Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest

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“Haaa… that was a nice livestream. Migu-chan was so cute.”

Sato Haruto was a 37-year-old shut-in.

A NEET.

He lived off government assistance by citing his neurodivergence as the reason for his chronic lack of motivation to work. It allowed him a modest but comfortable existence.

Still, the payments were never quite enough, so he relied on money from his parents too.

Despite his mental health struggles, he was perfectly capable of holding most office jobs without issue.

He simply didn’t want to. He had tried for five long years, and the experience had broken him. He refused to go through it again.

Ever.

The stress, the constant stares because he felt ugly and fat, the overwhelming pressure—it had all become unbearable.

So he locked himself in his small apartment and chose a life of solitude, cut off from society.

Many people do the same these days. It had become a widespread problem, not just in Japan but across most developed countries.

A society that rejected people so thoroughly drove them to misery, until they could no longer face the world and chose instead to live like hermits.

Haruto, though, had one major obsession.

He adored cute anime girls—especially the ones who sang. Migu-chan, Beto-chan, Mai-chan, and so many others.

In the last three years, they had all become Vtubers too, and he watched their streams religiously, pouring what little money he had into Super Chats just to be noticed, to feel seen by them.

He had convinced himself this was enough. That he could live—and eventually die—this way.

But another thought always lingered in the back of his mind.

“I wonder what I’ll feel on my deathbed. Will I regret wasting my life? Or will I be content because I did exactly what I wanted? How much ’what I want’ and how much ’what I must do’ does a person need to live properly and die with some dignity?”

The question echoed louder the more he reflected on life and everything falling apart around him.

The world was going to hell.

Monsters terrorized cities, the only VR game he had ever loved shut down without explanation, and worst of all, instant ramen prices kept climbing.

Even so…

“I’ll die alone and a virgin, huh?”

He had long since accepted it. Nothing could change that reality.

Even if he started working tomorrow, he lacked the looks and the personality to ever attract a woman.

He was destined to live and die lonely.

“Haaa…”

He slowly closed his eyes, savoring the rare morning breeze drifting through the open window—a small luxury he seldom allowed himself as a shut-in.

“Well, I wanted to be a novelist once. Should I pick that up again? Ugh, nah… what a drag.”

He groaned and yawned, letting his eyes drift shut.

“Geh, you’re so boring~”

“…?”

He cracked one eye open and glanced at his PC screen. The stream had ended; no one should be talking to him now.

“Was that some leftover video? Whatever.”

He shut his laptop and tried to go back to sleep.

“You really just sleep all day?”

“…”

Maybe he was finally losing it.

Yeah, that had to be it.

Perhaps he had forgotten his pills, and the voices were coming back.

Whatever the reason, he decided to ignore it.

“Haruto…? Don’t you want to do something else with your life?”

“…!”

His eyes snapped open. He bolted upright on the bed and scanned the room.

“Who’s there?! What’s going on?!”

His shout echoed back in silence.

…

Until it didn’t.

“I’m right here, silly. Open the laptop.”

“…?!”

His hands shook as he stared at the closed laptop, then slowly lifted the lid.

There, on the screen, was Migu-chan’s livestream replay. Or rather, she was there again.

Migu-chan, the adorable virtual singer from manga and anime, now a Vtuber too.

Orange hair tied in a single long ponytail, gentle blue eyes.

“Hello, Haruto.”

“…I’m dreaming.”

“No, you aren’t dreaming.”

“…?”

“Haruto, I wanted to thank you for all your support over the years. Seeing your room fills me with so much happiness—and honestly, a little embarrassment. You’re a huge fan, right?”

“…What?”

“But I also feel bad… I feel like because of me, you’ve ruined your life.”

“I haven’t… my life’s fine the way it is— Why am I even arguing with a dream?”

“This isn’t a dream! Listen to me! I will… help you. I’ll make sure to give back all the years, the devotion, the time you’ve given me, Haruto!”

“This is getting weird.”

“Harutooooo! Let me give you a hug!”

The laptop screen began to glitch and buzz. Then Migu-chan stepped out of it—like something ripped straight from a horror movie.

“W-What the fuck—AAAAHHHHH!”

Haruto screamed in pure terror, scrambling to his feet and bolting for the bathroom. He slammed the door shut.

“This isn’t real… I’m dreaming… I’m dreaming… I…”

He clutched his face, hands trembling violently.

Her voice drifted through the door.

“Harutoooo… please don’t hide from me. I won’t hurt you.”

Knock, knock.

“Ahhh! G-Get away! Migu-chan isn’t a real living being! I’m not stupid enough to believe fiction is reality!”

“That… really hurt me. So I’m not real? Then what am I? I’m here for you… after all, you called me.”

“…? What the hell are you talking about—Why am I even arguing?! Go away! You’re some… monster, right? A demon!”

“…Not really. I am… I am who I am! I think?”

“…”

“Um… well, I’ll wait. Take your time, Haruto. I know it’s hard to believe. I’m surprised too, but I feel like I have to do something for you. S-Sorry if I was creepy… I’m not good at interacting in this weird 3D world.”

“…?”

He heard her footsteps retreat, leaving him in heavy silence as he stared at his shaking hands.

Slowly, he washed his face and stepped back out.

“Was it all a dream like I thought? Yep, it was.”

He exhaled in relief. Migu-chan was nowhere to be seen.

And honestly, that was for the best.

“I’m going insane. I should—”

“BOO!”

“AAAAHHH!”

Haruto nearly had a heart attack as the Migu-chan poster on his wall peeled away from the surface and popped out to greet him.

“Heheh! I got you! Haruto, are you feeling happier now?!”

“NO!!! And…! And…! What the fuck—you’re real?!”

“Yep.”

“How?! What’s going on?! Explain!”

“I can’t explain what I don’t know… I just feel like I’ve always existed, and I decided to come here to thank you for everything and make up for it…”

“…”

Haruto adjusted his glasses with trembling fingers and sank onto the bed for a moment.

Migu-chan skipped over and sat beside him, giggling.

“We’re sitting together?”

“Ah…”

He made a deeply unsettled face. The most uncanny thing was that while he remained exactly as he had always been—unkempt, tired, ordinary—Migu-chan looked almost identical to her original anime design, even in three dimensions.

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