VSPO! -The Misunderstanding Channel is a Storm of Love- - The Boutique of Jealousy and the Arm-in-Arm Escalator

The streets of Minami-Aoyama sparkled brilliantly in the early summer sunlight. Along the tree-lined avenue stretching from Omotesando Station, stylish cafes and boutiques stood side by side, and even the people walking by carried a certain refined air. Among them, one person walked who clearly stood out. A long black-haired wig, black sunglasses. A white mask covering half her face, wearing a floral-patterned dress. It was Towa. (I absolutely cannot get caught... absolutely not.) Her heart was pounding. Her throat was dry. Her palms were clammy with sweat. Behind her sunglasses, her large brown eyes darted around restlessly. This all started late last night. Face buried in her pillow on her bed, she had resolved to confess to Ren. After next month's big collaboration stream, she would tell him everything she'd felt for three years. However. Just a few hours later, Ren's official account made an outrageous announcement. "Tomorrow, I'm doing my first-ever date project with Mimi!" She fell off her bed like something out of a manga. Panicking, she frantically rummaged through her closet and pulled out a wig she'd used for a cosplay stream. A floral dress she'd bought online and never worn once. The price tag still attached: 12,800 yen. 100-yen shop sunglasses. A white mask meant for cold prevention. Binoculars for birdwatching. Before she knew it, this was the result. (This isn't a crime. I'm just going to watch a date. Yeah, it's not stalking... yeah.) Repeating this to herself, she headed toward her target cafe. La Maison d'Étoile — a slightly upscale French cafe in Minami-Aoyama, Minato Ward. Famous for its pancakes, at 1,400 yen a plate. (Ren always did love pancakes...) As she was thinking that, someone suddenly tapped her on the shoulder. "Um, excuse me?" A young woman's voice. Towa's shoulders jolted upward. (Huh, what!? Did I get found out!? The police!?) "Your eyelash is coming off a little." The woman, with a slightly troubled smile, gently pointed to the corner of her own left eye. The blood drained from Towa's face. "Huh, oh, thank you very much!" Her voice cracked. Her heart was pounding with a strange noise. After the woman left, Towa dashed into a nearby department store. She fled into a stall in the women's restroom. She took out a compact mirror and looked at her face. "It's true... my eyelash..." The false eyelash she'd put on the outer corner of her right eye was half peeled off, dangling loosely. She looked completely like a creepy doll. "I mean, I don't usually wear false eyelashes..." Muttering a soliloquy to no one in particular, she took her makeup pouch out of her bag. Just in case something like this happened, she had looked up "false eyelashes beginner tips" online and practiced. Somehow managing an emergency fix, her reflection in the mirror... well, at least looked human. "Okay, next time I'll be fine. It'll work out." She left the restroom and returned to the streets of Minami-Aoyama. She found the target cafe immediately. A shop with an exterior so stylish it looked like it came out of a picture book, with ivy entwined on its white walls. (So this is La Maison d'Étoile...) Just then, a van stopped in front of the shop. On its side, in small letters, was written "Brave Gear Production." Her heart leaped. The van's sliding door opened. "Wow, what a stylish shop! I'm so nervous!" It was Mimi. Her waist-length straight silver hair was, unusually for today, tied up in a ponytail. The triple piercings on her left ear glinted. Her large sapphire-blue eyes sparkled, as if she was looking forward to the date about to begin. A white off-shoulder blouse, and a pale pink tight skirt. It was a mature, slightly alluring outfit she never showed during her usual streams. The person who got out next was— "Ah, um... I'm, yeah, just normally, looking forward to it..." Ren. His slightly long, brown, wavy hair was a little damp with nervous sweat. His gentle, droopy eyes wandered as if unsure where to focus. (Ren... he actually ironed his clothes today.) Deep in Towa's chest, something tightened with a squeeze. He wasn't wearing the wrinkled hoodie he always had on during streams. A light gray jacket, a white shirt. He had properly chosen clothes for a date. (Of course he did. It's a date with Mimi, after all.) She felt something dark and thick spreading inside her heart. —Jealousy. Towa bit her lip. Behind Ren and Mimi was a single staff member holding a camera. Dangling from their neck was an ID card from the management team. This was the date project stream. A popular VSPO! project where members actually visit date spots while streaming. This time it was billed as an "Emergency Announcement" and was already trending on social media. The two of them entered the cafe. Just before the automatic door closed, she saw Mimi gently place her hand on Ren's arm. Inside Towa's brain, something made a cracking sound. But, not yet. (Calm down, me. Calm down.) She took a deep breath. Then, she turned her feet toward the boutique "Fiore" across the street. Inside the boutique, the scent of perfume drifted softly. Simple dresses and accessories were neatly arranged. A shop assistant was attending to another customer in the back, and the fitting room area was fortunately empty. Towa slipped into the fitting room at the very back. She closed the curtain and took the binoculars out of her bag. The slightly good ones, for birdwatching. With ten-times magnification, she could clearly see the window-side seats of the cafe. There— "Uh, well then, I'll... have this, black tea." Ren said, pointing at the menu, trying to sound cool. "Senpai, that's the 1,000-yen Darjeeling." Mimi retorted calmly. "Huh!? Ah, no, I mean, I've come to appreciate adult tastes..." He was blushing all the way to his ears. She could tell the camera was showing Ren's face in close-up. Soon, the tea was brought over. Ren lifted the cup and took a sip with a gesture as if he were tasting wine. "Yeah, it's an adult taste." —Immediately after. His face crumpled. "Ugh." He started coughing and spluttering. Apparently, it had gone down the wrong pipe when he swallowed. "Hey, senpai, why are you choking! We're live!" Mimi laughed merrily, slapping Ren on the back repeatedly. She caught a glimpse of the stream's chat scrolling at a tremendous speed. It was probably filled with comments like 'lol', 'Ugh www', 'Adult taste (physical)'. Peering through the binoculars, Towa's lips relaxed slightly. "Ahh... Ren, you really do have that side to you." Somehow, the tension suddenly left her shoulders. Even on a date with Mimi, this person was still Ren. Trying to look cool, and messing up. He was the same as always, the Ren I love so much. But. That relief was blown away in just a few minutes. Mimi cut a bite of her pancake and held it out to Ren's mouth. "Senpai, will you say 'ahh' for me?" The gesture was so natural, so incredibly cute. "Huh!? Ah, no, I can feed myself..." "Never mind that. Come on, ahh." Fearfully, Ren opened his mouth. Mimi gently placed the pancake inside — and at the same time, a dab of cream landed on the tip of Ren's nose. "Ah, you've got cream on your nose!" Mimi took a napkin and started wiping Ren's nose. "I-I'm fine, I can do it myself..." "Just hold still, please." That distance. Less than thirty centimeters. Mimi's fingers touched Ren's face. Ren, his face bright red, was letting her do as she pleased. —Snap. Inside Towa, a sound clearly rang out. Jealousy. Unmistakable, dark, murky jealousy. "Hey, too close, too close, too close! Do you need to get that close just to wipe a nose!? That's definitely on purpose, right!?" Before she knew it, she was gripping the fitting room curtain with all her strength. The rail made an unpleasant creaking sound. "I've always thought, you know, that Ren is cutest when he has a grain of rice stuck on the tip of his nose! He often gets a grain of rice on his right cheek! That, it's just really cute!" She rattled on in a low voice. Her hand gripping the curtain tightened even more. Creak, creak, crack. —Oh no. At that moment. "Customer, what are you doing from the entrance?" A shop assistant with a terrifying expression was peering into the fitting room. She was probably in the back until just a moment ago. She must have rushed over when she heard the noise. "Huh!? Ah, no, this is!" Binoculars in her hand. The curtain rail was warped, looking ready to come off at any moment. On top of that, her face was the complete suspicious-person style with sunglasses and a mask. All was lost. If she got reported now, it wouldn't just be the end of her VTuber life, but social death. But Towa didn't give up. "This, I'm on a diet... and I couldn't fit into it...!" What she pulled out of her bag was the floral dress she had brought. She had removed the price tag, but the creases from being new were still there. With tearful eyes, she held the dress up in front of her chest. "It was a really expensive one... I was really looking forward to it... but I couldn't wear it... I was so frustrated... I just... with the curtain... h-hic..." —It was an act. A lie that flowed out so smoothly it surprised even herself. But half of the tears were real. Because the shock of seeing Ren having his nose wiped by Mimi's fingers had genuinely made her want to cry. The shop assistant looked dumbfounded for a moment, but seeing Towa's tears, her expression softened slightly. "...Ah, so that's what it was. But please don't break the curtain. Would you like to try on that dress?" "...Yes." In the end, she ended up trying on the dress. The size was perfect. In front of the mirror, the suspicious person in the floral dress — no, Towa — let out a soft sigh. (That was close. But, not yet. It's not over yet.) She checked the stream on her smartphone. The date seemed to have left the cafe and was moving to the next destination. The commercial complex "Aqua Terrace Omotesando." A five-story shopping mall in Kita-Aoyama, Minato Ward. "Wait for me, Ren. I'm coming now." She took off the dress and changed back into her original floral one. She dashed out of the boutique and ran through the streets of Omotesando. Arriving at Aqua Terrace Omotesando, she quickly spotted the two of them. Or rather, they stood out because they were with a staff member carrying streaming equipment. Towa hid in the shadow of a pillar and continued her pursuit. Trying to close the distance, she got onto the escalator. —That's when it happened. With her hand on the escalator railing, Mimi suddenly moved. "Um, Ren-senpai." "Hm? What's up?" Mimi hesitated for a moment, then — wrapped her arm around Ren's arm. Clinging tightly around his elbow. "...I almost tripped, so I'll have you support me." Her face bright red, Mimi said. Ren's ears were also bright red. "O-oh... I see, you almost tripped, huh." Towa watched this scene from three steps behind them on the escalator. First, her thoughts stopped. Next— "Huh?" What leaked from her mouth was a hoarse voice. "Arm? That arm? I've linked arms with that arm too, you know!? Three years ago in an elevator because it was crowded and I had no choice! It was definitely because I had no choice! But I have linked arms with it, you know!?" Her rapid-fire, low-voiced soliloquy wouldn't stop. "I mean, what's with that reason, 'I almost tripped'! That's so unfair! Should I trip right now too!? Ugh, I still remember that feeling, you know! Ren's arm, a little firm, but warm!" —And then. Because something snapped in her brain, she misjudged the escalator's exit. Her heel got caught in the gap. "Eh, ah, whoa!?" "That's dangerous!" A salaryman behind her supported Towa's back. Having almost lost her balance, Towa somehow avoided falling. "S-sorry... thank you..." The salaryman stared at Towa's entire outfit (floral dress + sunglasses

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Episode 2

Name: VSPO! -The Misunderstanding Channel is a Storm of Love-
Author: Novelia

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