I Was the Supporter of a Popular Dungeon Streamer, but the Power Harassment Was Too Much, so I Quit. I’m Useless Anyway, so It Shouldn’t Be a Problem, Right? Huh? The Views Are Dropping Like Crazy? - 30

Chapter 30: Isshiki’s First Love

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I first came to know about him half a year ago. Shibuki Hamura… He was a hot topic among the Supporters.

“Hey, did you hear about that rookie Supporter who went into the labyrinth alone and lost an arm?”

“Yeah, I heard. I kinda understand where he was coming from, but still… Diving into a labyrinth solo is just too reckless of him.”

When I heard that story at the Supporter training academy, I got curious and decided to look into that foolish Supporter. And so, that was the trigger that caused me to know more about him. I came to know that he had made it all the way to the 60th floor—alone. Not starting from the mid-levels, but from the lower floors. That was shocking.

How did no one know about him before…? A Supporter climbing past the 50th floor solo was unheard of. Everyone focused only on the reckless act of a Supporter venturing into the labyrinth alone, completely overlooking this incredible achievement.

It was a Sunday, so there was no boss fight and the number of monsters he defeated was zero. But really, the fact that he reached that far without defeating a single monster… Could you imagine just how difficult it was to achieve that feat?

“…Interesting.”

That was the start of my journey as his fan. From then on, I began following his progress in secret. When I heard he had teamed up with a Seeker named Naruse, I started watching all the videos he posted too.

Shibuki Hamura kept his entire body concealed, providing Naruse with flawless support through his exceptional technique. I was drawn to his extraordinary skills and began training by using him as my reference.

Thanks to his videos, my abilities improved rapidly and I was chosen as the Supporter for the S-rank Seeker, Abisu-sama. I was able to climb the ranks at an incredible pace thanks to him. With the money I earned from the labyrinth, I even sent Super Chats (a system where you can pay to support the streamer) to his videos.

My hero, Shibuki Hamura… I wondered, what he looked like? What kind of face did he had…?

The first time I saw his face was when he came to the Odd Cat headquarters. Through the surveillance cameras in the main office, I watched as he stepped into the elevator. It was my first time looking at his uncovered face. 

SOOOOOO HOTTTTTTT!!!!!!

That was my immediate reaction to seeing his face. Slightly downturned eyes. A gaze that seemed detached from the world yet burned with passion deep within. Dark hair, neatly styled with hair products. A well-toned body. His neck, lined with taut muscle fibers…

HOTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!

The Masked Man Phenomenon. It was a phenomenon when a character who had been hiding their face behind a mask finally revealed their face (courtesy of me). The moment a mysterious masked man unveiled his face, women instantly fell for him, overwhelmed by the thrill of uncovering his secret and the contrast between what they imagined and the reality.

I fell victim to the Masked Man Phenomenon, and from that moment on… I was in love with Shibuki Hamura.

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Crap. The mood was completely different from before.

This person… This is where the real fight begins…!

“Sa-Sae? You okay?”

“Ah…”

Hearing Kazuhara-san’s voice, Isshiki-san returned to her usual cool expression.

“…Y-yeah, I’m fine. No problem.”

The tension settled. The pressure, the intimidation that had been there just moments ago, faded away.

“Actually, I surrender.”

“Huh?”

Isshiki-san raised both hands.

“Your magic level, martial arts, and intelligence.. All of them are superior to mine. No matter how I think about it, I don’t see any way where I can win this fight.”

Surrender, huh? I was a bit disappointed. I had a feeling things were just about to get interesting…

“Total defeat, damn it!”

“Whoa!?”

Kazuhara-san suddenly threw an arm around my shoulders.

“Five-character magic and chantless casting, huh? I see… I don’t want to admit it, but we’re on different levels indeed. No wonder Abisu gave you the Origin.”

“Kazuhara-san, your magic combination was incredible too. If not for five-character magic, I wouldn’t have been able to counter it.”

“Tch! Sounds like flattery to me.”

No, I meant it, though…

“You should be the one leading this team.” 

Isshiki-san suggested.

“No, that’s a bit much… Shouldn’t Kazuhara-san be the leader based on seniority?”

“This kind of thing goes by skill. Besides, you know the enemy’s hand inside out. I think you should be the leader too.”

“I see… Understood. Then I’ll take the command then.”

“Also, Shibuki, drop the polite speech with me.”

“Huh?”

“I like you. No, I should say I already liked you from the beginning. I was harsh earlier because we’re part of the same guild, but starting a war for the woman you love… Now that’s badass.”

“No, no. It’s not like I’m in love with Kisaragi or anything though…”

Also, Isshiki-san? Why do you look so scary right now?

“Plus, your incredible abilities! That’s a double win. When I acknowledge someone, I want them to talk to me casually and call me by my first name.”

“But calling someone ten years older than me by name without honorifics is a bit…”

“Ouch! Ow ow ow!!”

Kazuhara-san tightened his arm around my shoulders and started choking me.

“If I say it’s fine, it’s fine!”

“Okay! I got it! Let me go, Riku!!”

“Nuahaha! Now that’s more like it!”

Riku finally loosened his grip, and I pulled away from him.

Good grief. Yankees are so pushy…

“Alright! To celebrate becoming buddies, let’s take a picture!”

“…You really close the distance fast…”

Riku slung an arm around my shoulder again, then pulled out a selfie stick from who-knows-where and mounted his phone. Just as he was about to take the picture, Isshiki-san appeared at the edge of the screen.

“Hey, Sae! You’re in the shot! Move!”

“I just happened to be here.”

“Get out of the way!”

“I see no reason to move.”

“Damn it. You’re such a hassle.”

Riku shifted positions and changed the angle, but somehow, Isshiki-san still ended up in the frame.

“You’re still in the shot!!”

“Just a coincidence…”

“Like hell it is!!”

“…Whatever. I want to move on to training, so let’s just take it like this.”

“Sheesh… Fine.”

And so, the three of us—Riku, Isshiki-san, and I—took the picture together. Although I was acting a bit reluctant, but deep down, I was really happy. Things like this never happened in my last guild.

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