The fluorescent hum of Hololive Production's office buzzed around me, a familiar rhythm as I hunched over my desk, piecing together the next project proposal. Papers sprawled like a battlefield, my pen a weary soldier. This was my world—Reiji Sasaki, staffer at the globe's most dazzling idol agency, where dreams and deadlines collided. But just as I was wrestling a particularly stubborn paragraph into submission, the door swung open with a force that could only mean one thing.
"Rei-kun! I wanna build a Gunpla!"
A whirlwind of white hair and fox ears materialized before me. Shirakami Fubuki, my childhood friend and Hololive's resident otaku idol, stood with her hands on her hips, eyes blazing with a fervor I knew all too well. Her tail flicked with barely contained excitement, and I groaned inwardly. Work was screaming my name, and this was her grand interruption?
"…Huh?" I managed, leaning back in my chair, one eyebrow raised. "What's this about, Fubuki? Another anime obsession?"
She pouted, crossing her arms. "Don't call me a cat, I'm a fox! Geez, Rei-kun, don't be so grumpy!" Her voice was a mix of indignation and mischief, the kind that could derail my focus in seconds. I sighed, setting my pen down. Knowing Fubuki, this was no passing whim—she'd probably binged some Gundam series and was now possessed by the need to create.
"So, spill it," I said, already bracing for the inevitable. "What sparked this?"
Her grin widened, tail swishing faster. "Hehe, so I was watching Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise with the Gamers crew last night, and it was so cool! I was like, 'I gotta make my own Gunpla!' But they weren't super into it, and I thought, 'Rei-kun's been building those forever, he's gotta know the good stuff!'"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. Typical. I'd been tinkering with Gunpla since we were kids—nothing fancy, just gate cleanup, some painting, and panel lining. I wasn't some pro modder crafting masterpieces, just a guy who liked cool robots. "If you're so hyped, why not hit a hobby shop with your crew? I'm drowning in this proposal, Fubuki."
Her ears drooped, and she leaned closer, eyes wide and pleading. "Please, Rei-kun! I really wanna build one! Help your childhood buddy out, pretty please?"
There it was—the infamous Fubuki whine. Once she started, she was relentless, a force of nature in a fox-eared package. I sighed, already defeated. "…Fine. I'm done by 3 PM, then heading home. Wait for me."
"Yay!" She clapped, tail wagging like a metronome on overdrive. "You're the best, Rei-kun! A true childhood hero!"
This girl. Always so shamelessly enthusiastic. Still, being relied on didn't feel half bad. Plus, I'd been itching to build a new Gunpla myself. Maybe I'd even treat her to one. I waved her off, diving back into my work with renewed urgency. The sooner I finished, the sooner I could escape to the world of plastic and possibility.
Hours later, the sprawling aisles of Bic Camera loomed before us, a mecca of electronics and hobbies. Fubuki practically vibrated with excitement as we stepped into the hobby section, shelves lined with Gunpla kits like treasures waiting to be claimed.
"Here we are at Bic Ca—!"
"Keep it down," I hissed, glancing at nearby shoppers. "You're disturbing people."
She stuck out her tongue but lowered her voice, eyes sparkling as she took in the rows of kits. "Wow, so many! I can't decide!"
"Gunpla's got variety," I said, leading her toward the HG section. "Since you're a beginner, stick with High Grade—1/144 scale, affordable, and easy to build. Perfect for newbies and veterans alike."
Fubuki darted from shelf to shelf, tail swishing. "This Gundam Barbatos is cool! Oh, and Double O Quanta's awesome too!"
"Both solid picks," I nodded. "Barbatos is simple, with great proportions. Good for starters."
"Nice! Barbatos it is—wait, hold on!" She froze, eyes locking onto another kit. She swapped Barbatos for a new box, thrusting it toward me with a grin. "Rei-kun, this one!"
I stared, jaw dropping. In her hands was an HG Jupitave Gundam, its white-armored form blazing across the package. "No way. Jupitave's super rare!"
From Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise, Jupitave was a fan-favorite, built around the Core Gundam's Planets System—a unique armor-swapping gimmick that made it a collector's dream. It sold out faster than you could say "Gundam."
"Really?" Fubuki tilted her head. "I just thought it looked coolest in Re:Rise."
I scanned the shelves, heart skipping as I spotted another gem. "Check this—there's a Uraven too! What luck." Two rare Core Gundam kits in one day? The stars were aligning. "Alright, let's grab these. I'm buying."
"What? I can pay!" she protested.
"Nah, let your Gunpla-senpai treat you this time."
Her cheeks flushed, and she grinned, tail swaying gently. "Hehe, you're the best childhood friend ever!"
Back at my place, Fubuki dove onto my sofa with a triumphant "Yay, Rei-kun's house!"
"You were here two days ago with Mio and Subaru," I muttered, tossing her a towel. "Wash your hands first."
We'd planned to build at the office or her place, but I'd forgotten tools, so my apartment became the workshop. Fubuki unpacked her Jupitave, eyes wide at the sprues. "So many pieces…"
"Core Gundam kits have extra armor, so yeah, a bit more than usual," I said, setting up my Uraven. "Follow the manual, and you're fine. Let's start."
"Okay!" She grabbed a sprue and—crack—tried yanking a part off.
"Stop!" I thrust nippers into her hands. "You'll break it! Use these to cut the gates. Don't cut flush—leave a bit, then trim close to avoid damaging the part or leaving white stress marks."
"Ohh, got it!" She snipped carefully, matching parts to the manual. I worked on my Uraven, muscle memory guiding me.
"You're not using the manual?!" she gasped.
"Built enough Core Gundams to know the drill."
"These stickers are tiny…"
"Use a toothpick for precision. Wipe the surface first so they stick better."
As I tossed her tips—mostly beginner tricks I'd picked up online—Fubuki's tail flicked with excitement. Watching her immerse herself in the process, I couldn't help but smile. This wasn't half bad.
An hour later, Fubuki held up her creation, eyes shining. "Weapon attached, and… done! Jupitave Gundam, complete!"
"Good job," I said, setting my Uraven in my display case. "How's your first Gunpla feel?"
"Tricky at first, but so fun! Seeing it finished makes me so happy!"
Worth the effort, then. Fubuki peered into my showcase, marveling at my collection. "So many Core Gundams! Eight planetary armors, plus variants, right?"
"Yup. Wish I'd snagged a Rose. Rising Gundam's cool, but I'm not feeling it."
"These look awesome! Even the fake Earthree and Nu Gundam!"
"Ars Earthree and Fake Nu," I corrected, chuckling.
"Hey, Rei-kun?" She fidgeted, tail slowing. "Can we… build Gunpla again sometime?"
"Sure. If my basic builds are good enough, I'm game anytime."
"Yay!" She tackled me in a hug, tail thrashing. "You're the coolest childhood friend!"
"Oi, watch the showcase! You'll break it!"
The next day, chaos found me again at the Hololive office. "Rei-san, it's not fair you built Gundams with just Fubuki! Build one with me too!"
A dog-eared girl—Ookami Mio—stormed my desk, shaking my shoulders. "Mio, didn't you turn Fubuki down when she asked?"
"I thought models were too hard!" she whined. "But last night on stream, Fubuki was bragging about the Gundam she built with you!"
I vaguely recalled their stream, where Fubuki flaunted her Jupitave like a trophy. "She was all, 'Rei-kun and I made this!'" Mio mimicked, pouting. "I'd have gone if I knew you'd teach me!"
"Alright, alright," I sighed. "I'm almost done with work. Wait a bit, and we'll go."
"Really?! Thanks, Rei-san!" Her tail wagged furiously, nearly knocking over my coffee.
"Stop shaking me, I'm gonna hurl!"
At the store, the Core Gundam kits were gone, so Mio settled for a Justice Knight Gundam. We built it together, her enthusiasm rivaling Fubuki's. Another Hololive member caught the Gunpla bug, and I had a feeling this was just the beginning.
Fubuki's anime-fueled whim had sparked something bigger—a Gunpla craze that would soon sweep Hololive, one plastic piece at a time.
Reiji Sasaki
Hololive staffer and Fubuki's childhood friend. Well-liked by the Hololive crew, he occasionally guests on streams. Loves HimeHina, but mentioning it sours the other members' moods for reasons he can't fathom. A casual Gunpla builder since childhood, he sticks to basic assembly and light painting, no heavy mods. Lately, building Gunpla with Fubuki and the others is becoming his daily ritual.
World
A vibrant world where humans coexist seamlessly with beastfolk, demons, angels, and elves, united in harmony without prejudice.