NOVEL NEXT Chapter 62: Hana Homura’s First Gaming Stream
"Ohanayo! Is everyone doing well today?" Hana gave a bright smile and waved to the camera before stepping back to sit down on a chair.
Like before, it was the same run-down room. A bed with discolored sheets, steel walls like a warehouse, and a small wardrobe sitting in the corner.
But it was a little different this time. Instead of just being gray with that tiny window, there were some soft yellow lanterns hanging on the walls, giving the place a warmer hue. Also, a pair of posters were hanging on the walls. Fanart of Hana.
-----AI|IA-----
-----AI|IA-----
Hana smiled and said, "My friend helped me do a little redecorating in here! She thought it was a bit too cold, so she livened it up a bit! Cute, right?"
[Fanart?]
[Wow!]
[50K yen - Some money for better furniture]
Hana glanced to the side and then pouted. "Hey! Stop that! You all gave me enough last week!"
[5 USD - For more lights]
[100 CAD - Move out to a better place already!]
[100 Euro - 4AM European bros gang]
"Geez... I'm just going to ignore you! This is supposed to be a punishment game stream, not a fun stream!"
[Punishment game?]
[Why a punishment game?]
[EN: I'm going to ignore you! This is a punishment game stream, not reward!]
[*huh? Why a punishment?*]
[*uh-oh. What did Hana do?*]
[You can punish me all you-]
[This message has been removed by a moderator.]
Seeing a pause in the Superchats, Hana let out a sigh and then frowned. "You guys gave me too much money last time! I didn't even get to finish singing for you all!"
[wwww]
[overseas bros were too intense]
[EN: You guys gave me too much money! I didn't finish singing!]
[*Ooh, is Hana going to sing again?*]
Hana read the chat and then shook her head. "No, I'm not going to sing today." She furrowed her brow and said, "Miss Beta said I needed to take a break and act like a normal teenager for once. I really wanted to keep singing though..."
[No, no! You've done enough!]
[We support you because you're cute!]
[Cute is justice!]
[Miss Beta best girl for taking care of our little sister]
[EN: Miss Beta said I need to rest and act like a normal girl. I really wanted to keep singing though.]
Hana huffed. "That's not right! I'm supposed to be an idol, so it's no good if I don't keep practicing. What if I start getting worse?"
[Hana's already an angel at singing!]
[You're an idol in my heart!]
[100 USD - <3]
[50K yen - Spa trip on me]
"Oi!" Hana crossed her arms and said, "Don't make me turn off Superchats! I will!"
[EN: Don't make me turn off Superchats!]
[wwwwww]
[500 yen - Are you challenging us?]
[10 Euro - No idea what's going on, but love you!]
[5 USD - Is it that you are in challenging me?]
[lol Overseas bros going at it again]
"You...! That's it! I'm turning it off!" Hana glanced to the side and started furiously clicking.
[500 yen - quick! before she turns it off!]
[100 yen]
[100 yen]
[200 yen]
[EN: That's it! I'm turning it off!]
[10 USD]
[1 USD]
[1 USD]
.
.
.
[100 CAD]
"There!" Hana leaned back to look at the camera. "Now that's- Argh! You guys!" She huffed. "You need to save money for yourselves! I appreciate the support, but we're Ohana! You don't need to give me money to support me!"
[But your allowance!]
[I can give my sister money if I want to!]
[EN: Save money for yourself! We're Ohana! You don't need to give money to support me!]
[10 USD - That sign can't stop me because I can't read!]
[10 CAD - What he said!]
[100 Euro - I don't speak moonrunes. Here's my tuition fee]
"H-Huh?" Hana blinked and said, "How are Superchats...? Oh, whatever!" She shook her head and said, "Anyway, I felt bad about last stream, so I decided to play a game for this one as a punishment. Um... let me set it up."
Hana reached over to the side and clicked a few times with her mouse. "...There we go!"
Her video shrank, moving into the bottom right corner. After that, white words appeared across the screen in a sketchy font.
Wickerman: The Eight Pages
[Eh? What game is this?]
[Overseas game?]
[Horror game?]
[*Huh? She's playing that creepypasta game?*]
[*Oh! This is the game that Swedish guy played back then!*]
Lightning crackled on the screen, causing the words to vanish.
"Eeek!" Hana flinched, jerking back.
[www]
[Scared already?]
[You don't have to do this!]
[*Oh boy.*]
A forest appeared on screen, illuminated by a flashlight. And then a prompt appeared: Collect eight pages.
Hana let out a sigh and said, "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this." She muttered the words to encourage herself. But it was a lie.
[MOD: TITOR - Eh? Why are you playing this game, Hana?]
[Mister John! Stop her!]
[Save Hana!]
[Admin powers to the rescue!]
[Wait, you didn't put her up to this?]
[MOD: Titor - Didn't Beta say that you were going to play games to relax? How is a horror game relaxing?]
Hana glanced at the chat and then her eyes widened. "Mister John! Weren't you busy this week?" She paused. "And why are there two of you?"
[MOD: Titor - It's complicated.]
[MOD: TITOR - To do double duty.]
[This guy...]
[Hey, Mister John! Stop roleplaying!]
[Wait, isn't he still streaming? How is he...?]
[This message was removed by a moderator]
[MOD: Titor - Anyway... Horror game?]
"U-Um... Am I not supposed to?" Hana looked hesitant. "Miss Beta said it was okay... Eek!"
A white blur appeared on the screen and Hana flinched, causing the flashlight to wildly spin.
[5k yen - Good luck!]
[10 USD - Hehehe. I beat the system!]
[100 CAD - Looks like Superchats still work if we don't refresh!]
[MOD: Titor - Well, it's your stream. Good luck. ( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)?]
"W-What's with that weird- Eeeek!"
Static filled the screen and then a faceless man seemingly made of branches appeared, zooming in onto the screen with high-pitched screeching and flames surrounding it.
And then her character was standing in the middle of the dark forest again, the flashlight illuminating a small circle in front.
Hana blinked, completely frozen in shock.
A knock echoed, followed by a mature female voice. "Sweetie? Are you alright? I heard you scream."
[?!?!?]
[Mama Hana?]
[Wait? Did Mister John rescue Hana's mom too?]
[EN: Sweetie? Are you alright? I heard the scream.]
[*Ara ara?*]
Hana let out a sigh, placing a hand over her heart. After that, she glanced to the side and said, "I'm fine, Mom!"
"Alright. Oh, and say hi to the Ohana for me! And that I'm watching the chat, so they'd better behave."
"Mooom."
[We got scolded]
[Mama Hana can punish me all she-]
[This message has been removed by a moderator.]
[MOD: TITOR - Stop.]
[MOD: Titor - CEASE.]
[Ooh. Is Mister John jealous?]
[Mama Hana sounds nice!]
[System: Mama Hana has become a mod.]
[MOD: Mama Hana - Oh come now, Mister John. I can speak for myself.]
[MOD: Titor - Oi!]
[MOD: TITOR - *whistles*]
Hana glanced at the chat and giggled. "Stop playing around, you two!"
[MOD: Mama Hana - Sorry Sweetie!]
[MOD: Titor - ...]
[wwwwww]
[lololol]
Hana shook her head and then turned back to the game. "Um... the goal is to find eight pages..."
Footsteps echoed as her character slowly plodded along.
[*Don't look at the Wickerman! He'll chase you!*]
[*Keep moving!*]
[*Don't waste your flashlight!*]
[Overseas bros are really excited]
[From overseas bros: Don't look at the monster, keep moving, don't waste flashlight.]
"H-Huh?" Hana glanced at the chat and said, "Oh! Thank you... Ah. *Thank you! But I try first! My punish!*" She turned back to the game and said, "Could you tell the oversea Ohana that I don't want help? This is my punishment game, so- Eeek!"
A sudden bass drum echoed, causing Hana to flinch again.
[EN: She says she wants to play without tips as a punishment]
[*Huh? Why?*]
[*I call cruel and unusual punishment! Call HR!*]
[MOD: Titor - Oi, this was her idea. The only input I get is to make sure we have the rights.]
[MOD: TITOR - Ditto.]
[MOD: Mama Hana - Don't you have anything better to do than play with yourself, Mister John?]
[MOD: TITOR - Not really]
[MOD: Titor - Oh right. I should check up on those guys...]
Hana took a deep breath and then carefully moved her character forward. "You can do this, Hana. I believe in you." Saying that to encourage herself, she carefully swept her flashlight across the dark forest. And then she saw a piece of paper stuck on a tree.
"Oh? Is this it?" She walked forward and clicked on it.
The piece of paper zoomed in, revealing the contents. Words, hastily scribbled out.
"Help... me?" Hana froze, letting out a nervous laugh.
After that, a message appeared on screen.
- 1/8 Notes collected
[That's one!]
[You can do it, Hana!]
[Let's go!]
[O Hana Yo! E Kay Ma Sho!]
[www What is that, Googol Translate?]
[*Good work!*]
Hana let out a sigh and nodded. "Alright. Not too ha-"
Suddenly, a dark figure appeared at the edges of the light.
"Hm?" Hana blinked, staring at it. "Wait. Is that what scared me?"
It peeked out from behind a tree, revealing a faceless man. And then that man suddenly surged forward in a trail of flames, arms wide.
Hana froze.
[RUN!]
[AAAAAH]
[NO! HANA!]
But it was too late.
High-pitched screeching, static, and then the same gameover screen with the faceless man.
And then Hana's character was plopped back in the middle of the forest.
Hana didn't move.
[Oh no. Did she freeze?]
[Hana! Are you alright?]
[5000 yen - It's fine! Don't be scared!]
Hana blinked and then glanced at the chat. Reading it, she shook her head. "I'm not scared. Just... Was that it?" She frowned and then started moving her character again.
Was it bad RNG? Almost immediately, the Wickerman appeared and charged at Hana's character.
She didn't move, letting it take her character again.
Once more, the high-pitched screeching, static, and gameover.
And then Hana laughed.
[Um...]
[Is... Is she okay?]
[MOD: Mama Hana - Sweetie?]
Hana shook her head. "I think I get how these games work now." Saying that, she confidently started moving her character.
Like last time, the Wickerman popped up and started running towards Hana's character.
But she just turned the other way and started running as well.
[Eh?]
[She's... not scared?]
[EN: I think I get how these games work now.]
[*Huh?*]
[*Fearless Hana?*]
[*Hana? Or Ha! Nah. Amirite?*]
Hana casually picked up a note she saw on a tree and then turned her attention to the chat. "Scared? Not really." She frowned and said, "I thought it'd be scarier than this... The first few caught me by surprise, but it's really not that scary once you get used to it. Right?"
A sharp string crescendo and a heavy slam.
[Gah!]
[My heart!]
[Stupid jumpscared!]
[www]
[kusa]
"Hm?" Hana glanced at the chat and giggled. "Did that scare you?"
[How are you not scared?!]
[Overseas bros know their jumpscares...]
[Foreign horror is really different.]
[EN: Did that scare you?]
[*...She adapted quick*]
[*Hana too op. Nerf plz*]
[*Talk to Mister John and head back to 2000s, boomer*]
Hana smiled and kept playing the game. After a while, she found another note stuck on the back of a blue van. But when she did, she froze and glanced at the side. "Did you hear that?"
[What?]
[EN: Did you hear that?]
[*Nani?*]
[What is it, Hana?]
Hana went quiet, reaching over to the side and clicked on something. Suddenly, her video footage went dark.
[H-Hana?!]
[What happened?!]
[Wait?! Did a stalker actu-]
"Boo!"
The video feed suddenly came back, with Hana's face filling up the whole screen.
[Gah! My heart...]
[50 CAD - Too spoops for me]
[Don't scare us like that!]
Hana giggled and said, "Sorry, sorry. I won't do it again... But this is pretty fun."
The music kicked up, a frantic orchestral string crescendo.
Hana made her character sprint, turning off her flashlight while scanning for notes. "I thought horror games were scarier than this, but I guess it's not as scary as the real ghost I saw."
[Huh?]
[Real ghost?]
[MOD: Mama Hana - You saw a ghost, Sweetie?]
Hana grabbed another note and then glanced at the chat. "Yep! It was really scary at the time. I had just gotten out of the shower one day when I heard someone by the window. I called out and then could have sworn Mister John was talking with me. But as soon as I finished talking with him, he called me saying that he was on his way to pick me up... and that he was nowhere close."
[For real?]
[Maybe he was playing a trick?]
[Isn't he a time traveler though?]
[@TITOR Tell the truth!]
[MOD: TITOR - I wasn't there that day.]
"Mhm." Hana shook her head. "And Mister John's not that type of person anyway." She laughed. "It's a bit funny now, but I really thought I was going to get spirited away. Too many good things had been happening to me then and I was worried that the world thought I should disappear."
[T_T]
[Dammit! Why can't I superchat?!]
[Don't worry little sister! Us bros will protect you!]
[No sister worry! Overseas bro forever protect!]
Hana picked up another note, easily avoiding the Wickerman now, and said, "Everyone... Thank you. I love you."
[:o]
[Stream! Take! My Money! Dammit!]
[<3]
Hana smiled and kept playing the game while making idle chatter. And then...
"Ah. We're done?"
- 8/8 pages collected.
Hana turned her character around. But then the Wickerman was there.
"E-Eh? Didn't I win?"
The static and usual setup for the gameover screen occurred... but instead of plopping Hana's character back in the forest, a black screen with 'Thank you for playing!' appeared.
[You won!]
[*Holy crap, she won?*]
[*Speedrun time?*]
[O me de tou!]
[Congrats!]
[100 CAD - Gratz! Last Superchat. Reached my UTube limit for the week.]
Hana smiled. "Thank you, everyone! Ah, since we're done, let me..." She reached over and clicked something off screen. Afterwards, the gameplay vanished and Hana's room came back into view. Not only that, but a green wireframe version of the live chat popped into view on her left.
"There we go!" Hana stretched and glanced at the side. "That was about... an hour? That means there's time for Superchat reading. Mm..." She glanced at the camera and said, "Alright. I'll reopen Superchats, everyone. But no spamming, okay? If you do, next stream will start with them closed!"
[Hana...! T_T]
[Let us give you allowance!]
[EN: I'll reopen Superchats, but no spamming them! I'll stream next time with them closed if you do!]
[*I knew it! 2D girls are better than 3D e-girls!*]
[*Hana's too nice! Let us support you!*]
"Okay. I'm opening it now. But-"
[100 USD]
[100 Euro]
[50 CAD]
[5 CAD]
[1 USD]
[1 USD]
.
.
.
[50k yen - Great job, little sister!]
[50k yen - Eldest Sister. Sing.]
[50k yen - Oi! Stop wasting your allowance!]
[100k yen - Daddy said I could send a Superchat, nee-san! That was fun!]
Hana huffed. "Everyone...! And you last four! Stop wasting your money on me!"
[50k yen - No.]
[100k yen - No.]
[200 USD - No.]
[200 Euro - No.]
[500 yen - No.]
.
.
.
[200k won - No.]
"You guys...!" Hana sighed. "Fine! Do whatever you want!" She huffed, but a bright smile was on her face.
[We won!]
[Our little sister accepted it!]
[I should get a job to support Hana!]
[+1]
[++1]
[+++1]
"...Anyway." Hana ignored the chat seeing that they weren't listening to her and said, "Today was fun! But I don't think I'll stream games too often. Taking a break from practice is nice, but I'm an idol! Well, apprentice idol. It's no good if I slack off, so most of my streams will be karaoke or dance streams with the occasional free talk."
[Awww.]
[It's fine!]
[Do whatever you want, little sister!]
[Ohana will support you no matter what you do!]
Hana smiled. "Thank you! And don't be too sad. I really enjoyed today, so I think I'll keep it up! Every Sunday I'll stream a new horror game since it was really fun! Hopefully the next one is scarier though. This one was kind of silly."
[Our little sister is too strong...]
[This wasn't scary!?]
[EN: I won't stream too often. But every Sunday I think I'll stream a new horror game]
[EN: Hopefully the next one is scarier. This one was silly]
[*lolwut? She thought this game wasn't scary?*]
[*My little sister can't be this scary!*]
"Anyway, since everyone sent so many Superchats, I should start reading them..." She sighed. "Meanies. Making your little sister read for so long..."
[...Are we the baddies?]
[MOD: Mama Hana - Don't force yourself, Sweetie.]
[MOD: TITOR - Agreed.]
Hana glanced at the chat and shook her head before starting to read.
"Thank you, genericuser-san. Thank you Sky3Fall-san. Thank you, Stonelight-san. Oh! Thank you for the red Superchat, HecaRyou-san! Thank you Alvonovo2121-san. Thank you EarlAdrastos-san. Thank you..."
_________