To Make Gachi Look My Way
After finding out Gachi had been two-timing me on our date, I left the café first.
The moment I got home I fired off a challenge to Eve over Discord, but she was mid-stream and couldn't answer. Still, once the broadcast ended she texted back that she understood. I figured I'd give her a quick rundown of the situation — and if I was going to say it anyway, the others might as well know too.
I dropped that straight pitch into the group chat without warning.
The second I hit send, Vivi and Tita came stampeding in right alongside Eve.
After that they just kept spinning wild fantasies among themselves without waiting for a single reply from me, so I sent a message that shut them up cold.
Those two bolted with impressive speed. Just Eve left, then?
...Why would I be mad at you?
Grit... my teeth ground together.
How dare he sneak-listen to Eve's stream during a date with me?
Now for the real point. Eve would take this part seriously, I was sure of it.
Of course. She was more serious about streaming than anyone.
I already knew she'd refuse to lose here no matter what.
Of course, winning here wouldn't turn Gachi from an Adami into a Hara overnight. It would just earn me the chance to make a Gachi who only watched Eve's streams start looking at me.
Then, little by little, I'd make him get to know me.
And I'd change his bias to the me of right now.
I'd make him look only at me.
...Thankfully, Eve seemed just as ready for a fight.
Then let's settle on a game.
Heh. I found myself thinking that was a little cool of her.
And so I picked a rhythm game that tilted slightly in my favor.
She sent that the very next day.
Figures...
The day of the duel.
Finally the last class ended. Now I'd go home, finish prepping, and go live — and the duel would begin.
Normally, when stream time rolled around, there was always a little flutter of excitement.
Today's flutter was something else entirely.
"Hoo. I can do this. Let's go all out."
I reminded myself once more of what this stream was for.
Go Gachi. Turn that guy into a Hara. I didn't think one round would do it.
But I planned to tilt him toward me, little by little.
...Though he was such a hardcore Adami it made me nervous.
"Still, looking at how he was yesterday, he still seems to care about me. That was a little reassuring."
Truth was, I'd seen Gachi from behind again after that, but he'd been heading into the mansion with some other guys, so I didn't call out. Two of them looked like the ones who'd hit on me at the last after-party, though...
If he'd invited them all the way to the mansion, had they made up?
Surely they weren't fighting inside the mansion...
"Hoo. No. Focus on today. Gachi's definitely going to be watching."
Maybe it was thinking like that that did it.
There was Gachi's back again, right in front of me.
Lately, every time I thought about Gachi, it felt like he just appeared. Maybe if I thought about him every day, I could be with him every day.
"...Should I mess with him? I still owe him for last time."
A grin spread across my face.
Playfulness kicking in, I crept carefully up behind Gachi — then shouted at full volume.
"Boo!"
"Wha—!"
"Hahaha, great reaction~"
Ah, Gachi really is... hehehe. So fun. Heh.
"Senior..."
Looking at Gachi's face.
Yeah. His usual face. Not the guilt-soaked one from yesterday, not the fake-as-hell one from the day before.
Just Gachi.
"Haha, sorry. You didn't notice even when I got pretty close, so I thought I'd scare you once."
I'd actually snuck up quietly... and then lied about it.
When Gachi said something that sounded like he was mad about it—
"Aww, I don't think so~"
One look at his face and I could tell he wasn't actually angry. But I said it anyway.
Maybe because of that attitude of mine, Gachi started acting like he was genuinely pissed out of sheer stubbornness.
Hehehe. I'll fix that attitude for you.
"I know a word that shuts you up completely."
"What is it?"
"If I say this is revenge for you secretly watching Eve's stream when we met last time — what then?"
"...Please don't use cheat codes."
"Hahaha."
When I laughed, the corners of Gachi's mouth lifted naturally too.
See? He wasn't mad.
I can tell just by looking.
I can tell just by looking... because I like him that much.
Even though it's only been a week.
On the way to the mansion with Gachi, I asked about how things stood with the guys he'd met yesterday.
For better or worse, they'd fought but made up, he said. Didn't seem like I needed to worry, really.
Honestly, that one guy is a little... uncomfortable.
There's a look people get when they're interested in me, a certain way they carry themselves when they're trying to win me over. It makes my skin crawl.
I felt a lot of that from him, so part of me hoped Gachi would keep his distance — but that was just my selfishness, so I didn't say it out loud.
"By the way, that opponent you mentioned last time. Who were you talking about?"
...He wouldn't be asking if he already knew, right?
"Secret."
"That's mean."
Yeah. He clearly has no idea...
"If I win... if I win, I'll tell you. Everything."
Yeah. Who I am. How I feel about you.
Everything.
"I'll wait."
"Mm. Wait while watching Eve's stream or something. Today's the match, after all."
"Yes. I've been looking forward to it a lot."
"Then you'd better hurry and get ready to watch, huh? Get home safe."
Hurry up and watch properly.
Watch the Kiri who appears on Eve's stream.
But wait — have I been way too bad at hiding this from the start? And Gachi, who still hasn't noticed, is just...
Back home, I finished stream prep and warmed up my voice.
"Ah~ aaah~ ah.. ah!"
Yeah. Now Kiri's voice was coming out.
Normally that would be the end of it, but today—
"Ah... aaah..."
I dropped it a little lower, made it more alluring. This was my voice for when I was playing for real.
And I changed the costume too. Everyday Kiri wore casual clothes with just a sword at her hip, but there was actually an armored version.
"Okay. Done. Then... let's begin."
Even if this was for Gachi, I had no intention of ignoring the Haras who enjoyed my streams. The reason I could stream this happily was because of them, after all.
I was just going to play against Eve with everything I had, enjoy myself, and put on a fun broadcast.
Gachi wouldn't switch his bias to me overnight from that alone — but if he slowly, gradually drifted from Eve toward me...
Carrying that wish, I went live.
Going live with a voice a little different from usual, the Haras immediately picked up on the change.
Sometimes the chat got hard to respond to, but the reaction was good either way.
I wrapped up a quick greeting chat and jumped straight into the room Eve had made, starting the match.
We were playing 110 Games — a collection of mini-games — and before we started, we had the viewers place bets.
Naturally, I was the heavy favorite.
Hehehe. Even the Adamis bet on me.
To live up to the Haras' and Adamis' expectations, I played for real, and the first match ended in my victory.
Of course, when Eve started whining and blaming the Adamis, I needled her right back.
A little sexy, a little mature. And... a ticklish tone of voice.
Who even came up with that bit first... More importantly, the reaction was fantastic.
Maybe I should do this more often.
Gachi's listening too, right?
The thought made me start to tense up. It was just a normal stream, but the moment I imagined Gachi hearing my voice... I got suddenly shy, and of course my focus slipped—
I forced myself to keep a calm face and used the same tone as before, but—
Honestly, I was in shock... I actually lost to Eve in a game...?
This is all Gachi's fault!!!
Of course I kept that scream locked inside. In the end I was the one stuck with the punishment game, so I ended the stream a little depressed and went outside for some air.
And my mood improved immediately.
"We ran into each other again..."
At this point, weren't the two of us just destined? Honestly, it was fair to think that, right?
I walked over slowly and spoke in a voice soft enough not to startle him this time. For the record, I deliberately mixed a little of Kiri's voice into it.
"Out here alone in the cold night wind? Very atmospheric~"
"...Senior Wa Sol."
"Nice night, Gachi."
Of course he didn't notice at all. You know what? I'm done expecting him to.
Feeling a little sulky, I glanced at Gachi standing there under the moonlight.
Looking at him in this spot, something almost like nostalgia stirred... Ah.
"Ah. This is where you first talked to me, isn't it?"
"It is. Looking closely, Senior's clothes are the same as that day too. Except for the blanket."
Huh? Are they...?
That day had been moving day, so I'd dressed casually. I guess I had been wearing this.
...Wait. Gachi remembered an outfit I didn't even remember myself?
"...What is this, what is this. You even remember what I was wearing the first time we met. Don't tell me."
This... was worth getting my hopes up a little, wasn't it?
"It's not flirting."
Tch. Sure doesn't seem like it...
A little disappointment settled in, but there was nothing I could do. Gachi still only saw me as—
"...Thinking about it, maybe it is."
...What?
What did he just say?
He said it was flirting, right? Then...
"That... is actual flirting."
Gachi must have some feelings for me too. After seeing how he acted at the restaurant last time, I was pretty sure.
Still, the fact that he'd said something like that to me made me so embarrassed...
"More importantly, Gachi."
"Did you watch Eve's stream today?"
I changed the subject... Ah, you idiot!!!
The courage just vanished at the critical moment.
"Yes, of course. Did Senior watch too?"
Yeah, of course I did. I didn't watch Eve's stream, but...
"...Yeah, I watched. How was it?"
My hands were trembling a little. Over something this small.
I was just asking how today's stream was.
"Today, Kiri..."
I was watching every bit of Gachi's voice, every tiny movement, so intently that I could barely breathe. I literally held my breath waiting for what he'd say next.
"Was a little... heart-pounding."
...Haa~ hoo~
Ah, seriously... corners of my mouth, do not go up.
"Hehehe."
But how was I supposed to hold this in...
Please don't let him notice my face is red.
Gachi's heart racing at my voice was one thing.
The situation I was in right now hadn't changed.
Having lost the game, I... had to play a horror game...
"Ugh... I don't wanna..."
Until now I'd always refused, saying horror games weren't scary at all and that the Haras would just get bored — but the truth was, I hated horror with a passion.
I reeeeeally hate it!! Why did anyone invent that genre...
"If Gachi were next to me... it'd be a little better."
Of course it was a ridiculous wish.
Gachi still didn't know I was Kiri. To him I was still just a close senior, and to me he was still just a close junior.
Thinking about it that way made me a little sad.
I wanted to get closer...
If he were by my side, even a horror game would be totally... Ah.
"Right. If I just imagine Gachi is next to me, maybe it'll be okay?"
When I walked home with him at night, I felt so safe. It would definitely work!
...Or so I thought, once upon a time.
No no no no no no no no no no!!!
Gachi, where are you!? I'm scared... I'm really scared!!
Why did anyone make a game like this!?
I don't want to open the door... I don't want to go forward... I really... don't want to.
When I came back to myself, I'd completely forgotten my usual character and was crying not as Kiri but as Wa Sol. Eve, worried about me, suggested we stop the game.
But today was a collab with Eve, so Gachi was definitely watching.
I didn't want to show him that side of me. Quitting halfway? No way.
Had the fear scrambled my brain? I'd mentioned Gachi without meaning to.
I snapped back and recovered, but a little of my real wish still slipped through. If only Gachi were really here.
Thank you, Eve. Thanks to you, no major misunderstanding should come of this. Though she said that while clearly sipping apple yuzu tea...
Still, with the scraps of professionalism I had left, Eve and the Haras cheering me on the whole way, and Gachi watching from somewhere out there — somehow, I managed to finish it.
"...Ugh. I want to see Gachi."
After the stream ended, I wanted to see him right that second. Being alone was too scary.
Pulled by that feeling, I left the empty room without even grabbing a coat, and was climbing the stairs to the second floor when the cold wind snapped me back to my senses and I stopped.
"...Should I just show up out of nowhere? I'm nothing to Gachi."
Thinking about it, a girl with no real relationship to a guy, going to his room this late at night — people wouldn't look kindly on that. I didn't want Gachi to see me that way...
"What do I do... I don't want to be alone..."
Stuck between going and not going, I was crouched on the stairs when—
Suddenly, footsteps.
Strangely, I wasn't scared.
Of course I wasn't.
"Oh. Gachi."
"...Senior?"
See? We really are destined. The moment I wished for Gachi to be there—
Gachi came.
But I was crying a little right now. Could he tell?
"...Who made you cry?"
He could tell.
"I had to do something scary. I really didn't want to... but I'd promised my little sister. So I forced myself to be brave and finished it, but..."
"Once it was over, it got even scarier. Hehe. Pretty dumb, right?"
Hearing that childish complaint, Gachi came and sat beside me, and spoke in a voice that was quiet but perfectly clear.
"...Not at all."
Just three words. And somehow, my heart settled.
"I'm glad I came outside."
Yeah. Thank you. I'm so happy and relieved you came out.
"No — I'm the one who's glad. I get to be here next to Senior when she's scared."
Seriously... yesterday too. That is flirting, out in the open.
Thanks to him I wasn't scared at all anymore — but because of him, I couldn't calm down in a completely different way either.
Even so, I loved being with Gachi so much that I just sat there looking at him, barely ten centimeters away, listening to him talk.
"...I don't know much about it, so maybe I shouldn't say this, but. I hope that little sister of yours would be a little more considerate of you."
And then Gachi dropped a bombshell without even realizing it.
Uh... is he allowed to say that~?
"She made you do something you hated that much, right? She should be more careful."
"And you cried this hard over it... that sister of yours is really something. To put it harshly... she seems pretty self-centered."
What do I do. Right now, in this exact spot, I suddenly wanted to reveal that the little sister was actually Eve.
What face would Gachi make? How would he react?
Just imagining it...
"Pfft, hahaha!"
I forgot the cold. I forgot the fear.
Just picturing Gachi sitting next to me was enough to make me laugh like this.
Not the hard past, not the unknown future.
I could only see right now.
I could only see... Gachi.
Thanks to Gachi, I'd been able to sleep the night before. I crawled into bed still a little shaky and fell asleep almost immediately.
And when morning came, the world in front of my eyes was spinning.
"Ugh..."
Getting out of bed, I found my head aching faintly. Sensing this wasn't normal, I took my temperature with a thermometer I'd bought just in case.
"Thirty-eight degrees... a cold."
I had dressed way too lightly last night...
Luckily I only had one class today, and it wasn't related to my major, so missing one wouldn't matter much. As long as I contacted the professor properly, he'd forgive it.
I found the professor's number in the course info, messaged him, and lay back down in bed.
An empty room.
A quiet atmosphere.
Room 5, tucked into the farthest corner of the mansion, had two rooms. The soundproofing was already excellent, and I'd turned one of them into a soundproof booth so outside noise barely reached it. Perfect for sleeping — but it still felt lonely...
"I wonder what Gachi's doing... If we were dating, would he come visit me when I'm sick..."
Weakened in body and mind, I closed my eyes thinking of Gachi. If I fell asleep thinking of him, maybe I'd see him in my dreams.
Even in a dream, it would be nice if Gachi came to check on me. In reality he wouldn't even know I was sick, so of course he wouldn't... Ah, wait, I need to post a notice that I'm skipping today's stream... I need to... write...
And so I fell asleep, and dreamed a dream that felt almost real.
In the dream I started streaming, but dream-me seemed to have a cold too — the energy was all wrong. Thankfully Kiri's avatar was showing and the voice was Kiri's, but I couldn't communicate with the Haras at all, and my body kept swaying.
Matching that, Kiri's avatar swayed too, and then...
Thud.
Suddenly dream-me toppled out of the chair. Strange... it was definitely a dream, but it felt so real.
Ah. This won't work. Even in a dream, I shouldn't stream like this.
In the end I shut off the computer like that and collapsed onto the floor.
"Haa, haa."
My breathing grew rough, and my whole body started to shake.
Cold. Hurts. Lonely.
But there was no one anywhere who would notice me like this, no one who would come to me.
Then a voice reached my ears.
"..! ...!"
Who... A voice that made me feel safe just hearing it.
Thud thud.
"Damn it! Senior! Senior Wa Sol!"
Ah. This voice... I know it. The voice of the person I wanted to be with.
The voice that was pulling me back to reality.
Drawn by that voice, I forced myself up and opened the door to meet whoever was calling from the other side.
And the last thing I saw was Gachi standing there — and then the dream ended.