Chapter 10: Preparing for the debut

The day after I received a stage name I quite liked.

Jiah and I began our debut preparations in earnest.

For instance…

“What if a viewer suddenly mentions another streamer in chat or with a donation?”

“…Ban them?”

“…The manager will take care of that, so just don’t give it attention.”

Learning essential precautions for broadcasting.

“What if someone is badmouthing soldiers?”

“? Why would anyone badmouth the people protecting our country?”

“Right… it would be great if everyone was like you.”

And in the midst of that, a silly ideology check of sorts.

“Siyeon-ah… Oops.”

“Reina… How many times do I have to tell you, Ms. Sirasaki Noa?”

“Aww-ah… I made a mistake… Don’t twisst my words….”

(TL Note: Jiah is speaking in a cutesy, slightly slurred way out of embarrassment/habit)

With Jiah, we diligently worked on getting rid of the names we were used to calling each other….

And, finally.

“Found her, the CEO’s favorite plushie!”

“Ah, hello…?”

Meeting the colleagues I would be working with from now on.

…

Wait, hold on.

‘…Favorite plushie?’

‘That’s not me, right?’

The long-awaited first meeting with my colleagues.

After brief greetings, simple introductions followed.

“Uh… so, nice to meet you… I guess?”

The one with long hair, who seemed a bit shy… Kazahana Rio.

“Hi, nice to meet you!”

And the tiny one, barely 150cm tall, Hanami Yuu.

…Ah, I don’t know their real names.

It wasn’t intentional; it was a company guideline.

Was it to prevent broadcasting accidents?

It was something like that.

Well… since we have stage names to call each other by, we can become close enough without knowing their real names.

Actually… I was a bit worried before meeting them.

Of course, I have social experience, but…

That alone felt somewhat lacking.

Moreover, if I had gotten along well with everyone, it might have been different.

But I was quite an outsider in school and at work….

Group life was even more unfamiliar… so I was naturally anxious.

…However.

“You’re Reina, right? Thanks to you, we were saved!”

Unexpectedly, it might have been a needless worry.

“…Huh? Me?”

“If it weren’t for you, we would have been ruined before we even debuted!”

“We could have… ended up practicing for another year due to a lack of members….”

To them, whose debut was uncertain due to the unfilled member quota….

I seemed to be something akin to a savior.

Besides, perhaps because the CEO had been extremely selective until the very end….

Both of them seemed to have rather gentle personalities.

If anything, Rio seemed timid for her build.

But she didn’t cut off conversations and kept talking steadily.

…

‘Build…’ is that a bit off?

I’m taller than her, so I feel like I used an unnecessary word.

Anyway, they’re both nice. Yes.

“…”

However, Jiah… no.

Noa was subtly wary of the two… a minor hiccup.

“Ya-yat?!”

“…You should get along. You’re colleagues now.”

“Th-there’s no need to hit me….”

“Then don’t act like that from the start.”

One flick to the forehead, and she was immediately back to normal.

‘She already knows them, so why is she suddenly acting like this?’

‘Didn’t they get along reasonably well before I came?’

“I got mad on your behalf, so will you forgive me?”

“Ahaha, you’re feisty!”

First, I told Noa off.

Then, I forced her head down and made a show of apologizing….

Perhaps finding that amusing, Yuu burst out laughing.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s not like it’s the first or second time.”

“?”

“Noa being like that, I’m used to it.”

“??”

“She’s, incredibly quiet.”

…However.

Wiping away the tears that had escaped, the words Yuu said to me….

“Actually, since there were two people who were shy around strangers… it was a bit suffocating, you know?”

“…???”

“I’m saying this now, but it’s a relief that at least you came. Truly.”

I couldn’t understand it at all.

‘Jiah… is shy around strangers?’

‘The girl who had quite the outgoing personality during our school days?’

‘Well, it can happen.’

Though I still had doubts, I roughly accepted it and moved on.

A drastic change in environment is enough to change a person.

In the first place… it hasn’t even been that long since she joined the company, right?

She’s probably in the process of gradually adapting.

Held by Siyeon’s hand, bowing her head to Yuu.

Baek Jiah….

Sirasaki Noa, was lost in thought for a moment.

‘…What’s wrong with me.’

She kept feeling like she was going off track.

Being in the same company as Siyeon was definitely a good thing.

But for some reason, just like in their school days, her wariness was flaring up.

‘Have I become… too sensitive?’

Then again, it was understandable.

The other day, a senior suddenly visited.

And not long ago, the CEO hugged her….

Of course, their intentions were different.

But with more women starting to gather around Siyeon….

It seemed her anxiety had unknowingly amplified.

‘Yes, let’s admit it.’

There was no need for it, but she had become unnecessarily sharp.

So….

‘I need to act normally again.’

After all, to hide her feelings from Siyeon…

For now, that was the right thing to do.