Solo Dungeon Streamer-I Am Overpowered

Chapter 32: First Steps into Streaming

"Good morning, Kisaragi-kun!"

"Morning! You were working over the weekend too, right?"

"G-Good morning..."

"You went all the way to Takayama, didn't you? Got any stories to share?"

"Um… the ramen was delicious?"

After spending Saturday at the Takayama Dungeon and lazily passing Sunday at home, I returned to school on Monday, only to be bombarded by classmates, both boys and girls, all eager to chat. Thankfully, no one directly messaged me, but still, the sudden attention was overwhelming.

Ever since that incident with the popular guy and his entourage, I've become the center of attention, which is pretty inconvenient. Even on the train to school, I could hear people whispering about me, my heightened explorer senses picking up every word.

"Good morning, Tsukasa-kun."

"Asakawa-san… Good morning."

"You look like you've been saved by the bell or something."

Asakawa-san laughed softly, but to me, she really was a lifesaver. My classmates, who I can't even match faces to names, kept talking to me non-stop, and it was wearing me down. Some people even talked to me thinking I was someone else entirely. I have no idea how far the rumors have spread, but it's all become a bit much.

"By the way, about the other day…"

"The other day? Oh, you mean about going to the lower floors?"

"Yeah, I've been thinking… maybe I should try challenging it if I get the chance."

Wait… Is this an invitation? The way Nonohara-san, who's standing next to her, is grinning makes me think this is definitely an invite to go to the dungeon together.

Setting aside the fact that this is an invitation from a girl, Asakawa-san already has the strength that surpasses what you'd expect from a Rank C explorer. She's definitely ready to explore the lower floors.

"So, I was thinking… why don't we do a big stream together?"

"A big stream? What do you mean?"

"I mean, let's stream my challenge of the lower floors together!"

That's… a pretty risky idea.

I get what she's saying. Even though I haven't streamed even once, my channel's subscribers have been steadily growing for some reason, and now Asakawa-san is suggesting we do a simultaneous stream—basically a collaboration—on her Asagao channel and mine.

There are two major benefits to this collab. The first is that by partnering with the popular streamer Asagao, I can instantly raise the profile of my channel. The second is that I can learn the ropes of streaming from Asakawa-san during my first stream. But even with these big benefits, there are some significant drawbacks that make me hesitant.

"Wouldn't that be a burden on you, Asakawa-san?"

"It's fine! I'm not really selling myself as an idol or anything, so I don't think it'll cause too much backlash."

She knows this as well as I do—she has some devoted fans who have a bit of a crush on her, and that could become a problem for both of us. When passionate fans feel betrayed, they can turn into vocal critics.

Another potential downside is that if my first stream is a collab with Asagao, people might think that's the kind of content my channel is focused on, but that's something time would eventually sort out.

"Alright, let's do it."

"Really? Honestly, I thought you'd turn me down."

"Even with the potential downsides, I'm more interested in seeing you challenge the lower floors up close."

"...That's kind of embarrassing."

Why is she embarrassed? Wanting to see a friend in action doesn't seem strange to me. Sure, it might feel a bit awkward, but hey, this is my first stream too, so we're in the same boat.

"Hey, Nanami. I think… Kisaragi-kun is totally oblivious."

"Yeah… I know."

"Good luck!"

"Thanks."

"...?"

I have no idea what's going on, but Nonohara-san is giving Asakawa-san some kind of pep talk. Is this about tackling the lower floors? If so, why did they bring up my name?

We got to class, and without much more conversation, the first period began. Asakawa-san looked like she wanted to say something, but maybe she's still trying to find the right moment. I'm not great at understanding how to navigate friendships, so I decided to wait until she was ready.

"In Japan, we have four explorers with the EX rank who handle extraordinary dungeon-related incidents…"

When Dungeon History class began, I noticed that more people than usual were glancing my way, especially given the topic. Even the teacher kept sneaking looks at me. Hey, teacher, maybe you should focus on the lesson?

"Ahem! So, in the United States, there are about six EX-ranked explorers, but they often face a shortage of personnel due to the vast size of the country and the number of dungeons."

Yeah, well, Japan's not much better off with its high dungeon density, but okay.

"Hey, Kisaragi-kun, do you know the American EX-rank explorers?"

"...I've met them once or twice."

"Wow, so you're really connected, huh?"

I wouldn't exactly say that. And what's with people just casually chatting with me during class? Is this what normal students do? I wouldn't know—I've never had friends before.

The World Dungeon Association Organization (WDAO), a United Nations body, brings together EX-ranked explorers from all over the world, not just America, so I've met them all at least once. Though WDAO's work is highly confidential due to the sensitive nature of dungeon-related matters, so our meetings are never reported in the news.

"Teacher, isn't Kisaragi-kun an EX too?"

"...There's a lot I'd like to ask, but please save personal questions for after class."

Seriously, teacher?

Finally, it was the end of the school day. After that first period of Dungeon History, where even the teacher kept asking me questions, I was mentally drained. The rest of the day's classes seemed to drag on forever. I guess the Dungeon History teacher, being a part-timer, was personally curious about dungeon matters.

"Good work today… Did you get any jobs?"

"...Nothing's come through."

I checked my work phone, which I had stashed in my locker, but there were no messages. So, as we discussed this morning, it looks like we're heading to Shibuya Dungeon to do a dual stream.

While I'm used to diving into dungeons and solving problems, talking in front of people is a whole different challenge… But I've got to do it. I'm genuinely curious about how this will go.

"Alright! Let's meet at Shibuya Dungeon right away!"

"Got it."

As a streamer, I'm finally taking my first step forward.