Chapter 75: My 150k subscriber endurance broadcast was also wrong…

[15-Hour Stream Goal: Let’s Spend Time Reading My Macarons! #KainoIzumi #StarsFlow]

“I want to stand on stage and do a live broadcast…”

At first, I might have started this lightly.

No, I definitely began this with no real thoughts or worries, just a carefree mindset.

Because I knew StarsFlow was a subsidiary of my mom’s company.

Because my mom encouraged me to start it.

Because I’m still in high school.

Because the company let me pass, knowing exactly who I am.

Because it was my first time trying internet broadcasting.

I kept making excuses for my inexperience, turning a blind eye.

But there are people cheering for this inexperienced version of me.

[Honestly, I think Izumi’s streams are super fun.]

[Whenever I feel down these days, I soothe myself with Mei-chan’s streams lol.]

[She may be the “Queen of Burnout” or whatever, but what matters is it’s fun to watch.]

I don’t want to ignore their support.

“Even if it’s tough and hard for now… I still want to try.”

And above all else…

“Now, broadcasting is actually fun for me. Hehe…”

Some might laugh at me for cherishing people I only meet online, whose faces I’ve never seen.

But to me, they’re truly precious connections. Just being able to interact with them makes me genuinely happy.

• Does that mean it wasn’t fun at all until now?
• Are you saying you’ve just been streaming out of obligation? (ಠ_ಠ)
• What’s with this stream where emotional moments never seem to last long?

・Even so, having too many haters is kind of off-putting.

[Hi, Izumi!]

[When are you planning to start your drawing streams?]

[I wish you’d collab with Toka-mama on a drawing stream.]

“Umm. It’s not that I haven’t thought about it… but I think I need a bit more time.”

• Are you still in your rebellious phase?

“Th-that’s not it. I’ve never even had a rebellious phase…”

If I put my mind to it, I could start a drawing stream right now.

But for now, I’ve decided to postpone it because there are still things holding me back.

Not that it’s a big deal; in fact, people might actually like it.

But the idea of all that attention makes me uncomfortable, so I decided to hold off.

Even when I asked Aunt Sia, she said it might be better to wait.

“Anyway, if I do start, it’ll probably be around March?”

• That’s longer than I thought. C(・_・C)

“It’s not like I’m never doing it, so just wait a little longer.”

While chatting about various topics, the subscriber count displayed on the screen had reached 146,829.

When I started the stream, it was in the low 140,000s, and now it was mid-140,000s.

Meanwhile, the broadcast had already gone on for two hours.

Even if the topic was just macarons, the fact that I had been talking for two hours straight was slowly wearing me down.

And doing the simple math meant there were at least two more hours to go.

I hadn’t even had dinner yet. What was I doing with my life…?

“Now that I think about it, has everyone eaten dinner?”

• Eating now.
• Planning to eat soon.
• Mei-chan, haven’t you eaten yet?

“I still need to eat, but…”

If I were alone, I would’ve just grabbed some cereal and eaten during the stream.

But since it’s the end of the year, my mom is home, and I’d like to have dinner with her if I can.

But this is a goal-oriented endurance stream to hit 150,000 subscribers.

Leaving mid-stream doesn’t seem right.

・Maybe just let Izutomo (Izumi’s friends/fans) know in advance?

Saying something like, “I’ll have dinner with my mom and be back soon,” seems reasonable.

I mean, I’m human; I need to eat to survive.

“U-um, so… would it be okay if I go have dinner?”

• Can’t you eat while streaming?

“Well, it’s the end of the year, and my mom’s home… I’d really like to eat with her.”

• Ah.
• If that’s the case, it can’t be helped.
• Mei-chan, the filial daughter, good job!

Thankfully, the response wasn’t too bad.

It made sense. If someone said they wanted to have dinner with their family, opposing that would be the strange

reaction. Besides, I had mentioned on several occasions during my streams that my sister lived on her own, and

Mom was usually too busy to be at home.

“Then, I’ll be going…”

I wondered what tonight’s dinner would be.

With that hopeful thought, I ended the stream.

Tonight’s dinner turned out to be none other than cheesy Hamburg steak.

An absolute masterpiece in the history of side dishes. If I were to crown the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), this would

undoubtedly make it into the rankings.

In our house, we didn’t just slap a slice of cheese on top. Instead, the patties were crafted with a pocket inside,

stuffed generously with cheese.

Sometimes, people mock those who like cheesy Hamburg steak, calling it childish taste, but that’s the sort of

nonsense only fools would say.

I’d love to explain just how perfect Hamburg steak is to those people, but alas, the margins of this space are too small

to do it justice.

“It’s so good. Hehe.”

“Well, it’s been a while since I went all out,” Mom said, her voice brimming with pride.

I gave her a thumbs up in approval.

“…My dear daughter, you’ve worked hard.”

With those words, Mom suddenly reached out and gently patted my head.

“What? Worked hard on what?”

“Today was your 150,000-subscriber celebration stream, wasn’t it?”

“…Oh, yeah.”

“Of course, I’m the one who suggested you start streaming, so it might sound strange for me to say this… but,

honestly, I’ve had a lot of regrets.”

“Regrets? What kind of regrets?”

Mom had been the one to encourage me to try streaming, but ultimately, the decision had been mine. I was satisfied

with my current life, so what was there to regret?

“When you were struggling with your streams, I was too busy to be there for you. Thinking about how you had to

endure that burden all alone… I couldn’t help but feel that I shouldn’t have encouraged you to start in the first place.

I should have done more research about the industry and made sure you had a solid foundation before suggesting it.”

Her voice trembled slightly as her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

…The struggles she mentioned were probably referring to the backlash I faced about three months ago after

collaborating with Kurokami-senpai.

“To be honest, when I got home that day, I wanted to tell you to quit streaming. But then, I heard you talk about

Koga-san and saw how you met Akasaki-san that day. So I decided to wait a little longer and see how things went.

And before I knew it, you had grown into a VTuber with 150,000 subscribers…”

That day, when Mom suggested we go shopping right after coming home, was she planning to bring up quitting

streaming?

If that’s what she had in mind, it’s kind of shocking to think about.

Looking back, that time had been so tough I even resented her for not being there for me.

Had Mom come home before I watched Nacchan’s live performance and asked if I wanted to quit, I probably would

have nodded in agreement.

But now, I was so glad she hadn’t.

“Mina, are you genuinely enjoying streaming right now?”

Mom’s gaze was as calm and firm as ever, with a gentle kindness hidden within.

“Uh… Mom, did you watch my stream today?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I know you can’t exactly take time off just because you’re at home.”

Thinking about it, this was something I should have told Mom first.

She was the one who gave me the push to become Kaino Izumi.

And even before that, she was the one who made it possible for me to meet Nacchan, my ultimate favorite.

“Mom, I’ve got a goal now. It’s not something I can achieve easily, and I’m sure it’ll be really hard. But it’s something

I really want to accomplish.”

“A goal?”

“Yeah. Someday, I want to do a live performance.”

Mom was right. There had been tough times.

There were moments when I wanted to give up everything and run away.

“Koga-san can be intimidating, but she’s kind. Akabane-san is mischievous but genuinely caring. I haven’t spoken

much with Aki-san or Utsumi-san yet, but I’d love to get closer to them. The seniors cherish me a lot, and although

the Izutomo fans love to tease me… well, they say teasing is how you show affection, right? And Nacchan is always

shining so brightly!”

But when I realized that so many people were on my side, those painful experiences became seeds of growth for me.

“That’s why, in front of all those people, I want to perform a live show. I want to sing joyfully. That’s my goal for now.”

“I see….”

“Mom, I truly enjoy streaming right now. So, please don’t worry about me!”

Tears began to flow quietly down Mom’s cheeks, moistening her face.

And as I looked into her kind eyes, I—

“Hehe!”

—smiled brightly.

I flopped onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“I never imagined Mom was thinking that way….”

In hindsight, it was obvious. But I’d always assumed Mom would wholeheartedly support my activities as a VTuber.

I never considered she might have such thoughts.

“Sigh.”

Still, I felt a strange sense of relief.

Just knowing I could share my genuine feelings with her gave me a new sense of courage.

“I’ll have to work even harder from now on.”

Starting with improving my stuttering habit and attending the lessons supported by the company—there was so

much to do.

But for now, the most important thing was—

“Time to sleep….”

After a long conversation with Mom, I felt utterly drained. Restoring my energy for once was just as important.

“Mmm…”

…Wait.

I feel like I forgot something.

Oh well, it’ll be fine.

[It’s already past midnight.]

[How could you fail an endurance stream like this?]

[Did something happen?]

[She hit 150k subscribers, Mei-chan LOL.]

[The future of VTubers is bright…]

[Did she fall asleep? At least post an update.]

[Even with 150k subscribers, some things don’t change, huh?]

[This is what a 150k-subscriber VTuber looks like?]

[Kaizo Izumi☆Star’s Flow @Kainolzumi. 2 minutes ago]

Sorry, everyone. I got sleepy after eating dinner and chatting with my mom…