Misunderstandings from the Very First Stream

Ding-dong.

"Delivery!"

The streaming equipment I ordered arrived just a day later. Rocket delivery really is the best.

After ordering a camera, a microphone, lighting, and everything else, my bank account balance was cut in half.

"But it's fine. I just need to make it back by streaming somehow."

If I fail to make it back... well, I'll just have to lay down in my grave next to some stock-market clown. Or maybe I'll turn into a gold-farming MapleStory zealot screaming about server nerfs.

I really didn't want to go outside and work a part-time job. To be precise, I hated "interviews." Having failed company interviews so many times, even a simple part-time job interview triggered a deep-seated trauma.

The real reason I decided to stream was because I hated interviews.

"This is a golden opportunity to escape unemployment!"

I had nothing else going for me. If a human gains the advantage of looks, isn't it only natural to exploit it immediately? Correct! "Correct, alchemist!"

Since the streaming equipment I ordered had arrived, let's start the stream right away.

I pulled up a WeTube video explaining how to set up a stream. Following the video's instructions, I connected the camera and microphone to the computer.

I finished setting up the lighting so that my face—my sole redeeming quality—would look its best. Now, all that was left was to go live.

"...Now that I'm actually about to do it, I'm getting nervous again."

Only my appearance had changed; the person inside was still the same old me.

"But if I just sit here and do nothing, my departed David would have died in vain. Even if I fail, I have to give it a shot."

Now that the equipment was set up, the next step was creating a Chijijik account.

Age: 23. Gender: Male. Name... using my real name felt a bit lacking.

I put the mouse down for a moment and thought deeply. What would be a good nickname?

Since the stream I was planning was a crossdressing guy—no, a reverse-crossdressing girl... "femboy" was a bit much.

In that case, from otokonoko... let's drop the "oto" and go with "Konoko."

And just like that, my nickname was decided: Konoko.

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"One final check on the settings. The stream title is set, so once I click the broadcast button, we're live."

I hovered the mouse pointer over the broadcast button. Gulp.

"I'm really, really going to press it."

Watching others do it was easy. Doing it myself was incredibly nerve-wracking.

"L-let's drink some water first."

Pssssht! Gulp, gulp.

I drank some carbonated barley tea containing 4% courage-boosting ingredients.

"I can do this! Let's go! Lai-lai cha-cha-cha!!"

I clicked the broadcast button.

Viewer count: 0. Certified low-tier streamer right from the start!

I had set the stream title to [Day 0 Streamer's First Broadcast].

People would probably pop in out of curiosity just to see my face. If I played my cards right, I could gather a decent audience.

But the problem was what came next. As someone whose MBTI was basically PPPP, I had absolutely no plan.

In other words, I had to carry the stream purely through talking, without any actual content.

Well, that was something to worry about once viewers actually showed up. If it stayed at zero like this...

[Viewer count: 1]

"Ah, h-hello! I'm Konoko, a fresh-out-of-the-oven rookie streamer, bowing down to greet you!!"

Rookie streamer trait: bowing lower than the single viewer's feet.

"A male streamer's broadcast...?"

"Thank you for the follow!"

With that, my very first viewer followed and vanished. Silence descended upon the chat as I lost my only viewer.

Was my reaction too low-tier? No, I am low-tier. So I should act like it.

A low-tier streamer must always bow their head and show absolute gratitude to their viewers. It might look pathetic, but that's how you survive ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in this cutthroat, oversaturated streaming market.

I waited for viewers to return. The previous viewer said they'd be right back, so I decided to trust them and wait.

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The Chijijik Male Streamer Gallery. A post went up on this forum, where users were constantly arguing over whose "oppa" was better.

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After waiting blankly for a few minutes, another viewer joined.

"Hello!"

"Thank you for the compliment! Please hit that follow button too!"

[Viewer count: 30]

"Uh..."

The viewer count, which had been hovering near zero just moments ago, instantly shot up to thirty.

For a rookie streamer, this was an astronomical number. I didn't know how they had promoted me, but either way, it was a good thing.

"I'm just incredibly grateful that so many of you are watching."

"Oh, come on, how could I do that? You're precious viewers who chose to tune into a stream by someone like me."

"Humble? A low-tier streamer has to be humble. Is a nobody ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like me supposed to just swear at people? Is that allowed?"

"But something's been bugging me for a bit... why do you keep calling me a male streamer?"

"Ah, I get it now."

"So, you guys are misunderstanding and thinking I'm a guy."

No matter how handsome I look, there should still be some clues that I'm a girl. But for every single viewer to think I'm a guy... did my plan work too well? I wanted to keep my gender ambiguous, but I didn't expect them to be so absolutely certain.

"Listen carefully, everyone. I'm actually a girl."

"My streamer profile says male? Hold on, let me check."

I opened another window to check my Chijijik account. And indeed, my gender was set to male. I must have made a mistake while filling it out mindlessly. Well, this is awkward...

"Ahaha... the settings were wrong. I'll fix it right away."

Mistakes must be apologized for and corrected immediately.

"It was just a minor mistake during setup, so please cut me some slack."

"I know I look a bit handsome. But I'm definitely a girl. It's not a concept."

"What did you just say?"

In web novels, webtoons, or even masterpieces by Japanese anime directors, the absolute rule of gender benders is to touch your own chest first. Do you guys have any idea how frustrating it is to be denied even that?!

"Anyone who calls me flat, a cutting board, or an ironing board is getting banned."

"Doesn't need them? You, follow me to the rooftop."

"Well, we've got some viewers, but the problem is I don't have any content planned. I'm taking recommendations."

"That sounds good. Send questions or whatever you want to say to my email, and I'll read them."

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"Alright, let's read the first email."

"The way the minor details were subtly edited is really infuriating. And for the record, I've never had a girlfriend."

Unlike the chat, which was having a blast, I had a grim premonition that reading future emails was going to be a painful endeavor.