Then I ended the call with my manager and started the stream. For the time being, I only posted the link to this stream on Twitter. Before I knew it, people started gathering… Even though it was a weekday afternoon, nearly five thousand people flocked to my stream.
Comments:『What’s going on?』
Comments:『A surprise stream!?』
Comments:『Thank goodness, you’re alive.』
Comments:『Someone made it out alive.』
Comments:『Waiting for RuiRui.』
Comments:『I’m watching from my work computer!』
Please, do your job properly. Well, I couldn’t really say that since I slept until noon… Alright, it’s about time to start talking.
“Testing… testing. Can everyone hear me? Hello, this is Rui Astica. First of all, I sincerely apologize for showing you all something very unpleasant because I forgot to turn off the stream yesterday… I am really sorry!!!!!!” (Rui)
Comments:『lol』
Comments:『lol』
Comments:『Starting with an apology is hilarious』
Comments:『The first person to do an apology stream in [SkySun]』
Comments:『Apology stream Any% speedrun』
Comments:『His character broke down so fast…』
Comments:『He just slurped some ramen, give him a break』
Comments:『Rui didn’t even do anything wrong…』
“To ensure this doesn’t happen again in the future, I will… um, do my best to uh… like pointing and calling!” (Rui)
Comments:『lol』
Comments:『Are you Genba Neko?』
Comments:『Yoshi!1』
Comments:『Think a bit more before streaming lol』
Comments:『You must’ve wanted to stream that badly』
Comments:『Could it be that Rui-kun just woke up?』
“So, the archive of the debut stream, which was previously set to private, is now public! You should be able to access it now!” (Rui)
Comments:『Thank you』
Comments:『I only saw part of it, so this helps』
Comments:『What about the ramen scene?』
Comments:『Please don’t cut the slurping scene!!!!!!』
Comments:『What kind of ramen were you eating?』
“Forget about the ramen already, you guys!!” (Rui)
Comments:『Well, I’m curious…』
Comments:『I want to eat the same ramen as Rui』
Comments:『I think I’ll have ramen for lunch today』
Comments:『If I choose Champon (type of ramen), will Rui-kun hate me?』
“I keep telling you, I’m not a ramen-themed VTuber!! Haa… If I tell you the name of the ramen I ate yesterday, will you all calm down?” (Rui)
Comments:『Yes』
Comments:『Okay』
Comments:『We want to know』
Comments:『We’ll be quiet if you tell us』
“Alright… It was ‘Umauma Tonkotsu Kai’. Is that good enough for you?” (Rui)
When I said that, most of the comments started showing confusion.
Comments:『??』
Comments:『Never heard of it.』
Comments:『Where do they sell that?』
But among those, one particularly shining comment caught my eye…!
Comments:『Ah~ I think that’s the ramen that you can only get on Kyushu island. I like Uma Tonkotsu (pork bone ramen) too.』
“Oh! You know your stuff! The richness of that ramen is unmatched! But even though it’s limited to Kyushu, you can order it online and eat it anywhere. Plus, they also sell it in instant noodle packets, so it’s more cost-effective this way!” (Rui)
Comments:『Someone’s excited lol』
Comments:『Typical fast-talking otaku』
Comments:『You really are a ramen VTuber』
Comments:『Too cool-looking for a ramen guy』
Comments:『Don’t make ramen in that outfit』
“I keep telling you, I’m a sorcerer!! If you keep underestimating me, I’ll burn you all to ashes!?” (Rui)
Comments:『Oh, someone’s getting fired up. All that heat could be useful for my ramen later!』
Comments:『Yes, extra firm noodles, please!』
Comments:『Here you go!』
“Don’t start a ramen shop in the comments section!!” (Rui)
Comments:『LOL』
Comments:『LMAO』
Comments:『LOL』
Comments:『LOL』
Comments:『Please give us fan art of Rui-kun working part-time at a ramen shop』
Comments:『And also a picture of Rei-chan smiling while eating Rui’s ramen』
Rei:『On it』
“Even the artist is getting involved?! Or rather, why are you here?” (Rui)
My eye caught a familiar artist’s name in the comments, and my gaze shifted in that direction. In the midst of that, another familiar name with a profile picture of a beautiful girl appeared from below…
Lily:『Rui! Make me some ramen too!』
Comments:『Lily!?』
Comments:『Is it really her!?』
Comments:『It’s really her!』
Comments:『Lily-chan is here!』
Comments:『Now both of his troublemaking colleagues are here!』
“…Why the heck are you here too!!” (Rui)
👻👻👻
With various events unfolding, the stream seemed to be getting lively…? Twenty minutes had passed. I had intended for this apology stream to be quick and straightforward, but somehow it had turned into this.
“Um, so… It seems that because of what happened yesterday, there were people asking Rei and Lily about me. I know that some of you are worried… but please don’t bother them, so I’d appreciate it if everyone could refrain from doing that in the future.” (Rui)
Comments:『I’m sorry』
Comments:『Forgive me~』
Comments:『Understood』
Comments:『But what should we do if Rui forgets again?』
Lily:『I’ll contact Rei and have her pay Rui a visit, so don’t worry!』
Comments:『Lily-chan’s still here lol』
“No need for that, Lily, next time I’ll make sure to pick up the call, so it’ll be fine. Well… I don’t have much left to lose anyway, so there’s no need to be that scared.” (Rui)
Comments:『lol』
Comments:『lol』
Comments:『Please be scared properly.』
“Alright… Well then, let’s call it a day here. All of you Ruimins, do your best with your work or studies for the rest of the day, okay?” (Rui)
Comments:『No thanks.』
Comments:『But I’m jobless.』
Comments:『I don’t want to studyyyyyy!!』
Comments:『Why don’t you do a gaming stream instead?』
Comments:『Apology stream over… Why don’t we move on to the next section?』
“Don’t make me sound like the party pooper here. Besides, even I have a ba—” (Rui)
Comments:『Ba?』
Comments:『Part-time job (baito)?』
Comments:『You have a part-time job?』
Comments:『Vacation (Bakansu)?』
…Oops. I really need to stop being dumb!
“…No, I mean, I have supplementary lessons. So I can’t continue the stream anymore.” (Rui)
Comments:『Oh, I see.』
Comments:『That’s too bad.』
Comments:『Even though you’re a top sorcerer in your school, you have supplementary lessons?』
Comments:『Good luck with your part-time job at the family ramen shop!!』
“Well, even top students have their own struggles. Well then, everyone, good work. Let’s meet again in the next proper stream.” (Rui)
Comments:『See you』
Comments:『Bye』
Comments:『Good work, Rui』
Comments:『Good work, Rei』
Comments:『Good work, ramen』
Comments:『Good work, noodles』
Comments:『Ramen』
Comments:『Noodles』
“Maybe we should standardize this after all…?” (Rui)
With that thought in my mind, I ended the stream.
👻👻👻
Immediately after it ended, Nemo-san called me. She must have been watching the stream… I picked it up without delay.
“Hello, is this Manager Nemoto? How was the stream?” (Rui)
“(How was it…? Was Rui-kun alright with that?)” (Nemoto)
“Um, well… yes. I managed to apologize properly, so I think it went fairly well. The viewers didn’t seem too angry; they laughed along.” (Rui)
Then, after a few seconds of silence… Nemo-san spoke.
“(I see. In that case, I have nothing to say… Good job, Rui-kun.)” (Nemoto)
“Uh, huh…?” (Rui)
I didn’t expect to be praised, so I couldn’t reply back properly… Then Nemo-san continued.
“(Why do you sound surprised?)” (Nemoto)
“Well, because I forced myself to do the apology stream and caused trouble for you, Nemoto-san…” (Rui)
“(Ah, that’s fine desu yo. That’s just part of a manager’s job. Besides…)” (Nemoto)
“Besides…?”
“(Your stream was very entertaining, Rui-kun!)” (Nemoto)
“….!” (Rui)
I widened my eyes in surprise. While the viewers’ comments seem to suggest that they were having a good time, being directly praised like this was a first. I felt incredibly happy.
“T-Thank you! Um… I know it’s a bit late to say this, but I think it must be tough for a manager to deal with someone like me who doesn’t understand much… But I look forward to working with you from now on! Manager Nemoto!” (Rui)
“(Fufu… You can just call me Nemo desu yo.)” (Nemoto)
“Huh?” (Rui)
“(I’m saying it’s fine to call me Nemo. Well, it isn’t exactly my favorite nickname… but strangely, I feel like I can forgive you, Rui-kun. So, call me whatever you like.)” (Nemoto)
“Really?! Then I’ll call you Nemo-san… Oh no, it’s already this late! I really have to start leaving for my part-time job!” (Rui)
I realized the time and panicked.
While chatting with Nemo-san, I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and saw that the hands were already past twelve. Since my shift started at one, I really needed to start getting ready to leave.
“Well then, Nemo-san! I have to start getting ready soon, so I’ll take my leave! Thank you for today!” (Rui)
“(Yeah. Good luck, Rui-kun!)” (Nemoto)
“Alright!” (Rui)
With a cheerful reply, I ended the call and began to prepare for work.
👻👻👻
…And so, eight hours later.
“Ugh… I’m exhausted…” (Rui)
After finishing my shift, I returned home.
Ah, working after the apology stream was quite tough… Maybe I should ask for my work hours to be reduced a bit… Yeah, I’ll do that. Otherwise, my body won’t be able to handle it…
“…Hm?” (Rui)
As I pondered this, my phone started ringing as I received a call. When I looked at the screen, I saw the name “Ayaka”. Oh right, the last time I contacted Ayaka was before the debut stream… Well, it was just yesterday, but still.
I’m pretty tired, but since she called me, it’s a good opportunity to thank her. With that thought in mind, I slid the answer button on my phone and picked up the call.
“Hello?” (Rui)
Then I heard Ayaka’s usual voice.
“(Hey, Rui~ I figured it might be hard for you to contact me, so I decided to call you~)” (Ayaka)
“Huh? What do you mean?” (Rui)
As I asked, Ayaka hesitated for a moment…
“(Well… during the streaming incident, do you remember?)” (Ayaka)
“Oh.” (Rui)
The term “streaming incident” brought back unpleasant memories… Oh, right! Ayaka must have watched my debut stream too! Which means she knows what I did after the stream!
I was slurping ramen while watching weird clips of Rei…!!
“…Um, well, you see… It’s just that, I was trying to study about VTubers, so I was watching some clips… And, well, I accidentally clicked on it…” (Rui)
“(…)” (Ayaka)
As I rambled on, desperately searching for an excuse, Ayaka remained silent… Wait, could it be that she’s angry…?
…Well, that sounds about right. I mean, if someone saw embarrassing clips of themselves from a stream that thousands of people watched, anyone would be mad! I’d be mad too!!
Realizing that further excuses would only make things worse, I switched tactics and tried to apologize…
“I-I’m sorry, Ayaka! I swear I didn’t do it on purpose! Please believe me!!” (Rui)
…I don’t know if my desperate apology worked, but Ayaka gradually started laughing louder.
“Oh, I see… Well, that’s a relief…” (Rui)
Well, it’s not great to be teased, but if she’s not mad, then I guess I can relax for now…
“…By the way. Were you intentionally aiming for that kind of thing in the ‘Fit x Fit’ video?” (Rui)
“(What thing…?)” (Ayaka)
“Well, I mean… Like, you thought the viewers would get excited if you made those sounds, or you thought it would become a topic if it got clipped and spread around…” (Rui)
“(…That’s a secret.)” (Ayaka)
“Oh, I see…” (Rui)
Well, if it’s a secret, then it must be something like that… Ayaka is surprisingly cunning. She must be trying various things to grow her channel… Come to think of it, how many years has her channel been around…?
“(…Well, despite the mishap with forgetting to end the stream and all, you became quite the hot topic. So, in the end, wasn’t it a big success?)” (Ayaka)
“Maybe… But I’m not really satisfied with it. I got some weird label slapped on me. Though, it’s all my fault for forgetting to end the stream in the first place.” (Rui)
“(Are you talking about the ramen thing?)” (Ayaka)
“Yeah.” (Rui)
There were also comments about me being a fan of Rei or something… But a sorcerer who loves ramen? Doesn’t it mess with the worldbuilding? Or am I just making it a bigger deal than it is… Sensing my dilemma, Ayaka laughed again.
“(Hehe, you don’t need to worry so much! I think a VTuber’s character and personality gradually shapes itself over time!)” (Ayaka)
“Hmm…? I still don’t quite get it…” (Rui)
“(You’ll understand it soon, Rui! Anyway… good job for today, Rui!)” (Ayaka)
Ayaka also offered me words of encouragement. After everything, Ayaka was the one who worried the most about my debut stream… I need to thank her properly.
“Yeah, thanks, Ayaka. You really helped me out.” (Rui)
“(Hehe… Oh, that’s right! There’s another reason I called you, Rui!)” (Ayaka)
“What is it?” (Rui)
(“I was thinking of inviting you to a collaboration! How about it, Rui? You, Lily-chan, and me doing a love talk stream?)” (Ayaka)
“Love talk…?” (Rui)
Inviting me to such a stream, what’s gotten into her? I’ve never had a proper romantic relationship in my life… Despite my confusion, Ayaka continued with her energetic voice.
“Yeah! You see, I regularly gather love advice questions from the ReiGirls. So, I thought it would be great to have you two newbies as guests this time. Who knows, a collab might make people notice how interesting you both are!” (Ayaka)
“Oh, I see.” (Rui)
I was relieved that Ayaka wasn’t expecting any romantic stories from me. But I think her viewers already know about me… Well, Lily might be different.
“By the way, what did Lily say? Did she respond?” (Rui)
“(Yep! She happily said ‘I’ll do it!’ So now it’s just you, Rui.)” (Ayaka)
“I see…” (Rui)
Lily seems enthusiastic about it, so what should I do… It feels a bit out of place for me…
“(Come on, Rui! It’ll be so much fun!)” (Ayaka)
…Well. So far, Ayaka and Lily are the ones I feel least nervous around. If my first collaboration is with these two, I’ll feel more at ease. Maybe trying it out won’t be so bad after all.
“…Alright. But don’t expect too much, okay?” (Rui)
“(Hehe, Rui, just having you there will be fun enough!)” (Ayaka)
“What do you mean by that…?” (Rui)
As usual, Ayaka seems to have high expectations or rather, she’s overly optimistic about me… Well, it’s not a bad feeling, so it’s fine, I guess.
“(Anyways, thanks for joining. I’ll tweet out the announcement right away!)” (Ayaka)
“Wait, when are we doing this stream?” (Rui)
“(Um, exactly one week from now! We’re planning to start at 8 PM!)” (Ayaka)
Next week, huh? My shift is… until the evening, so it should be fine. After confirming my schedule on my phone, I replied to Ayaka.
“Ah, that’s fine then. By the way, will we be doing this over our computers?” (Rui)
“(Eh? That’s the plan from the start… Oh, do you want to do an offcollab2? If Lily-chan is okay with it, we can do that too.)” (Ayaka)
“No, it’s fine. It might cause some controversy.” (Rui)
It might be a bit late for me to worry about that since I’ve already joined Ayaka for her stream before but now that I’m officially a VTuber, I have to be more careful… Ayaka, however, was nonchalant about it.
“(Don’t worry about that! Your goal is to have fun, right? If you get too caught up in those worries, you won’t be able to enjoy yourself.)” (Ayaka)
“Haha… Yeah, you might be right.” (Rui)
Hearing my goal stated out loud felt a bit embarrassing… Well, Ayaka’s words did have some truth to them.
“But online is fine for this time. I don’t want to inconvenience Lily too much.” (Rui)
“(Got it! We’ll keep it online then!)” (Ayaka)
“Alright. Looking forward to it.” (Rui)
“(Yeah! Can’t wait!)” (Ayaka)
Hearing Ayaka’s cheerful voice made me smile a bit. I ended the call with a lighter heart.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Oh, this should be fun. A stream with Rei and Lily. I can see it being chaotic if it was an off-collab, especially with Lily around. Nvm, it’s probably gonna be chaotic even if was done online.
I’m not sure if the name of the ramen is referencing something that exists irl or not. I know Tonkotsu Ramen is a thing at least.