Episode 23: A New Proposal
At dusk, the view from the window of the apartment where Hayato lived was stained crimson. In the living room, the five companions were gathered, seeing each other for the first time in a while. The spacious living room of the high-rise apartment offered a panoramic view of the city’s nightscape from its large window, warmly enveloping their gathering.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it, since all five of us were together.”
Seika smiled, sitting on the sofa with a coffee cup in her hand. Her slender fingers elegantly traced the rim of the cup. Her golden hair was a little shorter than usual, swaying lightly at her nape.
“I’d like to increase these opportunities a bit more, but the timing is tricky.”
Tsuyoshi sat in a chair by the large window, looking relaxed. He wasn’t in his usual suit, but dressed casually in a shirt and jeans. He had been checking his smartphone earlier, but for today, he wanted to prioritize relaxing with his companions over work calls.
“Everyone’s busy, after all.”
Josuke said with a gentle smile, looking around at everyone with a glass in his hand. Then, he turned his gaze towards where Seika was sitting and said.
“Seika, especially, you must have a lot of overseas business trips, right?”
To his question, Seika, while showing a slightly tired expression, elegantly lifted her cup.
“Yes, recently I’ve been continuously treating patients with severe symptoms. But it’s finally settled down.”
Seika replied. She worked as a researcher for a major pharmaceutical company, using her expertise to also be involved in treating intractable diseases. When she spoke of it, a light of mission and pride dwelled in her eyes.
“More importantly, today is about celebrating Hayato.”
Riri said in a cheerful voice, typical of a high school student, lightly tapping Hayato’s arm. Her bright smile further brightened the room’s atmosphere. Riri had changed from her school uniform into casual clothes, but her golden hair was still tied up in its usual ponytail, giving a lively impression. And Hayato smiled, looking a little embarrassed.
“Congratulations, Hayato.”
“Thank you.”
His companions all congratulated him at once, and Hayato, while embarrassed, responded with heartfelt gratitude.
“Now, this too.”
Josuke stood up and poured the champagne he had taken from the refrigerator into the glasses arranged on the table. The sound of the liquid being poured, along with the bursting bubbles, made the celebratory occasion even more festive. His movements were efficient, taking care to distribute it evenly into each glass. For Riri, who was underage, he had prepared and handed her a champagne-style carbonated drink.
“Josuke, what about that item?”
Seika asked, her gaze filled with anticipation. A childlike curiosity dwelled in her eyes.
“Of course, I have it ready.”
Josuke grinned and placed a lavishly wrapped, square box that he had taken out with the champagne. The box, adorned with a golden ribbon, greatly heightened expectations.
“Thank you, you’re as efficient as ever.”
“This much is a piece of cake.”
What he took out was a magnificent cake. When he opened the box, a beautiful cake, like a work of art, was revealed inside. As if opening a jewelry box, it was adorned with colorful fruits and delicate decorations.
“According to his information, this is apparently the most delicious cake in the city. Let’s all eat it.”
Seika said happily. She elegantly moved her hands, serving the cake onto plates.
“Actually, I also found a delicious sweets shop. Please have some of this too.”
Riri also took out a small box from the bag she had brought. Opening it revealed small, colorful macarons lined up inside.
“I found it on my way home from school. It was so delicious, I wanted everyone to try it.”
“Thank you.”
Hayato replied with a smile.
“I didn’t expect such a lavish celebration.”
“It’s a joyous occasion for an important companion. We have to do at least this much.”
Tsuyoshi raised his glass.
“A toast.”
The five glasses elegantly touched in mid-air, ringing with a clear tone. It was a beautiful moment, as if symbolizing the bond of their shared adventures in the other world.
Riri brought the cake to her mouth and let out a small “Wow.”
“This is so delicious! Thank you, Seika-san!”
“You should thank Josuke too, for finding it.”
“Thank you very much, Josuke!”
“I just fulfilled the request.”
Seika and Josuke smiled.
“Delicious things like this are especially good when you’re with companions, aren’t they?”
“That’s true.”
Hayato agreed with Tsuyoshi, who was eating one of the macarons Riri had brought.
They ate cake and macarons together, and pleasant conversation continued for a while. Everyone talked about their recent situations: Hayato’s new workplace, Riri’s achievements in the badminton club, Josuke’s real estate business developments, Seika’s research results, Tsuyoshi’s initiatives at his company—
As they talked about the places they had each found in this new world, their bond seemed to deepen even further.
“I’d like for all of us to go on a trip together sometime.”
In the middle of the conversation, Tsuyoshi suddenly made such a proposal. At his words, everyone’s eyes lit up.
“That sounds great.”
Josuke immediately agreed. He seemed to be lost in thought, gazing out the window as if already considering a destination.
“Don’t worry about the budget. I’ll book a good inn.”
Tsuyoshi said. Behind such words, one could sense his desire to cherish the time spent with his companions above all else.
“It seems like coordinating our schedules will be tough.”
Hayato pointed out a practical problem. Indeed, now that they each had different jobs, it wouldn’t be easy to align everyone’s schedules.
“But I want to go.”
Riri’s eyes sparkled. Her face showed pure longing and anticipation, and her voice was full of hope.
“It feels like we could experience the mood of when we traveled together as companions.”
At Riri’s words, everyone nodded quietly. Memories of the days they traveled the other world vividly resurfaced in their minds.
“That sounds very nice.”
Seika also expressed her agreement.
“I’ll try to adjust things so I can take a vacation too.”
“Can we get time off?”
“We’ll manage somehow.”
“I’m surprisingly free, you know.”
As everyone got excited talking about the trip, Riri suddenly stood up. Her expression showed a hint that she had something she wanted to say.
“Actually, besides the trip, there’s one more thing I want to try doing with everyone.”
At Riri’s serious voice, everyone’s laughter died down, and their gazes gathered on her.
“Something you want to try?”
Hayato asked, tilting his head. Curiosity and warm understanding floated in his eyes. A feeling of wanting to help his companion with whatever she wanted to try.
Riri nodded emphatically and answered.
“Everyone, have you heard of VTubers?”
“VTubers, you mean those people who use virtual Avatars to create videos or stream, right?”
Surprisingly, Tsuyoshi answered with apparent familiarity. His knowledge of such new cultures was likely useful in his business as well.
“Yes, yes.”
Riri explained happily.
“They’re people who reflect their movements onto an Avatar, sing, dance, do live game commentary, and engage in various activities in a virtual space.”
As she explained, her hands moved enthusiastically, conveying her passion more than words could.
“It seems to be popular among young people recently.”
Josuke said. His words carried the sharpness of someone well-informed who always kept up with new trends.
“Us, becoming those VTubers?”
Hayato, though slightly perplexed, showed interest in Riri’s proposal. When asked, Riri’s eyes took on a distant look, as if gazing at a faraway place. It seemed she was recalling the past.
“I’ve always thought this. I want other people to know about our memories of the other world.”
At those words, everyone became quiet.
“But, it’s not that I want to tell this story and have them believe it. I thought that if we talk about these memories as a VTuber activity, we could share them. It would be good if our memories could be told as a story. People would probably think it’s just a setting or a made-up tale, but even so, I think we can become an existence that remains in people’s memories.”
Riri explained her reason for wanting to start VTubing. Her expression was serious, and her words were filled with strong emotion.
“Besides, I wanted to try doing something new together, cooperating as the five of us.”
She spread her arms wide and looked around at everyone.
“And that, is this VTuber idea.”
To Hayato’s words, Riri nodded forcefully again. Her eyes looked straight at Hayato, overflowing with trust in him.
The companions looked at each other. They couldn’t hide their bewilderment at the outlandish proposal. But at the same time, it was also true that Riri’s words had stirred their hearts.
“That sounds quite interesting.”
Seika was the first to speak.
“I’d like to try it.”
At her positive words, Riri’s eyes sparkled.
“Leaving memories of the other world with the people of this world, huh?”
Josuke crossed his arms and spoke, as if lost in thought. It seemed various ideas for its realization were already surfacing in his mind.
“I can’t predict how it’ll turn out, but I think it’s worth a try.”
He was strongly drawn to the idea of leaving a record. He wanted others, too, to know of Hayato’s exploits. Agreeing with Riri’s thinking, he found himself wanting to do just that.
“I agree with Riri’s proposal too,” Tsuyoshi declared forcefully. “Challenging new things is always exciting, after all.”
Finally, Hayato also nodded slowly.
“Alright then, shall we give it a try? If it’s us, we’ll surely succeed. I believe that.”
Hayato looked around at his companions and declared powerfully. Everyone responded to his words with a smile.