Mio

The white light of the monitor illuminated Mio as she adjusted the webcam on her desk. Occasionally her eyes would drift to the side and onto the screen. Seeing the live playback of herself, sitting in the blotched darkness of her room, glancing at her masked face. It was another late-night stream. The effects of it were already taking their toll on her as she noticed that her brown eyes were duller and her eyelids narrower than usual; her twin tails had stubbornly remained unkempt the past few streams. She slumped against the chair, a bitter tsk escaping from her mouth.

“Let’s get this over with.” Mio said, her hand reaching for the mouse. With a few clicks, she changed the tab to her stream. Already there were 50,000 viewers waiting for her. The chat filled quickly with messages eager to see Oni-Gal stream again. The cause of such a lively audience was that she announced a collab stream tonight with a special guest. She didn’t care all too much how the stream goes; she just needs to act a little interested and the donations will roll in.

The cursor hovered over the start stream button. She stared back at her webcam; its lights flashing red as she clicked to start the stream. “Ya-ho… Thanks for tuning in for tonight’s stream.” Mio spoke, deadpan and monotone. She leaned back again to give a curt wave, the hem of her dress rising slightly above her stomach to reveal a sliver of her pale skin. “If you guys haven’t read my latest post on EX, I am doing a highly requested stream that my viewers have been asking for quite some time… Another collab stream with a guest. I have nothing planned in mind… maybe just talk or play a few games or so. Maybe even some chat requests.” She turned her head, facing away from the camera. “Getting to the point, let’s meet our guest now, shall we?”

Mio huffed a breath of annoyance as she waited outside. The sole of her black boots thumped impatiently against the pavement while she sat. The warmth of the wood firmly resting against her back and the briefest wind only offered her a little reprieve from the midday heat. This is an awful day. Fortunate that she lucked out in finding an empty bench on this busy part of town. Her feet hurt like hell; her dress was damp with sweat, and she could hardly breathe in this mask from walking all day.

She should be at home, streaming; instead, she has to go meet another stupid fan. The ring of her phone cut through the bustle of the crowd. She pulled it out of her purse and looked at her screen. “Tch... almost dead and damn near 12:00. This fan meet better be worth the time.” She mumbled. Her eyes glancing around her surroundings, searching for her mysterious client. "What a waste."

“Oh… it’s back on.” Mio said, staring at her phone screen. “Sorry about that chat, the connection around these parts is bad. I might have to move somewhere else so that the stream won’t buffer.” She turned her head from side to side and started walking through the streets. Every so often she would readjust her mask and quicken her pace whenever she passed a stranger, but her focus would remain on her phone. A hint of annoyance left her lips with a sigh. She had walked past bars, restaurants, karaoke places, yet they were all too crowded for her.

The quality of the stream improved as she walked herself deeper into the district. The crowded street thinned to nothing the further she walked; relief washed over her as the surrounding became more calm. Her eyes glanced at the chat. She made a small hiss as her viewer count dropped marginally after all the walking she’d done. “Well, looks like the internet is stable here. Shouldn’t have any interruptions streaming now.” She stopped to observe her surroundings; only noticing a few places left open this late.

Mio tugged her hood down as she entered the convenience store. The cool blast of the AC hitting her legs as she pocketed a hand into her hoodie. Her eyes turned down toward the tiled floor as she walked past the clerk, her skirt swaying by as she did. Her hands reassuringly adjusted her face mask back into place. She tried her best to avoid the other shoppers, taking longer routes than usual to avoid any contact; her boots clicking against the floor whenever she picked up the pace. She took a sharp turn into a narrow and empty aisle. Just got to get a couple of beers. She thought to herself.

She navigated through the aisle, only stopping when she’s in front of the alcoholic beverage section. Behind the blur of the glass, the cool blue light of the refrigerator highlighted its contents. She stood there, staring at the selection. Her eyes settled on a cheap pack of cans at the bottom. “Good enough, I guess.” Her hand moved to grasp the handle, opening the door. The entrapped breeze washed over her as she bent forward, her hand reaching; her skirt rose as she did.

Mio’s bag hung low around her shoulder, sagging with the weight of her attire. Her feet stood together in anxious waiting as she stared at the door in front of her. “Oi! Is anyone in there? I'm here for the photoshoot.” Her voice raised. Only the incessant hum of the dim light above her replied. Her eyes rolled in frustration. Here she was inside a shady building, waiting for almost an hour for a photoshoot that was supposed to happen earlier, all for some quick cash; she should’ve left minutes ago, instead she’s wasting her time here.

She took a deep breath. She shouldn’t stress herself over something so trivial as this; another client will pay her to do a photoshoot, they always do. Her hand gripped her phone. “Hah… I knew I would waste my time coming over here.” She smoothed down her dress, intending to leave. It was a shame, really; she could’ve used the cash today.

Mio awoke with a groan and an ache in her head. A beer can toppled to its side as she attempted to stretch her arm. “What time is it? How long did I sleep?” Her voice was low and tired. She attempted to get up from her back, her crop top loosening around her shoulder as she sat upright. Her hazy eyes glanced around her apartment. Darkness enveloped the room, save for the outline of her curtained window. It looked bright. The phone at her side confirmed her suspicion: it was 8:00 am; she had overslept again, or passed out — she couldn’t tell these days.

Her memories were foggy as she tried to recall what had happened last night. It was after a long stream that she unwound with some leftover Burger King and a beer, maybe two, or more. It was definitely the beer the more she recalled. At least she wasn’t late. She stood up, pulling up shorts up to her waist. Her hand held the phone loosely as she limped to the kitchen; she could start streaming in the afternoon.

She went to her fridge and opened it; it was empty. She sighed and looked at her phone. “I guess I could do takeout today then…”