Ch. 171 MtF – Chapter 171
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 171
### LIVE ON. (6)
—
**“Yaaay~ I’m back!”**
“Inari!”
“Hello, Shiro-san!”
“…Hello.”
A little while after Inari’s stage performance ended—
She burst into the waiting room, sweating but still as lively as ever, and let out a loud cheer.
So Inari knew Shiro-san too, huh.
At this point, it kind of seemed like all the guest performers were people Inari already knew.
“So? How was my performance? Amazing, right?”
“If you had just managed your breathing better in the middle part.”
“Ahh, caught red-handed.”
It was true—there was a part with a lot of lyrics where she had to catch her breath.
Not that it was weird, since she had been hosting the entire first half before singing.
“How did you meet Shiro-san, Inari?”
“Oh, that? Hmm… I guess technically it all started with Miko-san?”
“…Sigh.”
At the mention of Miko-san, Shiro immediately buried her head in her hands.
Guess some _stuff_ must’ve happened between her and Miko-san.
“When Miko-san and Shiro-san were collabing, she suddenly called me in.”
“Ah.”
Yeah, that tracks.
Knowing Miko-san’s personality, she probably did it with pure intentions—just wanted to introduce them to each other.
…I mean, I haven’t known Miko-san that long, but still.
“So, do you know any of the other V-Live members too?”
“Well, I _know_ most of them. Haven’t actually met most, though.”
“So you _don’t_ know them.”
“Basically, yeah.”
Even if you’re fellow VTubers, unless you’re in the same company, stuff like personal identity—what they call “red pills”—can be really sensitive.
Even if you’re on good terms, meeting offline is almost taboo.
Groups like V-Live and V-Spe aren’t _that_ closed off, so maybe that’s why this is even possible.
Otherwise, there’s no way someone like Inari would be meeting people like Shiro or Miko.
“…Nacchan, that face looks suspicious.”
“I didn’t think anything, okay?”
“You totally did! You so did!”
“I just thought, _‘Wow, even Inari managed to build a connection with people that important.’_ That’s all.”
“Nacchan?!”
Inari made a move to tackle me—but probably because she’d just finished a whole stage performance and dance, her movement was super slow.
At that speed? Please. No problem for me.
Every time she reached for me, I dodged easily, and soon her reach started slowing even more.
See? You should’ve realized this would happen if you teased me.
I watched her slumped over and panting, and gave her a smug victory grin—but then felt a little bad. I _was_ teasing someone who just worked hard on stage…
“Here, Inari. Drink this.”
“…I already drank one backstage, but—thank you, Nacchan.”
“Shiro-san, would you like one too?”
It was just a sports drink I pulled from the mini fridge, but hey—I bought it, so I get to act generous.
Not that I was trying to show off in front of Shiro-san or anything.
“Thank you. I’ll drink it.”
“Please do.”
After physical exertion, sports drinks are the best.
Watching the two of them chug the drinks I handed out, I couldn’t help but smile.
So _this_ is what a mom’s heart feels like.
Never imagined I’d learn that from Inari, of all people—but seeing her exhausted face slowly brighten up warmed me inside.
“Anyway, Nacchan, it’s almost your turn, isn’t it?”
“…I was trying not to think about that.”
“Oh, really? I thought you’d totally gotten over it.”
Like I _could_ just get over it.
Even 10 years—no, 100 years from now, I’ll probably say, _“Ahh, that was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life.”_
Thanks to Inari’s comment, all the nervousness I’d pushed down with casual talk suddenly started bubbling back up.
Seriously, Inari, you’re such an airhead. Not helpful at all!
“Nacchan, they say counting prime numbers helps when you’re nervous.”
“What are you, some cult priestess?”
She kept saying the weirdest things, but maybe thanks to that, my nerves eased up again.
Yeah… this is just like always.
Toya and Inari—they’re the same people I see every day.
If anything, being on stage with the people I share my everyday life with should make me feel _more_ excited.
“Sometimes,”
“Shiro-san…?”
“Instead of aiming for a perfect performance, putting on a stage you truly enjoy can be closer to perfection.”
It was quiet but heartfelt advice.
Maybe exactly the kind of words I needed to hear right now.
I don’t need to be perfect. I’m not Toya—I can’t deliver a stage like she does.
And I’m not even going up there to compete with Toya.
_But I do want to give my very best—for Toya’s sake._
A stage with no mistakes.
More polished and perfect than every memory I have of singing before.
If I fall short of that, then I’ll feel like I didn’t give it everything I had in this moment.
I want the time I step on Toya’s live stage to be the _best_ memory—something I gave everything for.
Still…
_“But Toya would be happy just to hear you sing, Nacchan.”_
_“Toya would probably cry just from seeing Yeoreum on stage.”_
_“Toya might burst into tears the moment Natsu starts singing.”_
—Because I already knew what Toya would love, Shiro-san’s words hit even deeper.
—
**[Inari <— if she’s a god, smash that upvote]**
**[(Toya Live Lineup.JPG)]
Looking at this now, she basically brought in _everyone_ she’s ever collabed with LOL**
ㄴ[Seems like Toya really benefited from Inari’s connections.]
ㄴ[ㄴ(Inari = lucky fox emote)]
ㄴ[Does Inari give off some kind of pheromone or something? Like an actual fox that seduces women?]
ㄴ[ㄴNot like it works on Natsu or Toya though LOL]
ㄴ[ㄴThat’s because they’re basically _common-law married_.]
ㄴ[ㄴ(Lonely polar bear who lost its home emote)]
ㄴ[But seriously, every single VTuber who was supposedly “on break” showed up LOL]
ㄴ[From how many guests were in Part 1, I kinda figured Part 2 would be packed too LOL]
ㄴ[How the heck does she have this level of booking power??]
ㄴ[ㄴInari should’ve just gotten a job in event planning.]
ㄴ[ㄴBut can you imagine Inari doing desk work LOL]
ㄴ[ㄴNot really lol]
ㄴ[ㄴBut these connections came _because_ she’s a VTuber, so maybe she’s doing exactly what she should be.]
**[Pretty much every VTuber on break today appeared as a guest ㅇㅇ]**
**[(List of “on break” VTubers with red X marks over their faces.JPG)]
At this point, this isn’t Toya’s live show—it’s basically the VTuber year-end concert LOL**
ㄴ[Those red Xs look like something from a bounty hunter’s board LOL]
ㄴ[ㄴBut why’s Natsu on there LOL]
ㄴ[ㄴMaybe she’ll show up too.]
ㄴ[ㄴ(Natsu cyber-girl emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴShe’s a cyber girl, so if she glitches onto the screen outta nowhere, it wouldn’t even be weird ㅇㅇ]
ㄴ[ㄴI wanna see Toya’s mod show up on stage…]
ㄴ[Did not expect the V-Live crew to show up tbh. Doesn’t the scale not match?]
ㄴ[ㄴThe company scale doesn’t—but subs-wise… oh wait, that doesn’t match either.]
ㄴ[ㄴYou think you have to be on the same level to collab or be a guest? LOL]
ㄴ[ㄴSeeing guests from different companies feels great. Have a drink~]
ㄴ[ㄴ(“Toya, let’s drink~” emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴ(“Inari, let’s drink~” emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴ(“Natsu, let’s drink~” emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴ(“Nagisa, have a drink~” emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴ(“Shiro, drink something already” emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴ(“Kuro, let’s drink~” emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴIs this a reunion party or what LOL]
**[Taking notes on every “on break” VTuber who didn’t show up to Toya’s live ㅇㅇ]**
**[(Screenshot of someone unsubscribing from non-attending VTubers.JPG)]
Step one: cancel subscription.**
ㄴ[Not even canceling memberships—just unsubbing LOL savage]
ㄴ[Let’s see your sub list. Who exactly _didn’t_ show up?]
ㄴ[There are a _lot_ who didn’t show. No way you subbed to all of them LOL]
ㄴ[ㄴ(“Inari can do it! If it’s her, she can!” emote)]
ㄴ[Isn’t this that one guy with 9 monitors and a full VTuber situation room?]
ㄴ[ㄴDude is nuts LOL]
ㄴ[ㄴ(Kuro’s VTuber bunker exists emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴ(VTuber situation room live feed emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴCan’t believe that’s an actual emote LOL]
ㄴ[What are you gonna do with those notes, huh? Go tattle to Toya? LOL]
ㄴ[ㄴYou’re getting dragged so hard it’s not even funny anymore.]
ㄴ[ㄴ(“Shiro: I’m just gonna sleep today” emote)]
ㄴ[ㄴIf she missed the live to appear as a guest, that’d be one thing… but nope.]
ㄴ[ㄴJust let Shiro sleep forever LOL]
—
Fables
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