LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 359
– Mei-chan really draws well!
– I’m so happy to see Mei-chan’s Gartic Phone…
“Ugh… Yeah, I’m confident in my drawing skills, but… isn’t that strange?! Something feels off?!”
– Are you just realizing that now?
– Everyone who was watching with you must have been in more pain.
– Still, I think it’s fine as long as Mei-chan is happy…
“Uuuuu…”
I’m truly grateful for the overly optimistic Izutomos, but even so, this is just too much.
The Gartic Phone stream I started to prove I’m part of the in-crowd has now reached the hour mark.
During that time, the number of other Star’s Flow members who joined the Miscord call I was in… is 0.
Not a single person joined.
Why?
Of course, Gartic Phone is fun.
Playing alone was, once again, an opportunity to realize how charming the game can be.
But…
“That’s not what I wanted…”
– Wasn’t it Mei-chan who said playing Gartic Phone alone would be fun?
– I think it’s the path you chose.
– You know the saying, ‘You reap what you sow’?
– I’m curious about what Mei-chan really wanted…
– How about asking the other members to join now…?
Amidst the determined chat messages, it makes my heart ache to see a few gentle messages.
Then, should I really say something to the members, just like the Izutomos suggested?
No. Absolutely not.
That would mean I’m acknowledging that I’m an outcast.
I haven’t lost! I’m probably the ultimate in-crowd member recognized by all of Star’s Flow!
“I’m not calling other members to join! I wanted to do this alone from the start… So I’ll move on to the next game…”
– You’re stubborn about unnecessary things.
– If Mei-chan is happy, then I’m good with that…
– This kid is definitely an idiot.
– Given this flow, is it going to end in tears after all?
“I won’t cry, okay?!”
Do these idiots not realize that a mature adult like me would never cry over a game?
Such fools, really!
*
Two hours have flown by.
But still, the number of Star’s Flow members visiting Izumi’s Miscord call remains 0.
Nothing has changed from an hour ago.
And that’s just the way it is.
“…Why am I doing this alone right now?”
– It would have been enjoyable if it was just a regular chat stream.
– Why did it turn into this kind of stream?
Even the Izutomos, who usually tease, tried to comfort Izumi in their quiet lamentations.
Of course, one could say the current situation is reaping what was sown, but regardless, spending over two hours alone playing Gartic Phone was nothing short of pathetic.
…However, this was something Izumi had foreseen since the inception of this plan.
It’s not about whether Izumi is in the in-crowd or outcast.
It goes without saying that the members of Star’s Flow cherish Izumi.
But considering that, there were undeniable reasons why this plan would fail.
Actually, two reasons.
The first is the time slot.
Izumi’s Gartic Phone stream started at 4 PM.
This was a choice made to avoid overlapping broadcast times with other members, and strictly speaking, it was definitely a success.
The problem was that it didn’t overlap ‘only’ in terms of the broadcast time.
Star’s Flow members don’t just work as internet streamers; they also function as ‘virtual idols.’
It’s just common sense that they have external activity schedules for dance and vocal lessons or meeting agendas for idol activities.
Moreover, the recently peaking schedules of Star’s Flow members were, of course, extremely tight.
And the 4 PM slot Izumi chose went right through that packed schedule.
No matter how much the other members cared for Izumi, it was only natural that they couldn’t look after her when they were busy.
Of course, there were members at this hour with no external activities, but… most of those members were also streaming like Izumi.
But even after considering all that, there were surely some members who had no external activities and weren’t streaming.
And among those members, a few were watching Izumi’s stream.
But they had no intention of joining Izumi to play Gartic Phone.
The external factors like the time slot weren’t the cause. It was solely Izumi’s own issues.
[Izumi-senpai… why are you playing Gartic Phone alone?]
[…I guess she has her own reasons.]
[Well, thinking about it, I’ve never imagined playing Gartic Phone alone.]
[Honestly, I think only Izumi-senpai among us could pull off something like that.]
Izumi’s streams sometimes come off as inexplicable antics to the other members.
And more often than not, fans enjoy those antics.
In other words, the other members thought this Gartic Phone stream by Izumi was just one of those kinds of antics.
A Gartic Phone stream that only the VTuber Kainoh Izumi could pull off.
And since joining might be a bother, they believed they could just enjoy Izumi’s stream.
Of course, that was something Izumi never wished for…
Yet somehow, the combination of the timing issue and Izumi’s behavior led to the current situation…!
Even Suzuha, who usually dispels those misunderstandings, is currently busy with an external agenda.
In this predicament, Izumi thought,
“Maybe life is filled only with pain…?”
– Huh?
– She’s broken now.
Ultimately, she began to curse the world.
*
“Maybe life is filled only with pain…?”
– Huh?
– She’s broken now.
Was what I wanted so difficult?
I just wanted to enjoy the game with the members…
I just wanted to step on the noses of the Izutomos who were teasing me…!
Well, I guess that’s because I’m an outcast loser hikikomori with communication impairment…
How could someone like me expect everything to go the way I want?
“Ugh. What a fool I am…”
– No matter how you look at it, this is the consequence of your own actions…
“Consequences of my own actions, huh…”
A calm comment in chat pierced through my heart like a dagger.
That might really be true.
Back then, the Izutomo who called me a loser did say I was a loser hikikomori with communication impairment, but what they actually wanted to say was, ‘I want to see more collaboration streams!’
I must have misinterpreted that and brought this upon myself.
…But I don’t want to admit it.
If I admitted it, it would feel like I’m losing. I’d look like a fool.
Yeah.
“I’m not a bad person…!”
– ???
– No one said Mei-chan is a bad person.
“Of course not! You’re all the ones who are bad!”
– Huh?
– Please stop the pointless blame.
Many Izutomos pushed back against my words, but I had no intention of wavering on my opinion.
The reason I started this stream in the first place was because of the Izutomos.
In other words, the Izutomos who caused this thing to happen are the ones at fault.
“And Gartic Phone is bad too. Why create a game that’s more fun with multiple players when you can do it alone? A masterpiece is a game that’s fun to play alone…!”
– Apologize to the developers of Gartic Phone lol.
– lol
– So in the end, are you shifting the blame elsewhere…?
– Wasn’t it Mei-chan who said Gartic Phone is fun even if you play alone?
“…”
That’s strange.
Why aren’t these guys empathizing with me?
The other members.
Especially when watching Nekoto’s stream, they usually empathize in situations like this.
I want to receive some “Chi-yaho! Nade-nade” just like Nekoto…
Do these idiots really know how rare it is to see the universe’s strongest S-rank beauty on screen?
If they don’t know, I hope they finally realize it this time.
“Um, um, anyway! It’s Izutomos and Gartic Phone that are the bad ones… uh, is it okay for me to think that…?! Uh… right? So, it’s, it’s okay…?”
– Please stop being weak at the end.
– Your mind has weakened. The bad ones are me and Gartic Phone.
“Ehh… ugh….”
I had suddenly gotten worried that the things I just said would become an issue, but judging by the Izutomo reactions, it seemed there wasn’t any problem.
“…Well, I’m not, not a bad person!”
– Definitely guilty.
– It’s a curse.
“Why?!”
*
Today, through the Gartic Phone stream, I’ve concluded that I’m not a bad person.
…Maybe.
Anyhow, before I wrap up the stream, a good number of people asked me during the brief chatting time.
– So why did you suddenly play Gartic Phone alone?
“Why did I play Gartic Phone alone? Um…”
Is it okay to say this honestly?
…Well, it probably doesn’t matter, right?
My plans have already failed spectacularly.
“Well, you see… I was doing some ego surfing, and I saw discussions about how collaboration streams have decreased recently. Because of that….”
– I do think there has been a decline in recent times.
– But today wasn’t even a collab stream…?
“Uh, um… that’s… well, since I thought the lack of collabs was because I’m an outcast…”
Saying this honestly suddenly makes me feel embarrassed.
Am I saying this for no good reason?
“While I was playing Gartic Phone alone, I thought that if another member came in and played with me… it would prove I’m not an outcast…”
– Aww, that’s such a cute reason.
– But no one came.
– Couldn’t you have just done a collab stream?
“So I’m regretting it too…”
– I expected it, but that really was a foolish reason…
– That’s not the way to go, Mei-chan…
“Shut up! It wouldn’t have happened without that kind of Izutomo anyway! I’m also saying that I regret it, but you all keep… ugh.”
– Are you crying?
“I’m not crying…”
I’m just feeling a little down.
I just wanted to receive positive affirmations from the Izutomos that it’s not my fault, but why are my streams filled with abusers…?
– Please cry while cursing us out.
“Ugh… I-i really feel bad…”
– That was so good.
– Thank you.
– Reward came!!!
– I enjoyed it…
…Is there really not a single normal person among the Izutomos?
*
[Virtual YouTuber Minor Gallery]
[Title: From now on, Izutomos should be careful]
[Written by: ㅇㅇ]
(Ego surfing of Izumi mention.mp4)
[How far do you go with ego surfing?]
[Um… probably much further than you think…?]
[Changing names and all that, I’m usually watching everything…]
– You look into that much?
[Do I call it looking into that…?]
[In the creator, there’s this recommendation function… yeah. I don’t have to search, the AI sends me analyzed content.]
[So usually, even if I change my name or don’t tag fan art, it normally gets recommended to me.]
[Then I read through all those recommended accounts…]
– Scary to see a woman who’s obsessed.
[It’s not obsession?! I just look because I get recommended to, don’t call it obsession…!]
[Hmph. Actually, the thoughts you guys have on your secondary accounts feel more obsessive.]
– How do you feel when you read those comments on secondary accounts?
[Honestly, I most often think that it’s very different from what they usually say in streams.]
[‘No way I can date Mei-chan…’ is what many say, right?]
[But then they’re saying, ‘Although they say that, what eyes are they really looking at me with?’ That content appears quite often…]
[I’ve honestly felt a little disillusioned…]
– Please don’t expose us naturally.
– What did those people do wrong…
– There must be a reason why they don’t mention it directly, right? That’s just mean.
[Huh? Is this my fault?]
You’re all aware of the compliments about me, right?
[Recommended: 66 / Not Recommended: 1]
ㅇㅇ: Do you think she also looks at the minor gallery?
└ Mizukiri Mei-chan: Based on the things she occasionally says, it seems possible.
uwu: You’re a madwoman, you made the first move!!!
└ ㅇㅇ: I just said I’m attracted to her, what’s the big deal!
Maker: So you mean Mei-chan has seen all the compliments I’ve given her up till now?
└ Maker: It just means I’m attracted, haha.
└ Maker: Guess today’s the start of 1 compliment a day, lol.
ㅇㅇ: (Izumi has seen all of them)
*
[Title: LOL It seems that this person is the reason she played Gartic Phone today? (Edit)]
[Written by: Mizukiri Mei-chan]
[I want to a-boink “that guy” @GoodWeather2 · X month XX day]
Lately, hasn’t I-chan’s collaborations been rare?
I had been thinking this a bit, but now I realize that this kid had always had few collaborations.
Considering I-chan’s personality, it feels like it used to be extremely unusual for her.
I thought it was fun that collaborations started increasing after her return, but seeing it suddenly revert to the past, I guess it means her outcast tendencies are hard to shake off…
Just seeing this made me itch for some reason, haha.
+ Additional
[I want to a-boink “that guy” @GoodWeather2 · 3 minutes]
Should I blow up my account…?
It seems she’s become aware, haha.
[Recommended: 49 / Not Recommended: 3]
ㅇㅇ: This person is just an unrepentant drawfag of Izumi, haha.
└ Mizukiri Mei-chan: ㅇㅇ
LTTL: Got caught in the act.
ㅇㅇ: Should I be jealous of this?
OwL: This account had tons of compliments for Mei-chan before, haha.
└ OwL: Based on today’s stream, doesn’t that mean she read it all?
└ Mizukiri Mei-chan: That’s why the creator is now contemplating whether to blow up their account, haha.
└ OwL: Add in more! Haha.
└ Mizukiri Mei-chan: Additional completed.