Ch 58 - The Girl I Like Pt. 1

~A/N: Aaaand what do you know? I went over my schedule for 1 day...Q-Q Goddangit. I'm also getting a taste of college from Senior High. Then again, they do say Senior High School is also known as Junior College, so yeah. Can't wait to have my sleep schedule go from 8 hours to 4 hours soon ;DDD. ***These are tears of joy***

But hey, at least it's better late than never, right? Here's the next chapter y'all have been waiting for! Let's go, squarey bois!~~~

~3rd Person POV~

"Aaaand...done!" Shiro said, stepping back and seeing the whole house finished.

"Waaahhhhh!!!!" It's so pretty!" Astel said.

"Man, that was done fast!" Aruran said.

It was a simple house made out of oak wood and logs, and stone brick slabs for the roof. As for the decorations, we put a few fences, trap doors, and oak leaves. The house size was 10x16

"Are you sure about this though? This house seems rather a bit small, and it'll be a bit hard to adjust later on." Roberu asked.

"Yeah, it's fine. Trust me. This is more than enough."

"You don't need a second floor?" Roberu asked once more.

"Nope!"

In all honesty, Shiro didn't actually care how big or small his house would be. It could even just be a hut that had a small chest, furnace, crafting table, and a bed, with the hut being only 2 blocks high. However, it'd be very convenient if his home had a lot of space where he could add additional things if he needed to.

"That was surprisingly fast. Just to be sure, this is gonna be your house for the rest of the Holostars server?" Astel asked Shiro, still staring at the house with uncertainty.

"Of course. Besides, I could always change it if I needed to, and I'm just starting out. I don't need to occupy more space than needed. With that done...I think that concludes the stream, right? It's been about an hour." Shiro said.

"Ah! It's actually right on the mark!" Aruran said.

"Really? Damn, that felt fast though." Roberu snickered.

"I know, right? It felt like we only spent 30 minutes or so on the whole stream. Maybe it was because of Shiro being swarmed by zombies as we spectated on the side." Temma said, bursting out loud with laughter afterwards. It also got to the rest of the Holostars except for Shiro.

"OI! THAT WAS NOT FUN, OKAY?! Well, it was, BUT IT'S TEDIOUS AS SHIT!" Shiro shouted, chuckling a bit.

"Well, I guess we're all done, right?" Shiro asked.

"Yeah. I guess it's time to say our goodbyes. Otsukaleda!" Astel said, prompting the others to also say their goodbyes.

"Shiro on the mic, Shiro on the beat, Shiro with the heat, everybody, thanks for coming to my stream! Yeah, and you know I got the big dreams. Privates, I'mma see you all in the next stream!" Shiro clapped.

"Um...Don't you think you should just shorten that to something like 'OtsuShiro!' or something?" Astel said.

"OI! I CAN'T DO THAT! IT'S MY TRADEMARK! THAT'S MY SPECIAL GOODBYE!" Shiro retorted as the other Holostars laughed.

"Alright. Well then, everyone, goodbye!!" Astel said.

"Good night, everyone!" Everybody else said.

"Privates, look forward to the next Minecraft stream! I've got a big surprise for you all as to what my first official activity will be!" Shiro said.

The atmosphere died down to a satisfying night with a sense of loneliness lingering. Shiro wished the fun would've lasted longer, but it had to end some time, especially considering that this was Shiro's debut in the server. It did, however, mark the day that Shiro snapped from the chains that bound him in the Vtubing world and was now free to spread his wings and fly in the vast sky of opportunities.

Now, he had to bring the drinks he bought earlier and went up to Aki's room. He did promise her that they would do an off-collab and get drunk while talking about their song. Of course, since Shiro could handle his alcohol, he was looking forward to Aki getting intoxicated. However, he promised to himself that he would finish the rest of the cans once Aki was wasted.

"Aki, you there?" Shiro knocked on her door.

"Shiro-kun? Hey, you're finally here! C'mon! The stream is ready! I just need you sitting here!"

Aki grabbed him by the arm and reeled him in while closing the door quickly. Although Shiro was a good fighter, this still made him stumble a bit as he didn't expect Aki to be that aggressive.

"Woah! No rush, Aki! I mean, the stream does start now, but jeez, maybe not tug on my arm?"

"I can't help it, you know? I'm excited for it! Besides, I wanna brag to the audience about our achievements, especially how you did most of the work!" Aki smiled widely with sparkly eyes.

"Well, it's your song. I just didn't want a crappy pop song and wanted something that resonates with most people, you know? Plus, I like your voice, so just think of it as charity." Shiro scratched his head and put the beer cans down on the ground.

"Whatever, whatever! Let's start!" Aki said, getting rid of her loading screen and showing both her and Shiro's character. His character, however, was just a png file, so Aki's was the only one moving.

"Alooona! Everybody, how're you doing this evening? Hey, Shiro-kun. Introduce yourself too!"

"Ah yeah. Shiro on the mic, Shiro on the beat, Shiro with the heat, everybody, thanks for coming to the stream! Yeah, and you know I got the heat, bro. What's my name? Ishijin Shiro!" Shiro clapped.

"So! You all heard the song me and Shiro-kun released, and you all seemed to love it! I think there were a maximum of fifty-thousand viewers there?"

"Eh? Fifty-thousand? I wasn't watching, so I couldn't see it, but that many Privates and Rosetais watched it? Everybody, thank you so much! Aki worked hard on it!" Shiro clapped more.

"Hey, don't say anything embarrassing like that! YOU also worked on it very hard" Aki pushed Shiro while they both laughed it off.

Right after Aki did that, she instantly snatched a can of Chu-Hi and the sound of fizz popping out of the can was enticing Aki to get wasted, and Aki obeyed.

"H-Hey, you don't think it's too early to drink right now?" Shiro asked.

"Ah, don't worry. It's just a sip! Here, Shiro-kun! Take a sip too so we're even!"

Aki grabbed a can and gave it to Shiro.

"Sigh...you're hopeless." Shiro gave a small chuckle while doing the same thing Aki did.

"That was good, I guess. Would've preferred some rum or gin though." Shiro wiped his mouth.

"Eh? Then go buy it!"

"You wanted beer, so I just bought beer."

"Well, it's not my fault your alcohol tolerance is higher than mine!" Aki replied, making the both of them giggle.

"I guess. I'll just drink the rest of the Chu-Hi if you get too drunk."

"Okayyy.~"

While Aki and Shiro were talking about their song and had a good time chatting with the chat, there was some stuff going on behind the scenes. Girls having their little mischievous smiles behind their computer screens typing away as they exchanged their thoughts and findings on the recent events that transpired with Shiro, especially with Reine.

Subaru: Eh??? He really said that?!

Reine: Yeah! He surprisingly wants to be doted on! And he just wants a loyal girl, even if she doesn't act kind to him all the time!

Subaru: It sounds a lot like Ayame wwwwwwww

Ayame: I heard my name. What happened?

Ayame (replying to Subaru): HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT ME, YOU KNOW?!

Reine: I was thinking of Hanako, but I don't think he really sees her that way

Roboco: If what he said was true, that fits almost all the Hololivers, doesn't it?

Subaru: Maybe we should mention names near him tomorrow. That'll get him to flare up!

Kiara: Hey, guys! What's going on?

Kiara: Oh, you all are still continuing the plan to find out about Shiro's crush? I think I know something!

Subaru: Oh?

Reine: Really? Hit it, Kiara!

Kiara: GO ON THE OFFENSE!!

Reine: The what?

Subaru: ...Eh?

Kiara: Try to find out by process of elimination! Get a girl and try to see what his reactions are!

Subaru: Kiara-chan, isn't that too straightforward???

Kiara: Well, in my eyes, he's the top in a relationship. Let's get on his level and make him the bottom!

Matsuri: Hey guys, what's up?

Reine: (Replying to Matsuri): Ah, Matsuri-senpai, good evening!

Roboco: Ah, I think I got the perfect idea, guys!

Kiara: Hmm?

Subaru: What?

Kiara: Eh?

Matsuri: What's happening? I don't get the context

Roboco: Matsuri-chan! Starting tomorrow, let's try to cling onto Shiro-kun and see what his reactions are

Matsuri: E-Eh?

Matsuri: OI, I JUST BACKREAD EVERYTHING! WE'RE GONNA TRY TO FLIRT OR SOMETHING WITH SHIRO-KUN?!

Subaru: Don't you guys think it's a bit too much?!

Kiara: THAT'S THE PERFECT PLAN, ROBOCO-SENPAI!

Roboco: Yay! I also get to flirt with him once more!~

Matsuri: To be honest, I do like getting pinched at the cheeks by him. Hehehe~

Subaru: Hah?-

Reine: Wait, wut?-

Kiara: OOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I'M TELLING YOU ALL!!!

Roboco: Operation: Find Out Shiro-kun's Crush starts tomorrow!

Ayame: I just got back. What happened?

Ayame: WAIT, WHAT?! YOU'RE GONNA DO WHAT NOW?!

The conversation immediately escalated from serious girl talk to chaos from there. Of course, they already knew what Roboco and Matsuri were gonna do, but the whole night was filled with laughter, stomach pains, and crying in their side. Though, while they were chatting, Shiro was already full with an intoxicated Aki in his hands.

"Woah!! Aki, we just hit #1 in Spotify and Youtube! We've also been getting a lot of attention on Twitter. Maybe we can hit #1 too in Oricon tomorrow!"

"Really?! Yaaayyy!! Ehehe.~ Shiro-kun, thank you so much for making my dream come true!!!" Aki said as she leaned on Shiro's shoulder.

"A-Ah, yeah. Of course...G-Guys, please help me. I can't control an intoxicated half-elf!!" Shiro shouted while he and Aki laughed.

"Jesus, how many did you drink now?"

"This is my 3rd can!~"

"3RD?! YOUR ALCOHOL TOLERANCE IS LOW AS HELL, WOMAN!" Shiro replied to which Aki did a small giggle as a reply.

"Eh?~ I think your alcohol tolerance is just too high!~"

"Prolly, but East Asians have lower alcohol tolerance, you know? Still, it's just fucking 9% alcohol! HOW???"

"I'm telling you, you have more tolerance!~~" Aki said as she put both hands on Shiro's shoulders.

"H-Hey. Don't do that! We're still streaming! What do you think our gachikois will think, huh?" Shiro whispered.

"It's okay. I just wanna hug you as thanks!~" She whispered back.

"Well, do it later. I don't care if you're horny or just genuinely thankful, but it's embarrassing to do it now! Do it later, please!"

Shiro pushed Aki off gently and made sure to readjust himself while scooching just a bit to his left.

"You know, Aki may be thankful to me for making her dream come true, but she's also made my dream come true, you know?"

"Hmm? What is it?~"

"I said it back in my debut. Can you recall what my goals were?"

"Hmm...I'm sorry, Shiro-kun, but I can't recall.~" Aki giggled a bit.

"I said that one of my goals is to collab with a lot of Vtubers, and you've been a huge factor. Of course, Calli was the first and that was quite a big thing in Twitter, and I just collabed with Holostars, senpais that I've always wanted to collab with, but you were an artist I looked up to. I mean, I'mma be honest, 'Heroine Audition' was a bit 'meh' to me, but the first time I heard 'Shallys' was when I really thought you were a great artist."

"Ahaha, that's not true, Shiro-kun!~ I think you're even greater than me!~"

"It's true though. You really do have a lot of potential. I'm looking forward to your next songs. Your potential can be further unlocked, you know?"

"Eh? Then, I'll do my best!~ Let's have a collab like this again soon, eh?~"

Aki clung to Shiro's shoulder and did a slightly wavy smile while giggling. Shiro had an inclination to push her off like he'd always do if it was any other girl, but at that moment, he was just happy to receive such cheerful words from the half-elf.

"Yeah, let's have a collab again soon. By the way, is everybody enjoying the stream so far? I hope we aren't boring."

"There's no way it's boring when you're here, Shiro-kun!~"

"W-Why?" Shiro asked, making the both of them giggle.

"I mean, you've been keeping the stream alive the past couple minutes with your jokes and such, you know?"

"I'm pretty sure everybody just stuck here to see you being drunk. No, really." Shiro snickered.

"No fair!~ You like seeing me drunk?!~"

"Yup."

"MEANIE!"

Aki said, playfully punching Shiro's shoulder to no avail in attempting to hurt him. Shiro just kept laughing as if the punches actually healed his soul.

The night was quite lively and they had fun interacting with the audience, and it all soon ended with Shiro and Aki turning off the stream and camera.

"Alright, that's done. These are all the cans, and...yeah, I just need to throw this in the trash. I think that's all I need to do, really. Then I can sleep." Shiro mumbled to himself while trying to stand up, but before he did, Aki pinched Shiro's shirt.

"Oh? What's up?"

"...Thank you very much for collabing in both the song and the stream."

"Oh, of course, Aki. Just know I'm looking forward to the next collab. Hell, the next song you make, I'll stream it!"

"Yeah...and also, I wasn't able to say this on stream, but I'm hoping for the best in your future collabs with others!"

"Really? Well, just watch me, Aki. I'll definitely make the whole community proud!"

"I know you will. You're a good guy, you know? I'm sure you'll make a lot of friends."

"Eh? You think so?"

"Mhmm! You know, I've got something to confess."

"Really? It better not be too long cuz I wanna get some sleep soon."

"Y-You're brutally honest." Aki sweat dropped.

"Well...you see, most of us Hololivers shared the same opinions as the Holostars before. You were a bit intimidating."

"I get that. I used to be a cheerful kid, but the military changed me to be on guard all the time, so I give out this aura of intimidation, whether I like it or not."

"Well...so we thought you were a bit unapproachable and stuff...I couldn't even understand your rap since the subtitles were a bit too fast for me, so I didn't know if you were a really good rapper. But the recent events have shown that you're a really good guy."

"Say, I don't know if you still don't trust us, or you're still 'misogynistic', but I want you to know this. All of us Hololivers, and I mean ALL OF US, are gonna keep you company forever, even when we graduate. Just know that we consider you a part of the Hololive family. If you wish for me to die, so be it. But if you ever feel down, know that we're all ears for you." Aki added.

"Aki…"

Shiro blushed a bit and looked away while scratching his head.

"Hmm?~ Flustered?~"

"N-No. I'm just...Gagh, whatever. I heard you out, so I'll keep that in mind."

"Hehe.~ You're so cute when you're all flustered.~"

"But you're even cuter." Shiro retaliated quickly then left the room.

'Yeah, gotta get away before she teases me more. Though…' Shiro thought.

He chuckled and had a smile on his face that was luckily covered by his mask.

'I'm really a part of your family? You're all ears for me? How nice.'

Positive and happy thoughts started filling Shiro's brain as much as the usual traffic in Tokyo city, but amidst the pool of thoughts that would make him elated, there was one thought that was neutrally contemplative. Something that made Shiro still worry and kept his trust issues against women at bay.

How long would that bond last? Will it really be forever, or until a certain period in time?

~April 07, 2021 7:20 AM~

Temma yawned as he made his way to the kitchen, rubbing his head after getting just a few hours of sleep from streaming last night.

"Man, I'm sooo going back to sleep after breakfast...Oh?"

Temma noticed Shiro on the table, reading something. The cover looked like the usual anime-ish type of book with the girl's hair looking a bit white-grayish and a guy at the back of her with a suit.

"Morning, Shiro-kun!"

"Yo. Had enough sleep? You seem a bit tired after waking up."

"Can't help it. I just got 5 hours worth of sleep."

"Eh, you're a streamer. You can handle it."

"What're you reading?"

"Oh...this is from a package that was just located in front of my door that I think was sent by the staff. My mom brought me some of the books I used to read."

"Oh? Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru?"

"Yeah, it's one of the many books that was sent to me. If you haven't read this yet, I suggest you do it and just enjoy the first couple volumes, cuz it turns into a damn harem power fantasy LN in the latter part. Its world building and plot is very nice though. Like, really."

"Eh? Then, I guess I'll read that soon."

"If you want, I can let you borrow this. I was just merely re-reading it." Shiro said, handing over the book to Temma.

"I-I can't do that! I'd like to support the author!"

"It's better if you skim the first few pages and see if it's something to your taste, right? Besides, I got plenty of books in my room that I can just take out and read anyway. It's been a while since I read '33 Strategies of War'. I gotta review some of that stuff actually." Shiro chuckled.

"Man, so this is why you're smart, huh?"

"Not really. More like why I'm very knowledgeable. I'm just average, you know?"

"I doubt that. The fact that you're strong and a genius is still amazing. I can't, for the life of me, read a lot of books while doing a lot of hobbies! It tires my brain out!"

"Well, the more you read, the more desensitized you get until you then realize that you've been reading about 30 pages in an hour. Besides, don't you think time goes by too fast when you read manga? It's the same logic, you know?"

While Shiro was talking with Temma, Roboco and Matsuri went down the stairs. Although it was around 7:20 where most of the Hololivers would probably be asleep or just wake up, the two seemed rather neat, despite the eyebags from constantly staying up late.

"Good morning, Shiro-kun!" Roboco said.

"Yo!" Matsuri put her hand up.

"Yo." Shiro replied.

"What're you two reading?" Roboco asked.

"Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru. If you haven't read it yet, you should give it a try or at least read a few of its pages. It sure got me hooked after reading the first chapter of the light novel." Shiro chuckled.

"Really? I'll give it a read soon!"

"Though, first things first!!!" Matsuri said, instantly running towards Shiro.

"E-Eh?"

"Hug!" Matsuri shouted as she wrapped her arms around Shiro.

'Huh? What? Wait, what?? Why's she doing this exactly???' Shiro deadpanned into space as he tried to analyze the situation.

"Me too!" Roboco shouted and did the same thing Matsuri did.

"W-Woah! Hey, I'm trying to read here!" Temma said, getting out of the way to make room for Matsuri and Roboco.

'...What the hell is happening right now?' Shiro thought.

~Edit: I'm trying to reduce my word count from at least 5k to at least 3k just to make the chapters easier to digest, so yeah...if this chapter seems short, that's because this was around 3k when I finished it. Hopefully I can keep it consistent as well as keep up some stock chapters, squarey bois!~

~2nd Edit: I forgor to post the lyrics of Nagareboshi Q-Q. You can now find it in the auxilliary chapters, so check it there, squarey bois!~