CFVT – Vol 1 Chapter 4 Part 1 – Love Talk with an Introvert is Difficult

A few days later, it was the day of the collab stream that Ayaka and I had promised. Coming back from work, I immediately joined the voice chat room Ayaka had set up without taking any rest… It seemed like both of them were already there.

“Oh, Rui’s here. Welcome back from work!” (Ayaka)

Ayaka noticed me entering and greeted me casually as usual.

“Thanks. Sorry I’m late.” (Rui)

“It’s okay, it’s okay! I asked you to come 30 minutes early, so it was a bit of a demanding request, right?” (Ayaka)

Yeah, Ayaka had messaged me to join this voice chat room 30 minutes before the stream. She probably sent the same message to Lily as well… I didn’t ask for the details, but I guess they’re planning some kind of briefing or something.

I didn’t mind doing it live without preparation, but everyone has their own way of streaming. If Ayaka thought it was necessary, I’ll just go along with it.

“Good morning, Rui~! It’s been a while~!” (Lily)

Suddenly, a surprisingly energetic voice came through my earphones. Ayaka is generally lively, but Lily’s personality surpasses even that… Of course, it’s meant as a compliment.

“Oh, Lily. How have you been?” (Rui)

“Ahh! I’ve been great! Recently, I’ve been looking forward to your streams!” (Lily)

“Huh? What do you mean?” (Rui)

“Rui’s streams are always interesting to watch! Watching them always cheers me up! So, be proud of yourself!” (Lily)

“Oh, uh, yeah… thanks.” (Rui)

Receiving direct praise like this after a while makes me feel a bit embarrassed… 

It’s a bit late to realize, but during streams, there’s always the possibility that other VTubers might be watching. Realizing that made me nervous, almost to the point of being unable to speak…

“Hehe, but Lily-chan, you’re not lacking in that department yourself.” (Ayaka)

“Really? My streams are just me talking the whole time.” (Lily)

“But the content of your talk is what’s interesting! Like yesterday, when you joined those elementary school kids playing baseball in the park?” (Ayaka)

“Right, right! They let me be the pitcher! Oh, and I managed to score two points even though we lost!” (Lily)

“That’s what makes it interesting.” (Ayaka)

Lily’s enthusiasm made me want to watch her streams even more. Her energy is something I can’t match. But since she finds my streams entertaining too… I guess we should each focus on what we’re good at.

“Haha! So, shall we start the meeting, you two?” (Ayaka)

“Sure!” (Lily)

“Yeah, let’s go.” (Rui)

Ayaka then explained the flow of the stream and the questions we had received from the viewers. According to her, she wanted to give us time to think about our answers beforehand. It’s true that if we spent too much time thinking during the actual stream, it wouldn’t be much of a stream at all.

Well, taking more time doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll come up with good answers… and love advice? Asking me for that is really pushing it…

“Ah, of course, we might change or cut some questions depending on time, so please adjust accordingly!” (Ayaka)

“Got it~” (Lily)

“Okay!” (Rui)

…Well, I’m sure these two will manage somehow. For now, I’ll just do my best with what I can.

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to this, Rui!” (Lily)

“Huh? Oh, yeah, me too.” (Rui)

Come to think of it, this is Lily’s first collab stream. I’ve only done it once before, so I’m in a similar boat… Though, can you really call a stream where I just played games with a childhood friend a collaboration?

“Alright, so that’s all I wanted to say. Now, we just wait until it’s time for the stream!” (Ayaka)

“Roger. I’m going to change into something more comfortable.” (Rui)

“I’m going to get a drink!” (Lily)

I was about to stand up when Ayaka stopped me just in time.

“Oh, wait a sec! I forgot to mention something!” (Ayaka)

“Hmm?” (Lily)

“What is it?” (Rui)

“Let’s have fun during the stream! Both of you!” (Ayaka)

…Ayaka’s sudden words left me momentarily speechless.

“Haha… What’s up? Is that something you have to go out of your way to say?” (Rui)

“No, Rui! This is the most important thing! If you look bored, the viewers will notice right away!” (Ayaka)

“Even though we’re VTubers?” (Rui)

“Even though we’re VTubers!” (Ayaka)

Well… it’s true that the accuracy of eye-tracking has improved recently, making it easier to read VTuber expressions… but no, Ayaka didn’t say that for such technical reasons. She simply wanted to improve our atmosphere and genuinely wanted us to have fun.

Thinking this, I decided not to overthink it and said, “Yeah, let’s enjoy ourselves.” Then the other two followed with “Yeah!” and “Yay!”

With such a good vibe, the briefing ended, and I went to get changed and grab a drink. The stream was about to start.

👻👻👻

──The time for the stream to start was drawing near. I opened Rei’s stream page and pulled up the comment section on my screen. Maybe it was because it was a collab stream, but the momentum was incredible… The ‘waiting’ comments were flowing in such large numbers that it reminded me of my first stream.

“Wow… There are already ten thousand people here…” (Rui)

“This doesn’t usually happen, so it’s definitely thanks to you two!” (Ayaka)

“No, it’s because Rei came up with such an interesting idea!” (Lily)

It was probably the combined effort of both… That synergistic effect in action.

“Hehe, thanks, Lily-chan! Well, it’s time, so let’s get started!” (Ayaka)

“Yeah!” (Lily)

“Got it.” (Rui)

And with that, Ayaka transitioned away from the waiting screen of her stream, displaying our three models on the screen.

👻👻👻

“Hihi, good afternoon everyone! It’s Rei Azuril, the dark magician!” (Rei)

As soon as the stream began, Ayaka took the lead and greeted the audience. Since this was Rei’s stream, the greetings from the ReiGirls & ReiBoys were everywhere.

Comments:『KonRei!』

Comments:『Good evening!』

Comments:『KonRei!』

Comments:『KonRei!』

Comments:『We’ve been waiting!』

“Today is a love talk stream, so we have some very special guests! Let’s start with Lily-chan for the introduction!” (Rei)

“Okay~! I’m Yunagi Lily from [Sky Sunriver]! You can just call me Lily! I was so excited about today that I couldn’t sleep at all last night… So, I’m really looking forward to it!” (Lily)

With Lily’s introduction, the comments surged again… The viewers sure are busy.

Comments:『Likewise!』

Comments:『Lily-chan is too excited lol』

Comments:『Please sleep properly~』

“And lastly!” (Rei)

“…Hi, I’m Rui Astica. Nice to meet you.” (Rui)

Comments:『LOL』

Comments:『LOL』

Comments:『Yo』

Comments:『Here he comes』

Comments:『Oh, it’s the ramen guy』

Comments:『Just hearing him talk is funny』

Comments:『KonReiLily!』

…Why am I the only one getting weird reactions in the comments? Sure, I might feel out of place here, but couldn’t they be a bit kinder? Seriously!

“Today, it’s the three of us! It’s my first time doing a love talk stream with multiple people… But I’m sure we’ll manage somehow, so don’t worry!” (Rei)

“To be honest, I’m nervous though…” (Rui)

“Hehe! It’ll be okay, Rui! You know what they say, ‘three heads are better than one,’ right?” (Lily)

“Well, yeah… By the way, Lily, do you have any experience with love advice?” (Rui)

“Absolutely none!” (Lily)

…Yeah. That’s pretty much what I expected. I mean, if I were to tell Lily about someone I like, the whole class would probably know by the next day…

“Well, well, you’ll understand once we try it out! Anyways, shall we read the first letter?” (Rei)

“Yeah, go ahead!” (Lily)

With the opening wrapped up, Ayaka smoothly transitioned the stream background to… the love advice corner.

“Alrighty. This letter is from Montblanc-chan, a ReiGirl! Let’s read it… [Rei-chan, Lily-chan, Rui-chan, hello!]” (Rei)

“Wait, do they think I’m a girl?” (Rui)

Comments:『LOL』

Comments:『LOL』

Comments:『Rui-chan!?』

Comments:『Wait, when did you…』

That was a close call. It was almost too natural that I almost missed it and just let it slide… Ayaka continued reading the letter without acknowledging my comment.

“[I’m a high school student, and there’s someone I like in the same class. I’m struggling with how to confess my feelings. I’d be grateful if you could teach me a method with a high chance of success!] …That’s it!” (Rei)

“I see. It’s simple yet challenging…” (Rui)

I had heard about it beforehand, but I didn’t expect this question to come up first. A method for confessing with a high success rate… Honestly, I’d like to know that myself…

“Confessing methods are a timeless theme!” (Lily)

“Yeah, it sure is. How about we list some methods for confessing?” (Rei)

“Sounds good.” (Rui)

I went along with Ayaka’s suggestion and started listing out various ways to confess.

“Let’s see… Tell them in person, convey it over the phone, send a message…” (Rui)

“Don’t forget about love letters!” (Lily)

“There’s also the option of having a friend deliver the message for you! And… the place and situation is pretty important too, right?” (Rei)

“Hmm.” (Rui)

Comments:『Like, what about saying it during a date?』

Comments:『A ferris wheel is perfect because there’s no escape!』

Comments:『Definitely call them up to the rooftop!』

Comments:『Leaving a love letter on their desk is a surefire move!』

The comments were offering various suggestions, but… aren’t these ideas a bit outdated? Maybe I shouldn’t say that aloud… I’ll just stay quiet on that.

“So, let’s go through each suggestion and see which one you think is best! Rui, which method do you think is good?” (Rei)

Ayaka directed the question to me. Hmm… It’s tough, but if I had to choose one…

“Well… it’s more of a process of elimination for me, but I think telling them directly in person is probably the best way.” (Rui)

“Oh, that’s surprising! Why do you think so?” (Rei)

“Because… the others seem risky. Sending a love letter could lead to it being shown off, messages might get screenshot and shared around, phone calls leave call logs… and asking a friend is just out of the question.” (Rui)

“Hmm?” (Rei)

Comments:『Oh!』

Comments:『The conversation took a turn.』

Comments:『Here comes the inner shy side of Rui.』

Comments:『Shy Rui.』

“Rui… Aren’t you overthinking it a bit?” (Lily)

“No, no, confessing as a student is a life-or-death situation! So, it’s crucial to confess in a way that others won’t find out! If rumors like ‘Hey, I heard they confessed to so-and-so and got rejected’ spread…!” (Rui)

Comments:『He’s really into it, LOL』

Comments:『Based on personal experience?』

Comments:『But I totally get the sentiment』

Comments:『It’s so like Rui to not think about success at all…』

“Hmm… So, Rei, which method do you think is best?” (Lily)

Whether she wanted to stop me from talking further or not, Lily turned the conversation back to Ayaka. Then Ayaka hummed thoughtfully for a moment.

“Hmm, yeah, I think being told directly would make me happy, but… I also think a love letter would be lovely!” (Rei)

“Why’s that?” (Rui)

“Because someone took the time and effort to write something specifically for you! There’s nothing quite like receiving something that’s been thoughtfully written!” (Rei)

Comments:『Yeah, I agree』

Comments:『That’s nice』

Comments:『That’s true!』

Comments:『Love letters still hold a lot of value in this day and age』

Comments:『It shows they put in effort』

The comments seem to be favorable, but… I think love letters have their pros and cons. You need literary skills, and above all…

“Isn’t it scary to receive one out of the blue?” (Rui)

“Really? Wouldn’t it be a pleasant surprise?” (Rei)

Sure, receiving one from someone you like would be nice, but… I better not say more. I don’t want to make enemies unnecessarily.

“So, Lily, what do you think?” (Rui)

Finally, I turned to Lily. Then… an unexpected response came.

“I think… honestly, it doesn’t matter how you confess!” (Lily)

“Eh?” (Rui)

“This might not be the answer to the question, but… confessions will succeed when they succeed and fail when they fail! So, I think you should go with the method that feels right for you!” (Lily)

Comments:『LOL』

Comments:『But that’s true』

Comments:『Honestly, the confession method is just a minor detail』

Comments:『That’s so like Lily』

Comments:『In a way, this might be the best answer』

“But… you’re about to take a really brave action, so be confident! And when you find out the result, let me know! Even if it doesn’t work out… I’ll be here to cheer you up! So, come back to me if that happens!” (Lily)

Comments:『I’m crying』

Comments:『What a good person…』

Comments:『She’s really good at encouraging people』

Comments:『Lily-chan is really kind!』

Lily’s perfect response left us speechless… Perhaps noticing our silence, Lily called out to us.

“…Hey, why’d you both go quiet all of a sudden?” (Lily)

“You’re too dazzling, Lily-chan…!” (Rei)

“I-Is this what a true extrovert is like…?!” (Rui)

Comments:『They’re taking damage from her sunshine personality lol』

Comments:『Pull yourselves together, sorcerers』

Comments:『Looks like light really is super effective against darkness…』

Comments:『Maybe just having Lily-chan would have been enough?』

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Thanks for reading!

In a way, Lily isn’t wrong. If you’re getting rejected, then you’re getting rejected. 

Personally, I feel like if you think they are going to accept, then doing something special will at least make it memorable. Otherwise, a normal face-to-face confession would be fine. Well, I guess I have no right to say that considering that I chickened out of my confession.

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