CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 71: MORIMOTO CHIYODA’S MISCHIEF_1

The loud sound of wind exploded beside his ears.

Aozawa experienced a flight speed even faster than that of the Black Kite.

Peregrine Falcon.

A medium-sized bird of prey from the Falconidae, Falcon genus, with long, sharp wings, yellow around its eyes, and distinct vertical black streaks on its cheeks.

Its head and the back of its neck are slate gray, and the rest of its upper body is blue-gray, with several black horizontal stripes on its tail.

Its average speed is 140 kilometers per hour, while its diving speeds can reach up to 389 kilometers per hour.

Faster than a high-speed train.

Aozawa tried diving, instantly turning the surrounding scenery into a blur, as if he could travel through time and space.

At such speeds, the movements of pedestrians on the street became incredibly slow.

If he wished, he could easily use his talons to blind any passerby and leave their pained cries far behind as he sped away from the scene.

This speed intoxicated Aozawa.

If not for the limitations of a bird’s throat, he would have sung at the top of his lungs to express the joy of flying at high speed through Tokyo’s night sky.

Of course, Aozawa had not forgotten the curfew Morimoto Chiyoda had set.

He glanced at the time on the large screen in Shinjuku Square, chose not to linger, and sped past the skyscrapers and neon nightscape of Shinjuku.

Aozawa flew back to the Adachi District.

The small park came into view. A streetlight flickered. He dove, reaching his maximum speed in an instant.

In less than a second, before the streetlight could flicker again, Aozawa landed on the ground. The wind he stirred up scattered a few fallen leaves.

He swiftly transformed back into his human form, steadied himself on the ground, picked up his well-hidden phone, and checked the time.

8:40 PM.

Earlier than yesterday.

Aozawa put the phone in his pocket and jogged back to Ayase Apartment.

...

DING~

The elevator reached the sixth floor with a crisp sound, and its doors slid open.

Aozawa strode out. Approaching Room 601, he reached out, twisted the doorknob, and called, "Chitose, I’m back."

"Good, very punctual tonight."

Morimoto Chiyoda sat on the sofa, her delicate, oval face covered with a white mask, her dark, glossy hair cascading over her shoulders.

She held her phone in her right hand, lightly tapping the screen with her left.

As Aozawa closed the door behind him, he heard a familiar voice from a short video and knew Morimoto Chiyoda was watching one of Ayatsuki Iroha’s fashion clips.

"Are you going to tip the vlogger?"

Morimoto Chiyoda wanted to laugh but, mindful of her face mask, quickly composed her expression and replied, "No, I’m unfollowing."

"I thought you quite liked this vlogger. Why are you unfollowing?"

A look of surprise crossed Aozawa’s face.

Out of curiosity, he had once watched a short video uploaded by Ayatsuki Iroha.

From a male perspective, she’s truly pretty.

Ayatsuki Iroha indeed had an innate talent for fashion.

Morimoto Chiyoda shrugged. "Vloggers like her, who are just starting out, definitely watch their subscriber counts every day. I make sure to unfollow right when she posts a new video. In her heart, she must be thinking, ’Oh no, did I do something wrong with this video?’ Then tomorrow, I’ll follow her again and leave an encouraging comment. She’ll be so touched. Then, when she posts her next video, I’ll unfollow again. Don’t you think that’s fun?"

"You’re a demon," Aozawa retorted.

Given Ayatsuki Iroha’s personality, she’d definitely be glued to her phone the moment she releases a video. Seeing her subscriber count drop would be a heavy blow to her heart.

"Hee hee~" Morimoto Chitose let out a pleased chuckle.

Even though the vlogger concealed her face, Chitose could tell from the voice and fashion sense alone that it was a cute girl. And girls like that are meant to be teased and played with; it’s most fun when you can make them look like they’re about to cry.

Aozawa silently apologized to Ayatsuki Iroha on Chitose’s behalf. He then headed to the bedroom. While using Telekinesis to pick up his clothes, he searched for Ayatsuki Iroha’s YouTube channel.

He subscribed and left a like and a comment. Just to let her know that there was warmth online too.

...

In the Ayatsuki residence, Iroha’s bedroom.

Posters of pop divas and fashion models adorned the walls. An array of neatly arranged dolls sat on the desk.

The doll Aozawa had helped her win occupied the center spot.

"LA LA LA~" Ayatsuki Iroha hummed a tune as she dried her hair. She then pounced onto her bed. "Heh heh, let’s see how many subscribers I’ve gained~"

A hint of anticipation glowed on her wheat-colored cheeks.

Ayatsuki Iroha believed she had done a great job with her latest short video and thought it might just bring a surge in traffic.

"What?!"

The moment she picked up her phone and glanced at it, she wailed, pounding her legs on the bed. "Why did I lose a subscriber?"

"Boohoo! This is awful, just awful!"

Ayatsuki Iroha rolled back and forth on her bed in frustration, her good mood from the bath completely evaporating.

She remembered very clearly: she should have had eighty-six subscribers.

Now it was eighty-five. This meant that after releasing her latest video, not only had she failed to gain any new subscribers, but one had actually unfollowed her.

Was this video really that bad? A shadow of gloom fell over Ayatsuki Iroha’s heart. She had put so much thought into this video.

Was the trendy outfit she’d put together not as stylish as she thought? The more Ayatsuki Iroha thought about it, the more she doubted herself. She even began to wonder if she lacked the talent to be a fashion vlogger. Maybe I should just give up, she thought.

Just as she was about to exit YouTube, she noticed her subscriber count had returned to eighty-six.

And in the comment section of her latest video, there was a new message:

"Keep it up! It’s rare to see such high-quality short videos. Stick with it, and you’ll surely hit it big!"

"Tee hee." Ayatsuki Iroha couldn’t help but giggle, the thoughts of giving up vanishing immediately.

Yes! I still have "lots" of supporters online! This person, ’A Breeze of Cool Wind,’ is truly a kind soul!

Ayatsuki Iroha quickly replied, "Thank you for your encouragement! I’ll keep doing my best!"

Seeing that single comment in her comment section ignited her fighting spirit. If I just keep at it, she thought, I can definitely break a million subscribers and become an internet sensation! And then, I’ll have enough money to go on a date with Aozawa!

Ayatsuki Iroha buoyed herself with this dose of mental ’chicken soup for the soul,’ her mood brightening instantly.

She exited YouTube and quickly opened LINE.

At this time of night, Maru probably shouldn’t be disturbed, so I don’t interfere with her work. Kaoru is probably already asleep. I don’t want to wake her. After thinking it over, Saeko seems like the best person to call.

She initiated a video call, eager to share the joyous news of gaining a subscriber and receiving such a nice compliment with Takahashi Saeko.

After a few rings, the video call connected.

To Ayatsuki Iroha’s surprise, the face that appeared on screen wasn’t Takahashi Saeko’s. Instead, it was a masked person reminiscent of a character from a sci-fi movie. "Is that you, Saeko?"

"Yeah, Iroha. What’s up?"