Kanae and Kuzuha are a popular duo unit called 'ChroNoiR,' known for their gaming skills and witty banter. Fans ship them, but they're just partners. Kanae pretends to be cool but is secretly lonely; Kuzuha acts tough but is a clumsy vampire. One day, a new member 'Lumina' appears and boldly confesses to Kuzuha on her debut stream: 'Senpai, I'm drawn to your darkness. Dye me in your color.' The stream explodes. Kuzuha blushes and yells, 'I'm not gonna suck your blood!' Kanae feels oddly unsettle
ChroNoir: The Two Who Won't Be Dyed Black - A Newcomer with Red Eyes and Swaying Possessiveness —What Exactly Is Our Relationship?—
The air in the studio was still heavy somehow.
Kanae had replayed last night over and over in a corner of his mind. The DM from Lumina that arrived after the stream ended. "Please tell me Kuzuha-senpai's weakness." That one short sentence stuck with him, oddly persistent.
(Why would she ask me about his weakness?)
Kanae let out a small breath as he powered on the equipment. The monitor glowed pale blue, illuminating the streaming desk. On the wall hung illustration boards from fans. The ChroNoir logo with its black crescent moon and star. This place he'd seen hundreds of times looked just a little different today.
The appointed time was 2 PM. It was still before 1:30.
Kanae pressed the switch on the coffee maker. The scent of beans spread through the room. Kuzuha always came at the last minute. No—would he even come properly today? There was also the matter of him leaving Kanae on read yesterday. Kanae checked his phone. Still no word from Kuzuha.
A knock sounded at the door.
"…That was fast."
When Kanae opened the door, standing there was a girl with silver hair.
Silver long hair that reached her waist. Only the tips were red like blood. Her large red eyes shone clearly even in the dim hallway, and her pupils were different from a normal human's—vertically slit and elongated. Her small frame was wrapped in a black frilled dress. A red ribbon at her throat. When she smiled, only the corners of her mouth moved first.
"Senpai, nice to meet you. I'm the new member, Lumina."
Lumina bowed deeply. It was a polite gesture. But her gaze was fixed not on Kanae, but behind him—toward the back of the studio.
"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Kanae from ChroNoir. We still have thirty minutes before the appointed time, though."
"I'm sorry. I just really wanted to meet you as soon as possible."
Saying that, Lumina slipped past Kanae and into the studio. As she passed, a sweet scent came from her hair. Like flowers, but with a faint hint of iron mixed in—a strange smell.
"Wow, so this is the ChroNoir studio. It's bigger than I expected. Oh, these illustration boards—are they from fans? They're drawn so carefully."
Lumina raised her voice innocently as she looked at the illustration boards on the wall. Her appearance was exactly that of a girl her age.
"Want some coffee? I'm brewing some right now."
"I'd love some. Please put in lots of sugar."
As Kanae was pouring the coffee, he heard the door open behind him.
"Oh, you're already here! You're early, Kanae!"
Turning around, Kuzuha was standing in the studio doorway. Black knit cap, black hoodie. His usual streaming style. His sunset-red eyes swept across the room and stopped on Lumina.
"Oh, the newbie? Nice to meet you."
Kuzuha casually extended his hand.
Lumina stared at that hand. Then she looked up at Kuzuha's face intently.
Red eyes captured red eyes.
Lumina's lips slowly parted.
"…I finally got to meet you."
That voice was different from the bright one from before. Deep, quiet, with a resonance like she was confirming something.
The air in the studio tensed slightly.
"…Huh? What?"
Kuzuha furrowed his brow in confusion.
Lumina smiled. This time, much deeper than before.
"Senpai. I was drawn to your darkness."
Those words fell into the studio.
Kanae couldn't move, still gripping the coffee cup. Kuzuha's eyes were wide open.
Lumina continued, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Please dye me in your colors."
A moment of silence.
"Haaaaaah!? I don't smoke! What the hell are you saying!?"
Kuzuha shouted, his face bright red.
Kanae watched from the side, feeling something stir deep in his chest.
(What is this)
His heart was beating just a little faster. He didn't know why. It was just that Lumina's red eyes looking only at Kuzuha bothered him strangely.
"…Well, let's sit down for now. We need to discuss the stream anyway."
Kanae feigned calm and held out the coffee cup.
"Thank you, Kanae-san."
Lumina took the cup and took a sip. Then she naturally moved to sit next to Kuzuha. Not next to Kanae—next to Kuzuha.
(Wait, am I just background here?)
Kanae muttered inwardly. From beginning to end, Lumina was only interested in Kuzuha. That fact pricked at his chest.
"So, what are you anyway? Suddenly talking about darkness and dyeing you in my colors—I don't get it."
Kuzuha crossed his arms and glared at Lumina.
"I'm just a new member. Starting today, I'll be doing collab streams with everyone from ChroNoir. My name is Lumina."
Lumina smiled brightly. That smile was perfect. But Kanae had noticed. Lumina's eyes weren't smiling.
"Well, let's start with introductions. We need to decide the stream flow too."
Kanae tried to take on the role of moderator. Cool and composed, as always. But Lumina kept trying to stay by Kuzuha's side. Even when Kanae spoke to her, Lumina's gaze remained fixed on Kuzuha.
(What is this feeling)
Kanae ignored the stirring in his chest and continued preparing for the stream.
——
The time to start the stream arrived.
Kanae took a light breath in front of the camera, as usual. Next to him was Kuzuha. Next to him, Lumina.
"Alright, let's go."
The moment Kanae turned on the camera, the comment section started moving.
'Here we gooooo' 'Kanae-kun is cool today too' 'Kuzuha-kun!' 'Wait, who's that?' 'There's a beauty here'
The viewer count was about the same as right after starting normally. A few hundred people. ChroNoir streams were the type that grew gradually after starting.
"Hey everyone, today's special! We've got a newbie here!"
Kuzuha raised his voice toward the camera.
"Nice to meet you. I'm a new streamer, Lumina. Today I'm hoping to talk with everyone from ChroNoir while playing games."
The moment Lumina sat in front of the camera, the comment section accelerated at once.
'Who is this girl, she's too pretty' 'Joining ChroNoir?' 'Her red eyes are beautiful' 'Wait, she's cute'
The viewer count crept upward. Kanae glanced at the numbers on the monitor. The number that was in the hundreds just moments ago was already in the thousands.
"Hey hey, everyone calm down. This is the newbie Lumina-chan. Today she'll be playing games with us."
Kuzuha laughed and waved at the camera.
In that moment, Lumina opened her mouth.
"ChroNoir's Kuzuha-senpai."
Her tone changed.
Completely different from the bright self-introduction from before. Quiet, direct, yet with a strength that allowed no argument.
"I was drawn to your darkness."
The air in the studio froze.
The comment section stopped for a moment.
"Please dye me in your colors."
The next moment, the comment section exploded.
'A confession www' 'A love triangle has arrived!' 'Kanae-san's face is frozen' 'What is this, an official ship born?' 'Kuzuha-kun is blushing'
The viewer count spiked at once. The number in the thousands became tens of thousands, then surpassed a hundred thousand. The mirror box comment section was scrolling at a speed impossible to follow.
"Hah!? I don't smoke! What the hell are you saying!?"
Kuzuha stood up from his chair and shouted. His face was red all the way to his ears.
"I never said I wanted you to smoke. I merely asked you to dye me in your colors."
Lumina smiled cheerfully. That smile cornered Kuzuha even more.
'Dye me in your colors has so many meanings, this is dangerous' 'This is a real confession' 'Kanae-kun's expressionless face is actually scary' 'Is Kanae-san jealous?'
Kanae saw those words in the comment section, and his heart gave a loud throb.
(Jealous? Me?)
No. That couldn't be. Kanae was just trying to help his partner who was in trouble.
"Stream, the stream. Calm down, Kuzuha. Lumina-chan, you're going too fast for your first day too."
Kanae said, trying to mediate. But he noticed his own voice was trembling slightly.
"Kanae-san, I'm serious, you know? Kuzuha-senpai is my destined person."
Lumina winked at the camera.
The comment section accelerated further. The viewer count had surpassed a hundred fifty thousand.
'Destined person www' 'This is the biggest official ship' 'A bomb has been dropped on ChroNoir' 'Kuzuha-kun's face is a tomato'
"Don't mess around! What are you doing on your first day! Are you trying to wreck mine and Kanae's stream!?"
Kuzuha started getting genuinely angry.
"Wreck it? I just want to join the two of you."
Lumina made a sad face. But her eyes were laughing.
Kanae didn't miss that movement in her eyes.
(This girl, she's doing it on purpose)
Lumina was calculating, creating this situation. Not to liven up the stream, but for some other purpose.
"…Well, let's just start the game. The comment section is going crazy, but everyone, please watch over us warmly."
Kanae forced the conversation forward.
Even after the game started, Lumina's rampage didn't stop.
"Kuzuha-senpai, I can't beat this enemy. Please help me."
"Do it yourself!"
"So cold… Kanae-san, Kuzuha-senpai is being cold."
"Yeah yeah. Come on, Kuzuha, help her out. She's a newbie."
"Why are you the one taking charge!?"
"Because you're not moving."
'Married couple quarrel www' 'Kanae-kun is right' 'Kuzuha-kun, you're not being honest'
The viewer count continued to grow.
——
The stream ended a little after 5 PM.
The final concurrent viewer count was a hundred fifty-eight thousand. It had broken ChroNoir's previous record. New registrations exceeded thirty thousand in that single day.
"That's amazing, seriously. A hundred fifty thousand—that's double our record, isn't it?"
Kuzuha was excited, looking at the stream data.
"Yeah, that's the Lumina-chan effect. Amazing, on the first day."
Kanae answered while putting away the equipment.
"No, it's thanks to you two's popularity. I can't do anything on my own."
Lumina smiled.
Kuzuha glanced at Lumina.
"Why did you say that stuff? Confessing on stream—are you sane?"
"I'm perfectly sane. I don't tell lies."
"Huh?"
"Being drawn to your darkness, wanting you to dye me in your colors—it's all true."
Lumina looked straight up at Kuzuha.
Kanae, listening to that conversation from behind, stopped his hands from putting away the equipment.
(What does she mean, darkness)
What did she know about Kuzuha? Kanae couldn't help but be bothered by Lumina's words.
"Lumina-chan, good work. Looking forward to working with you from tomorrow too."
Kanae turned around and made a smile.
"Yes, Kanae-san. Please take care of me."
Lumina bowed her head. But her eyes remained fixed not on Kanae, but on Kuzuha.
Deep in Kanae's chest, something pricked painfully.
(Fear of being abandoned)
Such words crossed his mind.
——
After the stream ended, Lumina left the studio first.
Kuzuha followed her into the hallway, out of Kanae's hearing.
"Hey, Lumina."
Lumina slowly turned around.
"What is it, Kuzuha-senpai?"
Her expression had completely changed from the smile in front of the camera. Cold beyond her years, with eyes that seemed to be appraising something.
"What are you? What's the purpose of that confession?"
Kuzuha asked in a low voice.
Lumina let out a small laugh.
"Senpai, don't be so shaken. It's not interesting."
At those words, a cold sensation ran down Kuzuha's spine.
(This feeling, I know it)
Somewhere, he had touched this coldness before.
"I'm just a new member. But there's one thing I can say."
Lumina took a step closer to Kuzuha.
"The place by your side—I'll be taking it."
Saying only that, Lumina left.
Kuzuha stood frozen in place for a while.
——
The next day.
Kanae's apartment, a 1LDK in Sasazuka.
With the evening light streaming through the window, Kanae was gripping a game controller. Today was his day off. No stream either. It was his first completely free day in a while.
"Kanae-kun, dinner's ready."
Shion's voice came from the kitchen.
When Kanae turned around, Shion was carrying food over in an apron. Her straight black long hair was perfectly maintained
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