Chapter 3: Viewer 21, I Opened My Eyes

I opened my eyes. More precisely, I finally came back to my senses. I knew I'd collapsed like I'd fainted, but I'd only closed my eyes for a moment, yet the clock showed four hours had passed. My body was the same. It wasn't a dream. The weight on my chest hadn't vanished, and every breath I took threw off my balance just a little. But even clearer was the sticky white fluid still between my legs.

"...Ha."

I let out a short breath and rubbed my face with my hands. Instead of a cold texture, soft, unfamiliar skin pressed against my palms. I didn't look in the mirror again. I'd seen enough earlier.

The status window ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't floating in front of me. That made me even more anxious. Had it disappeared, or was it just waiting?

I slowly got up from the bed.

"Mmngh...."

Standing there awkwardly with my legs pressed together, a woman's voice echoed in my ears. I'd tried to speak low, but it flowed out naturally anyway. And there, in the dark monitor, was the silhouette of a woman.

'...When did the window pop up.'

Glancing around in fear that something might flash again somewhere, I spotted something that had rolled under the bed and picked it up. Thin fabric. A pure white bra and panties.

"...Where did these come from?"

I held the underwear in front of me, staring at it for a long time before finally putting it on.

It was better than being completely naked. Though it sucked that these, of all things, felt reassuring. They were clearly made for this body.

Ding— The status window finally appeared.

...It sure doesn't waste time letting me know.

"Fatigue?"

I naturally glanced down at the underwear I was wearing. Sure enough, compared to the bare skin feeling drained from earlier... every movement pulled awkwardly, and my balance was off.

"So... this is better, huh."

I muttered to myself, staring at the monitor. It still felt off-putting as hell, but not as panic-inducing as before.

"Ah...."

A short gasp escaped me. As it grew more familiar, the sensations that had been nagging even when I was still faded back a step. They hadn't vanished completely, but just putting on this bra and panties to support the body brought it into manageable territory.

The window slowly folded away.

"In the end... it's streaming."

The hand that had been wiping the fluid from between my legs with toilet paper just moments ago nudged the mouse. My fingertips trembled as I caught the mouse before it hit the floor.

Turning on the computer after so long, even the boot sound felt alien.

"...Hoo."

I leaned back in the chair, exhaling shortly. It creaked once, lightly—a familiar sound. But on the screen in front of it was a woman. I just pursed my lips and stared at the monitor.

"...Yeah. Now it's kinda watchable."

No makeup, hair not even brushed properly, but the reflection on screen didn't look bad. Honestly, it looked good. The hair catching the light, naturally parted lips, and the upward curve of my breasts. The perfect 'that kind of camgirl' look.

"...No matter how I look at it, this is bait."

A face any guy would love. A body that draws them in without trying.

Broadcast management page. Stream key. The 'Start Broadcast' button. I stopped right there.

'Am I insane?'

Turning on a stream with this body? Turning on the camera?

"Recommended, my ass..."

I muttered, but my eyes stayed glued to the button. If this was real. If it wasn't a dream. And if I couldn't escape this absurd condition.

I already knew the answer. There was nowhere to run. Except streaming.

I pulled the chair closer, sat down, and grabbed the hoodie draped over the back. A few sizes too big for this body. I wanted to hide the curves. It was comforting now. I turned off the camera but left the mic on.

...At least keep the voice minimal for the stream. My fingers trembled over the mouse.

"...Once I start, I have to go all the way."

I wasn't even sure who I was saying it to. Click. The broadcast started.

The familiar alert sound. But today, my heart pounded with it.

Viewer count: 0

I took a deep breath.

"Uh... hello."

My voice shook a bit. No one was watching this dead stream, but it was way worse than usual.

"Just... turning on the stream today like always."

A few seconds. No reaction. Just as I thought of course, the number moved.

0 → 1

My eyes darted there first.

"Ah."

I tried not to focus on it, but a reaction slipped out. A chat popped up.

My heart dropped with a thud, weirdly enough.

"Uh... yeah..."

I tried to make excuses but the words stuck. Then, a small window appeared in the corner of my vision.

'Now, at this timing?'

Sweat slicked my palms.

"Just tweaking the mic settings."

I said that, but I hadn't touched anything. Another chat appeared.

Nice. That one word made something inside my chest tingle oddly. So much I might've forgotten to breathe.

"Phah...."

Then the status window reacted quietly.

"Eut...!"

The moment my eyes went there, barely any time after starting the stream, I panicked and hit broadcast end. Or rather, I slammed it shut wanting it gone. My heart still hadn't settled, making a mockery of "go all the way."

'Crazy bastard...'

My ears rang dully, my mental state shaken. ...Two years of streaming, and this is how I react? Ah!

New camgirl? Voice is nice tho? Even closing my eyes, those chats circled my mind. It felt like I'd just realized what my identity should be from now on.

'Camgirl.'

But look at the account. Nickname, profile pic, past streams. All traces of 'me.' Continue with this body? Even if no one knew, just imagining it twisted my guts.

"No way..."

I muttered firmly. This wasn't running—it was basic cleanup. Calming my startled mind, I reopened the browser.

Platform main page. The button in the top right caught my eye.

[Sign Up]

Click. My hand paused at the email input. My old email was tied to the account. After a moment's thought, I made a new one. Name random. Numbers mixed in, meaningless combo.

'From now on... it's separate.'

Signup finished quick. Checking the verification email brought up the profile setup.

Nickname input | The cursor blinked.

"......"

What to pick? I deleted my old nick right away. It didn't fit anymore. Too flashy? No. Too plain? No. After pondering, I typed a meaningless word.

[TempNick_001]

Not satisfying, but it was the best for my tangled feelings right now. Next, profile pic? I was gonna leave the default icon but paused.

'What am I even gonna use this account for.'

Streaming. Camgirl streaming, specifically. Still lots to prepare, so minimize voice exposure. I checked settings one by one.

Camera: Inactive

Chat: Active

Alert sound: Minimum

Recommended exposure: Default

I got needlessly meticulous, like prepping for war. Last thing left:

[Start Broadcast]

I didn't hit it right away. Leaned back in the chair, took slow breaths.

"New account... so it's fine."

Again, not sure who for. No one listening, but I muttered like convincing myself.

'No one knew the old me anyway.'

That instant, a small phrase flashed at the edge of my vision.

I deliberately didn't read it. Didn't want to think what it meant right now. Click. Broadcast started.

An icon by the nickname no one would recognize. Viewer count: 0

This time, strangely, the number stung less.

"Uh... hello."

I lowered my tone more. Cautious, more neutral than usual.

"New account. Just... gonna play some games."

No chat. Seconds. Tens of seconds. Just as figures hit me, the number moved.

0 → 1

My heart jumped reflexively.

'Calm down.'

I started the game without a word. Newbie challenge again. Not good at it, but less tense than before.

Then chat appeared.

My hand froze for a second.

"......Yeah, that's right."

Short reply. Didn't want to drag it out and trigger more reactions.

'As expected...'

New account or old, the moment the stream went live, conditions were the same. Staring at the monitor, I slowly realized: changing accounts doesn't change the game.

But even so, the viewer count on this stream was creeping up.

1 → 2

Still okay. For now. I refocused on the game screen, thinking that.

About thirty minutes in. Game still sucked. Stuck in the same spot three times, making the "newbie challenge" label a joke. But the numbers didn't drop.

Viewer count: 17 → 19 → 21

'Why?'

I couldn't understand. No fun, no skill, deliberately toning down reactions.

A chat popped up.

Next chat.