Nazuna Haname is the 'pure and innocent' idol of the popular Vtuber group 'Eclipse Palette.' But she has a secret she can't tell anyone: she's genuinely, hopelessly in love with her groupmate, the flashy gyaru Vtuber Kaname Grace.
During a live collab stream, Nazuna accidentally blurts out her true feelings. Not as a joke, but with a bright red face and streaming tears, she confesses 'I love Kaname-chan!' in front of thousands of viewers. The chat explodes. But instead of outrage, fans go wild:
Nazuna Haname Can't Tell a Lie - Gal Mask and Refined Girl's Cross-Purposes True Feelings Conference Room!
When I woke up, my pillow was soaking wet.
I'd been dreaming. No — it wasn't a dream. What happened yesterday, that was real.
In the middle of a live stream, in front of thousands of people, I'd shouted that I loved her. To Kaname-san.
Haname Nazuna curled up under the heavy futon. Her heart pounded against her core, as if telling her not to forget what happened yesterday.
" ...This is the worst."
Saying it out loud made reality crash in a little harder, and she felt even worse.
She fumbled around for her phone. The screen was buried in notifications. Social media trends were still flooded with "#NazunaSeriousConfession," and the clip video had over six million views.
"Meow."
By her pillow, her white cat Mochi peered at her with concern. Usually so aloof, today he was unusually clingy.
Nazuna pressed a hand to her aching head and sat up.
Outside the window, as if yesterday's rain had been a lie, the harsh summer sun blazed down. On the wall of the neighboring apartment building, a single cicada clung, buzzing shrilly.
*(Ah, it's already morning.)*
Sleep-deprived, her mind felt hazy, like fog had settled inside it. She rubbed her eyes and looked at her phone again. This time, she opened the message from the agency.
Kurogane Erina. Just seeing that name made her stomach clench.
*'Come to the conference room "Spectre," 12th floor, Corundum Tower, at 10:00 AM today. This is a work order.'*
A short, cold message. A command that brooked no argument.
Nazuna let out a deep sigh.
" ...I'm going to get yelled at, aren't I?"
No, getting yelled at wouldn't be the end of it. This was practically a death sentence for a Vtuber.
This industry is built on perfectly hiding your real self behind a virtual avatar. What the fans see is a digital doll without a soul. The agency treats that doll as a "product," and we earn money with perfect smiles. A product shouldn't have personal feelings. Romance is absolutely out of the question.
Especially Article 14 of Prism Gate Productions' contract. That absolute rule was born from the scars of the "Celestia Shock" that shook the industry three years ago.
That incident where Celestia, a top Vtuber, exposed an in-group romantic relationship online. All her private life was laid bare, personal information leaked, death threats flew around. Several talents had their spirits broken and retired, and the agency went bankrupt.
They say Kurogane Erina witnessed that hellish scene up close. That's why she hates a talent's "personal feelings" more than anything. She'll try to prove with numbers that emotions are just noise that destroys people.
Nazuna understood that painfully well.
That was precisely why her actions yesterday were like tightening a noose around her own neck.
*(But that... wasn't acting.)*
She thought that.
A pure and innocent idol. That was the product value of "Haname Nazuna" assigned to her by the agency. The honor student who couldn't tell a lie, the hopeless girl who blushed immediately — she'd always felt crushed by that character. With every stream, playing the fake version of herself had gradually become suffocating.
But her feelings for Kaname-san were different.
These feelings alone weren't decided by anyone else; they were undeniably her true self. The smile of that older girl who saved her from bullying at Midori Park when she was five. That had always been at the center of her heart. In her Vtuber life, plastered over with lies, these feelings were the single thin thread connecting her real self to her fake one.
So having those feelings called a "streaming stunt" or a "contract violation" was the same as having her entire existence denied.
" ...I can't apologize."
Nazuna murmured quietly.
Mochi licked her hand. The rough sensation calmed her down, just a little.
" Thank you, Mochi. I'm going now."
She threw off her worn-out hoodie and pulled the neatest blouse she had from her closet. If she was heading to a battlefield, she should at least stand tall.
---
The hustle and bustle of Shibuya stabbed mercilessly at her sleep-deprived head.
She walked briskly across the scramble crossing in front of the station, heading for the entrance of Corundum Tower. The massive glass building reflected the summer sun with a dazzling glare, intimidating just by its presence.
Passing through the entrance, the chilly air conditioning clung to her. As the elevator rose to the twelfth floor, her heartbeat was so loud she thought others might hear it.
Twelfth floor, Prism Gate Productions headquarters.
In the hallway, life-sized panels of Eclipse Palette's seniors stood expressionless. She hurried past them and stood before the conference room "Spectre."
Three deep breaths.
*(It's okay. No, it's not okay. But I have no choice but to go.)*
With a trembling hand, she turned the doorknob.
Her footsteps echoed with a soft tap.
Inside the conference room, it was surprisingly quiet. White walls, an impersonal table, and—
" Man, seriously, Nazunacchi, that thing yesterday — your acting was way too good! That's totally gonna go viral lololol."
In a chair at the back of the room, she was sitting there.
Kaname Grace.
The same bright ash-blonde hair as her avatar. Above her left ear, several colorful hairpins were crossed and fastened. Her narrow, light-brown eyes narrowed into crescent moons matching her smiling face.
Seeing Kaname-san in person, she was much more delicate and far more beautiful than her avatar. On her left wrist, she wore a rugged wristband with studs, which left an oddly strong impression.
Nazuna stood frozen in place.
Faced with the person she loved, all her words stuck in the back of her throat.
Kaname, acting as if she didn't see Nazuna's state at all, rattled on rapidly.
" Man, that crying act into a serious confession style! Seriously, tons of people are gonna get the wrong idea! Even I felt my heart skip a beat for a sec! But as expected of EkuPale's purity rep, you're such an actress. I'd almost want you to give me acting lessons!"
She was wearing a perfect gyaru mask.
"No way," "Seriously," "Hilarious." Cheerful, frivolous, a sturdy armor for trampling into anyone's heart while keeping everyone away from her own territory.
*(Ah, so this is Kaname-san's "wall.")*
Nazuna understood it intuitively.
Yesterday's agitation. That painful silence. This person was desperately trying to protect herself right now.
"Um, Kaname-san...!"
Nazuna gathered her courage and stepped forward.
"Yesterday, that wasn't acting at all—"
" Ah, right, right! About the next collab project — how about a horror game next time? I wanna see Nazunacchi getting seriously freaked out again! That totally works for viewer appeal, right?!"
Without letting her finish, Kaname clapped her hands and laughed. That smile was as precise as a programmed routine, without a single flaw.
No.
It's not like that.
Please, listen.
" It wasn't acting!!"
Before she knew it, Nazuna had shouted.
She slammed her hands on the table and stood up from her chair. Her leg hit the chair leg, making a loud clatter.
The air in the room froze in an instant.
The expression on Kaname's laughing face vanished, as if someone had cut the power. Emotionless.
"When I was five, I was being bullied at Midori Park."
Nazuna's voice trembled. But she didn't look away.
"In the sandbox, the other kids threw sand at me, calling me 'germs.' I was crying, helpless. Then suddenly, a shadow appeared. An older girl came over with a really angry face and saved me. She smiled and said, 'It's okay.' That person has been in my heart ever since, always. And then, during yesterday's stream, when I heard Kaname-san's voice, I was sure. That older girl back then was Kaname-san. So...!"
She ran out of breath, and her last words nearly caught in her throat.
"So, I've been in love with Kaname-san ever since that day...!!"
Tears spilled down her face.
She couldn't stop them even if she tried. She had no idea what kind of face she was making right now. But these words alone were absolutely not a lie. That was the only thing supporting Nazuna.
Kaname, who had taken the confession head-on, froze for a moment like a statue.
Her light-brown eyes stared intently at Nazuna's face, as if looking at something unbelievable.
Then, her beautifully shaped lips trembled faintly.
" ...You."
Her voice was completely different from her usual gyaru tone.
Cold as ice, terribly dry.
"What do you think you know about me?"
It wasn't a closed-off question of "What could you possibly understand?"
It resonated more like a heartrending plea: "There's no way you know. You mustn't know."
Nazuna couldn't say anything back.
In that single sentence from Kaname, there was a deep regret beyond Nazuna's imagination, and a loathing for herself. A voice that sounded as if she'd been telling herself all along that she had no right to be liked by anyone.
" ...Stop. Someone like me."
Kaname murmured just that, then kicked her chair back and stood up.
With a clatter, the chair fell over. Without even glancing at the fallen chair, she walked briskly toward the exit.
"Wait, Kaname-san!"
Nazuna stepped forward to chase after her.
"Where do you think you're going?"
But at the entrance to the conference room, a black wall stood in her way.
Kurogane Erina.
Her jet-black hair was pulled back tightly, and she wore a perfectly pressed pantsuit without a single wrinkle. Her sharp black eyes looked down at Nazuna like a hawk sizing up its prey. On her chest, a small brooch glinted, unnoticed by anyone.
" Because of you, we've had three emergency board meetings since yesterday. Heartless comments are flooding Kaname Grace's channel as well."
She walked past Nazuna and placed a tablet device on the table. Only the click of her heels echoed in the quiet room.
"The situation is the worst it could be. This is the reality of Prism Gate."
Without even offering her a seat, Erina operated the tablet with her back to Nazuna, who remained standing. The display showed Nazuna's streaming charts and the countless slanderous comments posted on Kaname's channel.
*'Yuri-baiting, huh? I've been fooled.'*
*'Kaname's involved with the person behind the avatar? Seriously? I'm so over this.'*
A sharp pain struck Nazuna's chest.
Because of her, Kaname-san was getting hurt.
"A violation of Article 14. This can no longer be dismissed as a mere streaming stunt. It could become a repeat of the Celestia Shock. It's just like back then. Personal feelings destroy everything."
Erina turned around and looked straight into Nazuna's eyes. In those eyes, there was no hatred or contempt — only something colder, an absolute reflection of "numbers."
"Hold an apology stream tonight. Clearly correct the record for the viewers: everything yesterday was acting to liven up the stream."
Nazuna tried to argue with a hoarse voice.
"...But, that was the truth—"
"Be quiet."
Erina's voice was sharp as a whip.
"Your true feelings or whatever else are irrelevant. I have to protect the product that is you. Personal feelings destroy talents. To protect you, I will excise this noise. If you refuse, we will consider erasing you from Eclipse Palette. Do you understand?"
Suspension of activities.
For a Vtuber, that was equivalent to death.
Her love, her streams, her friends. Everything was denied.
Nazuna's vision blurred with tears. The world went quiet, as if all sound had vanished.
As if her business was done, Erina turned on her heel and left the conference room with cold, mechanical footsteps.
Nazuna collapsed on the spot.
She couldn't stand. The strength drained from her entire body, starting from her fingertips. Tears fell onto the carpet, one drop at a time.
" ...I..."
A voiceless voice escaped her.
It was all over. Everything.
Just as she thought that and tried to lift her head—
Something glinted at the edge of her vision.
Under the fallen chair where Kaname had been sitting.
Nazuna reached out with a tr
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