Stumbling Over Love | ✓

Chapter 49

_Chapter 49~ To Be a 'Delinquent'?_

         "You're famous?!"

         Erika chuckled at my outburst, waving her hands to calm me down. "Internet famous, yes. I upload a bunch of songs on YouTube among other things."

          Unable to believe my eyes, I shifted my attention towards the laptop screen and the page I'd accidentally stumbled upon. Erika had invited me over today but when our conversation had somehow shifted towards a show we should watch together, the first thing I'd come across after turning on the laptop was the face of my cousin. Singing, no less.

          Dragging the mouse, I frantically scrolled down the page, gaping at her total views and fan comments. "What the— You're freakin' amazing!" I ended up proclaiming. "And you have that many subs? Why was I not aware of this before?"

          Erika turned sheepish, shooing me away from the laptop and taking it for herself. "I thought I made it pretty clear that one day you took me around the city and I asked if you'd known any female artists. I was hoping for too much from you, thinking you'd be aware."

           Memories of that one day flooded back to me, leaving me to feel somewhat like an idiot. "But we were alluding to actual celebrities," I tried to defend. "And these videos—you barely even look like yourself. You have black hair in these, and you cover your face with hats. And your name here says—"

           "Karie Yaama—an anagram of my name," Erika finished for me. She shrugged. "When I started out I was pretty embarrassed to show my face and have people recognize me so my... manager, I guess you could say, whom I obtained later on, suggested I hide myself in creative ways. Since I did covers for both English and Japanese songs, alongside challenges, I had a bit of a fan-base from Japan, but I still got recognized in the city I lived sometimes. When it began to hinder with my school life my dad luckily got transferred here."

         "Luckily?" I echoed.

         She waved me off. "Don't get me wrong, I love Canada; I grew up there and all, but getting away from that country and returning to my roots is something I'm grateful for, if I'm being honest. My classmates especially were pretty racist against Asians and when I started gaining a name for myself, those who ridiculed me even started to approach me for connections and shoutouts and such. My teachers showed a bit of favouritism, too. It got suffocating real quick. So when I moved here I just dyed my hair and have been kind of MIA on my channel."

          Taking in her words, I still couldn't help but stare at Erika in amazement. "I can't believe I'm acquainted with somebody famous."

          Erika rolled her eyes. "I'm still the same ol' Erika you know," she said, jostling my arm. "Stop giving me those googly-eyes."

          I awkwardly dropped the gawking. Then, a sudden idea hit me. "Wait! So that one day I invited you to come to the festival with me and that random lady answered your cell...?"

           "Yeah, it was Murai Yuuma, my manager," Erika enlightened me. "She moved here, too, to be closer to her family. And back in the summer I went around Japan for a bit performing at small venues she booked for me. I didn't exactly know how to tell you so I kinda lied, sorry."

           "You better be sorry," I joked, feigning a stern look. "I could've came to cheer you on!"

           "Seriously?"

            "Of course!" Bobbing my head to a beat, I shut my eyes in awe. "Ah, your voice is so great! And you even covered Mortal Mania songs! Bless your soul!"