It was a twenty-minute trip, but I needed to stretch it out to forty, so I deliberately stopped by a café near Dora's place.
Since her throat would be dry after cleaning, I figured I'd pick up something to drink while I was at it.
I had plenty to keep me busy for those forty minutes.
Being outside the office meant I could watch native Kirinuki clips without worrying about prying eyes.
After enduring a grueling forty minutes of holding back laughs in the corner of the café to preserve my dignity as a working adult,
I bought a cup of peppermint tea—Dora's favorite—and headed to her officetel.
[Me: I'm here]
But when I got to her door, the response was slow.
Just in case, I pressed my ear to the door, and inside I heard crashing and banging.
Plastic things dropping and rolling around with a racket.
I'd told her to clean, not demolish the place.
She hadn't touched the soundproof booth, had she?
Ding-dong.
I rang the doorbell, but Dora still didn't react.
This time, I knocked hard on the door.
Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock.
But my fists were so small that the knocks came out cute too.
They were loud enough not to get drowned out by the noise inside, but still no response.
Was she wearing headphones maybe?
She'd posted on Z recently about buying some nice ones and how connecting them to her sound card was a whole new world.
Cute stuff aside, this was the first time something like this had happened since I got smaller, and with my job on the line, I was a bit flustered.
"As long as she didn't touch the computer."
She probably hadn't messed with anything around the computer.
Even if that chat from a few days ago in Toccode popped into my head...
[Dora: Don't do that, I'll pretend my gear broke]
[Dora: Let's meet at my place lololol]
[Parallel Ops Team Magia: Say stuff like that in a chat without me]
[Dora: Hng]
...It'd be fine.
Dora occasionally showed insane genius, but would she really go this far just to get me over?
'Maybe wait about ten minutes.'
She'd make a big fuss to the viewers about being late and promise to take her punishment sweetly, but her delays never lasted more than five or ten minutes.
Guess I'd watch a couple more Kirinuki videos.
She'd contact me by then on her own.
It was chilly outside, but since it was a self-catering officetel, the elevator room was indoors.
I plopped down in the corner of the hallway by her door, using my coat as a mat under my butt.
The floor was a bit cold, but the AC was cranked up, so the hallway was warm.
After watching two videos, the crashing and banging finally stopped, and the apartment went quiet—like they'd timed it.
My phone rang right on cue.
I swiped to answer while knocking on the door.
"I'm right outside."
[Ugh, sorry... I had music blasting through my headphones, so I didn't even hear the phone...]
"It's fine, just open the door."
I brushed off my butt from sitting on the floor and waited. Beep-boop.
The door lock clicked open, and the door swung wide.
Dora appeared inside, looking disheveled.
At least she was wearing dolphin pants this time. Thank goodness.
The first time I'd visited, she'd come out in just her panties—scared the hell out of me.
"Sorry I didn't check Toccode sooner... Did you wait long?"
I confirmed the door locked behind me and muttered flatly.
"Not really. More relieved you didn't come out in your panties."
"Eek. I told you to forget that. And it wasn't panties—it was bottomless!"
"Still no pants either way."
"Uuu."
Uuu.
That top she'd thrown on wasn't even that long back then.
If someone else had seen her like that first... I didn't even want to think about it.
Anyway, she said she'd cleaned, so I glanced around the room. It was definitely neater than last time.
The suspicious part was the moving box plunked in the middle of the living room.
'...Not enough time to clean?'
Looked like she'd shoved stuff in it when it got too much and given up. Best to ignore it.
If I opened it and found black melon covers or lacy triangular cloths inside, that'd be trouble.
Smiling like an idiot, I averted my eyes from Dora and headed to where her computer was.
It was an officetel, but divided by a sliding door into bedroom and living room, and she'd converted the whole bedroom into a soundproof booth.
So opening the door led straight to her streaming space.
Gulp.
Wondering how much of a disaster it would be—or if she'd actually tidied—I opened the door...
500ml water and zero cola PET bottles scattered everywhere around the computer.
Towels piled like a mountain on one side—probably from drying her hair after a shower while streaming.
Hair ties for streaming gear, laid out every 30cm or so in different colors—did she rotate through them daily?
Not a single thing had been touched. Perfect chaos.
"...Phew."
I let out a sigh of relief without thinking.
Never thought I'd feel so reassured seeing a mess like this.
I turned to Dora standing behind me and gave her a thumbs-up.
"Thanks."
Dora shrugged proudly.
"No need to thank me that much. Hehe. Uh, if there's stuff to clear, hand it over here. I'll sort it."
...She took that as praise, huh.
* * *
It took about thirty minutes to restore the computer area to its original state.
I'd hand her items, and she'd trot around like a robot hauler, tossing trash into the recycling bag and ambiguous stuff into that big box from earlier—
Definitely, since the box was by the door and she kept heading that way.
Then I'd use the dust brush and handheld vacuum to carefully remove every speck of dust from the gear without kicking any up. Done.
Dora beamed at the spotless setup and clapped happily.
"Totally clean now. As expected of Magia."
"If you had gear knowledge, you could've done it alone."
"Ugh. No facts allowed. I know, but you think I could?"
"Dinner?"
"Gotta eat."
"The boss gave me the company card since he was out—said to treat us to something nice. So, what do you want?"
"Jackpot. Steak. Two okay?"
Typical dragon-con VTuber—obsessed with meat.
Ask her well-done? She starts at two.
Right after debut, the boss took us to a buffet to celebrate successful streams, and she reserved steak four times.
"Eat it all, no burping on stream."
"Ah! Seriously!"
Dora huffed and shook herself off, and the two under her baggy tee—hidden till now—jiggled in greeting.
Me? Just blobs of fat.
Twins boasting the size of her streaming pancake assets.
But they did nothing for me.
When I first met 1st Gen at auditions, I'd envied their charm, talent, quirks. After a year together, now they were just hothead, outsider, weirdo, megaphone.
Time made us more like family—hopeless sisters, even.
So even if Dora shoved her melons in my face, no reaction.
I smirked and opened the delivery app.
"Cola?"
"Hmph, no."
"I am."
"..."
Dora eyed me, then suddenly plopped her hands and chin on my shoulders, whispering in my ear.
"Just one Quincy Zero Lemon..."
Among the members, she had the most mature figure, but up close she smelled soft and powdery.
I tilted my head to peek at her, and she grinned like "What?"
Was this the same kid who'd shrink back if I stared before?
Even from her Toccode spam about grabbing dinner, I knew her attitude toward me had changed.
She'd been curt at first after opening the door—apologizing for being late. But now she dives right in.
...Probably how the other 1st Gen felt too.
Guess I shouldn't be shocked if the rest treat me like a friend from now on.
"Added cola."
"Thanksy~ Hehe."
Anyway, ordered hers, so time for mine. I went back to the app's home and searched pizza.
Dora, peering over my shoulder at my phone, asked.
"Huh? Not eating steak with me?"
"Pizza craving today."
I meant separate orders, but Dora went "Heh" with her mouth open.
"Now I suddenly want pizza too."
"What about steak?"
"Sorry. Cancel it."
Now?
"Just eat both, no big deal."
"Ugh. I'm not a pig. Can't handle that much."
"I can."
She plopped her palm on my head.
"You'd eat one slice and be full~ Like birdseed."
Then she grinned smugly.
Payback for teasing her about being a chubby dolly—she was calling me a tiny bird-eater.
Not wrong.
My appetite had halved since shrinking.
But challenging me to a eating battle? Peak idiot move.
Teasing about my size didn't faze me anyway.
"Should ask your YouTube editor for a 'Magia chubby' compilation."
"Shoot..."
She was way taller, but puffed cheeks were cute.
Her reactions egged me on—I was joking without thinking.
Same with the boss. When they treated me casual, my troll instincts popped out.
But I'm their manager, and we're working.
Chill.
"Kidding. So, what pizza? Pizza, steak—leftovers we take home. Ordering both."
Air whooshed out of Dora's puffed cheeks.
"You pick what you want, Magia. I chose my steak, hehe."
She'd regret it.
I ordered without hesitation and showed her the pizza.
Dora grimaced and backed away.
"Suddenly don't want pizza..."
That pissed me off too.
What's wrong with pineapple pizza?
* * *
… ─ Dora (VTuber) Gallery ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ …
[Collab today or what?]
————— View on Z ——————
Akari Dora☑ @Akari_Dora - 1 min ago
(Photo)
How can a human eat something like pineapple pizza?
—————————————————
Dora doesn't post her meals unless it's a collab
[Replies]
— Dora185: Called Komari?
ㄴ Dora351: Komari's in ranked games today, can't
ㄴ Dora351: And Komari hates Hawaiian
— Dora874: Dora doesn't have anyone special to call today
ㄴ Dora716 (OP): That's why I'm asking
ㄴ Dora716 (OP): Boss is streaming today too
… ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ …
… ─ Dora (VTuber) Gallery ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ …
[I found out]
lololololololololololololololololololololololol
Whoa~ The plot twist
But who knew her taste was pineapple pizza lololol
[Replies]
— Dora185: What the fuck tell me
— Dora157: This guy's cracking up
— Dora951: You too?
ㄴ Dora363 (OP): You too?
ㄴ Dora910: Reporting for shitpost
ㄴ ?Dora1: You guys too?
ㄴ ?Dora01: You too bro?
ㄴ Dora240: Armband too?
ㄴ Dora932: Playing dumb...?
ㄴ Dora910: ??????
… ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ …