The Saintess Next Door is a Super Popular VTuber Whose Character was Designed by Me
Tonari ni Sunderu Seijo-sama wa Ore ga Chara-Design o Tantoushita Daininki VTuber deshita
Chapter 23 - The Saintess' Other Valentine
"T-toki... Iori-kun, could I talk to you for a moment?"
The day after Valentine’s Day, after returning home, they were discussing upcoming streams and project ideas, and Asumi hesitantly spoke up.
She still seemed slightly awkward about using Iori's given name, as if she wasn’t fully used to it or still habitually using his surname. Her slightly fidgety manner made her look even more awkward.
"What’s up?"
"U-um… what would you like for dinner on Monday?"
Since they usually handled shopping separately, her choice would depend on Iori’s answer. It seemed like she wanted to ask about the dinner menu for the evening she’d be cooking.
But something seemed off about her behavior. Even after he responded, Asumi kept tugging slightly at her uniform skirt—a small gesture that wasn’t like her usual.
"Are you cold or something?"
"Uh, ah…"
"You keep holding your skirt. You’re wearing tights, but maybe it’s still cold below the knees?"
"Y-Yes! It does feel a little chilly now that you mention it."
Guessing what might be on her mind, Iori asked, and she immediately confirmed his guess. It seemed he had been correct.
Still, her wry smile suggested there was something else on her mind. But considering other possibilities, everything he could think of felt a bit sensitive to ask about. For now, he decided to simply turn up the air conditioner.
"That should warm things up. Let me know if it’s still cold. I can bring out the space heater."
"Ah, thank you… Iori-kun."
After placing the remote down, he offered her a few words of reassurance. Asumi gave a blushed smile and softly said his name in response.
"Alright, for this upcoming collab, who should we invite?"
"…"
"Asumi?"
"W-what is it?"
"I was talking about the guest. Are you okay? You're not feeling unwell, are you?"
"N-No, I was just thinking about a few things. Sorry about that. The guest, right?"
Even when Iori tried to steer the topic back, her reactions were slow, and her focus seemed off, almost as if she wasn’t quite her usual, focused self.
With how she looked so off, Iori was starting to feel concerned about her strange behavior, though he hesitated to pry. He figured he’d have to wait for her to talk about it on her own.
"How about we invite Karen-san?"
"Oh, the one who doesn’t like taking baths? I remember it being pretty bad last time."
"Ahaha… She’s pretty bold, you could say."
"Alright, let’s go with her. Then there's the real-life issue of the outdoor school trip coming up. Not sure how I’ll handle my work during that."
"Ah, right, the three-day, two-night ski camp."
"Seriously, why are we even going on a school trip at this time of year? We have entrance exams and all."
"They probably have their reasons. There’s not much we can do, so let’s just take it easy for a bit."
Since they were both freshmen, the ski camp was planned for the middle of this month as part of their outdoor school program. They wrapped up the work discussion, eventually shifting to school topics.
Throughout, Asumi kept giving off a sense of wanting to say something but holding back. In the end, though, the meeting finished without her saying anything about it.
"Alright, it's about time for the stream, right? I'll make dinner and have it ready."
"Oh, yes. Thank you very much."
"Alright then, see you later."
"…"
As Asumi’s streaming time drew near, Iori decided to end their conversation.
With Valentine’s Day behind them and work settling down, he was in charge of dinner tonight. He gave a small wave, ready to see her off.
Normally, Asumi would simply head back to her place, but today, she seemed to be walking a bit slower.
Something was still off.
Was she feeling unwell? Asumi never showed weakness or complained, which made him worry even more.
They’d only known each other for about two months since their identities were revealed to each other, and it was just yesterday that they started calling each other by their given name.
How much could I truly understand about her? Iori didn’t feel confident, but he was certain that today, Asumi wasn’t quite her usual self.
Just as Iori gathered the courage to ask if she was alright, Asumi suddenly spoke up.
"Pheeew… ahem. Um, Iori-kun, I was so busy and didn’t get a chance to give this to you yesterday, but here’s a Valentine’s chocolate, as a thank you for everything."
It seemed Asumi had also gathered her courage. She took a quick deep breath, then nervously took out a small, high-end chocolate box decorated with a red ribbon from her bag.
At that moment, Iori’s worry vanished. It seemed giving him the chocolate had been her reason for acting so oddly today.
With her lips pressed together and cheeks flushed, Asumi extended the box toward him with an adorably shy expression.
"Th-thank you…?"
Since he hadn’t expected to receive Valentine’s chocolate, Iori was a bit taken aback but accepted the small box from her.
"I’m sorry. I wanted to give it to you right away, but finding the right moment was tough."
"You could’ve just handed it over casually. It’s not like it’s for a boyfriend or something, right."
Apparently, she’d been trying to find the right time to give him the chocolate. Her hesitations and attempts to say something earlier all made sense now.
However, Iori, couldn’t quite grasp why she’d made such an effort to time it right.
Maybe it’d be different if it were a confession or something meant for a romantic partner, but they weren’t in that kind of relationship.
Though their friendship was a bit unusual, Asumi’s actions still struck him as odd.
"Well… yesterday, during the stream, I might’ve said "Your gift is me", and remembering that made me really embarrassed."
As Iori still seemed uncertain, she glanced away and covered her mouth with her bag as she spoke softly.
"Ah, I see."
"That’s how it is…"
He supposed it was understandable, considering what she’d said during the stream.
But as someone without experience in Vtubing or acting, it was hard for Iori to fully understand.
"Asumi is Asumi, and Hyouka is Hyouka. You don’t have to be embarrassed. I’m the one you’re giving it to, after all.”
"Th-that may be true…"
He looked at her reaction. Seeing her so cute and flustered stirred a bit of mischief in him.
"What a pure heart."
"I-I don’t want to hear that from you, Iori-kun, who’s never even dated anyone, Iori-kun."
"…"
With a hint of teasing, Iori shared his honest impression, but Asumi pouted and looked away.
He couldn’t deny it, so he chose to let it slide.
"A-Anyway, I’ve given you the chocolate, so I’ll head back now. It’s store-bought, so don’t worry about giving any special feedback."
"Right… See you later."
"Y-yes."
In a bit of a hurry, Asumi, who hadn’t shown this side of herself recently, gave a quick bow and hurried out of the living room.
Before he could properly thank her, she had left, so he decided to open the box.
Inside were seven bite-sized chocolates, each in a unique shape. Even without much knowledge of chocolate brands, Iori could tell they were from a high-end brand.
She’d said not to worry about giving feedback, but she’d clearly chosen ones he’d enjoy.
Then, Iori picked up one with whiskey and popped it into his mouth.
The faint citrus aroma, the bitterness of cacao, and the slight burn of whiskey left his throat pleasantly warm. It was just the right amount of sweetness for his taste.
"So good… ridiculously good."
He muttered to himself, reaching for another. This one was raspberry-flavored, sweet, and tangy.
The sweetness lingered in his mouth for a long time, leaving a strangely bittersweet taste on his palate.
Meanwhile, outside the room where Iori was eating the chocolates, Asumi stood in the hallway of the apartment building.
(I ended up lying, even though it was just my hesitation to give him the chocolates, Hyouka had nothing to do with it…)
"Why couldn’t I have just given it over sooner?"
With a chilled hand pressed against her still-warm cheeks, Asumi stood by the hallway window, letting the cool evening breeze wash over her.
[To be Continued]
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