【Adoration】

3 Years ago

"No matter what I do, I am not getting any views."

I pressed the phone to my ear, sitting beside the entrance door on the floor of my apartment.

"This apartment is awfully cold – please come see me."

It wasn't cold, but I shivered. The ash from my cigarette fell on the floor; the smoke rose, circling me.

From the other side of the call. Her voice rang in my ear. "Didn't I say, if you move out, I will consider it a breaking point?"

"Only this once." I clung to my phone tightly.

"I will be there in an hour, but quit your temperament."

I had fought with her and moved here. I started as a video creator, learning animations and other editing methods. I thought I could make it big. 

But it was all useless.

No amount of hard work was getting me the views.

"If you aren't able to get a reasonable number of followers or subscribers, you are coming back home."

She threatened me. I was desperate.

So I did what I was good at....

The day after the stream

Akira sat at the table quietly, chewing slowly on a slice of bread. He whimpered at the plain taste. It was too early to order takeout, and his heart didn't permit him to go out.

Soft sunlight streamed past the thin pale curtains, spilling over the table. A knock echoed through the apartment, followed by a brief ring of the doorbell.

Akira straightened. Aunt Fuyuko?

Aside from her, no one ever visited him. The maid had a day off, so she was out of the picture. Akira jolted out of his seat and rushed to the door, peering through the video telecom.

No one. But a bouquet placed neatly on the floor, with a card tucked under it.

Opening the door, he picked it up. Bright red roses – I didn't know she liked roses.

The card read: 'Congratulations, my dear Kyroxfun.'

Kyroxfun?  That's rare

Well, she didn't have to go out of her way.

Maybe she knew I was feeling down.

He carried the roses inside and placed them on the table, brushing his fingers over the soft petals. Leaning closer, he took a sniff.

I should send her a picture of me with these.

Akira went to his room, unplugged the phone and carried it back. Before he could open the camera, his phone buzzed.

Then again.

The screen flooded with notifications. Heart racing, he opened his socials. His streaming account's viewership had reached a million. The numbers were climbing too fast.

A simple stream changed everything?

He stared with eyes wide open. Though happy, he felt uneasy, almost wrong.

So this is what it takes to go viral.

Multiple texts from Jitsuko caught his eyes. Last night he had left without a word, so she was worried. Worried that the outrageous behaviour of the viewers caused him discomfort.

But the discomfort was short-lived.

Her last text, an hour back, read: [Akira! Check the MV!]

He clicked on the link.

The music video played, clean, polished, and perfectly made. The soundtrack was composed by a famous artist.

He clicked his tongue, unable to understand why she pointed out the MV specifically. He pulled out the comments and noticed a pattern of praises for three time slots.

He checked the most played parts of the video; there were a total of three heights.

First (0:21) He turned and winked.

Second (0:40-1:00) His dance with Sanae
Third (1:05) Him again.

He leaned back into his chair, covering his mouth as laughter slipped out.

So they adore me; that behaviour last night was worth it.

 Akira scrolled through the comments until one caught his eye.

[They are such a cute pair @x@.]

Akira blinked, brows knitting together. He replayed the video. 

What pair?

That's when he spotted another comment, this one precise.

[Kyroxfun x Dream_warrior03 is the ship we deserved to see.]

Huh? Sanae and me?

Many such comments piled in. There was a mixed reception to it. Though the hatred for the supposed 'ship' may have outdone the approval.

Akira reclined back in his chair, reading what the critics had to say, or, as he liked putting it, what they had to yap about.

The message was obvious

Kyroxfun's so-called dears and Dream_warrior03's worshippers were not happy. This ship was a hindrance to their imaginations.

Akira clicked on Sanae's profile, the light blue starry cover, and a picture of her staring back at him. 

He had seen her videos before. Personified as a lazy, beautiful goddess. She had a cult-like viewership, something very much similar to his.