there it was, the dreaded COVID creeping up on me like a ninja in the night! Just when I thought I was immune to all the chaos, my throat started playing the kazoo and I thought, “Oh, maybe it’s the cherry blossom pollen,” like a true seasonal optimist. But nope, plot twist! It was the virus that had taken the world by storm, and I was the unsuspecting character in this madness.
I guess I’m feeling a bit off; maybe it’s because the cherry blossoms are blooming and there’s lots of pollen flying around. Just when I thought it was no big deal…
“Isn’t it COVID?”
“COVID? Isn’t that totally over?”
“I heard it’s making a comeback lately. It’s not as deadly as before, but I’ve seen people around me struggle quite a bit.”
This was a comment I heard from my editor, Kim Jae-jun, who edits my VTuber videos.
My local friend, Si Hyun, was always accompanied by her uncle, never wandering alone like a defenseless kid that she is.
While we were out for a stroll around the neighborhood, she threw me a suspicious question.
It felt like she was accurately diagnosing my sore throat. Was that the reason my neck hadn’t returned to its usual state for days?
COVID, huh? Ever since I got Camilla’s body, I haven’t even had the common cold like before, which was a bit surprising.
Was even Camilla’s strong body not completely immune to viruses? Or could it just be that COVID was a powerful enough virus to break through?
“But seeing you look relatively fine makes me think maybe it’s not…”
“My throat is a bit hoarse. I’ve got a slight cough too.”
“Usually, it would feel like my throat is all scratchy and swollen, hurting every time I swallow, with a slight fever too. When I had it before, that’s how it was. But it doesn’t seem like you’re at that level, Kayak.”
“Definitely…”
If I assume it’s COVID, the symptoms seem much milder than others. It’s a shame I have never had it before to make a clear comparison.
Maybe it’s just a hypothesis, but I thought the COVID virus might not have been able to penetrate Camilla’s body, causing me to catch it but with milder symptoms than others.
“Well, doing a self-test kit or going to the health center for a checkup would confirm it.”
“Since we’re talking about it, I should probably get tested right away. I’ll let you know the results immediately, so just go wash your hands well, and Si Hyun, you should go wash your hands too…”
Ever since I started suspecting COVID, I had been keeping my distance while talking to Kim Jae-jun. I was about to remind Si Hyun to wash her hands too…
I was going to, but…
“When did you get there?”
“Sis, is it COVID? Don’t come any closer!”
Maintaining a proper distance, Si Hyun mentioned to let her know once the test results came in.
I didn’t even have to tell her. Looks like she received excellent training during the COVID season.
*
“Two lines.”
In my hand was a self-test kit showing two lines. I bought it at a nearby pharmacy and tested myself right away, with results coming in just ten minutes.
I can’t believe it turned out to be true after all that hoping it wouldn’t be. I should thank Kim Jae-jun for suspecting it first. I was on the verge of meeting everyone and spreading it around.
If I ended up spreading it and got better while everyone else was sick, that would be the worst luck.
Actually, I was in a state where I’d say I’m nearly recovered. It’s already been three days since the symptoms began.
I wasn’t really in pain anymore compared to the first day, and I felt okay. If I drank enough warm water, I figured I could manage to do the broadcast without much problem.
I could use COVID as an excuse to take a break, but it felt wrong to just lounge around when I wasn’t that sick. There would be people waiting for my stream all day.
Instead—and it feels wrong to say instead—I could probably get going a bit quicker than usual. I decided to do a survival check on the broadcast, show my face briefly, chat a little, and then end the stream.
*
It was an evening just like any other.
[When are you coming?]
[You’ll come before 9 at the latest, right?]
[Are you actually coming today? But…]
[You said you’d see me yesterday, so I think you will.]
[I don’t know what time you’ll come, so I can’t leave my spot;;]
Due to Kayak’s habit of not announcing a specific arrival time, viewers could only wait in anticipation.
The broadcast finally started when viewers, tired of waiting, began to engage in strange behaviors, just when her stream went live.
However, the title of today’s broadcast made the viewers ponder.
‘Kayak is live!’
– I’m pregnant.
[Wha-wha-what?]
[Pregnant? Pregnant? Pregnant?]
[Kayak, what do you mean?]
“Kayak, what are you talking about?”
“Are you seriously pregnant? Haha, what’s the punchline here?”
“Who’s the baby daddy?”
The chat scrolls up rapidly. The broadcast topic was a playground for viewers, and the gossip about Kayak’s shocking news spread like wildfire in the community.
Kayak never revealed herself immediately after starting a broadcast. She would usually turn on the stream, linger quietly in front of fan art set as her background for a few minutes, and then eventually turn on the mic and cam.
Today was no different. Regardless of how many viewers there were or how wild the chat was, the broadcast host kept her presence hidden until—
Click, click.
With the sudden sound of a mouse clicking, something appeared on the screen.
It was an instrument marked with two red lines. Square-shaped, primarily white, and showing two red lines in the marked area. The chat exploded into a frenzy, doubling its speed from just a moment ago.
“OMG, is she really pregnant?!”
“I’m gonna lose it! I’m gonna lose it! I’m gonna lose it!”
“Who’s the jerk who made the host pregnant? C’mon, spill it; I won’t judge.”
“What even is that, you weebs?”
“Isn’t that a pregnancy test?”
“No way people seriously believe this, it’s obviously a COVID self-test kit.”
“It literally says Covid-19 at the top, lol.”
“Did Kayak get COVID?”
“Is the host pregnant with a virus baby?!”
“Sis, please stay safe; COVID is making a comeback, don’t get sick!”
And soon the cam turned on. It was Kayak.
Looking just as usual, with her shiny white hair and blinking blue eyes, she somehow had both hands resting on her belly.
The slightly tilted camera angle revealed her gently rubbing her midsection.
After a moment of silence, she spoke in a slightly husky voice.
“Um… I’m pregnant, everyone.”
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