ALL NOVEL Chapter 346
“Izumi-senpai, you should be a bit more confident instead…!”
“Kaguya-chan…”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s… let’s drink…”
To be honest, I had no real thoughts about so many people on the internet seeing my body.
Well, I was a bit embarrassed, but I could just laugh it off.
It’s not like I was naked or anything; as everyone said, it was just an unexpected accident.
If it were me back in high school, I would have lost it and quit broadcasting or told my manager I wanted to graduate, but I’m not that young anymore.
Besides, my appearance was already known to most of the Izutomo from that picture back in high school.
Right now, I’m wearing my usual outfit: a dress shirt and jeans.
The slight difference is that during the broadcast earlier, I wore an apron that highlighted my figure a bit more.
Yeah, it’s just that my figure was slightly visible due to that outfit.
Honestly, as Kaguya-chan just said, there’s nothing wrong with having confidence.
No matter what anyone says, I’m the universe’s strongest S-class ultra-cute girl.
If there’s anything to be embarrassed about, it would be that picture from high school, not this…
Anyway, what’s really shaking my mind isn’t the photo spreading around the community.
It’s the fact that the person inside—the ‘Kayanoh Mina’ who was captured—was rattling my mind.
That was, in reality, almost a kind of faith to me.
But that said, I’m the one who went on the broadcast knowing a camcorder was in use.
I even ended up creating the situation by mistake.
In other words, it means I can’t pour these feelings out to someone else.
So, all that’s left now is alcohol.
I just want to get drunk and forget all about this happy spiral…!
“Please… bring me some alcohol, Kaguya-chan…”
“Um, well… Izumi-senpai’s drinking is prohibited by Suzuha-senpai… If you’re going to drink, you must make sure to call yourself, right…?”
“Ugh…!”
Now that I think about it, that was the case.
…But I’m an adult now, right?
I think I can decide on this myself.
Of course, it’s true I haven’t had a drink since that broadcast, but it’s not because I was scared of Suzuha-chan’s words; it’s just that I don’t like alcohol in the first place. Yup. Really.
“It’s fine… because I want to drink…!”
Yeah. That’s right.
These days, the members act like Suzuha-chan is my mom…
[Our Mina, please take care of us in the future.]
[Our Mina, looking forward to it.]
[Yes! Leave it to me!]
For some reason, even mom and my older sister act weirdly towards Suzuha-chan!
Suzuha-chan and I are clearly in the same generation! We’re equals!
Just because Suzuha-chan says I shouldn’t doesn’t mean I have to follow that!
Of course, it’s usually better to heed Suzuha-chan’s words, but…
Anyway, I think it’s okay for me to decide this kind of thing myself.
I’m a proper adult, so deciding to drink isn’t a big deal, right?
“Hmmm…”
“Or, um, does Kaguya-chan not see me as a senpai?”
“N-No! It’s not that?! It’s just that seeing Izumi-senpai like this is refreshing, I guess… After all, you said you don’t like alcohol much in the first place.”
…Hmm. That’s true.
But right now, I feel like I can’t be happy unless I drink, so there’s no choice.
“…Anyway, I’m drinking today!”
“Got it. Then let’s drink together. We need to order some snacks… How about Izumi-senpai has fruit beer?”
“Yeah…”
I already know how weak I am with alcohol.
So, not sake or regular beer, please.
Sure, it’d be fine to drink something like sake if getting drunk is the goal, but I can’t do that to Kaguya-chan, who’s so readily joining in on my sudden burst of words.
If I say this, someone might laugh at me for getting drunk off just a can of fruit beer, but it’s a matter of the heart, you know? Yup.
“How about fried chicken, Izumi-senpai?”
“Y-Yeah…”
Thus, my second drinking party in life began.
★
Aoba… was honestly excited.
To think she would get to drink with Izumi like this.
It would have been odd not to be excited.
“Drinking together means Izumi-senpai trusts me that much, right? For her to trust someone like me. As expected, Izumi-senpai is so kind. Maybe it’s like getting rewarded for holding back? Hehe…”
Aoba had already heard of Izumi’s drinking habits from the second-generation members.
At first, she would strangely start to talk less, and if you spoke to her at that time, she’d be overly cute.
On top of that, she wouldn’t even reject physical contact, which she usually disliked.
‘To think I can see this side of Izumi-senpai. What if I get struck by lightning and die tomorrow?’
Aoba was already feeling her heart race.
With all these expectations and taking a deep breath, the phone rang.
It was Izumi’s phone.
The name displayed on the phone screen was [Suzuha].
“W-What do I do…?”
Izumi was currently in Kaguya’s bathroom, washing up.
She was going to drink until she got drunk, and then stay the night at Kaguya’s house.
“If it’s Suzuha-senpai, she must have called to comfort Izumi-senpai. Should I pick it up instead?”
As Aoba pondered this, the ringing naturally stopped.
[Koga Suzuha: Aoba. What’s Izumi up to? She’s not answering her phone.]
And a DM from Suzuha came to Aoba.
“Ah, uh…”
Aoba was instinctively aware she couldn’t evade the answer to this DM.
Even she, who had done an off-collab with Izumi, knew that if there wasn’t a reply, Suzuha would certainly think something was off.
‘So what should I say…?’
I can’t say she’s washing up.
‘Then she’ll probably contact me again when Izumi-senpai comes out… If that happens, no matter how much Izumi-senpai tries to hide it, she’ll definitely find out that we’re planning to drink together.’
At that moment, it was natural that Suzuha would come to Aoba’s house.
‘Telling the truth and bringing in Suzuha-senpai isn’t a bad idea, but…’
If she were here, she could take care of Izumi, so it would be fine to drink.
Suzuha, who was practically the strongest member of Star’s Flow and had a strong protector image over Izumi, had said such things to the members.
In other words, calling in Suzuha would mean I could legally watch Izumi get tipsy.
But.
‘…No way.’
Aoba erased that option completely.
‘I want to drink with Izumi-senpai. That cute side of hers is something I want to see all by myself today. I can’t let Sakuya have it either. Yup.’
Aoba’s heart was already boiling with a possessiveness that was typical of a menhera.
‘After all, Izumi-senpai also said it herself, right? She’s an adult, so it’s fine for her to decide on her drinking like she wants. She doesn’t have to follow Suzuha-senpai’s words to the letter. That means she wants to! She wants to drink with just me! Yup. She’s kind. I like her. She’s kind. I like her. She’s kind. I like her. I like her. I like her. Yup. So I’m definitely not telling Suzuha-senpai anything.’
[Kaguya Aoba: She’s too tired and has fallen asleep. Should I wake her up?]
[Koga Suzuha: …Well, if that’s the case, then it can’t be helped. Let her rest well.]
Having lied to Suzuha, Aoba immediately turned off Izumi’s phone and connected it to her charger.
When Izumi checks her phone after she’s done bathing, finding the message from Suzuha, she would undoubtedly call her.
‘If that happens, my drinking time alone with Izumi-senpai will come to an end…’
Aoba thought that should never happen while holding her breath.
“I’m all done washing…”
Right on cue, Izumi stepped out after her bath, and Aoba made the first move.
“Izumi-senpai, your phone’s battery was completely dead, so I charged it. I tried to check if someone called, and it just turned off.”
“Ah, I contacted mom and my older sister earlier, so… if it’s a call at this hour, it must be Suzuha-chan…?”
“Seems like it. She contacted me right away and I told her we’re together.”
“Thanks, Kaguya-chan. …Um, you didn’t say we’re drinking, did you?”
“I didn’t say anything, so don’t worry.”
“Hehe…!”
Izumi smiled brightly at Aoba’s words.
‘Cute. Cute. Cute. Cute. Cute. Cute. Cute. Cute.’
Thanks to that, Aoba’s mind was in overdrive.
★
[Kaguya Aoba: She’s too tired and has fallen asleep. Should I wake her up?]
[Koga Suzuha: …Well, if that’s the case, then it can’t be helped. Let her rest well.]
“Hmmm…”
While Suzuha could analyze emotions and thoughts to a supernatural level concerning Izumi, that didn’t mean she could do it for every member.
However, even so, it was easy for her to tell that Aoba was lying.
Of course, under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be strange for Izumi to be sleeping at this hour, but today was the day of the broadcast mishap.
And it was quite a big accident.
Moreover, when such an accident happened, Izumi would typically get lost in thought and sleep late, so she absolutely wouldn’t be asleep at this hour.
“I don’t understand why you’re lying…”
Aoba and Izumi had a good relationship, so there shouldn’t be any worries, but Suzuha couldn’t help but feel curious.
“Should I just go check…?”
In that moment, Suzuha had that thought cross her mind but quickly decided to give it up.
She had already pretended to buy Aoba’s lie, and no matter how close they were, suddenly dropping by at this hour would be rude.
Well, if she gets a call from Izumi tomorrow, she will have to ask.
With that thought, Suzuha put down her phone.
No matter how much Suzuha thought about it, she couldn’t know what was happening at Aoba’s house right now.
★
“So, what I’m saying is!!! Being a VTuber!!! Is ultimately a wonderful job that brings dreams to fans in the real world by living in a virtual one!!!”
“Uh-huh. I think I get what you mean, Izumi-senpai.”
Aoba was taken aback.
‘This seems a bit different from what I heard about her drunkenness from the seniors…?’
Izumi was already intoxicated.
She had finished her first can of peach-flavored fruit beer a while ago and was now drinking her third can of cherry-flavored fruit beer.
But, contrary to what Aoba had expected… the drunkenness she heard from the second generation wasn’t showing at all.
She wasn’t becoming quiet. Instead, she was becoming more talkative.
She wasn’t being overly cute. She was just continuously talking, not even stuttering.
The only difference was that she wasn’t rejecting physical contact, which was a given.
It was, in fact, a natural occurrence.
The previous times she had drunken streams with Izumi had all been with her second-generation friends.
But Aoba was clearly a junior in the third generation.
No matter how much older Aoba was, Izumi was a clear senior!
That hierarchy in Izumi’s heart would never change!
And when Izumi got drunk, she would shift from being timid to bold!
‘Well, seeing this side of Izumi-senpai is still nice.’
Of course, Aoba found even this to be cute, so with a gentle smile, she listened to Izumi’s stories.
“Our idol kept our fantasies alive until the very end…! Of course, there were slip-ups like drinking water, but… no, that wasn’t even a mistake!”
“Haha…! Izumi-senpai must really like her!”
“…Yeah! She was an idol until the very end!”
‘But if we’re talking about that idol… I think neither of us could have watched her live.’
In spite of that, Izumi was talking as if she’d seen her videos live.
Aoba found that moment puzzling, but…
“Kaguya-chan.”
“Huh?!”
Izumi noticed Aoba was deep in thought and pulled her chin, bringing her closer.
“Right now I’m… talking about something important, you know? You should listen well.”
With a straight face.
Just a slight movement would bring their noses close.
With her eyes pointedly opened, Izumi spoke in a pressuring manner.
That look shot straight through Aoba’s heart.
“Y-Yes…”
‘What’s happening with Izumi-senpai? So cool. So cool. So cool. So cool. So cool. So cool. So cool. So cool.’
In that instant, Aoba was utterly captivated.
It felt like Christmas.