"Too strong!", "This song is truly amazing!", "Sugoi~!", "He's practically a god!", "The rhythm is so good!", "Rock is the most soul-stirring music!", "Winter-sensei wrote this when he was only 14?! He's a genius!", "I wanna hear it live someday!", "Debut! Debut!", "Please hold a concert! I'll be first in line!"...
As Kasumigaoka Touji finished singing "unravel," his breath was slightly uneven, chest rising with each exhale. The screen was ablaze with glowing comments—praise, shock, demands—all flickering across like a meteor shower.
He chuckled and leaned forward toward the camera with a small grin.
"Debut, huh…"
His tone was light, but thoughtful. "I don't have any plans to debut at the moment."
Then he added with a wink, "As for the future... who knows? Life's full of surprises, after all."
Honestly, though, Touji wasn't too keen on becoming a singer. At least not in the conventional idol sense.
Suddenly, he noticed something that made him blink.
"Eh? Kani Nayuta-sensei, can you maybe stop spending so much…?"
He gave a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his neck.
It was only now that he realized just how many gifts she'd been showering on the stream—hot air balloons, star effects, sparkling hearts—she had somehow taken over the top gifter spot like a quiet storm.
"Really, it's okay! Your support is enough just by being here. If you keep this up, I'll feel guilty for not buying a dozen copies of 'The Silvery Landscape' as thanks!"
[Kani Nayuta]: "No need to buy!"
Her response appeared instantly.
[Kani Nayuta]: "I love Winter-sensei's music super, super, super much! These gifts don't even come close to expressing how I feel!"
Kasumigaoka Touji paused for a second, cheeks slightly flushed. That kind of enthusiasm was enough to make anyone's heart race. He laughed softly.
"Thank you. Really, thank you for your kindness."
"But seriously, you don't have to keep spending money. Your feelings are more than enough."
He patted his chest with mock solemnity. "If you don't want me to buy your book, then allow me to advertise it instead!"
Lifting his hand toward the camera, he gestured dramatically like a variety show host.
"Everyone, the amazing Kani Nayuta-sensei here is the newest Gold Award author from GAGAGA Bunko! Her debut light novel 'The Silvery Landscape' is an emotional rollercoaster and super worth reading. I personally plan to re-read it next week."
He added, "While we're at it, shoutout to Kasumi Utako-sensei's 'Love Metronome' and Izumi Masamune-sensei's 'The Reincarnated Silver Wolf.' Both great reads!"
At that moment, Izumi Masamune, watching from his own screen, nearly teared up. What a good kouhai! He sniffled quietly in the shadows.
Meanwhile, the comment section exploded with reactions.
"Winter-sensei's actually a fan of Kasumi Utako-sensei and Izumi-sensei too?", "I thought this was a singing stream!? Why are we getting book recommendations?! LOL", "The Silvery Landscape is amazing, I've read it twice and plan to go for round three!", "Love Metronome is so sweet~ totally underrated!", "Enough talk! When's the next song!?"
"Sing 'Fireworks'!"
"Lemon! I wanna cry again!"
"'Fireworks' +1!!"
Seeing the flood of song requests, Touji cleared his throat lightly and smiled.
"Ahem! As for new music, I'm actually working on something special right now."
"It's a very, very sweet confession song. So if you're someone with feelings for someone—or just love sugary lyrics—look forward to it."
He raised a hand and added with a playful wink, "It should be ready by the end of this month. Or maybe early May at the latest."
Sitting in the same room, Kasumigaoka Utaha, perched gracefully on a beanbag sofa, tilted her head at that.
"…A very, very sweet confession song?"
Her long lashes fluttered and the corner of her lips curled up ever so slightly.
Sweet? Could it be… about her?
Excitement bloomed in her heart like sakura petals in spring.
But realizing Touji was still live, she forced herself to act nonchalant, suppressing the urge to tease or press further.
Elsewhere in Tokyo, on the second floor of a detached home in Meguro Ward—
In a modestly decorated room, a silver-haired girl with a faint blush on her cheeks suddenly widened her eyes at her laptop screen.
"...Confession song?"
She muttered aloud, clutching her blanket tightly.
Her heart skipped a beat as she typed rapidly:
[Kani Nayuta]: "Winter-sensei… do you have someone you like?"
...
Kasumigaoka Residence—
Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had just been happily exchanging creative thoughts with Kani Nayuta, suddenly paused as a peculiar message appeared in the chat. Her fingers hovered above the keyboard, her brows furrowing slightly.
"Is that curiosity... or a challenge?" she murmured, narrowing her eyes at the screen.
The question had seemed harmless on the surface—whether Winter-sensei had someone he liked—but the timing and context made something about it feel off. Too carefully worded. Too targeted.
Utaha thought back to earlier that day, when she'd suggested Touji add Kani Nayuta on LINE. At the time, the girl's tone had been respectful, almost overly so, to the point of flattery. But now… now it felt different.
She cracked her knuckles lightly.
Enough was enough. This needed to be clarified immediately.
[Kasumi Utako]: "He is an incorrigible sister-con."
[Kasumi Utako]: "And just so you know, we're not related by blood. He was adopted. Think of him like a child groom."
Boom. She dropped the bomb without hesitation.
"… …"
[Kani Nayuta]: "?"
Nayuta blinked.
So the older sister wasn't his real sister? A child groom?! What kind of ancient drama setup was this?!
Was this some kind of twisted joke? Or was she being serious?
Nayuta frowned as conflicting emotions surged. A tiny part of her began to worry—could this girl really have feelings for Winter-sensei too?
This… this was a love rival!
The chat between them, which had just moments ago been filled with lighthearted back-and-forth about writing and publishing, suddenly felt like a warzone. The atmosphere plummeted to sub-zero in an instant.
Still, Nayuta wasn't the type to back down easily.
[Kani Nayuta]: "Really?"
[Kasumi Utako]: "Really. I'm not lying. Ask him if you don't believe me."
Utaha smirked in satisfaction, feeling like she had the upper hand. She even took a moment to cross her legs and stretch, basking in her perceived victory.
A few seconds passed before another message popped up—
[Kani Nayuta]: "I like Winter-sensei very, very much."
[Kani Nayuta]: "Before I heard his music, the world felt dull and gray. But now, everything shines."
"…"
Utaha's brows twitched slightly.
Wow. This girl was a real literary type. A romantic. Possibly even a little unhinged?
But she didn't falter.
[Kasumi Utako]: "I see. Thank you for liking him."
[Kani Nayuta]: "…"
Even if the girl was just another overly passionate fan, Utaha wasn't about to let her guard down. After all, she had witnessed firsthand what a deranged fan could do—there had been an incident seven years ago she still remembered vividly.
She leaned back against the cushion, feeling both smug and mildly regretful. Should she really have pinned Nayuta's chat and suggested Touji add her? Was she… feeding the enemy?
Still, Utaha didn't feel threatened. She was older. More mature. Sophisticated.
A high school girl author didn't stand a chance!
[Kasumi Utako]: "May I ask your age?"
[Kani Nayuta]: "16 years old."
"…"
Utaha stared at the screen blankly.
The threshold for light novel authors really was that low now, huh?!
Where do all these young, talented high school girl authors keep popping up from?!
Wait… maybe she isn't even that pretty.
[Kasumi Utako]: "Would you mind showing me a photo?"
A few seconds later, a notification buzzed.
She opened it… and instantly regretted her decision.
A silver-haired beauty, her eyes shining like gemstones, smiled at the camera with a gentle innocence.
"…"
Meanwhile, back in the live stream—
The chat was going absolutely wild.
"A very, very sweet confession song?"
"I feel like something's fishy!"
"Winter-sensei, do you have someone you like???"
"The stench of love is in the air!"
"Hey! Remember last year when he said 'unravel' would be a cheerful, healing song—and then BAM, emotional devastation?!"
"Oh noooo, I forgot about that!"
"So what if this new one's actually a heartbreak anthem in disguise?"
"Reverse psychology attack!!"
"Winter-senpai, you're too mischievous!"
Kasumigaoka Touji stared blankly at the screen for a second, then chuckled softly.
"Right, that thing last year…" he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I wasn't really lying. I just… didn't tell the whole truth."
At the time, his casual marketing misdirection had actually worked far better than expected. 'Unravel' had exploded in popularity, earned him over a million followers, and even pulled his older songs back into the spotlight.
But this time—
"This time I'm really not trolling. I promise. It's an honest-to-goodness, very, very sweet confession song."
He smiled.
"Alright! Next up—'fireworks'!"
He clicked on the track, and the room was instantly filled with soft, nostalgic piano notes.
[The coastline we gazed at that day I can still remember it today…]
His voice floated over the music, gentle but rich with emotion.
The chat erupted again—
"This song is pure magic!"
"Fireworks in my heart, exploding again!"
"Why do I suddenly feel so nostalgic?!"
"I miss that summer… and her…"
"The lyrics are hitting harder than expected!"
"The light burst forth with a bang—and so did my feelings!"
Somewhere in the background, Kasumigaoka Utaha rested her chin on her hand and looked toward Touji's door, her expression unreadable.
"…So, it's a confession song, huh?"
And in another part of Tokyo, Kani Nayuta stared at her laptop screen, clutching a pillow tightly against her chest.
"…I won't lose."