Debut Broadcast

"...I've heard that story, so you don't have to come help out anymore."

I was about to blurt out What? when Reiko clamped her own mouth shut—a reflex even she had to admit was lightning-quick. Yui was already timid and sensitive enough; there was zero reason to let her hear something like that.

While Reiko listened quietly, Yui's words kept tumbling out. She was truly grateful for the help, of course, but it had tugged at her heart to see Reiko commuting back and forth like clockwork over a distance that wasn't exactly close. She was sorry for being such a pathetic excuse for a person who couldn't even pull her own weight reliably, but she'd change from now on. Yukihiro lived nearby, after all, so she'd learn all sorts of housework from her and become someone who could live independently...

What could Reiko possibly say to Yui, who was declaring her bold resolution like that? The answer was obvious, of course. "That's great, but don't forget what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I told you. Pay attention to your nutrition, learn to clean and cook properly so your place stays tidy, and make sure you take the supplements I gave you every single day without fail..." And so on, a barrage of nagging advice before the call finally ended.

The not-so-long, ten-minute-or-so conversation wrapped up. Reiko stared blankly at her smartphone screen before flopping backward onto the bed with a thud. The tiny single bed caught her body.

'...Is she marking her territory? No... no way. It's Yukihiro. That wouldn't happen.'

If it were anyone else, she might have entertained the thought for a moment. But the fact that Yukihiro Tsukiyo—the woman who seemed sculpted from pure goodwill, impossibly kind—had brought it up told Reiko her suspicions were off-base. Tsukiyo was just that good a person. The kind who maybe didn't belong in streaming at all... like she should be off living as some saint or nun or something.

Reiko, who usually watched the news and lamented how the world was overrun with awful people, had even thought upon meeting Tsukiyo, If there were more like her, it'd balance things out.

So Reiko knew full well that Tsukiyo's words came from simple concern. And honestly, she was right. A round trip that took a couple of hours might not seem that far, but using it just to check on someone without any work-related reason? Yeah, that was a bit much. Plus, it turned out Tsukiyo lived close by pure coincidence, and to her, Yui looked like someone who needed looking after. So naturally, Tsukiyo's pure-hearted brain had concluded, If I take over, it'll be good for both of them, right?

Reiko wasn't that close to Tsukiyo, but she knew the basics of her personal life. Like how she'd helped out for years at her family's bento shop. And from the few times she'd visited Tsukiyo's place, Reiko also knew she was ace at all sorts of housework. Yui rated herself as average after years of solo living... but there was no comparing that to Tsukiyo, the living embodiment of womanly power¹.

It made perfect rational sense that Tsukiyo looking after her would be better for Yui in every way. That's what swirled through Reiko's mind.

But... '...' For some reason, she couldn't shake the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠frustrating pang in her chest.

I'm... so nervous...

My hands shook as I lifted the glass and gulped down some water. But once my body started trembling like that, a little water wasn't going to stop it.

I grabbed my phone with quivering fingers and checked the time. 2:32 PM. Still hours until the scheduled 7 PM start.

7 PM. November 27th, 7 PM. That was the debut stream for me—or rather, for Dr. Tensai.

Even with over four hours left, I was already a wreck. Reiko had said she'd come help with any setup issues since it was my first time, so that part was fine... but I couldn't control my stupid shaking body.

My brain insisted I wasn't that nervous, but with my body reacting like this, maybe I was deluding myself. "Haa..."

I let out a deep sigh, slowly maneuvered my trembling hand to open a browser tab, and stared blankly at the sluggishly loading page. This was my everyday computer, so the painfully slow speed stood out.

I had a rule: never use the streaming PC for personal stuff, or I'd risk leaking info. Gaming only on that one. Plus, for long-term streaming, a dual-PC setup— one for broadcasting, one for everything else—was best, so I'd splurged on an extra rig beyond what the company provided. They helped with setup since I had no clue.

I just followed the notes diligently without screwing up...

Anyway, through my own exhaustive clinical trials, I'd proven that the internet was a miracle cure for tension, nausea, colds, chills, stomachaches, and all sorts of bad vibes. Starting a surf session in times like these was the smart move.

Back when I first started living as Ito Yui... I had a lot of mentally unstable moments. No need to explain why. I'd just woken up as a completely different person—who could I even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠talk to about that? No one to confide in. Was I crazy? Who even was I? What was I doing? Endless torment.

To escape that harsh reality, I'd turn to this place. Today, too, I zoned out staring until a title jumped out and I clicked it.

A post that made me snort with involuntary laughter. It seemed genuinely pissed, but maybe it was just the schtick—either way, a super common type.

A lot of people hated VTubers' Valkyrie playthroughs, after all.

This is embarrassing to admit out loud, but... these kinds of posts actually calmed me down. Not because the community was fun or hilarious.

It was more like... nothing's changed.

Living in this world, you feel so many differences. Those little real-life discrepancies gnawed at my sanity bit by bit, relentlessly. The nagging sense that this wasn't my world anymore, like I'd been dropped into some alien realm, denying my very existence... it wasn't easy to get used to.

But amid all that change, this community... these gallery idiots were exactly the same. Not exactly, sure. The site name was different from my old world. The VTuber it was based on was different. Topics varied with the different talents, naturally.

But still the same. Not that different at all. I'd observed it enough to know.

The guys posting walls of text like "X agency is virgin-pilled, Y's got a wife" then vanishing. The weirdos hunting ASMR streams all day. The creeps lurking in sub-5-viewer backwater broadcasts. Fights over nothing, deliberate trolls. And a horde of other unclassifiable freaks... The same assholes I'd seen to death in my old world were shitting up this gallery just as faithfully.

Obviously not the exact same people. But who cares about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠identities behind anonymity? The vibe, the behaviors—they were identical. This uncanny realization: These dipshits live just as pathetically here too.

(And yeah, me typing this with shaky hands while using a paid VPN to spoof a Korean IP? I was one of them. Minor hassle.)

Replies pinged almost immediately after posting, but I could guess the content without checking. Agreements or "All virgins fucked?" rants. No need to look.

I kept scrolling for something fun. My debut popped up a few times... but superhuman willpower kept me from clicking. This was to relax—good or bad, it'd just amp up the nerves. Even hate was fine; I'd check post-stream.

After digging through the gallery, I sighed, closed the browser, and flopped onto the bed. Reiko would arrive soon, and then my debut would really kick off. It still didn't feel real. Really? Am I actually debuting?

What if Reiko showed up with a "Dokiri"² sign saying it was all a prank? Should've yielded to Yukihiro after all? But if I had, and she crushed it... No, she would crush it. That warm, kindness-dripping voice would captivate anyone, men or women.

Then I'd be even more stressed. What if fans expect her and get disappointed by me? I'd be agonizing in my room...

Thinking it over, going first might be better. Both sides had pros and cons, really.

Even as I failed to shake the tension, imagining worst-cases and suffering, time marched on mercilessly. Reiko arrived before I knew it, double-checking my setup and filling any gaps. The two monitors were plastered with Post-its in her handwriting—tons of warnings.

Most were obvious, stuff I'd been drilled on endlessly: Never mention locations or anything identifiable. No real names. Don't spill work schedules without thinking...

Sitting there, I stared blankly and mumbled them aloud.

"Ito-san."

"Y-Yes?!"

"Don't get too tense... won't magically fix it, but anyway, do your best. I'll watch from the car."

"O-Okay..."

Reiko left the room. My mansion was a one-room, no real divisions. Company did basic soundproofing, but for long-term streaming, I'd probably need to move. Anyway, she headed to her car instead of waiting inside.

Phone screen: 6:50 PM. Just ten minutes. Ten minutes until my first stream as Tensai.

Was I nervous, or blank? Staring at the screen in a daze, a silent notification popped up from Rain.

Short cheers from the seniors and my peer Rain, with stickers and emojis. Nothing fancy, but their kindness hit deep. I swallowed the prickling in my nose and tears...

Confirmed the stream went live as scheduled. Free BGM source played with the illustrator-prepped art on screen, intro rolling.

A few minutes of grace period. I triple-checked the mic was off, loosened my stiff jaw and throat.

...It's time. For real.

Glanced over the laminated paper of warnings, Reiko's mandatory pre-stream checklist. All clear.

I switched screens and flipped on the mic.

"Ahem. Can you hear me? Ahem... Greetings, everyone. This body is Tensai. Pleased to meet you, ne."

The stream had begun.