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Chapter 21




Parsed with an automated reader. The content accuracy is not guranteed.
One month later.
After Masaki finished transferring his position, he obtained permission from the department chief to resign.
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The department chief had a sour look on his face until the end, but he left Masaki with a「Thanks for your work」at the last minute. He must have been thinking about something.
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And with Nagara.
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「Senpai. Thank you for all your hard work until now」
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Masaki saw the figure of Nagara in a suit, tears coming out but smiling nonetheless to see him off.
Looking at her lonely expression, tears started welling up in him too, but he somehow managed to leave the office without crying.
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Finally, he looked up at the building his office is in.
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「How many years has it been……since I last went home in the afternoon?」
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The feelings Masaki is experiencing is similar to that of being on summer break.
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It’s like having a half-day on the day of the final closing ceremony.
There is the feeling of freedom along with some slight anxiety. Anxiety that doubts whether he could live comfortably as a Vtuber or not.
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「Well, I’ll just have to do everything I can do」
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The feelings of anxiety were something inevitable.
Masaki notified his manager of his resignation and worked on scheduling his streams again.
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「Good work, senpai」
「…………So why are you in my home?」
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Next day, Saturday.
Nagara visited Masaki’s home.
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「Huh? Aww～c’mon. I told you I’ll inconvenience you, didn’t I!?」
「That wasn’t about you asking for advice and consultation from time to time……?」
「It is from time to time! Once a week that is!」
「Once a week!?」
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Their train of thoughts were completely different. What was the point of that tear-soaked farewell then?
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「But senpai, haven’t you tidied up your room quite a bit in one month? Weren’t you the type that can’t clean?」
「…………About that, I can’t make any excuses」
「Senpai looks like an honest and reliable person but you can be careless about weird things. Well, that’s what makes you you though」
「What does that mean?」
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Masaki felt that he was being labeled as an extreme case of ponkotsu, but looking at his room with objects scattered around, he couldn’t refute it.
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「That’s why I’ll be coming to clean every week, I look forward to it!」
「Ha, haa……Well, I’m also grateful for what you’re doing, so I guess there’s no reason to refuse」
「Yaaay!!」
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Nagara raised both of her hands up with a shout of joy.
Since she’s wearing a loungewear t-shirt, two mountainous bulges asserted their presence. Masaki averted his eyes in a hurry.
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「Therefore, I, Nagara will become a kayoi tsuma<sup>1</sup>!! Please treat me well!」
「Kayoi tsuma……」
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Masaki, for now, strictly told Nagara to notify him the day before she comes over.
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「Eh! Masaki-kun has switched jobs!?」
「That’s some spectacular decisiveness」
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During the meeting for the next collab, Masaki told Yuugure and Mikan that he resigned from his job.
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And that was their reaction to it.
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「Eh～Doesn’t this mean I can finally have an off-collab with Masaki～?」
「You say that but you’ll be shaking in your boots when it really happens」
「Shut up Mikan, you’re pissing me off」
「But with this, you can freely do endurance streams and daytime collabs」
「I think I heard something unsettling just now……」
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But there’s no mistaking that both of them are welcoming this change.
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「But this gives off the feeling that Masaki-kun’s preparations for the 200k is complete」
「That’s still far off in the future. For now, I’ll do all that I can. I’m thinking about raising the amount of times I stream as much as possible」
「Oh, that’s good～. Start off with what you can do and gradually work your way up!」
「Yes! Thank you very much!」
「You’re exaggerating your senpai mannerism」
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It seems that Yuugure is in a good mood. The tone of her voice is somewhat higher than usual.
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「Speaking of which, Tsukihi, you were making a fuss yesterday and saying『I have to finish the voice tomorooooooooow』, did you finish it?」
「……………………Well, I did」
「I bet you’re lying」
「Wh, why do you think so!?」
「As expected, even I could tell just now……」
「Gununu!!」
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Voice refers to the voice dramas sold by the company.
There are various situations such as「Valentine Voice」「Christmas Voice」「Hot Spring Voice」in voice dramas, which will be released several times throughout the year.
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The one Yuugure is currently pressed on time for is the「Halloween Voice」.
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「It’s not my fault……I just don’t know what sort of lines or tone would be good for a Halloween context……」
「You don’t even have the manuscript done? That’s a pretty dire situation……」
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And these situations and lines for the voice dramas are usually made by the Liver’s. Depending on the person, it may be something troubling and worry-inducing.
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But due to that, oftentimes, releasing a voice yields a decent amount of profit for the Liver.
As a result, many Vtubers release voices.
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「By the way Masaki-kun, you aren’t releasing any voices, right? Why is that?」
「The fact you know that is scary」
「It’s not like that. People frequently send me messages saying『Masaki won’t release a voice so I beg you to please do something』」
「They go to Tsukihi for that……」
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There’s been demand for Masaki’s voice long before his subscriber count grew. It’s to the level that viewers will say『Release a voice』at every chance possible.
However, while the other Liver’s in『Trimming V』release voices, Masaki hasn’t released any in his one year of activity.
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「Voice, about that……No, I won’t release any」
「Why?」
「…………I just won’t」
「Oya?」
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Rarely does Masaki give ambiguous answers.
With suspicions growing inside her, Ringo made an inference on his reasons.
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「Could it be……you’re embarrassed, or something like that?」
「――――!!」
「Bullseye」「Right on the mark」
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Yuugure became convinced through Masaki’s reaction, pointing it out, and Ringo had a smile from ear to ear.
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「Well, I get you〜. I also only do things like listening and correcting it about one time. I think my own voice sounds disgusting, y’see」
「Let’s have the next plan be『Sell a voice if you lose as punishment game』」
「E, eeh!?」
「Alrighty, time to get serious〜」
「But why are we doing another punishment game for losing……!? I had a terrible experience last time……」
「I’ll also achieve an overwhelming victory this time. Be at ease and wait for me, Masaki-kun」
「It’s clear who the predator and prey is」
「OK, I’ll finish my voice at once!!」
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Yuugure showed a recovery in motivation.
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「Then let’s make the next title『Who’s the normal person? The wacky dokkan academic ability test』」
「sSShaa! I’ll show you all my intellect!」
「A, academic ability……I feel uneasy」
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Thus, the contents for the next collab were decided.