Pixels and Reality 1
Shyam, a 23-year-old freelance video editor, gamer, and YouTuber, often found himself scrolling through YouTube in search of something new to watch. One evening, feeling particularly bored, he decided to look for someone streaming Set or Do Valley, one of his favorite games.
After a few minutes of searching, he stumbled upon a VTuber named Raitha. Her channel was practically empty—zero viewers, a fresh account. It seemed like she had only recently started streaming. Curious, and maybe a little sympathetic, Shyam clicked on the stream.
"Hi," he typed in the chat.
A second later, her avatar perked up, and a soft yet lively voice responded, "Oh! Hi! Welcome to the stream!"
That small interaction was enough to spark a conversation. As they played, they exchanged tips and tricks about the game. Shyam hadn't planned on staying long, but somehow, the way Raitha spoke—so enthusiastic, yet relaxed—kept him there. It felt like chatting with an old friend.
By the time the stream was nearing its end, he realized he had enjoyed himself far more than expected. Without thinking much, he hit the subscribe button.
"I'll be streaming every Wednesday!" Raitha mentioned before signing off.
Shyam leaned back in his chair, staring at his screen for a moment. He felt oddly happy. Excited, even. He found himself looking forward to next Wednesday.
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The Next Wednesday
This time, Shyam was prepared. He had thought of jokes, some funny one-liners, and even a couple of poems just to keep the conversation going.
As soon as Raitha started streaming, he was there.
Their conversation flowed naturally, shifting from games to movies and other random topics. Hours passed like minutes.
Week after week, this became their routine. Since no one else seemed to be watching, they started talking about personal interests—hobbies, favorite pastimes, things outside of gaming.
Shyam learned that Raitha had a deep love for music, singing, and drawing. He also found out something surprising—she was 30. Seven years older than him.
Raitha, on the other hand, got to know about Shyam's hobbies, his work as a video editor, and his small but growing YouTube channel.
At some point, it didn't feel like just a streamer-viewer interaction anymore. It felt like… something else.
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A Sudden Change
One week later, Raitha went live—a day earlier than usual.
Shyam, a little surprised but curious, quickly joined the stream.
"You're streaming today?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied, her voice carrying a different tone this time. "I wanted to tell you something."
Shyam felt a small pang of unease.
"I'm going on a trip to Japan," she said. "Alone."
And just like that, an unexpected shift began.
To be continued…