Even though he was rejected by the two most beautiful girls in his grade, for some reason they seemed to be fond of him Volume 1 Chapter 8

 Chapter 8: Promise with Yuzu

“—Eita, I’ll give you the game.”

“Uh, o-okay… What’s with the sudden timing? Though, to be honest, it’s perfectly timed.”

It was the second day since classes had been shortened to four hours to focus on cultural festival preparations. While I was in a separate room receiving butler training from Kamiyama, Yuzu suddenly showed up.

Apparently, she was here to sell me a game we’d agreed on earlier at a discounted price. I’d completely forgotten about it… Lately, things have been so hectic.

For reference, there are four of us assigned as butlers, including me. There’s Yagami Masato, who has black hair but an oddly flashy demeanor and way of speaking, and Akihara Shōhei, whose muscular build is so pronounced you can see it even through his uniform. Neither of them, like me, has any experience as butlers, so we’re all taking Kamiyama’s butler lessons together.

However, everyone except Kamiyama, who’s used to this, was struggling with the unexpectedly strict training—maintaining posture, tone, and movements was exhausting, leaving us all completely drained.

In the midst of this, Yuzu’s arrival was nothing short of a lifesaver.

“You’re a real hero. Seriously, you saved my life. Anyway, Kamiyama, I’m heading out.”

“Sure. Practice at home too, okay?”

“Got it.”

“Hey, hey, you’re just gonna leave us and run off~? Isn’t that a bit unfair?”

“Yeah! Leaving us to practice alone—”

“Any complaints?”

“No, sir.”

The two of them were about to seriously complain about me escaping early, but Kamiyama’s bright yet intimidating smile shut them down instantly. They collapsed onto the floor, burned out like boxers who’d given their all.

Well, they’ll probably be flirting with their girlfriends at the butler café anyway, so this much punishment is nothing. Meanwhile, I have to deal with the resentment of nearly every student while being forced into a role I never wanted. It’s definitely going to be a dark mark on my history.

As I was inwardly grumbling—

“…Let’s go.”

“Huh? What’s wrong? Why do you look so upset?”

Yuzu grabbed my sleeve and started walking ahead briskly, as if urging me to hurry. From my perspective, she’d been her usual self just moments ago, but now she was more expressionless than usual, clearly irritated—or rather, she seemed troubled by something.

What’s really going on? Is she, like me, dreading being purified by the extroverts’ light and wanting to retreat? I get that feeling.

While deflecting the jealous and angry stares from around us with absurd, pointless thoughts, I let myself be dragged along by Yuzu.

Come on, you guys, stop glaring at me already. It’s obvious I’m being dragged along by Yuzu right now.

“Yuzu, I’m not going anywhere, so can you let go of my sleeve? Honestly, the stares from everyone are killing me—hey, Yuzu? Yuzu-san? Beautiful loner? …Yeah, no response.”

I tried talking to her several times, but she didn’t react at all—it was as if she couldn’t hear me. In the end, she didn’t say a word until we reached the shoe lockers.

But once we got there, she stopped for the first time at the spot where her shoes were kept, gently letting go of my sleeve and tilting her head curiously.

“…It’s fixed. Why…?”

“Fixed? What’s fixed? Were you injured or something?”

When I asked, she shook her head vigorously, as if to deny it.

“No. It’s… nothing.”

“Nothing!?!? You can’t just drop it there—that’s the most intriguing part! Come on, you have to tell me… Please, Yuzu… I’m going to lose sleep over this…”

Desperate, I pleaded with my eyes, but after cutting off at the most critical moment and giving off an air that she wouldn’t explain, Yuzu smirked mischievously.

“—Hah… No. You should just keep thinking about me.”

Her expression from before was gone, replaced by a playful, small smile that left me momentarily dazzled and unable to respond. I could only follow her helplessly.

□

“…By the way, did you bring the game you’re giving me?”

After spending the silent time from the classroom to the shoe lockers in confusion, we somehow ended up at our usual parting spot.

I casually asked the question that had just occurred to me.

But as soon as I asked, I noticed Yuzu was only carrying a normal school bag—no way could it hold something as big as a PS5 or similar. Still, she’d told me she’d give me a game console.

…Huh? Something’s off… For some reason, I feel like I can predict what she’s about to say next.

But surely… she wouldn’t, right? Even if she’s known as the “weird girl,” Yuzu wouldn’t do something so outrageous—or something that, while I wouldn’t swear on it (since I’m not religious), would be considered scandalous by societal standards, right? For the record, I’m non-religious.

As I internally panicked to the point of resorting to stupid thoughts, Yuzu said it as if it were no big deal.

“—Hmm, I’ll have you come to my house.”

“I knew it! I mean, I am a guy, you know. Could you show a little shame or—”

“Then, you don’t want it?”

“I do—crap!!”

Dang it, I answered reflexively. How much do I love games?

I was so dumbfounded by my own stupidity that all I could do was sigh. This must be what they mean by “nothing but sighs.”

“Then follow me.”

“…Fine.”

With the game console as a massive bargaining chip—more like a hostage—I gave up on expecting normalcy from Yuzu. At the same time, I vowed to teach her about the world’s common sense with Himeno-san later. Did this girl grow up in a forest or something?

“By the way, where’s your house, Yuzu?”

Resigned, I asked the girl walking beside me. She stared at me intently for a moment, then looked away, pulled out her smartphone, and started typing.

It seemed she thought showing me was faster than explaining verbally. Honestly, even if she told me the address, I’d only get a vague idea, so this was more convenient for me too.

“Hmm, here.”

“No way, that’s close.”

After about ten seconds of searching, Yuzu held her phone screen in front of my face with a brief comment. It was so close I nearly went blind, so I stepped back and looked again.

Let’s see… where does Yuzu live… Wait, this place…

“Yuzu, can I ask a few questions?”

“Hmm, go ahead.”

Stopping the dangerous habit of walking while using her phone—a common high school mistake—I looked up at her. Yuzu gave me a thumbs-up, as if to say, “Leave it to me.”

“Then, no holding back. …Is this place bigger than a normal house?”

“…Compared to the neighbors?”

Hmm, I see, I see.

“Okay, next question… Is the yard big too?”

“Hmm, same answer.”

“Is there a fancy gate at the entrance?”

“Hmm. I like that one.”

Got it. You live in that super luxurious mansion!!!

Here’s the thing: about ten minutes’ walk from my house, there’s a house that stands out from the rest—a massive, almost palatial residence in an area that’s not even particularly upscale. Its sheer presence has stuck in my memory.

And that mansion has an anime-worthy, state-of-the-art gate that’s insanely cool. How many times have I wanted to examine it up close? Too many to count.

“No way—that mansion is your house, Yuzu…? This is insane, I’m getting excited! Let’s go already…!”

The thought of finally getting to see and enter a place I’d always dreamed of sent my excitement through the roof, and I urged Yuzu, who was walking at her usual pace, to hurry.

In response, Yuzu gave me a half-lidded, judgmental stare, then muttered under her breath.

“…Palm twirl.”

“Shh! That’s supposed to stay unsaid!”

This is going to be fun!!!!!

□

“—Wow, it’s huge no matter how many times I see it…”

“Hmm, I’m used to it.”

“Rich people are amazing…”

Staring in awe at Yuzu’s enormous mansion, my jaw dropped as I once again realized how ordinary my own house is. Sure, owning a house at all means we’re well-off, but still.

I’d seen it from a distance before, but up close, it was even more imposing. The yard was huge, and there was even a gate at the entrance. When Yuzu pressed something on the intercom, the gate opened automatically.

This is so cool. I want one at my place.

At first, I was in awe, but the more I thought about it, the more inconvenient it seemed.

Especially the entrance door—it required fingerprint recognition, facial recognition, a password, and a physical key. All four had to be cleared before the door would open.

…Yeah, sorry, Yuzu, but that sounds insanely tedious. I’m confident I’d go from “fun” to “annoying” in three days, and by a week, I’d only see it as a hassle.

“The security’s way too intense—it’s scary.”

“Hmm, I would’ve been fine with a normal house, but my family insisted on this.”

“Right, now I get how overprotective your family is. But let me ask… Am I really okay to come in? Actually, I’m probably not, right? You might’ve forgotten, but I’m the jerk who confessed to two girls in one day.”

Saying it out loud made me sad, and I deeply regretted ever impulsively confessing to a girl I didn’t even like. But… the only silver lining might be that those confessions led to me becoming friends with Yuzu and Himeno-san.

Remembering the resentful stares from my classmates almost made me let out a dry laugh, but before I could, Yuzu nodded as if it didn’t bother her.

“Hmm, I don’t mind. You’re trashier than that.”

“Even if you’re okay with it, your parents will probably try to kill me. And socially erase me too.”

I’m already socially dead at school as it is.

“Hmm, my parents aren’t home.”

“You live alone in this huge house? How rich are your parents? Honestly, I’d prefer if your parents were here.”

I honestly think it’s wrong for a girl to invite a guy to a house where her parents aren’t around. If I were to attack Yuzu, she’d be defenseless. Not that I’d ever do that—or have the guts to.

I like pure romance, not forced stuff.

“Stop complaining and come in.”

“R-Right, sorry. I’m coming in.”

Suppressing my trembling hands due to nerves, I cautiously entered. The moment I stepped inside, I couldn’t help but gasp.

“W-Wow… it’s so spacious… How do you maintain this all by yourself?”

“Hmm, I have housekeepers.”

“Whoa… as expected of rich people… Though, without them, there’s no way you could clean this huge house alone.”

The interior was much more subdued and minimalist than the extravagant exterior, and I was shocked to learn there were housekeepers. Meanwhile, Yuzu slipped off her shoes at the entrance and started walking off somewhere.

I thought about waiting there, but as if anticipating my hesitation, Yuzu beckoned me to follow. When I did, she stopped in front of a door.

It looked like an ordinary door, but…

“What’s wrong? Is there something here?”

“Hmm, the games are in here too.”

“Huh… like a game room, huh. That’s impressive…”

“Hmm, it’s my bedroom.”

“Huh, your bedroom… Wait, what kind of room did you say?”

There’s no way she’d invite a guy she just met into her room—let alone her bedroom, right? Shaking off the words I thought I heard, I asked again with a straight face, but my efforts were futile. Yuzu simply said, “My bedroom,” and opened the door.

Inside was—

“No way, a girl and a gamer living together? This is literally an otaku’s dream room.”

—Three monitors, multiple microphones, a cute keyboard and mousepad, a high-end gaming chair, and an expensive gaming PC. Right behind that gamer setup were shelves filled with plushies and merchandise from a recently viral female VTuber on YouTube.

There were items from “Ai-chan,” aka “Yuzuki Aira,” a solo VTuber with over a million subscribers that I secretly followed—some I recognized, and some that shouldn’t even be released yet.

From this, I could infer…

“I feel like I shouldn’t ask this, but… yeah, I knew it—”

“Hmm, I’m a VTuber. My name is ‘Yuzuki Aira.’”

“Don’t just admit it yourself! I was trying so hard not to say the name and act conflicted, even pulling back, but you just blurted it out! I mean, the name’s too similar if you think about it, but still!”

It was a rare sight: me, a mere fan, hesitating to ask while the person herself casually revealed it, giving me a headache.

Don’t VTubers usually hate their identities being exposed? Keeping such obvious merchandise in a room this easy to find—it’s almost like she wants to be caught. Wait.

After thinking that far, I suddenly remembered the promise I made to Yuzu when she agreed to tutor me.

“Hmm, leave it to me. The reward—just play games with me, that’s all.”

—That promise.

Oh no… things are getting dicey. Maybe I should’ve just given up on the game console and gone home…

“N-No way…”

Sensing what was coming, I took a step back, but Yuzu stepped closer and said,

“Hmm, want to stream with me?”

—Dear Mom, Dad, big brother, and little sister,

I hope you’re all doing well. I’m fine, but not really.

It seems I’ve somehow ended up in a death game with my oshi that’s sure to cause controversy.

In times like this—what should I do?

While mentally drafting a will, I wanted to punch my past self for carelessly agreeing to Yuzu’s promise without thinking. But I decided to try persuading her.

I placed my hands on Yuzu’s shoulders and looked into her eyes with utmost seriousness.

“…Yuzu, think this through. This is a bad idea.”

“Hmm, I thought about it. We’re doing it together.”

“You didn’t think about it.”

“I did.”

Is she so immersed in the internet that she’s lost touch with reality?

“Let me be clear.”

“Hmm.”

“—You’ll get flamed! It’s almost certain to blow up!!! Sure, a famous creator like you might handle male collaborations, but ‘Yuzuki Aira’ has never collaborated with any male streamers, right?”

“Hmm, no, she hasn’t.”

“It’ll blow up, I tell you!!! It’s guaranteed!!!”

In despair, as if the world were ending, I fell to my knees, clutching my head.

N-No! As a fan of Ai-chan… I can’t be the one to drag my oshi into controversy…

“Please, I’m begging you, spare me this! I’m not joking—this will definitely cause a scandal! I’ll do anything else, really!”

Desperate and throwing all shame aside (not that I had much to begin with), I performed a sincere, heartfelt dogeza. This wasn’t my usual playful one—this was the real deal. Otakus can’t tarnish their oshi!

—Sincere, heartfelt dogeza.

“—No.”

“Why, you stubborn—! I’m doing this for your own good!”

“Hmm, mind your own business. Besides, we made a promise.”

“…”

Ignoring my pleas and hitting me where it hurt with the word “promise,” Yuzu started preparing for the stream without a care.

“Here, these are streaming headphones. They’re old ones of mine, so bear with them.”

“I don’t mind that at all—in fact, I’d be thrilled to use headphones my oshi used, but… I’m not doing it, okay? I’m serious this time—no jokes. I’ll do anything else, really.”

“No. You’re streaming with me.”

Yuzu turned on the PC and seriously started setting up the stream.

Watching her, I panicked even more.

Oh no… this is bad… It’s definitely going to blow up. And not just any collaboration—this is an in-person collab in the same space. For male and female streamers, this is taboo, and Yuzu—aka Yuzuki Aira—is going to get flamed for sure.

“…I’m so sorry to all ‘Yuzuki Aira’ fans. I’ll make sure this never happens again, so please, if anyone’s going to get flamed, let it be me! I’m begging you!”

Muttering like a broken record in one breath, I caught Yuzu’s glance. She coughed lightly, shifting her focus.

“Hmm, let’s start—Hmm! Hello, everyone—Kon-Yuzu! It’s your friendly VTuber, Yuzuki Aira! Guess what? Today, I have a special guest!”

《Kon-Yuzu!》

《Kon-Yuzu!》

《Kon-Yuzu!》

《Special guest?》

《For real?》

《Who is it?》

《Is it Alpha-san from the last collab?》

《Alpha-san?》

《Alpha-san’s streaming right now, though.》

《Who could it be, then?》

Switching from her usual flat tone to the energetic, expressive “Yuzuki Aira” I knew from her streams, Yuzu was in full character.

As expected of a solo VTuber with over a million subscribers—her acting skills are on par with a professional actress! Though right now, she’s about to cause a scandal!!!!

While I lamented internally, the PC display showed a cute blonde, golden-eyed girl avatar that moved in sync with Yuzu’s expressions and gestures.

Less than a minute into the stream, the concurrent viewership—simulview—had already surpassed five thousand.

…Knowing the real her, this level of transformation is shocking. For some reason, now that I’ve fully braced myself, I’m oddly calm. But someone, please help me.

As I resorted to praying, a cheerful, lively voice reached my ears—sounding to me like the voice of the demon king of hell.

“You probably don’t know him, right? He’s not a VTuber or a streamer like me. But I’ll say this—he’s a guy!”

《A guy???》

《Seriously…?》

《Wait, a normal guy?》

《Isn’t that risky?》

《Hmm…》

《Is it okay to collab with a normal guy?》

“He’s not just any normal guy—he’s my cousin!”

《Cousin…?》

《Lucky…!》

《I wish I were Ai-chan’s cousin…!》

《A cousin, huh?》

Oh no… the viewership just hit ten thousand… And the thumbnail—“Playing Games with a Special Guest”—is drawing people like crazy. This is a death sentence, not a guest spot.

《You actually let your cousin play games with you?》

《I couldn’t do that.》

《Ai-chan’s streams always hit ten thousand, but is this cousin guy okay?》

《Show us the cousin already!》

《I’ll judge if he’s worthy of playing with Ai-chan.》

《Is your cousin good at games?》

“Yeah! My cousin’s super good at games! Okay, I bet you’re all curious, so let’s introduce him—my cousin, Eita!”

Following Yuzuki Aira’s cue, I turned on the mic, my voice trembling as I spoke.

—While subtly pulling away from the mic.

“Uh, h-hello… everyone listening to Yuzuki Aira…”

Ignoring Yuzu’s curious stare, I placed my hands on the floor.

And then—

“Greetings, I am Eita, the cousin you’ve just been introduced to. I sincerely apologize for collaborating as a male—please, I beg you, don’t let Yuzuki Aira get flamed over this! I’m so sorry!!!”

Smacking my head against the floor, I projected a perfect, wholehearted dogeza on the screen for all to see.

□

KO!! Winner: Aira!!

On the screen, for some reason, Donkey Kong trailed a comet-like streak of light, while Gandalf stood motionless in the ring.

Yes—that’s right. Currently, Yuzu and I were playing Super Smash Bros.

“—Hey, this is unfair! I definitely recovered properly!! Aira-san, come on… Isn’t this machine defective or something?”

“Don’t blame the machine~! A loss is a loss~! Just admit your defeat, Eita~!”

“Huh?? I’m not denying the loss or anything! I just wanted Aira to finish me off in a cooler way~! What kind of fan beats their oshi?!”

“W-Wait… Don’t say it so seriously… It’s weird for a cousin to be my fan, you know~?”

“Don’t say it like it’s a tragedy! It’s fine! I didn’t know, so it’s okay!”

《He adapted way too fast in just a short time, lol》

《For real, lol》

《At first, Eita-kun was so nervous he was shaking》

《Like a fish flopping out of water, lol》

《Is funniness genetic or what?》

《Their chemistry is way too good, lol》

《Also, aren’t their skills, like, way too high-level?》

《For real, lol》

《They could easily rank in Japan’s top tiers》

“And I’m not the only one—Eita was ranked fifth in Japan until his gaming PC broke, right~?”

“How do you even know that, Aira? I don’t remember telling you?”

“Because your playstyle’s similar to mine~”

I was genuinely surprised she figured it out and asked Yuzu, but she dodged the question with her unusually cheerful, energetic voice.

To be fair, I’ve played Super Smash Bros. with Yuzu a few times before, and since she’s better than me, it’s only natural she’d notice.

But—

“—My oshi knows about me…?”

For me, this wasn’t something I could just brush off as “no big deal.” I was on cloud nine.

《His reaction is pure otaku gold, lol》

《Even though he’s her cousin… Well, if he didn’t know, it’s fine》

《Cousins don’t always have much interaction, after all》

《He’s a hardcore otaku, lol》

“—So why did I mess up the recovery?! No matter how you look at it—arghhh!? My hands were trembling so much from nerves that I input a tiny jump by mistake!? That’s a newbie mistake even beginners don’t make!?”

Shaking, I showed my hands on the screen, my eyes wide with shock. Next to me, Yuzu was giving me a “you’re too nervous” look, but if your oshi’s involved, what can you do?

《Can’t blame him, lol》

《His reaction’s like a random otaku meeting their oshi, lol》

《He’s so cute…》

《Seeing him this flustered is hilarious, lol》

Despite my chest feeling like it might burst from tension, I let out a small sigh of relief, noticing that the stream wasn’t giving off any signs of impending controversy so far.

At that moment—someone from the internet, not Yuzu, killed me.

“Arghhh!? Don’t attack me while I’m taking a deep breath!”

“A-Ahhhhh—! I’m dead too~! —Oh, I’m out. No more lives, so good luck, Eita~!”

“Alright, leave it to me! I’ll show you the pride of a former fifth-ranked player in Japan!!”

I gave it everything I had in my life.

In the end, I beat everyone.

“—And that’s how it went viral. Seriously, the internet is terrifying—things blow up or go viral over the dumbest stuff, and you never know what’s coming.”

“Hmm, we’re number one on Japan trends.”

Yuzu showed me a certain SNS trend page.

There, a hashtag like something out of a light novel—“#TheFactThatYuzukiAira’sCousinIsAHardcoreFan”—was trending.

On top of that, Yuzu, as a VTuber, was also trending.

“…Why? Could it be that internet users are warmer than our class…?”

“Hmm, I don’t like the girls in your class. You’re better off ignoring them.”

Well, that’s true. The guys don’t hate me that much, but some of the girls definitely do. From now on, I’ll have to be as cautious as usual.

“—Hmm, let’s do another stream.”

“No way in hell.”

——.