Ch 37 - Love Triangle

~Rewind back in March 13, 2021 1:00 PM~

~~Matsuri's POV~~

"...Ooh...Shiina-san is so cute…" I mumbled as I hid behind the benches.

"What're you doing?" I heard a voice behind me.

"WAH!" I shouted as I turned around to see a white-haired girl with blue eyes.

"...Oh, it's Fubuking. Hello." I giggled nervously.

"What're you doing here?"

"Oh nothing...just observing the students."

"Even though we're mostly girls here, that sounds a bit creepy, not gonna lie." Fubuki sweat dropped.

She crouched beside me and we both looked at the scenery of the students chatting with each other.

"Hmm...don't you think Shiro's younger sister is nice?" I said.

"Hmm? Why?" Fubuki asked.

"She's good at dancing, very cute, friendly, and most of all…"

I drooled a bit.

"She has a nice round butt." I said.

"Uh...okay?" Fubuki said with a rising tone.

"But in all honesty...I wish I could be her friend. You know, get close and get to know her more, you know?" I said as I looked at Fubuki.

"...Oh?" I said while noticing her eyes being shadowed by her bangs while looking away.

"I see...well then, I wish you good luck." Fubuki said as she stood up and went back to the Holohouse.

"Oh...o-okay…" I said as she kept walking without looking back at me.

"...Well...maybe...maybe another time, Shiina-san...maybe when I find the chance." I said to myself."

And so...it was that day. That sunday, when he said he was going to meet Shiina-san's parents. That was the time when I jumped happily when I got back inside my room.

"Oh my god! This is gonna be great! If it goes according to plan, then I can finally talk to Shiina-san!"

And what do you know? When Shiro finally came back, and I called, he accepted it! I can finally talk with Shiina tomorrow!

And so I dressed up. I wore a white top, and a red jumper dress with yellow earrings on. Of course, I couldn't forget about my makeup. I was gonna try to impress Shiina-san and hopefully she'll get along with me.

When I went down and met up with Shiro, as agreed, he wore an army green shirt, black pants, and white sneakers.

"Phew...alright, you ready, Matsuri?" He asked as I followed along with him while we walked outside.

"Yup!"

"Let's just wait around the benches until she comes."

"Hai!"

Shiro found one bench, and he told me to sit beside him.

"Hah...hopefully Shiina is okay with this." He said.

"You didn't tell her in advance?"

"Nope, but when it's me, it's usually accepted. I just need to look out for her hair color within the crowd."

"I see...oh? Here comes the students!" I said.

"...Yeah. Gotta keep a lookout on the girls." Shiro said.

We kept looking within the bustling crowd of the students as they all also looked at us and talked to each other, like their usual fangirling, and once we found that white hair with black strands, we instantly stood up, and Shiro quickly went towards Shiina-san.

"Hey, Shiina!" Shiro said.

"Hi, Shiro-niichan! What's up?" She said as her, a purple-haired girl, and a few others stopped.

"This is Matsuri. I'm sure you know her."

"Ah, Natsuiro Matsuri! Pleased to meet you, Matsuri-senpai."

"Nice to meet you too, Shiina-san! Oh, and you can drop that '-senpai' honorific. You can call me Matsuri-chan, if you want to."

"R-Really? Maybe if we get to know each other more." Shiina giggled nervously.

"Matsuri, this is Shiina, my sister, as you know, and this is Irys, one of her friends. I...don't really know her other friends, but they're all good." Shiro chuckled.

"I see...hopefully we'll get along!" I said with a smile.

"Hai! Hopefully we'll get along too!" They said.

~~Fubuki's POV~~

"Hmm..." I squinted my eyes as I looked at Shiro, Matsuri, and the ones they're talking to while hiding behind a bush.

"So uh...you all know each other. How about we go to the rooftops? Nobody is gonna check us so we can all be alone, I'm pretty sure it's allowed as long as damage isn't done to any school property, and the wind is hella breezy. You all up for it?" Shiro said.

"Yeah!" They all said.

"Aight, cool. Let's go. I'll lead the way, guys. By the way, Irys, I wanna know more about you and your friends, and Matsuri also would like to know more about you, Shiina. How about we all try to talk to each other respectively, ey? I mean, it's only for one day, and plus, we can always switch with each other. Sounds like a plan?"

"Yup!" They all replied as Shiro led them to a school building.

"Alright, let's get going!" He said.

And so...I followed them towards the building and towards the rooftop, making sure I didn't leave any obvious trail of myself as well as sneakily following them.

When it came to the rooftop, I only went up to the door. Obviously, going to the actual rooftop will expose me.

'Hmm? So what's up here?' I thought.

Remember, Fubuki...you're only doing this for Shiina-san's sake, not because of Matsuri...or something.

"So uh...Shiina-san, sorry for dragging you into this, but...ever since I saw you interacting with Shiro-kun, I really wanted to be friends with you!" Matsuri said.

"Oh really? Well...I always like thinking of my idols as just idols, but getting to know them isn't too bad either. Hopefully we can get along, Matsuri-senpai! By the way, you can call me Shiina-chan!" Shiina said.

As soon as I heard that, I groaned a bit and clenched my fists.

'Matsuri, you do know it'd be troublesome if you ever did THAT with a student…' I thought.

~~Matsuri's POV~~

"So...I guess to start off our conversation, how are you doing in school?"

"Ah, it's fine...I became the assistant of a teacher called Akame-sensei. Basically, instead of learning dances, I instead help her in teaching dances to the students."

"That's allowed?" I asked.

"Yeah! Oh, by the way, you know Tiktok?"

"Ooh, that app?"

"Yeah...I'm quite famous in it, but unlike most people that just do the challenges and whatnot ALL in the same format, I put my own twist. Ever heard of that one challenge called 'Pajama Party'? The one that goes like 'pam param param pam. Sumabay lang sa bayo, sarap sa pakiramdam. (Go together in crushing people, it feels nice.)'?"

"Ah, I think I heard that one time on Youtube!"

"Yeah. It involves the usual dance where people move their hips like this...but here, lemme show you what I did to break the usual challenge." Shiina said as she did some sexy hip movements, before finally getting her phone, and increasing the brightness to show me her 'video'.

"Hmm...?"

"This one." She tapped a video of her dancing in what looks like her room.

"...Ooh...ah, you're moving around a lot!"

"Well, that's actually how the original challenge works, but I just added my own twist to it. Ooh, I also don't just dance, but I actually sing too, and matter of fact, do know how to make music. Here, I sang a song from an artist called 'Shiloh Dynasty'. Though, I added some lyrics 'cause the original song was cut short."

"Oh? Really?"

"Yeah! Wait...give me a moment, there's a lot of dance videos I've done." She giggled.

"It's okay…"

I looked at her smiling face as she scrolled through her videos, and the synergy of her beautiful face with the sun set shining on her face makes it all the more beautiful.

'...Wow, she really is like a model of some sort...I wonder if she does modeling...?' I thought while I kept staring at her face.

"...Ah, here it is!" She said.

"Hmm?"

It showed Shiina having shorter hair, to the point she actually looked rather boyish, and she was also wearing men clothes instead of the short shorts and fit tank top she used in the video I just saw.

"Ah, do forgive my appearance here. This was when I was still a tomboy of some sort. I was still transitioning to being a girl."

"I see…"

She started strumming the guitar and she sang the following lyrics:

"Girl, come through, and let's do-~"

"What we do in your imagination.~"

"When I'm gone, show me love.~"

"Cause you're such a heavenly creation.~"

And she sang that two times.

"Oh my god, you have such a beautiful voice!" I said as I jumped a bit.

"Really? Oh, I think it's just decent." She giggled and scratched her head.

"Decent?! That's like Idol-class talent! You should apply for Hololive!"

"Funnily enough, Matsuri-senpai, I actually did!"

"Really?! I can't wait to see you in the Holohouse soon!" I said.

"Me too! Especially 'cause I'll be seeing my big brother there!"

"Yeah, yeah...say, it's hard to believe you were a tomboy at first. What made you all cute nowadays?"

"Oh? Well, I owe it all to Shiro-niichan." She said as we both looked at him talking to Irys and the others.

"You see...I fell in love with him when I first saw a picture of him from my dad's phone. After breaking up with my ex-girlfriend, I was lonely and depressed, and he filled my heart with happiness again. I turned bisexual because of him, and now...Everyday, whenever I feel sad, I just think of him again, and all of a sudden, I have huge motivation and energy to do anything!"

"I-I see...you sure love your big brother, huh?" I said while clenching my fists a bit, only enough to not make it noticeable.

"Yeah...a lot. That's why I made him a bento and dropped by the Holohouse."

"B-Bento?"

"Yeah. I don't think you were there when it happened, but I saw a couple Holostars in the Holohouse and entrusted them with my bento. It seemed he really liked the bento I gave him!"

"Huh...that's good." I said, clenching my fists a bit harder.

"...A-Anyway, do you play any games, Shiina-chan?" I asked.

"Yeah...though, not much."

"What games?"

"Let's see...I play some Brawlhalla, Chess, Osu!, Smash Bros, and Valorant."

"Apex?"

"Well...I guess."

"Oh?" I said in a weird voice.

"W-What?" Shiina looked at me and sweat dropped.

"Ah, n-nothing." I giggled nervously.

"So uh...you play with friends or...?"

"No...I always play solo."

"You think we could...play together?"

"Well…"

Shiina put her hands together and bowed a bit.

"Sorry, but I shall kindly decline it!"

"E-Eh?"

"You see...Not only do I play Apex rarely, but I also don't really tend to play with friends, so I might not be able to actually play well with you. Plus...I'm not actually that interested in Apex." She sweat dropped.

"I-I see…"

"Though, if it's Valorant, I can play together with you. Actually, now that I think about, we haven't exchanged contact details yet, right? How about we exchange our LINE info?"

"Ah, sure! At least that's something!" I said.

And so we switched numbers.

"Ah...it feels nice." I said.

"Yeah…"

"Hey, Shiina." Shiro said as he and the other girls came to us.

"Oh? Hey, Shiro-niichan!" Shiina said.

"Oh? Shiro-kun!" I said.

"Yup. You two done talking?" Shiro asked.

"Ah, sort of? We just exchanged numbers." Shiina said.

"I see...did you two get along well? I mean, me and Irys did a little chat. She's quite the talented singer." He chuckled.

"Yeah!" Me and Shiina said.

"That's great!"

~~Shiro's POV~~

"Ah, by the way, Shiro-niichan…" Shiina said as she did a gesture with her hand, letting me crouch just a bit.

"Hmm?"

"Did any of the girls confess they had a crush on you?~" She whispered to my ear.

"Y-Yeah...though, I didn't really mind it." I said quietly before I stood back up.

"I see! By the way…" Shiina said as she went to Irys' group and looked at me and Matsuri."

"Hmm?"

"You two look really good! Like you're dating or something!" Shiina said.

"Really?" I sweat dropped.

"Eh? We do?" Matsuri said.

"Well, don't take it seriously. I'm just saying...you two are really good-looking! I'm quite jealous of the synergy!" Shiina said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Ah, don't misunderstand. I don't have feelings for Shiro-kun!" Matsuri laughed as she waved her hand.

"Yeah, me neither." I deadpanned at Shiina and sweat dropped.

"Actually, Shiro-senpai, are you interested in anybody? It'd be a waste if you didn't have a girlfriend." Irys said.

"Nah...honestly, I don't think I'm interested in getting anybody right now." I said.

"Oh? Really?" They all asked.

"Yeah. I mean, with pretty faces but rather unfaithful hearts around nowadays, and especially that a relationship requires a lot of commitment, I think being single is better. Besides…"

"Even if I found a faithful and loyal woman, what's the point if it doesn't work out in the end? I mean, for all I know, that type of woman would break up with you because she's not ready to commit, or that it just won't work because of other factors. In that case, I just gotta find the right one."

I sighed.

"But enough of that love shit. How about we all go back downstairs, huh? We did kinda keep you girls up for too long, so y'all need to go back to your dorms." I said as I went past them and opened the door.

'...I could've sworn I felt a presence of some sort here. I just heard faint footsteps a while ago.' I thought.

"Besides, me and Matsuri got stuff to do. Matsuri, you're fine with it, right? Or maybe you want to chat a bit more?"

"Ah, I think it's fine! I had a great time, Shiina-chan!" Matsuri said.

"Yeah, me too!" Shiina said.

"I also had a fun time chatting with you and your friends, Irys." I said.

"Yeah! I'm glad we're able to know each other's past personas so that we can listen to each other's songs!" Irys said.

"Mhmm. Let's go." I said.

And so we went down the building, and me and Matsuri saw Shiina and the others go off into the distance as we waved at them.

"Take care!" Matsuri said and giggled.

"...Sigh, Fubuki, why were you eavesdropping on us earlier?" I asked as I looked at a tree.

"Oh? Fubuking?" Matsuri said.

"I know you're there. You can't hide from me." I squinted and groaned a bit.

"..." I saw a girl with white hair go out from her hiding spot, seeing her looking down on the ground while holding her other arm.

"F-Fubuki…" Matsuri said as she went near Fubuki.

"Fubuki, why were you there at the door earlier?" I asked as me and Matsuri came closer to her.

"...It's not fair…" She said quietly.

"Huh? What?" Matsuri said.

"It's not fair how we've had so many memories, and yet, you go after a girl who you just saw!" Fubuki shouted.

'Woah...here we go, bois! I always love me some drama!' I thought in my mind in a sarcastic tone.

"W-Wha...?" Matsuri said.

"Well, whatever! You can go and flirt with her all you want! You've always been like this! Always going from one girl to another! You go from me, to Hoshikawa, then Luna, then me again, and the cycle continues! Now you're going to add another girl into the fray, and you're still this happy! WELL, SCREW IT! IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, THEN I AIN'T STOPPING YOU!" Fubuki screamed as I saw tears going out of her eyes.

Me and Matsuri widened our eyes from the sight of a normally happy fox girl to an angry beast.

"GRR...!!!" Fubuki looked away, closed her eyes, and ran away, still having audible sobs.

"F-Fubuki…" Matsuri put her hand out as she tried to reach for her in the distance, before letting it down slowly.

"...Matsuri." I said as I clenched my fists as my eyes were overshadowed by my hair.

"H-Hmm?"

"...Is it true?"

"..."

"Is it true you go from one girl to another girl? That's not a joke you do on-stream, but rather, it actually is something you do in real life too?"

"..." Matsuri kept looking down as her eyes were overshadowed by her hair while clenching her fists.

"...Goddammit." I said in English and started running towards where Fubuki was running.

'Agh, drama after drama, helping people after people, and it's just the same shit! Goddammit, as much as I signed up for this shit, why can't they just talk it out?! I hate the stages of grief!' I thought.

Then again...when it comes to these types of girls, they're more emotional and very attached.

"Argh! She went behind the Holohouse!" I groaned to myself.

I stopped and saw her kneeling and putting her head on her knees while sobbing, like a child having a silent tantrum for not getting candy.

"F-Fubuki-senpai!"

"W-Wha...? L-Leave me alone!" She said as she stood up and faced her back against me.

'...MOTHERFUCK-'

"Oi!" I ran towards her and leaned forward as I grabbed her left wrist and we both stopped.

"Let me go!"

"Goddammit, Fubuki! We're adults, right?! Try talking it out with Matsuri! I'm sure it's just some sort of miscommunication!"

'Even though it kinda isn't, but hey, maybe Matsuri finally learned her lesson...?' I thought.

"Who cares?! I've always seen her like this! She's always scolded, and yet, she relentlessly goes from girl after girl after girl after girl! I should've went away, but noooo! I just kept forgiving her, hoping that maybe she can finally settle on one! It doesn't have to be me, even though I still kept my feelings true, but screw it! I won't come back to her anymore!"

"Argh! People always say that, yet they always come back for more! Just settle down, and talk it out! I know you can reason it out with her!"

"And how would that work, huh?!" She asked as she stopped trying to escape and faced me while getting rid of my grip.

"She's always been the type of person to do what she wants! She just wants more and more! Even after getting a girl to swoon for her, she goes after another! She's not even taking care of herself well! Her bed sheets are so messy, she's not practicing proper hygiene, she's not eating 3 meals a day, and yet, she's still on the hunt!"

"Aren't most people like that though?"

"Eh?! Cheaters?! Of course!"

"That's not what I meant!" I shouted.

"...Huh? Then what is it, Shiro-kun?! What is it, Mr. I-had-two-ex-girlfriends?!"

"As much as we're adults, we're still kids at heart. We have shit we can't change easily because of habits and personality. And besides, isn't that all of us? We all want what we can't have! That's human nature! I'll agree Matsuri has always been the type to do what she wants, but think about it more as a whole instead of just focusing on the specifics!"

"Hah...Matsuri's done a lot for you all, right? Although she's always been that type, you can't deny the fact that she's actually helped you all, and is even a good friend to have. Matter of fact, because you had feelings on her, not only is it on Matsuri herself, but even you! I know how hard it is to lose feelings, but I know you still love her! I don't care in what way, but I know you still care for her! Isn't that why you always wanted to scold her so that she won't do the stupid things again?!" I continued.

"To hell with that! How would you even know how I feel?! You've never tried to talk with her!"

"And you're currently angry! Emotions are getting in the way of your judgment!"

"But if I do, she's just gonna do it again!"

"And what?! She'll finally learn after seeing how much it actually hurts the other person, like now! So shut up and let me get Matsuri!"

Me and Fubuki panted after our short argument that seemed like it took forever. I grabbed her left wrist and stood straight.

"Anyway, come here! Let's go back to Matsuri! ...Oh wait, there she is." I sighed relief when I turned around and saw Matsuri looking down on the ground while facing us.

"Matsuri, Fubuki's here, c'mon, you two talk it out and clear the miscommunication-"

"Fubuki's right…" Matsuri said.

"Eh? What're you talking about?"

"I-I just really am arrogant and selfish, aren't I?" She clenched her fists.

"Well, that can change now! Here, Fubuki's right here, so-"

"But how can I?! She's right! No matter how many times people talk me out of it, I always go back to my old ways!" She said looking at me with tears in her eyes.

"IT'S ALWAYS BEEN FUCKING HARD TO BREAK OLD HABITS! ONLY YOU CAN CHANGE IT! 'THIS' CAN BE THE LAST TIME YOU CAN DO IT IF YOU JUST TALK IT OUT AND DISCIPLINE YOURSELF!"

"BUT I CAN'T FORGIVE MYSELF! I'VE ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS, AND 'THIS' CAN'T STOP UNTIL I REALLY SUFFER ENOUGH DAMAGE! I'M JUST A SELFISH WOMAN THAT JUST WANTS WHAT SHE WANTS, NO MATTER THE COST! I'D RATHER NOT HURT OTHERS ANYMORE, SO I'LL JUST AVOID YOU ALL FROM NOW ON, ESPECIALLY FUBUKI!" Matsuri shouted before turning away to attempt to run.

'...GODDAMMIT, HEADACHE AFTER HEADACHE! SHE'S NOT GETTING THE POINT!' I thought.

"GRAGH! NO!" I said as I caught her wrist to stop her from running.

"Let go of me...!"

"You two are adults, right?! Goddammit, just talk it out!"

"Well then, if you're not gonna talk it out, then I'll just go back too!" Fubuki said as she also tried to run away from my grip.

"Goddammit...! This is not a fucking tug of war!" I said to myself in English.

'I need to break their goddamn focus and get their attention! Guess I gotta strip my dignity and say something really stupid right now!' I thought.

"MATSURI, FUBUKI! I LOVE THE FRUIT BANANA BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME OF THE COLOR BLUE!"

"...E-Eh?" They said as they looked at me.

"Gagh...finally, I got your attention." I said as I pulled them together by crossing my arms and letting their wrists go. Once that was done, I chopped their heads.

"OUCH!"

"Sigh...look, I know you two are really frustrated and you're mentally breaking down, but you've gone through this a lot of times, haven't you? Besides, you're Hololive! You've gone through ups and downs together! You're also 1st gen, aren't you?! No matter the fight, you forgive each other in the end! So tell me, why can't you two talk it out anymore?! It's not that different from before, is it?!" I said.

"It's because Matsuri can't learn from her mistakes!" Fubuki said.

"It's because it won't work!" Matsuri said.

"Bullshit. Everybody can learn from their mistakes." I said.

"Then why hasn't she changed, despite the years?!" Fubuki said.

"Now would be a very good lesson for Matsuri." I said, looking at Fubuki.

"E-Eh?"

"Matsuri, the last thing you'd want is to break the bond with one of your genmates, right?"

"...Yeah." She said, looking away.

"You've seen how much this love shit breaks relationships. The best teacher is yourself, and if you yourself has seen how much this damage has caused, then it will serve as a lesson for your lifetime, showing you that love is not an easy thing to invest in, whether it's a joke or not."

I turned from Matsuri to Fubuki.

"Fubuki, I know deep inside you still love Matsuri, no matter how many heartbreaks she's done. I know it, and especially when I know how Hololive works. You wouldn't break away because of something as stupid as this."

"...I guess so."

"So...how about you two talk it out? Just a small one-to-one talk. You may not know it, but it even hurts me to see good friendships break just because of some bullshit like this. Hell, it might even hurt others aside from your generation. I can leave you two alone after this, but I just want to know if you two are REALLY gonna talk it out."

"..." They both looked at each other.

"...I guess I can do it." Fubuki scratched her cheek.

"M-Me too…"

I sighed.

"Well...as far as I see it, I don't think you two are lying. I'll let you two talk in private since this is quite personal. Now go. I don't care where you two will talk, but all that matters is that you two can find a place for it."

"...Matsuri, want to talk in my room?" Fubuki asked.

"That's fine for me..." Matsuri replied.

I didn't notice, but I felt a faint smile underneath my mask, seeing the two finally stopping their own little tantrums.

"Well, I guess we're all going back to the Holohouse regardless. I'll walk you two inside."

"Sure…" They said.

And so, we walked back to the Holohouse. I looked behind me as I walked to my room, seeing the two go up to the second floor where the Gen 1-3 rooms are located.

'I hope they really do make up...I know Matsuri is fucked up in that field, but I know deep inside it hurts her more to see people go away because of her than the others.'

What complexity...but then again, I guess that's why I have trust issues.

~~Matsuri's POV~~

"So uh…" I said while looking away.

"Yeah…" Fubuki said while also looking away.

The room was spacy yet it felt tight, the atmosphere felt light yet it was heavier than earth's gravity, and our bodies felt relaxed yet our minds were tense.

'Fubuki's in the same situation as me here...we don't know how to start the conversation...I guess that's ironic for us girls, seeing as we always have 1-2 topics in mind to start one…' I thought.

"You know what? I'll start the conversation first." Fubuki sighed.

I turned to Fubuki to see her look me in the eyes. Her eyes were fierce and solid yet it also felt melancholic.

"Why did you go after Shiina-san? Shiro-kun's little sister?"

"...I don't know."

"...Then tell me...why do you keep going from one girl to another?"

"...Who knows?" I chuckled.

"I'm such a menhera, aren't I? I first thought I wanted to find true love, but...I guess, in the end, it's just me wanting what I want…"

"I've always been such a selfish person. Selfless, yet selfish. I always help others, in exchange, I monopolize them for my wants…"

"I know my life is in shambles, but even then...I just keep going, hungry for more...and I want to stop...but I just can't do it for some reason...everyday, I tell myself that I already have what I want, but...something...there's just something that makes me want to have everything!" I clenched my teeth and fists.

"...Idiot." Fubuki said before she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"...Eh?"

"Don't you know you already have everything you wanted?! Love, money, fans, fun, they're all in front of you! I've always loved you that way, but you never saw it! Hoshikawa-san doesn't love you that way, yet you keep pushing it! You already talked it out with Luna, yet you always want her! I don't understand you, Matsuri!" Fubuki said as she started sobbing to my side.

I didn't realize it, but my face felt warm too...but not the "love" type of warmth. Yes...this is the warmth caused by tears falling down my face. The tears of regret.

"I see...I understand now why I've been like this...for almost 3 years, I finally realized why I've been like this…"

"Sob...what is it?"

"...Instant gratification...That's why I've been so selfish until now...!" I hugged Fubuki back and started crying.

I wanted to feel the pleasure of falling in love again. That feeling where your heart flustered whenever you think of that person, or when that person would come to you and you just can't explain what you're feeling. That feeling where you just can't imagine what it's like without them...no wonder I keep going back and forth, and lately, been having my eyes on Shiina.

"No wonder I've been going for Shiro-kun's little sister...I can't deny the truth anymore. I fell in love at first sight." I hugged Fubuki tighter.

"...You idiot!" She hugged me tighter too as we both cried more.

The room finally felt as free as it actually is, the atmosphere felt light, and both our bodies and minds relaxed.

"...I'll stop this toxic behavior at once. It's been causing too much pain, and I finally realized how you felt...!" I said.

"...T-Thank you…" Fubuki said.

I should've realized it sooner...but thanks to this realization, from here on out, I'll try my best to see the long-term effects, instead of wanting what can give me short-term satisfaction!

~~Shiro's POV~~

"Hah...making lyric videos for all four songs is hella tiring. But hey, once this finally comes out, I can get me moneh and keep on going with my journey as being Holostars' V-rapper." I chuckled.

"Goddamn, I deserve a break! Gotta make myself some dinner now." I stretched and stood up.

"Shiro-kun...?" I heard through the door.

"Oh? Matsuri? Wait, lemme open the door!" I said as I grabbed my mask off the hook and unlocked the door.

"Hey!" She said with a happy smile.

"Oh? Matsuri, what're you doing here? I thought you're about to eat dinner or so since it's about evening?"

"Well...I can skip it." She giggled a bit.

"Eat properly, you fucking idiot." I said as I put my hands on her cheeks.

"Eh? What're you-AAARRRGGHHH! IT HURTS! STOP IT!" She said as I pulled her cheeks while she looked like a kid with her eyes turning into arrows and pointing to each other.

"Hah...well, I don't really give a damn since that's your life, but anyway, what did you come here for?"

"Well...I just wanted to say two things! One, me and Fubuki made up! Two…" She looked down and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"T-Thank you for letting me realize what my mistake was. I finally realized that I only cared about short-term things...I only seeked things for my pleasure. B-But now, it's changed! And I'd also like to thank you for arranging that talk for me and Fubuki."

"No worries. My only wish is for people to live peacefully with a smile. Though…"

"Wah?-AAARRRGGHHH! STOP PINCHING MY CHEEKS...!!!"

"Another punishment for not realizing it sooner."

"I GET IT, I GET IT! NOW STOP, PLEASE!"

"Yeah, sure." I said as I let go.

'...You know, now that I think about it, her cheeks are really soft...maybe I'll make her my pinching-cheek target. Besides, bullying girls are fun.' I devilishly grinned inside.

But jokes aside, her cheeks were soft.

"Well...I'm gonna have dinner now. Wanna have some? You can wait. It's just a quick cook."

"Ah, no worries! Just wanted to thank you personally! Until another time, Shiro-kun!" Matsuri said as she waved and went to the elevator.

"Ah...okay, take care of yourself." I said as I closed the door and put my mask on the wall.

"Huh...at least she learned her lesson." I said as I smiled.

"I guess, in the end, we're just kids in an adult's body, aren't we? Well, even I still have a lot to learn."

Now...time to make dinner and continue making the lyric videos for my album.