Ch 66 - New Acquaintances, Old Faces Pt. 3

Members from both companies started becoming familiar with each other. Before they all knew it, time passed by fast. Shiro was not an exception to it; he was engaged with his conversation with Hoshikawa.

"You know, you're a really fun guy to hang out with! Someday, I'd like to collab with you! What do you say about an English study stream?"

"Hmm...not a bad idea. I'll hold you up to that." Shiro chuckled.

"Sweet! Hey, we should really exchange our LINE contacts!"

"Ah, yeah. Now that I realized it, we've been talking for so long, we forgot to do that." Shiro pulled his phone out.

"...Eh? It's been an hour since we all sat down!" Hoshikawa pointed at the time on her phone.

"Yeah, you're right. Guess we lost track of time." He chuckled once more.

"And...there we go! Alright, anytime you wanna chat or something, we can communicate with each other."

"Yup! Oh? Ah, it seems Mito-senpai and Sora-senpai are turning on the TV and picking up the mic! I guess right about now would be a good time to do Karaoke."

"Oh? Sweet! We all can bond over songs." Shiro chuckled.

After saying that, Shiro felt a vibration in his pocket, so he checked his phone. It was a message from Yagoo.

"You all don't need to worry about lunch. We're sending packed lunches headed your way."

Shiro felt like a huge weight went off of his chest upon hearing the news. "Thank god. I was lowkey worried about whether we had to go outside for lunch." He mumbled in English.

"What is it?"

"Oh, it was just about lunch. Are you all going outside?"

"Nope! We were told that our lunch would come here soon."

"If there's nothing to worry about, I guess we all should just enjoy our time here."

Everybody sang some karaoke songs that they could find on Youtube, and when more than half of the talents had their fill, it was Shiro's turn to grab the mic. However, as he thought of what he wanted to sing, Hoshikawa requested something.

"Ah! Shiro-kun! How about doing another freestyle?"

"Eh? Another freestyle? Are you kidding me?"

"Hey! I concur!" Rikka said.

"Shiro-kun! Let's hear you rap again!" Nene shouted.

"Yeah!" The other Nijisanji talents agreed and everybody started a chant going, "Freestyle! Freestyle!"

"Alright, alright! Jeez, I never knew freestyles were that addictive." Shiro giggled.

"It's because it's you! Other rappers are trash in freestyling! No offense, by the way." Hoshikawa laughed like a gremlin.

"Bruh, what was that laugh?" Shiro said.

"Well, if you all really wanna see me freestyle again, I want as much participation from everybody as possible! What I want y'all to do is to hold up random objects. I repeat, random objects. So whether it's a necklace, your bag, whatever's inside your bag, handkerchieves, water bottles, anything can work! Now...lemme just search that one beat."

Shiro searched for a beat called "Detonate" by Anabolic Beatz. From the title, it's already apparent that the beat sounded like a ticking time bomb.

He stood up and went to the middle of the room. "Man, I need to unzip my hoodie real quick. I just wanna feel a bit more free."

"Alright, remember everybody. Random objects. I hope y'all have some nice objects to pull out." (Shiro giggles)

"Yo, it's Shiro on the mic…ey, it's Shiro on the mic."

"...Shiro on the mic, Shiro on the beat, Shiro with the heat. Uh, check it."

"...Hajimeru, Furiisutairu rappu [I'mma start the freestyle rap]."

"Meru no you ni. Ore shiteru kapu kapu [I be like Mel, cuz I be doing kapu kapu]." (Points at Mel; Mel cheers)

"Shoumei suru, ore dake saikou no rappa [I'm about to prove that I'm the best rapper]."

"Donna mono wo miseru tsumori nanda? [What objects are they gonna show?]" (Gets Fubuki's object)

"Okay. Kore wa keitai [This is a smartphone]. Owned by Fubuki-senpai."

"Ooku kinou ga aru. Mazu wa oppai dekai wo- [It's got a lot of features. First of all, you can see-]" (Everybody gasps and laughs from the lewd bar)

"-mirareru. Demo Fubuki wa seiso dakedo. Su-[-big tiddies. However, Fubuki is seiso. With the-]"

"-maho ni tsumori miru, Hololive no bideo. [-smartphone, she uses it to watch Hololive videos]" (Goes to Matsuri)

"Tsugi, rippusutikku. Kore ga kuchibeni [Next, lipstick. This is Matsuri's lipstick]."

"Matte, shikku sugiru. Kattenai konbini [Wait, this is too chic. This don't seem to be bought from a convenience store]." (Gets lipstick)

"'Shu Uemura' tte, kono burando takai deshou? [It says 'Shu Uemura'. This brand is expensive, right?]"

"Ii sensu. Kyou mo Matsuri kawaii dayo [Nice taste. Today, Matsuri looks as cute as ever]." (Squishes Matsuri's cheeks; Everybody shrieks)

"Oi, kao dake. Kono kusogaki red furaggu [Oi, only your face. You're a goddamn red flag]." (Everybody laughs; Matsuri shouts "DON'T SCREW WITH ME!"

"Kashi wo bakuhatsu shiteru gureneedo [Lyrics are exploding like a frag grenade]." (Goes to Gundou)

"Okay. Ore wa shousha, sekaiichi reesu [I am the winner, world's best in this race]."

"Ongaku kira kira shiteru, nekkuresu [The music's hella sparkly, something like a necklace]." (Gundou shrieks and cheers)

"Gundou Mirei ka? Miseru no arigatou yo [Are you Gundou Mirei? Thanks for showing me something]."

"Ore kira kira, nekkuresu no you na ougon [I be sparkling, like a necklace that's golden]."

"Chotto, 'kira kira'? Horostaazu no Kagami Kira [Wait, 'kira kira'? Let's go to Holostars' Kagami Kira]." (Goes to Holostars; Everybody cheers)

"Sotsugyou shita, demo Kira wa sugoku rippa [He already graduated, but he's still really amazing]." (Picks up Kira's phone)

"Eh? Mata sumaho, demo Calli no e da [Eh? It's a phone again, but this has Calli's picture on it]."

"Rippa na kashi, itsumo surasshu, ore wa riipaa [Lyrics are hot, and I'm always slashing. I'm the reaper]."

"Yo. Ore nihongo de rappu shiteru kedo... [I'm rapping in Japanese, but now…]" (Goes to Calli)

"I'm rapping in English, it's pedal to the damn metal." (Picks up Calli's gold ring)

"Damn, Calli. You're girly. You held up a gold ring."

"I should prolly get on one knee and start proposing." (Kneels and puts ring on finger; Calli smiles in embarrassment; Everybody shrieks, especially Kiara)

"Hey, I'm just joking! You know I treat ya like a homie." (Pats Calli's back)

"Shiro on the mic, balling hard like I'm Kobe."

"And what about you? Ame, you got something rocking." (Picks up Ame's stun gun)

"Is this a stun gun? Goddamn, this is shocking!" (Ame laughs from the pun)

"I don't wanna mess with this, but this is good for self-defense."

"These rappers shocked to touch me like they're climbing an electric fence." (Ame drops her jaw and cheers from the punchline)

"Yeah, I be brighter than a light, you all know."

"Shiro on the mic, ore rap shiteru zone [I be rapping in the zone]." (Notices people recording on their phones)

"Ore wa kakkoi deshou? Tsuzukete bideo [I'm so cool, right? Keep on recording the video]."

"Shoumei da Holo to Niji wo danketsu shiyou [It's proof that Hololive and Nijisanji united]."

"Wait, I did JP, and EN, but ID and-" (Goes to ID)

"CN are gonna need my love and attention."

"Now, hold up. I be flowing nice with the words." (Picks up Risu's object; Risu laughs)

"Why'd you have a maxi pad stored inside of your purse?"

"Wait, hol' up. Y'all know these rappers bleeding a myriad." (Gives maxi pad back to Risu)

"I'm an alien. On point like pyramids. Period." (Iofi jaw drops and cheers loud; Shiro goes to HoloCN)

"I'm carrying the game on my shoulders. I'm damn fly." (Gets the object held by Echo)

"Holding up this thing high, we call this a hair tie." (CN cheers)

"Yo, I got iron armor, y'all are on some chainmail."

"Spade Echo done got this from Artia's pigtails."

"I should give this back. She prolly feeling weird now. Shiro-"

"-on the mic. Coming loud with the freestyles."

"Now, check it. Wait, how much time is left for me?" (Shiro gets the remote and sees the beat's time on TV)

"Oh, two minutes forty seconds since I did the free."

"I gotta speed it up. Houchi suru no hoshikunai [I don't want everybody to be left out]."

"Muyou na rappa tachi wo zettai iranai [For real, I don't need all of these other useless rappers!]."

"Shiro wa zakko na rappa? Muri yo [Shiro is a shitty rapper? That's impossible]." (Goes to a random Nijisanji member, Kenmochi Touya)

"Furoo mizu no you ni hitsuyou, suitou [My flow is like water. It's essential. Straight out of the bottle]." (Shiro shakes the aquaflask)

"...Eh? Mizu ga nai? Nanda? [...Eh? There's nothing inside? What the hell?" (Gives the bottle back)

"Matte, omae wa zenbu wo nonda? [Wait, did you drink everything inside?]" (Touya nods and laughs)

"Sugoi ne. Nodo kawaiteta no darou yo [Amazing! You must have been really thirsty, huh?]."

"Mou ikkai rappu shiteru? Hai, minna, douzo [Y'all wanna hear me rap again? Aight, here you go]." (Goes to another Niji member, Kaida Haru)

"Okay. Kami aru nara pen o tsukau kaki. Demo- [If there was paper, I'd use a pen to write, but-]" (Gives back the pen)

"-nande pen iru? Rappu shiteru atama ni kashi! [-why'd I need a pen? I can rap with the lyrics in my head!]" (Everybody cheers loud from the punchline)

"Yeah...flowing off of the head." (Goes to HoloID again)

"Shiro on the mic, letting rappers drop till they're dead. Yo." (Moona grabs Shiro's hoodie as he went close)

"Getting all the money. Grab the loot and the goodies. Moona-"

"-don't got an object. She just straight up grabbed my hoodie." (Moona laughed and pulled the hoodie in excitement)

"Black and white. I'm the freshest in the scene. Yo, Moona." (Shiro grabs her arm)

"You should prolly stop. It kinda seems obscene. In their-"

"-perspective, it's like you're tryna give me head." (Moona instantly lets go and covers her face in embarrassment)

"Yes, I'd like sex, but I'm sure that this shit is bad." (Everybody laughs; Moona says "That's not what I was doing!)

"It could get us in trouble. I know it's unintentional." (Pats Moona's shoulder)

"I'm just playing with ya. Now THAT there's intentional."

"Playing jokes, cuz these other rappers are clowns." (Checks the beat on the TV)

"Oh shit, the beat is done! Everybody, clap for the sound!"

"It's Shiro, mudafucka."

Everybody cheered even louder than the first freestyle, and some of them got out of their seats and jumped Shiro, especially the Holostar boys.

"Ey! EY! I NEED SPACE!" Shiro shouted in English.

"Ahh!! Shiro-kun, that was so cool!!" Hoshikawa shouted.

"BRO, THAT WAS WAY TOO AMAZING!!" Astel screamed.

"Yo, seriously, you need to teach me how to rap like that! I wanna do that someday!" Aruran shook Shiro side to side.

"Okay, okay! I get it! You all loved the freestyle! Now, I need space, for real. It's too tight!" Shiro laughed as they all stepped back, making him arrange his clothes from being disheveled.

"Alright, so everybody! I apologize if I wasn't able to get to every one of you! I tried to include everybody as much as possible, which is why I only did 4 bars per object, but at least I got through most of them!" Shiro said as he raised his hand.

Everybody shook their heads and told him it was okay as they still enjoyed the freestyle regardless, especially with how most of them had similar objects to pull out. Shiro bowed down and they all cheered loudly one last time for him.

"Shiro-kun! You did it again!" Fubuki exclaimed.

"I mean, they asked for it, and I delivered."

"You really need to get on TV soon! That talent needs to be recognized more! Wait, how many subscribers do you have right now, again?"

"Well, last I checked, it was around 350 thousand."

"Eh?! That was fast! When did you hit 300?"

"Hmm...It was Wednesday, so that makes it four days ago."

"Eh? That's quick! But that's not what I wanted to talk about. Imagine how many viewers you'd have if you had 1 million! You really need to be put on TV shows to showcase your talent! This is a one in a million out of all Vtubers! Matter of fact, I think you're the most capable, if not, the only one capable of doing this!"

"I'll see." Shiro chuckled.

"Shiro-kun! We'll be cheering for you!" Matsuri said.

"Us too!" Haato added.

"Heh, thanks! I won't disappoint y'all."

~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~

"Man, that was a nice lunch!" Shiro remarked.

"It's still kinda bad you weren't able to eat with us though." Fubuki frowned.

"Oh, it's fine, it's fine. I got used to it." He chuckled.

"S-Still, it bothers you that much that you can't eat out in public, right?"

"Yeah...though, I think I'll give this a few more months. It seems to be blending in well enough, so…"

Sora, Suisei, and a couple others did their girly talk as they made their way to Fubuki and Shiro. He knew more or less Sora would invite them to something.

"Hey, you two! Me and everybody else wanted to roam around and chat with you all! Wanna come?" Sora asked.

"I'd like to come! Shiro-kun, how about you?"

"Hey, Shiro-kun! How about we also take this chance to go somewhere and talk more?" Hoshikawa added.

"Erm…" Shiro looked at everybody.

"Okay, wait. Let's break it down. So, they want to invite me, a male, and if that happens, there would be ten of us. However, they are all female, leaving me as the only man within the group...I don't wanna leave Sora hanging though, nor do I wanna interfere with the boys bonding with their oshis. The others are also not here and went somewhere for a while, so..."

Of course, they weren't the only ones there. Some stayed in the building and watched TV, while others went down either to do the same thing as what Shiro was invited to do, or to buy something outside like a quick snack before going back.

"...Welp, if y'all are going, guess I'm going too." Shiro stood up and zipped his hoodie up.

"Yay!" Sora smiled. The thought of a senpai, who he highly respected, smiling made him warm inside.

"Well, I guess I don't mind if he can come too." Suisei faced away while crossing her arms.

"Wow. Still acting lowkey bitchy, huh?" Shiro blankly stared.

The ten went down, and walked outside to the bustling streets of Minato City. While they were talking, Shiro stayed back, switching his vision between the girls and the lively crowd of people within the vicinity.

"Man, it'd be nice to have a guy with me. I can't vibe at all with what their girly talk is all about."

They talked about how the other has been doing, going to the mall, planning to buy cute things, and also what milk tea they'd like right now. Shiro, on the other hand, was daydreaming of hanging out with the boys and eating some pizza while they would chat about some funny life experiences. Despite that, since he was the only male in the group, something about it seemed familiar to Shiro.

"Wait…'hanging out'...Oh."

Shiro realized that "hanging out" actually meant him becoming their baggage carrier. They were at the mall, and for the most part, they were window shopping and seeing what dresses and clothes they would buy. As if the fact that being a porter wasn't enough, he also had to nod his head whenever they'd ask if one dress looked cuter than the other.

As of now, they started drinking milk tea. Shiro didn't wanna get any since he thought it'd be a hassle to go to the bathroom just to drink, and plus he didn't wanna leave some cute girls alone that were potential creep targets. He was the only one capable of kicking ass there, after all.

"Alright, who said that this could be a chance to talk more with a certain person? Who said it? 'Cause I sure as hell ain't talking to nobody." Shiro blankly stared.

"Hey, Shiro-kun. Are you okay? Do you want a sip?" Hoshikawa asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

They all picked flavors like Matcha, Wintermelon, and Genmaicha. At least they all picked the sixteen ounce cup, because they feared getting "fat". Shiro was pretty sure they just wanted to have milk tea, but didn't want to put on too many calories. They would've just drank water if they didn't want to actually get fat.

"Hey, I feel kinda bad. Shiro-kun, do you really not wanna drink anything?" Fubuki asked.

"Yeah. I'm not craving anything, honestly."

Fubuki looked at the others, before looking back at Shiro with a smile. "What flavor do you want, and what size?"

"Eh? Oi, I just said I don't need one."

"C'mon! It's a senpai's treat! Besides, you're always giving, but not receiving! At least let one of us spoil you for once! You act too much like the big brother of Hololive that you don't get to experience being spoiled."

"Eh? Shiro-san, you don't like receiving gifts and such?" Mito asked.

"Erm...well, it's not that I hate it, but-"

"You know, Shiro-kun kept on helping the Hololivers, but he doesn't like to be helped. Hey, it's rude to refuse somebody's offer, you know? C'mon, it's okay." Suisei said, taking a sip from her Matcha milk tea.

"Eurgh, girls are so damn annoying." Shiro thought. "Well...I guess I'll have the Hokkaido flavor. Twelve ounces, please."

"Hokkaido? So you like that, huh?"

"A man is a simple being. He likes one thing, he doesn't change it often unless forced to." Shiro blankly stared.

Once Shiro had finally got his order and bowed to Fubuki once she sat down, he stood up and held the milk tea in his right hand.

"Oh? Shiro-kun, where are you going?" Hoshikawa asked.

"Hmm? Oh, to the bathroom."

"W-Why?"

"To drink."

"Eh? Can't you just drink it here?"

"Um...nah. Well, I'll see you girls in about a minute or two." Shiro waved.

"Wah? Shiro-kun?!" Hoshikawa reached out to him even though he already made his way there.

"W-Why is he like that?" Kaede asked.

"Wait, you didn't watch a clip where he talked about what's behind his mask?" Haato asked.

"Eh?" The Nijisanji girls looked at Haato.

"Um...you see, something happened, so he has, like, a scar on his mouth. I haven't seen it yet, but he only takes his mask off in places where he can be alone or if he's alone with someone he's comfortable with. If I remember correctly, it was because it brought back bad memories."

"Oh yeah! I remember now!" Hoshikawa looked to the ceiling. "Hmm...Damn, I hope he's doing okay. It's also a bit of a waste, in my opinion. He seems to be the type to be very handsome."

"I know, right? Apparently, Holostars, and a few Hololivers know of his face. They all said he was very handsome, and he apparently did modeling before!" Matsuri exclaimed.

"In HoloFantasy, the only one who knows what he looks like is Rushia. Noel and Flare are close with him, but I don't recall them ever saying that Shiro put his mask down for them." Marine said.

"I-I saw it, actually, once. Though it was unintentional, he really is handsome! I was wondering why he was still single before he got it." Sora intervened.

"He's really all that?" Mito asked.

"Don't you see his eyes? From his eyes and hair alone, you'd think he's a ladies man." Hoshikawa snickered.

~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~

"Alright, I'm back."

"That was quick." Hoshikawa said.

"Did you enjoy the milk tea? You came back quite fast." Fubuki asked.

"Yeah-Well, I'm enjoying it now. As a famous saying once said, 'Eat now, taste later'."

"Eh?! At least enjoy it in the bathroom!"

"I can't really do that, can I?" Shiro sweat dropped. "You girls are cute and beautiful, and any guy could come up and do something terrible. I had to come back quick, you know?"

"Eh?~ So you're a smooth talker, huh?~" Hoshikawa leaned in on Shiro, making him lean back.

"H-Huh? Oh, sorry if it sounded that way. I was just stating facts, you know?"

Shiro looked at the rest of the girls. Their cheeks flushed red like a tomato, and they tucked in their shoulders. He realized how blunt he was when he said that, which was something Japanese people are not used to. "Lowkey, I kinda wish I wasn't Japanese just because of shit like this."

"Playboy.~"

"I'm not a playboy. I'm blunt." Shiro groaned.

~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~

They finished their milk tea, and went around the mall again to do shopping. Shiro was doing his usual thing, looking around and being their usual porter. Once they were done, they went to the first floor, making their way to the exit.

"Um...guys?" Shiro asked.

"Hmm?"

"I gotta pee."

"Eh? You went to the bathroom to drink, and you didn't get to do your business during that time?" Suisei asked.

"Well, sorry, princess Suisei, but I can't control my bodily functions." Shiro blankly stared. The others laughed at their exchange.

"Anyway, I'm going up to the second floor." Shiro waved.

"I just noticed now, but you seem to be different around Shiro-kun, Sui-chan." Hoshikawa asked.

"Eh? I am?"

"Oh, I know why!" Sora intervened with a smile.

"Eh? Tell me! Does she hate him or something?"

"N-No! Don't tell them!" Suisei blushed and looked at Sora.

"Don't worry, don't worry...maybe I'll give them a hint or two though." Sora smiled impishly.

"Sora-chan!" Suisei pouted and blushed more.

"Eh?~ The most beautiful Vtuber is having a crush on the most handsome Vtuber?~" Hoshikawa smugged.

"Eh?! What's this?! Let me in on the conversation too!" Kaede said.

"Oh? Girl talk again? Count me in too!~" Matsuri giggled with a mischievous smile.

"G-Guys!" Suisei groaned.

"Well...let's just say that Sui-chan sees Shiro-kun as a rival." Sora winked.

"Ohhh, I see!" Hoshikawa nodded.

"...Just that, okay? Don't take it any other way." Suisei looked away.

Even though she said that, the others smugged while looking at her, making Suisei blush even more.

~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~

A man looked up to see a young Japanese adult with white hair and red eyes go up an escalator. What's more, he also seemed to wear a hoodie with his hands inside its pockets. That straight back, that milk white skin, and everything else seemed to add up to what the man was told to find if he would ever encounter the described young adult.

"Could that possibly be him? I need to check it."