I’m happy right now. Producer, you feel the same, right?
The red-haired girl is laughing cheerfully.
Her smile, with not a hint of shadow, was the kind of truly happy expression that makes anyone feel good.
The so-called tsundere, lady-like Karen, has smoothly completed her growth.
Before long, the viewers had fallen deeply in love with Karen’s charm.
[I’m happy too, Karen…]
[That greedy Ren… just look at her smile.]
[She’s too nice now; it’s boring. At first, her tsundere attitude was fun.]
[Hey… step on me, Karen-chan…]
[The best idol of this era, Karen! The best idol of this era, Karen! The best idol of this era, Karen!]
Indeed, they are easy-to-understand viewers.
What’s there to get so excited about just some graphics?
I didn’t expect them to get this engrossed when I urged them to immerse themselves initially.
I underestimated the viewers.
<KazuhaLangHasLost donated 10,000 won!>
-Yeah, Kazuha is the best~ What kind of idol is that red-haired girl without roots? Haha.
[Honestly, if Kazuha were prettier, I’d give them a tons of thumbs up. Haha.]
[Karen is so rude.]
[Kazuha seems to have a better personality and sings better?]
Well, I really underestimated them.
I underestimated the viewers; they are truly a group that doesn’t let down expectations.
Just because a new character was released doesn’t mean everyone would like that character; that was a naïve mindset.
Why do disputes arise?
Because thoughts differ and hearts don’t align.
Considering past history, it’s true that even a trivial dispute can spark a war.
Disputes began to arise in my broadcast.
<KarenMom donated 10,000 won!>
-That girl without roots was scrounging around on the street, haha. Our Karen has been bourgeois since birth.
Oh, that’s a bit harsh.
[LOL]
[At one point, Kazuha, who came from a financially strained background, became interested in underground jobs to pursue her idol dreams…]
[Don’t cross the line, you bitch!]
The viewers, arguing about who’s the best, were bickering with each other.
Before I knew it, I had become a background character, and I watched the confrontation between two factions with ease.
I need popcorn.
Unfortunately, there was no popcorn.
Or should I play a new character this time and try to create a different fanbase?
That would lead to a three-way battle. Just imagining it was fun.
<BestKazuha donated 20,000 won!>
-Should I go for the Kazuha route again?
Then came a donation out of nowhere.
Ritra…
I’m someone who won’t rewatch a movie if I didn’t find it enjoyable the first time.
There’s no way I would do something like that.
“Ah, I was just wanting to see Kazuha again! Should we go meet Kazuha?”
However, if I received money, I feel it’s only right to provide service equivalent to that as a service worker.
It had been a long time since I became aware of the fear of money while living in this capitalist society.
Having been compensated for a whole chicken, this was the moment I was about to face Kazuha again, based on the principle of equivalent exchange.
<UltimateIdolKaren donated 30,000 won!>
-Our Karen is so cute.
Oh dear?
The situation is turning out to be fun.
I grabbed the corner of my mouth that was hidden from the viewers and replied.
“Karen suddenly looks so cute. Let’s check out Karen’s story once more~”
<1stbridekazuha donated 50,000 won!>
-Kazuha!
“Kazuha-chan! I missed you! You’re the only one for me!”
[I’m getting dizzy.]
[This is why people engage in silly idol businesses.]
[Big spenders with suspiciously large sums of money…]
[Look at the stream mod subtly manipulating reactions, haha. It’s not a fund collection day.]
[Mollu 1 win.]
“I need to attach a Cody to our Karen, but I’m short on funds. I guess I’ll have to make do with what she wore last time… Oh my, the sponsor has generously requested our Karen to wear pretty clothes! I will ensure her debut as an idol. Yes!”
Thus, I was just going back and forth charming the audience like a sycophant.
<Papijoa donated 10,000 won!>
-Teacher, could you check Discord for me?
Although it was the same fanfare sound as before, the moment I saw the name written above, I felt like I was doused with cold water.
I had gotten too excited.
Unconsciously, my tension rose.
But shoving such a huge sum in would naturally thrill me.
I checked Discord.
While I was happily nurturing idols, Papijoa had left me a message asking for help with practice.
That was 40 minutes ago, and after sending me messages continuously without a reply, she had come to find me through the broadcast.
I cleared my throat and called Papijoa.
“Ah, can you hear me, Papijoa?”
“Yes, hmm.”
Papijoa, who usually doesn’t say much and is introverted.
Even when asked questions, she often replies shortly, making it quite a problem during team orders, and I had put in so much effort to correct that.
There was an undeniable laughter mixed in her response to my inquiry.
“U-Um, please forget what you saw.”
“What do you mean?”
“My broadcast.”
“Isn’t it going to get clipped anyway?”
“Still.”
“It was cute seeing you acting like a sycophant.”
“Hmph.”
If this continues, my authority as Team Leader will be compromised.
That authority directly impacts my orders.
Ultimately, if my authority diminishes, we would be far from victory.
It’s not that I’m embarrassed or anything.
I firmly instructed Papijoa and helped her with practice.
*
“Perfect! If we proceed as planned, the victory is ours. Just stick to our practice. Exactly as we practiced.”
The day of the decisive battle has arrived.
As the final checks began, Director Jackie opened the floor with a calm tone, and the team responded with confident voices.
Their voices brimmed with confidence.
Good, the path to victory was sharply defined.
During the ban/pick phase, Jackie, who had stayed up all night analyzing the opposing team, took charge of the bans and picks.
“Let’s ban the wizard.”
“Okay.”
“The opponent will ban the swordsman. Yes, right.”
The swordsman was banned right before their eyes.
Without a hint of surprise, Jackie issued the next command.
“Let’s ban the bard. And then bring in the barbarian first.”
“Okay.”
As the first to pick as the team leader, I chose the barbarian according to Jackie’s instructions.
-I’ll smash everything!
The thug-faced figure wielding a massive axe comes forth.
I had liked this macho agent back in the day, but now, I only felt a frown.
The unnecessarily detailed description of muscles and flesh clinging to the face was just disgusting.
Couldn’t they remove that face?
The picks continued.
I chose a standard dealer, a scout specialized in exploration, and a medic to consistently support the barbarian.
One tank, one damage dealer, and one supporter. The opponent also adopted a similar composition to ours.
“Well, this part is as expected.”
Jackie’s briefing before the match.
It perfectly matched one of the scenarios he had presented back then.
Truly impressive analytical skills.
Even as a second-stringer, he surely exhibited the qualities of a professional team coach.
In team games, the pick/ban phase plays a significant role in determining victory or defeat.
Knowing that fact well, he must have prepared meticulously like this.
I feel parched.
I must have been unconsciously tense.
After all, victory is just within reach.
I raised the bottle I had next to me and took a sip.
But just as I was about to set the water bottle back on the desk, an unexpected event occurred.
The bottle slipped from my hand.
Water poured out through the open lid.
Directly below it was the computer case.
Ah, shit.
That thought crossed my mind as I watched that scene in slow motion with my excellent agility.
The soaked computer began to whirr and stutter before it finally shut down.
No, no.
This isn’t during a stream; it’s during a tournament.
I couldn’t cause trouble for my teammates.
I hurriedly began cleaning up.
I wiped off the moisture as quickly as I could and restarted the computer.
A whopping two minutes had passed by the time I managed that.
There was still time left after the game began.
But the problems didn’t end there.
With a fierce whirring sound, the fan started to spin, and the monitor began flickering.
It was uncertain whether it would power on or not.
If it came to it, I would have to contact my teammates and head to the nearest PC room.
I would be taking on a certain level of risk, but it couldn’t be helped.
Whoosh—
Fortunately, the computer started up quickly, and I hastily reconnected to the game.
Perhaps because it was forcefully shut down, the computer began restoring the programs that were previously running.
The game and Discord connected nearly simultaneously, and I soon faced the voices of my teammates calling for me.
“Mollu? Mollu? Mollu! Where have you been? We need to swap!”
“No!”
“It seems like you got bugged!”
“It can’t be helped! Adjust the combinations among the rest!”
It was a situation that perfectly suited the phrase “confused and panicked,” but Jackie managed to remain calm and make the best judgment.
The game window I faced with my teammates’ screams was dreadful.
After the bans and picks were over, and a brief loading period passed, the game began.
Contrary to the initial plan, I should have been a rogue or an assassin; instead, I had unexpectedly become a sturdy barbarian.
