Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: I'm So Wronged
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I stared blankly at the main page of my personal fan cafe, which I'd just set up yesterday: Fervent Devotees of Lord Reflecting Myriad Stars.
Now that I'd gone and made a fan cafe too, it really hit me all over again—I'd actually become a full-fledged VTuber.
The internet streaming platform, Watchplay.
Last year, my total Watchplay recap clocked in at 3,800 hours.
Out of that, 2,500 hours were spent watching the indie VTuber Ayase Mitsuko's streams.
Holy crap.
3,800 hours.
Divide that by 365, and it's 10.4 hours a day.
In other words...
Last year, I spent over ten hours a day watching VTuber broadcasts.
Sure, sometimes I'd leave the stream on while sleeping or doing other stuff...
But still, I must've consistently watched at least eight hours a day.
Me, someone who'd gone absolutely crazy for VTuber streams, was now debuting as a VTuber myself.
And I wasn't even supposed to—I'm a guy, after all. Talk about something out of left field.
There's a saying: "A surviving male VTuber is a monster."
VTuber viewers are about 95% male, 5% female.
How's a male VTuber supposed to survive on just that tiny 5% female audience?
You've gotta become a monster.
A broadcasting monster. Either an audio monster whose mic never goes silent for even three seconds...
Or someone who sings so spine-chillingly well it gives you goosebumps.
Or with a voice that slaps voice actors in the face.
Or game skills in the top 0.1%.
Point is, male VTubers need insane talent to survive, so I'd never dreamed I'd become one.
And yet.
It.
Actually happened.
Hell, even my gender changed.
This is divine mischief.
Not wordplay or metaphor—actual godly meddling.
Right?
"..."
Since no divine retribution's coming down...
Looks like even Lord Reflecting Myriad Stars has a shred of conscience.
Anyway, so far, thanks to top-tier roleplay quality...
Or maybe the rarity of being a "fanatic devotee"...
I've managed to draw in a decent floating audience.
But that's temporary.
Floating internet broadcast viewers? They're dopamine addicts. The second it gets boring, they'll bail cold.
For streamers—especially VTubers—the real key isn't topical hype to grab floaters.
It's charm that builds loyal fans.
Take Ayase, for example. She's solidly established as an indie VTuber.
No matter how trash the game, her viewers never drop below 3,000.
Even if she sings five ear-rape abominations in a row, I've never seen it dip below 3k.
Proof she's locked in those loyal fans tight.
"Sigh..."
Thinking about Ayase just depresses me again.
Can't even chat.
Can't donate.
Why watch her streams then?
If she'd just said my name once, I'd be like, "Thank you!" and move on.
Why'd I send that tone-deaf donation instead?
Enough gloomy thoughts. Time to shelve 'em.
Anyway, I'm a proper VTuber now too.
To keep streaming long-term, I have to build loyal fans.
Life's unpredictable.
Wait.
Bad phrasing.
No one knows what a "Fervent Devotee of Reflecting Myriad Stars" might bring.
If I half-ass streams and all the floaters bail...
Those 3,000 could shrink to a 300-strong legion.
Then 100...
Down to 10 elders.
No joke—I've seen VTubers who debuted to thousands crash to double digits the moment they blinked.
And I have to stream every damn day.
Streaming to ten viewers daily, till I die, for decades? That's torture.
Anyway.
To avert that grim future, I made this fan cafe.
It'll work out fine.
🔔 Ayase's Broadcast [Today's content... is a song stream for what my ducklings love!]
💬 Chat — User Kraaaaaaaaack! — User Spaaaare us! — User It's not what we like—it's what you like! Giyaaaaak! — User Who the hell likes this anyway?!?! — User Mute first. — User Muting's too harsh lololol Ayase started singing.
Oof.
Sounds great.
Gotta drop the volume to 5%.
With Ayase's singing as my side dish, I started managing the fan cafe.
Approve join requests.
Already 3,000 applications.
Set up categories.
Just copy-paste from Ayase's fan cafe.
Level-up conditions.
Copy from Ayase's too.
"..."
What else is there to do?
I figured it'd be a ton of work, so I started managing five hours before the stream.
But referencing Ayase's cafe, it all wrapped up in 30 minutes.
Feels empty.
No banner.
Default font, no new posts.
Guess from here...
I need help from my golden-handed devotees.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I started the stream a bit earlier than usual and showed the barren fan cafe screen while asking viewers for help.
"Um... hate to ask, but... any golden-handed devotees out there? Could use a banner and some graphics."
— User Artist takeover incoming ㄷㄷㄷㄷ — User Has a conscience? — User But you're corporate, right? Corp won't even do that much? — User Corporate (not really) — User Corporate (it's indie) — User Omnia Archive? Never heard of it~ Reflecting Myriad Stars? Total BS~ Lee Jia's just full of concepts ㅇㅇ 'VTuberGamyeonByeotgigi' has been kicked by the manager. "You're banned."
— User Gasp! — User Scary... — User Someone just got executed right in front of us ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ — User Bans blasphemy without mercy lololololol — User She overlooks fun blasphemy though? — User Omnia Archive is just a 1-day ban. — User What's the criteria? Why's Omnia Archive just a 1-day ban?
Well...
...
...it's funny.
H-Honestly, even Lord Reflecting Myriad Stars probably couldn't hold back a laugh.
Even transcending humanity...
Humor codes might overlap with us...
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
Nope.
"SorryIwaswrongLordReflectingMyriadStarsIbrieflylostmymindandhadstupidthoughts..."
— User Divine retribution again? lololololol — User Talks so damn fast lololololololololol — User The more I watch, the funnier she gets lololololololol — User RP commitment is next-level impressive lololol ⚙ DONATION ⚙ ㅇㅇ donated 1,000 won. Alright, golden hands—pay your tribute with art now.
⚙ DONATION ⚙ Jiya donated 1,000 won. Do the banner for free, you punk!
"Who said anything about free?"
I have a conscience too.
I know making a fan cafe banner ain't easy.
"I'll pay in chicken instead."
— User Oh, so she's not ripping off art as 'tribute' lol — User Kya, where else you find a VTuber this nice! — User Tons of 'em tho? — User Click any random VTuber and they're nicer than the streamer lol — User Fr lol "Shut up. So, any golden-handed devotees?"
Then one viewer donated.
⚙ DONATION ⚙ MadStar donated 10,000 won. Jia, if no one else steps up, can I do the banner?
"Wha—MadStar? For real?"
— User Ooh MadStar? — User Real MadStar? — User ? — User Who's that — User wtf is MadStar weebs ⚙ DONATION ⚙ MadStar donated 10,000 won. Yep, it's me... Do you know me...?
"Of course! You did Yumeno Natsuki's avatar recently, Merhen before that, and Hansarang prior... Oh, better not mention this one."
— User ?????????????????? — User Alien language? — User Couldn't understand—super upvote — User Wtf how do you know all that lololololol — User Knows more than me? lololololol — User Said watching Ayase was a hobby, but she's a legit VTuber expert Truth is...
I didn't seek out VTuber moms and dads' names on purpose.
I just devoured streams left and right, and naturally picked 'em up like breathing.
Got excited seeing a familiar name, but...
"I'd be honored if you did it. Pretty please?"
⚙ DONATION ⚙ MadStar donated 10,000 won. lololol I'll do it.
Sweet.
No quality worries.
But...
This artist's rates are steep, from what I know.
At least twenty chickens to break even, right?
⚙ DONATION ⚙ MadStar donated 10,000 won. Oh, chicken's fine upfront. As a fellow devotee, this is pure fandom lololol
"Damn it, MadStar! I love you! You're a god!"
BAM!
"Gak."
BAM!
"Ack."
BAM!
"Giyaaaaak... Th-that wasn't sincere! It was just a figure of speech! Shit! Can't say anything anymore!"
⚙ DONATION ⚙ MadStar donated 10,000 won. lololololololololol Fan service appreciated. Starting work now!
— User Insane lololololololololol — User This is actually legendary lololololololol — User Can't stop admiring lololololololol — User Should be an actress not VTuber wtf? — User Brain break turned art lololololol — User Concept ate her alive? lololol — User Just hit a wall... Is this talent? — User You got talent, keep going. I wish it was just a concept.
Wish it was all RP.
No.
Humans toss around god-related idioms and metaphors all the time. Do I really get divine payback every slip-up?
I'm so wronged.
So, so wronged.