C52: Dropping the Bomb

“Dad, you’re Glint of Schwartz…?” I ask, looking at my father.

“Ah, well, about that…” he says after “pausing” his livestream with a click.
A flood of comments continued to surge on the screen that we had yet to notice.

“You often went on business trips, right? Were those for streams and events?”

“Uh, yeah, you could say that,” he answers, seeming to regain his composure.

“So, that event in Tokyo where I spoke to Schwartz, was that you?”
“Yeah… It was.”

“So, you knew that I was a VTuber too?”
“I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t told me. Even your dad doesn’t catch everything.”

“All those times you dodged my questions about your job, was it because of this?
You always just said you worked online, right?”
“Well, not exactly. I didn’t plan for things to turn out this way.”

“How long have you been a VTuber, Dad?”
“About…Ten years now.”

“Thought so. After all, V-Live is now a major company with you as one of the first-generation members.”

Inhaling deeply, I add…
“You’re awesome!!!”

“Huh?”

“I’ve always watched your videos! Thanks to them, I’ve learned all sorts of trivia and life hacks, and I respected the person behind them.
I’m proud to find out it’s you!”
“Aren’t you angry that I kept this a secret?”

“No way! I didn’t tell anyone that I was Yuka Shirahime, only a few of my classmates know!”
“Is that so…”

“It’s such an incredible coincidence, isn’t it?”
“It is. It’s bad for my heart, even… Wait, weren’t you supposed to be back tomorrow?”

“I did say Monday, but Mom’s sense of time can be a bit… you know.”
“Ah, I completely forgot about that. I even forgot to tell her not to enter the room, thinking you’d be back tomorrow.”

“I didn’t expect that you’d be streaming too. And wow, you have so much equipment in your room.”
“Oh, you can tell? ……Uh-oh,” his face pales as he glances at the monitor.

“What’s wrong, Dad?”
“Well, you see, Yuka-san…”

“Why so out of the blue? I’m not Yu- Ah!!!”
“It seems like…I didn’t end the stream yet.”

“What are you doing, Dad?!?!?!”
“I’m sorry!”

“I’m fine, but what about you…?”
“I think… I should be okay.”

“Aren’t you taking this too lightly? Are you sure?”
Just then, his phone rang.

“Yikes! Okay, everyone, we’ll stop the stream for now! I’ll disclose more details on Tweeter later, so please stay tuned!”

With that, he ends the stream and answers the phone.

“Hello, this is Himemura.”
[Please don’t give me that! You do realize we have a situation at hand!!!]

“Figured you’d say that.”
[How can you be so calm about this?!]

“Ah, people eventually calm down after panicking too much.”
[Just so you know, you’re not getting flamed, but the inquiries we’re receiving are far from ordinary.]

“I’m actually surprised I’m not getting flamed for this.”
[I don’t know why either. I just called to let you know that you hadn’t stopped the stream, so please resume it when you’ve calmed down.]

“I will, thanks.”
[You’ve always had this perfect persona that everyone’s coming to a realization that you’re human too.]

“What did the listeners think I was this whole time?”
[An AI, I guess?]

“Ah, never mind. I’ll contact you again once things settle down.”
[Got it. And tell your son that I’m always rooting for him.]

“I bet that’s what you wanted to say from the beginning! …He hung up.”

“Seems like the conversation’s over, huh?”
“Ah, Yuki-san…?”

“We have a lot to talk about, don’t we? I’d love to hear all about it.”
“Oh…”

—Glint of Schwartz’s Chat POV—

“I’m really curious about Schwartz-san’s son!”

[About my son?]

[He’s a good boy, can cook, clean, and looks good. His personality is… maybe a bit too innocent, I think.]

[My son? He’s 17.]

Just as the atmosphere was becoming cozy, a bomb was suddenly dropped.

[Dad, I’m home!]
[Huh?]

[Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!?!?!?!?!]

[Dad, you’re Glint of Schwartz…?]

[Ah, well, about that…]

[You often went on business trips, right? Were those for streams and events?]

[Uh, yeah, you could say that.]

[So, that event in Tokyo where I spoke to Schwartz, was that you?]

[Yeah… It was.]

[So, you knew that I was a VTuber too?]

[I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t told me. Even your dad doesn’t catch everything.]

[All those times you dodged my questions about your job, was it because of this?
You always just said you worked online, right?]

[Well, not exactly. I didn’t plan for things to turn out this way.]

[How long have you been a VTuber, Dad?]
[About…Ten years now.]

[Thought so. After all, V-Live is now a major company with you as one of the first-generation members.]

[You’re awesome!!!]
[Huh?]
[I’ve always watched your videos! Thanks to them, I’ve learned all sorts of trivia and life hacks, and I respected the person behind them.
I’m proud to find out it’s you!]

[Aren’t you angry that I kept this a secret?]
[No way! I didn’t tell anyone that I was Yuka Shirahime, only a few of my classmates know!]

[It’s such an incredible coincidence, isn’t it?]
[It is. It’s bad for my heart, even… Wait, weren’t you supposed to be back tomorrow?]

[I did say Monday, but Mom’s sense of time can be a bit… you know.]
[Ah, I completely forgot about that. I even forgot to tell her not to enter the room, thinking you’d be back tomorrow.]

[I didn’t expect that you’d be streaming too. And wow, you have so much equipment in your room.]
[Oh, you can tell? ……Uh-oh.]

[What’s wrong, Dad?]
[Well, you see, Yuka-san…]

[Why so out of the blue? I’m not Yu- Ah!!!]
[It seems like…I didn’t end the stream yet.]

[What are you doing, Dad?!?!?!]
[I’m sorry!]

[I’m fine, but what about you…?]
[I think… I should be okay.]

[Aren’t you taking this too lightly? Are you sure?]

[Yikes! Okay, everyone, we’ll stop the stream for now! I’ll disclose more details on Tweeter later, so please stay tuned!]

===The stream has ended.===

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this was a loooong chapter, apologies it took longer than usual

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