Chapter 212: [Freedom Lady]


    Mai, Angu Ogu and I were wrapped together in a single nket. The room was as cold as midwinter.


    “Ah-nee, do you have any idea what temperature you set the air conditioning to!?”


    “Well, let me think… what was it again? But it was so hot, like boiling water, so I thought everyone must be feeling hot, and I lowered it properly.”


    “Didn’t you find that strange!? America uses Fahrenheit, not Celsius!”


    By the time the introductions were over, we realized that the room had be unusually cold. Hurriedly checking the control panel confirmed our suspicions.


    “Sorry, sorry. I see, got it. It’s because of the snacks, right?”


    “You fool! Don’t you understand anything!? Ah-nee, never touch that thing again!”


    “Eh~!?”


    She raised a dissatisfied voice, but it was the expected response. It concerned our lives.


    “By the way, Ah-nee, you’re cold too.”


    Ah-nee looked at us with envy. Mai and Angu Ogu pressed closer to me as if to unt.


    Normally, I would push them away, but this was an emergency. It was better than freezing to death.


    “Onee-chan, join us~!”


    “Ah-nee, don’t cling to us.”


    “You wrap yourself in the nket alone.”


    “Ah-nee, no, reflect a bit~”


    “Isn’t this too much, everyone!?”


    It’s their fault. However, Ah-nee doesn’t get discouraged by such refusals.


    “Don’t say that. Come on!”


    “Oops!”


    In the end, she hugged us, and we all became a cozy (?) group. Thanks to that, I couldn’t move at all.


    “Ugh, it’s heavy…”


    Indeed, this position was getting ufortable. Just when I started thinking about that, Ah-nee eximed.


    “Alright!”


    “Let’s wait like this until the room warms up, and then let’s go sightseeing together!”


    “Eh~? I want to stay close to Iroha-chan forever~”


    “Don’t say that. We came all the way to America. We should make some memories, right?”


    “Well, that’s true, but…”


    My nced at me. Her eyes spoke, “I hate to be apart.”.


    “If you want to be lovey-dovey, you can do it at night when you’re alone.”


    “[!!!!Exactly!]”


    “Ah-nee!? Are you putting strange ideas into Mai’s head!?”


    “Then Iroha-chan, where have you sightseen so far? Any ces you liked or rmend?”


    “Huh?”


    I searched my memory. But I couldn’t recall anything.


    “Sightseeing… Sightseeing?”


    “Don’t tell me, Iroha-chan, you haven’t gone anywhere!? It’s been dozens of days since you came to America! Even if you’re an indoor person, it’s not okay~!”


    “W-Well, even if I go to tourist spots, there are no VTubers there.”


    “Oh,e on! …Oops!”


    Ah-nee grabbed the nket we were wrapped in, and with a swoosh, she swept it away.


    Cold air swept over us.


    “It’s cold, cold, cold! Ah-nee, give the nket back!”


    “If you’re cold, go outside! From now on, let’s all go sightseeing in America together!”


    “Eh~!?” “Eh~!?”


    It would be more meaningful to watch a stream at a time like this! Even Angu Ogu, the indoor type, tried to argue.


    “Iroha-chan, look at this! This is New York!”


    Ah-nee took my arm and pointed to the view below.


    “Let’s all explore America together!”


    “Eh~!?” “Eh~!?”


    It would have been more worthwhile to watch the stream at that time!


    ***


    “Ah-nee, did you really just arrive in America? What kind of vitality are you feeling?”


    I muttered as I stumbled off the ne. Angu Ogu followed behind, looking tired.


    “I decided it’s better now that Mai’s destination isn’t the White House…”


    “You were so enthusiastic about going there in the beginning.”


    “Why the sad face? I have to tour my hometown.”


    Though, it feels like Angu Ogu’s case is just too unique. She’s the only one who considers visiting the White House a homing trip.


    “Maybe Mai had a little fun. It’s so easy to take a ne like this.”


    “Here, it’s just one of the major means of transportation. I often use it to attend events of VTubers in various ces.”


    “Oh, really?”


    This time, we’re traveling on a domestic flight.


    Flying may seem like a grand affair, but in America, it’s not so.


    The nes themselves are not like what Japanese people might imagine. Many are small, amodating around 50 passengers.


    It’s as casual as taking the Shinkansen in Japan.


    “So, where in New York do you want to go?”


    If we’re talking about well-known ces, there’s Times Square, the Empire State Building, Ground Zero, and so on.


    However, more famous than all of those is, of course.


    “You already know, right? When youe to New York, it has to be the Statue of Liberty!”


    ***


    And she was all excited. However, I forgot. Ah-nee, with all her enthusiasm, there was no way trouble wouldn’t follow.


    “Hey, Ah-nee. Are you sure we’re going the right way?”


    “Haha, don’t you know, Iroha-chan? The Earth is round, you know? We’ll definitely get there eventually, so it’s fine!”


    “That doesn’t mean it’s fine!”


    Looking around, there were towering buildings. My view got obstructed, and I couldn’t find the Statue of Liberty, our destination.


    “Wait a second. I’m going to check the map… Hey, where are you going, Ah-nee!?”


    “Leave it to onee-chan! I’m going to ask that person over there for directions!”


    “What!? Wait!?”


    A bad feeling. I tried to stop Ah-nee in a hurry, but I couldn’t make it in time.


    “Hey hey hey! Freedom Lady! Please, yeah!”


    Aaah!


    Talking loudly won’t help, you fool!