Chapter 10: Getting to Know You Deeper~
In a dimly lit room.
A petite girl wakes up from her bed and glances at her phone.
“Ah… It’s almost noon.”
She hops out of bed and strolls over to the window, pulling back the curtains just a tad to let some light sneak in, avoiding a bright flash to the eyes.
Rubbing her eyes gently, she stretches beneath the beams of light filtering through the curtain. Her tousled platinum long hair gleams in the sunlight, making her look extraordinarily divine.
“Time to start my fishing for the day!”
Once awake, a hint of joy sparkles in the girl’s sky-blue eyes. It seems like today is another splendid day for some good old-fashioned slacking off.
Her name is Star Yoon, a devoted slacker and gamer—simple as that.
She checks her phone and discovers a message from her good friend.
“Shinna?”
Star Yoon tilts her head and opens the message.
“Eh… Is this about a song? A promising songstress with ties to the former world songstress, Blank? She might inherit the title of Blank Songstress. Oh… What shocking news!”
Star Yoon casually follows “Starry Sky Songstress” and starts playing the song shared by Neko Shinna.
It seems to be a cover of Blank Songstress’s “Forget-Me-Not.” It’s not easy to cover such a song, so those who can sing it are indeed impressive.
Putting her phone down, she lets the music fill the room while she proceeds to wash up.
“Sounds great! She looks about my age, and she’s already a songstress—so amazing!”
Star Yoon mutters to herself, finishing her wash-up in no time.
She begins to comb through her messy platinum hair, putting the wild strands back into place, making it much more manageable.
Just then, the song stops, lifting Star Yoon’s mood even higher.
Music inherently has a way of touching hearts and affecting emotions, and a beautiful voice makes that phenomenon even more magical.
“Alright! To make the most of this great mood, I need to fish really hard today.”
Just as Star Yoon is getting ready to dive into gaming, her phone suddenly starts ringing.
“Who is it?”
She picks up and realizes it’s a call from her family.
“Hello? Good afternoon! Yes, I’m up already. Don’t worry, I’ll eat breakfast and lunch properly. Going out? Hmm… I’ll consider it. You want me to move to a different place? What? Are you really abandoning Star Yoon?”
When her family mentions her moving to an unfamiliar place, her cheerful mood takes a nosedive.
Before panic could set in, her family’s explanations ease her worries in no time.
“I see, just a change of scenery for fishing? Shinna will be there too? That’s quite nice! I can accept that. Leaving tomorrow? Okay, fine. I’ll pack up tonight. Bye!”
Star Yoon hangs up the phone, a flicker of light gleaming in her sky-blue eyes as she ponders.
“Eh… Living with Shinna sounds pretty good. If I get hungry, Shinna will whip something up for me, so I don’t have to worry about starving while gaming.”
With that thought, Star Yoon promptly begins her day of slacking off.
For her, changing residences is simply relocating her fishing spot, and with the familiar Neko Shinna by her side, there’s truly nothing else to fret about. Perfect!
—
At Night Watcher Base.
Night Lan and the others have just completed their introductions to Neko Shinna.
They’re now happily chatting away.
Girls have a lot to talk about, even swapping hobbies and interests like trading cards.
Neko Shinna’s hobby seems to be experimenting in the kitchen.
It’s said she’s loved watching her family cook since she was little, finding it a wonderful thing to whip up dishes that uplift people’s spirits.
Eventually, the young Shinna began experimenting herself; her first attempt was a disaster, but the second time around, she struck gold.
That’s when she realized she might have some magical cooking powers.
When she told her family about it, they were convinced she had a natural talent for cuisine and bought her plenty of cookbooks.
It was during that time that Neko Shinna decided she wanted to become an excellent chef.
After hearing her story, Zero Meow nodded.
“Actually, this kind of ability is called Star. It’s a unique power. Being able to awaken a star that resonates with your heart could mean that star was born just for you.”
“Hmm, a few years ago, some uncle visited my family and mentioned the word ‘star.’ They seemed to chat about many things, but I don’t recall much of it,” Neko Shinna recalled, but those memories felt too distant to grasp.
Zero Meow speculated, “Hmm~ Perhaps that exchange is why you’re here at Night Watcher Base! That uncle was likely the Night Watcher seeking out stars in the community.”
Just then, Zero Meow abruptly switched topics, her expression growing a tad more excited.
“Now that Shinna has shared her interests, it’s my turn! I love to draw, especially fabulous lewd art! Say, are you interested in lewd art? I bet once you learn more, you’ll definitely find it very e…”
Before Zero Meow could finish her thought, White Fish quickly covered her mouth.
“No way! Spreading such things to innocent girls is simply beneath you, Zero Meow!”
Zero Meow removed White Fish’s hand with a hint of disappointment.
“Ugh, fine! It seems only Night Lan is my comrade here.”
Hearing this, Night Lan promptly interjected.
“Don’t make me sound like some weirdo…”
Neko Shinna tilted her head with a guileless smile.
“You all really are interesting people, aren’t you?”
With that, Zero Meow began to share the fundamentals of being a Night Watcher with Neko Shinna.
Night Lan couldn’t help but reminisce—after all, she’d been schooled by Zero Meow in the same way once.
Now, equipped with the knowledge of Night Watchers, she feels like she’s ready to step into the world.
“Ah~ Being a girl is just so enjoyable~”
Night Lan blissfully pinched a cookie and munched on it, savoring the delightful taste.
At that moment, she stood up and said to the trio, “I’ll be right back, don’t mind me. You all carry on with your chat.”
“Okay.” The three nodded in agreement.
With that, Night Lan left the lounge, prompting the three to return their focus to one another.
Neko Shinna looked on with curiosity.
“Speaking of which, even though Night Lan is so small, she has this adult-like vibe. She seems very dependable.”
Zero Meow questioned in confusion, “Really? I find her to be an adorably cute girl—looks so easy to bully!”
White Fish chimed in, “That’s just because you haven’t gotten to know Night Lan yet, Zero Meow. If you did, you’d know she’s surprisingly reliable and often puts one at ease.”
“Is that so? Then it seems I ought to dig deeper into understanding her from now on, meow.”
“Hmm…” White Fish nodded thoughtfully.
Is Zero Meow referring to an in-depth understanding in the way she thinks?
Something feels off.
If she’s not around, Night Lan may very well be left to fend for herself.
—
Night Lan walked down the path, deep in thought.
“Hmm… How can I make the theater group’s performance more appealing…?”
That’s a question worth pondering!
