Tap-tap-tap-tap… tap.
"…Phew, finally done for now."
The grueling task of compiling a project proposal wrapped up, and I stretched, easing the tension in my shoulders. Working from home today—thanks to the times—meant hours of staring at a screen after a remote meeting, leaving my eyes sore. Hololive's office was quiet in comparison, but this setup wasn't bad.
"Guess I'll grab dinner and hit the bath—" Ding-dong. "Huh? Who's that at this hour?"
Pondering my next move, the intercom chimed. It was late, so probably a Holomem. I shuffled to the door and opened it.
"Yes, who—?"
"Good evening! Your sparkling idol, a comet blazing through the stars, Hoshimachi Suisei, is here!♪ Sui-chan is~?"
"…As cute as ever, Suisei," I finished, deadpan.
She startled me, her blue side-ponytail bouncing as she waved with a grin. I'd expected Fubuki, not her.
"Ugh, Reiji-kun, your energy's so low! Come on, say it with more hype like usual!" she pouted, cheeks puffing.
I don't do hype. Never have. "Try again, and this time, do it right, okay?♪ Sui-chan is~?"
"As flat as ever~!" a voice teased before I could respond (not that I would've).
Suisei whipped around, her face twisting into a demonic scowl. "Who said flat, huh?!"
There, arms crossed and smirking, stood Sakura Miko, her cherry-blossom hair and miko outfit unmistakable.
"Oi, Mikochi, what's that supposed to mean? Who's flat?!" Suisei snapped.
"Tch! Getting mad means you know it's true, huh? And ditching me to run to Reiji's? I gotta say something!" Miko shot back.
"Oh, it's on! War, Mikochi!"
"Bring it! I'll pummel you into a sandbag!"
Here we go again. They're supposed to be the MikoMeto duo, but they bicker worse than PekoMiko. I sighed, already tired.
Thwack! Thwack!
Minutes later, I glared at the two culprits kneeling before me, cartoonish lumps on their heads from my iron-fisted discipline. Tears streamed like waterfalls—straight out of a gag manga. "No more fighting, got it?"
"Yes…" they mumbled in unison.
"Learn already. This isn't new," I scolded. "Now, why are you here so late?"
Suisei perked up, tears vanishing, lump gone. "Oh, right! Mikochi and I hit Yodobashi today, and I found a Gunpla that screamed me! Wanna build it with us, Reiji-kun?♪"
"Yeah!" Miko chimed, equally recovered. "Look at this!"
They dug into their bags, pulling out boxes. How do they heal like that? Whatever. "Huh, Suisei got HG Stargazer Gundam, and Miko… whoa, HG Nu Zeon Gundam?"
Stargazer Gundam, from Gundam Seed C.E.73 Stargazer, was a sleek, white exploration unit with minimal self-defense weapons, yet it outmaneuvered foes in the show. (Side note: Blue Duel's pilot's death still haunts me.) Nu Zeon Gundam, from Gundam Build Divers Re:Rise, was a red, Char-inspired beast wielding a massive Zeonic Sword. Oddly, despite Nu Gundam's popularity, this kit often lingered on shelves.
"Stargazer's perfect for me—stars, you know? It just clicked!♪" Suisei beamed.
"I always build red Zakus or Gelgoogs, so this Nu Zeon was calling my name!" Miko grinned.
Fair picks. Stargazer's starry vibe suited Suisei, though the "psychopath" Holomem picking an exploration Gundam was ironic. Miko, who'd avoided Gundams to not overlap with Pekora, finally caved. "Fine, but it's late. Building now's rough."
"So we'll stay over and build tomorrow!" Suisei said.
"Yeah, haven't crashed here in a while," Miko added. "It'll be fun!"
Stay over? Just come back tomorrow! They probably know my schedule—someone's leaking it. A-chan? "Fine, it's too late to argue. Stay."
"Yay!♪" they cheered.
"Alright, I'll take the bed, Suisei gets the floor, Miko the bathroom sink—"
"Wait a sec!" they yelled.
"Why am I on the floor?!" Suisei protested. "You let Sora-chan and AZKi have the bed!"
"No way I'm sleeping in a sink!" Miko huffed. "We're all sharing the bed, no arguments!"
Their glares were terrifying. I caved, but unlike with Sora and AZKi, my heart didn't race. Why?
Bedtime was a nightmare.
"Grrroooar!"
"Gaaaahngggooo!"
Their snoring was deafening, and they clung to me, locking my arms and legs in some pro-wrestling hold. Ow, ow, ow! I didn't sleep a wink, their noise and grip crushing me until dawn.
Morning came, and I was a wreck. "Let's build and get this over with," I growled, dark circles under my eyes.
"Reiji-kun, you look awful…" Suisei said, concerned.
"What happened, nya?" Miko asked.
"Shut up and start cutting parts. I'm washing my face."
Exhausted from their snoring and submission holds, I felt like I'd pulled three all-nighters. Never again. I chugged a Me○shaki from the fridge, splashed water on my face, and returned. "Alright, let's do this. Start cutting—"
"Reiji-kun, I wanna try something!" Suisei interrupted. "I want to paint my Stargazer blue, like my image color. It'll be my Sui-chan special!♪"
Good idea—white didn't scream Suisei. "Okay, cut all the white parts and label them with sticky notes so we don't lose track."
"Roger that!" Suisei saluted.
"I wanna paint too!" Miko said.
"Same deal, cut the parts you want to paint. I'll do some work. Call me when you're done."
They'd built Gunpla before, so I trusted them to handle cleanup. I opened my laptop to finish yesterday's tasks.
Minutes later, a yelp. "Ow!"
I glanced over—Miko had nicked her finger with a design knife. Shouldn't have left them alone. I grabbed the first-aid kit.
"Mikochi, you okay? Hurt?" Suisei asked.
"It hurts…" Miko whined.
"Really bad?"
"Really bad…"
"Cool!♪" Suisei grinned.
"Don't sound happy!" Miko snapped.
I sighed. That exchange felt familiar. "Hold still, Miko. Let me patch you up."
"Aww, Reiji's so sweet~ Unlike a certain psychopath~♪" Miko teased.
"Tch, just spit on it, it'll heal," Suisei muttered.
"That'll make it worse," I said, disinfecting the shallow cut and applying a bandage. "There. You're good."
Miko resumed work, chipper. Suisei sulked but kept going.
Thirty minutes later, we finished cutting and cleaning. "Time to paint," I said, moving us to the yard for ventilation. "Always paint outside with a mask—indoor's dangerous."
"Got it," they nodded.
"First, apply primer—surfacer. It preps the parts and covers sanding scratches. Miko, your Nu Zeon's dark colors need it to avoid the base color bleeding through. We'll use Mr. Base White 1000."
"Why not just paint directly?" Miko asked.
"Primer ensures even color. Without it, you might not get the shade you want."
I showed them how to shake the spray can, test it, and apply it evenly from right to left. "No back-and-forth—that causes unevenness."
"Almost did that…" Miko mumbled.
"Wanna do this right, so let's focus!" Suisei said.
They sprayed smoothly. "Nice. Let it dry."
An hour later, the primer was set. I pulled out spray cans from storage. "Pick your colors. Airbrushing's ideal, but I don't have the setup here, so we're using cans. Always paint in a well-ventilated area, away from neighbors."
Suisei chose Tamiya TS-23 Light Blue, Miko TS-25 Pink. Perfect for their vibes. "Spray like the primer—right to left, evenly."
They painted with care, transforming the parts. Colors really changed a Gunpla's feel.
Hours later, the paint dried. "Time to assemble," I said.
"Almost done!♪" Suisei cheered.
"So excited, nya!♪" Miko added.
They carefully reassembled, Suisei adding a clear pearl coat for sparkle. Finally—
"Done! Stargazer—no, Comet Gazer Gundam!♪" Suisei declared.
"Nu Zeon, now Nu Micon Gundam! Nya!♪" Miko beamed.
Suisei had sneakily added a Strike's rifle and shield from my junk parts. The names were… quirky, but theirs. "Nice work. Final step: topcoat to protect the paint. Gloss for Suisei, matte for Miko."
We sprayed, let it dry, and stood back.
Comet Gazer Gundam: Stargazer repainted in light blue with a pearl sheen, keeping its sleek look while screaming Suisei. The added rifle and shield turned it combat-ready.
Nu Micon Gundam: Nu Zeon's reds swapped for pink, giving it a softer, miko-like charm. The matte finish added calm elegance.
"They look great," I said. "First custom-painted Gundams for Holomems, huh?"
They exchanged glances, smirking. "…Oh, really?♪" they said, grinning mischievously.
That look spelled trouble.
The next day, the office was chaos.
"Take that, Pekora! My Nu Micon Gundam blows your Peko-dam away, nya!♪" Miko boasted.
"Grr!" Pekora growled.
"Look, Fubu-chan! My Comet Gazer Gundam, made with Reiji-kun!♪" Suisei flaunted.
"Ugh!" Fubuki seethed.
The duo paraded their customs, sparking envy. "Shisho! It's unfair Miko-senpai and Suisei got originals!" Pekora whined. "I'm making Peko-dam Mark-7 with you, peko!"
"I want a custom too!" Fubuki said. "Let's add fox ears and a tail to my Jupitave for a Fubuking Gundam!"
Pekora's "Peko-dam" was just stock RX-78-2s, and Fubuki, I don't have that kind of skill. Those two started a frenzy—now everyone wanted custom Gunpla. Days of painting and modding awaited me, thanks to MikoMeto's antics.