My Childhood Friend, a Vtuber, Treated Me Like TrashโIโm Never Producing For Her Again
Itโs true, as Mizuta says, that VTuber streams incorporating live-action cameras have been on the rise lately.
However, itโs still debatable whether this has become the absolute mainstream.
There are quite a few viewers who feel resistant to it.
Above allโ
โMizuta, are you confident you could stay calm in front of the camera?โ
Thatโs right. No matter how you look at it, thatโs way too high a hurdle for her right now.
Of course, judging by the measurements listed in the materials, sheโs undoubtedly eye-catching.
But weโre not selling glamour photos or cosplay images.
The entertainment value of the stream itself is the top priority.
โW-wellโฆโ
As expected, Mizuta-san couldnโt answer right away and looked away.
If she canโt even manage a one-on-one conversation, how could she possibly respond to a large audience on the other side of the internet without trembling?
The answer is no.
Right now, she can talk as if she were talking to herself because she has the mask of her avatar.
Thatโs the only reason the stream is barely holding together.
โWell, but that means the camera can show everything from the neck down, right?โ
โY-y-yesโฆ!โ
โIn that case, itโll be a little easier to create content.โ
If we stick with 2D, there will inevitably be limits to the range of concepts we can explore.
Using 3D models would expand those possibilities, but it would cost an absurd amount of money.
โBesides, even if we want to make the most of your figure, Mizuta-san, itโs not a good idea to be too overt about it.โ
โHuh? R-really?โ
โIf weโre not careful, it could end up giving off that kind of vibe. And youโre not really aiming for that kind of direction, are you, Mizuta-san?โ
Even though your parents have approved of your VTuber activities, they probably havenโt given you permission to go that far.
โW-well, youโre rightโฆโ
โSo, for example, while streaming a cooking video, you could casually wear an outfit that subtly highlights your great figure.โ
โI-I seeโฆ Not blatantly showing it off, but subtly.โ
โExactly. In fact, thatโs actually more likely to become a hot topic on social media.โ
Besides, you need to strike a balance.
Being a VTuber is the main focus, after all.
If the person inside is too visible, itโll ruin the viewersโ immersion.
โClothes that highlight your figureโฆ Like a โvirgin-killing sweater,โ or something?โ
โโฆโฆโ
Didnโt I just say that being too obvious is a no-go?
ใโ
After that, as promised, we played games together.
As things progressed, we didnโt just stick to that zombie gameโwe also tried out another game we could play together.
โK-Komachi-san, arenโt you way too goodโฆ?โ
โNo, itโs just that Mizuta-san is bad.โ
โThatโs so meanโฆโ
To tell the truth, Iโm only slightly better than average at any game.
Mizuta-san is right around average. Since Iโm just half a step better than her, itโs easier for me to win. Thatโs all.
However, when it came to her determination in gaming, hers was terrifyingly stronger than mine.
โShould we take a little break?โ
โY-yesโฆโ
โOh, by the way, have you eaten lunch yet?โ
โOh, no, not yet.โ
โThen, should I make something for you?โ
โHuh? Komachi-san, you can cook?โ
โYes. Believe it or not, among guys my age, Iโm actually pretty good at it.โ
My parents divorced when I was in elementary school.
Five years have passed since then, and as I went about doing household chores without time to complain, Iโd improved without even realizing it.
โW-well then, when I brought that bento the other day, were you secretly laughing your head off insideโฆ?โ
โNo, no, of course not. To be honest, itโs not like I enjoy cooking.โ
Part of the reason I didnโt bring a bento was because of Yue, and our school has a cafeteria anyway.
So, it was just a hassle to go out of my way to make one.
โI know this might sound weird, butโฆ itโs been a long time since someone else made a home-cooked meal for me. It actually moved me a little.โ
โHuh? R-really?โ
โYes. Actually, my parents are divorced, so I donโt have a mom.โ
โOh, I seeโฆโ
Mizuta-sanโs shoulders jerked slightly.
Oh no, did I bring up a heavy topic?
Iโd long since gotten over it myself, though.
To lighten the mood, I deliberately said it in a joking tone.
โYour bento, Mizuta-san, was just like something Mom would make. Yeah, just like Mizuta-Mama.โ
โM-Mizuta-Mamaโฆโ
I wanted her to snap back, โThatโs gross.โ
But what came back was an unexpected response.
โUheh, uhehehโฆ Mizuta mamaโฆ The sound of โmamaโ is somehow really nice, isnโt itโฆโ
Mizuta-san pressed both hands to her cheeks and rubbed them against them dreamily.
It felt like Iโd accidentally flipped some weird switch.
I decided to quickly change the subject.
โOh, right. Mizuta-san, how about we cook together?โ
โHuh? T-together?โ
โYes. You just started cooking recently, didnโt you? If you plan to make cooking part of your content, you should learn as much as you can while you have the chance.โ
Of course, learning as you go is one approach, but if youโre too clumsy, your listeners will get frustrated before they even have a chance to laugh.
Besides, since youโll be handling fire on your own, itโs really dangerous if you donโt know what youโre doing.
โY-youโre right. Well then, I look forward to it, Masterโฆ!โ
โNo, โMasterโ is a bit of an exaggeration.โ
To be honest, judging by that bento from the other day, there might not be much for me to teach her.
Anyway, I stood up, and the two of us lined up side by side in the kitchen.
I opened the fridge and decided what to make while looking at the contents.
โA-amazingโฆ Being able to tell what to make just by glancing at itโyou really are just like a professional housewifeโฆ!โ
โWell, I am half a housewife, after all.โ
ใStill, what exactly is a โprofessional housewifeโ?
Are there even โamateurโ housewives?
With that trivial question lingering in my mind, I took the lead in preparing lunch.
When I let her assist me, Mizuta-sanโs efficiency was better than Iโd expected.
โSeriously, was that really your first time cooking?โ
โY-yesโฆ W-well, of course I had cooking classes in school. Am I doing something wrong, by any chanceโฆ?โ
โNo, no, quite the opposite. Youโre actually too good.โ
โR-reallyโฆ? Hehe, actually, even though I wasnโt good at other subjects, my teacher always praised me for my cooking classes.โ
It wasnโt mentioned in the self-introduction notes Mizuta-san had prepared herself, but perhaps sheโs just naturally good with her hands.
If thatโs the case, incorporating a camera would greatly expand the range of content we could produce.
Not just cooking, but also assembling model kits and doing little craft projects.
โMizuta, I just had an idea. How about this for your next assignment?โ
โHuh? W-what do you meanโฆ?โ
โI want you to make me a bento. Try filming it once, all by yourself, in a vlog-style video.โ
โW-what?!โฆ!?โ
โI want to see if you can really act like yourself when youโre in front of the camera.โ
Itโs definitely better than trying to do a live stream cold.
Itโll also give you a chance to think about how to showcase your strengths on camera, including your personal style.
Plus, you need to get used to operating the camera.
โB-but I donโt even have a cameraโฆโ
โOf course you do. You already have one.โ
โHuh?โ
โYour smartphone.โ
โOhโฆ!โ
Mizuta pulled her smartphone out of her pocket.
โActually, until now, Iโve mostly only used it for face trackingโฆโ
โHuh? Youโre using your everyday smartphone for streaming too?โ
Itโs kind of inconvenient, so I think you should buy another oneโeven a used oneโjust for streaming.
โWell, for me, my smartphone is basically just for my morning alarm anywayโฆ Other than that, maybe getting earthquake alerts or scanning QR codes?โ
โWhat about LINE?โ
โEven if I installed it, I donโt have anyone to message on LINE anywayโฆโ
Well, I donโt exactly have a ton of LINE friends myself, butโฆ
At the very least, donโt you message your family?
โUh, wellโฆ Once I shoot a video, I have to send it to Komachi-san, soโฆ LINE would be really convenient, rightโฆ?โ
โYeah, I guess so.โ
โW-well thenโฆโ
Mizuta-sanโs face turned bright red as she continued.
โWould you be my very first LINE friendโฆ?โ