After leaving Yuuji and Irana behind, I made my way to my mother's room, hoping that nothing bad would happen in the meantime.
Come to think of it… when was the last time I even set foot in her room?
I tried to recall, but nothing came to mind. That in itself was strange.
Then again, I had more important things to focus on—like finally confronting her about that Vcuber thingy.
With a deep breath, I stopped in front of the door and knocked.
"Mom!… It's me, Aria."
A brief silence followed before I heard her voice from inside.
"Wait a moment, dear… I'll open the door."
The sound of movement followed, and soon, the door creaked open.
Standing before me was a young-looking woman with long hair and facial features eerily similar to mine. It was as if I were looking at an older version of myself.
But that wasn't the shocking part.
"…Mom?"
She was wearing a maid costume.
Why the hell was Mom wearing a maid costume?!
Before I could process what was happening, she grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room.
Inside, I was met with an unexpected sight.
Three different computer setups. A sleek gaming chair. A professional-grade microphone. Studio lighting.
This wasn't a typical housewife's room.
It looked more like a high-end streaming studio—one that belonged to a full-time content creator.
My gaze swept across the room until it landed on the multiple setups. Why is there three computers? Were they for Dad and Yuuji?
I had a sinking feeling I was about to find out.
"So, Mom… you're really a Vcuber?" I asked, cautiously.
She turned to me with a bright smile.
"Yes! And soon, you and Irana will become Vcubers too!"
…What?
"Wait, wait, wait… what do you mean Irana and I will become Vcubers?"
Without missing a beat, she gestured toward the setups.
"See these computers? This one's yours, and this one's Irana's."
My head spun. "But… but… why so suddenly? You didn't even tell us!"
Mom tilted her head innocently. "I'm your mother. Do I really need to ask for your permission first?"
"Of course, you need to ask first!!" The words left my mouth louder than intended.
The moment I raised my voice, Mom's expression twisted into something tragic. She trembled, her lips quivering, before dramatically collapsing to the floor.
"Ugh… My own child is scolding me. She's turned into a rebellious daughter…"
Panic hit me like a truck.
"Ah—no! I'm sorry, Mom! I didn't mean to yell! Please forgive me!" I hurriedly bowed down, hands pressed together in apology.
Mom sniffled, lifting her head just enough to peek at me.
"Well then, you won't refuse, right?" she asked sweetly. "To become a Vcuber."
…Wait.
Something wasn't right here.
I narrowed my gaze.
"…Wait… That's not how this works."
Mom's eyes shimmered with a mix of mischief and fake sorrow.
"Oh? So you don't want to listen to your mother anymore?" She let out a soft sniffle. "Sniff sniff… You really want to be an ungrateful child now?"
I flinched.
"Ah—don't cry, Mom! Alright… alright! I'll do it! Just don't cry!"
Please don't call me ungrateful. I don't want my past life to repeat itself. I'll just do as Mom says.
Her face lit up in an instant.
"Great!! In that case, let's start. You're debuting today!"
"…Eh?" I blinked.
"No time to waste! We're going live in a few minutes!"
"B-But I don't even know how to livestream! Shouldn't you at least teach me first?"
"Don't worry about that, dear. We'll stream together first. You can do it on your own when you're confident enough." She winked at me. "So sit beside me, watch, and learn, okay?"
I was grasping at straws now.
"What about the Vcuber model? I don't have one yet, right? I can't debut without it."
That should buy me some time—
"Oh, don't worry about that. Come here and look at this."
Crap.
Mom turned on one of the computers and navigated to a file folder. With a few clicks, a 2D anime avatar appeared on the screen.
I stared.
It had short hair, similar to mine, with a slightly tomboyish look. But what really stood out was the leather jacket with a skull logo on the chest.
This totally looked like a delinquent.
I turned to Mom, horrified.
"Why does the model look like this?!"
At least give me something cute!
Before I could protest any further, Mom grabbed my shoulders and had me sit in front of the computer. The next thing I knew, she was synchronizing my face with the 2D avatar.
I tried one last desperate attempt to escape.
"Mom, let's do something else… maybe watch a movie or something?"
I put on my best hopeful smile, trying to sound as casual as possible. Maybe—just maybe—if I played my cards right, I could steer this whole situation away from the impending Vcuber debut.
Mom paused for a moment, tilting her head as if considering my suggestion. My heart lifted slightly.
Then, she let out a small giggle.
"Oh, Aria… You're so cute when you're nervous."
My stomach dropped.
"I-I'm not nervous! I just think it would be nice to spend some quality time together!"
Mom placed a hand on her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Hmm… Watching a movie together does sound nice…"
Yes! It was working!
"Maybe a wholesome family film? Or a comedy?" I quickly added, hoping to seal the deal.
Mom nodded slowly.
"Or…" She turned to me with a sly smile.
Uh-oh.
"We could stream a watch-along instead! What a great idea, Aria! Your debut can be a fun movie night with me!"
…
I walked right into that one.
The film we watched was a popular youth drama that had been trending lately. The storyline was the typical coming-of-age kind, filled with emotional moments, friendship, and a bit of romance. But what really caught my attention was the main actress. She was undeniably attractive, with striking features and a presence that felt oddly familiar.
I frowned, leaning a little closer to the screen. It wasn't the kind of familiarity you get from recognizing an actress from another film. No… I felt like I had seen her in real life before. But where?
I shook the thought away for now and focused on the stream.
The first twenty minutes were dedicated to introducing me to Mom's audience. She handled most of it, hyping me up in ways that made me slightly embarrassed. I could already tell that Mom's fanbase had a teasing streak because the chat was relentless.
The chat was surprisingly friendly, even if they loved poking fun at Mom. It was obvious they adored her, and despite my initial nerves, their warm welcome made me relax a little.
Once the introductions were done, we finally started the movie. Mom kept making playful commentary throughout, reacting dramatically to emotional moments while chat spammed crying emojis.
It was actually… kind of fun.
But no matter how much I tried to focus on the film, my eyes kept drifting back to the actress. That nagging feeling of familiarity wouldn't leave me alone.
Then I caught the chat buzzing about the actress.
"The actress really brings the character to life. Can't believe she's only thirteen!"
Wait… thirteen? That's the same age as me.
I furrowed my brows, staring at the screen as the actress delivered another powerful scene. The way she expressed emotions, her body language, even the subtle shifts in her tone—it all seemed so natural. It was no wonder people were talking about her.
"Yeah, crazy how good she is. She's got real talent."
"Her name's Syena Fiolera, look her up. Hope she gets more roles in the future!"
Syena Fiolera?
The name made me pause. Fiolera… That sounded really familiar. I racked my brain, trying to figure out why, when suddenly—
Wait. Fiolera.
Isn't that… Yuya's last name?