Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: This Time It's Me
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Lulu's weekend stream of Freddy's Chicken Shop came to a triumphant(?) close.
"I'm ooooout!! It was awful meeting you!! Never!! Never ever again!!!"
Lulu managed to clear the game with surprisingly solid physical skills and judgment.
She nailed the timings way better than I'd expected. Honestly, if she'd been just a little less scared, I think she could've finished it in a single day.
Anyway, thanks to her reaching the ending, I suddenly had a ton more footage to edit.
I cherry-picked the best of her colorful reactions, adorable moments, and those occasional flashes of brilliant insight, turning them into clips.
Unlike the Endless Return stream, this one didn't have much of a continuous story feel—instead, it was packed with standout funny scenes. Not quite enough for a long-form video on my end, but I trust the main editor will handle that.
Honestly, it'd be a real shame if today's stream didn't get a long-form upload.
"Ughhhh... done..."
By the time editing wrapped up, it was already 4:30.
Thankfully, my editing speed was much faster now compared to right after I hurt my finger.
Back then, I barely got any sleep for days. Now, I could probably rest about as well as before the injury.
If my hand fully heals? Straight-up deep sleep heaven.
I really should've studied keyboard shortcuts sooner. Got too stuck in my old habits and held myself back.
I exported the edited videos and uploaded them to the NewTube channel.
With all that done, it was finally a decent hour to crash.
I dove into bed and, for once, slept like a rock.
The only downside? Having to head straight to school after waking up.
Otherwise, perfect end to the day.
I arrived at school yawning my head off.
As usual, I swapped into slippers haphazardly and shuffled to the classroom in them.
Up to the third floor... the second-year wing. I slipped into class, and there was Im Rua, right where she always was.
"...Hey."
"Hey."
I plopped down next to the casually seated Im Rua and set my bag aside.
In the process, my eyes naturally drifted downward...
...and I spotted something unexpected.
"...Im Rua, did you hurt your toe?"
Her big toe looked unusually swollen.
No way a girl's toe is naturally that big, so I figured she'd injured it.
Im Rua flinched a bit before whispering back softly.
"...Yeah, I did."
"How?"
"...Tripped while running."
"Hey, be more careful."
"...It was an accident."
She said it so casually, but I worried her knee or something else might be scraped up too.
"What about your knee or anywhere else?"
"I'm fine. Just banged my big toe when I tripped."
"Got it... Be more careful..."
"Yeah... I should've been..."
She played it off nonchalantly, but she looked like it hurt.
Then a question popped into my head.
...Can you really hurt your big toe just from tripping while running?
Unless you're wearing sandals or slippers, that seems unlikely.
The doubt flickered, but I shoved it aside.
No reason for Im Rua to lie to me about something this minor. No gain in it for her.
If anything, it was so dumb it actually made it believable.
"...You sure you're really okay?"
"I'm fine."
"For real?"
"For real."
"Tch..."
She was so firm about it I couldn't push further, so I went to flop down like usual...
"...You don't look that sleepy today. Think you can stay awake?"
Im Rua started meddling.
"...Can't I sleep?"
"No."
"Why not."
"You don't look sleepy today."
She was spot on—I wasn't tired at all right now.
Sure, I'd slept little last night, but that short nap had been so deep it carried me through. No drowsiness in sight.
"......I don't wanna study."
"Do it anyway."
"I don't even get it in the first place..."
"You get everything except math, right? And you'd get math too if you tried."
"...Can't understand English either."
"English... well, can't help that. At least try memorizing some vocab."
Our wholesome little bickering was interrupted when the teacher walked in, forcing us into morning homeroom.
We couldn't keep arguing.
But one thing was clear: Im Rua wasn't letting me slack off today.
She was totally gonna bug me.
Sure enough, my prediction was right. Every time I tried to doze off, Im Rua poked me.
She wasn't tormenting me or anything—just light stuff like jabbing my shoulder with a finger.
Since her methods weren't annoying, I couldn't really fight back... and ended up actually studying.
More like staring blankly at my pristine textbook, but hey, eyes on the page.
"......"
As I zoned out, I remembered her injured big toe.
Just in case, I passed her a note.
[Hey, Im Rua]
She saw it and replied instantly, no hesitation.
[Why?]
Her handwriting was super round and cute. Im Rua was pretty, had that charmingly sweet and calm voice... and it all showed in her pretty script.
I shook off the random thought about her handwriting and asked what was bugging me.
[Want me to walk you home since your toe's hurt?]
[Why would you?]
Her 'Why would you?' hit me—had I overstepped?
Still, my pride stung, so I kept going.
[You visited me when I was sick]
[You got hurt because of me. This was just my own mistake?]
[Wasn't because of you]
[It was]
How do you deal with a girl this stubborn?
I pondered briefly, then dangled her favorite bait.
[I'll buy you pizza]
[Pizza?]
[Yeah]
Im Rua preferred pizza over chicken. I knew for sure—we'd fought over it as kids.
She seemed tempted by 'pizza' but fired back anyway.
[Why are you buying?]
[Can't show up empty-handed for a sick visit]
[You don't need to visit]
Her logic was airtight, so I racked my brain.
Pulling every scrap of info from my head, I hunted for a flaw in her argument.
After twisting my neurons into knots, I found it.
Time to poke the hole.
[Plus, you bought chicken for my family before]
[That was a sick-visit gift]
[Fruit's plenty for that]
Im Rua had given me two gifts: fruit and chicken.
Aren't two a bit much for sick visits?
I split them apart to keep pressing.
[Not enough]
[I'd have been hurt way worse without you]
[Plus, I got money from your mom]
As she tried framing her gifts as sufficient, I dropped my final blow.
[It was my choice to get hurt, but who gives two sick-visit gifts? The money from Mom was just allowance, not payment. Paying makes it not a gift anyway.]
[Think of me and just accept once. I don't wanna feel like an ingrate]
I hate appealing to emotions, but damn, it works here.
Once I pulled the feelings card, Im Rua caved.
[Fine, just once?]
[OK OK]
She'd conceded to me.
A weird thrill of victory washed over me... until reality hit.
Winning an argument with my childhood friend Im Rua... just to go to her house.
With half-baked logic, no less.
......What the hell have I done?
As I panicked internally, Im Rua went ahead and nailed down the plans.
[I'm busy today, but tomorrow work?]
[Tomorrow?]
[Yeah, should be free]
I had Lulu's stream tonight. She was off tomorrow.
...Feels like fate. Destiny to go to Rua's house.
[Pick a pizza you want and text it to me on Kotalk or whatever]
[Got it. And if it's too pricey, we can split. Okay?]
[Yeah yeah yeah]
Of course, but my sweet Rua only knows half the story.
This big bro's earning cash as a VTuber clipper.
A few pizza pies? No sweat.