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I’m going to Japan.

This is my second trip, but unlike the first one where I went with my family, I’m going alone this time.

That’s why I headed to the airport this morning, rolling my suitcase by myself.

It may be early morning, but for some reason, there were quite a few people at the airport since it’s the beginning of the year.

With this appearance, I attract attention wherever I go, and pulling my suitcase alone certainly draws even more eyes.

After admiring my look post-makeup the last time, I’ve been wearing some makeup lately, so I feel like the stares have increased.

They might think they’re discreetly whispering amongst themselves, but voices debating whether or not I’m a celebrity reached my ears. Before I created any unnecessary misunderstandings, I decided to buy a pair of sunglasses and put them on.

Then…

“Excuse me…?”

With almost half certainty, someone approached me, so I quickly stowed the sunglasses away.

It seems wearing sunglasses attracts even more attention.

Before any unnecessary commotion occurred, I headed toward a corner of the airport to wait for my flight.

Come to think of it, didn’t Kang Ha-na go abroad quite often?

Unlike me, as a real celebrity, she must find the airport quite inconvenient.

I boarded the plane, pondering how tiring being a celebrity must be.

Once seated by the window that had been reserved in advance, the plane took off quickly.

It won’t take long to get to Tokyo; I’ll arrive in no time.

As I absentmindedly gazed out the window at the passing scenery, I suddenly felt a wave of tension.

This time, isn’t work more important than the trip? Plus, I’m going to Tenshi’s studio there.

It’s a sad thing for The Six to hear, but I doubt the schedule will be the same back on the mainland.

Moreover, I wonder if I can even find my way to the studio in the city.

I hope I don’t get lost from the airport.

I’ve gotten somewhat used to the Japanese subway, but the airport is a whole different matter.

Filled with worries, I finally arrived at the airport.

But then…

“Oh.”

In the distance, I spotted someone with lavender hair, jumping up and down in an effort to hold up a large banner despite their small stature, and all my worries melted away.

“Su-hyun! Over here!”

Tenshi had come to pick me up at the airport.

And she was holding a massive banner.

[Welcome to Japan! Su-hyun!]

Well… the banner’s pretty normal, although it is unnecessarily large and colorful.

“Wow, thank you for coming to the airport to greet me.”

Honestly, I was genuinely grateful, but Tenshi looked at me as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“I told you that if Su-hyun didn’t come, I’d get lost, right?”

“Ahaha, I didn’t mean to pressure you.”

I joked, but she seemed to take it seriously… To be fair, I did secretly hope she would come.

No matter how friendly Japan is, I can’t really communicate properly, so being alone in a foreign place is daunting, right? Having a local come to pick me up is incredibly reassuring.

“Alright, just follow me!”

Tenshi, despite her petite frame, confidently said, leading the way.

With no delay, we smoothly picked up tickets at the station, and following Tenshi’s back made it really easy to get from the airport to the city.

…Is this what a local is like? I can understand why people use local guides.

It’s so convenient!

Once we arrived in the city, I was truly impressed.

The city I saw on my last family trip was nice too, but the downtown of Japan, less touristy, feels refreshing.

Was Tenshi feeling this way when she visited Seoul?

Now I understand why she kept looking around.

“Ahem, what do you think? The forest of buildings in Great Japan?”

“It’s nice, and the people are intriguing too.”

The skyscrapers are fascinating, but the people crowding the streets are equally interesting.

In Korea during winter, everyone wears puffer jackets, but here they seem to like wearing coats.

“Eh? Are Japanese people intriguing to you?”

“Oh, I can’t say something that silly. So, where to next?”

“Well, first let’s go eat!”

Food? Sure, I could use a bite, but I thought we’d head straight to the studio, so this is unexpected.

“Do we not need to go to the studio right away?”

“Oh no, a Korean can’t skip out on good food, can they? Let’s fill our stomachs first!”

Who exactly is the Korean and who’s the Japanese here?

By now, my accent sounds pretty Korean too.

As we wandered through the city, we entered a bustling shop that Tenshi had reserved.

The line outside suggests it’s quite popular…

“This place is really delicious!”

“Seeing the line, it does look that way.”

“You’ll be surprised once you taste it!”

The tonkatsu that came out next was indeed as delicious as Tenshi confidently claimed.

How should I put it? The pork inside was thick, and the breading was crispy; it may not have the finest taste, but it’s perfect for a regular person like me.

“Wow, this is tasty.”

“Right?!”

And considering Tenshi found and reserved this place with such effort, it might taste even better.

After all, food’s flavor can come from the cooking, but also from the price, atmosphere, and the care of the person serving it.

In that sense, the first meal of my trip at this place was incredibly satisfying.

Having finished our meal, just when I thought we’d head to the studio…

“Alright! This way!”

Tenshi led me to a completely unexpected destination.

“Where is this?”

“It’s a dessert shop!”

Well, that’s obvious…

“Are we not going to the studio?”

Aren’t we supposed to go to work?

“We can go later!”

Well, if Tenshi says it’s okay, then I suppose it’s fine.

I wouldn’t mind not working for a bit.

“Next, let’s take some photos! Over there!”

We joyfully strolled around the city, playing.

…The way Tenshi’s phone kept buzzing made me wonder if all this was okay.

**

“Here! This is the studio!”

I wondered if we were allowed to play around so much when we finally arrived at a small building just outside the downtown area.

Given the clean exterior, it seemed newly constructed.

“Oh, is this the building with the studio?”

Though it’s a small building, its interior space is far from small, and while I marveled at it, Tenshi smiled widely.

“This building is the studio!”

“…Huh?”

This building?

What does that mean…

“Ahaha, actually, it’s both a company and a studio!”

Wait, so does that mean the entire building is owned by the company?

It looks brand new too!

“Wow…”

This is truly on a different scale compared to the mainland.

How much does a VTuber have to earn for their company to own a small building?

Whether they bought it or built it, either way, that’s quite impressive.

Following Tenshi, somewhat dazed, I entered the building.

Unlike the outer appearance, the interior was warm, clean, and sleek in design.

I’m starting to get anxious; can we keep up with this mainland scale?

“Alright- let’s head to the reception area! I’ve already contacted the manager!”

So, while I was still in awe, Tenshi confidently led us to what appeared to be the reception area.

Hmm, the reception area doesn’t seem too different from what we have in our company.

There’s a table with snacks on top.

For a moment, I found myself interested in the Japanese snacks that are hard to come by in Korea.

Clank!

A woman hurriedly entered the reception area.

In the winter, she appeared to be sweating for some reason, quickly adjusting her glasses that were slipping down and met my gaze.

“Uh, Mi, Miro?”

“Ah… hai.”

Thinking I should respond in Japanese since she’s Japanese, her surprised expression lingered for a moment before she abruptly turned her head to Tenshi standing nearby.

“Tenshi!”

Honestly, I was a bit startled by her loud voice.

Though she seemed calm with her glasses on, her voice was quite boisterous.

“Eek!”

It wasn’t just me who was startled; Tenshi looked surprised as well.

“W-Who is that?”

Since it seemed Tenshi knew her, I inquired, and the sweaty Tenshi quietly replied.

“Th-That’s the manager…”

“Ah.”

Hearing that, I realized the situation I was in.

We had just been playing in the city.

So, that wasn’t supposed to happen?

Afterward, Tenshi, who was confronted by the manager, asked me if I could wait a moment before being led away.

It seemed she was late, and schedules were kind of jumbled, so they had to quickly hold a meeting.

Thus, I was left all alone in this reception area.

By the way, Tenshi… looks like she’s under the thumb of her manager.

I thought she’d be a professional when it came to work, but it seems she has her clumsiness too.

Or maybe she’s just excited to see her after a long time?

With some time to spare, I started sending the members the photos of the Japanese scenery I had taken earlier in the city.

Suddenly, the reception door opened.

“Oh, you’re here?”

I thought they came back earlier than expected from their emergency meeting and looked up, only to see someone else standing there, not Tenshi.

“Eh… Dare desu ka?”

A woman wearing a coat appeared, with round glasses and an ordinary look.

Startled by the unexpected entrance of a stranger, I was taken aback for a moment.

And the woman opposite me looked surprised as she examined my appearance.

But…

To be honest, she looks quite plain.

Average height, and her fashion reminded me of three people I saw earlier.

Not that it was bad. In fact, she gave off a friendly vibe.

“Eh, etto…”

Of course, just because she looks friendly doesn’t mean it helps my mediocre Japanese speaking skills.

As I stumbled over my words, the woman studying me for a moment spoke, slightly puzzled.

“Are you Korean?”

I was a little taken aback by her sudden Korean.

“…Do you speak Korean?”

“Ah, so you really are Korean? I can speak a little.”

She immediately guessed it right! I must have some Korean vibes about me.

Well, my fashion and makeup certainly set me apart.

“By the way, what brings you here?”

“Um, I came along with a friend…”

Since I was here, she must be a company employee, right?

Regardless of the specifics, I at least appeared to be some sort of acquaintance, which I let her know, causing her to look slightly surprised.

“Is your friend Tenshi-chan?”

“Uh… yes.”

How did she know?

“Of course! You must be the guest she brought today!”

Oh, thinking back, Tenshi must have asked the company about me before bringing me along.

It makes sense they would know if they were acquaintances.

“Really? Then you must be Miro-san?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Just as I thought!”

The woman said happily as she approached and extended her hand towards me.

As I shook her outstretched hand, she smiled even wider.

Although she had an ordinary appearance, I found myself slightly surprised by the energy she radiated when she introduced herself.

“Welcome to Japan! I’m Izakaya Sake!”

“Wha…?”

Who?

 

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