Ch.3 The Kisaragi Family

"--Well then, this will be the last stream for today. If I have time, I plan to do a New Year's Eve stream, but I'll just say this just to be sure. Thank you for your hard work this year. Well then, everyone, I look forward to seeing you next year~ Have a happy new year~"

: Bye~

: Thanks for the hard work this year~

: Let's do our best next year too~

: Have a happy new year!

: I'm looking forward to the New Year's Eve broadcast!

Kisaragi Sakura broke down in joy as comments began to flow in like a dam had broken, and ended the stream while waving through the camera.

"Hohee" she sighed, feeling just the right amount of tiredness and a sense of accomplishment.

She leans back in her gaming chair and stare blankly at the secondary monitor.

What was reflected in the picture was an anime character sitting in a gaming chair just as lazily as her.

On top of her cherry-colored hair are animal ears with black tips.

She's wearing a red scarf, a cherry blossom colored kimono, and have a cherry blossom colored tail.

It was a very cute design.

When she waved her hand, the character on the monitor did the exact same thing. Even the timing of their blinks were the same.

That's to be expected.

The character before her - Futaba Ouka - is Sakura's avatar.

In other words, Sakura was the person behind the Vtuber.

She is a Vtuber who belongs to the currently popular female Vtuber talent group "Prisma Ark."

Although it has only been six months since her debut, she already has over 500,000 subscribers, making her the top subscriber among her peers, which is something she is secretly proud of.

She's well aware that she has benefited greatly from the group, but that doesn't change the fact that it is proof of Sakura's hard work.

Today was a chat broadcast looking back on the year, so the VR machine she usually uses was off.

She hangs her headphones on the hook and reflects on the past year once again.

And then, a chattering sound can be heard from her smartphone.

“Ugh”

It's from her mother.

In summary, it said, "If you've finished streaming, come down."

In other words, they were watching the live broadcast, and Sakura, who was still not used to being watched by her family, was filled with embarrassment.

Well, it does makes sense considering her mother's position.

“...Haa”

Sakura put her laptop into sleep mode and got up from her seat.

She really doesn't want to do it, but it's tiring to skip dinner so she have no choice.

She went down the stairs, groaning in her heart.

As she trudged towards the living room, she found everyone else there already, which made things even more tiring.

Normally she wouldn't be so intimidated.

If it were still just the four of them - her mother, grandparents and herself - Sakura would be able to go in normally, but her uncle and cousin are coming home for the New Year holidays.

By the way, her father is not at home because he has been divorced.

The cause was infidelity. The last time Sakura saw her father, she saw him discarded like a rag, with something in his lower body crushed in a bloody massacre by her mother.

Anyway,

Sakura didn't get along well with her uncle and cousin.

What's frightening is the sharp eyes of these father and daughter, who have elitist thinking, elitist rule, and are heading straight for the elite path.

When she looks into those eyes, her heart just lurches.

Sakura was a true nerd.

(So what? I'm a famous VTuber with 500,000 subscribers. I'm only 15 years old, but I'm making a ton of money. I'm definitely gonna make a million next year!)

ー she wished she could say that, but of course she didn't have the courage.

Sakura is a coward.

It's to the point where she had a hard time even talking to her classmates.

She always stutter on the first word.

She was a weakling who could only show off in front of her listeners.

In the first place, it's not okay to yell abusive language at someone just because you don't like them.

She quickly sat down next to my mother and shivered in the warmth of the kotatsu.

There is hot new year's soba on the table.

The set also includes a generous portion of shrimp tempura.

“““Itadakimasu”””

The Kisaragi family celebrates New Year's Eve a bit differently than other families.

It usually starts in a solemn atmosphere.

Sakura didn't like this atmosphere.

While slurping the noodles, she glance over at the side of the table.

 There's no New Year's Eve soba over there, but it's grilled meat and white rice.

However, no one touched it.

Instead, in front of it was a funeral portrait of a boy about the same age as Sakura.

Twenty years ago, before Sakura was born, her mother's younger brother died in an accident - her uncle.

That person was said to have today as both his birthday and the anniversary of his death.

Apparently, it was a rule for him to eat yakiniku every year, both to celebrate his birthday and because he has an anti-New Year's Eve soba constitution, being allergic to both shrimp and soba.

In other words, today is the end of the year and also a day to remember the deceased.

This made Sakura feel even more uncomfortable.

Once the meal is over, the relaxed atmosphere finally returns.

They reported what happened over the past year and then some words of appreciation.

"Hou, so Kaede has always been the top of her grade. As expected of you"

"…… Thank you"

Her cousin seemed slightly happy with her grandfather's praise.

She's usually a cool girl, but at that moment she looked like her age.

"Sakura seems to be pretty busy. Are you streaming? I don't really know what that is though."

"Hm. But it's been really fun."

He says while nodding.

For Sakura, who debuted as a Vtuber six months ago, it has been the most difficult year of her life.

Leaving aside the fact that during her first live stream, she was so nervous that she started throwing up, making it a vomit live stream rather than a first live stream.

There's no doubt that it was a rewarding year.

She was thinking about trying her hand at singing next year, and then,

"Hmph, what's so good about an unstable job like streaming?”

Her cousin's father, Shinichi, spat out the words as he pushed up his glasses.

Sakura shrank back at his cold words.

At the same time, she cursed him in her mind, "Go bald and get laid off, you idiot!"

"I don't think it's good if you're like that. I'm also a VTuber, you know. And I'm the one who started this girl's agency."

Sakura’s mother, Mitsuki, said as she's appalled by what he just said.

Yes, Mitsuki is also one of those VTuber.

She also serves as CEO of Prisma Ark.

In other words, Sakura was hired purely through personal connections. She had talent for it though, so it's all good!

"She have gone public, and from now on she'll also work outside of streaming. I intend for her to live a life with her own feet"

Sakura thought “that's right that's right!” As she agreed with Mitsuki's criticism.

While she prayed to God for him to go bald, her mother's next words made her despair, thinking, "Huh? Do I have to do more than just stream?"

Sakura loved a world that was kind and gentle to her.

A hurdle is something that you have to get through, Right?

I can't? So i can't… sigh

“I was just stating a fact. business based on popularity will only fall into disrepair once its prime is over. Do you know how many fools have followed the path to ruin because they were unable to let go of their past? If she starts to acquire the sense that she can make money easily from that age, it will be Sakura herself who will suffer in the future. Are you planning on continuing to look after this child even after she becomes an adult?”

Huh? I'm planning on living off of that for the rest of my life though??? Sakura thought.

Living alone can be lonely.

Mitsuki and Shinichi continued to bicker after that, but Shinichi's mind never changed.

"Ahh... I wish Nii-san was here at a time like this..."

"I was wondering what you were going to say. Even if he was here, I wouldn't change my mind."

According to her mother, Shinichi would be speechless if he talked to her dead uncle - Kisaragi Yūji.

(The eldest son loses to the second son, huhu~)

That was Sakura's only act of resistance.

The moment she got up from her seat and left the living room to go to the bathroom,

Ding-dong!

“...”

What timing.

Needless to say, Sakura's face was contorted in despair.

Being socially awkward, dealing with visitors was difficult.

Just to be sure, she turned to look at the people in the living room, but no one seemed to have any idea what this was about.

Shinichi was outraged, saying, "That's so rude of them to come at this time of night." With no interest to open the door whatsoever.

Reluctantly,

Veeery reluctantly, Sakura had to go and deal with the situation.

She opened the front door, screaming inwardly.

What lies beyond the door… was a stunningly beautiful girl.

Long, silver hair that depicts the moonlight.

Her hair is styled in soft, gentle waves around her back, and on top of her head she wears a black headband with a rose corsage.

Her large eyes with long eyelashes are the color of mysterious amethyst.

She has a straight, well-defined nose and small, plump cherry-colored lips.

It was the first time she'd ever met someone with such beautiful looks.

This is probably what they mean when they talk about a peerless beautiful girl.

Her presence was elegant, and her otherworldly, mysterious aura accentuated the girl's appearance to the fullest.

ー But, that aside.

Sakura found herself caught in the middle of the chaos.

It's nice to have such a lovely visitor.

The problem is that she doesn't look Japanese in any way.

(Silver hair. Silver hair, huh? I've only seen it in anime!? Her boobs are huge! Wait, I can't even speak foreign languages!?)

Sakura was in such a state of extreme confusion that her eyes were rolling around.

“A-ai kyanotto supiiku japaniizu!”

ー Ah, I made a mistake.

“...Then how about English?”

“――――――!”

As expected, Sakura let out a strange shriek at the retort.

ー Wait, so she can speak Japanese after all!

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