So, the very next day…
Today was a completely free day with no streaming or part-time job…
Heh, what should I do? Playing games wasn’t a bad idea, but catching up on the anime I’d been stockpiling also sounded appealing…
Alright. I decided that today will be dedicated to catching up on my animes…!
“Hm?” (Rui)
Just as I made that decision, my phone vibrated. Without even checking to see who was calling, I answered it.
“Hello?” (Rui)
Then, a cute voice responded from the other side of the phone.
“(Hello, Rui-kun~! It’s been a while, it’s Nemoto desu yo.)” (Nemoto)
“Ah, Nemo-san! What’s wrong?” (Rui)
The caller was my manager, Nemo-san. Realizing this, I also noticed that her voice was in a slightly happier tone.
“(Fufu~ I’ve got some good news for you today, Rui-kun.)” (Nemoto)
“Good news?” (Rui)
“(Yes. Guess what… You’ve received an offer to appear on an official show!)” (Nemoto)
“What? An official show… What kind of show is it?” (Rui)
A question mark appeared in my mind. Of course, I knew what official shows were, but I also knew there were many different types. As I wondered what kind of show it might be, Nemoto-san spoke up.
“(Yes. This time, you’ve been invited as a guest on [Andou-sensei’s Science Prep Room]. It’s a program aired on the official channel every Friday.)” (Nemoto)
“Science Prep Room? Are they going to do explosive experiments or something?” (Rui)
“(No… Well, to put it simply, it’s a show where Andou Kazuo-sensei, a middle school science teacher, and Ichigaya Mochi, a student at that school, chat casually in a studio modeled after a science prep room. I watch it every week too; it’s laid-back and quite amusing.)” (Nemoto)
“Heh~ but wouldn’t it be hard to justify having guests with that kind of setting?” (Rui)
“(Ah, it’s fine because sometimes there’s a setting where ‘the door of the science prep room connects to a different dimension’. So when Rui-kun appears, it will be as if you wandered in through a door from another world.)” (Nemoto)
“That’s a pretty wild setting…” (Rui)
…But it might be kinda interesting. I do like those anything-goes settings that VTubers often have.
“(…Oh, I was talking as if you were already going to appear. Will you be on this show, Rui-kun?)” (Nemoto)
“Ah, of course! I’ll take on any job that comes my way!” (Rui)
“That’s great. You’re scheduled to appear next month, so I recommend watching the show beforehand to get a feel for it. You probably don’t know much about Andou-sensei and Mochi-san.” (Nemoto)
“No, no, I know them… by appearance.” (Rui)
“(Just knowing their appearances won’t help… Since you’ll be meeting them, it’s important to know what kind of people they are desu yo.)” (Nemoto)
“Ah, yes… I understand.” (Rui)
I should listen to Nemo-san’s advice here… If a new guest came on the show knowing absolutely nothing, the fans wouldn’t like that either…
“(Also, I recommend bringing along some issues or concerns to discuss. I think there’s a setup where people with worries tend to find their way into the Science Preparation Room.)” (Nemoto)
“Is there really such a thing…?” (Rui)
But it’s true that if I didn’t bring up any topics, it might make things awkward for the two of them… Yeah, I should think of something. Though my only recent worry is that one thing… I hope that’s okay.
“(That should be all. I’ll send the time and location details in a message later, so please check it.)” (Nemoto)
“Yes, thank you, Nemo-san!” (Rui)
“(You’re welcome. Well then, bye.)” (Nemoto)
“Bye.” (Rui)
After hanging up the phone, I opened YooTube and immediately started playing the first episode of [Andou-sensei’s Science Prep Room].
……
“…Hehe.” (Rui)
……
“This is… a lot more entertaining than I expected!” (Rui)
👻👻👻
After that, I spent my free time watching [Andou-sensei’s Science Prep Room] or [Anrika] for short. The interaction between the gentle and elegant Andou-sensei and the quirky, free-spirited Mochi-san was incredibly captivating.
“Thinking about appearing on this show makes me really excited…” (Rui)
By the time I reached the tenth episode of [Anrika], I had become a complete fan of the two.
👻👻👻
And so, on the day of the show, I made my way to the studio that Nemo-san had informed me about.
“Damn… I’m really nervous…” (Rui)
I thought I had gotten quite used to my VTuber activities, but I was still a rookie… By the way, since Nemo-san also manages other VTubers, she couldn’t come to the site with me often.
However, she did say I could always contact her if I was in trouble, so I wasn’t too anxious… but I still wanted to handle these things on my own as much as possible. With that in mind, I walked down the hallway lined with dressing rooms… This is really the right way, right?
“…Hm?” (Rui)
After walking a few more steps down the hallway, I saw a sign in front of a room with the names “Andou Kazuo-sama”, “Ichigaya Mochi-sama”, and “Rui Astica-sama” written on it.
“Are they celebrities or something?” (Rui)
I’ve only seen people like this on TV… Well, it seems like this is the right place. Can I just go in? But maybe someone’s already inside… I should knock, right? Was it two knocks? Or three?
“Okay, calm down, Rui…!” (Rui)
I vaguely remember someone saying it’s better to knock more times than less… Yeah, four knocks should do it!
*Knock, knock, knock, knock*
“U-Um, excuse me…” (Rui)
After knocking, I slowly opened the door and saw a man inside. He appeared to be in his early thirties, dressed in a white jacket and wearing black-rimmed glasses. He looked so composed, almost like a painting come to life.
W-Who’s this stylish guy…? Is he the makeup artist or… no, that wouldn’t be necessary for us VTubers, right!? W-Wait, could it be…!?
Before I could jump to conclusions, he turned his gaze towards the entrance.
“Oh, hello. Are you perhaps Rui-kun?” (Kazuo)
“Ah, y-yes… Are you Andou-sensei!?” (Rui)
In response to my question, he smiled gently and placed a hand over his chest.
“Yes, indeed. I am Andou.” (Kazuo)
“Really?! Um, I’ve been watching [Anrika] just for today! I’m a big fan of what you did! Especially, that time loop episode in episode fourteen was absolutely amazing!” (Rui)
Excitedly, I shared my thoughts in typical otaku fashion. The fourteenth episode, which I initially thought would be a regular one, turned into chaos midway when Mochi-san went crazy.
She ended up concocting chemicals to create explosives, blowing up the Science Preparation Room and causing Andou-sensei to time leap right at the beginning of the show.
Eventually, Andou-sensei noticed that Mochi-san had changed her hairstyle, complimented her on how good it looked, and managed to calm her down, breaking the time loop. Looking back, this felt more like a scripted drama than just a regular episode.
Upon hearing my thoughts, Andou-sensei scratched his head bashfully.
“Haha, calling that episode amazing makes me a little embarrassed… But I’m glad you liked it. Actually, that day, Mochi-san suggested, ‘Why don’t we do something like this today?’ and I ended up writing the script for that episode on the spot.” (Kazuo)
“Wow, that’s amazing!” (Rui)
Wait, so Andou-sensei was the one who wrote the script? Is this guy really a genius after all…?
“…Actually, how did you manage to get that script approved?” (Rui)
“Yes, this show gives us a lot of creative freedom. You could say they trust us a bit too much… But well, there’s never a shortage of ideas with her. So, generally, they let us do pretty much whatever we want on this show, which I really appreciate.” (Kazuo)
“I see… I’m glad to hear that! I love this show too, and I really don’t want it to ever end!” (Rui)
“Haha, I feel the same way.” (Kazuo)
Andou-sensei smiled kindly again… Ah, if I were a girl, I’d definitely be in love with him…
“So… Mochi-san hasn’t arrived yet?” (Rui)
“Ah, she usually comes about three minutes before the start.” (Kazuo)
“That’s cutting it pretty close, isn’t it?” (Rui)
“According to her, this is actually earlier than she normally is. She once mentioned this show is the only place she absolutely won’t be late for.” (Kazuo)
“Is that so…?” (Rui)
Well, that’s strange… But I suppose being a free spirit suits her, and that might be why it’s tolerated. Of course, it’s best not to be late at all.
“Well, we still have plenty of time… Would you like to chat, Rui-kun? I’m actually quite excited to meet you too.” (Kazuo)
“Really…?! I’m happy to hear that!” (Rui)
“Yes. I’ve been keeping an eye on you since your debut stream.” (Kazuo)
“…” (Rui)
Those words froze my facial muscles… Since my debut stream…
“…Wait, so even that?” (Rui)
I mimicked the gesture of a rakugo1 storyteller sipping noodles. Seeing this, Andou-sensei chuckled politely, covering his mouth with his hand.
“Haha, Rui-kun, you’re quite entertaining… Yes, I’ve watched them all.” (Kazuo)
“Ah, um… Seriously…? Ah, that’s embarrassing…!” (Rui)
I could feel my face burning intensely. Being watched by Ayaka and viewers was one thing, but this was a whole different level of embarrassment… After all, it was Andou-sensei, whom I respected! Who I was a fan of!! Without thinking, I buried my face in my hands.
“No, no. Leaving a mark in your first stream and turning it into material for the next one is quite a feat.” (Kazuo)
“R-Really…!?” (Rui)
“Yes. Being able to do that, Rui-kun, I believe you’ll achieve great success.” (Kazuo)
“Ahh… Andou-sensei! Thank you!” (Rui)
Moved by those words, I couldn’t help but reach out and lightly hug Andou-sensei, who was sitting beside me… In that fleeting moment, we heard the sound of a door opening from behind.
“Ah… Sensei, you have a boyfriend?” (Mochi)
As I turned around, there stood a girl with long brown hair, wearing a black mask, a navy hoodie, and a checkered skirt. I blurted out immediately…
“I-It’s a misunderstanding!!” (Rui)
👻👻👻
…After that misunderstanding was cleared up, I distanced myself from Andou-sensei, while the girl in the mask approached him to inquire about me. Andou-sensei acted as a mediator between us.
“Oh, shall I introduce you? This is Rui-kun, our guest. And this girl here is Ichigaya Mochi-san.” (Kazuo)
“Ah…” (Rui)
So she really was the person behind Mochi-san… At the same time, we exchanged glances. Then Mochi-san walked over to me and introduced herself.
“Sup, Mochi desu. Feel free to just call me Mochi, okay?” (Mochi)
“Ah, nice to meet you! I’m Rui.” (Rui)
Despite my nervousness, I returned the introduction to Mochi-san. She seemed like a modern girl and appeared younger than me. Well, probably not middle school young, but still… Mochi-san continued to gaze at me.
“Oh, so Rui Rui is your real name, huh? I kinda had a feeling it might be.” (Mochi)
“Yes…?” (Rui)
More than anything, I was curious about being called Rui Rui… but I decided not to make a big deal out of it.
“Oh, you can call me by my first name, okay? I think Rui Rui is older than me anyways.” (Mochi)
“I-is that so…?” (Rui)
“Yeah.” (Mochi)
If that’s the case, maybe it’s okay to use casual language… Andou-sensei does use polite language with Mochi-san, but I think that’s just his character. Well, Mochi-san must have understood that so she let it be… Or should I call her just ‘Mochi’ instead of Mochi-san?
“…So, the reason I thought that was because when I watched the collab stream with Rei-chan, her way of calling you ‘Rui’ sounded so natural. It was like she’d been calling you that for years, you know?” (Mochi)
…Wait, seriously? Did she pick up on that just from the streams? Mochi-san’s observational skills are something…
“Wow, Mochi-san… I mean, Mochi, you’re really sharp. Well, actually, Rei is my childhood friend. Though we’ve only recently started talking to each other again.” (Rui)
Upon hearing that, both of them showed a slightly surprised expression.
“Heh~! I knew you were friends with Rei-chan, but childhood friends?!” (Mochi)
“Ah, but I’d rather not spread that around too much, okay?” (Rui)
If viewers found out about this, it might lead to misunderstandings… Plus, Ayaka wouldn’t like being teased about it. After all, we’re virtual beings.
Upon hearing this, Mochi nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, of course. …But ‘childhood friends,’ huh? Somehow, Mochi is envious of that kind of relationship.” (Mochi)
“Is that so? But I don’t really remember doing typical childhood friend stuff like going to school together or anything like that.” (Rui)
Mainly because I was embarrassed… Back in elementary school, we used to play together a lot. But starting from middle school, I made sure to wake up early to avoid running into Ayaka on my way to school. And in high school, I deliberately took exams for a different school than Ayaka’s… Yeah. Nowadays, I wouldn’t mind if someone saw me with Ayaka, but back then, I was young…
As Mochi listened, her expression gradually turned discontented.
“Huh. Why? Isn’t it normal for childhood friends to come and go through each other’s windows?” (Mochi)
“That’s just from reading too many manga…” (Rui)
“Then what about coming to wake you up every morning?” (Mochi)
“No way…” (Rui)
“Or making a promise to marry each other when you were little…” (Mochi)
“Absolutely not! And seriously, how many childhood friends clichés does Mochi know!?” (Rui)
Surprised by how she effortlessly rattled off these common tropes, I couldn’t help but show it on my face. Seeing my reaction, Mochi giggled.
“Ahaha, Mochi just loves romcom stories! And don’t you think childhood friend heroines are often really cute?” (Mochi)
“Well, yeah, I guess…” (Rui)
I agreed with her on that point, but childhood friend characters do tend to be stereotypically cast as the losing romantic interest, don’t they…
“Well, they always end up losing though.” (Mochi)
“I was trying not to say that.” (Rui)
“Why do you think they can’t win? They’re kind and cute…it’s just that they often can’t be straightforward.” (Mochi)
“You ‘ve basically listed the sole reason.” (Rui)
👻👻👻
“By the way, Mochi-san, you came early today. Did something happen?” (Kazuo)
In response to Andou-sensei’s question, Mochi seemed to recall something and clapped her hands lightly.
“Yeah, that’s right! Today’s horoscope was good, so I came to the studio early to check it out. It seems like it was right because I got to see an interesting moment between RuiRui and Sensei, right?”
An interesting scene… was she referring to the hugging scene? It’s kind of funny to think a fortune-telling could be right based on that…
“Come to think of it, Mochi like fortune-telling, right?” (Rui)
Upon hearing my words, Mochi responded with a happy expression.
“Oh, you know quite a bit!” (Mochi)
“I’m a fan of this show, after all. Though I haven’t been following for long.” (Rui)
“Oh, I see.” (Mochi)
Mochi had previously mentioned her fondness for fortune-telling on the show. I remembered that detail… And Mochi continued.
“So, RuiRui, do you have a sense of how the show flows?” (Mochi)
“Well, I have a general idea. The guest episodes usually start with them accidentally wandering into the science preparation room, right?” (Rui)
“That’s right. At first, Sensei and I will be chatting, and then you’ll come in and improvise freely in the science preparation room.” (Mochi)
“I see… But I’m a bit nervous about it…” (Rui)
As I thought about the pressure of being solely responsible for any mistakes or slips due to the high degree of freedom on the show, Andou-sensei spoke to me.
“Don’t worry, Rui-kun. The viewers are kind too.” (Kazuo)
“I understand that, of course… But relying too much on their kindness might not be good. Because I love this show, I really want to see it through properly.” (Rui)
Upon hearing my words, the two exchanged glances.
“Wow, you’re already more responsible than Mochi.” (Mochi)
“Haha, we should learn from him, shouldn’t we?” (Kazuo)
“Nono, seriously, you two should just be yourselves as usual!” (Rui)
I don’t want to be the one to change the atmosphere, and above all, I must not forget that this show belongs to these two, and I’m just a guest.
To ease my nervousness, Andou-sensei made a suggestion.
“Well then, since we’re here, shall we practice a bit? We have the script ready.” (Kazuo)
“That’s a good idea, Sensei. But when was the last time we practiced? It’s been months.” (Mochi)
“That’s amazing. You’ve managed to pull off such awesome streams without practice…?” (Rui)
“Ahaha, I’m honored… Well then, shall we start from the opening talk?” (Kazuo)
“Yes!” (Mochi)
“…Yes, please!” (Rui)
And so, we opened the script handed to us, and the three of us began to go through the flow of the show.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
I didn’t expect MC to do the hugging thing. The fact that Mochi even came in at that time😂
I can see that Mochi is also an advocate of childhood friend supremacy. Childhood friends need love too.
Also, Mochi talks in third person, but it’s kinda hard to translate without using the word ‘I’ so I just left them inside during times when she didn’t say her name but I still need to use that word.