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“Tomorrow. It’s finally tomorrow.”

It was December 23rd. Tomorrow would finally be both Yukino’s birthday and Christmas Eve. And it was also an important day that would change the nature of my relationship with her.

“Having a birthday on Christmas Eve, your bestie is amazing.”
“Right? To me, Christmas is basically an event to celebrate her birthday.”

As I played an FPS game, I went on and on to my collab partner about how amazing Yukino was.

“Every year, I spend Christmas eating her home-cooked food. Last year, it wasn’t just the usual chicken and cake—she actually made beef stew from scratch. She simmered it for hours and hours, and the smell was so good it was torture trying to wait.”
“Whoa. Sounds like that bestie of yours really loves you. Oh—think I heard footsteps.”
“Got it. …Wait, how’d you jump from that story to ‘she loves me’?”

We finished the fight in an instant and went right back to chatting. Since I was collabing with Wakaba, who was also a streamer of the same generation, I could talk about slightly embarrassing love stuff without worrying.

“Well, listen. Making beef stew from scratch takes a ridiculous amount of time. Sure, if you use a store-bought roux, it’s not that hard, but doing it properly can take days.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because… my girlfriend’s into cooking.”
“Ahh. I see.”

Wakaba’s girlfriend Akane was a junior in our agency. Apparently she was good enough to do the occasional cooking stream, so if Wakaba—who, like me, had zero cooking skills—knew all this, it made sense if it came from Akane.

“So yeah. Making a time-consuming dish like that for Christmas? You don’t do that unless there’s love involved.”
“I see. That… makes sense.”
“Aw, you’re blushing.”
“Shut up.”

I had kind of been aware of it, vaguely—but hearing someone else say it out loud made me a little embarrassed. Still, it was obvious now. Yukino loved me.

From an outsider’s perspective, it might not even be an exaggeration to say she adored me.

I mean, think about it—what kind of childhood friend plays housewife for you? Back when we were both students, maybe. But until recently, Yukino had been working for a company with a decent amount of overtime. Even so, she spent nearly all her free time at my place. Just so she could cook for me, or take care of the laundry I’d let pile up. There’s no way someone would do all that for someone they’re just “good friends” with.

*: You blushing is adorable*
*: You’re usually so cool, but as soon as it’s about your bestie, you turn into a lovestruck girl. I love it*

I placed a hand to my flushed cheeks to cool them down as I read the comments—just as expected. I’d been talking about Yukino ever since my debut, so my viewers all had a high opinion of her. Some of them might even like her more than they like me.

Because they were those kinds of fans, I could talk about my experiences with Yukino on stream without worry.

“Hope the confession goes well.”
“Yeah… I mean, I think it will.”

Tomorrow, I was going to confess my feelings to Yukino during our date. Back then, I hadn’t really understood my own emotions. I was just panicking at the idea of being separated from her. That’s why I thought, if we get married, we’ll never have to part, and I even tried to pressure her into marrying me.

But now my feelings had changed.

More than anything, I wanted to become her girlfriend first. That desire was all that filled my heart now.

Living together like we always had, laughing over silly conversations—just doing that with Yukino already made me feel happy. But now, I wanted to see a side of her she wouldn’t show to a childhood friend or a normal friend. I wanted to see the expressions she’d only show a lover.

Sure, the thought of getting rejected had crossed my mind, but I couldn’t let myself freeze in place, afraid of a future that might not even happen. Yukino was the cutest girl in the world. If I kept dawdling, some guy out there would realize how amazing she was and come after her. If I left her single, she might end up swayed by someone else before I knew it. I couldn’t let that happen.

“So yeah, no stream tomorrow. You guys will just have to eat cake on your own.”

*: Tragic*
*: You can stream with your bestie instead, you know*
*: If the confession works out, she won’t be your ‘bestie’ anymore. She’ll be your girlfriend, right?*

“Oh—good point. If things go well, should I change what I call her?”
“Totally. What’re you gonna call her?”
“Hmm, I dunno. Got any good ideas?”

*: Wife*
*: Let’s go with wife for now*
*: Based on everything you’ve said, she’s way too qualified for just ‘girlfriend’*

“Right? She’s good at housework, helps with random chores—she’s not just a girlfriend, she’s your wife. Or maybe your mom.”

*: Mom. Has a nice ring to it*
*: I’m ready to regress into baby mode*

“Gross. Don’t revert to infancy. If I have to choose, I’d much rather call her my wife.”

*: Wife it is, then*
*: Wife. It just fits*

“Not many VTubers can say they have a chat-approved wife.”
“True that.”

We weren’t really marketed as idols, so it wasn’t like we were breaking any unspoken rules. But still, when it came to female streamers, even the faintest hint of a relationship could start a firestorm. Both Wakaba and I had been told that when we first joined the agency. Strictly speaking, someone like me—who wasn’t an indie—probably shouldn’t be announcing that she’s going to confess tomorrow. But thanks to my incredibly supportive fans, I could talk about it openly without worry.

*: No stream on the 25th either?*
*: So we’re spending both Christmas Eve and Christmas solo?*

“If the confession goes well, we’ll do a stream together on the 25th. If there’s no stream, you’ll know I failed.”
“Then we better stay on standby for the 25th.”
“Exactly.”

I had to make sure the confession succeeded—for everyone who’d be waiting.

After ending the stream, I checked that Yukino hadn’t come home yet, then headed back to my room to rework tomorrow’s plans.

First and foremost, I had to make sure Yukino enjoyed her birthday. The date had to be something that left her thinking it was fun. After that, I needed to steer things in a way that would make her start seeing me that way.

I could already picture Yukino lighting up at our destination tomorrow, and just imagining that made me feel a rush of happiness. It hit me all over again—just how completely in love with her I was.

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