Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/2912051596567318343/episodes/2912051596567690069
The bell signaling the end of school rang out with the most beautiful sound.
I hurriedly shoved the notebooks and textbooks spread out on my desk into my backpack.
I stood up without even bothering to be quiet about the chair scraping against the floor.
My high-end gaming PC arrived the other day.
I’d spent the last six months working part-time to afford it—a PC with specs powerful enough for live streaming. I was so excited the day I unboxed it that I could barely sleep.
Today, I’m doing my first live stream.
I’ve only ever uploaded videos before, but now I’m connecting with people in real time for the first time.
Just thinking about it gave me a rush even greater than when a test ended.
I was about to leave the classroom with a skip in my step—but it wasn’t to be.
“Hey there, introvert. You look pretty excited, don’t you?”
My bag was yanked backward.
Like a stretched-out rubber band snapping back, I’m yanked back into the classroom.
I turn around to see who did it—a beautiful, fair-skinned girl. Hanazawa-san was grinning at me.
“Uh, I’ve got something to look forward to…”
“Oh, really?”
Hanazawa-san lets go of my bag.
Her beautiful golden hair, with its gently curled ends, swayed, and a sweet scent wafted through the air.
“Sounds fun. Shy Guy, tell me what you’re going to do.”
“Uh, I, I can’t do that…”
There’s no way I could tell a girl I’m not even friends with that I’m going to livestream this.
I’d rather die than have her—a popular girl—spread the word and make me a laughingstock.
“Come on, we’re close, aren’t we, Shy Guy?”
“Are we even friends?”
“Nope, not at all.”
That’s right. She chats with me casually, but we’re definitely not friends. She just keeps a close distance with everyone—she isn’t actually close to anyone. In fact, I probably spend less time talking to her than to any of my other classmates.
Even so, for a loner like me, she’s the person I talk to the most… It’s a sad reality.
“Then isn’t that a problem?”
“Eh, is it really a problem?”
I choke on my words as Hanazawa-san makes a cute face, her eyes widening.
She’s not just skilled at gyaru makeup; she’s a top-tier beauty from the get-go.
Her face goes without saying, but her figure is also outstanding.
Fluffy breasts and a tight, firm butt. A slender waist that looks like it might snap, and legs so long and beautiful they’re mesmerizing.
The fact that she’s a beauty isn’t just my subjective opinion—the magazine covers she’s graced as a model and her Instagram follower count speak for themselves.
So even though I knew her expression was calculated, she had a charm that a social outcast like me couldn’t resist… but I held my ground with iron will.
For me right now, nothing is more important than my content creation, so I managed to hold out.
“No way!”
“Eh, whatever. Well, good luck then, Mr. Shy Guy.”
I fled the classroom as if escaping from Hanazawa-san, who was flashing a mischievous smile.
I walked briskly down the hallway and sprinted out the school gate toward the station. The evening breeze caressed my cheeks, feeling refreshing. Even though I’m a little out of breath, my steps feel light. I can’t help but laugh at myself. I never would have imagined at the start that I’d get this absorbed in making videos.
It all started as a way to take my mind off my lonely high school life.
I made videos to fill the time I spent alone, posted them, and that was supposed to be the end of it.
But whenever I posted, comments like “Funny” and “I like it” would appear.
Someone on the other side of the screen actually noticed me. They truly saw me—the guy who was treated like air in the classroom—and responded to me.
That made me incredibly happy, and before I knew it, a year had passed. By now, posting videos had become a part of my daily life.
And starting today, I can stream, too.
I’ve got the PC I need for it. I set up the microphone and streaming software yesterday. I won’t be showing my face, but I’ve finished drawing my avatar. All I have to do now is press the “Go Live” button in OBS, and I’ll be able to chat with even more people in real time.
“I’m home!”
My voice echoes through the empty house—my parents are away on a business trip—and I hear the sound of my footsteps as I head upstairs.
My room, which I’ve converted into a soundproof studio, is all set.
I boot up my PC and open my social media.
“First Stream! Casual Chat! Ask me anything!”
The announcement post with the URL had seven likes.
For someone with 103 subscribers like me, that’s more than enough.
I’m so grateful to the people who take the time to watch someone like me.
Even though my videos were crude due to my PC’s specs, they still enjoy following along. If it weren’t for everyone, I might have been crushed by loneliness by now.
I let out a sigh.
In today’s chat session, I’m going to answer every single question I’m asked.
That’s my way of showing my gratitude.
But… will anyone actually show up?
Still feeling anxious, I reached the scheduled start time of 5:00 PM.
I took a deep breath and pressed the “Go Live” button with trembling fingers.
“Hey, hi there. I’m Yadokari Sawagani, a game streamer. Usually, I post streams of new releases and indie games. So, um…”
Oh no, what do I do!? I’m so nervous I don’t know what to say!?
I’ve got two viewers already… Oh no! It dropped to one!?
They went out of their way to come watch, and I can’t even come up with a single witty line? This is bad!
“Uh, um, well…”
Just as I was panicking, text appeared in the chat.
‘You’re so nervous it’s hilarious lol’
The username was flower. They’re someone who comments on my videos a lot.
“Y-yeah. I’m nervous, and I’m totally freaking out right now.”
Another comment came in from flower.
‘Just talk like you always do lol’
“A-as usual? As usual, as usual, as usual…”
‘What’s wrong?’
“I’m a loner at school, so if I act ‘as usual,’ I just end up being quiet.”
‘wwwwwwww’
“Aah! Please don’t laugh at me!!”
‘Sorry, lol’
I pretended to be annoyed.
My heart was filled with conflicting emotions.
I was having so much fun, I was so happy, I almost started crying.
How long had it been since I’d had a conversation like this? I couldn’t remember the last time since starting high school.
“Are you crying or something? That’s gross lol.”
“That’s mean! It can’t be helped! I’ve been a loner since the day of the entrance ceremony!”
“Oh, why is that? You don’t seem to have any trouble talking.”
Why, you ask? It’s an unpleasant memory, but I’d decided to answer everything, so I opened my mouth.
“Actually, on the day of the entrance ceremony, I helped a middle-aged man. He seemed to have gotten dizzy, stumbled, and fell into a rice paddy. Then he hit his head and lost consciousness.”
“Eh…”
“I panicked and ran into the paddy, pulled him out, and called an ambulance—that part went fine, but…”
“You mean you couldn’t save him?”
“No, I saved him just fine. The paramedics even praised me for it!”
“Then why is that the reason you’re a loner?”
“I went to school covered in rice paddy mud, stinking to high heaven, with my uniform all sticky. No one in their right mind would go near a guy like that. I tried my best to wash it off in the irrigation ditch, but it was no use~”
I thought it was a bad memory… but I’m glad we can laugh about it now.
After all, this activity is just so much fun.
“You do regret it, don’t you?”
“Regret? No, not at all. Even if I knew I’d end up in the same situation, I’d definitely save them again. There’s nothing that can replace a life. Oh, though, maybe I should’ve just skipped school!”
I laughed, “Ahaha,” but got no response.
“Huh?” I tilted my head in confusion, and just then, a comment came in.
[……I’m really sorry.]
That was the last message I received, and then the number of concurrent viewers dropped to zero.
Wait, what? Did I offend them somehow?
Maybe I’d been alone for too long and just lacked tact.
I kept streaming after that, but no viewers came back, so I hit the end button.
I let out a sigh and looked up at the ceiling.
“I might have offended them… but it was fun. Really, it was the first time in a long while that I’ve had fun.”
Recalling my exchange with flower san, I couldn’t help but grin.
Just being alone could make me this happy and fulfilled.
I imagined the screen filled with comments and murmured, “I’ll try doing this again tomorrow.”
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