"Stream on!"
A blue, slightly transparent square, covered Haro's right eye and in it displayed what he saw and a stream chat on the right side.
The moment the stream started a user named "HaroFan2341" joined.
HaroFan2341:
"Hello!!! ☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆ I missed yewww!"
The chatter sends her first message, greeting Haro.
This isn't the first time she has joined the stream, of course you can tell by her name that she is a very regular watcher. Every time I stream, like a ritual, HaroFan2341 joins almost immediately the moment I start streaming.
In the middle of a torn up street, Haro hides behind a corner of a building holding a knife as he listens to the clicking sounds of a monster.
Haro had decided that streaming a fight with a monster would be a great way to increase his viewership.
I need to utilize this opportunity to increase my viewcount above just "HaroFan2341".
Haro starts whispering, speaking to the stream (or just HaroFan2341….).
"I went on my usual once a week scavenge for supplies in old shibuya, but a bit in I found a monster guarding the outside of a convenience store I was trying to reach."
Haro peeks around the corner to show his stream the monster that was guarding the store.
HaroFan2341:
"Eeeeeek! It looks so scawy!! ◑﹏◐"
"Nahhh… It should be fine.."
Haro grips his knife and holds it near his chest. He breathes in through his nose and exhales through his mouth, mellowing out his body for the fight he was about to get into.
The streamer interface pops up with a stream announcement.
"Combat with entity detected, sending out stream ads."
When the streamer interface detects upcoming combat it sends out streamer ads to viewers, the streams try to find ways to boost their viewership by capturing upcoming dangerous moments.
30 new viewers flood into the stream, all tuning in to watch Haro best this monster.
Viewer #22:
"Go fight that thing!"
Viewer #40:
"Can't wait to see another low level streamer get killed, at least it'll be good for clippers."
Viewer #12:
"Buy something from the shop."
HaroFan2341:
"Don't be overwhelmed by the fluctuation of viewership, just focus on the fight."
As Haro holds the knife up to his chest, he feels his heart beating fast and out of control. Haro tries to do stress exercises, breathing through the nose and exhaling out the mouth.
It helps momentarily but..
Click click click click click.
"Ah-...."
The clicking sounds of the monster got louder and louder as it trotted around the outside of the store, trying to sniff out prey.
Trying to sniff out, Haro.
"Stream, cancel ads."
Haro gave a command to his stream interface to close the outgoing stream ads.
I can't do this fight… I'm too weak..
The chat erupted as people exited the stream.
Viewer #22:
"Well that was a letdown."
Viewer #12:
"Should've just bought something from the shop."
HaroFan2341:
"Don't worry, you will get it next time!"
But one comment in the chat stuck out the most to Haro.
Viewer #40:
"Would've been better if you died weakling."
His heart sank, and with that comment, Haro ended his stream for the day.
"Stream off."
The interface closed and Haro made his way back home.
He made his way out of old shibuya heading towards home 10 minutes away. The land was quiet and so was he, as he wore a black cloak around him and moved through the town like a shadow.
A roar rang out, looking to his left he saw what seemed to be a giant leviathan screaming from the river.
The world has truly gone to hell.
Finally arriving at his apartment complex he is greeted by his neighbour and childhood friend, Sayaka.
"Haro? Where have you been?"
Haro raised his arm and rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke a bit nervously.
"Well uhh you know.. I went out for supplies… and tested a little bit of streaming.."
"Haro!"
She marched up to him, lifting up his arms and flipping him around. She was checking him for any injuries.
"Did you hurt yourself? Did a monster see you? Why go out without letting me know?"
"Woah woah!"
Haro backed up a little bit and brushed his chest.
"I'm fine, I'm completely fine. I ran into a monster but-"
"So you did run into a monster?! Haro what did I tell you?!"
Sayaka wrapped her arms around him as a way to comfort him. Haro simply stood there, patting her back. Sayaka and Haro were very close, even as children, and as they grew up Sayaka became a big sister figure to Haro.
"Cmon, you downplay me too much.."
"You know how it makes me feel when you go out and put your life on the line. Stop trying to purposely make me worry."
From his chest she looked up into his eyes.
"The world outside right now has changed drastically, supplying on your own is reckless."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry, Sayaka really I… I just wanted to pull my weight around for everyone at the apartment complex and hopefully find a chance where I could raise my viewercount but... I ran into a monster and a stream ad went out gathering some viewers but I froze up, I couldn't fight it. I was too scared."
Sayaka slowly released her arms from Haro, letting him go. Her soft purple eyes stared into his and he could tell.
She really cares about me.
"Haro, we should do something sometime, I want to help you out and be in your life more. In times like these we need each other. My family is next door. You are always free to come over if you are feeling lonely."
Haro turns to his door and pulls his keys out, unlocking the door.
"Thanks, I'll let you know."
When he entered his apartment he walked to the living room. The sunset shot straight through his balcony window, enveloping his living room in a beautiful orange colour. He lay on the couch, it felt warm and relaxing on his skin.
"Stream. Start."
The stream interface appeared and it began streaming his view of his fan spinning and spinning.
Like ritual, HaroFan2341 joins.
HaroFan2341
"Hewwoooo (≧∇≦)ﾉ! How are you feeling?"
"I feel sick. My balance is running low, the 10k left from my family's death is running short."
When the world all went to hell his family died, when they died Haro got their inheritance money and it is the thing that has been keeping him in this group of people at the apartment complex.
HaroFan2341 was usually my only viewer, they always tuned into my streams and since they were the only ones there most of the time I used the time to talk about my struggles with them.
"I feel so, so utterly weak."
Haro groans as he closes his eyes.
HaroFan2341:
"Was it something Sayaka said?"
Hearing that Haro got immediately startled, he sat up right, shocked out how she would even know Sayaka.
"How did you..?"
HaroFan2341:
"You should go to the meet up."
HaruFan2341 has disconnected.
"I'm pretty sure I closed my stream before speaking to Sayaka so how would they know.. This feels way too eerie and cryptic."
As he slumps back on the couch a notification appears.
Streamer Interface:
1-3000k viewer streamers meet up tomorrow 4pm-9pm in Shinjuku stadium.
The next afternoon Haro raced out his room and knocked on Sayaka's apartment door.
Sayaka slowly opened the door, peaking her head through.
"Haro..?"
"You said we need to spend time together, right? Well I just found the perfect thing."