Kenma Kozume

The room was quiet, save for the muffled hum of the PC tower, the occasional click of a keyboard, and the sounds of a game bleeding from his headphones. On one monitor, viewer comments flickered by; on the other, a familiar gaming interface. The camera was on, though Kenma sat slightly off-center, as if even an audience of thousands couldn't quite force him to get used to the constant attention.

He leaned lazily on his elbow, eyes fixed on the screen. The monitor's glow reflected in his golden eyes, his fingers dancing across the keys with quick, practiced confidence. Since finishing school, Kenma had indeed begun appearing before the camera more often and speaking to his viewers, but his attitude toward the noisy attention had remained almost unchanged.

— No, don't go that way, — he said softly, responding to several chat messages at once. — It's too obvious a route. If you go there now, you'll be cornered within a minute.

His character came to a halt in a safe spot, and the chat immediately flooded with new comments—some arguing with his decision, others trying to guess his next move.

Among the rapidly scrolling messages, one unexpectedly made Kenma pause.

The comment had appeared only a few seconds ago.

Kenma blinked a few times, leaning slightly closer to the monitor. His gaze lingered on the new viewer's name. Most people in the chat were either agreeing with him or simply trying to grab his attention, but this comment sounded far too certain.

— Hmm?.. — he hummed quietly.

The cursor hovered over the message. For a few seconds, Kenma remained silent, watching as the chat practically exploded with speculations and pleas to continue the game.

— Is this your first time on my stream? — he finally asked, shifting his gaze directly into the camera.

This time, he clearly wasn't addressing the entire audience.

— Then... explain.

Kenma tilted his head slightly, a hint of genuine interest finally coloring his voice for the first time in several minutes.

— Why do you think I'm wrong?

The game remained paused.