TGS – Vol 2 Chapter 2 Part 5 – Accidental Interaction

After enjoying a delightful dinner together…

“Ah! You’ve got a pretty nice computer and mouse. Oh, and that mic, it’s from a famous brand, isn’t it?” (Rina)

“With how popular streaming is nowadays, I figured that a higher quality setup would help me get an edge, no matter how little.” (Haruto)

“Heh~” (Rina)

Haruto, who had hidden his top-secret script inside his closet, kept his promise and guided Rina to his streaming room.

“I also think that these kind of things matter. Many viewers are accustomed to the good microphones of famous streamers, having a bad microphone can immediately put people off. Some viewers can get turned off just by the computer freezing” (Rina)

“It’s reassuring to hear you say that. I feel like the money spent was worth it. Since I do voice-only streams, I’m particularly picky about my mic.” (Haruto)

Haruto and Rina were both among those who analyzed the streaming market to find opporthnities to grow their subscriber count.

You could say they shared a similar sense of these things.

“But, even though you put so much thought into it, it’s so like you not to care about things unrelated to streaming like the desk and chair. Feels like the few tens of thousands of yen here went into Yuno-chan’s future, right?” (Rina)

“…Ahaha, I’ll leave that to your imagination.” (Haruto)

“I see, I see.” (Rina)

Haruto gave a wry smile and glossed over the words, so Rina quickly caught on.

“Well, if you ever plan to do longer streams, you should pay more attention to the chair. If you want, I can even gift you one.” (Rina)

“Nonono! If I were to accept such kindness, Yuu would get mad at me.” (Haruto)

“Hihi, then I guess it can’t be helped.” (Rina)

“Yes. I’ll just accept the sentiment.” (Haruto)

To be honest, he did want to take her up on the offer, but Rina was Yuno’s benefactor.

This was a time to politely decline.

Moreover, for Haruto, the priority of a chair wasn’t that high. He had no regrets for turning it down.

“Besides, I’m still relatively young in the streaming world, so I haven’t had any issues with back pain yet.” (Haruto)

“By the way, how old are you, onii-san? You look like you’re in your early twenties.” (Rina)

“I’m 20.” (Haruto)

“Huh? You’re two years younger than me!? You’re really young!” (Rina)

“I’m not that different from you, Rina-san. I mean, having 700,000 subscribers at 22 is just incredible.” (Haruto)

By analyzing the market and creating the best persona he believed in, it took him a year to reach 100,000 subscribers. It was only because of a certain incident that he could even reach 200,000.

That’s where Haruto stands now.

To catch up, he would have to more than triple his number within two years.

“Hmm, it’s still a number to be proud of at this age. But recently, there’s an ABEX streamer who has been growing with intense momentum. There’s no time to relax.” (Rina)

“Eh?” (Haruto)

“If you stream ABEX, you must know, right? The toxic streamer who goes by the name ‘Oni-chan the siscon’.” (Rina)

“Ah! That person…” (Haruto)

Hearing this name from Rina’s mouth, Haruto wanted to correct her. ‘Oni-chan the siscon’ was a separate name born from the streaming incident, but he was originally known ‘Oni-chan the toxic streamer’. However, Haruto let it slide.

Some might argue that as a fellow streamer, he could reveal his identity. However, since his livelihood depends on his channel, and considering the controversial nature of his streaming style, he has to be cautious.

“Well, I do know about him, but… he’s growth is not as impressive as yours.” (Haruto)

“Oh, really?” (Rina)

“Yeh, definitely. His reputation is too bad, and besides, he’s just a really awful person.” (Haruto)

“Even though you’re a kind onii-san, you’re really hard on Oni-chan.” (Rina)

“W-Well, um… That’s because his growth was a result of a streaming incident! There’s no doubt that people will eventually get tired of talking about it and the current momentum will eventually stagnate… or at least that is what I predict.” (Haruto)

He spoke the truth.

Everything he said made sense to him based on his understanding of the streaming market.

As someone who also studies the streaming market, he was sure that she would agree with him.

With these thoughts in mind, Haruto confidently expressed himself, feeling relieved. However, he soon realized he had jumped to conclusions too quickly.

“Heheh. Just as Yuno-chan said, you do have some blind spots, huh, Onii-san?” (Rina)

“W-What do you mean…?” (Haruto)

“If you’re tidying up this room, you should probably hide that thing, shouldn’t you?” (Rina)

With a grin, Rina points to a certain object displayed on the shelf.

――It’s a precious silver play button awarded for reaching over 100,000 subscribers, with the channel name engraved on it.

In a panic, Haruto begins to clumsily hide the silver shield, but it’s already too late.

“With this, I can totally see you being involved in a streaming incident. Right, ‘Oni-chan’?” (Rina)

“W-What are you talking about!? That’s not me…!” (Haruto)

“Then can you show me the name on that award again?” (Rina)

“…N-No!” (Haruto)

He shakes his head with all his strength, determined to prevent her from seeing it.

“Then how about you start up that PC and let me check the ABEX account?” (Rina)

“No, I can’t…” (Haruto)

“I know that Ayacchi and Oni-chan are in contact with each other, so there are other ways to check.” (Rina)

“…” (Haruto)

“Hehe, you might as well give in since you’re already caught, Oni-chan.” (Rina)

With a smile, Rina takes a step closer, then another, continuing in a cheerful tone.

“—Well, it’s an honor to meet the man himself. Seriously.” (Rina)

And she extends her hand for a handshake.

“…” (Haruto)

“…” (Rina)

He lowers his gaze to her delicate hand, then lifts it back up to her face.

Haruto desperately tries to come up with some excuse in his mind, but it’s futile. Nothing comes to mind.

He knows better than anyone that there’s no way to escape the situation.

“Uh, well… Yes. I’m really happy to hear that from you, Rina-san…” (Haruto)

He surrenders sincerely.

He takes her outstretched hand, feeling embarrassed as he returns her words.

“To be honest, before I learned about the streaming incident, I was like ‘What’s up with this Oni-chan guy I keep hearing about?’” (Rina)

“W-Well, I think that’s only natural… Yes…” (Haruto)

“Well, when you consider that 80% to 90% of players in the game are male, and if same-gender streamers want to make numbers, they need to have a strong presence… Especially if you’re not a VTuber or doing facecam streams.” (Rina)

“I started streaming normally at first, but as expected…” (Haruto)

“Yeah, I get it.” (Rina)

If streaming blindly and gaining subscribers worked, Rina wouldn’t bother with trying to analyze the market.

She wouldn’t bother creating a persona either.

“S-Sorry about that, I’ve been holding your hand for quite a while… Man, guys’ hands really are bony and big, huh?” (Rina)

“Um, does it feel uncomfortable compared to other men’s?” (Haruto)

“Hmm!? Uh, no, it’s about the same!” (Rina)

“Ah, that’s a relief. I was worried it might feel weird if it was unusually rough or something…” (Haruto)

“Haha, don’t worry, it’s just a normal hand!” (Rina)

“Ah, thank you.” (Haruto)

Rina’s persona was so convincing that Haruto naturally assumed that she had plenty of romantic experience to answer such a question.

“Hmm… Ah! Give me a moment. I remembered that I wanted to tell you something important but forgot what it was.” (Rina)

“It’s okay, you can tell me when you remember.” (Haruto)

“—Ah! I remembered, I remembered now! There’s something I absolutely wanted to ask Oni-chan about today.” (Rina)

Having decided that she wanted to talk about it before, Rina quickly steered the conversation towards the main topic.

“Are you aware of the tournament happening next month for streamers? It’s called the Ebe Festival.” (Rina)

“Ah, yes! Of course, I’m aware of that.” (Haruto)

“If I asked you to participate in that tournament, would you consider it?” (Rina)

“Huh!?” (Haruto)

“It’s not confirmed yet, but as a team with me and Ayacchi.” (Rina)

At that moment, Haruto’s mind goes blank.

Being labeled as a toxic streamer, he had never been invited to such a tournament before.

No, it was only natural that he wasn’t invited.

Such an unreachable event—where fellow streamers gather, have fun, and engage with viewers—was naturally something he admired.

Furthermore, he could also fight alongside two players belonging to the prestigious pro team, [Axcis Crown].

It’s understandable to need some time to process everything.

“I-I’m sorry. This is not a joke… Is it? I’ve never had such an opportunity before, so it’s hard to believe that I’m actually being invited…” (Haruto)

“Of course, I’m serious, so don’t worry. And having Oni-chan there would definitely make the tournament more exciting, no doubt about that.” (Rina)

“T-thank you so much! If it’s not too much trouble for you and the others, I’d love to participate…” (Haruto)

“Nihihi, great! In that case, you should be getting a message from the organizers soon. I look forward to working with you… Ah! We’ll also need to discuss Oni-chan’s behavior during the tournament too.” (Rina)

“G-Got it!” (Haruto)

Seeing Haruto’s eyes sparkle with joy, Rina feels genuinely happy.

She’s glad she invited him.

“Thank you so much, Rina-san!!” (Haruto)

“Y-Yeah…” (Rina)

And with that, Rina extends her hand once again, seeking another handshake.

In response, Rina’s hand was enveloped by both of Haruto’s large hands.

“Um, it’s really amazing… the amount of influence you have…” (Haruto)

“I wish I could say that… but I was just being selfish. This was also the reason I wanted to see you… I think…?” (Rina)

――Her consciousness drifts toward the sensation of her hand.

“Really!?” (Haruto)

“W-Well, with Oni-chan’s momentum and good impression lately… it would be a shame if he didn’t participate… probably…?” (Rina)

――Her attention is now entirely focused on the sensation of her hand.

Rina hears an imaginary sound of her carefully crafted “experienced person” persona cracking.

“Um, so, that’s that…” (Rina)

As she nervously tries to pull her hand away as if seeking help, she hears a surprised ‘Ah!’ from the person in front of her, then her right hand, which was engulfed in his strong grip, is released…

Normally, Rina would continue with a fist bump, according to her character.

But because she’s not used to having her hand held like this, she feels like her heart might leap out of her mouth.

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Thanks for reading!

Even though Rina already knows before entering the room, this one is on you, MC. I thought he went into the room to put that away, but I guess not. This chapter just proves that it’s a miracle that Yuno hasn’t found out about his channel.

We are finally done with this chapter.

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