Chapter 188: Lulu-chan’s Original Song Has Been Released!

Яҽаⅾ өη Ка​ｔЯｅаԁί​η​ģĊаſҽ

The fans present at the venue were all utterly shocked.

Some were surprised simply by Lulu’s appearance, but what amazed them most was the fact that Lulu was having a real-time conversation with everyone there.

『Wahh, by the way, everyone looks so pretty in their outfits! Somehow, you all dressed up even fancier than me, the birthday girl…』

It seemed she could see the venue through the camera. Lulu glanced around at the outfits of the gathered Star Pieces and complimented them. Not to be outdone, one Star Piece shouted passionately:

“Lulu-chan, you’re so cute today too!”

A remark that seemed to speak for all the Star Pieces. Everyone watching the screen nodded in unison.

It wasn’t an empty compliment—Lulu was unbearably adorable right now. Even her usual avatar was plenty cute, but seeing her in 3D, fluttering around in a frilly dress inside a room-like space, her loveliness was beyond words.

『I-I told you not to say I’m cute! Uuu, but since it’s my birthday, I’ll let it slide.』

“That reaction is cute too!”

『Nyaaaa!』

Of course, true to form, Lulu threw a fit at being called cute. But the Star Pieces—or rather, the cherries—had seen this side of her countless times. Seizing the moment, they teased her even more fiercely, prompting Lulu to let out a sound like an angry cat.

『By the way, how was the birthday café? Did you all have fun?』

“Yes!”

“It was so much fun!”

“I wanted to steal the posters, but I held back!”

『Heehee, right? The artists worked really hard on them! All the goods handed out today were newly illustrated and printed too!』

Whether it was Lulu, happy to see the Star Pieces, or the Star Pieces, overjoyed to see Lulu, everyone was having a blast.

The lively chatter continued for a while.

『Is anyone here who came from really far away?』

“Me! I came from Busan!”

“Jeju Island here!”

“I’m from Italy!”

Amid the conversation, Lulu suddenly asked out of curiosity. Many raised their hands, but one unexpected case stood out—a Star Piece who had flown all the way from Italy, a journey that took half a day.

『Whaaat?! I-Italy?! No, I was surprised by Busan and Jeju, but Italy?! The plane tickets alone must’ve been so expensive…!』

“It’s fine if it’s to see Lulu-chan!”

『Gasp… T-thank you so much. Really. I never imagined so many people would come from so far away to celebrate my birthday… I’m so happy, truly.』

Overwhelmed with emotion, Lulu bowed her head in gratitude. In response, everyone at the venue shouted in unison:

“We’re the ones who are grateful!”

“Thank you for being born, Lulu-chan!”

“We’ll love you forever!”

Their words were uncoordinated but full of sincerity. Watching them, Lulu felt a lump in her throat but forced herself to smile.

There was still a lot left on the schedule, and she had promised herself she wouldn’t cry in front of the fans today. She resolved to only show her happiest self from now on, especially for the upcoming song.

『Thank you…! I’d love to talk more, but I think it’s almost time to start the stream.』

“Nooo!”

“Don’t go, Lulu-chan!”

The Star Pieces clung to Lulu as she waved goodbye, but deep down, they all knew.

Today was Lulu’s birthday and the commemorative release of her first original song. Only a handful of people here could share this memory with her, and at 4 o’clock, she would have to return to start the stream.

But knowing didn’t make the disappointment any easier to bear, so they pleaded with her one last time.

『Ehehe, sorry. But the memories we made here today are our little secret, okay?』

Apologizing, Lulu leaned close to the camera, covering the side of her mouth with her hand as if whispering a secret. The entire venue collectively gasped.

“Gasp…!”

“She’s lethal!”

“This is a dangerous axolotl!”

『L-lethal…?!』

Who else could be such a dangerously lethal axolotl but her? Her fan-teasing skills had reached their peak. It was almost infuriating, but everyone there knew there was no escape now.

“See you later, Lulu-chan!”

“We’ll catch you soon!”

“We’ll listen to your new song properly!”

『Okay! Thank you, everyone! See you on the stream—bye-lu!』

With that, they reluctantly waved her off. Lulu waved back, and the screen changed—revealing the MV for her new song, now just five minutes away from release.

Not even a few seconds later…

Ding-ding! Ding-ding!

“Huh?! Lulu-chan started the stream!”

“Oh!”

Notifications popped up on the Star Pieces’ phones as Lulu went live. The MV playing on the screen shrank to the bottom-right corner, replaced by Lulu’s livestream taking up the main display.

『Helloo, everyone! Thank you all so much for coming today!』

On stream, Lulu wore a party hat fit for a birthday celebration, shaking excitedly as she expressed her gratitude to a viewership three times larger than usual.

Watching this, the Star Pieces at the café felt a quiet sense of superiority. They alone had just shared a cozy chat with Lulu—it felt like they were now friends sharing a secret, just as she had said.

『Actually, there’s so much I want to say to the Star Pieces right now, but I’ve put it all into the song! Please enjoy it to the fullest!』

“Whoooa!”

“Let’s gooo!”

“We’re in, we’re in!”

With the birthday celebrations temporarily postponed, the screen shifted once more. Lulu’s first original song was finally unveiled to the world, and those watching at the venue erupted with excitement, typing out reactions as if in a live chat.

“5! 4! 3! 2! 1…!”

♬~

Like the tolling of a New Year’s bell, everyone shouted the countdown in unison. And as it reached zero, the once pitch-black screen burst into light—as if echoing Lulu’s heart.

The song began with a bright, refreshing melody, and the MV matched it with soft pastel tones. In it, Lulu was running desperately, reaching out for something.

“The words you once spoke to me…”

“Now I realize, and I’m running to you.”

“The story I wanted to tell you…”

“It’s a little late, but will you listen?”

With her signature voice—bright yet carrying a maturity beneath its youth—Lulu guided the mood, her tone rising alongside the instrumental. On screen, she sprinted forward, grasping at a distant light with her hands.

Then the scene shifted.

A slightly somber atmosphere took over. Peeling wallpaper, crumbling furniture, and Lulu sitting alone on a bed, staring blankly out the window—as if waiting for something, someone, with desperate longing.

“Alone in a room no one visits…”

“Today, too, I wait for someone.”

“Someone to reply to the letters I write every night.”

“Who could it be? Even I don’t know.”

“I just wanted anyone to answer…”

“‘Am I someone worthy of love?’”

That was it.

Lulu had always been alone.

But the loneliness wasn’t just about isolation—it was deeper. From the moment she grew aware, she’d rarely received love from others. At first, it hurt. This world where no one loved her. But eventually, she blamed herself. Maybe she was someone who couldn’t be loved.

And why wouldn’t she think that? The world was full of dazzling people. Someone like her, whose light had long faded, felt insignificant in comparison.

“One day, I realized—the answer to that question was ‘no.’”

“How could it be ‘yes,’ when the world is so full of brightness?”

In the MV, four orbs of light appeared, morphing into silhouettes. Though faint, everyone recognized them—the members of Blue LUV.

Meanwhile, Lulu watching them remained shrouded in darkness. She, too, was rendered in monochrome, devoid of color. The stark contrast drew sighs from viewers. For the first time, they glimpsed the depth of the darkness hidden beneath Lulu’s virtual persona.

“But then, one day, you reached out and said…”

“‘You’re my precious light, too.’”

“The reply to that letter had finally arrived.”

An envelope fell at Lulu’s feet, the Star Piece emblem on it glowing before melting into her chest. Color seeped into her world, her hair shifting into the familiar pink everyone knew.

Yet Lulu hesitated.

Though the Blue LUV members and what seemed to be Star Pieces stretched their hands toward her, she couldn’t step forward. Shaking her head, she clenched her eyes shut.

“But I couldn’t take that hand.”

“The me who sent those letters aimlessly…”

“Whispered to me, trying to drag me back to those days.”

Behind her, the monochrome Lulu from the bed lurked, gripping her colored self, pulling her back into the black-and-white world.

“Yet you told me again…”

“‘You’re more precious than anyone.’”

“Whenever I forgot, you whispered once more…”

“‘You deserve to be loved.’”

The light surrounding Blue LUV and the Star Pieces grew, finally snaring Lulu and yanking her free. The monochrome Lulu’s face twisted in shock as color flooded the screen.

“But, you know… I still don’t understand.”

“Is the light I have really that radiant?”

“Won’t the hand you offered me eventually fade?”

Now standing beside Blue LUV, facing the Star Pieces with confidence, Lulu’s expression still held unease.

She was conflicted.

Could she ever repay their love? Was she truly worthy of their attention and affection?

And part of her hated herself for it—for being so pathetic she couldn’t even accept the love given to her.

“But then, one day, I realized…”

“How foolish my worries were.”

“The hand you offered me had no need for such doubts.”

Watching the fans cheering blindly and her members encouraging her, realization dawned on Lulu’s face.

That’s right.

Even when she’d fallen for Blue LUV, it was the same. They weren’t perfect either. Yet she loved them more than anyone—flaws and all. To her, they shone brightest because of those flaws.

And to her fans, she was the same.

Her low self-esteem, her awkwardness with people, her occasional dishonesty with herself—all of it was part of what made her Lulu.

The moment she understood, she saw how silly her worries had been.

Her flaws didn’t need fixing. The fans who loved her had fallen for her knowing them.

“Even if I’m not cute, even if I’m a little clumsy…”

“Even if I hesitate, even if I sulk…”

“The person you loved was always me.”

The multicolored light spilled from Lulu’s body, and she gathered it back into herself.

She’d made her choice.

She didn’t need to change.

Even with her low self-esteem, even if she was awkward at being loved—that was still her. And she would accept it.

It was okay to struggle.

It was okay to be imperfect at loving herself.

She’d just stop denying that part of herself. She wouldn’t reject the love others gave her anymore.

“I’ve cast off my weak heart. I won’t hesitate now.”

“The words I couldn’t say until today…”

“I want to tell you now.”

“‘Thank you for loving someone like me.’”

“And I want to ask one more time…”

“‘Even if I’m still clumsy, even if I’m foolish…”

“Will you keep loving this me?’”

With resolve in her voice, Lulu reached toward the screen, singing the titular phrase—a love letter to her fans.

A song that laid bare her life, her growth, her heart.

The fans watching held their breaths.

A girl who’d never known love until now.

A girl celebrating her first birthday with others.

A shy love letter, a heartfelt confession—its emotion was overwhelming.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

The applause came late, lingering in the song’s aftermath. Strangely, it didn’t feel like Lulu had received a gift today—it felt like they had.

No words could capture what they felt.