After countless attempts to chant that incomprehensible spell while playing the game—
“……”
In the end, I was the only one left in despair.
Well, yeah. Honestly, I suspected it would turn out like this. I was the one who had played video games the longest among us, but that didn’t mean I was any good at them.
I wasn’t a big fan of online games. I really hated losing to someone else.
Maybe it’s because I had always run away from all the overwhelming ranking games, living like a coward.
When I faced someone in a game, I simply couldn’t win.
The first one to clear the game was Mia.
Her sparkling eyes while playing the magical girl game made her look dazzling. The rest of us, including me, were just trying hard to win—no, more like trying not to be the last one, but Mia was having none of it.
And after all, a game is supposed to favor the one who enjoys it the most.
[Mia is a magical girl! Mia is a magical girl! Mia is a magical girl!]
[Mia-chan is the best!]
Mia already had a decent fanbase from the game, but it seemed that broadcasting together with us had significantly thickened that fanbase.
Ah, of course, that doesn’t mean she was as popular as the actual character Mia from the game. In Japan, where this game originated, they probably wouldn’t even know we exist. Not until someone spreads it on a Korean channel, at least.
Next up was Claire.
[Cowardly adult Claire]
[Did you even watch magical girl shows? LOL]
[Did you pick this game just because you wanted to win?]
“No, that’s not true!? I watched it next to Mia! Though I didn’t pay much attention!”
Thud.
Having somewhat shared common ground with the fact that she had indeed watched it, Mia, upon hearing Claire’s words, looked like she had been struck by lightning out of a clear blue sky.
“Uh, no, Mia, I mean…”
[Uuuh trash Uuuh]
[As of today, Mia is officially F●Q-Cure!]
“…Do you even know the latest series title to say something like that?”
Claire’s response caused the chat to momentarily get lost in silence.
Good point.
While it was easy to pick up on certain series like Kamen Rider by roaming around the internet, especially on sites packed with otaku, not many cared about how those series were currently progressing. The same goes for those using clips for memes; probably not many genuinely watched them?
Next was Charlotte.
Charlotte played calmly and managed to clear the game with minimal use of her finishing moves.
[Not cowardly… but]
[Your inner child is dead, isn’t it?]
“Hmph.”
Seeing the comments in the chat, Charlotte tossed her hair back and spoke.
“I can’t say the one maintaining their inner child is wrong, but it’s ridiculous to insult someone who put in their best effort at the game.”
Her professional attitude drew some admiration in the chat for a brief moment. Of course, Charlotte wasn’t being entirely serious, and the chat’s reactions were playful too.
Then, obviously, it was Alice’s turn.
“Phew.”
Having cleared the game quite consistently, much like Charlotte, Alice let out a sigh of relief. It was only a slight difference compared to Charlotte.
LOL
And ultimately,
Who could it have been but Sylvia? Everyone was expecting it, right?
Yeah, I kinda thought it would turn out like that. A shooting game can honestly just be a physical game at its core.
But…
“…”
I couldn’t help but feel a little void.
[You look more defeated than Saint Sylvia!]
[Hang in there!]
[Do your best and dance!]
LOL
And, obviously, the chat was completely ignoring me.
Well, of course. There’s someone who’s spent 100,000 won on this, so I guess it’s only to be expected. Broadcasting isn’t free. People pay to watch us have fun, and more popularity means more ads come in, and that’s how we earn a living.
I didn’t necessarily need to earn money to live, but still.
“What am I supposed to do to make them dance?”
As I grit my teeth and asked, the chat was flooded with LOL. Is it funny? Yeah, I guess it is. If I were on the other side as a viewer, I’d find it hilarious too.
“Bring out Zero Two, bring out Zero Two!”
“……”
When I turned my gaze towards the voice from beside me, Claire, who had been excitedly shouting for Zero Two, immediately shut up.
She looked both scared and amused at the same time.
[Zero Two! Zero Two!]
[Let’s divide it into thirds!]
Alright. It’s better to just wrap this up quickly. Didn’t they say it’s better to get hit first? Although, in this case, the one getting hit would only be me.
Claire quickly looked for the BGM, and the other kids in the same room stood up to make some space.
Did they all have a secret agreement or something? Of course, judging by the absurd expressions they wore while playing, it was probably unrelated, but still, it felt like they were really in sync at a moment like this.
Dividing the screen into thirds… Back when I watched broadcasts, I had never understood people being embarrassed about that. But now that I was the only one on the screen, my thoughts had changed.
Actually, it seemed less embarrassing to just leave the sides black like a direct cam video.
“Okay, here we go!”
Claire grinned.
I silently clasped my hands behind my head.
*
I thought we were done—
Yeah.
I had completely forgotten about another streaming site that was different from the one we were broadcasting on. The one that usually uploaded edited versions and full broadcasts.
And I didn’t have to collect my own source material for editing because there was someone other than me in the house who would edit videos.
“……”
To avoid copyright strikes, the music was removed, but my appearance, dancing with my waist shaking on the divided screen, remained as is.
No, it wasn’t just ‘as is’; it had been edited to match the music with emphasis on my embarrassing facial expressions and those unnecessary waist movements. Maybe there was a scene where something akin to a Zero Two blast was shot.
“…Mia?”
Looking over at Mia, who was sitting next to me while I checked the streaming site from the broadcasting room, she swiftly turned her head away to avoid my gaze.
“I distinctly remember Charlotte blocking your sight while we were broadcasting.”
Mia, the smallest and youngest among us, often treated like a child, probably understood everything.
It was just that Charlotte must have acted without realizing she’d need to take those actions.
“B-but, we need to upload the edited versions. Just posting the entire video isn’t going to get us views.”
Mia said this while fidgeting her fingers as if making excuses.
I held my head in my hands.
Yes, that’s true.
But…!
“Sis? What’s going on—”
And just as I was burying my head in my hands, the broadcast room opened again, and this time Claire walked in.
What was playing on-screen was the dance video I couldn’t manage to stop.
Pffft!
With Claire bursting into laughter, I jumped up from my chair.
“W-why are you so mad? Honestly, you wrote stuff about me too!”
“That was aimed at the character Claire, not you!”
“Oh, I mean, that’s what you said, but—”
But as I tried to say that, Claire spun on her heel and bolted away the instant I took a step forward.
It’s okay.
Claire was wearing her casual clothes right now. No matter how lively she was, she was still the daughter of a noble household.
There’s no way she’d think of going outside dressed like that.
So, her fleeing meant she was still at home.
“Sylvia? Claire? What’s going on?”
Seeing me chasing after Claire as I came out of the room, Alice widened her eyes and asked.
I didn’t answer. If I did, Alice would also let out a Pffft! laugh, and I’d find myself chasing after her soon after.
“…Could you at least refrain from running at full speed? You’ll disturb the neighbors downstairs.”
Just then, Charlotte, who had been cooking in the kitchen, spoke calmly, with a very princess-like expression that made Claire lift her toes and attempt to run as quietly as possible. I did the same.
“By the way, what’s all this about anyway?”
I still chose not to answer.
After all, I’d get caught eventually, so…
For now, I had to do my best to catch Claire.
“Sis, I’m sorry!”
“Sorry, but I will not forgive you yet!”
Especially for enjoying the situation while running away.
What I couldn’t forgive the most was myself, who found this entire scenario amusing while chasing after her.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
