VTuber Thought She’d Made a New Friend in Japan, but a Snowboarding Trip Turned Into a Nightmare
I want you to pay close attention to this story, because it’s incredible. Today’s story was shared by VTuber Nana, who says the events happened some time ago but that she only recently felt comfortable enough to talk about them.
It All Started With an Innocent Conversation at a Café
Nana was sitting in a café, studying for a certification exam, when a girl sitting nearby suddenly struck up a conversation with her:
“Oh! I have that book too! Are you studying for something? We’re in the same boat!”
Nana was surprised. After all, it sounded like something straight out of an anime.
A cute girl casually approaching her, interested in the same subject, and being super friendly on top of that?
“Finally! Adult life is actually working out for me!” Nana thought.
The two started chatting about study methods, everyday life, and all sorts of other things. They hit it off so well that they ended up exchanging contact information.
So far, so good.
Nana left thinking she’d unexpectedly made a new friend.
The Invitation to Go Snowboarding
The girl, whom we’ll call A-ko, sent Nana a message saying she’d had a great time the previous day.
Then came the invitation:
“This is kind of last-minute, but do you want to go snowboarding tomorrow? I can drive!”
Nana was stunned.
Snowboarding? The very next day? With a girl she’d only just met?
In her mind, this was already starting to sound like a romantic date.
And A-ko was even offering to drive?
Nana accepted immediately. Yes, she really did say yes, and honestly, I know that doesn’t sound all that unusual.
But when Nana arrived at the meeting spot the next day, she saw a rather intimidating-looking vehicle.
It was a black Toyota Alphard, one of those huge vans with an exhaust that went VRUUUM VRUUUM. Behind the wheel was a heavily tanned man who looked pretty intimidating.
“Okay… just don’t make eye contact,” Nana thought as she waited for her friend. Then the door of the black Alphard opened.
And who stepped out?
A-ko.
There was just one tiny detail nobody had mentioned.
There were four other people inside the van.
“Wait… Who Are These People?”
Nana discovered that they were all A-ko’s friends and belonged to the same hobby group. She climbed into the van, still somewhat confused, but decided to go along with the trip.
That’s when the second red flag appeared.
The driver started chugging what looked like energy drinks, explaining that he’d stayed up all night but that the drinks would keep his mind razor-sharp.
Then he pulled out a handful of mysterious pills and swallowed them.
At that moment, Nana experienced the kind of gut feeling that horror movie protagonists always ignore:
“I need to get out of this van RIGHT NOW.”
There was just one little problem.
They were already on the highway.
At that point, all she could do was hope everything would turn out okay.
And, at least initially, it did.
The group arrived at the resort, and Nana managed to forget about the strange situation while snowboarding with her new friend.
Then, about two hours later, the driver called everyone over to a café.
That’s when the real story began.
The Meeting That Revealed Their True Intentions
There was a suspicious amount of supplements on the table, products supposedly designed to boost energy, stacks of explanatory materials, and an iPad filled with charts.
Nana was probably already thinking:
“Oh, no…”
Then came the question:
“Nana-chan, have you heard of Rich Dad Poor Dad? Don’t you want to get rich?”
And there it was.
It wasn’t a date.
It wasn’t simply a group of friends hanging out.
It was a pitch for a pyramid scheme.
The snowboarding trip had apparently been used as a way to build trust before trying to convince Nana to join their business.
From that point on, a battle of wills began.
Explanations about the products, the benefits of becoming a member, discounts, promises of perks…
And the same talking points kept coming around in circles.
Nana, however, stood her ground:
“Oh, I see… but I don’t have any money.”
That was the verbal equivalent of slamming a concrete wall in front of the door.
Eventually, the driver gave up:
“Let’s just head back, then.”
Nana celebrated internally.
She’d survived.
But her victory lasted approximately five seconds.
“Let’s Go Back and Have a Takoyaki Party!”
When Nana heard:
“Let’s go back and have a takoyaki party!”
her blood probably ran cold.
Because there was one small problem:
The only way back was in that group’s van.
She got back into the Alphard.
Their next destination was an apartment in an unfamiliar area.
And when they arrived, things got even stranger.
The Apartment Was Practically a Product Showroom
The apartment was a one-bedroom layout shared by five people, and it was packed with equipment and products.
There were kitchen utensils everywhere.
Then Nana noticed something even more concerning:
The water purifier, cleaning products, and various other household items apparently came from the same business.
This so-called takoyaki party wasn’t looking much like a party anymore.
Nana realized she needed to get out of there.
She made up an excuse about going out to buy something, and the group let her leave to go shopping. Nana seized the opportunity and RAN FOR IT, never seeing those people again.
Thankfully, that seems to have been her escape route.
A Story That Sounds Like an Anime Plot
The funniest — and simultaneously most terrifying — part is just how many ridiculous twists this story has.
Nana thought:
- A girl had struck up a conversation with her at a café.
- They’d become friends.
- She’d been invited to go snowboarding.
- Maybe it could even turn into a date.
- She’d get to meet some new people.
In reality, she ended up on a snowboarding trip with a group involved in multilevel marketing, got dragged into a product presentation, and eventually found herself in an apartment where practically everything seemed to be part of the business.
I honestly believe her story because I’ve heard about similar situations myself. Take MY BROTHER, for example. Yes, my brother. He’s a little crazy sometimes.
He once told me that he was walking along the beach IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT when he came across a group of people who appeared to be smoking drugs in the sand.
There were four of them: two guys and two girls. They struck up a conversation with my brother, and even though he’d never met any of them before, HE WENT TO ONE OF THEIR HOUSES. He spent the entire night there drinking and talking with them before eventually heading home like nothing had happened.
He said he turned down the drugs and never saw those people again, but apparently, he had a fun night… Oh, boy.
via Nana