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[Location - In Random Flat Of A Gamer]
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[Third Person View]
The little bedroom was lit up by the low glow of neon lights, which created shadows flickering over the walls covered in posters of many video games and anime characters.
The room was messy but cozy, a haven for a gamer.
In the middle, a high-end gaming setup took the spotlight. It featured a computer that was sleek and black, many monitors, and a keyboard that could glow with rainbow LED lights.
For the era it occupied in, it is possible to claim that it is all a gamer nerd could ask for.
A man, looking no older than his mid-twenties, sat slumped in his gaming chair. Dark circles under his eyes betrayed his lack of sleep, but the faint smile on his lips hinted at a resilience forged through many sleepless nights.
His fingers danced lazily over the mouse, scrolling through the endless list of games on his screen.
"Let's see… what to play today."
He muttered to himself, his voice carrying an excited tone that seemed to contradict his exhausted appearance.
With a refined knack for productivity, his eyes scanned the list, clicking over titles that were already recognizable to him.
"This is boring… and it lost its charm after the new updates." His passion was beginning to diminish little as he sighed.
"This one is just forcing me to use real-life money to play… what a joke."
"A Pay to Win type game is the last one I need right now."
Frustration tinged his voice as he continued to search, but disappointment was all he found. "Let's check if there's any new one that might be interesting…"
He navigated to the new top list chat, his anticipation tempered by a deep-seated scepticism. His gaze fell upon the first game on the list, a colourful icon that stood out amidst the sea of titles.
"Candy Crush…" He muttered, leaning closer to the screen. "…and it was launched just two days ago, and it already made it to the top list."
Curiosity piqued, so he clicked on the game's icon and read through its description. Without further hesitation, he initiated the download. As the progress bar slowly filled, he drummed his fingers on the desk, a habit born from years of waiting for games to install.
A few minutes later, the game was ready. He launched it, and vibrant colors burst onto the screen, accompanied by cheerful music. His tired eyes lit up with genuine interest for the first time in hours.
"Not bad… not bad at all." He said to himself, navigating through the tutorial with ease. The gameplay was engaging, a refreshing change from the usual grind.
Time seemed to fly as he delved deeper into Candy Crash, losing himself in the addictive puzzles and challenges.
After an hour, he leaned back, a satisfied grin spreading across his face.
"This is actually pretty fun." He admitted.
"I should let people know about this."
Switching to a different monitor, he opened a well-known gaming forum. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he crafted a detailed post about his experience with Candy Crash, praising its innovative design and engaging gameplay.
He hit 'post' and watched as the thread quickly garnered attention, comments flooding in from curious gamers and fans. As he read through the responses, an idea began to form in his mind.
"Maybe I should do a live stream." He mused aloud.
"It's been a while since I did one, and this game could really make for an engaging session."
He switched to his streaming software, setting up his camera and checking his audio levels. Within minutes, he was live, his face appearing on the screen alongside the Candy Crush gameplay.
"Hey everyone." He greeted his viewers, his voice now brimming with energy.
"Today, we are diving into a brand new game called Candy Crash. It's fresh, it's fun, and I think you are all going to love it. Let's get started!"
He began playing, explaining the mechanics and his initial thoughts. But as the minutes ticked by, he noticed the chat's energy starting to wane.
Some viewers were commenting that the game seemed slow and repetitive, while others were suggesting moves he should make, growing frustrated when he didn't follow their advice.
"Hmm." He said, pausing the game. "Maybe this game isn't suited for live streaming..."
He leaned back in his chair, thinking out loud. "It's more of a play-and-experience type of game. Watching someone else play might actually be pretty boring. In fact, it might even have a negative effect. The game has too many possible moves at any given point, and none of them are explicitly wrong per se. So it's bound to get frustrating for viewers when the streamer doesn't make the choices they would."
He chuckled, realizing the clever strategy behind the game's design. "Though that might be a good thing for the gaming company. There will be a lot of people thinking, 'He can't even do this? Let me show you how it's done,' and then they download it themselves."
Even with the negative comments, he continued his stream for around half an hour. He was able to keep it interesting by talking about exploring the game with different power up moves, combo moves adding to visual effects, and intriguing themes instead of just playing it.
But he knows it won't be long before the viewers get bored with it, since there isn't much to actually explore.
So he decided to end it before that happens.
"That's it for today, guys." He sighed, easily switching into his typical sign-off routine.
"Thank you to everyone who tuned in!"
With a few deft keystrokes, the 'STREAM ENDED' graphic erupted across his monitors as the broadcast stopped.
Logging off, he rubbed his fatigued eyes and stretched his arms. Years of experience had taught him which games would work well for live streaming and which ones just wouldn't cut it.
"This game has no place for streams like mine, tsk…" He cursed, he really wanted to play this game live with all the people watching.
"But it's still a damn good game." He repeated to himself as he began shutting down his equipment for the night.
Before finally calling it a day and getting some much-needed sleep, he decided to check the game's forums one last time.
That's when he spotted a new post from the official game company - a boastful challenge about an 'endless' level with the taunting theme 'Endure the Infinite'.
He chuckled to himself. "So this is how they wanted to grab the attention of streamers and hardcore players..."
He knows immediately that he is not hitting bed anytime soon.
….
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[Location - Sobu High(:Class 2-F)]
[-Third Person View-]
The game [Candy Crash] was making waves not only among streamers but also among middle and high school students.
Tahara, with his blue half-frame glasses and black hair, wore the standard school uniform, complete with a green tie.
Next to him, his friend Oda, who sported brown hair and brown eyes, wore the same uniform but without a tie.
As Tahara played on his PSP, he turned to Oda. "Hey, did you watch the Dark Circle stream last night? He reached level 500."
"Yeah… I did." Oda replied in a low voice, a stark contrast to his excited tone, ensuring his words didn't carry beyond the two of them.
He watched Tahara's game intently, his fingers twitching slightly as if mimicking the moves in his mind.
"Tahara, you're making the wrong move again. You should have moved the green candy instead… you would get a [Wrapped Candy] with that move." Oda advised, leaning closer and pointing at the screen.
"Yeah, I know, but I think the red one will do fine. I can get a Colour Bomb." Tahara replied confidently, his fingers moving deftly over the buttons.
"True, man. I hadn't seen that one." Oda agreed immediately.
As the two friends are immersed in the game, Kakeru Tobe approaches them as he finds what they are playing as cool.
"Hey, that looks cool! Is that the same game I am hearing a lot about?" Tobe asked, leaning in and draping an arm around each boy in an overly friendly manner.
It was clear that both of them felt uncomfortable.
"...It's called Candy Crush." Oda responded, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes shifting uneasily.
Whether Tobe realized he was making them uncomfortable or not was something only he knew, but he pressed on regardless.
"Could you let me borrow the PSP for a moment to show it to the rest of the class?" He reached out, already taking the device without waiting for an answer.
Tahara hesitated, his grip tightening on the PSP before reluctantly loosening. "Of course." he said, a forced smile on his face.
Oda nodded in agreement, though his eyes betrayed his discomfort.
"Thanks, man." Tobe said, his words dripping with insincerity.
He turned to call his friends. "Hey guys, loo-!"
But just then, Hikigaya Hachiman, who had been passing by with his usual indifferent expression, suddenly grabbed the PSP from Tobe's hands.
"Tobe, can't you see you're making them uncomfortable? If you really want to play the game so badly, download it yourself. It is available for iOS." Hachiman didn't give him a chance to talk back or wait for a response.
He turned and walked towards Tahara's desk.
Placing the gadget gently on the desk, he continued on his way as if nothing had happened.
Hachiman then moved toward the front near the blackboard and conducted a closer inspection of the name written below the title of the male class representative of 2-A for the cultural festival.
There, in bold letters, was the name - Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Fuck…"
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[To be continued…]
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