Chapter 5: What Happened?

“Whew.”
I turned off the broadcast and let out a deep sigh.

Perhaps caught up in the atmosphere, I had streamed longer than I intended.
It was a good thing, as it meant the broadcast was a success.

“Ugh. My body is stiff.”
I stretched and yawned widely.

I had only sat and streamed, but my body complained of pain.
I hadn’t realized it when watching, but continuously talking, thinking, and maintaining a certain tension was by no easy feat.

Moreover, a VTuber had to constantly control the avatar.
I recalled my favorite VTubers from my previous life.

“How on earth did you do it, you guys?”
They must have put in a lot of effort behind the scenes.
I couldn’t help but respect them.

Now, I was also a VTuber, just like them.
To avoid being ashamed, I couldn’t just give up.

I clenched my fists and pushed my upper body up.

“Anyway, I should probably exercise later.”
Perhaps because I had changed into a woman’s body, my stamina had visibly decreased.

For now, I was busy, so I’d skip it.
I calculated today’s earnings.
It wasn’t much.
It would be even less after deducting fees, but considering it was the first broadcast, it wasn’t bad.

It was the first money I had earned in this world.
Feeling good, I decided to treat myself.

“It’s a treat. A buffet… might be too much, but a convenience store should be fine.”
I had worked hard, so spending a few tens of thousands of won should be okay.
They say a good start is half the battle, after all.

I mumbled, as if making excuses to someone, then stood up and put on clothes.

“Where did all my clothes go?”
The closet was filled with women’s clothing instead of the men’s clothes that had been there.
It was a good thing if it meant I didn’t need to buy new ones.

There were hardly any flashy clothes, but even ordinary women’s clothes still made me feel hesitant.
In the end, my outfit was very plain.
I looked no different from when I was a man.
However, when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t help but admire myself.

“Kyah.”
I truly was beautiful.

They say the hanger is more important than the clothes, but if I looked this good without makeup, what would I look like at full power?
If I were a man, I would have stared blankly.
Of course, no matter how pretty I was, it felt a bit odd to keep admiring myself when it was me.
I wasn’t a narcissist.

I went outside and looked up at the house.
A small villa.
Its location and appearance were the same as my original home.
Being there brought back old memories.

“I wanted to earn money and move into an apartment.”
Even if the world changed, the house remained the same.

After glancing at it for a moment, I entered a nearby convenience store.
The voice of the part-timer echoed with a cool breeze.

“Welcome!”
I accustomed browsed the shelves and picked out items.
There were slight differences, but the products were similar, so my shopping was finished in an instant.

“Please check me out.”
“Alright! ……Ah.”
The part-timer, who had reflexively called out, saw me and slightly opened her mouth.
Her pupils were dilated, as if she was very surprised.

Why was that?
I found out the reason from her muttering.

‘So pretty…’
I was currently showing my bare face.
I wondered if it was just me, but it seemed I looked pretty to other people too.

It was awkward to respond.
As I stood there blankly, she flinched.

“Ah! I’m, I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s okay.”
“I’ll check you out right away. Do you need a bag?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. …Um, but.”
“Yes?”
“Are you perhaps a celebrity? Or an actress?”
It was an unexpected question.
I thought it was an indirect compliment, but looking at her expression, she was sincere.

‘This person is also very pretty.’
While not quite influencer-level, if she walked down the street, many men’s gazes would be fixed on her.
Yet, this was her reaction.
Was this the TS gene?
A celebrity.

Famous streamers sometimes had an influence comparable to celebrities, but I had only started streaming today.

“No.”
“Ah… I see. You’re just so pretty.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Of course, no matter how famous a VTuber became, a VTuber was still a VTuber.
The red pill had to be thoroughly protected.

Returning home, I immediately threw off my clothes and set the table.
I didn’t want to stay dressed up even at home, it felt stifling.

I had to stream tomorrow too.
But.
I grinned and popped open a carbonated drink.

“Today is a party.”

▶Lucy
[VTuber – Day 2 Broadcast]

I started the broadcast around the same time as yesterday.
Once I had the settings done, it was much easier.
The viewers also gathered quickly.

–Hi
–She really came.
–Not kidding, she’s actually continuing?
–Ah, lol, I came in because there was nothing to watch.
–Is this the owner of that clip?

They weren’t many, but the fact that they knew me and sought me out was key.
It meant they had entered as soon as the notification appeared.

Such people eventually formed the core viewership, or the ‘concrete layer’.
No wonder my followers had increased.

“Of course. I told you we’d see each other tomorrow, didn’t I?”

I smiled and waved my hand.
Part of it was intentionally raising my energy, but I was genuinely happy.

Weren’t these people spending their precious time for me?
Well, their reasons might vary, though.

–How are her movements so natural?
–What program is that?
–The more I watch, the more fascinating it gets.
–Are you a graphics major, by any chance?
–So what kind of person are you??

I had only vowed to protect the ‘red pill’ yesterday, but the viewers were quickly digging into it.
No, if they’re my viewers, shouldn’t they protect it?
They really knew so little about the VTuber industry.

I shook my head repeatedly and sighed.

“As I said yesterday, this is me! It’s not a program; I just look like this.”

As I shrugged my shoulders, implying a sense of pity, the chat window ignited.

–Ah, lol, I’m getting mad.
–Her concept, seriously;
–That expression, f*.
–Exactly like ‘You don’t know this?’, so truly infuriating lol.
–At this point, she seems to have assimilated into that character.

Yes, this was the right kind of chat.
Engaging in banter with the streamer was more desirable than rampant curiosity.

“It’s not a ‘character,’ it’s an ‘avatar.’ How long are you going to keep using outdated terms?”

–Does anyone know the difference?
–But ‘character’ is kind of an old-fashioned term.
–Fr, old guys say ‘char’.
–I’m ’97 liner, so I guess I’m old now;;
–So what are we doing today?
–Communication like yesterday?

“Hmm… I think I answered most of your questions yesterday, so…”

–So?
–Is there something?

“Indeed. What should we do? Anyone have any ideas?”

–????
–I’m going crazy, seriously.
–Shouldn’t you be thinking of that yourself??
–Day 2, her guts are amazing;;
–VTuber or whatever it is, it’s fing confusing .

The chaotic chat window was amusing.
I subtly checked the reactions and smiled slightly.
Of course, I had ideas prepared.

But this kind of light banter adds to the fun of the broadcast.
It was a method even major streamers used often.

[‘DieOtaku’ has sponsored 1,000 cash! Thank you!]
–Are you abandoning the broadcast already? I’ll unfollow;;

Just then, a sponsorship dropped.
In internet broadcast-style comedy, the sponsorship pop-up was an indispensable element.
I hid my laughter and shook my head.

“Unfollow? I’m sorry~ Just this once, please~”

My avatar moved accordingly.
The timely expression control completed the performance.
Reactions in the chat were mixed to the skilled performance.

–Stop acting cute.
–Ugh.
–Why are you doing this?
–I really should unfollow now;;
–Am I the only one who finds her cute? Right???
–Ah, I feel self-loathing..
–Otakus detected in chat.

For now, those who disliked it were still the majority.
But seeing that it had an effect was a good sign.

‘If they really disliked it, they wouldn’t even be watching the broadcast.’

The body is honest, isn’t it?
It was the moment I was continuing to communicate with a smirk.
Suddenly, strange chat messages caught my eye.

–This stream is fing disgusting.
–Is she that person from Circle?
–I came from the hot clip, but the main stream is even worse.

Emotions were conveyed even in chat.
There was a difference between joking insults and genuine insults.
And based on past data, this was the latter.

“Just a moment.”

No matter how small the streamer, crossing the line in chat had to be dealt with.
Since I didn’t have a manager yet, I banned them myself.

Then I said,

“Circle? What are you talking about?”
No, it wasn’t just a pretense; I really didn’t know.
I thought it was just attention-seeking, but the viewers’ reactions solidified my suspicion.

–No no no no.
–Just ignore it.
–It’s nothing.
–You’re fine.
–It’s just a common community topic.
–It’s a bit big for ‘common,’ though;;
–Ah, why are they bringing that here too.
–They really have nothing better to do.

The people who had been actively antagonizing me were gone, suddenly sweet and concerned.
My years of broadcast viewing experience told me.
This was a real problem.

“What happened? It seems to be related to me, just a moment. I’ll check.”

If it was my problem, I couldn’t just let it go.
That was my thought, but the chat stirred once more.

–Ah;;
–Don’t look.
–You’ll be shocked.
–It’s just people who can’t respect others running wild.
–There are a lot of weird people there normally.
–Sigh, why did I even mention it.

Sponsorship messages joined in.

[‘DieOtaku’ has sponsored 1,000 cash! Thank you!]
–I recommend not looking. The level is a bit intense.

The person who usually used an aggressive tone was now completely normal.
It meant they were taking it seriously.

But did these people not know?
That saying so would make me want to see it more.

“Oh? What’s this? Are you perhaps worried about me? You were pretending not to be.”

I showed a playful smile.
The effect was clear.

–Don’t be ridiculous.
–This is absurd;
–Worry? What worry, lol.
–Does this person have delusional disorder?
–Even after telling her, she’s acting up..
–Just do whatever.

The chat window, acting embarrassed, became chaotic.
The atmosphere had successfully been lightened.
It would be troublesome if the atmosphere became too serious.
I might get overly immersed for no reason.

“Then…”
Let’s take a look.
I entered Circle and immediately went to the trending posts.
The posts generating the biggest buzz.

It wasn’t hard to find.
My picture was openly displayed on the thumbnail.
The content was simple.

A hot clip and self-introduction of a new streamer.
It was a template designed to attract views with a provocative title.
The format itself was common, so there was nothing special about it.

But.

“There are a lot of comments.”
Compared to other posts, the difference was striking.
Usually, this meant a battleground had opened up, and as expected, as I scrolled down, a hellscape appeared.

People tearing each other down like hyenas was no different from a cyber world hell.
The main content was insults directed at me.
That the otaku-like concept was disgusting.
VTubers were an extension of otaku culture.
That perception didn’t change in the future.

Therefore, I was indifferent.

“I thought it was something more.”
Hadn’t I prepared for this when I first decided to become a VTuber?

I hadn’t expected it to become controversial so quickly, but it was within the realm of possibility.
In fact, it wasn’t even much of a controversy.

Such things were common in my previous life.
Though the intensity was a bit high, I considered myself a veteran of internet broadcasting.

Compared to a real hellscape, this level was cute.
So my reaction was also simple.

“It’s nothing, really? You were making a fuss over this?”
As I remained calm, the viewers became embarrassed instead.

–Their words were pretty harsh though.
–You’re not bothered?
–I also left after seeing it.
–Doesn’t seem like acting.
–Her mental strength is insane.
–Aren’t you angry?

“Why would I need to be angry? And I understand. The existence of a VTuber might still be difficult to accept. I don’t intend to force it. Of course, insults shouldn’t be made.”

–Is the streamer a living Buddha?
–Her mental strength is f*ing amazing;
–She’s a Buddha, a Buddha.
–Wow.
–Even major streamers would be upset if they were criticized like that.
–This is a day 2 newbie??

[‘DieOtaku’ has sponsored 10,000 cash! Thank you!]
–She looks a bit different now, yeah;;

“Wow, DieOtaku! Thank you for the 10,000 cash sponsorship~!”

The chat window quickly calmed down.
The flames died down, and positive comments appeared.
I chuckled, looking at the compliments directed at me.

‘I just said something obvious.’

“Then, shall we start today’s content?”