Ch. 156 MtF – Chapter 156
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 156
**A Voice Just for You. (1)**
“Phew…”
“You worked hard today too, Natsu-unnie.”
“Worked hard? Come on. You worked way harder than I did, Nozomi.”
I was singing for Toya, putting my all into something I _wanted_ to do, but Nozomi… she was always right there beside me, just for _my_ sake.
Sometimes, when I missed a note or stumbled, she’d sing the part herself—so I learned a lot from her.
With such a dedicated teacher, of course I had to do my best too. Right?
“You’ve improved so much.”
“…Really? Maybe it’s just because I’ve got an amazing teacher.”
“Ugh, don’t joke like that, even if you’re being nice. If I were really that amazing, I’d probably be a famous rockstar by now, don’t you think?”
There was a flicker of regret in Nozomi’s eyes as she said that.
Honestly, if Nozomi isn’t amazing, then who even is?
She caught herself with a bitter look on her face and quickly smoothed it over when she realized I was watching.
…Did she never make it, or did she just give up?
“Nozomi, do you know how to play guitar?”
“Guitar? Hmm… yeah, I guess?”
“I’m not sure if it’s any good, but I saw a guitar in the corner of the recording room. I think it’s there for recording or something…”
“And?”
“Well, it’s not just any guitar—it’s an electric guitar.”
Nozomi doesn’t really _seem_ like the electric guitar type, does she?
She gives more of that acoustic-street-performer vibe. Like the kind of person who’d sit somewhere with a scenic view, gently strumming away.
She gets pretty intense when she’s exercising, but otherwise she’s the quiet type.
…Wait, in that sense, maybe she’s kinda like me.
Though I couldn’t play guitar at all.
“Actually, that’s better.”
“Huh?”
“I like electric guitars more than classical ones. Huh… looks like there’s some dust on it. Well, that guy always preferred classical guitars, so I guess he never bothered with the electric one.”
The moment I heard the buzzing resonance of the electric guitar, I realized something might’ve gone wrong.
Oh no. Did I press some kind of switch just now? I did… right? It’ll be fine, right?
**ZZZZZZIIIIINNNG—**
“Hwah…”
And what followed was a soul-shaking guitar solo.
I wasn’t even sure if she was using just ten fingers—it was that fast and brilliant.
How had she been holding all this in?
They say everyone has unexpected sides, but Nozomi’s was truly something else.
Just listening to her play made my jaw drop.
“W-Wow… Woooooow…”
“How was it?”
“Absolutely insane. Like, _amazing_.”
“Pfft. What’s with that reaction?”
She had the air of someone about to start headbanging mid-solo while playing, but the moment she finished, she went right back to being calm, quiet Nozomi.
Can a person really have _this_ much of a gap?
Snapping out of my daze, I started clapping, watching her giggle softly at my stunned expression.
This kind of performance deserved a standing ovation from a huge crowd… but since I was the only one there, my clapping was a rather lonely little _clap clap clap_.
“Ahh… it feels so refreshing to play guitar again after so long.”
“…Hmm.”
“Is there something you want to ask?”
I hesitated, wondering if I should say it or not…
It was something I’d been curious about, but asking felt like it might be rude.
Ugh, seriously… is it okay to ask?
“You want to ask why I quit, right?”
“Ah, yeah. It’s just… it doesn’t seem like you practiced for just a day or two.”
She once told me that in high school, all she did was study. So that meant she must’ve started music after graduating—but to play like _that_? That wasn’t something you could pick up in just a few days.
Even someone talented wouldn’t be able to perform like that without serious practice.
She once said she got into music because of Toya, and maybe that’s how it started—but the time and effort she put into it had been _real_.
“My parents wanted me to stop. Unlike my sister, I didn’t leave home to pursue music. And singing and playing guitar in a house without any soundproofing is… kind of disruptive.”
Music doesn’t exactly guarantee income either.
There was a tinge of bitterness in Nozomi’s expression as she said that.
It was the kind of look people wear when they’re forced to let go of music because of real-world limitations.
It reminded me of the expression Toya used to make, back when I was still Han Yeoreum and she’d talk about the old days.
They weren’t identical, but the resemblance was undeniable.
“I guess I didn’t want to leave home too… I felt bad for my parents. And to be honest, I never really had strong feelings toward them. They didn’t even oppose it that much when I got into music—definitely not like they did with my sister.”
“I see…”
“If I’d started first, maybe I would’ve been the one to leave home instead of my sister.”
“And in that case, it might’ve been _you_ who became a VTuber, not Toya.”
“Oh? I guess that’s how it would’ve turned out.”
Nozomi smiled gently at the thought, and I smiled back.
Just a single step in a different direction—yet that one step made all the difference between Toya and Nozomi.
“But I think… meeting this way is better. Manager and talent—it feels kind of like fate, don’t you think?”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
I nodded at her warm, beaming smile.
A VTuber and their manager—it’s a much rarer relationship than most.
Who knows what the future holds, but for now, I decided to treasure this time with Nozomi.
Because those “what ifs” had nothing to do with what really mattered now.
—
**[If you translate Yukitoki to Korean, isn’t it just “Snow Bunny”?]**
**[(Attached: Pic of Toya with glowing red eyes saying she once met a snow fairy)]
Yukitoki is obviously the channel owner’s twin, 100% confirmed**
↳ [Come on, that’s ridiculous lol]
↳ [Why does “Yuki” get translated but “Toki” doesn’t? LOL]
↳ [Selective translation strikes again: “Snow-Toki”]
↳ [How could Yukitoki be Han Yeoreum’s twin? Their voices are totally different]
↳ [Maybe they’re using a voice changer?]
↳ [Why _would_ she use one when her natural voice is already a cheat code?]
↳ [To _hide_ how good it is, obviously]
↳ [There’s literally no reason to do that though lol]
↳ [One thing’s for sure: Yukitoki is adorable]
↳ [+1 agree LOL]
↳ [(Yukitoki = Natsu?) Copium]
↳ [When did that meme even start LOL]
↳ [(Natsu ≠ Han Yeoreum) Copium]
↳ [She IS Han Yeoreum though…]
↳ [At this point, does this meme even mean anything anymore?]
**[Toya’s 1 million subscriber celebration live is TOMORROW!]**
**[(Attached: Pic of a porcelain doll blushing and bonking its head)]
If I knock myself out and lose my memory, it won’t count as a day passing, right?
So if I keep bonking myself and forgetting, I’ll _only_ be one day away from Toya’s million celebration FOREVER!
Every day, I’ll wake up excited for it… again and again and again…
I’m gonna bash my head until eternity becomes one big pre-party!]
↳ [What kind of pamphlet is this ;;]
↳ [This guy’s totally a dark templar]
↳ [I thought the madness ended but it just keeps escalating LOL]
↳ [↳ Only weirdos left as time goes on LOL]
↳ [This dude… has finally lost it…]
↳ [But why’s the hype so high all of a sudden?]
↳ [↳ Because Nacchan might show up, duh]
↳ [↳ If Nacchan sings at Toya’s live, of course people are gonna lose it]
↳ [↳ Nacchan is god-tier, she’s invincible…]
**[If you’re hoping to hear Nacchan sing at Toya’s live, smash that like button LOL]**
↳ [Already did LOL]
↳ [(Natsu: V-Spe’s True Queen)]
↳ [Bow before the queen of V-Spe!]
↳ [Usually takes three days but she’s back in one LOL]
↳ [Did Han Yeoreum just unify Korea?]
↳ [Glad it’s just a cold and not something serious]
↳ [↳ In that case… all-nighter stream, let’s go?]
↳ [(Natsu: The Queen Has Returned)]
↳ [↳ Isn’t Toya the real queen of V-Spe?]
↳ [↳ Judging by everyone’s reactions, seems like we have to admit Nacchan is the true queen…]
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