7 I Do My First Stream

Author: Bishamon Mine
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0664js/8/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

◆◇◆◇◆

 

Lunch break on the day I pulled a Close Encounter with Yachimata-san. I’m checking my phone again, too happy.
A voice lands on that me.

“Suzusaki-san! I really, absolutely think you should livestream!”
“Eh, a-a stream is…… no good after all. See, I get stuck when I talk.”

……I posted that video with the sound off, too.

“That’s cute too!”

The one talking to me, who is supposed to be a loner, is somehow Yachimata Alice-san.
By some karma I am eating lunch with Yachimata-san.

I stood up to eat lunch in my usual best place, the hideout under the emergency stairs, and Yachimata-san appeared in my classroom with “Suzusaki-saaan!”

“Let’s eat lunch togetheeer!”

A bomb drop.

Even when I go “Th-this is a problem,” I only get laughed at with “We’re only eating lunch together, why is it a problem!”

I’m weak to pressure, so I end up eating across from a face that is too pretty.
And my seat is in the middle of the classroom, so I’m on display.

Yachimata-san is used to people’s eyes, or she doesn’t care at all.

I’m incredibly lucky too, getting this close to my oshi and even eating lunch together.
I already passed my Habitable Zone a long time ago. I’m going to burn to death.
S-see, a nosebleed started. My body really is breaking down.

“Wait, Suzusaki-san, are you okay!?”
“I might be flushed.”
“You’re too excited.”

I get laughed at and have tissue stuffed in my nose.

I ended up having the traumatic experience of eating a meal with my oshi with stuffing in my nose.
The sesame spinach smells like iron.

While I’m overdosing on iron from iron-rich spinach and nosebleed, some of the girls give us looks scarier than when I talk to boys, like “eh, why Yachimata-san and Suzusaki-san?”
……I don’t want to get called behind the school. I don’t want an X carved on my face with a razor.

But not everyone is scary. The girl in the seat in front, who tried to take me to the nurse yesterday, goes “Yachimata-san, use my chair,” smiles, and heads to the cafeteria with two friends.
Her previous life was surely a mother-goddess.

That said, the girl in front and her friends are all beauties——how terrifying.

I’m nibbling spinach while Yachimata-san explains how to livestream for a while, when

“Suzusaki-san! Will you trade my karaage for that mini hamburger?”
“Uveh!?”

The sudden offer that flew from Yachimata-san’s mouth nearly stops the signals in my brain.
I snatch up my lunch and hide it toward my shoulder.

“N-no.”
“Ah, do you like hamburgers?”
“That’s not it. This is homemade, I kneaded it by hand!”
“It’s homemade!? Amazing, I absolutely want to eat it!”

Saying that, Yachimata-san spears karaage on a fork and brings it to my mouth.

“Here, aahn.”

I feel my face go red.
Eh, what kind of brain-war just started?

Yachimata-san repeats.

“Here, aahn.”

I thought it was a brain-war, but it was force under the name of pushing.
There’s no way a me who’s weak to pressure can beat my oshi’s push. I lose, open my mouth, and karaage gets shoved in.

Huh? Wait?

——Th-this is…… indirectly speaking, a kiss……????
———I had my first kiss with my oshi.

“Contract established. I demand the mini hamburger.”

I nod with a face that’s blown a fuse and set my lunch box on the desk.

The ketchup-topped mini-ham gets fork-shot like my kiss-slain heart and carried to Yachimata-san’s mouth.

Aaaah, if you stuff your cheeks with “Suzusa-germs” looking that happy! Everyone will think you’re creepy and you’ll become a solo player!

“Despair is the sickness unto death,” you know!?

“It’s so, so good! You’re way too good at cooking!”

I can’t endure the divinity of Yachimata-san’s full-faced smile from the heart, and I cover my mouth and turn away without thinking.

“So, when will you start the livestream?”

A surprising line in my right ear, turned toward Yachimata-san.

“Heh, wait!? Is doing it a decided matter?”
“Huh? When I asked earlier, you’ll do it, right? you said ‘Yes, ma’am.’”

I blew it. I have no memory.
Memory fragmentation is occurring.

“——I don’t have recent memories.”
“It was just a moment ago!”

Yachimata-san goes “buhah” and bursts.
Bursting and still cute is amazing.

I go “dufuh.”
I feel like something is decisively different, as living things.

“B-but I look like this. If I livestream, my face will be on camera, won’t it?”
“Ahh, you might want to comb your hair a little nicer. Even with curly hair, if you match it to your looks a bit more you’ll get cuter.”

Yachimata-san shiiing, takes a comb from her breast pocket.

Eh, what is that girl-power, isn’t it too high? Like “530,000.”——I feel a despairing power gap on the level of that famous scene.

“Y-you’re going to comb my hair with Yachimata-san’s comb!?”
“I am an active model, you know. I’m confident in the technique. It’s secondhand from my stylist, though.”

Th-that is not the issue, you see.

Yachimata-san takes my back so fast even Golgo wouldn’t notice, and starts combing my hair.

(Ah——having someone else fuss with your hair feels this good……?)

Maybe because I almost never get touched by other people, I have no resistance and it feels good full-on.

See, when you’re lonely don’t you hug yourself? The pleasantness is completely different from times like that.——Eh, you don’t?

I surrender to the comfort for a while and start to nod off.
Is this that thing, like when you pet a cat and the cat is asleep before you know it.
What a technician, Yachimata-san……

My shoulder, about to row a boat, gets a gentle tap.

“Done.”

Told that, I “hah” and wake, and Yachimata-san has taken a hand mirror from her chest.
Anything comes out of that pocket.
That breast pocket is surely connected to some other dimension.

While I’m thinking stupid things as usual——what’s in the mirror is a me I can’t believe is me.

“How is it?”
“Pretty, maybe good……”
“It’s very good! There’s a saying. ‘Cute can be made.’”
“A wonderful saying……”

I’m thinking of making those words that seem more likely to save me than a clumsy messiah into my motto, when Yachimata-san takes something else from her breast pocket.

Wait, how much goes in that breast pocket?
Or rather, looking closely, that hand mirror just now is obviously a size that does not fit in a breast pocket.

“Wh-where did you take that from, Yachimata-san……”

I ask without thinking, and Yachimata-san goes,

“Ah, this bracelet on my wrist. It’s an item I got in FateLege, a convenience bag that holds a lot. The official name is 〈Key to the Spacetime Warehouse〉. I have the entrance set around my chest.——The place this item was, by the way, only our clan members know—but—Suzusaki-san, don’t you want one too?”

It really did seem to connect to some other dimension.

This is extremely convenient. If you ask whether I want it or not,

“I-I want it a lot.”
“Then let’s go get one together next time!”
“Eh, but——”
“A date, then!”
“A d-date!?”
“I’ll initiate you in the standard method for asking a girl on a date. You find out what the other person is interested in, and invite them to go buy it together, and so on.”

What is that ultra-advanced technique.
——Was Yachimata-san a skilled pickup artist……
While saying that, Yachimata-san puts something she took from the pocket in my hair.

When she holds up the hand mirror, it’s a cute hairpin with a snowflake-like ornament.

“I received a prop they used in a shoot. It’s a one-of-a-kind in the world.”
“Eh!?”

A one-of-a-kind hairpin used by a celebrity of the moment!?

“I realized, you see. If I wear it and walk around, people will know I’m Isshiki Alice, so I’m giving it to you. It looks so good——it’s perfect for a Suzusaki-san whose name is Suzuhi. Very cute!”

Told cute by my oshi, I go bright red and look down.

Sun-types are scary.——No, unfair.

 

◆◇◆◇◆

 

The result: I get made to promise I will livestream, and five days later, the promised day.

I invite Yachimata-san into Swallow-san’s one-room, and Yachimata-san immediately points a camera at me and demands a smile.

“Okay, smile—”

She’s filming with a drone that looks expensive in Galactic-credit terms.

Swallow-san is currently at a Highlane base. Inside the base, Swallow-san is in flight form, and I’m being filmed in the one-room.

Swallow-san’s drones can have cameras attached too, apparently.——I didn’t know. I’ve been filming on my phone the whole time.

“L-like this?”

A little nervous, I try a two-handed peace at the camera, awkward enough that even I can tell. I’m bad at smiling, so I might be a little teary.

Then Yachimata-san makes a wry face.

“That’s called an ahegao double peace. Please smile normally.”

Eh, my face was that unidentifiable……?

Also, a hugely popular model must not say ahegao.

“The livestream has already started, you know.”

A despairing fact is announced from Yachimata-san’s cherry-colored lips.
What…… so at second zero of the broadcast I exposed a trauma-class weird face to the whole world?

“It’s over.”
“It just started!”

While I’m afflicted with “the sickness unto death,” comments from the livestream viewers flow at the edge of my vision.

❝Suu really was a girl……❞
❝And she opens with ahegao lmao❞
❝Pretty cute actually! Kind of a little dark though❞
❝Someone this quiet-looking does that superhuman piloting?❞
❝I’ve become a fan❞
❝Wait first time I’ve seen someone wearing clothes over a pilot suit. What do you do in zero-G or under G, gothic lolita?❞
❝The type whose personality changes when they grab the stick?❞
❝No, if anything that outfit has high kill-intent toward virgins lmao❞
❝I want her to fly my body’s stick too❞

Amazing, there are already 18,000 viewers.
For now, I should introduce myself first.

“Um, everyone, nice to meet you. I’m Suu.”

❝It was real!! The 〈Insanity〉 Death Road clearer and Suu are the same person!!❞
❝See, I told you!❞
❝(゜ꇴ゜)つ [old 100 million Zimbabwean dollars]❞
❝As I thought, anyone who cleared 〈Insanity〉 Death Road is a monster in live combat too❞

“Sh-should I reply to comments?”

It’s my first livestream, but I’ve watched other people’s livestreams plenty, so I know about comment replies.

And I’ve been a viewer the whole time, so I also know that when a reply comes to a comment I wrote as a viewer, my heart goes all warm.

Yachimata-san nods while operating something on her phone.

“Yeah, I think you should reply.”

❝There’s another girl?❞
❝Is the camera person a girl too❞
❝The host looks like a high school girl, maybe she’s streaming friendly with a friend❞

Eh? Yachimata-san and I being friends is “ehehe,” I’m shy. But it would be bad for Yachimata-san so don’t say weird things, okay?

Yachimata-san’s voice has a voice changer on it, by the way. She’s famous, and apparently she can’t just show up on a livestream without permission from her agency.

Me, on the other hand: I’m showing my face, so changing only my voice would be too late anyway, and I haven’t. I’m a civilian.

Um, which comments should I pick up.

Then……

“What is a body’s stick?”

When I pick up a comment.

❝Waro❞
❝lmaoooooooo❞
❝Waro waro waro❞
❝Great grassland❞

Did I get a laugh?

But Yachimata-san has a wry smile.
Is all this comment laughter wry laughter!?

A comm comes from Yachimata-san to the VR ear gear on my ear.

“You don’t need to pick up comments like that.”
“Eh, eh?”
“D-do you really not get it!?”
“Ummm……”
“It’s dirty content. Suzusaki-san, how sheltered are you!”

To deny being sheltered at full power, I shake my head like a tornado.

“P-probably. I don’t have friends to talk to, so I don’t do dirty talk——”
“……I see. This is a serious case……”

Yes. A critical Suzusa-germs patient……

A lot of explanations of the human stick flow into the comments.
Uwah…… it meant that?

❝True, if a cute girl like this grabbed it you’d get flown❞
❝Stop, I’ll imagine it lmao❞

“S-sorry, never mind that comment pickup!”

I’ll become unable to grip Swallow-san’s stick, so stop!?
I picked it up myself, though.

❝Too pure lmao❞
❝I’ll protect Suu! Don’t you guys post weird comments!!❞
❝A unicorn has appeared!❞
❝Even among virgin-brained I’m a vampire! lmao❞
❝Suu-tan went bright red, so cute!❞

People who call a flat-faced me with curly hair, monolids, and a face that looks like it has a vertical line “cute” should see an eye doctor.

Hurry and pick up other comments.

“Um, there is a camera person. But they say they’ll also film with just drones and place them in space. And, something important…… this face is fake…… the camera person is good at makeup and things.”

❝You’re just cute❞
❝Have confidence!❞

What is this, the comments are warm and I’m getting all toasty.

❝Tell us your skills, stat allocation, portable weapons❞

“Um, for skills I have one called 〖Miracle〗 that makes items easier to get, somehow. Other than that I don’t have stat allocation or portable weapons.”

The comments all react at once to that.

Yachimata-san’s mouth is hanging open beyond the camera too.

❝Hah?❞
❝I saw the video of the consecutive 〈Deli-At〉 kills, and that was with no combat skills and no stat allocation!?❞
❝What’s going on, that piloting was almost just human specs!?❞
❝A genuine human graduate❞
❝Scary, a timid-looking girl like this being Top Gun is too scary❞
❝‘No way that happens…’❞
❝‘It IS happening though…’❞
❝…How did it come to that?❞

“Eh——um I got hooked on a quest in the training simulator. I was only training the whole time so my merit points are almost starter values, and I didn’t have chances to increase items or skills.”

Merit points, by the way, can be exchanged for stat-ups, weapons, military items, and so on.
Skills you get from a mysterious item called a sealstone.
Items you can get from monsters, apparently.
And you can also buy things from normal shops with Union credits.

❝The “I worked for three years” in the video description was that!? ———Only that the whole time?❞

“Y-yes, all three years.”

❝Yabe❞
❝But would you get that amazing in three years?❞
❝VR training is triple time, so it’s essentially nine years❞
❝Nine years——no way……❞
❝If I do VR training for a long time I get dizzy though❞
❝Well you are running the brain at triple speed❞

“Ah…… from about third grade I was obsessed with a fighter FPS——that might be part of it too?”

❝Come to think of it there was a nasty-good player called Suu on Air Maverick Online 3……❞
❝Ah, a famous one. The one who made pros cry❞
❝No way❞
❝Ah…… I see❞

Suu——tha…… that’s probably me. I didn’t have friends so I had nothing to do, and I did it the whole time.
I even slacked on studying.

But thanks to Ill-san I became able to pass a high-deviation-value high school at the top of the class.
And I studied inside the training simulator, so I could literally put in three times other people’s effort.

Thank you so much, Ill-san. If you hadn’t been there, what would have become of me——academically and in terms of loneliness.

❝———I see❞
❝Total flight hours must be outrageous❞

“VR is 24,000 hours.”

Ah, the comments stopped.
Did I get recoiled from!?

If I add the FPS time it’s over 30,000, but I’d get recoiled from…… better not say it.

❝24,000…… what is that❞
❝……Well of course a monster gets born. While we were out adventuring, a creature this dangerous was being cultivated in the simulator❞
❝Scary❞

Uwah, I’m getting recoiled from…… and if I just talk, the viewers might get bored.

……Let’s change the topic.

“Sh-shall we try some combat soon?”

❝I’ve been waiting!❞
❝I want to see Suu-tan’s piloting❞

“Then, I just need to head toward Sagittarius A*, right.”

There, Yachimata-san’s phone buzzes.

Yachimata-san glances at her phone, skillfully keeping me in the camera.
Then her face goes blue in a flash.

“What’s wrong, camera person.”
“Ah, um——”

Yachimata-san hesitates.

“——I-I might only be able to be camera person this far today.”
“I-is that so?”

Yachimata-san glances at her phone over and over, looking worried.
Then she looks at me for an instant.
This is——

“Can I maybe be of use?”

Yachimata-san clenches her teeth, then opens her mouth like she’s made up her mind.

“My little sister and clan members are surrounded by countless small craft——both my frames broke in the other day’s event and they’re in for repair.”
“……I see.”
“——But……”
“What’s wrong?”
“I fought with my sister yesterday…… I even slapped her as hard as I could, and I said I didn’t even want to see her face…… I don’t have a face I can show her, or something.”

I-is this interpersonal relations……!?
The field I’m worst at! What am I supposed to do!
……Wh-what do you even say at times like this.
I don’t know. Someone tell me.

But for kind-looking Yachimata-san to slap her sister, something serious must have happened.
Yachimata-san’s eyes are shaking. Yachimata-san gets anxious too, huh.
I have to say something.

But I can’t give good advice on interpersonal relations.
——All right…… I’ll leave the essence of the problem as it is, and make it not interpersonal.

I grab Yachimata-san’s shoulders.

“Camera person, do you really never want to see your sister’s face again?”
“Eh——, no…… that’s……”
“If your sister disappeared, would that be fine?”

❝Disappear? ——Even if you die you don’t disappear, right?❞
❝Right. In FateLege if you die you come back, right?❞

……That’s not it.

“Camera person, is it fine because your sister will come back? Is it fine if the sister you have now disappears?”
“I don’t want that! ——I don’t want that!!”
“———Right?”
“I’m sorry.…… Please help, Suu-san! My sister!!”
“Of course!”

Yachimata-san told it like this.

“My little sister went to zero merit points in the other day’s event. So clan members were moving to help her. But my sister and the members trying to help her got surrounded by countless small craft in a dangerous space.”

Countless small craft…… not a situation in Deathroad Papilio’s “final chapter,” but the first two, three chapters had it.

“Leave it to me.”