There was a time when holidays like Christmas, Valentine's Day, and even the East Asian Qixi Festival passed by without much fanfare for Kyren. But lately, those dates seemed to come with an uncanny sense of the universe conspiring against him.
He stared bitterly at his chat feed.
"Getting bombarded with lovey-dovey couples on Christmas and Valentine's Day is one thing," he typed, "but why do even dates like May 20th and Singles' Day feel like they were designed just to mock single people like me?"
"Shut it down! Shut the group down!!" came his next outburst. "I can't bear to watch former comrades-in-arms turn into smug, relationship-flexing normies. I'm making a new group—a sacred sanctuary for single, pure-hearted otaku!"
Kyren let out a heavy sigh. A few hours ago, the last remaining single member of his original ACG (anime, comics, games) fan group had successfully "graduated" into coupledom, leaving him the sole single otaku in a once-glorious collective.
The group, once a vibrant gathering of like-minded enthusiasts, had slowly devolved after the first member fell in love. Anime talk dwindled, replaced by conversations that now made Kyren feel like a third wheel in a room full of synchronized dancers.
"Hey bros, my girlfriend wants to go to Disneyland tomorrow—any tips?"
"Meeting the future in-laws this weekend. Help me out, veterans."
"Anyone know how to convince their girlfriend to try cosplay?"
"Girlfriend! Girlfriend!! GIRLFRIEND!!!"
They were rubbing it in now. Deliberately.
Kyren had once considered dissolving the old group altogether. But it had been his first online community—five years of memories and camaraderie couldn't just be deleted. It would've felt like betrayal.
So instead, he did the next best thing.
He muted the group.
Then, with the solemnity of a king forging a new realm, he created a fresh chatroom:
"True Love of ACG"
—with a bold group description: "Couples, normies, and lovebirds: DO NOT ENTER."
He demoted the old group's capacity from 2000 to 1000 members. The new group? Full 2000 slots.
Mission complete, Kyren leaned back in his chair. But the feeling wasn't triumph—it was a quiet ache.
He glanced back at the now-muted old group. Five years. From a dozen passionate fans to hundreds of active users at its peak. Back then, there was constant chatter—discussions, debates, daily news from the anime world. Even after long shifts at work, he'd always check in just to feel that familiar warmth.
Now, it felt like a ghost town where people only came to post pictures of dates and engagement rings.
He rubbed at his temple.
How long would it take for the new group to reach that kind of energy again?
Would it even be possible, in a world where ACG culture had become trendy and diluted?
A chime broke the silence.
"Someone's already requesting to join?" he muttered.
Opening the admin panel, Kyren squinted at the applicant: a user with green twin tails for an avatar and the name "Hatsune Miku."
"A diehard fan of the virtual princess, huh?" he chuckled.
It was a little cringe, sure. Claiming to be Miku herself? Peak chuunibyou behavior. But the commitment was real. Avatar and username aligned—probably a true Vocaloid believer.
Kyren approved her request.
「Hello, everyone! I'm Hatsune Miku, nice to meet you all~」
He blinked. Not a fan of Hatsune Miku—she was introducing herself as Hatsune Miku.
"Bold move…" he mumbled. Most fans addressed her like worshippers greeting royalty. "Your Highness" and "Our Princess," not… this.
Miku must've noticed how quiet the group was, because her next message came quickly.
「Group Owner… is it just you in here?」
Kyren typed back, honest and dry:
「Yeah. I just made the group. You're the first to join, Miku.」
He wasn't going to argue about her name. If other Miku fans joined later and a battle broke out over "naming rights," well, that was Future Kyren's problem.
「Want me to invite some friends?」 she asked.
He blinked. Friends?
If she had other Vocaloid diehards in her circle, why not?
"Sure," he replied, and promoted her to group admin.
「Thanks, Group Owner! Miku doesn't like lonely places.」
The words were casual, but something about them cut deeper than expected.
Kyren felt a twinge—like someone had peeked straight into his mood.
Moments later, three new member alerts popped up:
Admin Hatsune Miku has invited Megurine Luka
Admin Hatsune Miku has invited Kagamine Rin
Admin Hatsune Miku has invited Luo Tianyi
Each profile matched their names perfectly—icons, usernames, everything. A Vocaloid mini-army had just stormed his empty castle.
Kyren raised an eyebrow. "Are… are they roleplaying?"
The pink-haired Luka was first to speak:
「Miku, darling, why did you drag your big sis into this group?"」
Kyren squinted at her message. "Big sis"? A female Luka fan?
It made sense. Luka wasn't just cute; she was cool, talented, and had a mature charm that appealed across the board.
Miku answered breezily:
「The group was too quiet, so I brought my friends to liven things up~」
Rin chimed in soon after, a bright presence with a short orange bob and a white bow.
「Miku-nee, Luka-nee, and Tianyi-chan are all here too!」
Tianyi popped in, her green eyes practically glowing in her icon.
「Rin-chan, why '-chan' for me but '-nee' for Miku and Luka? I'm older than you, you know!」
Technically, she was right—15 to Rin's 14.
Miku's reply came quickly, a subtle pout tucked between her words.
「Exactly! I'm only two years older than Rin. Why am I getting '-nee' while you're '-chan' like me?"」
Luka, clearly enjoying herself, twisted Miku's logic into a dramatic flourish.
「So what you're really saying is, I'm ancient?"
「No! That's not what I meant—」 Miku fumbled, trailing off in a desperate string of ellipses.
Luka didn't let up.
「I'm wounded, Miku. Truly. Maybe I'll sit out of the next concert and let you hog the spotlight, since I'm just a washed-up old singer trying to ride your fame."
「That's not true! Luka, your popularity is just as high—if not higher!"
And just like that, the conversation turned into playful bickering. Tianyi sighed theatrically.
「Anyway, all of your popularity totally overshadows mine. I'm going to go eat something and sulk in peace."
The rest chimed in like a well-practiced chorus.
「You glutton! You never invite us when there's good food."
「You always ditch concerts to eat!"
「You even send us food pics afterward, just to rub it in!"
Kyren, watching from behind his screen, let out a soft laugh.
It was a little chuunibyou—but it was also… warm. Genuine. Pure, in a way he hadn't felt from his old group in ages.
"Ding ding ding." Another join request popped up.
"Another one?" Kyren blinked, surprised. "We're on a roll."
The new applicant: a girl with soft gray curls and a gentle smile in her icon. Username? "Kotori Minami."
Kyren started. "Even the Love Live! fans are doing this now?"
With no hesitation, he approved.
「New member alert! Welcome, newcomer~」 Miku typed immediately.
Luka followed, ever the elder:
「Welcome, little bird."
Kotori hesitated.
「Little… bird?"
Luka's reply was ready.
「You're 16, right? Same as Miku. I'm 20. That makes you a little-little bird."
「...」
Kotori wasn't sure what she'd just joined.
Then Tianyi perked up:
「Looks like you're older than me, so I'll call you 'Big Sis Bird' from now on~」
「Same age as Miku—so Rin-chan, you better show some respect too!"
Kotori, trying to catch up with the flow of the chat, suddenly remembered why she'd joined this group.
「Actually, I came here because my school's facing closure. I need to become a popular school idol to help save it. Do any of you have advice?"
It was the first time Kyren had spoken in the group chat since Miku's arrival.
「What school are you from?"
Kotori replied without hesitation.
「Otonokizaka High School."
She even attached a location link.
Kyren didn't even notice the address. He froze.
"No way…" he whispered.
Otonokizaka.
That wasn't just any school—it was the exact school from Love Live!
The very place where Honoka Kōsaka and her friends had begun their idol journey to save their academy.
Everything about this Kotori—her name, her story, her friends—matched perfectly.
"Is this… is this some elaborate joke?"
But before he could think too deeply, he clicked the link she'd sent.
A flash of light erupted from his screen—brilliant and sudden, like lightning in his mind.
Then—
Darkness.
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