Chapter 18: An Unexpected Turn of Events

A few days later.

Today was the day I would meet Tsukikage Luna in person.

Karen-san had opposed the idea until the very end. Just how much does she hate scary things?

After that, Karen-san had wanted to stay at my place, but that was a no-go, so I took her to Elena-san’s house instead. While Elena-san apologized, saying, “I’m sorry, my sister’s being selfish again,” Karen-san stood beside her with a dissatisfied pout.

The meeting spot was a café near the Okutama branch office. It was one of the few rare cafés in the area, known for its nostalgic retro atmosphere. Apparently, it was quite popular.

I arrived about ten minutes early. For the record, I’d never been to this café before. The joys of being a loner, I suppose.

“Okay… Deep breath. Here goes…!”

Nervously, I opened the door. A small bell jingled overhead as a staff member approached to greet me.

When I explained I was here for a meeting, they led me to a table in the back. Apparently, Luna-san had already made a reservation for us. That was thoughtful of her.

“Nice to meet you, Bochidan-san. I’m Tsukikage Luna.”

At the table sat someone who’d arrived before me.

A woman wearing black-rimmed glasses and two mysterious figures in sunglasses beside her.

The woman who introduced herself as Tsukikage Luna had shoulder-length black hair and sharp, intelligent eyes—a cool, refined beauty. Caught off guard by her greeting, I stammered out a reply, “N-Nice to meet you…”

I’d momentarily forgotten—I’m terrible with strangers.

I’d been interacting with people more often lately, so I let my guard down.

“These two are accompanying me. Please, don’t mind them.”

One of the figures in sunglasses gave me a slight nod. One had hair streaked with inner highlights, while the other had sleek black hair. Even though she told me not to pay them any mind, they stood out too much to ignore.

…Could these two possibly be…? No, it couldn’t be.

“Thank you for taking the time to meet me today. Rest assured, everything we discuss will remain confidential. Here’s a non-disclosure agreement.”

“H-Huh?”

“It states that any personal information about Bochidan-san will not be disclosed under any circumstances. Could you sign it?”

I didn’t particularly care about my personal information, but her authoritative demeanor left no room for objections, so I signed it.

“Thank you very much. …Now then, may we begin our discussion?”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

Luna-san smiled kindly, easing my nerves a bit. The two beside her were still hard to ignore, but for now, I decided to let it go.

“Bochidan-san, are you familiar with this blog?”

Luna-san pulled out her smartphone and showed me a screen.

Wait, was my blog that well-known…?

“Yeah. I mean, I’m the one who writes it.”

“…!”

“I see. So, it really was you.”

Luna-san nodded, as if a piece of a puzzle had just fallen into place.

The two beside her flinched ever so slightly, their shoulders twitching as they stared at me from behind their sunglasses.

The girl with the bright hair color nearly leapt out of her seat, half-standing and leaning over the table. Whoa, uh, sorry about… whatever this is?

“Well, that makes this quick. The reason I reached out to you, Bochidan-san, is simple: I want to collaborate on a stream with you.”
“A collab… stream?”

The unexpected proposal caught me off guard, and I couldn’t help but ask for clarification.

The two beside her stared at me silently, as if awaiting my answer, their sunglasses hiding their eyes.

“Yes. I’d like to collaborate on a stream with myself… and these two.”

As Luna-san said that, the two figures removed their sunglasses.

When I saw their faces, my eyes widened in shock.

“Wait… Shion and Kanade!?”
“Nice to meet you, Bochidan-san! I’m Shion from Luna Stars!”
“I-I’m Kanade. Um… it’s nice to meet you…”

…Uh, is this some kind of prank?

“Oh, it’s not a prank. These two are the real Luna Stars.”

Apparently, it wasn’t.

“Thank you so much for helping us that time!”
“Shion! Don’t just blurt that out!”

Kanade quickly pulled Shion back into her seat as she leaned forward.

I had met them once before, but it still felt unreal to see Luna Stars sitting right in front of me.

And now they wanted… a collab? With me?

I couldn’t wrap my head around the situation at all.

“Uh, um… are you sure I’m the right person for this? There must be someone more suitable…”
“There’s no one better than you, Bochidan-san! You’re the one who cleared Garden of the Gods, right? And solo, no less!”

Ugh… H-How does Shion know about that…!?

I wanted to make up some excuse, but Shion’s sparkling eyes made it impossible. Fine, yes, I’m a loner. Happy now?

“We’ve been looking for you ever since that day you helped us.”
“Oh, right! Here, let me return this to you!”

Shion pulled out two knives from inside her coat.

“This is…”

They were my weapons, Rengoku Kirimaru, which I hadn’t been able to retrieve that day. I never expected to get them back, so I was genuinely thrilled.

“Thank you, Shion!”

…Ah, I called her by name without honorifics. My social skills as a loner are terrible…

“You’re welcome! …So, about the collab—will you do it?”

Shion asked eagerly, seemingly unfazed by my slip-up.

Hmm. As much as the offer made me happy, I wasn’t entirely keen on the idea. Luna Stars’ streams are their own thing. It didn’t feel right for me to insert myself into that.

Well, I suppose this is what you’d call the complicated psychology of a fan.

“I understand this might be sudden. You don’t have to decide right away. Take your time. …Shion, sit down.”
“Ugh… Fine…”

At Luna-san’s gentle scolding, Shion reluctantly sat back down, looking a little sulky. Kanade, on the other hand, said nothing and simply stared at me. Her silent pressure was immense.

“Uh, Luna-san, what exactly is your relationship with the two of them?”
“Oh, I suppose I haven’t explained that yet. I’m actually their manager.”

Ah, that made sense. That cleared up at least one mystery. Still, balancing being a manager and an active streamer? That’s seriously impressive.

“Well, to be honest, the two of them handle most of their own planning and streams, so my role is more of a title. This time, though, they came to me with their request, so I looked into you a bit.”

“Please, Bochidan-san! Will you collaborate with us on a stream?”