Despite the rude behavior towards Ayaya, for some reason, he was receiving only positive comments.
“N-No way, why are these messages coming…? I hit Ayaya-san… Fans should normally be angry, shouldn’t they…?” (Haruto)
Checking the profiles of the users who left these messages, it was overwhelmingly clear that they were Ayaya’s fans.
Muttering to himself, he continued scrolling through the notifications.
The reason as to why this was happening became clear when he opened the URL that had been sent to him.
“W-What’s with this clip…” (Haruto)
The first thing that caught his eye was a clip with the title: “Toxic Oni-chan Being Too Kind to Ayaya (lol).”
It had 50,000 likes and had been retweeted over 20,000 times.
There were several other clips and videos in a similar situation.
One such video included the highlights of all the good moments from the collaboration with Ayaya.
He had given away the only Assault Rifle, the R-301, claiming he already had it.
He handed over one extra healing item.
He praised both enemies and allies.
All of these acts were meticulously edited into a well-crafted and funny video.
While watching the video, there was a part of him thinking, “Is it okay for me to interact with someone like her?”
Checking the comments section of the video, there were only positive reactions from Oni-chan’s perspective.
Twitto Post: [Oni-chan is really kind LOL]
Twitto Post: [Such a cute klutz.]
Twitto Post: [I can tell. He was treating Ayaya like a little sister.]
Twitto Post: [I know right? You can see how he interacts with his little sister in this video lol]
Not a single negative comment. Not one.
“N-No, this is bad… If they see me like this, it’ll be difficult to continue keeping the status quo… Why is this getting so much attention in the first place?!” (Haruto)
The reason became apparent from the comments below.
“N-No way… right?” (Haruto)
It wasn’t a mistake.
Ayaya, a professional gamer with over 200,000 followers on Twitto and the person featured in the various clips and videos, was helping to fuel the fire with comments like, “Oni-chan and I accidentally collaborated! Check out the details in my stream VOD1!”
“Ugh. To think that I would be used as a stepping stone…!” (Haruto)
Feeling like his knees were about to give out, he understood that this was karma.
He was the one who had initially tried to use her so there was no room for complaint.
“This is bad. This is really bad… I need to do some damage control quickly…” (Haruto)
Cold sweat dripped down.
While holding his head and thinking about his next move, he prioritized posting a message to contain the situation.
Twitto Post: [Haa. I just finished my business and the moment I checked in on Twitto, all I saw was a mess of lies. Do you guys really want my attention that badly? It’s a hassle, so I won’t bother dealing with it.]
He pushed away the users showing goodwill and intentionally posted a cold response. However, it was all in vain.
Twitto Post: [I heard you’re working six days a week, so you’ve been working all this time!? Thanks for your hard work!]
Twitto Post: [Take it easy and rest~]
Twitto Post: [Saying “It’s a hassle” is basically equivalent to saying “I got no counterargument”!]
Twitto Post: [Honestly, I want you to pay attention to me!]
In just about 10 seconds, comments like these appeared. Was it a mistake to post here in the first place? He began to think.
No, he became convinced after seeing the next message.
Twitto Post: [Yay~! Pay attention to me too!] — Such a comment came from Ayaya’s account, which had over 200,000 followers.
If this continued, there would be no way to contain the situation. It was like pouring fuel on a fire.
“N-No… You really didn’t have to post that. Even if it’s in your personality.” (Haruto)
Haruto’s face became filled with distress, but upon further thought, he realized this might be a good opportunity. After all, it seemed like this person loved to get involved in lively scenes, even if it meant bothering ordinary people.
Twitto Post: [Oi, I won’t forgive you for all this. Let me punch you again.]
On Twitto, this exchange was visible to all users. In other words, he thought that he could restore his image by fully embracing his toxic persona at this opportunity.
Twitto Post: [What a unique way of inviting me to another collaboration! I’m okay with it!!]
Twitto Post: [I’m okay too… Not!! Stop messing with me.]
While responding to Ayaya, a thought struck him.
“Because of the dialect, it feels like I’m talking to Shirayuki-san…” (Haruto)
Whether it was because he just found out that she was an ABEX player or not, he couldn’t help but feel that way. He felt a sense of guilt creeping up to him, thinking he might be using rough language with someone he knew.
Twitto Post: [I’m not messing around!]
Twitto Post: [Alright, I won’t reply to you anymore.]
He understood that things were getting out of hand so he chose a strategic retreat.
Twitto Post: [What’s with this banter lol]
Twitto Post: [You guys might as well start dating now…]
Twitto Post: [No, that’s not possible. Ayaya’s mine.]
Twitto Post: [She’s not yours! She’s mine.]
When something unpleasant happens, it tends to escalate into more unpleasant things.
As if to prove that, this exchange alone quickly surpassed 500 likes.
“T-The notifications won’t stop…” (Haruto)
Even after checking the notifications, new ones kept pouring in. There seemed to be no end to it.
“Haa… That’s enough for today. Let’s just wait for things to settle down… I hope this was the right decision…” (Haruto)
Deciding to put this matter on hold, he powered off his smartphone.
With nothing going well and a heavy heart, he headed home prioritizing safety.
And after returning home…
“Thanks for the meal. Today’s dinner was delicious too. Thanks as always.” (Haruto)
“It’s nothing special. I’m just doing the usual.” (Yuno)
He finished the meal that Yuno had prepared, expressing his gratitude as usual.
“Oh, Onii-chan, is it okay if we have oyakodon for breakfast tomorrow too? If it’s lackluster, I can make more side dishes.” (Yuno)
“No, it’s fine! By the way, I can’t keep relying on Yuu, so… maybe it’s about time you taught me how to cook…?” (Haruto)
He cast an expectant gaze with his amber-colored eyes at Yuno, but his request was easily brushed off.
“I can’t let someone who confuses sugar and salt in the kitchen. I feel that you might cause a fire someday.” (Yuno)
“Ah, haha… I’m really sorry for that incident.” (Haruto)
“Well, in a way, it became a good memory, so I won’t say it was all bad.” (Yuno)
“‘In a way’ sounds a bit pathetic, doesn’t it?” (Haruto)
This happened on Yuno’s birthday. Haruto, who was not used to cooking, tried his best to prepare a celebratory meal but made the mistake of confusing the seasonings.
“‘It’s delicious,’ she said as she ate, but since then, Yuno has banned me from the kitchen.
I still remember her saying, ‘I’ve never seen someone who doesn’t taste their own cooking.’
“Well… on a serious note, you don’t have to worry about anything, onii-chan. Taking care of household chores is my responsibility.” (Yuno)
“Even so, wouldn’t it be easier if I learned to cook?” (Haruto)
“Hmm. It would be a lie to say that it wouldn’t be easier. But I enjoy doing it, and if you push yourself any harder, onii-chan, you’ll definitely end up overworking yourself, right?” (Yuno)
As she twirled a strand of her antennae-like hair with her index finger, Yuno continued speaking.
“I know it perfectly well, you know? Even after finishing your cafe job, you’re streaming until late at night and editing videos. If you’re already this busy, you’re definitely going to overwork yourself if you do the chores too.” (Yuno)
“Well, you’re not any better. You’re going to school, working part-time, doing household chores, and even studying for university. You’re much busier than I am.” (Haruto)
“You’re busier, onii-chan.” (Yuno)
“Yuu is busier.” (Haruto)
“Onii-chan.” (Yuno)
“No, it’s Yuu.” (Haruto)
In reality, both of them are busy. It’s precisely because they care about each other that such arguments arise.
The uncompromising battle unfolds in the living room for a few minutes.
“Ah.” (Haruto)
Whether it can be considered good timing or not, Haruto’s smartphone, which was on the table, vibrates with a buzz.
“A message?” (Yuno)
“Yeah. I set it up so that I only get notifications for Twitto DMs, so it’s probably that…” (Haruto)
His account is configured to receive direct messages only from mutual followers.
In other words, messages will be from people he’s connected with.
“Who could it be… I don’t have any particularly close connections.” (Haruto)
“Isn’t it LAIN2?” (Yuno)
“No, I turned off notifications for that.” (Haruto)
While responding, upon checking the notification, there it was… the name of Ayaya, a streamer with over 300,000 subscribers.
“(Oni-chan! When can we collaborate again? I’ve been thinking about adjusting my schedule accordingly! Is now a bad time?)” (Ayaya)
An invitation from someone who has more than double the number of subscribers… This collaboration won’t have much merit for her, but she’s still willing to adjust her schedule and go through with the collaboration.
There are probably very few streamers out there without hidden agendas like her.
“… ” (Haruto)
“Hey, onii-chan. That message is from a girl, right?” (Yuno)
“W-Why do you think so?” (Haruto)
“Because you looked so happy staring at the screen.” (Yuno)
When he raises his face from the smartphone, Yuno is leaning on her hand with a sulking expression.
“Well, it’s not because it’s from a girl that I’m happy. I’m happy because of the content of the message.” (Haruto)
“Really?” (Yuno)
“Yeah, really. It was a message from someone about wanting to collaborate with me.” (Haruto)
“Ehhhh!?” (Yuno)
Yuno appeared surprised, but her expression quickly turned complex.
“It seems like it’s going to be a chaotic stream. Collaborating with you means that person is probably also someone who likes to taunt others…” (Yuno)
“Well, that’s kind of normal for pro gamers.” (Haruto)
“Pro gamer!? Doesn’t that affect their reputation? Like, ‘Collaborating with this person means they condone3 such behavior.'” (Yuno)
“Well, um… it should be okay.” (Haruto)
“R-really?” (Yuno)
“If they’re the ones inviting, I think it should be fine.” (Haruto)
What Yuno was saying makes sense. He had been concerned about the same thing. That’s why he had been avoiding collaborations with others and tended to work alone. However, after the incident with Ayaya, the situation became somewhat peculiar.
TL Notes:
Thanks for reading!
Tbh I confuse sugar and salt too. I don’t even know how to explain the difference between bitter and sour. Yeh, people like me exist apparently.
Thanks for the chapter.
Thanks for the chapter!
What, really? I didn’t think I could meet someone that couldn’t really differ bitter and sour…
…wait, those two are similar indeed. What about sweet and salty?
Well, I at least know sweet. In my mind there’s only two type of flavor, sweet and not sweet.
I think you can differentiate the two by texture since even table salt seems rough and sugar is smooth