Chaotic Debut Stream

Just five minutes after turning on the stream ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like that.

No one was coming in. I'd half-expected it, though. Even just glancing before starting, there were over ten newbies, and I didn't think my stream had any standout appeal. Still, having zero viewers felt a bit depressing...

As I bobbed my head glumly,

The first chat popped up.

"Hi, hello everyone!"

I'd cut off mid-sentence, hoping they'd call me cute.

Chats poured in one after another, and the tension drained from my clenched fists. Phew... not just a hit-and-run.

"Ah...! Thank you so much for coming!"

"Ah, no! Not corporate."

It did look a bit too high-quality and expensive for a trash female streamer. After all, it'd cost Noona three months' salary... Ugh, my head! Thinking about the price made my head throb and my hands tremble slightly.

Spotting the viewer slyly probing my age, I pegged them as a pro. If it were corporate, spilling personal info like age would be a no-go, but killing the convo here might leave me bobbing my head alone for another five minutes.

"Ah, no! I'm a college student."

I never imagined hearing myself called a "young and perky VTuber."

"Ah, I like mala tang, so I threw it in."

Whether it was the VTuber appeal paying off or the newbie banner on main, viewers were trickling in visibly. But I'd been talking nonstop, and only five minutes had passed...

Oh crap. Glancing at the time, I suddenly had no idea how to fill the stream. The chat was dying without my input, but my brain froze on what to say next.

"Th-thank you all so much for coming!"

"No, not ending! It's just wild that anyone's watching."

I shook my head frantically at the reactive chat.

"I, uh, can't think of what to say."

"No! Absolutely not! How could you say that!"

I had to clap back fast at the trap question. Dating for a VTuber? Total taboo unless you're nuts.

Sure, rare cases worked out, but only for a tiny few with some age on them. Admit to CC or dating interest on day one?

Just imagining it sent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chills down my spine.

"I absolutely won't date!"

Shit, big trouble. The bait had twisted into something weird.

"No! Absolutely not! Uh, yeah! How about a Celibacy Oath?"

Before viewers could respond, I whipped open the paint app, flipped the screen, and slowly typed out the Celibacy Oath with the mouse.

Phew. This should satisfy them...

"Eek...! Wait, just a sec!"

Phew. Dodged a bullet—one wrong word and the debut would've tanked. Do regular streamers walk this tightrope daily? Never appreciated it watching, but doing it myself? Respect.

I did have an RP, but it was some kid-level "knight from mala tang land" nonsense.

"No RP, but wanna try a game maybe?"

"Ah, not Leore—Eternal Loop. Know it?"

My six-year baby Eternal Loop. Skipped a year for army, but I'd hit that rank.

Chat exploded as expected—small explosion, but still.

"I'm... good at it."

Wait, did I even have an Eternal Loop ID? Guy-era Ha-yoon did, but now...

Nope. Ransacking memories, girl Ha-yoon had barely gamed—high school RitoChess with friends was it.

"I'll... be good. Probably."

Viewers blinked at my backpedal, but I had a backup.

"I-I haven't played much, but there's this cute character Bianchi, right?"

"Next time, next time for sure!"

Phew. Bianchi's villain rep saved me.

'All thanks to you, my liege.'

A familiar voice echoed in my head. Thanks, Anki!

"S-so, RitoChess today?"

Chat was already memeing. If this stuck, hard to shake later...

"Anyway, launching RitoChe—"

*Ding-dong.*

Someone rang the bell. Then it hit me—the forgotten promise.

'Anyway, sleep tonight, up tomorrow morning, hangover soup before stream?'

'Yup, got it!'

"Ah."

I muted the mic, bolted to the door.

*Drring.*

"Noona."

"Haa... Yoonie."

"S-sorry..."

"I was so worried."

Her face mixed worry and relief, making me feel even guiltier at how much she adored her little sis.

"You didn't pick up your phone—what were you doing? Thought something happened."

"S-sorry, must've been streaming... couldn't answer."

"Fine if you're ok. Streaming? Right now?"

"Yeah. Come in? Mic's off."

Noona peeked at my PC, nodded, and followed me in. She leaned right up to the monitor, staring at my Riee model in fascination, then tilted her head at me.

"Don't you need to say something? Chats are piling up."

"Huh?"

Glancing at chat, yeah—for a trash streamer, it was buzzing fast.

"Ah."

The doorbell from before had blown up chat into chaos. Viewers spiked—coords leaked somewhere for sure. Delay more, and I'd be "bf-caught trash girl" forever.

"Ah! Everyone! It's Noona, my sister! Definitely not bf!"

I turned mic on, rambled excuses, but viewers ignored. As expected, gallery scum swarmed for dopamine hits.

"N-Noona..."

I glanced at her; she got it, nodded, and stepped to the mic.

"Hello. Real blood sister."

Her soft voice instantly calmed the storm. Then why rage when I said it?

"Our H—"

"Riee!"

I cut her off before the name slip; she nodded and continued.

"Riee hasn't eaten lunch, so I'll feed her and restart the stream. Ok?"

"Thanks everyone. Back in... about two hours."

I hit end stream on her cue, finally breathing. Sneaking a peek at viewers...

"Whoa..."

Three digits on debut? Matched mid-tier corporate debuts I'd seen.

What'm I saying? For an indie, that's insane jackpot.