is the season of harvest.
And for me, this autumn felt like a bountiful one, too.
The biggest change was that I had now earned the title of a proper composer.
Having already gotten my name on four songs, I was very satisfied with my own achievements.
Of course, all the jobs had come through the company or my teacher, not directly to me, but my skills were recognized in the process, and last week, I even got a job where I was requested by name.
Every time I scored another win, my teacher told me to praise his keen eye, and whenever I told Doah, she was as happy as if it were her own news.
It was a thrill that couldn't even compare to leveling up in a game.
And my bank account balance was definitely adding momentum to that feeling.
There was a slight shortfall in funding the move, but Doah said it was fine and told me to pay her back slowly.
The rent, however, would be split exactly fifty-fifty.
Doah jokingly teased me, asking if I was getting cocky now that I was earning a bit, but I suspected she was the one feeling the pressure.
CLOSER's contract was up in November, after all.
Their third album, which would mark their finale, was scheduled for release in October.
I hadn't heard any news about who was tasked with producing it yet.
It seemed like they hadn't finished sorting things out internally.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Are there any animals you'd want to raise later?”
“At home?”
“Yeah. At home.”
I’d never really been interested in animals, so I tilted my head.
“...A cat?”
“Really? You really like cats, Oppa?”
Doah stopped walking, her eyes sparkling like stars.
“Ah. Yeah. They’re cute.”
“Then can we get a cat together later? For real?”
Seeing her so excited, I placed a hand on her head.
“Let's move first. We haven't even finished unpacking our own stuff, how are we going to raise a cat?”
“I've really wanted one for so long. My mom never let me have one at home.”
Doah explained her long-held ambition.
Her love for cats didn't stop even after we arrived at the restaurant.
“For the breed, I like this one, and this one. And this one. What do you think?”
“They're all cute.”
“Right? That's what I was thinking... Ugh... what should I do... Should we get them all?”
“I think even one will be a handful.”
Of course, since Doah was usually home now, it would be easy, but once she started going back to school, the circumstances wouldn't be ideal.
“I guess so...”
“Let's think about it later. We have a lot to take care of first.”
“Right.”
As Doah mumbled on the bean sprout side dish, I wondered if she knew she was more like a pet rabbit herself.
“Still, it must be nice having the day off from streaming, huh?”
Doah had requested the day off, using the move as an excuse.
To be honest, I didn't think she really needed to.
Her studio was a separate space, after all.
No matter how messy her house was, she could have streamed if she wanted to.
“You like it too, Oppa.”
“I'm sad I don't get to watch Luka-tan's stream, though.”
“Aww~ Why are you saying it like that? Hurry up and say you're happy you get to hang out with me.”
She pointed her chopsticks at me threateningly.
I quickly snatched the stir-fried squid she had picked up and popped it into my mouth.
“Of course I'm happy. You're abandoning the tens of thousands in the Pink Army to hang out with me.”
This squid is delicious.
“...I didn't abandon them. And hey, I can take a vacation too, you know?”
“It's a bit much to call it a vacation when there isn't much time left to see Luka's face. Hey.”
At least, the Luka who was part of CLOSER.
“Ugh... But from what I've heard, it doesn't look like there'll be a contract extension.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The project to recruit the second generation is already underway, and they said the announcement will go out in October.”
“That’s a shame.”
“I dreamed we disbanded last night, and I cried so much.”
“For real?”
“In my dream, I mean.”
Doah turned her head, her gaze fixed on a group of children running around outside the window.
“In real life, we've never even met up and hung out like that, so why does it feel so sad?”
“It just means you've all gotten that close.”
“I swear, I wasn't even this sentimental at my high school graduation.”
But it wasn't just the members of CLOSER who were anxious about their fate.
Their fan club had so many members now.
You could easily see the fans' cries on the community forums, trying to somehow prevent their graduation.
[It's not really over when the contract ends, right? ㅠㅠ We can still see you, right?]
[Please extend please]
[I'll buy every piece of merch, so please don't disband. ㅠㅠ]
[YMFUCKINGBASTARDSIfYouDisbandThemI'llBurnDownYourCompanyAndKillMyself]
And I, too, had grown fond of them. I hoped that the other members, not just Luka, would continue to stay by her side.
“What's the problem with just continuing?”
“Umm... so, according to the company, they're planning on building this huge metaverse universe. And to do that, if specific members become solidified and fixed, it goes against their original plan, blah blah blah.”
Doah pouted, looking fed up.
“But they said there's a high chance we'll remain as YM-affiliated VTubers.”
“Oh. So they won't confiscate your avatar.”
“Ah. You think they'd give it to me just to take it back? It's not like someone else could use it instead of me.”
“That’s a good point.”
I always thought the word "end" signified a new beginning, but for the two of us, the end of CLOSER's Luka felt much more tinged with sadness.
“Aigh! We have to end with a bang! We'll make the third album a huge hit and conquer the world!”
In front of a streetlight near her house, Doah spun around in a circle.
“Ta-da!”
Doah struck what she called a 'gyaru peace,' making a V-sign pointed downwards.
“I suggested this pose for the new album cover. What do you think?”
“It looks good on you, but I think it'd look funny if everyone did it together.”
“Aw, come on. But it has that certain something that resonates with the hearts of otakus, you know?”
I let out a small laugh, stepped closer to her, and gave her a gentle pat on the butt.
“Yeah. Make it a huge hit. If it's a success, maybe the company will do something more for you.”
“We'll see if I have to re-record this time! Hmph!”
-Vrrrrrr
My phone vibrated.
It was my teacher.
“Doah. Just a second.”
“Okay.”
[Hello?]
[Ah, Taemin. Can you talk?]
[Yes, I can. Is something wrong?]
His voice was quite agitated, so I wondered if something urgent had come up.
[We got the job for CLOSER's third album!]
My eyes widened and I clapped a hand over my mouth. Doah looked up at me with a bewildered expression.