Chapter 72: Night of Equivalent Exchange
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: Night of Equivalent Exchange
“What’s with that face?”
I was learning things about her, one by one.
The face Doah made when she was happy.
The expression she had when she ate something delicious.
The things she’d say out of the blue when she was hungry.
And the look on her face right now was the one she made when something was weighing on her mind.
“...Huh?”
“Is something wrong?”
I reached out and squished her soft, mochi-like cheeks.
Hmm. Usually, she’d giggle when I did this, but she’s not today. Something’s definitely up.
“...It’s nothing.”
Shaking her head to shrug off my hand, she turned her back to me and switched off whatever video was playing behind her.
“What were you watching?”
“Leah’s stream.”
“Oh, yeah?”
After neatly arranging the shoes I’d taken off, I went and sat next to Doah on the bed.
“So why are you in a bad mood?”
“I never said I was in a bad mood.”
“The way you’re saying that makes you seem like you’re in a bad mood.”
Doah wasn’t the type to nitpick and drag things out. Luka could be a bit much when she was roasting her viewers, but the real Doah wasn’t like that.
“What is it?”
One thing was certain: if I pushed ahead with my plan to try out a horror game while she was like this, I might get kicked out of her house. I decided I needed to get to the bottom of what was bothering her first, so I watched her intently.
It seemed like she did have something to say, as she kept fidgeting with her lips. After pursing them for a moment, she gently bit her lower lip and finally spoke.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah.”
“What do you think about us, about CLOSER?”
Huh? CLOSER?
I thought it would be something related to her personal life, so I couldn’t hide my surprise.
“Uh... I think you guys will be a huge hit?”
CLOSER’s reputation was already legendary in the streaming world. I figured that with the overwhelming capital of a major corporation backing them, their success was practically guaranteed.
“...You think so?”
“Yeah, of course! Why are you worried about something like that? Your individual streams are all doing great.”
Ah, is that all it was?
It seemed like a needless worry. CLOSER’s fandom was too dedicated for them to fail.
The moment I casually placed a hand on her shoulder, she spoke again.
“That’s why I’m more worried.”
Doah, who had been looking down, lifted her head to meet my eyes. Her brown eyes were filled with anxiety.
“Being compared to others. I really don’t like it.”
“Compared?”
“You’ve said it before, too, Oppa. That Leah sings better than me.”
I could guess what the problem was. It was probably about her singing ability.
“Once the song comes out, we’ll be promoting it even more actively, but...”
Resting her elbows on her knees, Doah propped her chin in her hands and sighed.
“I was just watching Leah sing, and I started feeling this inferiority complex, and I’m scared of getting hate for it.”
“Hmm...”
It was a sad thing to hear, but to be blunt, she wasn’t wrong. Still, I didn’t think she had any reason to feel discouraged. After a moment of thought, I opened my mouth.
“You know, when it comes to idols...”
I didn’t know if it would help, but I just calmly said what came to mind.
“You don’t even have to look at virtual ones. Just look at all the real-life idols out there.”
“The ones who are overwhelmingly better at singing usually become the main vocalists, right?”
“Right?” Doah nodded.
“But is the best singer always the most popular member of the group? No, that’s not always the case.”
My stanning experience was limited to 2D characters, but I knew the basics.
“People might like a member because they’re pretty, or they might get popular for being witty and telling jokes on variety shows.”
“Yeah.”
“I think it’s the same for you guys.”
The more I spoke, the more emotional I became. The Pink Army member in me couldn’t stand to see a timid Luka.
The leader of our Pink Army, cowering before she even begins!
“Luka, you’re going to be popular no matter what.”
“How would you know that?”
When Doah gave a bitter smile, I snatched her hand.
“No, I know it!”
If I don’t know, who does? I’m the one who’s been watching you longer than anyone.
“Do I really have to explain to you just how cute you are?”
It was a heartfelt appeal. But what followed was...
“Pfft.”
A laugh, something close to a snort, escaped Doah’s lips.
“Ah, hold on a second.”
Covering her mouth, Doah choked back a few laughs before finally managing to compose herself and look at me.
“No, Oppa.”
...What is this? This is fucking awkward.
What the hell.
“Oppa, have you been watching too much anime?”
“...Huh?”
“No, seriously. Say what you just said to me again.”
Did she think I couldn’t...
As I replayed my own words in my head, I felt my ears flush hot.
“Is it that hard to say it again?”
You... goddammit, Doah.
Isn’t this a bit much?
She was my girlfriend, but it was a moment that made me want to curse. I was just trying to cheer you up, to tell you not to lose heart.
I felt like a Pink Army member whose chat history was being dissected, and I cried a river of tears on the inside.
“I was wrong.”
I’m sorry for everything, Doah-tan. So please, just stop.
My head was spinning, and as I squeezed my eyes shut, Doah’s arms wrapped around my waist.
“Why are you apologizing?”
When I peeked my eyes open, Doah was pressed right up against me, a playful grin on her face.
“Weren’t you just trying to cheer me up?”
“Right, right.”
She gets it...!
Phew... I was relieved she wasn’t going to tease me about it anymore, but that was just a ploy to make me lower my guard.
“So, what part of me is so cute?”
“...Just kill me instead.”
The price for failing to distinguish between online chat and reality was steep.
“Aw, come on, tell me!”
“No! I can’t! I can’t say it!”
I want to go home...
Doah clung to me as I searched for a place to hide. After a good while of bickering, the smile finally returned to her face.
“Ah, it really is nice seeing you, Oppa.”
Doah placed a hand on top of my head.
“Thanks, boyfriend.”
“...For someone so small, you’ve got a lot of nerve.”
Despite being more than 20cm shorter than me, Doah was treating me like some kind of pet.
Still, it seemed like her mood had improved. The shadow that had been cast over her face seemed to have disappeared, so I didn’t feel too bad.
But everything is an equivalent exchange.
I’d given the gloomy Luka-tan the carrot, so now the Pink Army’s stick was waiting.
I opened my arms toward Doah and slid them under her armpits.
“O-Oppa?”
Startled by my action, Doah stuttered. But it was too soon to be surprised.
I lifted her up with sheer strength and dragged her over to the computer chair, plopping her down.
“...Huh?”
As she stared at me with a bewildered expression, I spun the chair around, delivering her to the computer.
“Now, it’s time to do what we came here to do.”
I even finished my assignment at lightning speed for this, you know?
“...The horror game?”
“Yep. Weren’t we supposed to look for one to play together today?”
The color drained from Doah’s face. Her large eyes sent a clear message: Please don’t.
“Alright~ Let’s go to the game site~”
“Aww, Oppa~ Can’t we just talk and hang out instead?”
For a moment, Doah’s whiny aegyo almost melted my resolve, but my will was firm.
I’m not going home until we pick one out today.
“Nope. We have to do this.”
When Doah showed no intention of moving, I grabbed the mouse myself. It was a cute little pink mouse that perfectly reflected the size of her hands. I wondered if she could really play games for hours with this thing, but I immediately went to the game store website.
“Alright, Doah.”
She was still in the computer chair, but she’d rolled it as far away as she could. I dragged the chair back and set her in front of the desk again.
“Oppa... please... I really can’t sleep if I watch that stuff.”
She looked exactly like that Pink Army emote with teary eyes and a quivering lip.
But I knew.
I knew that if I didn’t give in to this temptation, an even sweeter fruit awaited me.
I reached out and placed my hand over Doah’s, moving her right arm like a puppeteer controlling a marionette.
“Don’t worry, Doah.”
Even to my own ears, it sounded like a devil’s whisper.
“You’re not alone right now.”
The strength gradually left Doah’s arm. I was the one in control of the mouse now.
As the horror tab, filled with grotesque images, opened up, I felt Doah’s body flinch.
“Oppa... I... really... What if I have a heart attack...?”
Even I had to admit that feeling a sense of thrill from her trembling form was pretty perverted of me.
“Don’t worry. I’ll call an ambulance right away.”
Deciding there was no point in dragging it out any longer, I clicked on the main image in the recommended tab.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”
My screaming girlfriend was more than just cute; she was utterly adorable.