The Story About How I Was Fired From My Company and Then Picked up by a Possessive Streamer With Over 5 Million Subscribers

Chapter 98: On the Way Home and Something Unexpected

After lunch ended, though the rest of the day wasn’t exactly peaceful, school finally let out without any further incidents. Now, Rinmei and Haruka were walking home together.

“…Haruka… Thank you for everything today… I’ll repay you sometime.”

“No problem, no problem! It was just a request from you, Rinmei-chan. Anytime you need to borrow a textbook or something, just ask.”

“…Mm. Thanks, thanks.”

Just an ordinary moment in their daily lives. Both of them felt a flutter in their chests at the excitement of sharing experiences they’d never had before.

“…I’m going this way.”

“Alright, see you later, Rinmei-chan!”

“…Yes, Haruka, see you again.”

With those words, they parted ways and walked off in different directions.

Rinmei was in a good mood. Of course, it was because she had enjoyed lunch with Haruka and Eiji, who went by Yusuke.

“…Hehe. I wonder what kind of lunch I’ll get next time… I can’t wait.”

She wondered if it would be something simple or, since the weather had gotten colder lately, maybe he’d make a warm miso soup… Whatever it might be, Rinmei could hardly contain her excitement.

“…Oh, that reminds me… I hope Kanna’s alright…”

Her thoughts drifted back to that morning.

When she’d gone to the living room, as usual, Kanna was sitting in a chair, coughing and looking weighed down.

“Hey, Kanna-san! You’re feeling exhausted, aren’t you? Please stay in bed today!”

“But… I still have… the game to finish…”

“Don’t worry about that! Come on, let’s get you back to your room!”

“Wait, wait… Eiji…”

The unusual sight of Eiji snapping at Kanna had left a strong impression on Rinmei’s mind. To top it off, he’d even carried her out of the room in a princess carry.

“…Kanna, that’s not fair.”

Thinking back on it made Rinmei feel a strange sense of annoyance, though she was also genuinely concerned about Kanna.

“…Maybe I should buy her something.”

Luckily, she still had some money on her.

Remembering how Eiji had been worried that morning about running out of groceries, Rinmei thought it would be a nice gesture to buy something for Kanna—and maybe Eiji would praise her for it, too.

“…Hehe. If I’m lucky, he might even pat my head.”

And so, Rinmei, her spirits high, skipped off to a nearby supermarket to shop for them.

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“…It took longer than I expected.”

She hadn’t anticipated running into someone from school… And, since they were a fan of Scarlet, she couldn’t shake them off easily.

Feeling a little weary, Rinmei looked down at the groceries she’d bought.

“…Maybe just a little…”

There were also some snacks among the things she’d picked up. She began to reach into the bag but quickly shook her head, snapping herself back to reality.

“…No. Snacks before dinner are a no.”

She remembered the time she’d eaten too many snacks and ended up too full to eat dinner. The memory of that experience was enough to make her shudder.

“…I won’t forget what happened that day… I’ll save these for lunch tomorrow.”

With that, she put the snacks back into the bag. This, she supposed, was part of growing up.

Outside, it was darker than usual, signaling that winter was near, and the air was starting to feel chilly. Wanting to get home quickly, she picked up her pace—though it turned out she didn’t have to hurry after all.

Her house was already in view.

“…Let’s get inside quickly… And maybe Eiji will praise me… No, wait, I need to check on Kanna… and eat dinner…”

Various desires spilled from her mouth, and once again, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. With cold fingers, she slid the key into the lock, heard the click, and opened the door.

“…I’m home.”

…But there was no sign of Eiji coming to greet her.

Noticing the difference from usual, Rinmei took off her shoes and headed into the living room, where the lights were still on.

“…I’m home… Eiji?”

“Oh, Rinmei. Welcome back, sorry, sorry. I was just lost in thought.”

In front of her sat Eiji, staring at his phone with a sigh.

Worried, Rinmei walked up to him.

“…Is something wrong? Are you alright?”

“Hmm? Ah, it’s nothing, really. And thanks for getting these.”

With practiced ease, he patted Rinmei’s head gently. Though she was happy, Rinmei couldn’t help but still feel concerned about him.

Just then, a notification chimed on Eiji’s phone. When Rinmei glanced at the screen, she froze in shock.

“…Eiji… That person…”

Eiji seemed to understand. With a slightly hesitant tone, he answered.

“Well… My parents are coming to visit.”

But how did things come to that? The story goes back to a few hours before Rinmei had come home.

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Chapter 99: A Call From My Parents

This takes place a few hours before Rinmei returned.

After Kanna-san woke me up, I went about my usual routine, doing laundry and preparing dinner.

Kanna-san had insisted she was fine and tried to get up to play games, but I managed to get her to rest today. She’d said, “When I feel better, you’ll have to do as I say…” but…what exactly is she planning?

Anyway, as I started making dinner…

“…Oh, no. There’s nothing left.”

I checked the fridge and remembered—there were no ingredients left since this morning. What should I do?

Maybe I could ask Rinmei to pick something up…although, does she even have any money with her? I can’t make anything like this… Guess I have no choice but to get ready for a shopping trip.

As soon as I decided, I took off my apron, planning to prepare only the essentials. But then, my phone suddenly rang.

“…Who’d be calling at a time like this?”

I picked up my phone from the table and checked the caller ID. Seeing the name, I nearly froze.

W-Why would they be calling? I felt my face tighten as I answered.

“…Hello?”

“Hello, Yusuke? You haven’t called in ages. Do you know how many months it’s been?”

Ugh… That’s exactly the self-centered attitude I expected from her.

“…Why are you suddenly calling, Mom?”

“Well, it’s only natural for parents to worry about their kids. Your dad was concerned, too, saying he hasn’t heard from you.”

“Even so, there’s no need to call now…”

Ugh, I really don’t get along with her. Why does she always try to invade my space? And since when does Dad worry about me?

“Dad, concerned? He’s so unsociable.”

“Don’t say that. Sure, he’s a bit, well, clueless, but he still thinks about you.”

“…If you say so.”

But why call her own husband clueless? As I felt my patience thinning, I continued talking with her.

It was nostalgic but also exhausting, like being thrown back into the chaos of old times… All sorts of feelings bubbled up inside me.

“So, what do you want? If it’s just to check in, I’m fine. Can I hang up now? I’m busy.”

“Oh, don’t be in such a hurry. Yes, I was worried about you, but there’s something else I wanted to discuss.”

“…What is it?”

For some reason, I had a bad feeling. This had happened too many times before—my instincts were screaming at me to hang up.

But knowing that it’d only cause more trouble if I cut her off, I sighed and continued to listen to her.

Then, I heard my mom say something shocking.

“Tomorrow, I’m coming over to your place.”

“…Huh?”

“Yes, that’s right. Tomorrow, I’ll be at your house.”

“No, no… No way. You can’t.”

I couldn’t even respond properly. No, this isn’t okay. I’m staying with Kanna-san and everyone right now. Plus, I sold my old place. What am I supposed to do?

I know it’s my fault for not telling them, but…

“What’s with the rejection? Your father and I talked it over and decided to come tomorrow.”

“What?! W-Wait! Even if you say that, I can’t—”

“See you tomorrow!”

“…M-Mom?!”

I tried to get her to keep talking, but… she just said her piece and hung up.

“…You’ve got to be kidding… What am I supposed to do?”

Sure, it’s my fault for not telling them, but…how could I admit I’m staying with a streamer?

“…For now, I should talk to Soji and Manaka.”

Since Kanna-san sold the apartment, my best bet is to explain that I’ve been staying with those two.

With that in mind, I decided to reach out to Soji and Manaka for the first time in a while.

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