"You should go to the meetup."
That message feels so strange. It seems like encouragement, sure, but after she said something so cryptic? I don't know how they knew Sayaka's name but I gotta make sure my streams actually get turned off from time to time (not to mention the fact that she told me to go to the meetup before I even got the announcement!).
Trying to ignore HaroFan2341's weirdness from yesterday, Haro and Sayaka both walked up to a giant stadium at 5pm where, once walking inside, saw thousands of people gathering and speaking while there were screens on the roof displaying popular streams.
"Sayaka, Sayaka, look!"
Haro pointed his index finger towards one of the screens.
"It's Gorin! He has been having a pretty crazy upbringing ever since that fight with a serpent!"
To call Gorin a legend was an underestimate, he was a prodigal streamer! Using the money he got from rich families he swiftly and decisively eliminated a serpent all on his own.
Man the camera angles on that fight were to die for.
The sound of Sayaka snapping her fingers awoke him, and it turned out he had been staring at the screen drooling, daydreaming.
"Come on Haro, stop fanboying, it reminds me of when you were a child. Anyway it says Gorin is here at the meetup, maybe if you're lucky you will get a chance to see him."
Fanboying isn't childish!
Determined to find Gorin and speak with him, Haro grabs hold of Sayaka's wrist and starts charging forward enthusiastically.
"-?!"
Still walking, Haro looks over his shoulder to face Sayaka. He smirks slightly and his eyes sharpen.
"Thank you."
His voice was soft, and in response to what he had said Sayaka's cheeks reddened ever so slightly.
Haro and Sayaka walked through the stadium, going up to countless booths speaking to countless small streamers. Sayaka simply stood on the side watching Haro as he got all excited reviewing different clips from streamers.
"Aw man that's sick!"
"Haha it's not big deal, may I see one of your clips?"
Haro paused, Sayaka could see a displeased look on his face.
"Uhh yeah I saved a clip in some other file at home and didn't bring it, it's stupid of me that I didn't bring it to a streamer meetup."
Haro chuckled a little but Sayaka could see right through him. Haro was nervous.
As they walked in the path between the countless booths Sayaka held his hand.
"Sayaka?"
Sayaka's warmth enveloped his hand, it wasn't like her to hold hands just hugs really.
"Haro, I know you will be a great streamer. Don't ever believe you can't do something okay?"
Haro stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Sayaka. He chuckled a little and stared at her intensely.
"Don't worry! One day I'll have a chance to make a big debut!"
Hours and hours passed, the clock ticked to 8pm. The outside sky would be pitch black if it wasn't for the countless stars lighting it up.
I've always had a knack for stars.
"Haro look!"
Sayaka diverted his attention to the pathway in the stadium and that's when he saw it. Gorin the streamer had entered the meetup.
Everyone crowded around him instantly, multiple stream interfaces were recording him. Of course even one of the clips would generate a good load of cash.
"Stream on!"
The blue interface opens up on his right eye as he runs eagerly toward Gorin. It was obviously the best time to start streaming.
Stream viewers:
300
The chat exploded as they saw Gorin from Haro's stream.
"Is that Gorin?!"
"Aw hell yeah!"
"Gorin the prodigy of streaming!"
But before Haro can get close enough to say something from Gorin, something horrible happens. A deafening scream roars out.
"!"
Everyone rushed to go check the sound, going up to the giant door connecting the stadium and the oval. Staring out they saw a 10 feet tall floating monster with an orb as it's head. It was lanky but a great aura emitted from it.
There was one scream. Then two. Then three. Eventually everyone had seen the monster on the oval and began screaming as they rushed to the back of the stadium to evacuate. But there was no way to leave other than the one giant stadium door.
As hundreds of people ran one person butted into Haro making him fall to the ground. Haro stared out to the oval, eyes completely focused on the monster outside, that's when he realized.
We were gathered here to be slaughtered.
Haro slowly stood up. The giant door's gate started closing slowly from above, this was a fail safe to protect the people in this stadium from the horror of the new world.
"Haro! Haro!"
Sayaka screamed out to Haro and he felt a tugging at his wrist. Turning back he saw Sayaka's eyes well up with water, she was on the verge of tears.
"Sayaka.."
"Haro! We gotta go now! We gotta go with everyone and get out of here!"
Haro ripped his hand from Sayaka's forcefully (but not enough to hurt her don't worry).
"Ngh-!"
"Sayaka, don't you understand?"
As he spoke he looked out towards the monster on the oval, a loud screech roared out. Almost everyone in the stadium had fled to the back and it was just Sayaka and him standing there at the door.
"There is no escape except this door, and now it is being locked. What do you think will happen when this door fully closes? That we will just be safe? Look at it!"
He had a point, just from the aura of the monster alone anybody could tell that this wasn't your everyday monster, it was a powerful monster. Based off how it was able to lure people to the stadium already showed the threat of it.
"Even if the door closes I bet this thing would just rip it off it's hinges and slaughter us all anyway. Nobody is coming to save us weaklings."
Gorin had disappeared from the stadium and on the stream it showed him using a powerful item to transport himself away.
Fraud.
Haro clenched his teeth, his gums started bleeding from the intense pressure.
Fraud, Fraud, Fraud, Fraud, Fraud, Fraud, Fraud, Fraud, Fraud, Fraud.
Haro was right, there was no point of running now. There was no escaping it. No running from it. So the only logical answer was to-.
"Haro no!"
Haro had slipped under the door just as it closed, as he spoke and thought he finally realized what he had to do.
This is what I need to do. No. This is what I want to do.
"Haro! What the hell?! No! Please! Why!? Why would you do this?! Are you fucking crazy?!?!"
Sayaka had finally hit her tipping point, tears erupted and her face was a mess. She slammed her fist against the door hoping it would force it to open but nothing happened. She looked up to see Haro but what greeted her was not a scared face, but a smiling one.
"The moment I chose the streamer class, I died in every single conceivable way."
Sayaka stopped and just listened as Haro spoke.
"I could run, I could hide, I could get back into the stadium and huddle up with everyone. But that isn't what being a streamer is about. Being a streamer is about purposely putting your life on the line, it is not about picking the 'safe' option. If I go back in there with you guys and die, then my life will have zero meaning. I will end up dying a weakling."
"Haro that isn't-"
"Stop. Stop lying to make me feel good."
Sayaka had been cut off, and the response she got back from him sent a shock through her chest.
"Shop."
A blue streamer interface appeared in front of Haro. Reaching out his hand he selected the shop option "temporary power up." Once at the buy option, he dragged the slide on the side to invest all his money (5 million yen) into a temporary power up. He pressed the buy button on the interface.
Stream Shop Notification:
Are you sure?
He looked back at Sayaka, he smirked and his eyes sharpened as he stared at her face.
The viewership went up. 50 to 100. 100 to 300. 300 to 1000. 1000 to 10000.
"Being a streamer is kind of like being a shooting star, eventually you burn out. So all we can do is shine as bright as we can before we fade. If I die now my life as a streamer will amount to nothing. But if I die trying then I might shine enough to light up the sky before I burn out."
Haro clicked buy on the interface and an aura was applied to him. He felt much more lighter and loose.
Stream Shop:
Transaction complete.
On his stream a 5 minute timer started ticking down slowly.
"Watch me Sayaka."
He began walking toward the orb monster on the oval, and as he walked the orb monster sensed the power and let out a deafening screech.
"Watch me shine!"