The morning after the public humiliation in class felt more heavier. My body ached like I'd run a marathon even though I'd barely moved. Sleep had been shit-fragmented nightmares of pink hair and thousands of glowing phone screens watching me drown.
The phone was already live when I opened my eyes.
AngelVesper is LIVE - Kai's Perfect Day #51
Current Viewers: 37,419
She looked fresh and radiant on the feed, pink twin-tails tied neatly, wearing an oversized pastel hoodie that made her look innocent and soft. That same too-sweet signature smile curved her lips as she waved at the camera.
"Good morning, my darlings. Our star had a rough night, but he's awake now. Look at him lying there, pretending none of this is happening. So stubborn and cute."
I dragged myslef out of bed without looking at the screen. The audio followed me anyway, her voice soft and intimate like she was whispering directly into my brain.
I brushed my teeth in silence. Showered with the lights off, hoping the hidden camera would catch less. I did not matter anyway because she narrated every second of it.
Kai's trying to hide from us again. But the viewers love seeing the shy real you, keep being you, everyone is rooting for you today."
The only solution was to ignore and I did just that at that moment. Grabbed my protein bar and my backpack and left the apartment as fast as humanly possible. The black drone was waiting outside, hovering lazily above the street like a patient predator. I flipped it off without thinking, the chat probably ate that up.
The campus was crowded as it should. I kept my head down, earbuds jammed in even though they did nothing. People were staring more than usual today. A couple of guys I vaguely knew from last semester gave me weird nods, like they'd seen something online. Great. My private nightmare was probably becoming public knowledge.
I was almost at the library when Lena appeared.
Short black hair, sharp intelligent eyes, debate clus president. She's s,iled at me a few times before. bur today she actually changed direction and walked straight toward me carrying two coffees.
"Kai! Hey, wait up."
I slowed down against my better judgement. She held out one of the coffees with a small smile.
"You always look like you need this around this time. Rough week?"
Before I could mumble a thanks or brush her off, my phone started vibrating like it was possessed. I did not even need to check to know what was happening.
Live Poll Action!
New girl approaching the star, how should we handle this side character?
A) Friendly warning - tell her to back off(Mild)
B) Make her genuinely interested in Kai(Reward Route)
C) Immediate elimination - scare her away hard(Punishment)
Voting ends in 50 seconds!
Angel's voice slid into my ear, sweet as poisoned honey. "Oh? Another girl trying to get close to our Kai? How adorable. Viewers, what do you think we should do with her?"
I could feel every hair on my being prickle. Lena was still standing there holding the coffee, looking at me expectantly.
The poll results came in fast.
Poll results: 67% chose B - Make her genuinely interested in Kai.
Lena blinked, her expression shifted right in front of me, her eyes softening, cheeks gaining a light flush, body language turning more open. It wasn't natural. It was fucking eerie how clean the change was.
"Actually..." she sais, voice a little quieter, "I've been wanting to talk to you more. You seem different lately. In a good way. Want to grab lunch after classes or something? My treat."
I stared at her. This was not Lena deciding on her own. This was the likes and gifts and that goddamn Observer System twisting reality because thousands of strangers thought it would be entertaining.
I muttered something vague like "maybe later" and tried to keep walking. Lena fell into step beside me anyway, chatting easily about classes and some debate tournament coming up. Every time she laughed or brushed her arm against mine, my phone would buzz with new notifications.
Gift received! Multiple smaller donations pouring in.
Viewer Count spiking: 44,872
Angel's narration stayed light on the surface, but I could hear the undercurrent now. That too-knowing edge beneath the sweetness.
"Look at our popular star. Making new friends already. I am so glad everyone loves him. But remember, everyone...Kai is very special. He needs someone who truly understands him."
Lena did not seem to hear any of it. She just kept talking, more animated than I'd ever seen her. By the time we reached the library steps she'd already given me her number and extracted a promise to text her later.
I escaped inside and found a quiet corner. The moment I sat down, Angel's voice returned, closer and even more intimate that it made my skin crawl.
"She seems nice, doesn't she? But do not get too attached, Kai. The viewers get jealous easily. And when they get jealous...I get protective."
Her smile filled the phone screen when I finally glanced at it. Those big eyes locked on the camera like she could see straight through my skull and into the growing ball of rage and helplessness in my chest.
I wanted to scream, and throw away the phone, maybe even run until the drone could not follow.
Instead I just sat there, fists clenched under the table, breathing through my nose while she narrated my "peaceful study session" to her audience.
The side glances from other students continued throughout the afternoon. A couple more girls smiled at me longer than necessary. One even waved. Every single time that happened, a small poll or gift notification would pop up, like the System was testing reactions.
By evening I had four new numbers in my phone and a growing sense that my normal life was being systematically dismantled and replaced with whatever entertainment the chat wanted.
Back in my shitty apartment, I dropped onto the bed fully clothed and stared at the ceiling. The blue holographic panel finally appeared again, more brighter this time.
[Observer System - Star Interface]
Current Viewers: 48,291
Star points: +892
Jealousy and romantic tension are high-efficiency fuel. Accumulation rate increasing dramatically.
Angel started her nightly "goodnight segment," her voice as soft as ever and loving as she narrated me lying there.
"Kai had such an exciting day today. So many new people noticing him. But deep down he knows who really cares and who's always watching over him. Who will do anything to keep him safe and happy."
Her smile on the screen was gentle, almost tender. But her eyes...those eyes promised that the longer this went on, the tighter her grip would become.
As if, she was watching over me, alright! more like micromanaging my every breath!
I turned away from the phone, but I could still feel her watching.