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Epilogue – The Dream of When You Were Here
On that day, Karube Gou, after sleeping some 100 years, was enlivened by the sunlight, and immersed himself in cleaning his room. He polished the floor, window, just about anything.
Actually, it’s been one year since Karube Gou spent this much effort in his morning tasks.
After finishing up cleaning the room, he took the things one by one onto the table from the cookie tin, folded it carefully, and then put them away.
— They were all Mukanae Noa’s official goods. The event limited goods. The half anniversary goods. And then the first live celebratory goods.
While putting away the goods, he watched in his mind the man that spent his time devoting to Mukanae Noa for one year.
Those were the footsteps of Noa’s fan Karugo.
It’s the self that he must keep precious to himself.
When thinking of it as medals that the Hoshigaoka School’s management gave to him, then these are the rewards from war, he thought proudly.
“Now then…….”
Gou stood up, and gazed at his laptop.
Usually, he would go to his laptop after waking up for the last year.
His body felt uneasy from trying to let go of the habit of going to his desk chair.
“…….” Reluctantly looking away, Gou turned away.
At the perfect timing, his smartphone rang.
When he picked up the phone, he could hear a lively voice on the other end of the line.
“Goooood morning! Are you awake~?”
“Morning.” Gou answered back in a refreshed voice.
“Eh, that tone of voice….. You were already awake?!”
“About two hours ago.”
“E-Even earlier than me…”
“I’m the type of person that when I decide to do something, then I’m going to do it thoroughly”
“…..” The other person on the phone formed a smile to her face, and took some time before answering. “I already know that.”
Gou got off the call, and left the room after getting ready.
The cries of the sparrows. The refreshing breeze of the morning. The morning sky was tinged in red. Taking a deep breath of the fresh breeze of the morning, Gou went out of his apartment, and at the sidewalk he was going to pass, Mina was there, as if she was waiting for him
“Good mooooorning~” Gou looked at Mina’s clear eyes.
“We’ve already gone through this routine just before this.”
“Eh, just what could you be talking about? For Mina, I think this is the first time?” Mina acted dumbfoundedly, looking up to the clear sky of autumn. And then showed a glittering smile towards Gou.
“I see. Well, good morning, Mina.”
At her way of petty greetings, Gou had no ill-will about it and played along with her.
The morning call from earlier came from the identity of Mizuyami Garnet.
The only way that this girl that came from the virtual world could contact Karugo is only within the Smartphone and electronic devices.
Having a not–so-common two-face to her is very Vtuber-like.
Mina, as the soul to the virtual world girl, saying good morning two times each morning to Karugo is something that she finds so happy. While thinking it is inefficient, a waste of time, Gou enjoys the side of her that is full of human’s kindness. That is something that fans can enjoy for an Oshi.
Walking to the train station with Mina, they entered the train car.
With good enough luck, there were seats that were open. Sitting together on the seats, Gou gazed at the morning scenery that was flashing by. Mina, while sticking close to Gou, checked the News Feed on her iPhone.
“Ah….”
“……..” Mina found something, and soon talked about it.
“It seems that there is another flaming.”
“About Vtubers?”
“Yeah,” Gou, once again, whispered into his chest.
Flaming is something that happens everywhere. Of course, celebrity gossip is one, but politics, sports, business, entertainments, and creators, including small flames, there is just too many to list. He couldn’t think how only Vtuber incidents are coming into his daily life.
Could it be because of ineptitude of management? A blunder with a viewer? Or a misconduct by the soul?
“Karugo-san…….” Mina looked with worried eyes to Gou.
As usual, the eyes were as beautiful as jewels. What Mina wanted to say, Gou already guessed it.
“Ha……. Another unfortunate Vtuber appeared again.”
Gou remembered about Mukanae Noa’s incident.
When he hears about the Vtuber flaming incident, there isn’t a single day that he doesn’t reminisce on that.
This is a community where you support your Oshi as you like in the most fun way possible. It is a kind of entertainment where you have a connection between the Vtubers and viewers that creates the first bi-directional relationship. And then viewers wish for their Oshi’s happiness, and furthermore watch the dream come true.
There is no excuse for those who want to selfishly steal and rip the dream apart.
To go against directly the business-like selling of Vtuber’s last moments, Gou finds worth in buying them. That is what he inherited from the will of Mukanae Noa—–
Gou, while watching the cars go about, said it decisively.
”I’ll purchase them.”
At the face that was full of decisiveness all of a sudden, Mina felt bewildered.
“What do you mean by, “purchasing”?”
“The last moments of a Vtuber…. I’ll purchase those endings. That is a job solely for me.”
Mina, having a complicated face, pinched her fingers onto Gou’s sleeves uneasily.
“Well,” Putting his hand over Mina’s finger, “….. There is one thing I have to do before that.”
Gou moved Mina’s hand away and raised his arm, allowing his highschool’s uniform’s sleeve to go back to normal.
“Today is the day I return to school. Going to school will give me the armor to walk on the battlefield.”
Mina narrowed her eyes, and showed a smile of relief to Gou.
“Yes ——— Congratulations on your return to school, Karugo-san!”
CClaw Translations 