The lecture hall felt smaller than usual. I slouched in my usual seat near the back, my hood up, trying to disappear into the wooden chair. It was useless as I could feel the weight of thousands of eyes even though only thirty actual people were in the room with me.
My phone sat face down on the desk like a live grenade. I hadn't touched it since I sat down, but knew the stream was still running. Of course it was. The low, constant buzz of notifications told me everything I needed to know.
Angel's voice suddenly filed my right ear, soft and sweet like she was sitting right next to me. The System was piping the audio straight into my head now.
"Class time everyone. Our star Kai looks so focused today. Isn't he handsome when he's trying to ignore us?"
The chat was probably exploding again. I didn't dare check.
Professor Harlan droned on about macroeconomic theory like his life depended on it. Normally I'd be half asleep but today I was wide awake, every nerve on edge. My skin crawled knowing that somewhere out there, a pink-haired girl with an unsettling smile was narrating my every breath to strangers.
Ten minutes in, my phone vibrated violently against the desk. Once, twice, then full on alert.
Live Poll Active!
How should we reward Kai for being such a good boy in class today?
A) Make him the centre of attention(Fun Reward)
B) Quiet boost to his focus(Boring Reward)
C) Surprise visit from a cute girl(Special Reward)
Voting ends in 45 seconds!
I stared at the glowing screen. My stomach twisted. I already knew what the chat would pick. They always picked the chaotic option.
The drone was probably outside the window right now. Or maybe one of the students in here was in on it too. Paranoia clawed at the back of my mind.
Angel's giggle echoed softly in my ear. "The viewers are feeling generous today, Kai. Let's see what they choose for you.
Forty seconds later the poll locked.
Poll results: 64% chose A - Make him the centre of attention.
Fuck.
Professor Harlan suddenly stopped mid-sentence. He blinked, looked around the room, then his eyes landed directly on me.
"Kai. You've been unusually quiet lately. Why don't you come up here and explain the last concept to the class? I'm sure everyone would love to hear your thoughts."
My blood ran cold, I was never one to speak in class. Never. Harlan barely knew my name before today.
Whispers rippled through the lecture hall as I stood up on shaky legs. Dozens of real eyes joined the thousands watching through the stream. I walked the front like a man heading to his own execution.
Angel's voice purred happily in my ear the entire way. " Look at him go. So brave for the viewers. Smile for the camera, Kai. They're loving this."
I fumbled through some half-assed explanation about supply and demand curves. My face burned as people were filming me on their phones. The chat was probably having a field day.
AngelFan69: he's blushing so hard lol
VesperObsessed: our star is so cute when embarrassed.
Gift received! Multiple big donations rolling in.
Each gift pinged my bank app. Small amounts at first, then bigger amounts. By the time I slunk back to my seat, I had an extra $180 I didn't ask for.
The humiliation burned worse than the money helped.
Angel's tone stayed sweet as sugar. "Good job, Kai. The viewers are so proud. See how nice I can be when you're cooperative? Even if you're trying so hard to pretend we don't exist."
I clenched my jaw until it hurt. I wanted to scream at the ceiling, to flip off every hidden camera. But I kept my face blank. I wasn't giving her or the chat the satisfaction of seeing me break on camera.
The rest of the class passed in a blur of burning cheeks and whispered giggles. When it finally ended, I grabbed by bag and practically ran out of the building.
The drones followed me across campus, keeping perfect distance. Angel narrated my every step like a loving girlfriend showing off her boyfriend to the world.
"Kai's walking so fast. Is he embarrassed? Or maybe he's excited for what comes next.."
I tried to ignore her and ignore everything about the stream. I just wanted one normal afternoon.
But normal had very much already left the chat.
By the time I got back to my apartment, the blue holographic panel flickered at the edge of my vision for the second time.
[Observer System - Star Interface]
Current viewers: 34, 672
Star points: +412
Accumulating...The more attention you receive, the more the System awakens.
I did not need any skills, or to use my voice but the numbers kept climbing while my kife turned into someone else's entertainment.
I slammed the door behind me and slid down against it, head in my hands.
This was only day one.
And Angel's too sweet and too knowing smile was already haunting every corner of my mind.