~~April 14, 2021 8:00 AM~~
"Alright, guess I'll just read a book today or something-Oh?"
Shiro went to the lounge, and saw Suisei chatting with her fellow generation members. Sora was the first to notice him.
"Oh? Shiro-kun, hello! Are you gonna go somewhere?"
"No, I just thought that today might be a good day to read a book, but I was thinking of going somewhere with a little more...atmosphere."
"Ah, in that case, should we quiet down?" Sora asked.
"Nah, I think you five can continue. I think it'll help me be more relaxed."
"Okay then!"
Shiro looked at Suisei, and they made eye contact. Suisei frowned a bit and looked away with her usual grumpy look that is only reserved for him.
A-Ahaha...I guess she's still mad at me, huh? And just when she showed me her vulnerable and caring side...Suisei's a tsundere, huh? Shiro unknowingly gave a smile and chuckled.
"S-Shiro-kun? Why are you smiling at us?" Roboco asked.
"O-Oh? Wait-"
Shiro had to confirm he wore his mask on before heaving a sigh of relief and replying with, "W-Was I a bit obvious? I just thought you all had a really good time chatting with each other."
"Well, I guess it's a woman's intuition!" She giggled.
"You know, we were chatting about Sui-chan's future music!" Azki said.
"Oh? Ah, so she's been active behind the scenes, huh?"
"Yeah! A new song!"
Suisei looked away and blushed. "I-It's still a work in progress. Actually, I've got a lot of songs still in the works, so don't expect much yet, okay?"
"Eh? But when it's you, I think I should set my expectations high." Shiro scratched his head.
"W-Why?! Don't you hate being put on a pedestal?!" Suisei stood up.
"That's not what I meant." Shiro chuckled. "It's because I really like your music and what you can offer. As a fellow musician, I find that admirable. Besides, you're the very first Hololiver I loved when it came to music. Your voice is impeccable."
Suisei blushed a bit and groaned.
"D-Did I say something wrong?" Shiro sweat dropped.
"No, I guess Sui-chan is...embarrassed." Roboco said with a slight smug.
"I-I'm not! I just hate Shiro-kun, okay?!" Suisei said as she grabbed Roboco's shoulders.
Shiro giggled nervously as she saw the five having their usual interactions.
I think I'll just go get a book and start reading or something...
"Say, Shiro-kun, can you come here for a bit?" Miko said.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I'd like to check something."
"O-Oh...can you please state it?"
"Well..." Miko looked away and put her hand on her mouth. "Y-Your hair...I'd like to touch it."
"E-Eh?" He blushed slightly. "Hey, just tell me if you want to pat my head. I like honest answers more."
"N-No! I don't want to pat it! I just want to touch it!"
"Oh, is that so? Well, just for a bit. I don't mind, I guess." He said as he went nearby.
"Hmm..." Miko said as she touched and observed it. "You have really thick hair."
"Yeah, well, my mom said that I had to get a haircut every week back as a teenager since it was so thick that I looked like a sheep."
"Really?" Miko said as she laughed. "Still, I'm surprised your hair is also smooth. For a man, you care for it a lot, don't you?"
"I just use one type of shampoo and conditioner, and wash it whenever I feel like it. I don't really care about anything else."
"E-Eh? But you have very nice hair! You should care for it more!"
"No really, it's fine. My hair is naturally like that. But yeah, I can style my hair in different ways. I just choose to do it this way cuz it looks cool. Besides...I want to get longer hair."
"Eh?! Your hair almost covers up both of your eyes, and you want to make it longer?!" Miko's eyes widened. "I feel like you should get a haircut."
"Well, I just like long hair since I can style it."
Shiro looked away and his eyes became a dull shade of red. "I wouldn't want to experience getting a skinhead again. I just don't like it." He sobbed a bit. A fade is fine, at least.
Suisei looked at Shiro in her usual glare she does for him, and did a little fidgeting. "S-Say, Shiro-kun."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Can you come into my room later? I've got something to discuss with you."
Oh? What could it be?
Suisei looked away and blushed a bit. "Don't think too much about it. It's just business matters."
"Yeah, yeah. You tsundere blue-haired girl."
"T-Tsundere?! Listen here, you little annoying bastard! I'm not a-" Suisei got cut off as Shiro received a notification on his phone.
"Oh? I got a phone call. Be right back." Shiro said as he went out of the Holohouse.
"E-Eh?" Suisei groaned a bit and pouted afterwards. "That idiot..."
"Looks like someone's in love.~" Azki smugged.
"Shut up! I just hate his face!" She blushed a dark shade of red.
~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~
"Hello?" Shiro swiped up on the call.
"How's our baby Shiro?"
"Sakura-nee? Goddamn, new number?" He chuckled.
She laughed. "A burner, rather. Just wanted to know how you were doing."
"Well, aside from my workmates being worried about the recent events that transpired, and possibly some crazy motherfucker that put a target on my back, I'm pretty much fine."
"Yeah, yeah. Holostar's V-rapper." Sakura laughed.
"Goddamn, is my voice that distinct through the avatar?" He chuckled.
"Of course. Why wouldn't we know you?"
"Well, you've got a burner, right? I'm assuming you wanted to keep this call discreet? For what purpose?"
"We're on an operation right now, but we're relaxing as of this moment. Actually, we haven't even gotten to our location yet. But we will say something. Don't worry, it's not classified information that we need clearance to disclose."
"Hit it."
"Those guys who went after you were announced in the news, right?"
"Yeah. Apparently some big shots who worked in Russia, at least that's what it was in the articles. Why?"
"We know you know already, but watch your back, okay? It'd be a waste to see a kid like you who's got his whole life ahead of him die out of nowhere."
"Don't worry. I always observe my surroundings."
"Great. Well, I don't want to keep this on for long. We've all got some work to do. See you next time, Shiro!"
"Yup, y'all too." He hung the phone call up and sighed, both in relief and worry.
Russian bigwigs who were able to cause tensions between Russia and Japan, ey? Why could they have possibly targeted me? I seriously have done nothing wrong to anybody that would be enough to stir up political issues like this.
"Well, all that matters is that I survived, and I don't have any leads even if I wanted to investigate this myself." Shiro chuckled and went back into the Holohouse.
"Alright, Suisei. So, what's up?"
Suisei looked grumpier than ever and pouted. She refused to look at Shiro.
"Suisei? Oh, Sui-chan?~"
This only seemed to aggravate her more. Though, for her genmates, it was entertaining to watch.
"It was an important call, you know? W-Why are you even angry?"
"Nevermind it! Just come to my room later, okay?" She looked at him.
"Uh...sure." Shiro sweat dropped, but nonetheless chuckled.
~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~
Shiro went up to the room that said "Hoshimachi Suisei" on the second floor. He knocked three times and waited for her reply. She wasn't streaming right now, so she wasn't busy as of the moment. He heard footsteps, and finally, the door opened, showing Suisei in her room clothes.
"Oh, hey there. Come in."
"A-Alright..."
Huh...Very white arms and legs, hair tied to a ponytail, and bare feet. This is a Hoshiyomi's dream. Not gonna lie, she does look cute- Well...she's always cute, actually. But anyway...
He looked around the room. It had the same cute vibes as her avatar. There was a line of plushies on top of her nightstand, surrounding the lamp, and the arrangement of her books, the furniture, and posters on the wall were neatly arranged yet had a stylish nuance to it, like a child putting their imagination to reality together with an adult's organized and sound placement. Her desk was very clean, and she had a few plushies there too. It was the typical female streamer set-up with that Suisei stamp to it.
"Just played Apex, huh?"
"Yeah. Man, me and my team died. Well, I guess better luck next time." Suisei laughed a bit. "Anyway, that's not why I called you here. Oh, and don't get any ideas right now, okay? I know I may be pretty, but that doesn't mean you can do as you like with me."
Well, look at Ms. Self-Conscious here. "Yeah, yeah." He looked at the bed. "Can I sit here?"
"Sure."
Shiro sat on the bed, and Suisei sat on her computer chair. "Now uh...Ya see...You'd like to collab with artists soon, right?"
"Yeah, and a lot of them especially. I'd like to leave a good impression on the music industry if I can. A better one than my past persona."
"Say...me and my manager talked about it, and she agreed to this idea..." Suisei spun her thumbs around each other, and her eyes looked everywhere, as if to avoid looking at Shiro.
She took a deep breath in, and exhaled. "Alright!" She exclaimed. It seemed to be directed at herself. "I'm making a new song called 'GHOST'. Would you like to be a feature?"
Shiro gradually widened his eyes, processing what she just said now. Her, someone who didn't always act close and never really invited him out for hangouts or anything, suddenly asked him to be a part of her music. Of course that was a surprise to him, more so being someone who just started out and especially looked up to her as an artist.
"Y-You for real?"
Suisei blushed a bit. "I'm not repeating it again, you idiot."
Shiro chuckled, and he couldn't help but smile. Almost as if patting himself in the back, he said, "Oh man, are you kidding? Of course I'd like to! I'm even surprised you'd pick me to be a part of your song! A-Are there other artists?"
Suisei paused a bit. She seemed to blush even more. Shiro caught her clenching her hands together. "N-No...just you." She said weakly, but Shiro heard her.
"Woah! Also, hey, are you acting shy?"
"N-No, I'm not! I'm just hoping I wasn't being such a drag to you!"
"Nah, nah. That's how you've always been to me anyway."
"Say what?!" She stood up and pouted.
Shiro laughed a bit. "I'm joking. So, what's the song all about, and when do we start?"
Suisei sighed and sat down, upset that he seemed to just brush her reaction off. "Well..." She crossed her arms and legs. "If I were to put it in a sentence, it's like saying, 'Would you notice my voice even as I turn into nothing?'"
"Ah, that kind of theme." Shiro nodded. "Yup. So I just have to write 8 bars, right?"
"Yup. Although I've talked with my manager, it was merely a suggestion. We're gonna have to talk with both of our managers for approval."
"Sweet! I'm excited to get it approved. Tell you what, how about we tell them now?"
"I was gonna do that after our talk. I'll tell my manager, and you'll get a message from your manager, and we can then start working on it."
"Well, have you written lyrics for it already?"
"Actually, the song is almost done. I just need your lyrics, send them out for mastering and whatever, and then it's done! I'll just wait for you though, since I know it's hard to make lyrics."
"Well, I guess so. But hey, don't worry. I'll get it done as soon as I can."
"Okay! Well, that does it for our talk. You can go back to your room now."
"Sure! Thanks for the talk, Sui-chan.~"
"H-Hey! Don't call me Sui-chan-" Not even finishing her sentence, Shiro already got out and closed the door. She pouted and blushed. "We're not close, you...!"
She sighed and looked at the screen. "It was supposed to be uploaded way back then, but then I made space just for you, you dummy. You better get it done quickly." Suisei went back to playing Apex.
"...Ah, I just realized. That idiot forgot to ask me for the music file."
~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~
"Uh. Yeah, they know I am such an ill thing. Souls, I be building, I be standing taller than a building (nervous chuckle). Mori Calliope, I fucked up but it's okay. Going to the buffet, I'm eating from the whole plate."
"Alright, stop." Shiro said as Calli breathed out and leaned back on her chair. "Damn, you've gotten better, Calls."
"Ah naw, I'm not. I fucked up on the 'building' part. My flow also messed up there."
"Yeah, you wanted to say 'reaping', right? I get ya. The start is very frustrating, so you really just need to keep practicing until your mind adapts to the stress. It becomes natural over time."
"Yeah, Shi." Calli giggled. "You know, sometimes I wonder how you figured this all out on your own."
"Well, you study the greats, experiment on your own, and you'll eventually make mistakes that actually look cool as hell and boom, you have your own techniques." Shiro stood up and went to get a glass of water.
Calli laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. But hey, thanks for taking the time, Shi."
"No probs, Calls. Always a pleasure to hang out with ya. Now, let's take a short break."
"Sure. How about we play something before you go back?"
"Aight. That's cool with me-" Shiro's phone vibrated on his right leg. "Oh? Wait, hol' up."
He pulled it out, and saw that Shinove was calling him.
"Gimme one moment, Calls...Hello? Yeah..." Shiro listened closely to his words. Calli could only hear faint sounds and wondered what they might've been talking. From the looks of it though, Shiro seems pleased and even happy.
"...The Cruz Show? Are you kidding me, of course! So when does...Ah, three days from now? Sure, you bet! ...Alright, thank you, Shinove-san!"
"So? What was it?" Calli asked.
"I'm invited to rap in the Cruz Show, and have a talk with Kotoge Eiji soon enough in the future!" Shiro laughed like he was in ecstasy.
"Yoooo!! That's so cool, Shi!" She said.
"Man, I can't wait to perform there and give everybody a taste of the Shiromeister!"
"We should tell everybody! I'm sure they'll be happy!"
Calli giggled. "Man, I'm so glad you're gonna be rapping for a lot of fans there, and maybe even get new ones!"
"Mhmm!"
Shiro and Calli soon got back into freestyle practice, and once it was the evening, they shared it to the other Hololivers, and everybody was starting to talk about it. Shiro even tweeted it, and it got a lot of attention from his fans.
He sat down with Sora, Okayu, and Korone. Sora bought some cookies from outside, and wanted to share it with the others. Shiro didn't want any since he just finished brushing his teeth.
"Wait, you'll be going to America for a radio show, Shiro-kun?" Sora asked.
"Ooh! Bring us something once you get back!" Korone said, eyes shining with excitement.
"Now now, Korone, that'd be a burden to Shiro-kun, you know?" Okayu said.
Korone pouted. "But I want him to get something for me, even just a silly little accessory. It's just for memories!"
"Well, I was thinking of doing it anyway. Don't worry, I'll get you something nice."
"Yay!" Korone smiled widely. "Though, you're gonna be going to America, right?" Korone asked while munching on a cookie. "You won't have a hard time speaking with the people there since you're already good at English."
"Well, just hope I won't face some 'interesting' people there" Shiro giggled nervously and sweat dropped. "Aside from that, nothing special really. I've been there a few times. Only difference now is that I'm actually doing something big there."
"Shiro-kun, maybe you won't believe me, but I'm very happy for you!" Sora smiled and put her hands together. "It hasn't been long since you've started, and you've already got invited to all these fancy shows! I'll keep cheering you on!"
Shiro giggled a bit. "Thanks. That means a lot, Sora-senpai."
He looked down at the cookies, and smiled, thinking that his career has been going good so far. There's a good handful of music pumped out for his fans, he has collabed with a few Hololivers and Holostar members, and he was even invited to go to The Cruz Show. However, when he thought about declining the offer to be a part of the cosigning to UMG, his smile slowly turned to a frown.
"Hey, guys." Shiro asked. The three looked at him, noticing the change in his mood. "You all are fairly popular, right? How would you all feel when you're invited to major podcasts, shows, and such?"
"Well...for me," Okayu started, "When I was invited to Garibenga V, it felt surreal. I never expected myself to be invited to something like that. It was quite fun though."
"Well, I've been to a couple of them. They're very fun! I get to interact with a huge audience and talk with the hosts! If it involves other Vtubers, I get acquainted and become friends with them!" Sora said.
"I see..."
"Oh? Do you not like going to America for that podcast?" She asked.
"Ah, no. I'm actually quite happy. I was just wondering what you all felt during those times y'all went to TV shows and such." Shiro giggled nervously.
Strange, why do I feel bad though? It's not like I'm doing something wrong...
Shiro couldn't describe it, but for some odd reason, he felt guilt. He did nothing wrong, of course, but he couldn't help but feel like it was going all too well for him, like destiny specifically made him this popular and fortunate enough to perform in The Cruz Show. Of course, the newer generations of Hololive get more attention than the older talents, but for a Holostar JP talent, he was contending with HoloEN, Fubuki, Suisei, and Marine — all who are one of the most popular talents Vtubers.
No, if I don't enjoy this opportunity and throw it away, it's like I'm spitting and stepping on Hololive itself and my dreams. You've always wanted this, Shiro! Let that thought pass and fade into the background! "I should get back into my room now." Shiro stood up.
"Oh? Going back already?" Sora asked.
"Well, I guess I just want my alone time. I'd like to read a bit before I sleep."
"Ah, by the way, Shiro-kun. I won't be exercising tomorrow! I feel a bit lazy." Korone laughed.
"Heh, don't worry about it. Just keep yourself healthy, Korone. You have a really fucked up sleep schedule, you know that?" Shiro waved.
"I know, I know. See you, Shiro-kun!" She and the other two waved back at Shiro.
Man...America, huh? I wonder what it's like there now?