The V-tuber Who Became Obsessed With Me

Third Person POV

Raina pushed the front door open harder than she intended.

The house, usually so familiar, answered with silence.

She dropped her handbag onto the console table. It skidded across the polished wood before bumping into a framed photograph and coming to a stop. She slipped off her shoes without bothering to line them up and headed straight for the kitchen.

Anna looked up from the novel she had been reading in the sitting room. She marked her page with a finger before closing the book.

"There you are," she said, rising to her feet. "I was starting to wonder where you’d disappeared to."

"I went to see Ethan."

Anna searched her face, reading the answer before Raina could say another word.

"You two didn’t make up."

Raina smiled faintly as she opened the first cupboard.

"Not yet."

She shut it and opened another.

"But we will."

The second cupboard was just as empty.

"I’ll make sure of it."

Anna followed her into the kitchen, leaning one shoulder against the doorway.

"You sound very certain."

"I am."

Raina opened a third cupboard and finally found what she had been looking for.

"There you are."

She reached inside and pulled out a bright orange bag of Fetoos, holding it up like a prize before tearing it open.

Anna couldn’t help smiling.

"You’ve been searching the entire kitchen for snacks?"

"They help me think."

"They help you avoid thinking," Anna corrected.

Raina laughed quietly.

"That too."

She climbed onto one of the stools at the kitchen island, opened the packet, and tossed a piece into her mouth.

Anna walked around the island and sat opposite her.

She didn’t ask another question.

She had known Raina long enough to understand that silence usually worked better than curiosity.

For the next minute, the only sound in the room came from the faint rustle of the snack packet.

Outside, branches swayed gently against the kitchen windows as the afternoon breeze picked up.

Anna rested her forearms on the countertop.

"What are you thinking about?"

Raina stopped chewing.

She stared absently at the packet in her hands before answering.

"I’m trying to figure out how to deal with the bone stuck in my throat."

Recognition flashed across Anna’s face.

"Susan."

Raina nodded once.

"Yeah ,of course Susan. "

She reached for another snack but didn’t eat it immediately.

"I thought seeing Ethan today would make things clearer."

"Did it?"

"It did."

"And?"

Raina rolled the piece of Fetoos between her fingers.

"I still don’t like her."

Anna chuckled softly.

"I never thought you did."

"It’s more than that."

Raina finally looked up.

"Every time I think about moving on, she shows up in my head."

"Then don’t think about moving on."

Raina raised an eyebrow.

"That’s your advice?"

"You asked me."

She shrugged.

"I’ve never claimed to give healthy advice."

That earned another laugh.

Raina shook her head.

"If you were me, what would you do?"

Anna leaned back in her chair, genuinely considering the question.

"My first answer would probably get me arrested."

"I assumed as much."

"So let’s try the second one."

She folded her hands together.

"I wouldn’t destroy her."

Raina looked surprised.

"No?"

Anna shook her head.

"People expect pain."

"They recover from it."

She met Raina’s eyes.

"What they don’t recover from so easily... is loss."

Raina listened without interrupting.

"Let her lose something she believes belongs to her."

"Let her spend every day wondering how it slipped away."

Anna’s voice remained calm, almost thoughtful.

"Some scars fade."

"Regret doesn’t."

Raina stared down at the orange packet resting on the counter.

A slow smile spread across her face.

"I didn’t expect that answer."

"I know."

"It’s smarter than mine."

Anna laughed.

"I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that."

Raina climbed off the stool and walked around the island.

Without warning, she wrapped her arms around Anna.

"Thank you."

Anna smiled in surprise before returning the hug.

"I’ve missed this version of you."

"So have I."

They stayed that way for a moment before Raina stepped back.

"I feel better."

"I can see that."

Raina picked up another packet of Fetoos and tucked it beneath one arm.

"I’ve still got someone else’s emotions to untangle."

"Ethan?"

She nodded.

"Ethan."

Anna smiled knowingly.

"Try not to be too hard on him."

"I’ll try."

Raina headed toward the staircase, then stopped halfway up and glanced over her shoulder.

"For what it’s worth..."

"I’m glad you’re here."

Anna’s expression softened.

"I’m not going anywhere."

Raina smiled before disappearing upstairs.

Anna remained in the kitchen, watching the empty staircase long after the footsteps had faded.

The warmth on her face slowly disappeared.

She reached for the pack of empty fetoos and toss it in the trash can .

Two days later...

Anna’s phone vibrated as she stepped out onto the veranda.

She glanced at the screen.

Ethan

We’restillmeetingtoday,right?

A faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"So punctual."

She typed a quick reply.

Beatthislocationinonehour.

After sending the address, she slipped the phone back into her pocket.

"I suppose I’d better collect our guest first."

She picked up her car keys and headed outside.

Nearly forty minutes later, her car rolled through the rusted gates of the abandoned Harrington Seaport.

The place had been abandoned since the early nineties. Nature had slowly reclaimed it over the years. Rust coated the old cranes, weeds forced their way through cracks in the concrete, and rows of forgotten shipping containers stood like silent monuments to a business that had died decades ago.( i supposed I’ve described this place before but I’m doing it again for dramatic effect lol)

The only sound came from the sea.

Anna parked beside one of the warehouses and stepped out.

She frowned.

Something wasn’t right.

It was too quiet.

Her pace quickened as she made her way between the endless rows of containers.

Then she stopped.

Two of her men lay motionless on the ground.

One was slumped against a rusted container. The other lay face-down several metres away.

Her eyes snapped to the container where Jade had been kept.

The heavy steel door stood open.

"No..."

She crossed the remaining distance at a run.

The container was empty.

For the first time in years, genuine surprise crossed Anna’s face.

She stepped inside, scanning every corner as though Jade might somehow still be there.

Nothing.

The ropes had been cut.

The chair had been overturned.

Whoever had taken him hadn’t rushed.

They had known exactly what they were doing.

Anna turned sharply and knelt beside the unconscious guard.

She tapped his cheek.

Nothing.

Her hand struck him harder.

His eyelids fluttered.

He groaned.

"What happened?" Anna asked, her voice calm despite the cold anger building beneath it.

The man blinked several times before finally focusing on her.

"They... attacked us."

"Who?"

"I don’t know."

He winced, pressing a hand against the back of his head.

"There were three of them."

"They knocked us out... and took the hostage."

Anna studied him for a long moment.

"They left you alive."

The man nodded weakly.

"They said..."

He frowned as though trying to remember.

"They told me to give you something."

He hurriedly searched his pockets before pulling out a folded piece of paper.

"I almost forgot."

Anna unfolded it.

One word.

Marco.

She stared at it.

Then a slow smile spread across her face.

She folded the note with deliberate care and slipped it into her coat pocket.

The injured guard looked up at her.

"What does it mean?"

Anna’s smile widened.

"Nothing."

She rose to her feet.

"Clean this place up."

Without another word, she turned and walked back toward her car.

She already knew exactly where she was going.

The swing creaked gently beneath Raina’s weight as she stared at the evening sky, watching the last streaks of orange slowly disappear beyond the trees.

She didn’t bother turning when she heard footsteps approaching. She already knew who it was.

"This place hasn’t changed since we were kids."

Anna’s voice carried the same quiet confidence it always had.

She walked over, the folded piece of paper still resting between her fingers, and lowered herself onto the swing beside Raina. The old chains groaned softly beneath her weight.

"No," Raina said after a moment, her eyes never leaving the horizon. "It really hasn’t."

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The silence wasn’t uncomfortable.

It never had been.

Anna glanced down at the small note in her hand before holding it up with a faint smile.

"I got your message."

Raina finally looked at her, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"I knew you’d understand."

Anna unfolded the paper between her fingers.

"’Marco.’"

Raina’s smile widened.

"’Polo.’"

A quiet laugh escaped Anna.

"We really thought Marco Polo was another name for hide-and-seek."

"We argued with everyone," Raina added, laughing softly. "Even our teachers."

"Until we turned twelve and realized we’d spent years making complete fools of ourselves."

"It wasn’t our fault," Raina said, shaking her head. "It was that stupid movie."

"I still blame the movie."

The two women laughed together, the sound drifting across the empty playground before fading into the evening breeze.

Anna folded the note again and slipped it into her coat pocket.

The laughter disappeared as naturally as it had come.

"So... how did you know?"

Raina didn’t pretend not to understand.

"The moment Ethan told me Jade had disappeared, and Grandpa said he wasn’t involved, there was only one person left."

She turned just enough to meet Anna’s eyes.

"You."

Anna smiled to herself, almost amused.

"So when you talked about the bone stuck in your throat..."

"...I already knew it was you," Raina finished.

"I just needed to hear you admit it."

Neither of them looked away.

The breeze stirred the leaves overhead, and for a long moment they simply watched each other while the playground remained wrapped in evening silence.

Finally, Raina asked the question she’d been carrying ever since Ethan mentioned Jade.

"Why Jade?"

Anna rested her elbows on her knees, loosely clasping her hands together. She stared at the ground for several seconds before answering.

"Revenge against Kuro for hurting you."

There wasn’t a trace of hesitation in her voice.

Raina wasn’t surprised.

"I thought so."

She leaned back slightly, letting the swing drift beneath her.

"It was the only reason that made sense." Raina scoffed " you’ve always been over protective of me ever since we were kids , you are a great friend "

Anna looked at her for a long moment before finally speaking.

"You know... it’s more than friendship."

Raina slowly turned her head.

"More than friendship?"

Anna gave a quiet, defeated smile.

"Himari... you don’t have to pretend with me anymore."

"You’ve known for years."

"You’re too smart not to have known."

Raina didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she slipped both hands into the pockets of her coat and looked up at the evening sky.

"It’s getting cold."

Anna let out a small laugh through her nose.

"See? That’s exactly what I mean."

"Whenever something makes you uncomfortable, you change the subject."

Another few seconds passed before Raina finally spoke, her eyes still fixed on the horizon.

"Of course I knew."

She smiled sadly.

"You were never subtle, Anna."

"I knew way back in high school..it’s one of the reasons I didn’t wanna go to the same college as you and has avoided talking about you for years ."

Anna lowered her eyes.

"Then... why?"

"Why pretend you didn’t?"

Raina finally looked at her.

"Because I wasn’t ready to lose my best friend."

Her voice was calm, but there was guilt behind it.

"The moment I acknowledged your feelings... everything between us would change."

"And I was selfish."

"I wanted a little more time with the Anna I’d grown up with."

"So I stayed quiet."

Anna’s lips curved into a faint, bittersweet smile.

"I figured as much."

"Part of me always knew."

"I just hoped... one day you’d surprise me."

Neither woman spoke again.

The swings rocked gently while the last traces of sunlight disappeared beyond the trees, leaving only the soft creak of rusted chains and the distant whisper of the evening wind.

Eventually, Anna stood and brushed a few dry leaves from the back of her coat.

"So..."

She slipped both hands into her pockets.

"Any chance you’ll tell me where Jade is?"

Raina smiled without lifting her head.

"You already know the answer."

"I do."

Anna nodded.

"I just thought I’d ask."

She took a few steps before stopping.

Without turning around, she said quietly,

"I guess I’ll have to find him myself."

Raina smiled to herself.

"You can try."

Anna let out a soft laugh.

"That’s my girl."

Another silence settled between them, gentler than the last.

"I’ve missed this," Anna admitted.

"So have I."

There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation in Raina’s reply.

Anna closed her eyes briefly before nodding once.

"Take care of yourself, Himari."

"You too."

Without another word, Anna walked away.

She never looked back.

Raina remained on the swing long after Anna disappeared beyond the playground gates, her eyes following the empty path where her oldest friend had vanished.

One by one, the streetlights flickered to life, bathing the deserted park in a pale golden glow.

And Raina knew this would be a battle she would never forget .