Ch 45 - We're Friends, Aren't We? Pt. 6

~~Suisei's POV~~

"'Rest in peace, Subaru. I'll take it from here. I should've looked out for that damn thing in the sky'..." I read the Japanese translation of Shiro's lyrics in "I'm The General".

"...Maybe I'm being too harsh on him...? However…"

I paused the music and clenched my fists.

"I will make an album one day and hopefully achieve the same! I won't be overtaken by a kouhai, especially somebody still new to the Vtubing scene! ...Oh?" My expression changed as my phone rang.

"O-Onee-chan?" I said to myself as I accepted the call.

"Hello, Nee-chan! What's up?"

"Sui-chan! Guess who I bumped into?"

"Hmm? Who?"

"Shiro-kun!~~~"

"...Hah?" I blinked twice.

"I knew he was lying when he said his name is 'Harukaze Keifer' and especially lying that he's a half-American to hide his identity, but it was so cute!~"

"W-Wait, are you even sure?! What does he look like?"

"Oh? He had a black mask on, white hair, red eyes, and was very tall! Though, I didn't recognize him because of the black mask or voice. I was a huge White T fan, remember? Besides, it's like an open secret that Shiro-kun is White T.~"

My eyes disappeared and my jaw dropped as I thought of how the hell she even met him...? What did Shiro even do...?

"Well, that's all I have to say. Oh, and one more thing. I think I'm in love.~ Tell Shiro-kun my regards and that I thank him for earlier.!~ Teehee!~" She said as she hung the phone up.

"..." My hands were shivering as I grabbed my phone.

"SHHIIIIIRRRROOOOOOO-KUUUUUNNNNNN!!!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

I ran downstairs faster than lightning, and I saw a couple Hololivers downstairs.

"EVERYBODY!"

"Oh? Suisei-senpai, good afternoon." Astel put his hand up.

"Sui-chan, good afternoon!" Azki said.

"IS SHIRO-KUN HERE RIGHT NOW?!"

"Eh? Shiro-kun? No. He went out earlier." Astel said.

"WHY THAT...!-" I gasped as I looked to my left and saw him in the distance.

"Why are you even that mad? I know you've been mad at him, but you're being too harsh, aren't you?" Astel frowned a bit.

"HE FLIRTED WITH MY SISTER!"

"....Huh?" Everybody deadpanned at me.

~~Shiro's POV~~

"Yo-"

"OI! SHIRO-KUN! WHAT THE HELL IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Astel shouted.

"W-Wah?"

"WAIT, YOU FLIRTED WITH ANEMACHI?!" Azki asked.

"Flirted with who?-WAIT, WHAT?!"

"YOU BASTARD! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!" Suisei shouted.

"THE HELL DO YOU MEAN?! I DIDN'T MEET YOUR SISTER!"

"THAT'S A LIE!" Everybody shouted.

"My sister said something about a fake name like 'Kazeharu Keifa' or something."

"Keifa-...Eh? Oh, so that's Anemachi...no wonder. She was one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met." I chuckled.

"WAIT, SO YOU DID ACTUALLY FLIRT WITH MY SISTER?! WHAT THE HELL?!"

"WAIT, THE FUCK YOU MEAN?! I DIDN'T!"

"SHE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THANKING YOU EARLIER!"

"...Oh." I put my hand on my face and snickered.

"Ah...she was molested by an old man. I had to get her out of it."

"Eh?! Really? You're not lying?" Suisei leaned forward.

"Well, do you want me to say that I hypnotized her and had sex with her since last week, and I'm totally not a protagonist that has long hair that shadows his eyes, so essentially, I got a dick that almost every girl wants 'cause they're horni sluts?"

"Don't act smart with me!" She growled.

"Sigh...Jesus, what more do you want from me?"

"W-Well...if that's the case, then Anemachi-san just did a friendly interaction with you?" Astel asked.

"Ah, well...sorta. After I saved her, we did a little talk, and went our separate ways."

"Hmm...I guess that explains it." Astel said.

"Though, one question…" Suisei said.

"Hmm?"

"It seems you went out to buy groceries, correct?"

"Yup."

"And you saved my sister, correct?"

"Yup."

"Then why did it take longer for you to get here than expected...?" She squinted her eyes.

The others also did that and put their chin against the middle of their thumb and index finger.

"Hmm...Sui-chan's (Suisei-senpai's) correct…" They said.

"Well...I had to report this to the police." I said as I got my phone and showed Suisei the video.

"Hmm?" She said before her eyes widened a lot.

"A-An old man...did that to my sister…" She said.

"I would've helped her immediately, but I thought recording evidence before reporting it to the police would be better. After all, scum like those should burn in hell, not die in heaven. If it wasn't for her conscience, I would've beaten him 'till blood came out. Heh, well, not like perverted old men, especially weak ass like him could take a single punch to the face." I chuckled.

"I-I see...m-maybe I was too harsh on you, after all…" Suisei gave the phone back and scratched her cheek with her index finger.

"Oh?"

"Y-You see...Ever since I first saw you, I thought you were kinda cocky and too arrogant, but...if you went this far for my sister, I-I guess…" She said with her cheeks slightly blushing.

"Ah, I already knew that. But don't worry, I still respect you. I assume you haven't seen clips of me praising you, huh?"

"Y-You did?"

"Yeah...sigh, anyway, I need to go back to my room and work on some music. See ya." I said as I raised my hand while walking back to my room as the others made way for me.

I blushed a bit and adjusted my mask.

"Err...that was embarrassing, but I bet Suisei was more embarrassed…"

"Anyway, now that that's done...I guess I can just start doing what I needed to do." I mumbled as I went to my computer and practiced my lines for the "girlfriend" song.

"Hoo...welp, that part's done. Guess I'll come back later on since this seems done...I guess I might take a short nap for ideas...or maybe watch Youtube videos? Hmm…"

Just when I said that, I heard a familiar ringtone on Discord.

"Oh? Mea? I wonder if she's bored again." I chuckled.

"Hello?" I accepted the call and started the convo.

"Shiro-kuuuuunnnn!!!"

"Meeeaaaaaaaa!!" We said as we both laughed afterwards.

"What an intro. Wassup?" I asked.

"Well, I was just wondering what's going on with you. I'm a bit bored, and have a stream this nighttime. Ah yeah, mind if we use cam?"

"Oh, you're on your phone? Wait, mind if I switch to my phone? My Iphone is just used for streaming. I don't have apps in it."

"Ah, sure!" She said as I ended the call and switched to my phone's discord as I faced the screen to me.

"Yo." I said.

"Hello! It's nice to see your dumb face again!"

"..." I ended the call and snickered.

"Take that, you bitch." I said as I waited for a few seconds until she decided to call again, to which I accepted.

"NEEEEE, WHY DID YOU HANG UP?"

"Apologize for calling me dumb."

"BUT YOU ARE-" I hung up once more.

And...you get it, I snickered, she dialed back, and I accepted it.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH, I HATE YOU!"

"I love you, Mea darling.~~"

"SHUT UP!" She shouted.

"AHAHA! Ah...anyway, jokes aside, you seem to be relaxing on the bed."

"Mhmm! What were you doing?"

"I was on my computer, wondering what to do next. I was done with a song, so now I was wondering if I should take a nap or just procrastinate." I chuckled.

"How about both?"

"That's impossible." I said to which she laughed hard.

"Well uh...I might not speak much since I don't know what to talk about." I said.

"Ah, me too. Though, mind leaving it on? Just wanted to hang out with you, even though we're far away." Mea said.

"Sure. Lemme just replace my iphone with this so that you can see my face as I do Youtube." I said as I placed it down for a while to get rid of my Iphone.

"...Oh, I got a question." She said as I was scrolling on Youtube on my PC.

"Hmm?"

"How's Aqua? Is she okay?"

"Mhmm. What about it?"

"You see...I know you all live in one place, and I was wondering who you made friends with. You seem to be the type to be approachable, at the same time, tend to keep people at a distance."

"Well...most of the 3rd gen, some 1st and 2nd gen, a bit of ID, all of Holostars...let's just say a majority of them, especially Holostars."

"I see...say, you have any friends outside of the Hololivers?"

"Hmm...I guess you? I don't know...well, I do have some friends too, but they're busy. You know, doing work. We do interact sometimes...oh yeah, I also met Anemachi earlier this afternoon."

"Eh? You did?"

"Mhmm. She was actually prettier than I expected. Couldn't have thought that beautiful face was also the same face that tries to talk to stuffed bunnies."

"Eh..?~ Then, mind telling me who's more beautiful? Me or Anemachi-san?~" She said as I switched to Jstris for a bit.

"Hmm...can't tell. Both are ugly."

"THAT'S MEAN! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT TO A WOMAN!" She said as I snickered.

"Well...in truth, both of you are beautiful. I can't really choose. Besides, Suisei's genes are just fucking unbelievable. Anemachi's an older sister, but she looks just as young, if not, younger than Suisei."

"Eh…? Then how beautiful am I?"

"As beautiful as Marine in the next 20 years."

"OI!" She said as I snickered.

"Jokes aside, you know...you got the looks...I just fear your hygiene."

"Hey, you're stinkier than me!"

"Well, I'm a man...you think I smell like roses? No, I smell like a garbage truck."

"Hah! Stinky!~" She teased.

"Mhmm, I'm stinky, but at least I practice proper hygiene, which means that I really just stink like a man. Unlike you whose vagina prolly has STD even without having sex with a man."

"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS LIKE TO ONE-UP ME?! OI! NEEEE, I HATE YOU! THIS IS THE END OF OUR FRIENDSHIP!"

"Can't be the end of our friendship if we were never friends to start with. BWAHAHAHA!" I bursted out laughing as she hyperventilated.

"WAHAAAA, SHIRO-KUN, YOU'RE MEAN!!!"

"But I wuv you.~~~"

"I HATE YOU!" She shouted, to which I laughed even more.

"Ah...you're so fun to talk to." I said while wiping my eyes.

And so, I just kept scrolling through Youtube, watching some videos while Mea was watching me, and after she said her goodbye after a few hours worth of interacting, I then worked more on the USSEEWA cover, thinking of the layers and mixing of the song project.

"Hmm...I think it's okay...let's listen to some covers and compare it. Who knows? I think there could be more to add…" I said as I went to Youtube and searched some USSEEWA covers.

However, I ended up getting too caught up in the covers that I ended up watching a compilation of "Hah?"'s of those covers.

"Ooh...Kizuna Ai...it's been a while since I saw her dark version...oh?" I paused the video and looked up.

'Kurokami is Fubuki's alter ego, Dark Kizuna Ai is Kizuna Ai's alter ego...ooh? I think I got an idea.' I thought.

"I guess for my 3rd album, it'll be a dark version of me, but for the 2nd album, which is now, I'll have a more cheerful and lovable version of me."

What shall be the name? Well...I think the color 'yellow' fits happiness and cheerfulness, so I'll go with 'Kiiro', which means 'yellow'.

"Hmm...well, anyway, going back to the USSEEWA covers…" I said as I listened to more covers and compared my instrumental to theirs for reference.

Once I was done with that, I checked back to my Twitter DMs to see if the artist I commissioned has finished the art yet so I can start working on the MV for "Remember When I Loved You". It seems though that the artist is not done yet, so I just went back to my usual.

"Hmm...oh? Now that I think about it, I haven't commissioned any art yet for the album, did I? Guess I'll let my character have yellow hair."

Yellow hair and blue eyes. Just to make a clear distinction that Kiiro is not the same as Shiro. I also gotta tell the artist I commissioned for that song that I gotta let him change my hair color to yellow.

"Hmm...but then, I can't just suddenly introduce a new character...guess I'll make hints...but what could those be?"

Streams are obvious...what about my Twitter profile? Ooh, I could alter my hair color so that it can slowly change my hair color from white to yellow. That's what I'll do!

"Well, I'll be busy for a while…" I chuckled.

~~March 22, 2021 5:20 AM~~

"'BBZZZ'-Alright, wakey wakey." I instantly stood up and got my phone as I walked to my curtains and opened it a bit.

"Ah, man...! Well, that was some good sleep, I guess…"

'I guess I should start executing the Twitter profile pic plan.' I thought.

And so, I went to my computer, and uploaded the picture from my computer to change it. It wasn't noticeable unless you actually get the picture in Photoshop and used the eyedropper tool to check its hue.

"Ah...this is gonna be good...maybe." I giggled.

"...Oh? What's this on Twitter?"

I always get notification in Twitter like retweets, likes, and all, but Google specifically said that Haato pinged me.

"Eh? What's this...wait, the hell?" I widened my eyes.

It was a rap in Twitter. Haachama and Calli.

The caption of the tweet is: "V-R.A.P.P? What a joke! Don't act too cocky or else me and Calli-chan will destroy you!"

I chuckled and smirked.

"I see...we're doing this, huh?"

I know they wouldn't do anything like this out of hate. Guess I gotta be the V-rapper that I am and diss back.

This is what the rap was:

[Chorus: Haachama]

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

PLEASE PRAISE HAACHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

SHIRO, BOW DOWN TO HAACHAMA-CHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

PLEASE PRAISE HAACHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

SHIRO, BOW DOWN TO HAACHAMA-CHAMA!

[Verse 1: Calli]

"Starting off with fire, straight from the senpai."

"You're gonna retire when I come with my big scythe."

"Slice off the head right. Stop with the fake lies."

"You're weaker than these haters that keep typing on their screen. My-"

"Gosh. My kouhai better know his place."

"Or I'll slice my scythe and let it hit onto his face."

"'The King of Sayonara'? Lemme tell you the real shit."

"Things are quite different when you work into this business!"

"And real men don't hit women, am I right?"

"So don't talk back, and take it like a guy."

"Besides, you can't even come with that stature."

"You're fighting 'gainst a God, and a lovely reaper."

"So what if you can freestyle? That doesn't mean you're cool."

"You're already senile. You're dying, little fool."

"And just to end this, I hope you cherish."

"Your time right now 'till you START TO PERISH."

[Chorus: Haachama]

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

PLEASE PRAISE HAACHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

SHIRO, BOW DOWN TO HAACHAMA-CHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

PLEASE PRAISE HAACHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

SHIRO, BOW DOWN TO HAACHAMA-CHAMA!

[Verse 2: Calli]

"Listen kid, I don't mean to offend you."

"But seriously, work on your fucking attitude."

"We've been working hard just to get where we wanna be."

"So we won't just give all this away to a wannabe."

"C-A-double L..I-O-P-E."

"The reaper's gotta tell there's no L-O-V-E."

"You're not immortal. I'm just spitting facts."

"I don't think you'll survive our next attack."

[Chorus: Haachama]

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

PLEASE PRAISE HAACHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

SHIRO, BOW DOWN TO HAACHAMA-CHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

PLEASE PRAISE HAACHAMA!

HAACHAMA! HAACHAMA!

SHIRO, BOW DOWN TO HAACHAMA-CHAMA!

~~A/N: I found a beat for this before, but I can't find it anymore in Youtube history search, so I just resorted to using the Lap vs Haachama beat Q-Q. Fuck Youtube, and fuck my life-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkaT8-NhD5c~~

"Damn...Calli's got bars...I need to make sure this diss is hella good." I chuckled as I bopped my head.

And so, within just 5 minutes, I wrote the whole song on my computer.

"...Yeah, this is gonna burn." I giggled.

"Oh man, it's been a while since I did a rap battle…" I chuckled.

"...Oh? Suisei? How nice of her to DM me finally." I chuckled.

"...Oh." I deadpanned after a while.

I thought it was a friendly DM, but it was rather related to business.

Suisei: Say, mind giving me your LINE number and stuff?

Shiro: What's this about?

Suisei: My sister wants to talk to you.

Shiro: Ah, sure. Though, do tell her I might not talk too much since I wanna focus on making music and whatnot.

Suisei: Yeah yeah

And so, not long after, me and Anemachi finally got each other's info, and she put herself on video call.

"Hey, hey. Shiro-kun! Or should I say...Keifer-kun?~" She said as she hugged a pillow while sitting on a couch.

"Ugh, thought my lying could sway you."

"Unfortunately, I saw right through it! Say, what's your relationship to Sui-chan? Her boyfriend? Her friend? Or maybe you're engaged?"

"Eh, she hates me. No joke." I chuckled.

"Eh...? That's harsh…"

"Right now, I'm off, according to my schedule, but that doesn't mean I'll relax. I'll also be making some music, so...maybe bye?-"

"WAIT! LET A WOMAN TALK MORE!" She pouted as she put her face on the pillow.

"Sure, sure. Get your stuffed bunny though and let her do the talking."

"Don't bring my own habits into this, meanie!"

"Sorryyyy...anyway, what is it?" I asked as I went into FL Studio.

"Hmm...I'm bored. Wanna go out together or something?"

"I'm not into thots, sorry."

"I'm not a thot!"

"Your actions and advancements right now say otherwise."

"Ever heard teasing?"

"Sigh...make a good reason why I should go out with you. Not like I don't want to, but I just value my time a lot."

"Hmm…'cause it's not everyday a guy, especially you, White T, and a handsome one at that, hang out with somebody like me?"

"...Eh? White T?"

"It's quite an open secret, you know?"

"I know, but...why that?"

"I'm a fan, you know? I still listen to your music, and sometimes use it for English practice."

"Eh? That's not enough to convince me. I'mma admit, you're one of the hottest women I've ever met, but that's not enough to let me go out with you."

"Then...how about having fun?"

"Hmm? Elaborate."

"Karaoke, going to places that are fun to hangout in, and roam around in Tokyo?"

"Hmm...sounds suspicious, but okay. You lead the date. Better make it worth my time."

"Sweet! Oh, by the way, meet my mom and dad."

I instantly choked on myself and slammed my desk.

"S-Sorry, what? Your parents were listening?!"

"Mom and dad heard about you before when I talked about that time we bumped into each other. Plus they like your streams and especially when you praised Sui-chan.~"

I clenched my fists and groaned silently.

'I wanna reject it again...but I guess for the sake of her parents, I'm gonna do it…'

"Say hi to him, mom!" Anemachi said.

"Hello, Shiro! It's nice to meet you!" She said in English.

"See? My mom's already liking you!~"

"Don't just let your parents do whatever you want! Oi!" I blushed a bit and sighed.

"Anyway, where are we meeting?"

"Let's meet at Shibuya! Near Yoyogi Park"

"Sweet. I actually like it there since there's a place where I can freestyle rap. I guess I can also show you improvement in my freestyle skills these past few years after retiring from White T." I chuckled.

And so, I dressed up, and when I finally got to Shibuya, I just sat at a bench, waiting for any pink-haired girl to come.

"...Hey!" I heard to my right.

"Hmm? Oh, there you are." I chuckled.

She was wearing a red top with an exposed shoulder, and her skirt was up to knee length. She also wore a golden bracelet.

"Hmm…" I let out as I looked at the surroundings. A lot of men looked at Anemachi, like she was some sort of Instagram model.

"I see some men around looking at you."

"Hmm? Are you jealous?~"

"Nah, just thought that you look rather beautiful today. I thought you would look simpler, but eh."

"'Eh'?! Hmph! I put on makeup and dressed for you, and you give me that?!"

"Uh...but I complimented you already with being beautiful…" I sweat dropped.

"Hmm...well, I guess that'll suffice. Let's go!" She said as she grabbed my arm.

"W-Woah…!" I said as she lead with a strong pull.

We walked around the streets, her eating ice cream that we bought before we left the park, and looked at some street performances.

"Hmm...you know, this is why I love Japan." She said.

"Oh? Why?"

"I mean, you get to hear these lovely sounds as you walk down the street!"

"Hmm...makes sense. I mean...I like Shibuya because of that one place where rappers rap at."

"Oh? You mean the one with the speaker in the middle?"

"Mhmm...it's that spot right there." I said as I pointed at it.

"Ah, yeah! This one!" She said as we both walked there.

The rappers were having a good rap battle, both giving good flows and rhymes. In the end, everybody clapped, even me.

"That was good! Say, mind if you show me your rap battling skills?" Anemachi asked.

"Hmm? Really? I could...but do you really wanna see it?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, alright! Anybody else wanna rap battle in the crowd?" A guy holding a mic said.

"Hey! My boyfriend wants to try!" Anemachi said, waving her hand.

"E-Eh? Boyfriend?" I sweated a bit.

"Oh, c'mon! We both look good together, and plus, it's just for today.~" She said.

'This girl…' I sighed.

"Oh? Guys, we got a lovely couple here, and it seems this guy is up for a challenge! Say, what's your name, fella?" The guy said as he pointed the mic to my mouth when I got close.

"My name is Shiro."

"I see...well, prepare your rhymes and mic, 'cause this is gonna be a genocide! DJ, let's go!" The guy said as the guy on the speaker started playing a beat, to which I then grabbed the mic on the opposite side, and the beat started playing the intro.

Opponent:

"Yeah...yeah, yeah, yeah. Check it."

"Ore wa saikou. Kiraa you ni, I'm psycho." (I'm the best. Like a killer, I'm psycho)

"Hoka no rappa gachi de not my taippu." (Other rappers are really not my type)

"Shonichi kara, kashi migaki kaketeru." (Since day one, I've been polishing my lyrics)

"Dakara, ore ichiban. Raimu miseru!" (That's why, I'm the best. I'll show you my rhymes!)

"Kawa ga you ni, okurashiteru no wa nashi." (Like a river, I'm not slowing down.)

"Omae wa boring. Kaki yamero kashi." (You're boring. Stop writing lyrics.)

"Kore wa mo furiisutairu. Atama tsukatte." (This is also a freestyle. Use your head)

"Ato de, hontouni ore ha mou katteru." (After this, I've already won, really.)

Shiro:

"Omae wa ichiban? Fuzakeruna." (You're the best? Stop joking around.)

"Chikara saikyou dakara Psychopath ni shiterunda." (Because I'm the strongest, I'm being a psychopath)

"Koko made, saikouttara kunshou wa doko da?" (If you're the best, where's your medal until now?)

"Kaeru yo. Hito mo kikoenai omae no ongaku!" (Go home! People can't even hear your music!)

"Kaikaku nai. Koko ni omae no tamaya." (You don't have innovation. This shall be your final resting place)

"Nagara, minna itteru kyoku ha takara." (Meanwhile, people will say my songs are a treasure)

"Dakara, yamete! Mou yada subete!" (So stop! Stop everything!)

"Naisu raimu kurete. Ah, chotto. Omae baka ga!" (Give me nice rhymes. Ah, wait. You're a damn idiot!)

Opponent:

"Tashikani, ore ga kingu janee kamo ne." (Okay, maybe I'm not the king after all)

"Sorede, omae wo ketsugaeshiteru ze!" (So I'm gonna overthrow you!)

"Oukan watashi ni kabuseru. Tanoshii!" (Put the crown on me. Man, it feels good!)

"Nandemo itteru wa seigi. Itsumo tadashii!" (Whatever I say is justice. I'm always right!)

"Hippu hoppu tameni nandemo yaru." (I would do anything for hip hop)

"Dakara, ore makenai, kono yatsu ni." (That's why I won't lose against this guy)

"Oyasuminasai. Soredemo, akumu morau." (Have a good night. Still, have nightmares when you sleep)

"Mou jikan ga nai. Subete itte hayaku!" (You don't have much time left. Say everything quickly!)

Shiro:

"Hei ga takusan. Kutsugaesu no wa dame yo." (I got a lot of soldiers. Overthrowing is impossible!)

"'Kaeru' tte itta. Chotto, omae ga ganko?" (I already said 'Go home'. Could it be that you're stubborn?)

"Yappari, kingu dakara, tsuihou shiyou." (As expected, since I'm the king, I'll put you in exile)

"Amari akumu wa nai. Dakara, ore ga-" (I don't really get a lot of nightmares because I-)

"Akumu da. Yasundara, akuma ga beddo no-" (AM the nightmare. Go to sleep, the demon will be under your-)

"-shita aru nda. Omae no karada kowashite-." (bed. I'll break your body.)

"-ru. Oh my god, kore wa saikou rappa. Sorede-" (Oh my god, this is the best rapper. And so,)

"Ki ni shinai. Ore no kachi. Shiai owarimashita." (Don't worry. This is my win. And that ends the match)

Everybody clapped and shouted, but Anemachi was the loudest in the crowd who shouted.

"SHIROOOOO, YOU GOOOO!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Hey, thanks for the rap battle, man." The guy said as he came to me and bowed.

"Ah, thanks too. It was fun." I chuckled and bowed as well.

"You take care of yourself man. My name's Kazuma, by the way."

"Mhmm. Take care too, Kazuma." I said.

I went back to Anemachi, and she wrapped her arms very tight around me as we got out of the crowd.

"H-Hey, you're too tight." I sweat dropped.

"Hmph! Can't a man at least enjoy his victories and especially when a cute girl is clinging onto him?" She pouted while pressing her chest further into my arm.

"H-Hey, stop that." I blushed and looked away while groaning.

"Hmm?~ I thought men like it big.~ Aren't I bigger than Sui-chan?~" Anemachi smugged.

"I don't have a boob preference though…"

Me and Anemachi finally went to a mall, and she took a big breath in.

"Aaahh! Don't you like the smell of a lively crowd in a mall?" She put her hands on her hips.

"I guess so."

'This mall takes me back...I remember roaming around the mall, familiarizing myself with Shibuya's layout…' I thought.

I scanned the first floor, and while that happened...

"...Oh?" I let out.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Men and women with very close skin contact, a couple people holding hands, young faces, hearts in some shops…

I shivered, but I kept my face stoic.

"Anemachi…"

"Yeah?"

"...I think today, there are a lot of couples right now…" I shivered more while keeping my facial expression the same.

"Hmm? Oh-" She widened her eyes.

I blushed, and so did Anemachi.

"W-Well...I mean, we can act like one to blend in. Japan is like that, after all…" Anemachi said.

"E-Err...I don't really want to…"

I widened my eyes as a light bulb appeared on top of my head.

"Oh wait, it's Suisei's birthday today, right?"

"Yeah...Oh, you wanted to get her a present?"

"Mhmm...I usually give gifts for the Hololivers. And besides…"

"O-Oh?" She said as I leaned my face closer to hers.

"I respect Suisei a lot, you know? I mean, I respect everybody a lot, but Suisei's definitely a star. That's why I look up to her…"

"...Oh? What's wrong?" I asked.

"Y-You're too close…" She blushed.

"Oh? A-Ah, sorry…" I giggled nervously.

"W-Well...if you want to gift her something, what would it be?" She asked.

"Hmm...I don't know what she'd like. What did you have as a present?" I asked.

"I got her cute dolls and a MIDI keyboard, as well as an acoustic guitar!" She said as she grabbed my arm with a wink that resulted to an imaginary star popping up.

"Eh? That's luxurious...wait, a keyboard and a guitar?"

"Oh? You didn't know? Well...she's always said how, since she's a singer, it'd be pretty nice if she could play guitar like Rikka-kun and piano like Sora-chan. So, me and my parents worked hard to buy it as a secret present for her upcoming anniversary and birthday!"

"Eh? Man, now I feel lost as to what I should give to her…"

My White-T shirts...? Ah, but I don't have those anymore since I cut connections already...albums? I don't even know who she listens to...Hmmm…

"Hey, you two lovely people!" Two people, one man and one woman, came up to us.

"O-Oh?" Me and Anemachi said.

"My, you two are perfect for each other! Are you a couple, perhaps?"

"A-Ah, no-"

"Yes! This is my boyfriend!" She said, hugging tighter.

"O-Oi, don't you think you're-" I whispered.

"Hey, let's use this perfect chance to make it a very fun memory for the both of us! You did want to have fun, didn't you?" She whispered back.

"I-I...sigh...yes, this beautiful pink-haired girl is my girlfriend." I deadpanned and sweat dropped.

"My, I knew it! Fate must've pulled you two together! Would you two like to participate in a little contest?" They said.

"Contest?"

"Lovebirds' Hymn contest!"

"Forbidden love is such a tragic thing to experience! Most lovers can't be with their significant other because of certain circumstances!" The girl said.

"But no matter what, their voices always reach out to each other! Their sweet melodies keep them together like a long strip of red ribbon! It's their only communication left after God has separated the two lovebirds!" The guy said.

"So to show how strong their bond is, they will give out their heart's melody, so when they come together soon, they can sing to their heart's content!"

"Basically saying...it's a music improv composition contest for couples! Whoever can win the hearts of the crowd the most will get a very nice prize! Though...we won't announce it to give some suspense and hype you up more for it. We assure though that it's a very very VERY irreplaceable prize. A once in a blue moon reward! What do you two say?"

"Hmm...Anemachi?"

"I want to go! Let's do it, Shiro-kun! It sounds fun!"

"Well...I guess it won't be bad for a memory or something. Is there a criteria aside from what you said earlier?" I asked the guy.

"Oh, nothing! You just need to make sure you two make a song so touching, that it's a guaranteed first place!"

"I see...heh. Are there any instruments?"

"Mhmm! You two can play any instruments! You can even go acapella! Have as much freedom as you like!"

"Well, I guess if that's the case, me and her can join."

"Great! Follow us to the center of the mall! It starts in a couple minutes, and there are already a good amount of competitors!" The guy said.

And so, us being the last couple out of 12 competitors, we sat down together, waiting for the 11th couple to finish.

During the time the others competed, me and Anemachi talked about some ideas. How we might start, when to talk, and when we should harmonize together.

While I was watching, being mesmerized by everybody's chemistry, I noticed Anemachi touching my hand.

"O-Oh? What's wrong?"

"...I don't know...but…" She said while clenching her fists and looking away.

"Hmm? It's okay. Just be honest with me. The guy and woman did say we can always bail out if we had a change of mind."

"It's not that. It's just that...I'm scared…"

"Scared of what?"

"E-Embarrassing us both...it's an improv, but I'm afraid we may not be able to harmonize well, plus...I don't even play any instruments...I'm only good at singing...and we're just a pretend couple...I still want to continue, but I have this feeling that maybe, because we're not an actual thing, we might not be able to communicate well, and I even got us dragged here because it was in the heat of the moment. There's no way that us, a pretend couple, can beat real couples…"

"I-I'm sorry for dragging you into this...I'm such a pain in the ass, aren't I?" She giggled.

I clenched my fists and smirked while giving a little chuckle.

"Nah...you wanted to let me have fun, right? Isn't that why we're here?"

"E-Eh? You're not...mad about it?"

"Nah. I mean, we're just here so we can enjoy ourselves, right? So who cares if we can't get first place? We at least experienced it, right? Besides, if you get to spend time with Suisei after this, you can tell her about the time we came here as a fake couple and tell her how fun it was." I chuckled.

"...I see...thank you." She said while giving a smile.

"You're welcome-...oh?" I let out as I felt her lips press against my cheeks.

"You know...you're really gonna make me fall for you if you keep up that cool demeanor."

"S-So...those last ones were just teasing or something?" I sweat dropped.

"Who knows?~ Maybe I already am falling in love with you, and my heart just keeps denying it?~" She giggled.

'Man...she's all over the place.' I thought and chuckled.

And so, once the 11th couple were done, me and Anemachi got on stage. We agreed that I had to play some chords first for 8 bars before she started singing. She took care of the lyrics, and I just had to play the piano. Of course, I had to sing later on and hopefully harmonize well, but we had to play it safe and simple first.

"Whoo…" Anemachi breathed out and looked at me as I nodded and faced the keyboard.

'Right now, this very moment, I'll put my trust in you, Anemachi!' I thought in my mind as I started playing chords.

Of course, I had to play a couple notes on top, but the main chords were this, in every bar.

1st: Am; 2nd: G; 3rd: F; 4th: C (2 bars), Em (2 bars)

BPM: 92; Key: Am

[Verse 1: Anemachi]

"Anata no toriko naru.~" (I am your prisoner)

"Kotoba wa miryokuteki yo.~" (Your words are so mesmerizing)

"Doushite watashi dake nano?~" (Why is it only me though?)

"Moshikashite, Watashi mo miryokuteki no?~" (Perhaps, maybe you find me mesmerizing too?)

[Chorus: Anemachi]

"Unmei ha janakatta dakedo tonikaku~" (It wasn't meant to be, but somehow)

"Watashitachi atta.~" (We met)

"Jiyuu ni narou sore e. Kore kara ii-~" (Let's be free and go to the sky. Let's make-)

"Memorii shiyou owari made~" (Good memories until the end)

(2 bars of chord playing)

[Verse 2: Shiro]

"Anata no toriko naru.~" (I am your prisoner)

"Soba ni itai itsumo. Tooi dattara-~" (I want to be by your side forever. When you're far away-)

"-Boku no kokoro itai. Kami-sama, ko-~" (My heart aches. Oh Lord, please let me-)

"-ibito to hanashite.~" (-be free with my one true love)

[Chorus: Anemachi (with Shiro)]

"(Unmei ha janakatta dakedo tonikaku)~" (It wasn't meant to be, but somehow)

"Tsuini Issho ni naru.~" (We're finally together)

"[Shiro] Tatoe jikan no jyuujin demo, te wo tsukan-" (Even if we're prisoners of time, just hold my-)

"-de dake. Zenbu nori kaeyou" (-hand. Let's overcome everything)

(4 bars playing)

Within this time, she went near my ear and asked "Bridge?", to which I responded with a nod, I also told her "Go higher at the next chorus. Bridge sustains the same chords."

[Bridge: Anemachi]

"E, jaa, unmei janakattara? Issho ni nara-" (Eh, so what if it's not fate? As long as you're with-)

"Daijoubu da...daijoubu da" (-me, I'm totally fine...I'm totally fine with it)

"Kami-sama ga yurusanai nara-" (If God won't permit it,)

"Watashi nakunatta hou mashi!" (I'm better off dead)

[Chorus: Anemachi (Shiro doing harmony)] (Key change from Am to Cm)

"Unmei ha janakatta dakedo tonikaku o-~" (It wasn't meant to be, but anyway)

"-wari made issho ni iku.~" (Until the end, I'll be together with you)

"Jiyuu ni narou sore e. Kore kara-~" (Let's be free and go to the sky. From here on out-)

"Hanasenai. Dakishimete.~" (Never let me go. Hold me tight.)

[Outro:Shiro]

"...I'll never let you go, my love." I said as I did an arpeggio going upwards to finish the whole song.

"WAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!" The whole mall echoed in the screams of the audience.

"Hoowee! We got a sure 1st place winner here, folks! This lovely couple with the most attractive faces have not only went through everything perfectly and smoothly, but even won the hearts of many!" The male emcee said.

Ah, that is true. The other couples either slipped up with harmony, notes, and even overlapping lyrics, even for just a split-second. Me and Anemachi were lucky.

"With that done, you two lovebirds shall sit back down, and without further ado, let's announce the winners."

"3rd place goes to...the 4th couple! 2nd place goes to...the 6th couple! And finally, and you all know who the winner is, 1st place goes to the 12TH COUPLE!!" The guy said as everybody clapped.

"Ahaha! We did it, Anemachi!" I said.

"We sure did! Thanks to you, we were able to go through that with no mistakes!" Anemachi smiled widely.

"And your singing was impressive!" I chuckled.

"Now, for the prizes...3rd place can purchase anything in the mall for free but only up to a budget of 20,000 yen. 2nd place can purchase anything in the mall for free but only up to a budget of 100,000 yen! And for the first place…" The guy said with a giggle.

"They shall only be limited to one purchase, but that purchase will have no budget at all!"

The whole crowd clapped and shouted loud and enthusiastically, but me and Anemachi's jaw dropped with our eyes popping out.

"WHAT?! Wait, does that mean if there's anything in this mall that costed 1 million yen, we can get it FOR FREE?!" I asked.

"Yes! Heck, if this mall had anything that costed 1 billion yen, you can get it with no charge at all! Just give them this lovely token as proof of being the winner here, and you can take it like a thief sneakily getting jewelry!"

"H-Huh...holy shit." I mumbled in English as the guy came to us with the token.

'I wonder what I shall give as a gift to Suisei with this...?!' I smiled widely.

"'Like a thief...getting jewelry...' ...W-Wait, this token can let us buy anything regardless of the price, right?!" Anemachi asked.

"Oh? Yeah, that's what he said."

"If that's the case...come with me!" She said, pulling my hand.

"W-Woah! Slow down there! What's going on?"

"Trust me! I know something that Sui-chan would like!"