The Story About How I Was Fired From My Company and Then Picked up by a Possessive Streamer With Over 5 Million Subscribers - Chapter 73

After barely saving Sayaka from being attacked by a suspicious, menacing man, I bought a drink from a vending machine near the park.

“Here.”

“Thank you…”

She awkwardly took the can of cocoa from me, her expression seeming as though she was blaming herself for something.

I sat down on the bench next to her, where there was some space.

“Thank you for earlier…You saved me.”

“Yeah, I’m glad I made it in time. You don’t seem hurt either.”

“Yes…”

…It’s clear that she can’t stop thinking about what just happened.

I stayed silent, watching the night sky illuminated by the moon, while keeping an eye on her.

I hadn’t taken the time to look at it like this for a while…but when I do, it’s really beautiful.

“Um, Eiji…is Kanna mad at me?”

Sayaka asked nervously, but I tried to reassure her.

“No, she’s not mad…Well, maybe she’s mad you went out so late at night.”

“Ugh…I knew it…Haha. I kind of acted on impulse…”

“If you apologize sincerely, I’m sure she’ll forgive you. I’ll apologize too.”

“…Thank you…”

She seemed to relax a little, and her cheeks softened slightly.

“Aah…Why did I say such terrible things to Kanna? She was only saying those things for my sake…”

“…”

“I knew it, you know…everything Kanna said was for my sake…but still, why do I feel like such a bad person?”

“Sayaka…”

“I guess I was aware…that I still wanted to continue streaming.”

I listened closely to the thoughts buried deep in her heart, making sure not to miss a single word.

“It all started because I wanted my real parents, who had gone to the heavens, to recognize me. I thought I would make a name for myself, whether in heaven or hell…Before I knew it, we were being called the new generation of rookies, and we became famous.”

“The number of viewers gradually increased…I was so happy. And then I realized…streaming had become something very important to me. But…that thing I valued so much started to scare me.”

Tears started to fall from Sayaka’s eyes, but even with a trembling voice, she continued.

“I realized I had no charm, that I was just an ordinary person with no personality…I couldn’t face the camera anymore…I couldn’t even smile…”

“…”

“And Eiji…I couldn’t even imagine how much it would hurt if you abandoned me. That’s why I kept doing everything to make sure you would only look at me! I researched, I practiced, I gave up my feelings…I made up my mind…But even then, you never once looked at me!”

“…That’s…”

“Eiji, am I…unwanted? Am I just a plain, worthless person?”

Looking into her fragile, vulnerable eyes, I felt my heart ache.

She had been carrying so much…fighting to keep from succumbing to her fears all this time.

…But there’s one thing she’s misunderstanding. That, at least, must not be mistaken.

“Sayaka. I’ve told you before. As long as you don’t abandon me…I won’t abandon you.”

“! …That’s a lie…Even my parents said that at first and then ignored me! Eiji, you’ll abandon me too…I know you will.”

“No!!”

“!?”

I grabbed her shoulders tightly. Her small frame trembled, but it didn’t matter.

I wasn’t just a roommate anymore…I was…

“I’m already part of your family. I would never abandon my family.”

I heard her gasp at those words.

“Besides, you said you had no charm…but that’s a huge misunderstanding.”

“Is that just flattery? I don’t have any…”

…You do. I told you during our trip. But I guess I didn’t express it well enough back then…

That’s why this time, I’ll make sure you understand. To do that, I pulled out my phone to show her something.

“Eiji…?”

“I’ll show you the proof. Something that will convince anyone of your charm.”

I showed her something on social media.

Sayaka, looking at my phone, gasped silently, staring at the screen.

“What…is this?”

“See? You have…countless fans.”

On the screen were numerous posts from Aoi Tenharu’s fans.

Among the tweets were words of concern, encouragement, and posts talking about how seeing her cheerful self gave them courage and energy.

“No way…this can’t be…”

“Do you really think that?”

I asked, as she still seemed unable to grasp the reality in front of her.

“You’ve become an important person to them.”

“I…have?”

“You said you had no charm, right? Then why do all these people support you? Worry about you? Why are you a trending topic on social media?”

Her face started to twist as she struggled with her emotions. This was the moment. If she was going to return to streaming, now was the time.

“Is it out of pity? For themselves? Or just to pass the time? …No. It’s because of everything you’ve built up. It’s proof. Proof of the treasure that only you possess.”

“Ah…Ugh…Ahh…”

“I know, Sayaka. You always care about others, cheering them up so they won’t worry. You have a unique determination when you set your mind on something. Those are your charms…and I know them better than anyone.”

…So please, don’t say you have no charm.

Don’t make the feelings of those who care about you go to waste.

“Sayaka. What do you really want? Do you really…want to stop streaming?”

“I…I…”

And then, she made her choice—