Chapter 8:

An Unwanted Visitor

The VTuber Next Door Is Pregnant

For the first time since I moved back, my nights were quiet.

Well, the building still breathed, pipes ticked, a distant TV mumbled through the floors...

But her side? The wall to my right?

Nothing.

No late-night laughter, no yelling, no sounds I couldn’t make out.

2 nights like that.

The doctor’s words kept replaying in my head.

“She’s severely dehydrated and hypoglycemic. She needs rest. No more all-nighters. Take better care of your wife.”

Wife. Right.

I still wanted to crawl in a hole every time I remembered that.

“Still… You’ve been good, huh?” I mumbled to myself, staring at the wall.

I was… proud of her.

The tournament ended half an hour ago. My sister just left. Some moments kept replaying in my head. The finals. The adrenaline. The way ‘LunaZero’ had slipped in and out of that cheerful voice like it was armor. The way she’d gotten oddly soft at the end, like she’d forgotten to put the armor back on.

“I forgot to be scared for a little while.”

The sentence had stuck to my ribs.

It made me remember that I should be there for someone.

“Okay…” I muttered. “I get it. I’m doing the side quest.”

2 days ago, when we went shopping, I gave her the food in person.

Yesterday and today, I rang the bell, dropped the bag and ran away. Like the world’s most cowardly delivery service.

I’d heard her open the door a few minutes later each time. No words, no thanks, but the food disappeared.

That was enough.

The side quest was actually only for lunch. But today… after LunaZero made me remember I’ve been doing it the wrong way… I want to be there for her. Make her some dinner, and tell her that she can be proud of herself because of the last 2 nights.

I didn’t have to do much. Mom had overcooked again while I was streaming the tournament. Not because of the ‘Feed the pregnant neighbor’ quest. It’s because my mom’s relationship with rice was basically: “what if the whole neighborhood suddenly gets hungry?”

There was a neatly packed container on my counter. Not even leftovers at this point.

I made a quick sauce and chopped up some vegetables to go with it. Then I remembered the doctor’s orders: ‘hydration', and added a cold bottle of barley tea from my fridge.

I stepped into the hallway and walked the ten steps that somehow felt harder than streaming to thousands of people.

Deep breath.

Knock Knock.

SIlence. I didn’t even hear footsteps until suddenly… the door opened a crack.

Yuna. She wore a mask again.

Her hair was messier than usual, tied hastily into a low ponytail. Her eyes looked a little tired. She looked kinda nervous aswell.

“Hey, you enjoyed lunch?”

“Y-Yeah… It was great, thank you Ren. Is that the reason why you’re here? Or… was I too loud again?”

“Too loud? When exactly?”

“N-Nevermind. You came to ask me how lunch was?”

“No, actually…” I raised my hand with the packaged food and offered it to her.

“I know I’ve already brought you lunch today… but my mom overcooked again, so I wanted to bring you some dinner aswell.”

“N-No… I can’t accept that. You guys already do too much for me. I don’t want to be a burden… And also…I can’t believe that your mom always overcooks like that. You’re trying to trick me, don’t you?”

Shit.

“Please just accept it. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“I’m not…”

Grrrrrrrrrr.

Her stomach betrayed her with the loudest growl I’ve heard in months.

I stared at her.

She stared at me.

We both blinked.

"You’ve got to be kidding me. What type of perfectly timed anime moment is going on here?"

Her eyes squeezed shut.

“I…I swear I had a little bread.”

“A little bread is not a meal.”

She mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like “traitor” at her own stomach.

I lifted my arm with the container again.

“Do you want some?”

She looked torn.

“I can just… microwave something again.”

“Instant food again? You know what the doctor said, right ?”

She glanced away.

“...Yes.”

“Consider this me following his orders. And if you say no, you’re technically making me break a medical promise.”

“...I’d be happy to accept some.” she murmured. “Thank you.”

I was about to hand her the container when she suddenly panicked.

“W-Wait!” she squeaked. “Um… If you want you can…... just give me five minutes, okay?”

Before I could answer, she slammed the door on me.

She even locked it.

I stared at the door like it had personally disrespected me.

“...What?”

From inside, I heard chaos.

Fast footsteps, a drawer being yanked, something sliding across the floor. A muffled “ow!” followed by a very angry whisper I could not make out.

“Is she panic cleaning?” I muttered to myself.

Wait. Does that mean? She wants me to come inside???

A minute passed.

Then 5.

Then 8.

“5 minutes, huh.”

If she took much longer the food wouldn’t qualify as warm anymore.

Just as I considered knocking again, the lock finally clicked.

The door swung open.

Yuna stood there, mask still on. She held the door like it might run away.

“...You can come in.” she said, very quietly.

“Why did you say that like I didn’t just wait out here for 10 minutes.”

“Fuf– I mean… shut up! Just come inside.”

“Is there a reason I should come in? I just wanted to drop off the food and…”

“Ah… It’s just… Well…You know…”

Maybe she really is quite lonely?

“It’s okay… I’m coming in.”

I stepped inside, putting my shoes neatly where they belonged, because my mother had trained me like a dog.

Her apartment honestly didn’t look that bad.

A few things shoved into corners, cables clearly kicked under a table, but it wasn’t the disaster her panic-cleaning noises implied.

I set the container down.

Yuna hovered awkwardly between me and the deeper part of the apartment.

“Make yourself at home… I guess.”

“That’s hard when you’re stopping me like a human barricade.”

She flailed back a step. “I-I’m not stopping you. I’m just… standing here.”

I glanced past her shoulder. One door.

“Is that your room?”

She stiffened. “That’s taboo!”

“Taboo?” I repeated.

“Yes. Absolutely taboo. Off-limits. Unseeable. You’re not allowed to go in there. Ever!”

I raised an eyebrow.

“What are you hiding?”

“Nothing!” she yelped. “I just…!” she flapped her hands. “It’s messy! Super messy! Catastrophically messy! A natural disaster of mess!”

“Pretty sure I’d survive seeing some clothes on the floor.” I said.

“You survived me almost passing out on the floor.” she muttered. “That’s enough trauma for this week.”

“Fine, I won’t invade your sacred territory.” I said, holding up my hands. “Kitchen, living room only. Adventurer’s honor.”

“Good.” she said quickly.

She slipped past me and sat at the table, opening the container with a little more reverence than it probably deserved.

She hesitantly took off her mask.

As she took her first bite, I slid into the seat across from her.

“That good?" I asked.

She nodded “It tastes like real food.”

“That’s because it is real food.”

“Rude. Instant food is also real food. It just tastes like the food is a little sad.”

“You’re still going on with what my sister taught you? Food having emotions? Now there’s also depressed food, huh?”

She laughed quietly.

After a few bites, I cleared my throat.

“By the way. I’ve noticed.” I said.

She looked up mid-chew, totally panicked. “Hmn?”

“The last 2 nights.” I said. “I didn’t hear you gaming.”

She froze for a second, then placed her chopsticks down slowly.

“I’m… proud of you.”

I realized a second too late, that this might not be appropriate to say to someone you don’t really know.

But her eyes widened.

“What?”

“You actually slept. Or at least, you weren’t screaming at digital strangers until dawn. That’s progress. The doctor would be happy.”

Color crept up her neck.

“Yes…well…” she scratched her cheek. “I really needed some rest after… everything. So I took it a bit slower for 2 days.”

My chest loosened a little.

“Good. You scared the shit out of me, you know.”

“I’m sorry…” she said quietly.

“There it is again.” I sighed. “The S-word.”

She bit her lip.

“But.” she added. “I’ll probably have to start doing it again. Starting… tomorrow probably.”

I frowned.

“...Doing what again?”

She blinked, like she’d only just heard herself.

“Eh… no, I mean… I didn’t say that.” She waved her hands. “Forget it. Anyway! You think I’m gaming all night long, right? That’s… what you always thought?”

“It sure sounds like it. Talking to people even though you live alone, yelling at 3 a.m. That’s pretty textbook late-night gaming.”

She stared down at her food.

“Well… yeah.” she said slowly. “You’re right. It’s just… awkward to admit as a girl. People think it’s weird.”

“You don’t need to be ashamed of that. I did the same thing when I was your age.”

Her head tilted.

“How old are you anyway? she asked. “You don’t look that much older.”

“24. So 4 years older than you.”

She nodded, taking another bite.

“Wait! How do you know my age?”

“Well, it just happened to come up with the doctors, you know?”

She looked at me suspiciously, but then she softened.

“You don’t even know me…” she murmured after a moment. “...yet you do so much for me. I really appreciate it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay you.”

“It’s okay. I don’t want you and your baby to live the way you did before the hospital. The doctors said it’s not good for you. And…” I scratched my cheek, looking away. “...I realized that you’re not a bad person. So I want to help. That’s all.”

She looked at me for a long second.

Then ducked her head.

“You’re too nice.” she whispered.

“I’m not. I just have a mom who would throw me under a bus if I ignored a pregnant neighbor collapsing meters away.

She laughed again. A little less nervous this time.

We talked a bit more. Maybe that's the whole reason I'm here. So that she doesn’t have to be alone… Just like LunaZero, who'd been happy to forget her fear for a little while. Maybe this was the same thing.

She admitted she couldn’t cook at all. (Which we kinda assumed from our shopping trip.) She also hadn’t used any of the vegetables we bought yet. So me and sis probably have to help her with that at some point aswell… But honestly… this was a nice chill evening. Perfect to wind down after the tournament. Our conversations at some point almost felt like we knew each other for a long time.

Eventually. I glanced at the clock on my phone.

“Anyway.” I said standing up. “It’s getting late, I better get going.”

It was 21:00 now. 3 hours since the tournament ended, and 2 hours since I’ve been at her place.

“Okay… thank you so much again.” she said with a small bow. “For the food, and for… caring.”

“Anytime. Really, I mean it.”

She started walking me to the door, until:

DING DONG.

The doorbell rang.

We both froze.

“...Who could that be…” she whispered. “I didn’t order anything…”

She trailed off.

Her eyes unfocused for a heartbeat.

Then widened.

Like she’d just connected a very bad dot.

I saw it happen.

She walked to the door slowly, careful not to let her footsteps be heard. That's probably the reason I didn't hear her earlier.

She looked through the peephole… and went completely still.

She didn’t say a word. Just stepped back silently. One step. Then another.

“Yuna?” I whispered. “What’s wrong? Who is it?”

She swallowed.

“It’s okay.” she whispered, voice barely audible as she retreated from the door and back toward the living area. “It’s nobody. I don’t know this guy, so he’ll probably leave once he realizes it’s the wrong address.”

Lie.

I could tell.

Her hands, her shoulders, her eyes.

She knew exactly who it was.

And she was terrified.

“Should I tell him to leave?” I asked quietly.

“No.” she said instantly.

Then softer:

“You can… stay a little longer if you want to. Actually…” Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her shirt. “...I’d like it if you do.”

I looked at her.

At the door.

Back at her.