VS (1)
There was a famous saying about Vtubers.
If someone claims to hate Vtubers, it only means they haven't found the one that matches their taste yet.
As proof, Cheon-woo and Seo-hyeon—who barely knew a thing about Vtubers—had the walls of their prejudice crumble the moment they watched the great Eve's stream.
And the walls between us crumbled right along with them.
“Ah, hyung. I really like this girl Tita. She sings insanely well.”
Before I knew it, Seo-hyeon had even subscribed to her.
After drinking at my place last night, the three who lived in the dorms headed back before midnight. Apparently he'd happened to catch Tita's singing stream in his dorm room and become an Olong—Tita's fan name—on the spot.
“This guy's been blasting Tita's songs nonstop since last night. My head's ringing.”
For the record, Cheon-woo and Seo-hyeon shared a room.
They must really get along well.
“Oh, Cheon-woo. Did you watch Kiri's stream yesterday?”
“Nah. She's good at games, but way too loud. Watching Vivi's stream, I liked how she quietly does storytelling. Kind of like ASMR.”
Surprisingly, even Cheon-woo seemed to have checked out Utopia's streams. Just a few days ago the guy had been mocking Vtubers outright.
He hadn't subscribed yet, but I could already see the budding talent of a Hosu—Vivi's fan name—starting to show.
Hmm. At this rate, all four of us had different favorites inside Utopia.
Well, that wasn't so bad either.
“In the end both Gachi hyung and I failed at converting them.”
“We succeeded at converting them to Utopia, though. Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
Clink.
Hae-an bumped fists with me and laughed heartily.
Maybe it was because we'd drunk together yesterday. Somehow having the four of us together like this didn't feel awkward at all.
“...But in the end I never got to see Wa Sol sunbae even once yesterday. Does she not show up often?”
Cheon-woo asked me about Wa Sol sunbae as if his interest in her were a completely separate matter...
At least he wasn't showing the same rotten attitude as yesterday.
“No, I feel like I see her pretty often. Yesterday just didn't line up, I guess.”
“Tch. Can I come hang out again today?”
“No. Today I'm quietly watching the Eve-Kiri collab alone.”
“Aw, come on, Adami hyung.”
From Otaku hyung to Adami hyung.
Quite the progress.
“But why are they fighting in the first place?”
“Even Eve says she doesn't know, so how would I?”
“Hah. Maybe it's a guy problem.”
At Cheon-woo's clueless one-liner—
I...
“...Hyung?”
“Gachi hyung. Your eyes don't look human right now.”
“Whoa. This Adami hyung... his eyes have gone crazy.”
I glared at Cheon-woo with every ounce of killing intent I could muster.
That killing intent only settled after classes ended.
After every class of the day was finished, I headed back to the mansion replaying the surprisingly enjoyable day I'd spent with the three of them.
Honestly, after the atmosphere at the freshman welcome party, I'd figured making friends would be tough. But because sunbae had worried about me, I'd decided to approach them first. And thanks to that, I'd gained three friends—and comrades.
...Thinking about it like this made me want to see sunbae.
“Wah!”
“Uwaak!”
The instant the thought crossed my mind, a familiar voice shouted right behind me. Startled, I spun around and found—
“Hahaha, great reaction~”
“Sunbae...”
Wa Sol sunbae wearing a mischievous grin.
Phew. This sunbae really had a surprisingly playful streak.
“You scared me.”
“Haha, sorry. You didn't notice even when I got pretty close, so I thought I'd surprise you once.”
“Normally people call your name, don't they?”
“Oh, are you mad?”
I wasn't actually mad. But that sly face made me want to tease her right back.
“A little.”
“Aww, doesn't seem like it~”
...Somehow I felt competitive.
“I really am mad, though?”
“I know a word that leaves Gachi completely speechless right here.”
“What is it?”
Why was she smiling so unnervingly?
“If I say this is revenge for that time you were secretly watching Eve's stream when we met, what are you gonna do?”
“...Don't use cheat keys.”
“Hahaha.”
Haa, seriously...
What a cheap sunbae.
“Heh.”
But it was the same as always. She was treating me that way, and I was treating her that way. The realization that our relationship felt pleasantly familiar warmed my chest. I quietly smiled at the distance that had grown closer than when we first met.
“But Gachi. Can I ask you one thing?”
“I don't mind... what is it?”
“Yesterday. Actually, I saw. You and the others going into the mansion.”
...In other words, if the kids hadn't been there, we might have run into each other by chance again.
Would it be unfair to them if I thought that was a shame?
“You didn't... fight, right?”
“Ah.”
We did fight... just not at home.
What should I do. I didn't want to worry her. But lying to sunbae again felt a little...
No.
“We did fight.”
“...You didn't get hurt?”
Wanting to reassure the sunbae who was asking with a worried face, I answered with a completely nonchalant expression.
“No. It wasn't a big fight, and we made up. That's why I invited them over.”
More precisely, I'd invited them over in order to make up. But there was no need to mention that part.
“Then that's a relief.”
“...Do you really think it's a relief?”
“What?”
Wa Sol sunbae tilted her head, looking puzzled. Maybe the way I'd asked had come out wrong.
“If sunbae thinks it's a relief... then it's a relief. You were worried, right? About the after-party last time.”
“...Yeah.”
“Sunbae didn't do anything wrong at all.”
“Just blurting everything out like I knew it all without reading the room, and as a result making Gachi uncomfortable because of me. Haha.”
Saying that, sunbae laughed as if brushing it aside.
Why was sunbae making that face.
What happened that day was something I started, and sunbae hadn't done a single thing wrong.
Yeah. Nothing wrong at all. So yesterday I...
“I approached them first because I knew sunbae was worrying about it. If sunbae hadn't been there—whether we fought or not, whether it got awkward or not—I probably would have just stayed still.”
Because a guy like me is that kind of person.
I hate anything bothersome, especially complicated human relationships. Even if friends I'd studied with for three years turned their backs after seeing my grades, I wouldn't feel sad or disappointed in the slightest. Even expending emotion on that is bothersome.
But strangely... I didn't want to see sunbae feeling sorry because of me.
“Have I... changed a little. Me too.”
“...I don't really know about that. I haven't even known Gachi for a week yet.”
“Haha, true.”
Really... not even a week.
Since I met sunbae.
And yet—
“Hehehe.”
I found myself thinking I wanted to see sunbae smiling like that more.
That I wanted to close this distance just a little further.
After we arrived at the mansion, before heading into our respective rooms, I asked the one thing I'd been curious about.
“By the way, about the opponent you mentioned last time that you'd fight. Who were you talking about?”
“Ah, that?”
Sunbae struck a thinking pose for a moment, then put a finger to her lips and—
“Secret.”
She smiled cutely.
Seriously...
“So cheap.”
“If I win... if I win, I'll tell you. Everything.”
“...”
Did that include the secret she'd mentioned last time as well?
If so, then there was only one thing for me to do.
“I'll wait.”
“Yeah. Wait while watching Eve's stream or something. Today's the match, after all.”
As expected of someone who liked Utopia. She knew about the Eve-Kiri match too.
“Yes. I've been looking forward to it a lot.”
“Then you should hurry and get ready to watch the stream? Go on in.”
“Yes, you too, sunbae.”
After confirming sunbae went into her place, I climbed the stairs and entered my home.
But who was sunbae's favorite, I wonder.
Come to think of it, I hadn't really heard much about Utopia from her. Mostly me talking and sunbae responding.
Hmm... I'll ask later.
More importantly right now—
“Beer ready. Snacks ready. Okay. Then...”
I turned on my laptop, went to the Diy homepage, and naturally opened the stream sitting at the very top.
The Adami who, like me, couldn't wait any longer kept calling for Eve, but she still hadn't appeared. After several more minutes of “open the door” spam flooding the chat—
Finally. Eve's stream began.
She started with a short just-chatting segment, then revealed she'd switched games and explained the new one.
The Adami's faith in Eve still pierced the heavens.
Hm? What kind of faith?
Obviously the faith that Eve was going to lose!
Ah, seriously.
I always think this, but her voice is so cute it feels like my ears are getting pregnant.
Feeling my own face soften, I sat back and enjoyed Eve's just-chatting.
I enjoyed their back-and-forth for a little while. In the meantime I checked Eve's viewer count—already past four thousand. Kiri's was probably about the same.
It was a familiar number now, but remembering Eve's test stream still filled me with emotion.
“It's amazing when you think about it. I heard Eve and Kiri both had fewer viewers than Tita during the test streams. Now these two have the most. Means they both worked insanely hard, huh. Well... Eve worked a little too hard...”
While I was reminiscing alone, Eve and Kiri finished matching through the call and were set as opponents for 110 Games.
Then I guess there's no chance of getting banned. I believe in Eve!