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It was the day of my birthday.

I woke up early in the morning, ate the seaweed soup that Mrs. Jang made, and then devoured the cake that Manager Kim had bought in advance for dessert.

Lying in my room with a full stomach from all the food that was shoved in my face because it was my birthday, I decided to check the time and hurriedly prepared to go out.

“I said I wouldn’t come to Korea, but I just got a text this morning.”

(Tenshi) – Surprise! I’m on my way to Korea!

Honestly, what a surprise.

I had already figured everything out and cleared my schedule.

Since I mentioned that I took the flight earlier, I should probably head out to welcome her soon.

“Are you already leaving?”

“Yep, I’m heading to the airport to pick her up.”

“That Japanese friend?”

“Right.”

I had already told Mrs. Jang and others that I’d be meeting Tenshi today.

In fact, the Celestial Realm members had also planned to meet on my birthday, but Tenshi declined due to other commitments.

So, I left the house and hailed a taxi.

On the way, I replied to the birthday greetings that piled up since this morning, starting from Hyejeong and then responding to messages from the Celestial Realm members, the Miro Family, and various connections.

Everyone’s verbal congratulations were enough, yet receiving gifts was quite touching too.

My pockets felt substantially fuller as well.

Once I arrived at the airport, it was a bit quiet since it was a weekday morning.

Having welcomed passengers before, I got out of the taxi and headed toward the gate with familiarity.

Standing among others there to greet, I waited for a moment until the announcement of the flight’s arrival flickered on the display.

People started pouring out from the distance.

Among them, I spotted a girl with striking lavender hair.

Walking quickly and glancing around, she eventually raised one arm high into the air upon spotting me.

Jumping up and down!

“Nice to meet you!”

Seeing her bouncing over made me chuckle.

She looked quite short; definitely gives off a middle school vibe.

“Welcome!”

Feeling a bit shy, I raised my hand in return and waved.

A few bystanders glanced our way, but I didn’t mind.

I was genuinely happy too.

**

Tenshi seemed to have arrived not so much like a foreign visitor but more like she just came from the neighboring city in casual attire.

Although she dressed up a little, the only luggage she had was a small bag.

And it looked really light.

“Are you sure you’re on an overseas trip?”

Seeing her little luggage, I asked, and Tenshi spread her arms to make a peace sign.

“It’s just for a night, so it’s fine!”

Ah, rather than a peace sign, she was just showing off two fingers.

Wait, she’s going to stay for just one night…?

“Did you book a hotel?”

I asked playfully, and Tenshi instantly looked flustered.

“Um, um, can I stay at Soo-hyun’s place…?”

“Hmm, I don’t think that’s possible due to family reasons.”

“Wha, what?!”

Well, it seems she had the intention of staying at our place.

I expected it anyway.

She always stayed at our house when she came to Korea.

“I’m just kidding. You can stay over.”

Saying it couldn’t happen was just a tease.

If anything, my parents would likely be happy if I brought her home.

“Ugh!”

When I joked, Tenshi pouted and playfully hit my arm, but it didn’t hurt much.

“Alright, let’s go then.”

Today is my birthday, but I didn’t have any special plans.

I just planned to explore some good restaurants and go shopping.

Plus, a bit of sightseeing around Seoul too.

With that, we left the airport and headed back to Seoul.

I had breakfast already, and since Tenshi said she just had airline food, we decided to go to a café first to chat.

“We did a collaboration last time….”

Mainly, it was Tenshi chattering away while I listened.

I didn’t have much to say, and being a pro streamer, Tenshi easily filled the time with her chatter.

“Next stop! Let’s check out the department store!”

“Shouldn’t take long.”

After happily chatting in the café, we headed to the subway for the department store.

Normally, I would have opted for a taxi, but Tenshi wanted to take the subway because she loves the Korean subway.

“Wait! I need to use the bathroom for a moment!”

While we were on the subway to the department store, Tenshi suddenly pointed to the restroom.

She was excitedly drinking something at the café earlier and seemed to have been caught short.

“Go ahead.”

“Okay! I’ll be quick!”

“Take your time.”

With that, I sent Tenshi off to the restroom and waited by a nearby pillar.

The weekday afternoon was indeed not crowded.

I thought this must be one of the perks of being a broadcaster.

Having the privilege to make plans casually in the daytime on weekdays.

Of course, roaming around like this in the daytime makes for a tough night of broadcasting, but today was fine since I had decided to take a break for my birthday.

There were murmurs from viewers to not abandon them.

While chuckling at the memory of their faces when I ended yesterday’s broadcast, a man approached me.

“Uh, excuse me….”

“Oh, yes?”

“Are you….”

He looked quite tall.

Dressed stylishly with a cautious expression.

I had seen him on and off over the last two years, waiting for him to say something.

If this were before, I would definitely be asking for his number.

But since then, I had another character added to my roster.

“What’s the matter?”

“Are you… Miro?”

Hmm?

This was the first time someone recognized me as a viewer!

Most people only recognized me as a background character in the highlights or movie clips.

Well, since he asked if I was Miro, I should…

“…No.”

Of course, I had to deny it.

Huh? Miro is a virtual idol living in the 2D world.

There’s no way I could exist in the real world, right?

“Oh, I’m so sorry!”

When I said I wasn’t, the man immediately bowed his head.

His ears flushed slightly, embarrassed at his mistake.

“Um, but you are Mira, right?”

Seeing as he seemed genuine with no other intentions, I replied.

“Yes, I’m Mira….”

When I confirmed I was Mira, his face lit up, and he fumbled around with the small bag he was carrying.

“Um, um, do you have a pen? I really want to get your autograph.”

Oh boy, an autograph…

Well, since Tenshi hasn’t come out yet, it wouldn’t hurt to do so.

“Do you want to grab a pen from the convenience store? I’ll wait for you.”

Pointing to the convenience store ahead in the sizeable subway station, the man nodded eagerly.

“I’ll be right back! Just a moment!”

With that, he dashed off.

I found myself waiting for two people now, smiling to myself.

Well, looks like I have a new story to share on the broadcast.

It feels like my viewer pool has really expanded as my audience has grown to more diverse characters.

“Soo-hyun! Did you wait long?!”

Just then, Tenshi emerged from the restroom at the perfect moment.

“Oh, do you want to go back in?”

“Huh?! Am I being abandoned?!”

“No, I was just….”

Tenshi, being a VTuber herself, has to be careful about her face exposure since a viewer recognized me, but she shook her head as if not worried.

“I’m fine.”

Saying so, she pulled out sunglasses from her small bag and put them on.

Her small stature and tiny face made the improper oversized glasses cover half of her face ridiculously.

“You brought your sunglasses?”

“I’m a well-prepared pro!”

Pro… I was kind of guilty since I forgot mine today.

Noticing the slight guilt on my face, Tenshi smiled and rummaged through her bag to pull out another pair of sunglasses.

“I have a pair for you; wear it!”

“Did you buy it in advance?”

“Of course! I planned to give it to you later, but I’ll give it to you now.”

“Oh, thank you!”

Is this technically a birthday gift?

As I took them and put them on while glancing around, I noticed the man from earlier rushing back.

“I got a pen! Oh.”

“He’s a friend.”

Noticing Tenshi standing beside me, the man looked surprised for a moment but quickly nodded, handing me the pen.

“Can you sign here, please?”

Then he pulled out his phone and pointed to the back of the case.

It was a fancy white case with some patterns on it.

Looking at it closely, it seemed a bit pricey, and I hesitated.

“This is a gel pen, though?”

Seeing it’s a gel pen, I noted, but…

“I specifically bought a gel pen!”

“…If you don’t like the autograph, it can’t be refunded.”

He had a firm determination in his eyes, so I wrote “Miro” big on the case.

Although I had said I was Mira formally, since he seems like a fan of my broadcasts, it would be proper to write Miro instead.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you…!”

The man received his phone with a satisfied expression.

At that moment, a woman appeared beside him.

“What are you doing, oppa?”

“Huh? Um, it’s….”

Hmm… is she his girlfriend?

I hope this doesn’t lead to any misunderstandings.

“Who….”

“Um….”

Since I was right in front of him, he hesitated to explain who I was and simply showed the phone case to the woman.

…Wow, he really just showed it off, what a man!

As I admired his bold manner, the woman suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

“M-Miro?!”

Wait, does she know me too?

This is truly astonishing.

“Do you know me?”

“Yes! I’m a fan of Miro!”

Both of them being fans is a rare occurrence.

“She posted a worry counseling question before.”

“Worry counseling?”

Referring to the content I did after I lost a bet previously?

“About the….”

“That… girl trouble story.”

“Girl trouble?”

The response came from the guy.

Thinking back, I somewhat recognized that voice….

Could it be?

“Wait, from our call?”

“Yeah, you remember?”

Wow… what a strange coincidence.

“Did you two end up dating?”

“It worked out, haha….”

So he was the one who said he’d make a move, and they’re now out on a date.

If other viewers knew how this played out, they might get a kick out of it.

I made a mental note to mention this on the stream later.

“Can I get your autograph too?”

At that moment, the woman stepped forward and held out her phone case, requesting the same.

Seeing that it looked like the same case from earlier, it must be a couple’s item.

Feeling generous, I signed it and she bowed her head in gratitude.

This felt kind of strange.

Here I was, running into my fans by sheer coincidence.

“Well, I hope you two enjoy your date.”

Having given the autograph, I said that as it was time for me to head off, and the couple nodded in agreement.

“Thank you so much! By the way, you’re really beautiful!”

Although I understand the intention behind his words, the timing felt off since he had a girlfriend right next to him.

“Aw, thanks for the compliment, but… is it okay to say that when your girlfriend’s right here?”

“Oh.”

At my words, the guy turned his head.

Right there stood a girl glaring with fierce eyes.

She looked just as pretty, so I wondered why he would stray.

Anyway, after parting ways with Jeong-hoon and Lee Seo-yeon, I found myself heading to the subway after meeting my fans for the first time in a while.

The atmosphere had gotten a bit tense at the end there, so I wished for a better outcome.

“You’re quite popular, huh?”

After the couple left, Tenshi remarked in awe.

“Only because of you, Tenshi.”

Even if my YouTube channel grew, it’s still nowhere near the half of Tenshi’s subscriber count.

Although she may seem laid-back, she is genuinely a popular Vtuber.

“Hey… I still haven’t met a fan in real life.”

“Well, you shouldn’t run into them.”

In my case, it was unusual.

Typically for a Vtuber, if a fan recognizes them and approaches, it’s a situation of emergency.

After that, we spent the remainder of the day shopping at the department store, eating delicious food, and wandering around various places in Seoul with Tenshi.

While I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tired, it was just a delightful outing aiming purely for fun since it had been a while.

Soon, as we approached the last train time, we made our way home.

After getting off the subway, I walked down the alleyway towards my house.

The sky had long darkened.

With not a cloud in sight, a bright moon hung in the air.

“That moon looks beautiful.”

“Yeah, it does.”

Both of us walked, gazing up at the sky, showing hints of exhaustion.

“Happy birthday.”

Suddenly, Tenshi wished me a happy birthday, seemingly out of the blue.

“Isn’t it a bit late for that?”

Considering the day was almost over.

Usually, birthday wishes are expressed when you meet, right?

“Originally, the end is more memorable than the start!”

“Is that so?”

“That’s common knowledge!”

Well… really, that’s true, to be honest, I had been so caught up in moving around that I hardly noticed how the day passed.

In a way, Tenshi’s congratulatory message after such a hectic day might stick in my memory longer.

“Thank you for the wish, anyway.”

“Don’t mention it!”

Thinking about how the end is more noteworthy than the start…

I mulled over her strange words as we returned home.

By the time we arrived, it was already past midnight, and a new day had begun.

Thus, my birthday came to an end.

 

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