LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 358
[“I want to bokoboko (ぼこぼこ) that guy” @GoodWeather2 · 3 minutes ago]
Isn’t I-chan’s collaboration a bit low these days?
I’ve been thinking about this lately, and it dawned on me that this girl originally had few collaborations.
Actually, thinking about I-chan’s personality, it was surprisingly a lot in the past.
I thought it was fun that the number of collaborations increased after my return, but seeing it quickly return to the old way… I guess it’s hard to shake off the antisocial habits.
★
“…Huh?”
While doing my usual ego-surfing, I came across a post that caught my attention.
To summarize easily, it’s like this person wrote on the post that I’m an antisocial loser with a communication impairment and that my collaborations are decreasing.
What a nonsensical slander.
Of course, the content of this post wasn’t completely unfounded.
After my return, I had been doing collaborations almost every day, but recently I’ve been reducing their frequency.
But it’s definitely not because I’m an antisocial loser with a communication impairment.
That’s just ridiculous.
How can someone slander someone who still keeps in touch with high school friends?
The reason I’m reducing collaborations is solely for the Izutomo.
Those guys love me so much that they hope I can focus on them sometimes.
So, recently, I’ve been intentionally reducing the number of collaborations and increasing casual chatting broadcasts…
It makes me so sad that my considerate intentions towards the Izutomo are coming back as slander; I feel like crying.
No. The more I think about it, the more absurd it becomes.
Even when I had frequent collaboration broadcasts, I always had a separate chatting time.
But there were times when I saw opinions that even that wasn’t enough.
To be precise, there are occasional opinions on the post saying that they prefer chatting with me over collaboration broadcasts!
What’s even more infuriating is that quite a few people pressed “I agree” on that nonsensical slander post.
Of course, not everyone would agree with that statement.
Some might have accidentally pressed it while browsing the post.
But even considering that, the post was receiving a lot of agreement.
I was only operating in a way that the Izutomo’s wanted!
“Uuuh…”
[@GoodWeather2 Reply]
It’s absolutely NOT because of my personality that I’m doing fewer collaborations, so let me clarify!
(Reply)
I was just about to let my anger take over and write a rebuttal post when, fortunately, I realized something important beforehand.
If I reply and rebut the post here, it would turn into a big deal.
The Izutomo who wrote this post didn’t mention my name at all.
Kainoh, Izumi, Mei-chan, etc.
There’s completely no part that clearly refers to me.
Even in the long post, they just keep saying “I-chan.”
But if I reply here, there would definitely be various problems.
Of course, it wouldn’t be to the extent of needing to reflect or becoming a problem that turns into Yeo-sang.
But there would surely be discussions among the Izutomo.
No matter how much people know I do ego-surfing, I doubt they’d look this deeply into it.
Moreover, the author of this post is using a secondary account instead of the main one.
To think of the Izutomo’s secondary account… It sounds as if I’m the one being obsessive!
I just ego-surf out of curiosity about my evaluation.
This author is an Izutomo who draws fan art for me frequently, so I just found out about their secondary account because I was looking at their work.
Sure, I really do like the Izutomo, but I’m absolutely not obsessed.
So if I post a rebuttal here…
Well. It’s clear in my mind how the Izutomo, who find happiness in bothering me, would react.
So, posting a direct reply here is a no-go.
But I also can’t stand to see this kind of nonsensical slander spreading around.
Especially since the owner of this post is someone who frequently draws high-quality fan art for me, they are quite famous among the Izutomo.
If I leave it like this, the misunderstanding that I’m an antisocial loser with a communication impairment could spread to numerous Izutomo.
I graduated from being an antisocial loser with a communication impairment a long time ago!
I can’t let this ridiculous misunderstanding spread.
If that happens, when I finally do a collaboration, it could lead to being forced into collaborations that I don’t want to do.
If this type of rumor gets established, it would definitely lead to me being kicked out of Star’s Flow…!
“Whoa…?”
Just imagining it is terrifying.
So I need to find a way…
A way to show that I’m not doing fewer collaborations because I’m an antisocial loser with a communication impairment, but because I’m doing it all for the Izutomo.
Should I start increasing collaborations again from today?
…No. That might have the opposite effect.
If there are no ideas, it might create the image that I don’t do collaborations.
In that case, here we go…!
★
[Kainoh Izumi☆Star’s Flow @KainoIzumi · 6 minutes ago]
I’m planning to do a Gartic Pen broadcast at 4 PM!!!
Everyone, please look forward to it!!!
Waiting here! >> https://ontu.be/XXXXXXX
★
[【Gartic Pen】I’ll show off my skills! Anyone can challenge me!!! #KainohIzumi #Star’sFlow]
-─(≧▽≦)> Zumi-zumi!
-─(≧▽≦)> Zumi-zumi!
-Gartic Pen? Who will be collaborating with me?
-Why is Mei-chan alone…?
Gartic Pen.
To put it simply, it’s like playing the board game ‘Telestrations’ online.
To describe the sequence:
First, each player writes an idea.
Second, the idea is randomly passed to another player, who then draws a picture based on the idea.
Third, that picture is again randomly passed to another player, who tries to guess the idea based on the picture.
This continues until all members have completed the second and third steps.
In the end, we get to see how the idea gets drawn and how the theme of that drawing changes.
In other words, it’s a game optimized for collaboration…!
“Hehehe…”
But doing an ordinary collaboration with this game wouldn’t completely erase the suspicion that I’m an antisocial loser with a communication impairment.
There will definitely be some who would simply label it as just another business collaboration.
So, I need to bring about a change.
I’ll play the game optimized for collaboration by myself!
Of course, I don’t plan to keep playing alone.
What I’m aiming for is the characteristics of our members.
Our members often watch other members’ broadcasts even when they’re not streaming. So, what if they see my stream when they’re doing that?
As the youngest in age among the members, I can’t help but think that I would be quite popular.
So, if they see me playing Gartic Pen alone and I’m on Miscord, there will definitely be someone who comes to ask to play with me!
“Hehehe.”
Then, collaborations would naturally happen, and the suspicion that I’m an antisocial loser with a communication impairment would surely disappear.
To put it simply, it would be like a Gartic Pen Dotsumachi version.
Of course, there could be issues if our stream times overlap, but I’ve already planned that out by setting my stream time for 4 PM to avoid overlapping.
Could it be that I’m a genius?
To come up with such a perfect plan, if others saw it, they’d surely tremble and gasp in awe.
So as I was organizing my thoughts in my head, the clock was rapidly approaching 4 PM.
“Hm, hm, I’m Izumi, the mood maker!”
I confidently greeted as I started the broadcast.
-Hai, Izumi!
-I’m looking forward to Mei-chan’s Gartic Pen!
-Who are the other members joining?
The chatroom was bustling with various comments.
Some Izutomo, who have never preferred Gartic Pen broadcasts, were cheering for me since I announced my participation.
Others figured that it would naturally be a collaboration since it’s Gartic Pen.
But a few observant Izutomo were raising questions.
“Why aren’t there any other members to play with?”
Naturally, right?
There’s no voice from the other members, and the thumbnail has just me drawn in it. Plus, the waiting screen for Gartic Pen only has my nickname!
But I took that chance to confidently ask them back.
“What do you mean, there’s no one to play with?”
-Huh?
-Did the Miscord sounds go off?
-The thumbnail has just Mei-chan, though?
“There’s everyone here, right?”
[Izumi]
[Player2(COM)]
[Player3(COM)]
[Player4(COM)]
[Player5(COM)]
[Player6(COM)]
-Huh?
-So that’s how it is…
-LOL
-We’re sorry!
-Are you serious?
“No. You guys are the weird ones! The AI of Gartic Pen is quite advanced…”
It’s not a lie.
The AI of Gartic Pen is surprisingly capable, producing decent results for both drawings and idea guessing.
Of course, if the drawings or ideas are something the player can only understand, there might be issues, but usually, that leads to amusingly bizarre transformations.
It’s a game optimized for the in-crowd, but even social outcasts can enjoy it.
Isn’t this totally a god game…?
Of course, it’s not a problem for me since I have plenty of members to play with!
-I don’t want to watch Gartic Pen being played alone…
-What if you called Suzuha-chan now?
“I’ll show you that playing Gartic Pen alone can also be enjoyable!”
In other words, my goal today is simple.
To fill all the positions taken by computers with names of the other members and then to brag about my in-crowd skills when I end the stream.
Would anyone still dare to call me antisocial after seeing that?
Absolutely not.
And on to slyly tell those Izutomo—
That the reason I have been reducing collaborations lately is entirely for you guys, the Izutomo…!
“Hehehe…”
After I finalized that calculation, I quietly smiled and clicked the game start button.
-I feel like I might cry already.
-Is this what a real internet friend feels like…?
-I can see Mei-chan ending the broadcast while crying.
-I hope someone suggests a collaboration to Mei-chan soon.
-I feel like just watching this will be painful.
-I never wanted a Gartic Pen broadcast like this.
-The saddest Gartic Pen in the world…
-Yahoo~♪…
-Playing Gartic Pen with 6 people, amazing…
-I’d join too, if you’d like, Mei-chan…