TGS – Vol 1 Prologue

Do-do-do-do-don~

Bang-bang-bang~

In a room where the intense sound of gunfire echoed from a PC, there was a man streaming a game called [ABEX]¹.

“Ah, I hear two sets of footsteps from the right. Looks like the small fries are here!” (?)

The moment the man heard the enemy’s footsteps, he added excitement to his stream, executed a slide to take cover behind an obstacle, and then faced the player from an advantageous position.

It was a 2 vs 1 shootout.

Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, the man displayed such incredible movements that one might wonder if he even needed the advantageous position.

After taking down the first enemy with a headshot, he danced around while swapping weapons, skillfully avoiding bullets from the enemy behind.

Sensing that the enemy was running low on ammo, he quickly closed the distance with swift movement and delivered the finishing blow to the last opponent.

Immediately afterwards, an accompanying kill sound can be heard, signaling the end of the fight.

A sudden silence descends upon the battlefield that was just bustling moments ago.

“Alright, there we go~” (?)

There was no tension in this man’s voice. With a carefree voice, he fished through the items of the defeated enemies.

“Thanks for the item donation~ Please come again!” (?)

He started tea-bagging² on top of the enemies’ corpses. There’s no real meaning behind doing this; it’s just a taunting gesture. Yet, this was exactly what makes this streamer, “Oni-chan³“, popular.

Just by acting like this, his channel managed to reach 100,000 subscribers.

As he does his usual taunting, the comment⁴ section with 1,500 viewers is flooded with reactions.

Superchat⁵ (240 yen): [What a clean kill!]

Superchat (1000 yen): [Nice!]

Superchat (2000 yen): [This man is too powerful.]

Additionally, regular comments start pouring in.

Comment: [This is frustrating. I don’t care who, someone, teach this guy a lesson!]

Comment: [This is seriously disgusting. I don’t understand the point of doing something like this. Just play normally.]

Comment: [I agree.]

Comment: [He was tea-bagging so fast. This man has totally gotten used to it.]

Comment: [Nice, keep it up!]

The mixed reactions from chat were a daily occurrence.

The man knows full well that he can get a lot of views by acting toxic so he kept doing it.

As a result, despite being the most criticized and least-liked figure in the ABEX community, this man has gained a large number of viewers by streaming content that even engages those hoping to see him defeated.

“Well then, let’s just quickly win and call it a day.” (?)

Even with that bold declaration mid-game, the man never actually died.

With every kill he gets, he continues to taunt the enemies.

While the word ‘CHAMPION’ was being displayed on screen, he spoke in a proud way.

“Well, it’s the same as usual, huh? Maybe I should have held back a bit so the enemies could have played more. Oh, and thanks for the donations!” (?)

Comment: [Don’t throw your money to someone like this.]

Comment: [It would’ve been more fun if you had lost.]

Comment: [Wow! What a one-sided domination.]

Comment: [It would be enjoyable if he didn’t taunt…]

Comment: [He’s just too good.]

Reading through numerous comments, the man wraps up.

“There you have it. As mentioned before, we’re done for today. Thanks for tuning in, everyone!” (?)

Comment: [Good job!]

Comment: [Thanks for your hard work!]

Comment: [Why not one more round!?]

Comment: [Just quit this game already.]

Comment: [Well, that was fun.]

After wrapping up, he moves the mouse, turns off the comment section, and puts the PC into sleep mode, plunging the screen into darkness.

Due to the mundane routine of these actions, the man lets his guard down after finishing his stream and skips over a crucial step in the process.

The step of actually ending the stream…

To make matters worse, he even made the critical mistake of forgetting to turn off his microphone…

Naturally, viewers were now able to hear the background.

Unaware of the situation and thinking that the stream had completely ended, the man was about to unwittingly reveal his true self.

“Sigh… I did quite a bit of taunting today… I hope the players aren’t too bothered by it…” (?)

The tone, the voice — they were nothing like the man who was streaming just moments ago.

Comment: [Huh? Is this voice ‘Oni-chan’? He sounds completely different, doesn’t it?]

Comment: [Is this some kind of prank?]

Comment: [Hey! The mic isn’t off! Someone tell him!]

Comment: [No need to tell someone like this.]

Comment: [Ooo, I’m getting really excited…]

The thoughts of those still watching were all the same.

—This might turn into a streaming incident.

The man, oblivious to the fact that chat was more lively now than during his actual game, is about to showcase something irreversible.

*Knock knock*

A gentle knocking sound echoed from the other side of the room door and was quickly followed by a girl’s voice.

“Onii-chan, can I come in? The stream’s over, right?” (?)

“Oh, yeah. Come on in.” (?)

The person who entered the man’s gaming room was his imouto (younger sister), who had brought in a tray of food.

“Oh, you brought me something to eat. Thanks!” (Brother)

“Good grief. Here I was making dinner, and you’re prioritizing your game. If you’re going to do that, I won’t make you dinner anymore.” (Sister)

“S-sorry. I’ll be more careful next time. Ahaha…” (Brother)

The microphone this man was using was quite high quality, so the friendly banter between the siblings could clearly be heard by the viewers.

Comment: [Oi oi! Oni-chan has an imouto!?]

Comment: [Isn’t her voice kinda cute!?]

Comment: [Her voice is totally my type.]

Comment: [Having an imouto who cooks for you is the best!]

Comment: [Poor imouto, having a brother like this.]

Comment: [Is the channel called ‘Oni-chan’ because his sister calls him ‘Onii-chan’?]

Comment: [Maybe he likes his imouto lol]

The gender ratio of viewers on this man’s channel was 9:1, with most of them being males.

With the introduction of the girl’s voice, the comment section becomes even more lively. It’s as if a festival has begun.

“You say keep saying you’ll be more careful, but you never really change. And stop doing weird things with your online friends. I can hear it in my room, you know. Saying things like ‘Small fry~’ or ‘Baka (idiot) ~.'”

Comment: [Hearing imouto-chan say that is pretty cute lol]

Comment: [She seriously has a nice voice.]

Comment: [Oni-chan plays the game while his imouto does the taunting. Perfect combo.]

Comment: [Exactly, that’s how it should be.]

Unbeknownst to the siblings, comments continue to flow.

While the sister knew that her brother does game commentaries, she was unaware of how his channel operates.

Exploiting this lack of knowledge to the fullest, the brother was now facing the consequences of his actions as the streaming incident unfolds.

“Th-that’s just your imagination, right? I don’t say things like that.” (Brother)

“Hmm. You say that even though there’s a script right here. Look, it’s labeled ‘List of Taunts’.” (Sister)

“H-hey, hey! You can’t take that!” (Brother)

“Stop making excuses, onii-chan.” (Sister)

The sister placed the meal on the desk, snatched the script which was taped up with transparent tape, and gave her brother a stern look.

What should have been the usual light banter between the two has turned into a streaming incident that could be heard online.

Comment: [Eh? You’re kidding, right? Did ‘Oni-chan’ really create a script just to taunt people?]

Comment: [So meticulous LOL]

Comment: [He was trying his best to entertain us in his own way, huh?.]

Comment: [Btw imouto-chan is too cute.]

Comment: [He should just switch places with his imouto!]

Comment: [From now on, it should be his imouto’s turn!]

Comment: [You’re not needed anymore. You’re imouto is enough.]

As behind-the-scenes information was exposed, the comment section continued to buzz with excitement while the conversation between the siblings kept going.

“While it genuinely makes me happy that you’re earning money for me, onii-chan, couldn’t you do it in a more normal way? Your personality isn’t even like that.” (Sister)

“W-Well… I mean, the number of viewers increased when I act like this and if I suddenly change my streaming style now, I might lose viewers-san which could affect our income.” (Brother)

“But not everyone would stop watching, right? Besides, I already have a part-time job, so I’ll be fine.” (Sister)

“True, things might be okay now, but whether we can afford to send you to university or not might depend on this.” (Brother)

“I-It’s not like I want to go to university or anything…” (Sister)

“Sure, you liar. Don’t worry about it too much. Honestly, despite the content, I enjoy streaming, and I’ve gotten a lot of comments.” (Brother)

This was a conversation that gave a glimpse into their private lives.

Through this exchange, the reason why Oni-chan engages keeps acting toxic becomes clear.

Comment: [Seriously, this is starting to get dangerous. Personal information are coming out.]

Comment: [Wait, maybe this guy is actually a really nice person?]

Comment: [He’s using polite language even when talking about our comments, lol.]

Comment: [He even called us viewer-san.]

Comment: [His quite a nice brother, isn’t he?]

Comment: [That’s what I was thinking.]

Viewers were gradually realizing Oni-chan’s true self. At this moment, there was no one attacking Oni-chan. The comments were unified in praising him as a ‘good brother’ or ‘good guy’.

“…I understand.” (Sister)

“Un un (yeah, yeah).” (Brother)

“How about we go out to eat together next time? I’ll treat my hardworking onii-chan.” (Sister)

“Oh! In that case, I’ll gladly accept that offer.” (Brother)

“You free on Saturdays, right?” (Sister)

“Yeah, it’s the only day where I don’t have part-time work” (Brother)

“Then, how about we go on Saturday evening? I have work until the afternoon, so I’ll be free after that.” (Sister)

“Got it. Thanks a lot.” (Brother)

The conversation flows seamlessly. As the conversation continues, oni-chan’s image was slowly improving in the viewer’s eyes.

Comment: [Based on this conversation, maybe oni-chan doesn’t have parents…]

Comment: [Supporting his family with six days of work while streaming. That’s seriously impressive.]

Comment: [For the sake of sending his sister to university, no less.]

Comment: [If his sister is heading to university next, that means that she is around the age of a high school student. Oni-chan must be quite young, huh?]

Comment: [I can’t see him the same way from now on.]

Comment: [Wait, was Oni-chan was just acting toxic for business? lol]

Amidst the comments speculating on his family situation, the sister touches upon a specific topic.

“Hey, onii-chan. There’s something I’ve been wondering about ever since I came into your room.” (Sister)

“What is it?” (Brother)

“Your phone has been vibrating non-stop since a while ago. Don’t you have a lot of notifications?” (Sister)

“Oh, yeah. I think people are sending feedback on Twitto⁶ now that the stream’s over.” (Brother)

“Has it ever vibrated this much before?” (Sister)

“Yeah, now that you mention it…” (Brother)

The sister’s words became the trigger that revealed the streaming incident.

When the man picked up his phone, the notification bar was filled with messages.

Twitto Post: [Forgot to turn off the mic!]

Twitto Post: [The mic is still on!]

Twitto Post: [Isn’t this a streaming incident?]

Twitto Post: [We can hear the conversation with the sister.]

— And more.

“…” (Brother)

“U-Um, onii-chan? What’s wrong? Your face looks really pale.” (Sister)

“No, it’s nothing. Really. Um, so, about that? I need to do some editing, so I’ll be in the room a bit longer. Thanks for the meal.” (Brother)

“Okay. Well, I have school tomorrow, so I’ll go to bed early. You should rest soon too, onii-chan.” (Sister)

“Yeah… Good night.” (Brother)

“Good night, onii-chan.” (Sister)

With those parting words, the door closes with a *clang*.

After confirming the fading sound of his sister’s footsteps, the man unlocks his PC from sleep mode.

Then, once again, he brings up the comment section.

“Um, well, how do I put it… I’m sor—no, wait, I mean, uhh… don’t you idiots realize that what just happened was all part of the act?” (Brother)

It’s too late to try to cover it up. Everything has already been exposed.

Comment: [How is that possible lmao]

Comment: [You sure switched gears quite fast.]

Comment: [Are you whispering to not disturb your imouto lol]

Comment: [You’re really bad at covering it up… Your voice is totally different.]

Comment: [GG for being exposed as a nice guy.]

Comment: [Good night, onii-chan!]

Comment: [Looking forward to how you’ll stream next time!]

Comments flowed in like a waterfall.

“Um, well, I won’t forgive anyone who spread this around. Seriously, promise me. Okay? Thank you.” (Brother)

Leaving those words behind, the man shuts down the PC as if fleeing.

Though he warned them not to spread it, there’s no viewer who will keep such a promise. After all, there’s no reason to oblige.

On that day, the words ‘Streaming Incident’ were trending on Twitto.

Clips of it were naturally uploaded.

It was also featured on summary websites with titles like “Toxic Streamer Prepares Script For His Streams LOL” circulated.

On that day, Oni-chan became a hot topic of discussion leading to more exposure. Misunderstandings were cleared. Viewer’s impressions were improved.

With this incident, the channel’s subscriber count increased by 40,000, reaching a total of 150,000 subscribers.

Illustration of MC’s sister bringing him dinner

The person who entered the man’s gaming room was his imouto (younger sister), who had brought in a tray of food.

TL Notes:

Thanks for reading!

Lmao I like how he just went straight to damage control mode after finding out.

You know, I asked myself if tea-bagging is considered toxic. But then I remembered that if pinging someone in LoL repeatedly is toxic, this is probably toxic too.

And no I don’t play Apex so feel free to correct me if I got something wrong.

Anyways, here’s a new laid-back series for you. It’s my first time translating light novels, and I’m not gonna release it by chapter since each chapter is long. I’m going to split the chapters into parts instead.