Bot~chi (In the Commentator's Tone)
The Dopamine Quota System.
That's something I came up with.
Today, I'd more or less filled my allotment. After all, I'd just come back from filming Jacon content, thoroughly enjoying myself off the audience reactions.
On top of that, a ton of people were bound to show up tonight anyway, so the atmosphere was going to be a mess no matter what.
I'd figured I'd just quietly play some games in a chill, healing-stream kind of vibe, but…
An angry mob had descended in full force.
Their terms were clear: if I didn't put out my voice, they were going to occupy the entire chat.
It was even more chaotic than I'd expected. Looking at the current mood, there was absolutely no way I was talking them down through chat alone.
"Hmm…"
I crossed my arms for a moment and thought it over.
If I wanted to calm them down, I'd probably have to turn on the mic.
But honestly — wasn't that my call? Who did they think they were, ordering me to turn on my microphone?
And these were people showing up to my stream for the first time today, no less.
Yesterday I'd obediently explained myself because I'd been the one who lied first. That was different.
I, Jimin Lee, was not the kind of woman who got pushed around by her viewers that easily.
Ignoring the flood of question marks pouring in, I queued up.
🎵 Now Playing: ASMR — Crackling Campfire Sounds, 8-Hour Continuous Playback
Since it was a chill stream, I threw on some BGM too.
What book, we're watching a stream, go die Bocchi… and so on. A torrent of curses flooded the chat, but I quietly started the game.
The champion I locked in was, of course, Irel.
As laning phase began, I glanced at the enemy top laner's ID and found it vaguely familiar.
Ah — that second-string pro I'd infinite solo-killed last time, wasn't it?
Probably because of that memory, he was curled up tight and refusing to step outside his turret.
Cute little guy. Did he really think that would stop my invincible TS mechanics?
Click-click.
Tatatatatatak!
"Heh."
After snatching first blood with an absolutely filthy dive, I immediately typed in chat.
I'd slipped up.
This was supposed to be a quiet library-concept stream. I'd typed it out of pure habit without even thinking.
But… hmm.
Normally they'd be spamming "HYYPE" and worshiping my god-tier plays right about now.
But because of the mic situation, all the attention seemed to be pointed somewhere completely different. Chat was still flooding with demands to turn the mic on.
"Focus on my plays, will you."
I muttered that under my breath, and my eyes drifted toward the microphone.
Maybe just one word. Banning people wasn't going to quiet them down anyway.
Click.
"Um… excuse me. Could you please keep it down a little? This is a library."
I said it in a whisper.
A storm of question marks filled the chat — and then:
They went quiet as lambs.
Even the ones who'd been completely ignoring my gameplay and running wild just moments ago…
Suddenly they were locked onto my gameplay. And the delicious reactions were a free bonus.
"……."
I was genuinely speechless. One flick of the mic and their attitude did a complete one-eighty? This was full-on weather-vane energy.
Honestly, it was completely ridiculous.
But well. It didn't feel bad. I'd thought I'd already filled today's dopamine quota, but apparently there was still some left in the tank… ahem ahem.
"'Massacring,' they say… heh heh heh."
"Heh heh hehh… why are you even advertising that? Ah, wait, I forgot to turn off the mic."
I turned the mic back off. I'd been grinning to myself looking at chat like usual and got caught. Embarrassing.
Anyway.
"Does it not really fit?"
They had a point — the BGM was a little bland compared to the absolute slaughter happening on screen.
I was getting tired of the library concept anyway, so maybe it was time for a change. Taking viewer feedback to some degree was part of a streamer's job, after all.
I said that and switched the track.
Click.
The new song wasn't an upbeat pop track… no.
Kono mune ni—
What kind of song was this.
It was an anime track. And not just any anime track — a banger from what I personally considered a masterpiece.
Ah, my chest was already heating up.
I'd been a little worried they might reject a weeb song.
Reject it? They were spamming glowstick emotes and vibing harder than anyone.
Then again, who wasn't a weeb these days. The whole world was weebs.
With the legendary anime OST buff stacked on top, the Irel one-trick began dancing with her blades like she was possessed.
I hard-carried straight through on pure top-lane gap.
"Heh."
The moment I saw the scoreboard, I broke into a wide grin. An 11/0/0 murderous KDA. Damage dealt, obviously first place.
Won the game, and the chat reactions were as tasty as ever.
My mood had improved considerably. Ah — so this was a brand of dopamine you just couldn't get from being an idol?
That feeling of wanting more no matter how much you'd already had.
But…
"No. Don't get attached."
I shook my head firmly.
Getting addicted to this kind of dopamine would be a problem. Like Haruka said today, I was ultimately someone who had to return to the world of idols.
If I was going to leave cleanly someday, there couldn't be any more emotional investment from here on out.
Yeah. Starting now, I'd stream like an emotionless psychopath…
…yeah, right.
"Boc~chi. Heh hehh."
I couldn't hold out and turned the mic back on. These reactions were way too delicious to keep playing emotionless psychopath.
Ah, whatever. For now, I'd just follow my instincts.
Later… things would work themselves out somehow.
"Ah, thank you for the ten dollars. Want me to change the song?"
"It just seemed like things had calmed down a bit…"
I'd been planning to turn it on once chat settled down anyway.
…or so I said, and the second I flipped the mic back on, chat exploded into absolute chaos all over again. Yeah. Figures.
I'd ignore that for now and just change the song.
Ten dollars wasn't a huge amount of money to me personally, but for streamer Bocchi it was a pretty solid donation. Especially since donations didn't come easy on a pure-skill Irel stream.
"What should I put on… ah."
As I scrolled through the playlist, a certain idol song caught my eye.
"Heh heh."
I snorted the second I saw it. A sudden spark of curiosity hit me, and I hit play.
HYPE — Lie
I'd put it on out of pure curiosity about the reaction, and of course everyone already knew it.
It was a slightly different feeling from being recognized out on the street. Maybe because this was the first time I'd been recognized on a stream?
It felt kind of proud, honestly. When had we grown this much?
Good kids. Such good kids.
"Ahem, I thought you guys only liked weeb songs, but you're into this kind of music too, huh."
"…I-is that so? Heh hehm heh hehm hehh."
Okay, that one actually made me proud. So proud that idol Jimin Lee's real feelings almost slipped out.
I'd almost said "thank you" without thinking.
"……."
How should I put this. Now that the conversation had drifted this way, a mischievous little thought was starting to form.
Curiosity. A different flavor of curiosity from before.
Earlier, I'd been asking as a representative of HYPE's members — gauging how well-known we'd become. This time, the curiosity was purely personal.
The problem was that it was a little embarrassing. Just thinking about it made my cheeks burn.
"Hey, guys."
Ah damn, I really shouldn't…!
"I'm just a little curious about something…"
Ah, I really shouldn't…!
"Among the HYPE members… who do you like the most?"
I genuinely couldn't hold it in.
…I was honestly curious!