~~April 21, 2021 07:00 PM~~
"Have you landed in America?" Yagoo asked.
"Yes, old man. The jet lag is gonna hit in a while." Shiro chuckled.
He sat down on a bench, holding the phone near his ear. The chatter almost drowned Yagoo's voice, even though Shiro set the volume up to max. Beside him was his bag, which had his laptop, Nintendo Switch, clothes, personal hygiene products, a notebook and pen, and a ton of money.
"Where are you right now?"
"I'm still at the airport, Old Man." He chuckled. "Ya know, I remember you told me you were out for another business trip. You're on break time or something?"
"You could say that." Yagoo chuckled. "I just wanted to talk with my little soldier before he goes off and does his business. Just give him a sense of home before I go off."
"I know, I know. Well, for one thing, I'll be munching on some big macs and fancy restaurants. Might go to those 'chinese restaurants' and eat some noodles, you know?"
"Send me a picture once you do."
"Nah, I'll film a whole video for ya, Old Man." Shiro and Yagoo laughed.
"Well, I think you should head off now. You know how fast the world spins, right?"
"Yeah. I think you got better things to do other than talking with your little rebel here. I'll see you soon, Old Man."
"Take care there, Shiro." Yagoo said before the two ended their call.
"A sense of home, ey? Well, somebody like me needs that sometimes." Shiro chuckled. "Maybe even now, seeing I'm not in Japan."
He rode a taxi towards the nearest inn, and unpacked his things there, especially the laptop on the table where he could work and play some games on. He would stream, but given that his laptop wasn't intended for streaming and he didn't also bring any equipment, he couldn't. Not like he intended to in the first place anyway, since his schedule said he would stream after coming back to Japan.
He went into the shower, and turned the faucet. The water was slightly cold, which was perfect for Shiro. He always preferred cold water over hot water when bathing or showering. Just like most people when in the shower, Shiro started humming a song; it was Suisei's "Tenkyuu".
And just like most shower sessions go though, a thought would arise, for Shiro, he remembered his past couple streams, particularly his superchat readings and album reactions.
Ya know, it's inevitable that some fans, especially in Japan culture, would put their idol on a pedestal and think other people are garbage or lowly creatures compared to them. Didn't K-pop fans used to hate Joji until they realized one of the singers of BTS actually had him on his playlist? It's no different in Hololive...what was that moment again in my stream? Ah yes, 'Shiro, thank you for your...'
~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~
"'...streams and freestyles! They're always entertaining! I've seen a guy called 'Harry Mack' who does the same thing you do, but I think your freestyles are more amazing! Better than him, in my opinion. Keep up the good work!' Erm..." Shiro smiled nervously. "Thank you, but at the same time, let's make it clear. You aren't like...belittling him or anything, right? You're just giving a compliment to me?"
Shiro straightened his back on his chair. "Ya know, I'd like to talk about this, actually, Privates. Like, real talk, okay? I'm just stating my boundaries, stating what I want from my fandom. Ya see, I'm glad that my fans are chill and all, right? Like, that's just how most fans are in general, and I'm glad to see we all support each other and uplift other streamers and talents, but sometimes, there are gonna be some black sheeps, some people who would belittle or put down other amazing talents, prolly more amazing than me, you know, that deserve more love and recognition just to make their idol more god-ish. You know what I'm talking about."
"Like, there was this one comment I saw in Calli's stream. She was practicing freestyle rap, right? And she was giving me credit. I remember seeing a superchat that said, 'Shiro doesn't mess up as bad as this lol', and I don't know if he just didn't consider how harsh that'd sound, maybe that was a troll, but if that person...and you all may have seen it, it was clipped by 'Shiro On The Mic', if that person was an actual fan, I will be very blunt, I do not consider you a fan."
The viewers thought that what Shiro said was very harsh, something that may actually damage his image and is something Japanese streamers aren't "allowed" to do, but then again, for those who he considered real fans, they knew this was what made them love Shiro. His main source of income are viewers, but he wasn't willing to degrade the community for it.
"When I had a vision for how my fandom would look like, I did not have 'fans' who would put others down as part of it. I envisioned it to be a community where everybody is welcome, they're willing to support me, and even support other talented individuals more. I wished to have a chill fanbase who loves to joke around, but at the same time, knows when to be serious. And most importantly, I wanted a loving community, not a toxic one. You could say things like this make me mad or upset, but I can't do anything about it if that's what you wish. Just know that I'm not comfortable with that. Whether you're someone else's fan or mine, you're welcome anytime. I'm sure the Privates here are willing to welcome you with open arms as well, but the only thing I want you all to do, at the very least, is to keep the community one that is happy and loving, not toxic and full of gatekeepers or extremists. You may have your reasons, but most importantly, I want you all to show respect, not just for me, but for everybody."
"Again, this is just real talk, okay? I just want to state what I'm comfortable with and what I'm not comfortable with. You all know I'm honest and don't like other people going out of line." Shiro chuckled.
"And I'm aware that it's not a majority thing, and it's just a loud minority, but it's better that I state it out loud and bluntly that I don't like it, just so that I don't cultivate more weeds than I already have. I know my true fans, the real Privates, would never ever do something like that. They're kind people who show love and support for others and just want to spread love and joy, people who want to joke around but know their boundaries and when to be serious."
"I hope I got that through. I also hope I didn't get some people here riled up." Shiro laughed a bit. "I just wanted to give a short talk about stuff like that. Anyway, let's continue on! Uh, AsobiAsobase-san, thank you!" Shiro continued his superchat reading.
~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~
Shiro got out of the shower, drying his hair with the towel after putting on his boxer short. Thinking about it, Suisei just uploaded "GHOST", and there was a load of supportive comments from fans, but there was one comment I remember who wasn't exactly..."comfortable" with me being a feature on it, saying that my voice couldn't match Suisei's "pace" or whatever the fuck they meant. Regardless, I reported it, and it soon got deleted, but yeesh, that comment section was quite the show.
Shiro combed his hair, wore a shirt, and sat down on the bed. His back felt like it tasted heaven once he sank into the mattress. It was so soft, he wished he could take it home.
"I should talk with the boys before I go play some Smash."
He went into his phone, opened Discord, and saw a couple of the Holostars chilling in one of the voice chats called "Chilling". Shiro pressed it.
"Yo."
"Eyy, it's Shiro!" They all said in Unison. Inside the VC, there was Tenma, Roberu, Oga, and Astel.
"How're ya doing there, Shiro-kun?" Roberu asked.
"I'm fine. Just took a shower, feeling fresh." Shiro chuckled. "I'm about to play some Smash Bros later."
"Ooh, how about we play later? I'm gonna beat you to a pulp!" Oga said.
"Bet money, bitch." They laughed.
"You know, thank God you're finally going back to your home country. Must've been hell living in Japan, huh? Seeing as your HoloEN, after all."
"I'M A JP MEMBER, OI!" The others laughed and even clapped to themselves. "I don't know how to speak Engrish." Shiro jokingly said.
"Have you eaten dinner yet?"
"Nope. It's coming though. For dinner...I ordered some beef steak, and some iced tea."
"Damn, he's living the dream." Astel chuckled.
"Let's go eat Wagyu beef while Shiro is in America." Tenma quickly inserted.
"Oi, I'm flying back to Japan then, you motherfuckers." They all laughed.
Shiro minimized the call for now, looking at the other notifications on his phone. One of them was from Suisei. It read, "Hey, did you see the view count of the song? It's been a week already, and we've reached 3 million views." He decided to reply to it while talking with the Holostars.
"Yeah. Wait, I just realized. Roberu, it's around 10:30 in Japan, right? How are you awake?"
"Oi, I know I sometimes sleep in the morning, but that's 'cause I work hard in the evenings." They chuckled and laughed a bit.
"Damn, guess I'll be having a nice nap later." Shiro chuckled. "What are the other boys doing right now?"
"They're just streaming, relaxing, maybe still asleep. I think some are going out with some friends. Maybe they're also having some dance lessons for our future live shows." Tenma said.
"Honestly, I was thinking of taking a nap later. I don't really have anything to do, so I'm bored as hell." Astel yawned.
"Thought you would play more Apex or something." Shiro chuckled.
"I would like to, but I think I'm feeling pretty burnt out."
"Yo, my order's coming up in a while. Oga, you're still up for some Smash later?"
"Sure. My stream starts one in the afternoon."
"Sweet. I'm going out now, y'all. Bye!" Shiro said as he left the call, hearing the four say their goodbyes too.
~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~
Suisei: Hey, did you see the view count of the song? It's been a week already, and we've reached 3 million views
Shiro: Yeah. Last time I saw it, it was around 1.1 million. Time sure flies by fast wwww
Suisei: Yeah, it does, I guess
Suisei: Thank you for taking the time to be featured in it. Honestly, I didn't expect you'd get it done quickly (kusa)
Shiro: Told ya I was able to finish it quickly
Suisei looked at the screen and smiled bittersweetly.
Shiro is so amazing, isn't he? He writes his own songs, makes his own instrumentals, mixes and masters it by himself, and if that wasn't great enough, due to Hololive, everybody gets to listen to his music, giving him huge numbers. I'm jealous...
"...Oh?" Suisei noticed Shiro's new message.
Shiro: Thank you for also offering me to be featured in GHOST. It was such an honor, and honestly, most of the success is thanks to you. Your voice is amazing as always
Suisei chuckled and blushed a bit. "What is this idiot saying?"
Suisei: Well, you're popular and you've got a good voice too. Your lyrics also helped with the impact of the song
Shiro: You're saying as if the success of the song was due to my popularity wwww
Shiro: But yeah, point is, you're very amazing. I can definitely see you've worked hard for this album. I'll definitely listen to it once you release it
Suisei sat there, as if she was in deep thought. ...Amazing? ...Worked hard? She always knew she worked hard as usual, and she was always given huge praise for her voice. So much praise, one could get practically bored of hearing how much praise she would get. It was like Suisei was Japan's Mariah Carey. However, she felt a bit off seeing it. It's not in a way where she thought Shiro was being fake, but more so she just started noticing the praise consciously and giving it some thought.
Yeah, I've worked hard. Since before, I was struggling. I cried, worked multiple jobs just to get money for my Vtubing career, auditioned to be an idol multiple times yet failed, and I even thought of quitting, yet here I am...
She didn't know much about Shiro's past; didn't exactly listen to what others said, nor was she interested in knowing what else he did. She was aware that he was a rapper before, but other than that, she only knows Shiro in the present time.
Why do I feel upset about this for some reason?
Maybe she was upset at herself for not knowing Shiro enough and being narrow-minded, maybe she just sort of felt like he said it for the sake of praise and it wasn't as genuine as she thought, but she wondered why Shiro was able to rush forward so fast in such little time, and especially be one of the biggest names now in the VTuber music community. It upset her even more when she thought she should be ashamed for being upset at Shiro's progress when she was never this jealous of others, especially Calliope.
She ultimately sighed, almost as if throwing away all the thoughts from her head. "I think I'm hungry or something. I need a break."
Shiro: I'm gonna be eating dinner now, and then play some Smash. I'mma go now
Shiro: See ya! Have a nice morning there in Japan
Suisei: Sure! Take care there too, Shiro-kun
Suisei stood up and stretched. "Thinking about it, I think I should go on a diet. I'm getting a bit chubbier." She giggled and looked at herself in the mirror.
~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~
"Bye bye, boi.~"
"NOOOOO!!!" Oga screamed his lungs out before Shiro sent him to the shadow realm that is the abyss of Smash.
Shiro's Switch screen showed Cloud being the winner, his name plastered on it.
"Man, you never played the Switch until like a couple days ago, right?! How did you beat me?!"
"Skill issue." They both laughed.
"Oi oi oi, I'm a senpai, you!"
"Well, I practiced a tiny bit with Cloud."
"Still, damn. I was so close to beating you!"
"Welp, you'll get me next time, prolly." Shiro chuckled.
"One more game?"
"Nah, I think I'll sleep now. Beauty rest, ya know?" He laughed a bit.
"Alright, alright. Have a nice rest, Shiro-kun."
"Yup. Y'all take care there too! Bye!"
"See you!"
They both left the call, and Shiro put away the gadgets and things on the table near the TV in his room. He then turned the light off and went to his bed.
"Hope no ghost will look over me as I sleep." Shiro chuckled.
As Shiro looks up, he thinks back to the recent events. Being featured in Suisei's GHOST, doing gaming and freestyle streams, and especially the ongoing talks between Japan and Russia.
I do hope this'll be done soon. I feel bad for the Russian citizens who were caught up in this drama, and especially Japan. God forbid this goes any further.
Shiro turned to his side before going to sleep.
~~Misogynistic Hololiver~~
The sun shone brightly, like it reflected the happiness below. Blue painted the sky, with little strokes of white here and there, evoking a sense of serenity. Little wooden houses stood like rustic cabins, and people were talking about their office crushes, planning a vacation in France — just having the typical weekend gatherings. One could smell the sweet mouth-watering aroma of barbecue in the distance. Children were running around, playing tag or flying kites, almost bumping into adults on the way — typical childhood joy. It felt so serene. Too serene, it seemed.
A boy sat under a tree in the hills reading a book. The cold breeze, shade, and the comfort of the tree's trunk made for a perfect spot to relax and be lost in one's imagination. The boy found Nicholas and Alexandra fascinating, like he was reading history coming to life. He was completely absorbed. Then, he heard a man's voice.
"Good morning, young boy."
The young boy looked up. The man seemed to be in his mid-thirties. "Oh. Hello, mister."
"Ah, Nicholas and Alexandra. I used to read that too. It's quite a complex story. Are you able to understand all of it?"
"Well, there are some words I don't understand, mister. What does 'mystic' mean?"
"You could say they're people who believe in God, and the mysteries behind spiritual truths."
"Eh? Is that the same as a priest?"
"Not exactly." The man giggled.
"Do you want to sit down here, mister? This spot is really relaxing." The boy patted the ground. "I always go here whenever I want to read."
"Ah, thank you, kind boy." The man sat down.
"Do you love the peace here?"
"Of course I do! I'm also glad that my mama and papa are so kind to let me roam around and play with the other kids! They also feed me well!"
"What did you have for breakfast?"
"I ate bread with milk. They said we're gonna eat Borscht for lunch!"
"Ah, you and your family definitely eat good food." He giggled. "I envy you, young boy."
"Oh? Why? Did your family not treat you well?"
"No. My mother and father loved me a lot, and so did I. I guess you could say I envy the peace you have here. If I were to go back in time, I wish I could go back to a spot like this. One where I could relax and enjoy the day."
"Well, you can always come here if you want, mister. You seem like a good person, so I'm okay with it as long as you don't tell anybody else!" The boy smiled.
The man giggled. "Ah, I admire your kindness, boy. But there's something you got wrong."
"Hmm?"
"I'm not a good person."
"You're not? T-Then...are you going to do...bad things to me?" The boy asked. He was more curious than he was scared, not backing away at all.
"Of course not." The man chuckled. "I've just done some things I regretted. Sometimes I wish I could just...go back to living a normal life, just like the people there chatting, cooking barbecue, having a normal job. But for someone like me, I guess you could say I have a mission to carry out. One that is personal to me, and must be fulfilled."
"Hmm...if you're not bad but there are some things you did not like doing, then what are you?"
"Good question." He chuckled. "I'm just not a good person. That's that."
"Adults are confusing."
"You'll understand once you're older, young boy."
The man stood up. "I better get going now. I've got some work to do. Oh, and before I go, I forgot that we haven't said our names yet. What's yours, young one?"
"Oh, mine?" He smiled cheerfully, like an innocent boy who knew nothing of the outside world. "I'm Adrik Volkov!"
The man gave a gentle smile, though his eyes tell a different story. "That's a nice name for a young boy. I'm sure you'll do great things in the future."
Just as the man turned around, he heard a man's voice. "Hey."
The voice sent a chill down the man's spine. He knew that husky, jaded voice like the back of his hand.
"So you are aware that what you're doing is bad?" It asked.
He turned around, only to see nothing. The voice could only be heard, but the source was nowhere to be found. The man felt like it looked down on him, almost as if in mockery.
The scenery wasn't the peaceful serene day anymore. It was a dark night with the land filled with fire, bodies stained in blood, and rubble piled on top of rubble. The only sounds you could hear were gunfire, screams in horror, and pure hatred.
"Bad? That's an understatement."
"Yeah...I guess so." The voice chuckled. "But if that would've stopped you, all this would've been gone long ago. Hell, it wouldn't have happened in the first place, but you did it."
"I know I also killed innocent civilians."
"That, however, is a small price to pay for your goal. That's what you think, right?"
"Yes." The man chuckled. "Of course you'd know how I think. You're me."
"Dragging others down to your level seems fun to you?"
"Yes...But not because I'm a sadistic maniac. I just love seeing the type of people who would trample on insects become the insect themselves and fear for their lives. That's how they viewed us before anyway."
"That sounds about right." The voice laughed. "So I assume nothing can stop you?"
"The only thing that's stopping me...is death."