Basement-Dwelling Loser VTuber

The world is sometimes brutally sad.

Just logging onto the internet and seeing the news can make you think, “Did that really happen?”

Well, you don’t even have to go looking for stuff like that.

Just think about what I’m going through right now.

[Izumi’s broadcast… It really has to be said that it’s impressive in many ways.]

But wait, Shiori, you already know, right?

You’re talking about Hina and Mihakoshi, right? You’re even an Izutomo who cried while watching my re-debut live, aren’t you?

Please don’t act like I’m someone unrelated…

[Fans really love this side of Izumi, huh?]

[Right? I think it’s the charm that only Izumi can show.]

The broadcast faux pas lasted nearly 10 minutes, masquerading as an interview.

Most of the conversation was between the manager and Shiori, while I played a role of interjections in between.

…Yeah. Honestly, this makes me feel somewhat more at ease.

I just hope today can end like this.

[Well then, we should have a chat with the protagonist of this video, Izumi!]

…This was a flag, wasn’t it?

“Ah, uh… yes…”

Can I really have a normal conversation with a collective of popular people like this?

As I shook with that thought and lowered my head, I heard a tap-tap sound.

When I slightly raised my gaze to look forward, M-chan had written a sentence in her sketchbook.

[Don’t worry, just act like you normally do.]

And when I confirmed that, she smiled softly.

Acting like normal?

“…Ah.”

I see. That kind of meaning.

I’ve changed a lot, but I still have a shy personality and communication impairment.

Thinking that my flaws are going to air on a public broadcast made me anxious.

But there was no need for that.

Our goal is to let more people know about ‘Star’s Flow,’ and just by me and the manager being on this broadcast is already enough.

So now, what’s left is to show, “Who exactly is the VTuber named Kainoh Izumi?”

There’s no need to dress up as someone different.

Everyone here already knows my personality, and the Izutomo watching this broadcast like me for who I am anyway.

So there’s no reason to feel intimidated, and I shouldn’t think of my personality and communication impairment as drawbacks.

As M-chan said, I can just act normally.

Just that alone will make the Izutomo happy.

And among people who don’t know me, those who find this side of me interesting will come to me on their own.

That means there’s only one thing I need to be cautious about.

I just need to avoid any NGs that are obviously uncappable.

My heart, which had been racing like crazy, has calmed down quite a bit thanks to M-chan…

Yeah. And if that’s the case, I can handle this situation at least to some extent…

[When I asked Lenka about it beforehand, the biggest incident caused by Izumi was certainly the leak from Atlas, one of Star’s Flow’s third-generation recruits…]

“Waaaaah!!! Huh, that’s black history! Isn’t that black history?!”

Was this broadcast planned from the beginning to target my NGs?!

★

…I seem to have made quite a few NGs.

Thoughts like those couldn’t help but arise during the brief break.

No matter how I look at it, this isn’t a time to ‘get to know the hot virtual idol Kainoh Izumi’; it’s a time to ‘torment the hot virtual idol Kainoh Izumi.’

Starting from the Yeo-sang that happened during the first broadcast, to the black history that emerged from my drinking broadcast after my re-debut—every single one was shown without fail.

What’s the point of asking me about my feelings afterward?

Isn’t it unavoidable for me to feel this way?

“They’re saying to start again soon.”

“Ah, yes…”

While I was lost in those thoughts, M-chan approached and gave directions, so I followed her orders and put on the glasses-like HMD again.

As she said, the HMD was reflecting the N○K studio.

[Hmm, then I’ll start~.]

“Yeees…”

[Yes! Anyway, after the Star’s Flow festival, Izumi, who was rising in popularity, suddenly announced her graduation, right?]

And just as Shiori had hinted right after our break, that topic finally came up.

“Hehe… that was the case…”

To be honest, I didn’t want to discuss that topic much.

Thinking back to how young I was then still makes me embarrassed and sorry for everyone.

But it’s also true that we couldn’t skip this story to move on to talking about the re-debut live.

So when I asked M-chan during the break how to approach this part…

“I think it’s okay to tell everything as it is. You graduated to find your dream, but Izutomo don’t know why you felt that way.”

That was M-chan’s response.

…Indeed.

In circle-like places, the Izutomo had already asked several times.

“Why did Mei-chan want to find her dream?”

I’d dodged those questions every time, but now it’s time to talk about it.

After all, I’ve returned to this place.

[Izumi said she had decided to graduate because she wanted to find her dream. Can we hear what made you think that?]

Shiori’s expression was earnest when she said that.

She surely wants to hear the exact reason from me.

As a current idol herself, she must understand the significance of graduation.

“Well, um… Honestly, I first thought about graduating during Star Fest. At the time, I didn’t realize it, but when I saw the other members shining on stage… I felt, honestly, jealous.”

[Jealous?]

“Yes… Everyone was enjoying the stage sincerely, and they looked so cool. And I suddenly thought how pathetic I was… That thought struck me. And after building up those feelings, they burst out during Natsune-senpai’s live.”

[I heard Natsune is your favorite…?]

“That’s right. Natsune-senpai is truly, really! So amazing! So I was jealous. I wished to stand on stage, and I felt like I had to work hard for that dream… So I was jealous.”

I can understand it now.

“And that’s when I thought I also wanted to find my dream… I wanted to shine like that. So the choice I made was to graduate to find my dream. I know it sounds silly, right?”

How childish and ridiculous…

[So does that mean your virtual idol activities back then weren’t your dream?]

“Yes. To be honest, it was really enjoyable, but I just started it by chance.”

I realized how foolish my thoughts were.

[Hmm, I see…]

That was a natural conclusion.

Back then, I was only 18. I was really young.

That’s why I needed three years.

To understand society. To understand people. To mature.

I don’t think that time was wasted.

It’s because I went through that time that I’m standing here now.

[So, what did you do during the three years after your graduation?]

“Well, I traveled in the virtual world… And I tried my hand at other jobs.”

[What was the hardest job among those?]

“Uuuh, working part-time at a convenience store and a restaurant…”

“Pfft!”

I heard laughter from the staff direction in response to my answer.

What’s so funny about this?

Do they not know how hard part-time work at a convenience store and a restaurant can be?

When you have to serve dozens of customers daily, my heart nearly crumbled.

If anyone can understand, it should be Shiori…!

[Ah, um, pfft… I see?]

Ah. This person is also one of those social butterflies.

So that’s why she could be an active idol…

[So how did you decide to make a re-debut? Could you tell us that too?]

“No matter how much time passed, I couldn’t forget the light of the penlights I saw on stage. I still wanted to be an idol like Natsune-senpai. I wanted to be with the members of Star’s Flow. So I’m really grateful to Star’s Flow for giving me another chance…”

As I bowed my head, the manager next to me smiled slightly.

That smile didn’t seem to carry any ill feelings.

★

[Okay! Last question! What activities do you plan to do moving forward? I think the fans watching this broadcast would be curious as well~.]

The absurdly long filming time of two hours was reaching its conclusion.

And Shiori’s question was quite fitting for that ending.

“Goals… you mean.”

At first, I just wanted to be with everyone in Star’s Flow.

I wanted to laugh and chat normally with the Izutomo while broadcasting.

I thought that would be enough.

…But that’s no longer the case.

The reason I returned was ultimately Natsune.

And because I dreamed of being a ‘shining idol’ like the other members.

So the answer was already decided.

“I want to hold a live performance at the Budokan with the members of Star’s Flow.”

And someday, standing together in the Tokyo Dome is my dream now.

[Hee. So we’re rivals, then?]

“Uh, that could be the case. Hehe…”

[Well, in terms of communication skills, I can’t even compare…]

“Manager?!”

[Indeed, Izumi’s communication skills are pretty dangerous…]

“I’m s-sorry…”

I’m sorry for having zero communication skills while putting forth such a cheeky dream…

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