Chapter 3 – Kagekawa Aoi: Half a Year Since Debut (1)
Mute button off!
I switched the screen from the thumbnail to the live stream and took a deep breath.
"Vtuber Agency 2D (Two-D) Scope Third Generation, Violet S. Anillum here! Can everyone see me?"
As I waved toward the camera, my avatar in the screen mirrored the motion with a slight delay.
The avatar was designed as a seventeen-year-old witch apprentice, complete with a pointed hat and a black dress with a plunging neckline—a classic witch style.
This avatar, named Violet, has been my alter ego for about half a year now.
The comments section during the live stream started buzzing.
(Hello, Illumi!)
(You're cute today too!)
(Don't forget your greetings!)
"Oh, yes, yes. Greetings! I haven't forgotten, Illumi."
This quirky greeting was part of the channel's opening ritual.
Well, I came up with it, but it got vetoed by the management.
Apparently, viewers wouldn't be able to follow it. But honestly, I thought it was cooler than the alternative.
"Thank you all for joining the debut half-year anniversary stream today! Wow, a hundred thousand viewers!? Amazing... thank you!"
I've been with the major Vtuber agency for six months now, despite various ups and downs.
"Today, let's watch highlights from past streams together! It's the 0.5-year celebration!"
(Weren't you seventeen?)
(Oh, a baby. I get it.)
"To the person who commented 'I get it'—I'll curse you to turn into a hedgehog when you wake up tomorrow."
(Eep)
(Scary)
(I'd rather be cursed as a hedgehog)
Amidst this playful banter, I began streaming the pre-selected highlight video of my debut stream.
The first clip I chose was from my debut stream.
(Uiuuishii)
(You were still orthodox back then)
"What do you mean, 'still'? I'm still the orthodox heroine, you know?"
Despite maintaining a proper and demure character, my fans quickly labeled me as an oddball.
The highlight video revolved around a topic I discussed during my debut stream: my favorite anime.
The anime I mentioned was "Galaxy Nurses."
It's a show that has left a deep impression on my soul, both back then and now.
Without that anime, I might not have pursued voice acting or become a Vtuber at all.
“’Galaxy Nurses' is great, isn’t it? When I was in elementary school, I was completely obsessed with it. It’s an emotionally charged adventure filled with courage and love for the viewers, right?”
Yeah, I was saying good things back then. I want people all over the world to watch “Galaxy Nurses.”
(You’ve been saying weird things since then.)
(There was never a period of being orthodox.)
(Isn’t that from your high school days?)
Isn’t the reaction in the comments section strange? Especially the last one. For some reason, I’m often treated as an “around thirty” (アラサー) even though I’m supposed to be seventeen according to my Vtuber persona. Honestly, I am indeed seventeen this year.
“Galaxy Nurses is about interstellar nurses who fight in fighter jets, turn into pickled radishes, and play murder volleyball! Doesn’t it give you hope to live?”
(What kind of nonsense is that?)
(Isn’t it a surreal gag anime?)
Hmm... nobody seems to get it. Sure, my friends Wataru and Haruka laughed along when we watched it together.
“In one episode, the protagonist, Ranran, was supposed to infiltrate Mercury High School for an investigation, but she accidentally defeated the gang leader and became the new leader in a romantic comedy twist. The scene where she erases the blackboard with her nurse cap was so moving that I cried.”
(Do elementary school kids really cry while watching anime?)
(Is this an age misrepresentation?)
(Good job, Misoji-san.)
(Your favorite song is from the Showa era, after all.)
(What happened to the nurse theme?)
(When you say ‘erase,’ do you mean she actually makes the blackboard disappear?)
(Ranran is supposed to be a sub-heroine, but within Violet’s world, is she the main character?)
(Yurika Shiraha’s debut work and a dark history.)
“Even though you’re all my fans, haven’t you watched Galaxy Nurses? Watch it! Right now!”
(Can I stop watching the stream?)
“It’s fine! There’s no better stream than Galaxy Nurses!”
(You said it.)
(What’s orthodox?)
And so, the half-year anniversary stream continued joyfully.
Preparing thumbnails and planning like this is part of a Vtuber’s job. Besides that, there are other tasks from the agency, as well as preparations for 3D live streams. Most of my after-school hours are consumed by Vtuber activities.
I wonder if Wataru and Haruka are watching my stream together right now. Sigh... what am I doing?
Haruka is working hard as a voice actress, and Wataru is a top student in our grade. And yet...
No, that’s not it.
My fans are looking forward to my streams. I can’t let them down.
Today, I made plenty of mistakes again. Listeners pointed out my unintentional jokes. Haruka would probably handle things better, but I’m doing my best in my own way.
Above all, Wataru praises my streams. Despite my past failures, I’ll keep giving it my all.
...But just that won’t be enough. I don’t want to be left behind by the three of us. I absolutely won’t allow it.
At that moment, I recalled an episode about another Vtuber from the same agency moving to a soundproofed space.