[【Chit-Chat】Tsurusaki and Off-Collab! I’ll read Maikarong! Also doing games in the evening! #KainohIzumi#TsurusakiTsukasa#StarsFlow]
-─(≧▽≦)>ZumiZumi!
-Wait!メ
-─(≧▽≦)>ZumiZumi!
“T-Tsurusaki? Are you ready? Don’t be nervous, let’s do our best…!”
“I think it’s more like you’re the one who’s nervous, senpai…”
How did she know?
I thought I was much better than before, but as the broadcast started to approach, my heart began to race again.
After all, this is my first collaboration with a junior. Especially starting with an off-collab.
Tsurusaki is polite and really likes me, but she’s still a junior.
If that’s the case, my role in this broadcast is to lead her, just like how the seniors have helped me all this time during collaborations.
Of course, Tsurusaki has had a previous life, so her broadcasting skills are much smoother than mine… but in Stars Flow, I’m the senior, so I have to set an example.
All of those thoughts were piling up into a burden on me.
“Haah…”
The clock was pointing to 5:57 PM.
As the broadcast start time drew nearer, the tension grew stronger, turning my head white.
“Senpai?”
“D-Did you call me?!”
“Let’s do our best, okay?”
“Ah… yeah!”
…Right. Tsurusaki must be just as nervous.
No matter how much previous life experience she has, collaborating with a senior in Stars Flow is still new for her.
Plus, since I said she’s my favorite, she must be even more on edge.
What would happen if I showed such a side of me in this situation?
Let’s cheer up, me. The grown-up me…! I promised earlier, right? To show the dignity of a senior!
“I-I’m starting now, Tsurusaki…!”
“Okay.”
As the clock struck six sharp, I switched the screen and unmuted the microphone.
“C-Congratulations…! The atmosphere maker, Kainoh Izumi…!”
-Hi Zumi!
-I’m looking forward to the first off-collab with the third years.
“Everyone probably already knows, but today we’ll be having an off-collab with my junior, T-Tsurusaki. Tsurusaki, please introduce yourself…”
“Ah, yes! KonKasa! I’m Tsurusaki Tsukasa, a bodyguard for Atlas and a third-year at Stars Flow! Please take care of me!”
-KonKasa!
-Finally got to fulfill my wish, Tsukachi!
“…”
After the greeting, for some reason, we both just stared at the screen without saying a word.
Tsurusaki is probably waiting for me to take the lead in broadcasting. I’m the senior, plus this channel we’re on is mine.
Of course, it’s just that I’m too nervous to say anything due to my brain going blank.
-Time has stopped
-Did this off-collab just fail from the start?
-This must be the fault of Stars Flow for having Mei-chan do an off-collab with a junior right from the beginning.
If there’s anything fortunate, it’s that the awkwardness between us seems to be entertaining for the Izutomos.
But we can’t stay like this forever, so I had to say something.
“W-Well, the weather is nice, Tsurusaki!”
“It really is. It was a bit cold since it’s winter, but the sky is clear.”
Phew… it really proves that small talk about the weather is the best when there’s nothing else to say.
And I don’t have any subject prepared today other than the weather.
“…”
-Did I really just end up talking about the weather?
-Let’s just quickly move on to Maikarong…
“R-Right! We were supposed to read Maikarong!”
It’s definitely best to read the prepared Maikarong from the start in situations like this.
Having once again realized this undeniable truth, I immediately displayed the Maikarong on the screen.
Today’s Maikarong selecting wasn’t done by me, but by the manager and Tsurusaki.
They thought if I were to choose it, I’d only pick questions where Tsurusaki would have to answer.
…They know me too well, it’s scary.
As Koga said, am I that predictable in my actions?
[Hi Zumi! KonKasa!]
[Today is finally the day of the long-awaited, first collaboration between the second and third years.]
[Starting with an off-collab, I’m really curious about what will happen.]
[So, I’ll ask, when you first met each other, what was your first impression?]
[Mei-chan said she was scared of Tsukachi, and Tsukachi said Mei-chan was her favorite, I wonder if meeting in person changed that view a bit.]
“F-First impression, huh…”
“Senpai, can I go first?”
“Ah, sure!”
“To be honest, I thought, ‘What is this cute creature?’”
“…Eh?”
-That’s not something to say to your senpai, lol.
-There’s no way Mei-chan has any dignity as a senior.
-Is she the charming type after all?
“I guess it made me want to cuddle? Something like that?”
I turned my gaze away, feeling betrayed, and looked up at Tsurusaki, who was continuing to speak joyfully.
There was no trace of lies in her pure sincerity.
Who could possibly question such words? At least, I couldn’t.
…Yeah. I must be the universe’s strongest ultra-cute girl… So it can’t be helped if she thinks that way.
Let’s forgive her with the grace of a senior.
“I’m curious about how senpai felt about me.”
And when it was my turn, I confidently stated.
“…It was scary.”
“Eek.”
-Your first impression hasn’t changed, lol.
-If it’s Mei-chan, she probably would have found anyone scary.
But it was genuinely frightening.
The way she looked down at me with her hair half-covering her eyes honestly makes me feel scared just recalling it now.
At first, I wondered if my claim of her being my favorite was a lie? Was it just a concept for business?
I had thoughts like that.
“Well then, onto the next Maikarong…”
“S-Senpai? What did that mean just now?!”
Tsurusaki, curious about my previous statement, looked at me, but I didn’t respond and moved on to the next Maikarong.
This was a punishment for ignoring the senior.
[You two talk freely for 3 minutes.]
“F-Freely talk…?”
…I can’t believe someone actually sent such a terrifying request for a Maikarong.
If they’re sending a Maikarong, they should know what kind of person I am.
No. They probably sent it because they know. There are plenty of sadistic ones among the Izutomos…
“Freely talking? That’s an easy request.”
“…Huh?”
Free talk is easy?
Well, if you look at it simply, yes, you might think you can just chat randomly for three minutes.
But digging deeper, free talk is an incredibly difficult content that surpasses even the highest level of difficulty.
To keep talking for three minutes without a topic, without it feeling awkward, to keep a natural flow?
If you can’t understand how hard that is… that person must be a notorious social butterfly.
This free talk is something that even people who have been through a relationship for over four years can feel awkward doing…!
For someone to send that to my Maikarong…
If I find out who sent this, I will never forgive them…
“…Senpai?”
“Ah, yeah? D-Did you call me?”
“So are we skipping this Maikarong?”
“No. W-Well, maybe not…”
Even if I think it’s hard, this is still a Maikarong sent by the viewers.
While it’s a tough ask… it’s not an ask that shouldn’t be made.
Most importantly, if I skip this without any good reason, the manager who selected it might get angry…
“Ugh…”
Looking at the screen, I prepared the stopwatch and hovered my mouse over the start button, then slightly turned to look at Tsurusaki.
Tsurusaki also turned her gaze towards me, quietly watching.
“W-Well, I’ll start?”
“Yes!”
After hearing Tsurusaki’s reply, I took a deep breath and pressed the start button.
Time flowed as we locked eyes.
But neither of us opened our mouths.
“…”
Tsurusaki was definitely waiting for me to speak first, just like earlier.
That consideration is really appreciated, but if you know me well, I wish you’d just say something!
If given a choice between speaking and listening, I’d pick listening 200 times out of 100!
But my feelings didn’t seem to be conveyed as Tsurusaki only smiled and looked at me.
Another glance at the stopwatch revealed over 15 seconds had passed.
-This is a public execution for Mei-chan…
-Stop bullying her.
-Is this some kind of catch ball in a conversation?
-This is pure cruelty.
-This is hell!
-There’s just silence!
-What if it just ends like this?
-Thump-thump, lol!
-This is too painful to watch.
Right. Even though I can’t just sit here in silence, we can’t let it end without speaking.
I’ve grown since then. Tsurusaki must believe in me. She must rely on me.
I am… a senior…!
“Uh, um? Tsurusaki…?”
“Yes?”
I need to be the one to say something…!
“The weather is nice…”
“…”
-LOL
-You already said that!
-This was too hard for Mei-chan.
And thus, I gloriously met my end.
★
Seriously, what is this cute creature…
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