After Accidentally Helping a Famous Streamer Who Forgot to Turn Off Her Dungeon Stream, I Began to Go Viral as a Legendary Explorer ～ The Introverted Me Accidentally Dominating with My Mysterious Skill 'Ignore Rules' - Chapter 14: The Introvert Gets Showered with Praise

Chapter 14: The Introvert Gets Showered with Praise

“H-hey… Is this for real?”

Let’s get to the point.

As Ayatsuki had asserted, I had indeed changed.

I usually got my haircut at a local 1,000-yen salon, but this time I went to a slightly more expensive beauty salon. There, I got a haircut and even learned about good hair wax and styling methods.

And look at the result—standing in front of the mirror was a man I had never seen before.

“…Alright, this should do it.”

The female hairstylist who took care of me said this as she finally swept my bangs to the side.

“Just like your girlfriend said, you, Kirishima-kun, have a naturally handsome face. Please have confidence in that.”

“Uh… Ah…”

“And so, here. A present for you.”

What she handed me was the hair wax they had used while styling my hair. And it was brand new.

“Huh…? But what about the money?”

“Fufu, no need. You’re the one who helped my favorite, aren’t you?”

“…?”

At first, I didn’t understand what she meant. A few seconds later, it clicked.

“You mean you saw yesterday’s livestream?”

“Yes♪ You were really cool back then. Seriously.”

“C-Cool…”

I had little experience being directly praised by a woman, so I felt an involuntary itch on my back.

Moreover, the very person she was a fan of was currently a high school girl casually playing with her smartphone in the waiting room.

I felt hesitant to mention that, so I kept quiet.

(Also, this is a personal request…)

The female hairstylist suddenly closed the distance and whispered into my ear.

(Lately, it seems like she’s been feeling rushed… She tends to do reckless streams, like that emergency monster event yesterday.)

(Y-Yeah.)

(So please, support her. I’m sure if you’re there, Miru-chan will be safer.)

(T-That is…)

I had been thinking the same thing. She must have known the recklessness of rushing towards the Red Dragon Gilgarias. There was no way Miru, an A-rank explorer, didn’t understand the risks.

Yet, she went ahead with the fight—probably because she desperately wanted to boost her viewer count.

(Alright… I understand.)

Though I had my doubts about how much help I could actually be to her, I decided not to bring that up.

Because the socially awkward me would absolutely fail to convey the nuanced circumstances properly.

And so, I successfully finished my first-ever experience at a beauty salon.

★

When I left the salon, the surroundings were already enveloped in darkness.

I checked the time on my smartphone, and it was already 7 pm. As a good high school student, it was about time to head home.

“Yeah, you look great♪”

Ayatsuki squinted her eyes in delight as she looked up at my face.

“Tsukushi-kun, you’ve become really, really handsome♪”

“Ha… Hahaha. Thanks…”

And then… a few minutes later.

We had passed through the bustling downtown area and were now slowly walking through a quiet park.

Usually bustling with children during the day, the place was empty at night. Only the moonlight, casting a magical glow on the ground, and the occasional gentle breeze were present.

“…”

What is this atmosphere?

Even she, who was usually so cheerful, remained silent for some reason. Only a comfortable quietness spread around us.

Suddenly feeling a bit awkward, I opened my mouth to break the silence.

“Um… thank you for today, Ayatsuki-san.”

“Heh…?”

“I experienced a lot of new things today. You’ve been really good to me… Thank you.”

“Uh, sure. You’re welcome, but…”

Ayatsuki seemed somewhat discontented for some reason.

“You know, calling me Ayatsuki-san makes me feel lonely.”

“Huh…”

“I have a name, Miyu. You know that, right? Being called like that by you, Tsukushi-kun, makes me feel like we’re strangers.”

“…”

Uh.

Is she serious?

Calling a girl by her first name gives me serious reservations.

However, Ayatsuki, who was walking next to me, was staring at me with narrowed eyes. It felt like refusing her request would actually be the wrong thing to do.

“O-okay. Miyu… is this fine?”

“Yes! That’s perfect♪”

Ayatsuki—now corrected to Miyu—looked genuinely pleased, her face lighting up with a shy smile.

I couldn’t help but find her cute, but quickly reminded myself not to entertain such foolish thoughts.

The reason I was able to talk to her right now was simply due to a series of coincidences. Under normal circumstances, there would be an insurmountable gap between us.

“So… Tsukushi-kun.”

Miyu looked at me with a somewhat anxious expression.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about. Do you have a little more time?”

“Huh? S-Sure, that’s fine…”

“Yay, thank you!”

With that, Miyu broke into an angelic smile.