*LATER*
*AKIHIKO'S ROOM - SUZUKI RESIDENCE - KOTA CITY APARTMENT BUILDING - ODAIBA - TOKYO*
The weather got pretty shitty pretty quickly. I'm lucky that I got back when I did.
Plus, the rain would have ruined the whole photography session. Mai and Emma's efforts would have been for nothing.
*TAP* *TAP*
Ugh, did another pigeon land on the balcony? I told those rats they're not getting in here! No matter how many times they attack me!
Huh?
AKI: "Ayu, what's up? Get inside before you get wet."
AYUMU: "Sorry for bothering you out of the blue like this."
AKI: "It's fine! There's nothing blue about that sky. How's setting up for tonight's live stream going? You've been really busy lately, haven't you?"
AYUMU: "Y-Yeah... Though the same can be said about you."
AKI: "True, but you're putting in more effort than me."
AYUMU: "Uh... About that! Can I ask you something?"
AKI: "Of course. Shoot."
AYUMU: "You know how before I said that I wanted to show you I can work hard by myself? So I didn't have to rely on you for everything?"
AKI: "Yeah."
AYUMU: "I've had really good luck so far with getting people to watch my streams, and you also had a lot of nice things to say. That motivated me to work even harder."
AKI: "That's great!"
AYUMU: "But, um... I still get anxious trying to do everything myself, no matter how hard I try to not feel that way.
I feel way out of my depth on so many things, and I don't even know if I'm on the right track most of the time..."
AKI: "Eh?"
AYUMU: "That's why I'm here today. It's kinda pathetic of me, I know, but I do need you..."
AKI: "Ayu... Honestly, I've gotten a little concerned too. I mean, you can pull anything off by yourself, and you're killing it as a VTuber.
Subscribers like PinkButtercup love you. Remember how she told you last stream that she's even got her twin sisters to watch you too?"
AYUMU: "I know, but..."
AKI: "I know my help doesn't make or break anything, without me the wheel will keep turning. There are others who would want to take my place from me...
But even so, I don't want that. I don't believe that anyone can give you support as well as I do. And I want to be able to give you my support whenever and wherever!
You're my dear childhood friend, we're-"
*HUG*
AKI: "Whoa! Oh shit!"
*TRIP*
AKI: "Wh-What's wrong, Ayu?! I can't breathe!"
AYUMU: "Just let me hug you for a minute... So, we were both thinking along the same lines, huh..."
AKI: "It seems so..."
AYUMU: "I want you to be there for me as well. I want you to see me in action.
Just having you with me makes all my confusion and worries disappear..."
*RIIING*
AKI: Ugh, I thought I put my phone on silent!"
...
*ONE GRADUATION STREAM LATER*
AYUMU: "...All right. Now that I've thanked all of my fans for their support, I think I'm done."
AKI: "Are you sure this is what you want? You were just getting popular, and now you're deleting your channel..."
AYUMU: "Yeah. It's not right to carry on if my heart's not in it.
I still love watching VTuber streams, though, so I want to keep watching them with you!"
AKI: "Guess it's our turn to be the fans now, then."
AYUMU: "There are just so many creators that I want to support as a fan!
How about we watch...this VTuber's game stream tonight?"
AKI: "Oh, they stream survival horror games, right? I always get super into them. They're a lot of fun."
AYUMU: "Wow, your opinion on VTubers has taken a complete 180, huh?"
AKI: *Chuckle* "I guess this old man needed to get behind the times."
AYUMU: *Giggle* "Let's go watch it in my room. I'll go and whip up some cookies too!"
...
*MEANWHILE*
???: "Huh... So, Ayu-pyon graduated? That's a shame, I really liked her streams...
But she's given me motivation!"
KAHO: "I want to blossom like she did!"