BXBX NOVEL Chapter 281: Oversleep
Chapter 281: Oversleep
“Mmm… ah… umm… oh right, I fell asleep during the stream…”
I remember fighting the shadow of Shuten Douji and finally defeating him with Rin-chan’s help, then my memory cuts off abruptly. I must have dozed off during the stream. The moment I recognized how tired I was, I was already on the brink of shutdown. My body isn’t as cooperative as I’d like it to be.
“But… this place… is this my room? Why did someone bother to move me all the way here…?”
Ignoring my energy-starved body for a moment, I took a look around and realized this wasn’t the usual bedroom. If I remember correctly, this is the apartment Rin-chan handed down to me. The one next door to Rin-chan’s, where I usually hang out. It’s a room in a tower block that’s minimally furnished and rarely used. {the usual is Rin’s huh}
“Hmm… Four cameras… am I being watched? No, they’re live-streaming. But who would want to watch me sleep?”
Well, I suppose one could argue that precisely because nothing much happens, they’re streaming it. Rin-chan is quiet when she sleeps, but she naturally tosses and turns, and her pajamas are kind of thin, so they could slide off a bit and give off a somewhat provocative appearance. Ah, but I’ve heard there’s a thing called “sleep streaming”. Maybe there’s some demand for watching people sleep.
“I feel as light as a feather, but oh my gosh, I’m seriously hungry… Doesn’t seem like Rin-chan’s around. And for anyone who’s still watching, its bye-bye for now!”
I waved at the main-looking camera as if I was still on the stream, then decided to go look for Rin-chan. She’s probably in her usual room, or she might even be diving into WLO already.
“But there’s an unfamiliar smell.”
I’ve been faintly aware of it since I woke up, but there’s an unfamiliar smell on me and in the room. It’s not the smell of an unused room, but human body odor. Even though I’m relatively lightweight, I still weigh around 40 kilos, so there’s no way Rin-chan could have carried me in my sleep. So this smell must be from the person who carried me to this room.
They must be someone I haven’t met in a while, or at least not that I can remember, yet someone I trust enough not to reflexively attack them. Considering that, the list of possible people narrows down.
“Could it be Ran, or Ren…? That would make sense.”
There are currently five active members of the Takajou main family.
The eldest is Takajou Ronri. She’s everyone’s big sister, including me, plus a researcher and explorer who travels around the world. From Rin-chan’s perspective, she’s a cousin.
Then there’s the young leader of the Takajou Group, Takajou Shiran. He’s incredibly busy with a schedule packed down to the second. He’s Rin-chan’s older brother and the most capable person within the limit of human beings.
Following him is the second son, Takajou Renya. He’s a person of sweet beauty who can charm just about anyone in the world. He’s supposed to be a world-renowned actor. I recently found out that Ren has the most followers on social media in the world. His actual abilities are honestly subpar, but his beauty captivates people. In a sense, he represents the “Takajou” name with his specifications.
Then there’s Rin-chan.
And finally, Touka-chan.
These five are the young generation of the main family line who will take on the next generation. If you include the branches, there should be many more of the same generation, but the ones with the purest “Takajou” blood are these five. And without exception, they all adore Rin-chan. Especially Ran and Ren, they seem to find the youngest Rin-chan irresistibly cute. Ren was so smitten that he even called her “princess.”
Well, I think Ren is probably the one who carried me. Probably. He’s an actor, so he probably has some free time when he’s not filming, and it seems more realistic than Ran.
While thinking about such things, I went outside and was met with the bright sunlight. It still seemed like morning from the height of the sun, but maybe because it was just after the summer solstice, the sunlight was already beating down hard.
“The brightness is quite a shock when you’ve just woken up… I’m home~”
When I got back to the usual house, the number of shoes was as usual. It seems like Ren has already gone home. I thought I might see him after a long time, but I didn’t really want to see him, so I guess it’s okay. Ren and I don’t really get along… rather, when I was young, he was apparently scared by the awful things I did to him while he was sleeping.
“Rin-chan, are you awake?”
“I’m sleeping…”
“Oh, I see~ Hey, Rin-chan, I’m hungry.”
“There’s plenty of food in the fridge…”
“Okay~”
Had I woken up earlier than I thought, or had she stayed up late into the night? Judging by her drowsy response, I decided it was best to focus on satisfying my own hunger first.
“Oh, there really is a lot…”
“Good morning~”
“n?!”
While I was looking at the food packed tightly into the fridge, someone suddenly called out to me from behind. I was really startled because I hadn’t felt any presence, but the person I turned around to see was someone I knew.
“…Miharu?”
“Yes~ It’s Miharu~”
She was originally a bodyguard for the Takajou family and now takes care of Suu-chan. I understand why she was standing behind me without making a sound, but I was confused in a different way when I saw someone who was supposed to have gone on a domestic trip with Suu-chan just the day before yesterday.
“How was your trip with Suu-chan?”
“We finished touring the Tokyo area for now, so we came back yesterday~. If you have five days, you can see most of the famous places~. Suu was tired, so she’ll probably sleep for a while~”
“I see~… Huh? Five days? Didn’t you just leave the day before yesterday…?”
Something is off.
When I asked back, Miharu laughed cheerfully.
“Hehehe~ Today is Saturday, you know~. Nanaka, you’ve been sleeping non-stop for over three whole days since Tuesday~”
“Saturday!? Have I been sleeping that long…”
Apparently, from the time I fell asleep until I woke up, I had passed through four nights. I’ve rarely ever collapsed from exhaustion in my life, so I was surprised at the fact that my body had been that worn out.
“You were streaming the whole time. As always, your sleeping posture was so quiet that both I and the viewers were taken aback~”
“Oh, so that’s why the stream was on… So, what brings you here, Miharu?”
I see, it seems that Miharu noticed that I woke up and moved to this room because she was watching the stream of me just sleeping. Suu-chan and Miharu have also been staying in this mansion since the tournament, so it wouldn’t take long for them to notice and come here. However, I wish Miharu wouldn’t sneak up behind me like she used to do. I don’t want to have to stay alert when I’m in the comfort of my own home.
“I came to cook for the hungry Nanaka~. It’s a bit bland to just eat it raw~ and it’s troublesome to eat while cooking, isn’t it~?”
“Really!? Wow, it’s been years since I had Miharu’s homemade food!”
Miharu was the strongest female bodyguard of the Takajou family at the time, but she was primarily Toki’s bodyguard. Since Toki also basically works from home, Miharu would work as a maid when she wasn’t working. It’s been over ten years since I last had her home cooking. {Rei should be Toki… but it}
“This is delicious~! Your cooking skills are unbeatable as expected.”
“Even after I retired, I continued being a housemaid, you know~. Suu-chan was my only main responsibility~ ,and that’s why I had so much spare time that perfecting my cooking skills became my main hobby~.”
“Suu-chan doesn’t seem to be much of a handful either.”
As I smack my lips at the dishes coming out one after another with incredible efficiency, I enjoy my long-overdue conversation with Miharu. I have an image of Suu-chan as someone who would play Zero Wars whenever she had time, and I can imagine that Miharu, who is already good at housework, would have nothing to do.
“Miharu, you’ve mellowed out, haven’t you? I mean, not your figure, but your vibe.”
“That’s true~. Guarding VIPs, especially the Takajou family, was an incredibly high-pressure job~. I’d rather not do such a tense job anymore~. And to think of it, dealing with you, Nanaka, was quite a task, and I was heavily used by Lady Toki too~”
“Hahaha, we’re even then, since I got beaten up too.”
“Hehehe~”
The one who taught me how to behave as Rin-chan’s bodyguard… rather, literally drilled it into me was Miharu. I remember my childhood, back when my parents were still with me, a time when I was often defeated despite supposedly being superior in physical ability. Looking back, it must have been much harder for Miharu, who had to deal with me. After all, a slight mistake could easily break a person’s bones.
“…It feels strange to actually have a back-and-forth conversation with you, Nanaka. The sense of profundity is different from when I watch Karin (her daughter) grow up~. It’s nice to see young people grow, and I suppose the same applies to Suu-chan too~”
“That’s right, you did leave when I was like that.”
Miharu’s words, filled with deep emotion, reminded me again that she was someone I had parted with before I was 15. Around the time of my parents’ accident, my personality changed dramatically… or so it seems. Regardless of what’s on the inside, it’s certain that my sociability has greatly increased. It wouldn’t be strange for Miharu to feel like she was talking to a completely different person, even though we were having a conversation as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“By the way, your birthday is coming up soon, Nanaka. Have you planned any streams plan to celebrate it~?”
“Mm!? …Oh, right. That’s the day after tomorrow.”
My birthday is on Tanabata, which is July 7th. The final day of Battle Royale was June 29th, and six days have passed since then, so today is July 5th. My birthday is already coming up the day after tomorrow.
For the past six years, I haven’t really celebrated my birthday. Rin-chan and I weren’t particularly interested in events, and the fact that our parents died on our birthdays made us unconsciously avoid our own. I think Rin-chan understood this and avoided celebrating my birthday to make me feel better. Even though she said she wasn’t interested, she did celebrate it every year until I was 15. The reason she didn’t send me a single message was probably to keep me as calm as possible.
“But a livestream, huh… Well, we’ve talked about doing something, but we haven’t planned anything yet.”
When it comes to a streamer’s birthday, they usually plan a grand celebration to entertain their audience… or so I was told. It’s more than just getting celebrated; it’s also a way to thank the fans who have supported them. Well, I’ve only been active for two months. But given the attention I’m getting, for better or worse, I can’t just ignore my birthday, and it’s true that streaming has helped me through these tumultuous months. I am aware that I should do at least a simple plan. I am aware, but…
“Hmm… I’m really bad at planning…”
“You haven’t changed in that you’re better at being directed by others~”
“I haven’t grown at all, because Rin-chan was there and my part-time job basically just involved doing what I was told.”
“I think that’s a strength in its own way~. On the contrary, you’re a specialist at handling unreasonable demands~”
As it was during Battle Royale, Rin-chan and my aptitudes are clearly defined, like a commander and a soldier. As Miharu said, I am an excellent pawn, but I have no talent for the opposite.
“To reassure you a bit~. You were streaming even when you were sleeping for three whole days, so I don’t think people are expecting a grand plan~”
“I appreciate it, but that’s all thanks to Rin-chan… By the way, do you have any recommendations, Miharu?”
“Me~? Well, I think a viewer interaction type of stream like a casual chat would be good for now~. After all, the whole world is interested in the creature known as Futayado Nanaka~”
“Hmm… Well, that makes sense.”
“The popular ones often do ‘call-in waiting’ streams, but most of the people Nanaka knows are from WLO~. Moreover, such things are usually done by streamers with a lot of popularity, a wide network, or those in the box streaming community for interaction~”
It’s a kind of stream they call ‘waiting for call-ins’. The premise is simple: you go live and just wait. The guests? They could be acquaintances, or even people you don’t know personally, but who are quite famous. You wait for them to drop in and say ‘Happy Birthday!’
It’s sort of a digital version of being on standby for a surprise visit. It could be Mr. or Ms. Celebrity who decides to join the party and wish you well. Or maybe your best friend will be the first to celebrate, showing up before anyone else.
But it’s not just about who shows up first. It can also be about making new connections. Imagine chatting for the first time with someone you’ve barely interacted with and then, right there on the stream, you plan a collaboration. That’s what makes a ‘waiting for call-ins’ stream so interesting.
The problem with me doing this is, first of all, I don’t have many acquaintances.
And the biggest problem is, even if a celebrity comes to my stream, there’s a very high chance that I don’t know who they are.
After all, I’m the type of person who can’t remember the names of people I’ve never met in person. I’ve only recently become interested in the world.
There’s no way I could know who the famous people are in this field.
I can’t have a stream where a famous person comes and I say, “Oh, hi. Nice to meet you. Please take care of me,” in a polite and not exciting way.
That being said, aside from the standard call-in waiting, I can’t think of anything but casual chat or gaming.
“You don’t need to overthink it, just take it easy~. I can lend you Suu-chan as well~. Anyway, why don’t you consult with Rinne-sama first?”
“Yeah. But to offer Suu-chan as if she’s your own…”
“Hehe~ Since I am in the position of her mother~”
“That makes it sound a bit evil”
She always accompanied us as a chaperone when we went on trips, and Suu-chan didn’t seem to mind at all, so their relationship might be much stronger than I thought.
In the end, I spent the whole time until Rin-chan woke up worrying about my birthday stream.
Tl note:
In case you don’t remember, Karin is Rinne’s personal bodyguard.