Chapter 206

Rea​d ​o​n KatRea​dingCafe

Back to Square One (5)

One day, two days, three… four.

With every passing day my vocal cords seemed to evolve into something actually meant for singing.
At this rate “Top Songstress in Japan” was only a matter of time—well, okay, that’s a huge exaggeration, but still…

“Even so, if my voice keeps getting better, who cares?”
I shrugged and took a sip of water.
What started as a full glass after every take was now just a mouthful.
I guess the old saying is right: the more you use it, the more it adapts.
I let out a quick “Aaah~” and the sound had noticeably more body than before.

—Nat‑chan’s voice is so clear lately 草
—Even when you whisper it doesn’t cut out now, love it ww
—So… ending already?
—Great job again today, Nat‑chan!
—My ears are blessed~

“Actually, I’m planning to keep going a bit longer. I feel like I’ve sung and only sung lately.”

After all, I’m supposedly part of “Gamers.”
For the listeners who like watching me play, I decided to power through a little more.
If I don’t use this newfound stamina now, when will I?

—Really?!
—Feels like ages since Nat‑chan gamed on stream wwww
—True, she hasn’t played much recently 草
—Got something lined up?
—Probably a chill game, right ww
—She’ll be tired after all that singing…

Nat‑sumin really are quick on the uptake…
Normally I’d pick something tough or competitive, but tonight I chose something gentler—after belting songs all day my focus wouldn’t survive a high‑intensity game. Stamina was part of it too.

“Tonight’s game is My Farm.”

A farming game: plant crops, grow a ranch, harvest produce.
Great for chatting and time‑killing—and easy to co‑op.

—Hey, that one’s fun!
—Never thought Nat‑chan would touch a game like this ww
—She’s more the Dark Ring type 草
—Or Heroes of Legend ww
—She has competition in her DNA (laughs)
—草

Honestly I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it.
The only farming sim I’d ever tried was Two‑Duck‑Village Online, and I fell asleep after twenty minutes—back when I was still Han Yeoreum.
Good thing that nap wasn’t live on stream… ugh, the horror.

“Since it might be boring if I play alone, how about we play together?”

—Together?
—You’re opening it online?!
—wwwwww
—I don’t usually play these but I will for Nat‑chan ww
—First time Nat‑chan plays a non‑competitive game with viewers 草
—You’re not going to turn My Farm into PvP, right?
—Competing in a farm sim wwww
—Maybe who can harvest the most? ww

Come on.
Even I wouldn’t turn farming into a blood sport.
I just wanted a calming game after that vocal marathon.

“Alright, let’s start.”

Server ID and password? Classified.
Figuring them out themselves would feed Nat‑sumin’s achievement drive—like streamer, like audience.

…Or so I hoped.

“These chibi characters are cute. Let’s see…”

—Ooh, the avatar’s starting to look like Nat‑chan.
—Isn’t she a bit tall though?
—Nat‑chan’s short; why so tall? ww
—Stuffing all her height‑complex into customization wwww
—Tall Nat‑chan isn’t Nat‑chan!
—Honestly the current fun‑sized Nat‑chan is best 草

Tch.
The moment I quietly bumped the height slider up, chat went nuts.
Can’t they let me be happy in‑game at least?!
Fine—if height causes this much drama, maybe I should change more…

[¥1000 Super Chat]
—Nat‑chan, you’re not making a totally different avatar just so you can be taller, right?
—No waaay wwww
—She wouldn’t go that far… would she?
—I bought this game to hang out with Nat‑chan, not some stranger she’s puppeting…
—Already down that rabbit hole? wwwwww
—Think of it as her other virtual avatar ww
—Black‑haired Nat‑chan isn’t Nat‑chan!

Ah—hair color, too?
Reactions to black hair dwarfed the height fuss.
O‑Okay, okay, I get it!

—wwww
—She caved wwww
—Nat‑chan looks best as Nat‑chan.

“First order of business—buy a house!”

“A house? You can buy property?”
While I pondered, an in‑game text popped up:

“Ribbit! For new arrivals we offer a loan of one million gold coins! Enough for a splendid house, ribbit!”

“…This isn’t a loan‑shark, right?”

—Nah, not shady ww
—Well, technically it’s not a bank, so it is a loan‑shark?
—But zero interest, so maybe not evil…
—Zero interest is angelic—who knows the pay‑back term ww

“Can I not borrow it?”

[¥1000 Super Chat]
—You can, but progress is way slower 草

So it’s optional.
Sorry, Mr. Frog, but I’d rather not owe money—even in a game.
I declined; the frog texted back “Come see me anytime, ribbit!” and that was that.

“All right… guess we farm from scratch.”
Tutorial tasks popped: pick apples, craft fertilizer… not quite the farming I’d imagined.
Bare dirt and slow growth—but maybe it’ll feel satisfying later.
I watched my avatar munch a freshly picked apple and couldn’t help smiling.

“Cute~”

—Two Nat‑chan smiles on screen wwww
—Real Nat‑chan is cuter.
—Does that make you a narcissist?
—Calling your twin in‑game “cute” 草
—Suddenly felt InaRi vibes there 草
—Ina & Natsu collab ww
—草

Too much! Comparing me to InaRi of all people!
I touched my cheeks—they were lifted higher than usual.
Maybe my taste changed, or maybe the avatar reminded me of Koyuki; lately every mirror made me think of her.
Forum reactions

[Nat‑chan’s stream isn’t over?!]
Screenshot: My Farm title screen
“She booted up My Farm!”

ㄴThought we were done after singing ww
ㄴProbably catching up on games since she’s “Gamers”草
ㄴFirst time seeing her on a chill farm sim.
ㄴShe usually plays hardcore stuff or co‑op titles.
ㄴMy Farm can be multiplayer, right?
ㄴYet no one else is in her lobby…
ㄴIsn’t this that debt‑repayment game?
ㄴwwww
ㄴShe took the loan, didn’t she?
ㄴDidn’t expect her to replicate real‑life bills in‑game 草

[Nat‑chan actually refused the loan!]
Screenshot: Declining the frog’s offer
“Starting debt‑free is best, Nat‑chan.”

ㄴIf you’ve no debt IRL, why not borrow in the game?
ㄴBecause the frog does nag you to pay back lol
ㄴAnd if you miss the deadline: game over ww
ㄴCan’t even resell the house…
ㄴDebt always comes back to bite you.
ㄴTrust she’ll manage fine ww
ㄴWatching her experiment is adorable.
ㄴAnd she made the avatar identical—double Nat‑chan cuteness.
ㄴThere are two Nat‑chans on screen 草
ㄴBorrow a million, dump it in carrot stocks, profit!
ㄴThat’s pure RNG, stop teaching her bad habits wwww

TL note: My Farm is probably an animal crossing parody.

Fables