Ch.28 Collab Stream : "Becoming a Convenience Store Clerk with Kikyo-senpai ④"
"As I said before, my mother left when I was little. ...But it was my father who caused it all in the first place."
I begin to speak while resting my head on Alpheria-chan's lap.
"My father is a really kind person. When he sees someone in trouble, he can't just leave them alone."
Even though I'm the senior.
Although our positions should have been reversed, Alpheria-chan's eyes looking down at me were so gentle.
What is this nostalgic feeling?
"He's like a main character."
A gentle voice hits my ears.
A voice that is crystal clear and penetrates the soul.
This girl has a great natural voice. I'm jealous.
It's even more pleasant when she talks calmly.
I can understand why so many people want ASMR. Even I, a woman, want to listen to it.
Am I the only one who thinks the TS setting is a bit of a waste?
Anyway, main character huh...
"Hehe, that's true. Now that you mention it, he does seem like the main character."
I said.
...Ah, I see.
"That's why I feel aversion to those kinds of protagonists."
"?"
"You know, the main character is always saved in the end, right?"
As the saying goes, "kindness is not for the benefit of others," and even though they're deceived and taken advantage of, in the end, they end up having a happy ending.
But that's not the reality.
Of course. Kindness has no guarantees.
Honestly, there's nothing more irresponsible than being a nice person.
I sighed as I said that, and Alpheria-chan gave a wry smile.
"I think Kikyo-senpai is also a quite nice person though."
"Hmm, I'm not sure how to respond if you say that after I've already shared my opinion."
"That's a sincere compliment."
"Yeah. But, in a way, that might be what he was aiming for. It's true that he's behaving in a way that makes people think that."
"Really?"
"Yeah, mine is all about profit and loss. A good-natured person can be transformed into anything you want depending on how you use them."
Especially peer pressure that stems from kindness can sometimes be an intimidating threat that even surpasses power.
You see, violence in the name of "justice" is rampant on social media, right?
Nothing is more terrifying than an intangible weapon.
Words can leave you bleeding for the rest of your life.
As I told her that, Alpheria-chan's cheeks twitched.
"Hehe, I was just kidding, so don't look so pale. I do have that hand, but I have no intention of using it."
Let's get back to the topic.
"My father is a total pushover, unlike me. He was deceived by many people and ended up in a lot of debt."
I still remember the image of him apologizing, "I'm sorry..." after being abandoned by my mother.
That little figure, with a hurt face, continuing to apologise profusely.
"And since he continued to be deceived even after that, even as a child I thought to myself, 'I have to be more responsible.' It's exactly as Alpheria-chan imagined."
Even though my father was to blame, my mother still decided to abandon the family.
Even after being deceived, my father repeats the same mistake.
For me. For their children.
The person who should have been the most reliable for me turned out to be the least reliable of all.
After seeing my parents behave like that, I think it's only natural that I would give up on the idea of being an adult.
"Wha, what's wrong, Alpheria-chan?"
She suddenly patted me on the head and I couldn't help but let out a confused cry.
"I thought that this kind of experience probably isn't something you get to have very often. So this is my reward for all you've done so far, Kikyo-senpai."
I was stroked while being watched over by gentle eyes.
Ah, I see... this feeling is like a mother.
The moment I realized that, a tingling sensation appeared in the back of my eyes.
But it's no good. I'm a senior and Alpheria-chan is a junior.
Not just as a Vtuber. I'm older than her in terms of age, so I shouldn't be like this.
"You must be tired. It must have been tough. But it's okay, just be honest with yourself for now. Yes, I'm a very reliable junior."
"Ah, haha... you said it yourself."
"I can handle Momiji-senpai for you as well."
It was a response that left no room for argument.
Ever since childhood, I've been taking care of that cool-looking girl with a mental age of seven.
I know better than anyone how hopeless that idiot is.
So that response had a much greater effect on my heart than I had imagined.
"...Yeah, I'm really tired. I always deliver newspapers early in the morning...I start a part-time job right after school...I do all the housework...I have no free time at all...All the money I earned is gone on living expenses and debts..."
Even when everyone else is fast asleep.
Even when everyone is talking about what to do after school.
I've been working for all those times.
I have almost no free time, and the only entertainment I have is watching VTuber streams for free.
Even while watching the stream, I was doing housework and some side jobs.
It's all because of my dad.
But there's no point in getting angry.
If my dad was going to blame someone else for this, he would still have someone to direct his anger at.
But my dad knew exactly who was in the wrong, so he was always apologizing to me and working harder than I was, so I had no choice but to put down my frustration.
Of course, the worst one is the one who cheated on my dad.
But since he kept making the same mistake, there's no way I can defend my father.
So every day I kept wondering if my dad was being deceived again.
If I don't get my act together, Dad will just get tricked again.
Wow, it's amazing to put it into words like this.
This is my assessment of my father.
My dad and I are family.
It seems our relationship of a father and daughter had long since broken down
Ah, I'm really, really tired...
"Yes, it's really, really impressive."
Ah, no. If you say that now...
"I wanted to play more too..."
"Yeah"
"Eat whatever I like, dress fashionably, and sleep a lot on your days off..."
"Yeah"
"I wanted to live more, more, more freely..."
"Yeah"
I sniffed.
Hot tears slowly spread from the depths of my eyes and I confessed my feelings as they spilled out
Alpheria-chan continues to gently stroke my head as if to accept my selfishness.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I said something like that after just knowing you for a bit."
"I was the one who asked for it. So it's okay to cry. Tears are the best medicine to heal your heart."
That was the final blow, and I was overcome with emotion and began crying.
◇◆◇
"Ugh, I'm sorry. I'm a senior, but I'm showing you such a shameless side."
Kikyo-senpai, who had stopped crying, said embarrassedly.
In response, I gave a wry smile, not knowing what to say.
"It's okay. Kikyo-senpai's two genmates were at a level that was beyond comparison."
"That response hits me the most..."
"I offer my deepest sympathy for your loss."
The remaining Suisen-senpai is also a mysterious girl.
"But this might be the first time I've ever felt so refreshed."
"You're taking on too much, Kikyo-senpai. You say your kindness is based on profit and loss calculations, but that's not the case at all."
"Eh? I don't think that's the case."
Umu. This response shows how ridiculous it is to say, "I know myself better than anyone else."
"So let me ask you this. Are you taking care of Momiji-senpai because of a profit or loss calculation?"
"This is the best possible rebuttal...!!!!!!"
This might sound like a harsh evaluation, but I think it's fair.
Even after that collab stream, I've been talking about a lot of things with Momiji-senpai, and we've come up with so many amazing stories.
"〇〇 said he likes you"
"Huh? Have you gained weight? Shouldn't you be more concerned about your face than your belly fat?"
"Friendship? Ah, you mean familiarity."
"Bonds? Ah, you mean peer pressure."
"You're not confident about your appearance? ...You're only just realizing this now?"
"Singing? It's just noise. A cacophony. Can you please be quiet?"
"Aren't you guys ashamed to be alive?"
This is all true, and just the tip of the iceberg. It's scary because she has no ill intentions to the related people. Here is the answer to why humanity cannot understand each other.
I've been reincarnated twice, and in my previous life the world was trash, and in this life my relatives are trash, so I had plenty of experiences that helped me hone my tolerance, so it wasn't a problem, but it's absolutely impossible for an ordinary person.
That's why Kikyo-senpai's opinion of herself doesn't mean anything to me.
It's true that there's a good chance that she'll be respected as "a true saint because Kikyo -chan is taking care of that crazy girl," but the pain would still be far greater.
In addition,
"Do you hate your father, Kikyo-senpai?"
"... (Shaking head)"
There was a long silence, then her head shook from side to side.
"My father may not be a good father, but there's no doubt that he's a kind person."
She can still say that even after being tossed around for most of her life.
"Fufu, you two are indeed father and daughter."
"Is that a compliment?"
She gave me a cold look, with an air of equal parts delight and confusion.
"There there. Kikyo-chan is a good girl."
"Please stop treating me like a kid. I'm your senior."
"But you don't avoid it."
"... How cheeky."
"It's ok for you to be more selfish, Kikyo-senpai."
"…………Then, is it okay to leave it like this for a little longer?"
"As you please."
Saying that, I continued stroking Kikyo-senpai's head.
Gently. Gently.
Like handling something fragile.
Praise children who work hard.
Gently. Gently.
ーーーーーーBut.
"Babu. Mommy..."
I didn't expect to get this reaction...!!
I should also add that after this, Kikyo-senpai, who has regained her senses, writhes around screaming.
◇◆◇
After logging out of the VR space, I was on the roof talking on the phone with someone.
"Yes. That's why I need your help, Shin-nii."
[ーWell, I wouldn't be stingy with helping a child who can't even send out an SOS.]
"Thanks. As a thank you, I'll keep quiet about the whole 'I turned a proud female knight who ended up in a brothel into a sow lol' thing."
[@$#&$&@#--!]
The call ended.
"He has such a terrible past, that Aniki."
Mitsuki, who was standing behind me, was shocked.
Even the CEO seemed overwhelmed by the secret sexual proclivities of her eldest brother, who had a completely elitist mindset.
"Well then, let's get started."
"Yeah, but are you sure it's okay?"
"Yeah - I'll do something about it."
It's true that I'm weaker than I was in my previous life, but thanks to my debut as a Vtuber, I managed to gain quite a bit of popularity.
I believe that right now, I can make a small miracle happen.
For example ー pinpointing the location of villains who take advantage of others' kindness and prey on them.
"If I only save her heart, that would just be hypocrisy."
Once you decide to do something, see it through to the end.
And then accomplish it completely.
That's my motto now.
“――――――♪”
I start singing a song.
I activate the musical art.
A singing voice echoes in the night sky.
When pneumas are bound together , a miracle occurs in the form of a wish.
In fact, this is the first time I've used musical arts for something like this.
After all, the energy source of musical arts is people's thoughts.
The power of connection ー or perhaps you could call it the passion of the fans.
Therefore, it is not an energy that can be restored by resting, like physical strength or magical power, a staple of fantasy worlds.
If a Valkyries use a strong musical arts or use spam the weaker ones, their fans will quickly abandon them ー this is something that often happens.
For this reason, waste of musical arts is strictly prohibited.
It was only allowed in battle.
But that's a story from a previous life.
Since we live in a peaceful world, I think it should be fine to extend miracles to people who are living honest lives.
It's okay.
I'll recover what I spent this time by tomorrow.
Don't underestimate the number one idol who once dominated the world.
"ーPhew."
I immediately shared the miracle I had obtained with Mitsuki.
"Well, I'll leave the rest to you, Mitsuki."
"Leave it to me. It's my duty to protect and save our streamers. I'll thoroughly and completely crush those who harmed them."
As expected from a veteran Vtuber otaku.
She also has the purpose of saving her subordinates, so she is extremely determined.
After seeing Mitsuki off as she turned on her heels, I looked up at the starry night sky.
Perhaps it was because it had been a while since I last used musical arts, but memories of my past life came back.
"...That's probably impossible."
With a wry smile, I deny the wish that suddenly came to his mind.
ーKaguya-senpai. Lecia.
I want to know what they're doing now.
As for me now, it's impossible for me to even cross the world.
So I hope those two are looking at the same scenery in the other world.
With that wish in mind, I too climbed down from the roof.
――――――――――
Kikyo Natsukawa
【profile】
Birthday: July 1st
Height 158cm
Age: 17
Hobbies: None
Special Skills: Open all year round
Main content: Chatting (lots of part-time job-related advice). Free games
Singing ability D
Expressiveness C
Dance Ability: C+
Idol Power C+
Charisma D
Talking B
Player Skill D
Academic Ability C
Corporate slave aptitude S++
[One-line survey]
Q: What is your favorite food?
A. Sweets that are sometimes shared with me
Q: How do you spend your holidays?
A: Holiday?
Q: If you were an animal, what would it be?
A: Working dogs
Q: Why did you become a Vtuber?
A: Be-because I heard I can make money (avoids eyes)
Q: I heard you recently got a new mother.
A: No! That's completely wroooooong!!!
[Avatar Settings]
In order to help his sick father, she began working as a courier in the village and also worked in the customer service industry and other jobs.
At first, people were wary of her because she was half-beastman, but her natural cheerfulness and hard-working nature melted people's hearts, and before they knew it, she had become a symbol of everyday life in the human village.
Today too, light, energetic footsteps run through the village.
In search of further opportunities to shine, she jumped into the unknown arena of Vtuber.
【overview】
A Vtuber belonging to the Vtuber agency "Prisma Ark".
The three other members who debuted on the same day were Futaba Ouka, Kusunoki Momiji, and Yukino Suisen, and formed a unit called "Autumn, Summer, Spring, Winter" (named after the order of their debut to avoid overlapping with Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter).
The first stream was in early summer last year. She is one year older than the main character and is still a newbie.
Momiji, who was the first to debut, was so engrossed in singing that she exceeded the rule that debut streams should be 30 minutes, so she was forced to step in and stop her.
The next person to stream after her, Ouka, was so nervous that she started vomiting, so she rushed to help her. Also, since it was practically the first time they met, Ouka was totally scared. Hii... What an extrovert...
And should we say that the final act, Suisen, was as expected?
She took the unusual step of starting a competitive action game without even introducing herself, so the rest is omitted.
That same day, her status as a "hard worker" was decided.
I'm sorry for your hard work, Summer...
Living up to her avatar setting, she has had many part-time jobs, and her information on part-time jobs, including "Kikyo's Part-time Job Tier List," has received enthusiastic support from teenage boys and girls.
As you can see from the former, she is very caring and has a broad perspective, so she often plays the role of mediator when it comes to collaborations.
Despite this, the person in question thinks she has a philosophical understanding of the matter and thinks it is all about profit and loss.
Of course, that's not the case, and for better or worse, she inherited her father's kind nature. Otherwise, she would have severed ties with that non-deli girl a long time ago.
The reason she feels repulsed by the good-natured protagonist is probably due to self-hatred.
She has very complicated feelings towards adults, and is often seen making harsh statements such as, "Just because they're parents doesn't mean they'll fulfill their adult responsibilities," and "After all, adults are just an extension of children."
However, even so, when someone speaks ill of her parents, she get annoyed and think, "What do you know about my father?"
She is actually a reliable person who takes care of her parent, but because of this she harbors a deep desire to be pampered by someone, and if the relationship were to develop into a romantic relationship she would instantly become a sultry menhera.
Apparently she recently got a new mother, and she has become addicted to releasing her pent-up stress with the ultimate combo of a lap pillow and a head pat.
Kikyo: "That's not true!!!"
But don't forget.
Kikyo's source of worry - the reason her childhood friend has darkly evolved into a carefree non-deli singing machine is that mother she got...! Ogyaa! Ogyaa!
Author's note :
The next update is the memoria
And after that is a collaboration with Yukino Suisen, the last member of Autumn, Summer, Spring and Winter.
There will then be another chaptet of memoria before the final conclusion of the first act.