Ch. 175 MtF – Chapter 175
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 175
# Chapter 175
Second Promise : Postscript
Hmm, if I had to share my thoughts on how it all went…
Well, first off, Toya cried.
Not just a little—she sobbed, big time. I never imagined Toya could cry so much, tears rolling down her cheeks like that. If there hadn’t been an undercurrent of joy in those eyes, I might have ended up wailing right along with her.
“Come on, pull yourself together. We need to say our goodbyes, Toya.”
“Yeah, uh-huh… sniff… Yeoreum, hic…”
“Honestly…”
She was so startled that she called me _Yeoreum_ rather than Natsu.
I let out a sigh internally as I patted Toya’s head—the one clinging to me, weeping.
Don’t cry, Toya. Okay?
“You’re supposed to smile—it was a surprise performance meant to make you smile, so what’s with the tears?”
“Sniff… Right…”
Her emotions must’ve been overwhelming. She cried so hard she was practically gasping for breath—hard to believe she was the same person who sang for three hours straight.
But—well, it happens.
It’s like seeing someone you thought could never walk on their own two feet suddenly stand up and stroll around.
“Come on, time to wrap it up, say goodbye.”
“Hrrrrgh…”
“Heh heh, you’re acting like a little kid.”
Just as Toya was about to start crying again, a small wave of tears welled up in my own eyes, but I managed to cover it up with laughter.
All right, that’s it. The show’s over! Live finished!
But, of course, the chat wasn’t going to let us off that easily…
– Mod, hang in there!
> – You can’t just stand by after making the girl you like cry, you know!
> – Wait, she just called you Yeoreum on air LOL
> – Now there’s no hiding it, huh?
> – She never really tried hiding it from the start, though.
> – Not gonna lie, I cried too. Never thought I’d live to see Yeoreum do a live performance…
> – So, in the end, you kept your promise, huh, Mod…
Yes, that’s right. I promised I’d do a live someday, and I kept it—even if just barely.
Only one song, but… for me, one song is basically everything I’ve got. In that sense, I gave it my all.
“Hahaha… Right, so with Toya in this kind of state… let’s call it a day! Live over! Bye-bye everyone~”
> – LOL
> – So that’s how it ends??
> – I was crying a moment ago, but now I’m laughing
> – Actually, this chaotic vibe _does_ suit Tona-tsu
> – LOL
> – 草
> – Bye-bye, Nacchan!
> – Natsukare~
> – Today was so much fun 草
[Stream has ended.]
—
“Toya, are you all right?”
“…I-I’m f-fine, sniff…”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
I crouched down so I could see eye-to-eye with Toya, who was now slumped on the ground, still crying.
Seriously, if you cry this much, I can’t cry with you.
I tried to muster my strength to pull Toya to her feet, but there was no way I, of all people, could lift her up on my own.
So I guess I’ll just sit here for a bit too.
“…I never thought Yeoreum would actually show up, sniff.”
“I never thought I’d be able to show up, either.”
Even right up until stepping on stage, I hadn’t been sure if I could finish that entire song.
I’d already arranged with the boss that if I gave the signal after the first verse, we’d cut the music.
But my body held out better than expected, so I ended up singing it all.
“Toya, if you keep crying, I’ll start crying too, you know?”
“That… that wouldn’t be good…”
“So come on, let’s calm down, okay?”
“…Sorry.”
I hadn’t said it because I wanted an apology…
As the tears finally subsided, I locked eyes with Toya. She looked away, as if my gaze was overwhelming.
“Now, give me your hand.”
“…If I grab your hand, won’t I just pull you over instead?”
“Don’t say that. Come on!”
I wrapped both hands around Toya’s right hand and tugged; Toya let out a small chuckle and pushed herself off the floor.
Lucky for her it wasn’t dirty or muddy—otherwise, she’d have ended up with a big stain on the seat of her pants.
Still… I could see her tear-streaked face.
Maybe I should’ve wiped her eyes while she was still sitting, so we wouldn’t see the tear marks now?
“Yeoreum.”
As I stood there lost in thought, Toya’s voice reached me.
Yes, Toya?
I looked up without a word and saw the corners of her eyes gently curve in a soft smile.
“You were… amazing.”
“…Yeah.”
“How’d it feel, being on stage? I’m not exactly an expert on performing yet, but I had so much fun.”
“I loved it, too.”
After I answered, Toya’s hand reached up and patted my head. I slowly nodded at the gentle movement.
I’m relieved Toya thinks it was great.
After all, I was performing for Toya.
The fact she was right there in front of me let me give even more than my best—maybe beyond my best.
“Next time, let’s sing together, Yeoreum.”
“…Ah.”
She smiled widely as she spoke, and I blinked in surprise.
Next time. Right—there could be a next time.
Even though I’d thought this was a one-and-done deal, when I think about it, it doesn’t have to be.
My body didn’t feel off, and as long as I continue as a VTuber, chances are I’ll get more opportunities like this.
“It’s a promise, of course.”
“Then let’s do our pinky swear! If you break it, you have to swallow a thousand needles!”
“A thousand? That’s a bit much… how about ten?”
“Pfft, what the heck! You’ve started joking around so much lately, Yeoreum!”
“Probably caught it from Inari.”
She held out her pinky finger, and I hooked mine around it. It was like renewing the promise we’d once made.
“But this time, it’s _your_ live, and I’ll be the surprise guest!”
“…Didn’t you just ruin the ‘surprise’ by telling me?”
“Well, your solo live itself would be shocking enough—no need for any extra surprise, right?”
Will the day ever come when I can hold a live all by myself?
Sure, I managed one song, but a full hour? That seems like a lot.
No… who knows?
Back in the beginning, singing even one single tune felt impossible—I couldn’t even sing along to kids’ songs without trouble.
So maybe, someday, I’ll be able to handle not just one song, but an entire hour-long show.
Yeah. I’ll work hard until that day arrives.
On the day Ichinose Natsu hosts a solo live, I’ll do a duet with Toya.
—
**[Toya’s crying T^T]**
[(The moment Natsu’s song ended, Toya started sobbing uncontrollably.MVI)
Isn’t she crying way too hard? People might think something went terribly wrong LOL]
> [“Something went wrong”—LOL]
> [It just means the mod’s performance was that moving!]
> [Seriously though, the mod sings really well… even better than that track on iTube, no?]
> [Yeah, as advanced as AI is, it can’t replicate human singing 100%.]
> [Seeing Toya cry made me tear up a bit too… no joke.]
> [She _did_ promise they’d sing together someday, but ended up singing alone, so Toya probably felt all sorts of ways LOL]
> [Was that it? LMAO]
> [A true “solo stage” by “Grand Summer,” haha]
> [I’ve never seen Toya cry that much.]
> [People might think she just got dumped or something LMAO]
> [But the song’s lyrics were about wanting to _stay together,_ right??]
> [Yep, basically a confession, if we’re being exact ㅇㅇ]
—
**[Hit ‘like’ if you think that was the best concert of the year LOL]**
[(Natsu ending the live in a hurry.MVI)
It’s one thing for tough guys to cry over some “moving visuals” — big thumbs up if you relate LOL]
> [The mod’s singing really moves you…]
> [All those days of practice paid off…]
> [Her next step is a full-on Natsu solo live, right?]
> [Even if not, I bet she’ll sing more often on stream now.]
> [Considering how often Yeoreum used to sing back then, she might do it all the time LOL]
> [If Yeoreum’s “song seal” is undone, watch out…]
> [Crying over these “moving visuals”?? _sniff_…]
> [Dude, are you crying right now? Huh? Are you?]
> [(Natsu crying emote)]
> [Nacchan… congrats on your live…]
> [Why do I feel like I’m about to get stabbed by that statement… LOL]
> [(Natsu “virtual idol” emote)]
—
**[Toya posted a Wisp about the live afterthoughts]**
[(Toya saying she’s super happy about the unexpected gift she received.)
She thanked everyone who appeared, and said she’d have been happy just seeing Nacchan watch, but Nacchan actually sang, so she was really touched.]
> [No way Toya has that many connections… probably Inari hooking her up?]
> [Inari does tend to pop up all over the place, yeah LOL]
> [So is Inari basically the “face” of V-Spe?]
> [No, more like V-Spe’s unstoppable salesman, haha]
> [(Inari “employee of the month” emote)]
> [What must it mean for Toya that Natsu actually sang?]
> [Guess it was even more important than we realized, seeing how hard Toya cried LOL]
> [Now all that’s left is for them to sing together…]
> [Oh, I definitely need a Tona-tsu duet in my life LOL]
—
Fables
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