Ch 69.5 - New Acquaintances, Old Faces Pt. 6.5

"Good evening, everybody! I'm Yukoku Roberu! And uh...I got a new guest which you all might have been looking forward to! His name is Ishijin Shiro!" Roberu said as they both clapped.

"Eyy! Finally, I'm on a Bar Robel stream! Roberu-senpai was definitely kind enough to invite me in here!"

"O-Oi, what the hell is with 'Roberu-senpai'? Hey, if I remember correctly, you only give that honorific to Sora-senpai, why with me now, all of a sudden? Oi oi oi, that's lowkey suspicious, you!"

"Nothing-desu!~ I just want to show my respects to my Roberu-senpai-desu!~" Shiro joked in a high-pitched manner.

"Oi, STOP IT! YOU SOUND WEIRD TODAY! HEY! FOR REAL, STOP IT!!" Roberu screamed as Shiro wheezed.

"Alright, alright. Enough joking around. Everybody! Shiro on the mic, Shiro on the beat, Shiro with the heat, everybody, thanks for coming to the stream! Yeah, haishin hajimeru (We're starting the stream). Zatsudan shiteru, Baaru Roberu (We're havin' a talk here in Bar Robel)!" Shiro clapped.

"Woah! Wait, was that a new intro? That didn't really sound like your usual intro."

"Yeah, I improvised it to fit this stream." Shiro laughed.

"Oh, that's sweet! Damn, you know, speaking of improvisation, one of the topics I wanted to talk about actually was about your freestyle ability. You know, let's get straight to the point." Roberu snickered a bit.

"So yeah! Um...first off, I guess we should ask from the rapping expert himself, Shiro-kun, about what freestyle rapping is, and how it's different from rapping! Mind elaborating on it?"

"Ah, yeah. Well...in basic terms, rapping is...rapping." Shiro said, which gave both of them a chuckle, "And freestyle rapping...oh God, should I geek out a bit, or should I simplify it for everybody?" He giggled slightly nervously.

"Ah, if you can explain it easily, then yeah, go ahead!"

"Um...you see, some people tend to misunderstand that 'freestyle rapping' is actually 'off-the-dome' freestyling, you know? Like, some people think all rappers actually think, on the fly, improvised split-second rap lines when they do a 'freestyle', and that's actually not the case."

"Eh? Really?! Wait, but I thought all rappers actually rap that good when they do freestyles? I've even actually tried to watch a few battle raps because I wanted to dig deeper about that after hearing your raps, but eh?! They don't actually think that quick?!"

"Yeah...about that, maybe only a select few, but most of them actually-most of them literally write their freestyles, to the point that they write the ENTIRE freestyle."

"WHAT?!"

"Yeah. I'm not joking. From the first line to the last line of a three-minute freestyle, some rappers actually didn't 'freestyle' it, but they wrote it."

"Eh? If that's the case, why call it a freestyle then? That doesn't make sense. That's like saying that a talk stream that has reserved topics is actually a speech stream! That doesn't make sense at all!"

"Well...the thing is, what you're thinking is what 'freestyle rapping' was back in the day, like maybe around 1980s? Around that range. Back at that time, when rappers thought of the idea, it more or less strictly meant improvised, off-the-top raps over a beat they have not rehearsed for nor have they heard of, and it could be about anything, really. You could talk about some gangster shit like Yakuza or guns, then start to rant about how you were a kid from the streets, you know?"

"And, unlike singing where it's a battle of vocals and who could hit what notes better, rapping is a battle of wits. Whoever could flow better, and make clever punchlines quicker was considered, quote-on-quote, 'the better rapper'. But nowadays, I mean...I gotta tell ya, everybody is a fuckin' carbon copy." Shiro laughed as Roberu followed.

"Like, this is probably a personal opinion, but most rappers nowadays literally have no talent in off-the-top freestyles anymore. For those who do, even then, a huge portion of them don't actually rap purely off-the-top, so they have either these 'emergency lines' where they could improvise a freestyle and go to the said lines to save face, or they literally write a whole verse." Shiro chuckled. "Besides, it's still technically called a 'freestyle' since they're rapping lyrics over a beat they haven't heard of nor rehearsed for."

"Ah, I see, I see! Damn, that's kinda funny, not gonna lie." Roberu laughed. "I mean, man. I think the viewers themselves are even confused! We never knew that!"

"Ah, honestly, even a majority of rap fans don't actually know that. For those who DO know, like me, even the most famous rappers, like Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Miyachi, AKLO, Kohh, and whatnot, actually don't purely go off-the-top."

"Eh? Wait, how do you know that? Is there like a...difference?"

"Well, you can tell by how they rhyme, and what lines they say. Have you ever listened to my freestyles?"

"Definitely. It's really good, you know?"

"Have you ever listened to freestyles done on radio and all that stuff?"

"Hmm...only a bit."

"Well, lemme tell ya something. My freestyles are definitely off-the-top because I, number one, don't rhyme consecutively always; two, I read from my chat; and three, I actually repeat punchlines, just paraphrased. Like "Ore wa saiko na saikou na rappa (I'm the best rapper that's a psycho)". Other rappers have to rap in a radio station or a stage, so they just either write to make it easier for their brains, or they remember some topics in their head."

"Eh? I never knew freestyles were that deep! I thought you all actually think that quick!"

"Yeah, unfortunately, as much as I might sound arrogant or overconfident with this, not everybody actually thinks that quick as we do." Shiro giggled. "Even then, though, I do what jazz music players would call 'licks'. It's basically like a phrase we can repeat or use. It's not like my filler words where I say, 'Shiro on the mic' or something. It's more like...what I just said earlier. 'Ore wa saiko na saikou na rappa.'"

"Ah, yeah, yeah." Roberu nodded.

"Like...how many times have you heard me say that in a Japanese freestyle? It's like one of my go-to lines everytime I see the word 'saikou' or 'saiko'. So yeah...to summarize everything, rapping is basically rapping, where you rhythmically recite lines to a beat, while freestyle rapping can go two ways: 'Freestyle' rapping, and freestyle rapping."

"Man...that was quite a history lesson, you sorta lost me there." Roberu said as the two laughed hard.

"Though, that was quite a thing! No wonder you're considered one of the best rappers right now! You even know your history books!"

"Ah, nah nah. Although not everybody knew that rappers actually lowkey write their freestyles, this is more or less common knowledge among the hip-hop community."

"Still, to really go in-depth about it. I feel like you could talk more if the time permitted it." The two started laughing again.

"Well...with that out of the way, how are you settling in the Vtuber community? Are you getting comfy? Is there something bothering you?"

"Erm...gotta be honest, I'm getting hella comfy, not gonna lie." Shiro chuckled. "I mean, my fanbase more or less solidified, and I'm quite glad to have such a supportive fanbase full of people who come to watch me play games, listen to me freestyle, and especially stream my music."

"Definitely seems like it. I mean, you've been acting a bit too unhinged lately." Roberu said as they both laughed. "Like, you really like to troll with fellow Holostar members and such, and even did some sexual innuendos, like dang, our new kouhai is getting too comfy in here." They laughed even further.

"But that's a good thing! That's good. I mean, you plan on releasing more music and such, right?"

"Yeah, definitely. I wanna make more music that people can listen to, and further improve my craft, you know?"

"Speaking of music, what other goals do you plan to achieve? Like, what do you wanna look back on a year or two from now?"

"Hmm...well...number one, I wanna do some huge musical feats and be considered one of the greatest rappers, that's one. I also wanna collab with as many Vtubers as possible. That's not just Hololive or Nijisanji, or other famous companies, but also some independents."

"Ah, I see! Those types of ambitions, huh? Well, your schedule is sorta packed with collabs right now, so I can see the determination for that, at least. Though, while on the topic of collabs and music, which Holo members would you like to collab with for making songs?"

"Well...truth be told, I'd like to do everybody, but the ones I'm looking forward to the most are Calli and Suisei."

"Calli-chan and Sui-chan? Damn, you're hardcore! I wouldn't even dare approach them, but you would go that far? Wait, actually, didn't you just collab with Calli-chan in your 'I'm The General' song, as well as 'RED'?"

"Ah yeah. Though, by that, I mean like future songs with Calli. I really think me and her could make a masterpiece of an original song."

"Man, when I think of you two making an original song, I feel like nobody could really top it if they tried! That's like a guaranteed #1 Japan Billboard hit, I'm not gonna lie!"

"Ah, nah nah nah. I don't think that's gonna really reach the number one spot, but yeah, I really want to make some masterpieces with her. As for Suisei...You know, I once saw her because she taught Shigure Ui how to play tetris. At that time, I didn't even know both of them, but especially Suisei."

"And so, I was like, 'Ah, a talented tetris player, I see.' But little did I know that, when I saw her song, 'Next Color Planet', MY GOD, I WAS FRICKIN' CAPTIVATED, YO!!" Shiro shouted as Roberu laughed a bit.

"Like, DAMN! That voice was so heavenly! She's got one of the most amazing voices on this planet, no cap. Seriously, after that, I looked at her older songs, 'Tenkyuu, Suisei wa Yoru wo Mataide' was my most favorite. I mean, I love 'Next Color Planet', I won't lie. The novelty I felt from it was so irreplaceable that it just holds a special place in my heart, but Tenkyuu is just right there at the core, bruh."

"Jeez, you got quite the description for Sui-chan. Are you sure she's not your oshi?"

"Ah, no no. She is one of my main inspirations, however. She literally is the reason why I took vocal lessons and took singing seriously. Like, I refused to believe that she had that heavenly voice all along, so I thought that, since she had a godly voice, I wanted to get something similar to that. You know how you get into certain interests because of somebody you admire or look up to? Yeah, that's the same thing for me. One day, I wish to make a song with her."

"Ah, so she's a major inspiration to you? That's quite new! I never heard of it! That's quite nice, actually, taking up singing so you could try to be like her. Real nice. Though, are you really sure she's not your oshi? Like,-" Roberu snickered, "-you seriously talk about her with such energy!" Roberu laughed as Shiro giggled.

"Ah, no. She really isn't my oshi. Ayame is my oshi. Nakiri Ayame, not Hoshimachi Suisei. Honestly, I never really...got the concept of "kami-oshi' and 'oshi'. Like, I get it, but personally, I don't like using it."

"Reason being is that, it splits three types of people. There are kami-oshis, oshis, and just idols. For me, it kinda resembles favoritism, and-for those viewers here who have oshis and a kami-oshi, you do you, I'm not judging, okay? You're free to like who you like. Me personally, though, I don't like it that way. That's why I only have very few oshis; as of now, I only have one. It's so that I can still look up to other idols, and treat them all the same. Sure, I talked about Suisei energetically, but that doesn't mean I don't talk about the other Holomembers lower. I love everybody."

"Hmm...that was quite an elaboration. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Even I have my own oshis and kami-oshi, and, hell, I don't think it's favoritism, but if that's how you view it...Why not? I mean, as long as you support your idols, it's fine, right? Besides, I don't really want you to prove your love for Ayame-chan by going on a 1000 word essay." Roberu laughed, making Shiro laugh in turn.

"But yeah, that's how I feel. Will I make Suisei my oshi sometime? Prolly, but until then, she's just an idol I look up to in my eyes that I support just like anybody else."

"Though, soon enough, I'd also like to do other things! Like, get on a TV show, do voice acting for an anime, write a novel, and a few other things too. For now, I wanna focus on my music career and such before I get to invest my time in other fields."

Roberu nodded. "Man, we've been on a blast with the topics! Let's move on to some more!"

Roberu kept on going with the topics he listed on his computer screen as Shiro answered accordingly, and they kept going for a good twenty minutes. One topic Roberu stopped on was related to Shiro's past.

"So uh...I've been wondering. When you talk about the army or being a soldier, it's generally sorta sad and stuff, but...are there any good memories or funny memories you remember back then?"

"Hmm...Oh shit, I just thought of it just now-" Shiro said as he bursted out laughing, holding his stomach and going away for a bit.

"E-Eh? What happened?" Roberu asked as Shiro came back.

"Oh man. I remember one time I fought butt-naked." Shiro said as they both guffawed.

"WHAT?! WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU BE FIGHTING BUTT-NAKED?!"

"HEY, LOOK! You see, I was deployed in the Philippines at that time. We were in the jungle. If I remember correctly, it was...actually, I shouldn't say the place, don't wanna share some confidential information accidentally, but at that time, I was around Sergeant First Class."

"It was my turn to do the laundry...Because we've been there for a few weeks, right? And, some people had to take turns doing some chores. For me, I had to do the laundry. And I was done hanging the clothes, right? After that, I decided to go skinny dipping at the nearby river."

"SKINNY DIPPING IN THE NEARBY RIVER?!"

"Yeah." Shiro laughed hard and slammed his desk. "Well, you know that I mean taking a bath with that, but that just sounded funnier. Anyway, in the middle of me enjoying my time with the cold ass water, I literally hear gunshots out of fucking nowhere, and I saw a couple Filipino soldiers come at my direction and scream, 'They're here!'"

"As a soldier, you have to be alert. You can't just go, 'wait wait wait, time out, dude. What the hell do you mean by that?' Before you even finish the sentence, your head would've been blown by an enemy or something, so you gotta act quick. At that situation, even though my pants and shirt were nearby, I literally ignored it, went straight for my guns and knife, and went to help the others. So basically, I ran uphill from the river to the base, and while my bratwurst was slapping against my stomach and legs, I had to engage in combat, give orders to PRIVATES with my PRIVATE PARTS out in the OPEN, and suffer being teased by them IN THE MORNING AFTER THE GUNFIGHT WAS OVER." Shiro ended with Roberu guffawing even more to the point he stood up and walked away to regain his composure.

"Oh my God...I can just imagine like a-Wait, how old were you back then?"

"Let's see...13, 14, 15-I was around 15 at that time, about to be 16 in a few months."

"I could just imagine a 15 year old just grabbing a rifle and then an enemy would just see this butt-naked kid with no clothes on, just exposed to the elements while mortars are just flying, dirt spewing everywhere."

"Oh yeah! Mortars! I WAS BUTT-NAKED ON THE BATTLEFIELD WITH MORTARS GOING OFF! WHAT THE FUCK, MAN?!" Shiro remarked as Roberu wheezed.

"Jeez...and you kept that up till the morning?"

"Ah, no. Thankfully, a Captain from the Philippine Rangers came and told me to dress up while clearly holding his laughter back." Shiro said, both laughing and shaking his head. "Man, that was an embarrassing moment, but it was pretty fun. That was a good memory to rewind back to and laugh."

"Ah...That was a good one. Damn, my stomach hurts now. Y-You really did a number on me with that. My imagination went vivid there." Roberu wheezed even more as Shiro snickered.

~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~

"You know, I've been wondering, since you're currently in Bar Robel, how do you view your senpais in Holostars? You've been hanging out with us lately, so I wanted to know what your thoughts are as of lately."

"Well...I just gotta say first that I have the utmost respect to y'all. Like, even you, Roberu, I highly respect ya." Shiro said as he clapped.

"Ah, damn, y-you can't put us in the spotlight like that! Don't jinx us, you!" Roberu said as they both laughed.

"Eh? But it's true though. I mean, you all struggled up to this point, right? Like literally, I remember how you barely even reached 90 thousand subs last December, and here you are, you have like...more than 120 thousand subs!"

"Well, I guess you got a point. We did really work our asses off, trying to get more viewers back in the day, but I'd say you were a turning point for the sudden popularity among all Hololivers right now! I mean, ever since you debuted, Holostars has been getting subs left and right!"

"Really?"

Shiro took a while to think back, and remember that most of the Hololivers really did get sub boosts ever since his debut. Hololivers were uploading specials a bit faster than expected, especially the Holostars.

"Though, even if that was the case, I'd say it's because of your efforts and hard work that you've really reeled in these viewers. I mean, like the saying sorta goes, they came for the fun, stayed for the entertainment. I really love hanging out with the Holostar senpais. Y'all just give such a good vibe, and it feels like I'm messing around with some friends! One day, I hope I get to be on the same stage as y'all as we perform!"

"Eh? I'm really looking forward to it! I mean, we finally got a new kouhai! It'd be real nice if you can get up on the stage with us once we get our 3D models! Though, you don't think management won't let you go with us? I mean, don't get me wrong, we're in the same group, but you're from a different brand, so maybe our activities will clash, you know?"

"Hmm...honestly, I have no idea. You have a point, but...we'll cross the bridge when we get there."

Roberu and Shiro kept talking about some more topics, with majority of them being trivial, such as Shiro's favorite books of all time, favorite manga and anime series, which songs from Hololive does he like the most, his favorite Japanese songs, what his other hobbies were back in his younger days, and the like.

The stream would soon end as they hit around the 1 hour 24 minute mark, running the stream's course.