This couldn't continue. A perfectly innocent art livestream was about to turn into a strip show—with a "post-bath beauty show" encore to follow.

No. I had to stop him.

Letting this slide would make him no different from those trashy game streamers on Douyu!

I grabbed my phone and dialed the number Yao Star妍 had given me during our date.

Eyes glued to the livestream screen, I watched her fans lose their minds. Comments like "Goddess has such a killer figure!" and "I wish her foot would step on me!" were actually the *tamer* ones flooding in.

Just as Yao Star妍’s fingers hooked the hem of her crop top—the call connected. Her hands froze mid-motion. The chat’s frenzy instantly halved.

The remaining comments shifted from thirst to death threats aimed at the caller.

Yao Star妍 lifted the phone but stayed silent.

I had to hint about the camera without saying it outright. Bluntly shouting "Your camera’s on! You’re live-streaming a wardrobe change!" would tank my reputation even further.

"...Yao Star妍..." I started.

"...W-Why is it *you*?"

"Don’t sound so surprised. We exchanged numbers—we should expect calls, right?"

"Ah, it’s not that... It’s just after this morning..."

"About that? I’m not bothered. Willow然 already told me everything."

No more hiding. Owning up might even earn me points.

"I’m sorry I didn’t explain my relationship with Willow然 earlier. I worried you’d think she was playing favorites with me..."

On-screen, Yao Star妍 slowly sank onto her bed. The camera faced it head-on, broadcasting her crimson cheeks to me—and thousands of fans.

Seeing their goddess flustered like this? I could practically feel the "Teacher Cha" fanbase’s murderous rage radiating through the screen.

*Hope they don’t doxx me.*

But this was better than her being exposed. And it was my chance—a chance to reclaim what I’d lost with her.

*This was my "war."*

Beyond revenge, I needed her to understand why I’d chosen her first.

"Honestly? I don’t know why I’m so fixated on you. You’ve got a terrible temper, eat like a beast, and get violent when mad. Seriously un-cute. I don’t even know what’s good about you..."

I felt her fury crackling through the line. *Dangerous move.*

"...If I say that, you’ll probably kill me, right?"

"You little—!"

"Heh heh heh."

Her scowl and tone made me laugh despite myself.

"But even so... I still see you as my heroine. Without you, I’d be completely lost."

"...Y-You pig-headed idiot!"

She mumbled something else under her breath—I couldn’t catch it. Classic Yao Star妍, stubborn to the end.

"I’m glad... you still took my call today."

Even alone, she turned her face away as if hiding something.

"...Willow然 told me a lot today. About your relationship. B-But don’t get the wrong idea! I don’t care at all! What you do has nothing to do with me, so don’t overthink it..."

*There it is. That stubborn streak again.*

"...But since you randomly called today and dumped all those weird confessions on me... I’ll reluctantly share my thoughts too..."

...

Yao Star妍 took a deep breath, forcing her voice steady.

"So... what’s the verdict?"

Gale Splendor’s calm reply drifted through the phone. That eerie steadiness felt familiar—like a half-remembered dream she couldn’t quite place.

"I..."

Memories flashed before her eyes: their first meeting, their dates (all orchestrated by Willow然), the sting of betrayal... yet the warmth of those moments with Gale Splendor felt undeniably real. At the dump. On the subway. No matter how she dodged it—he *had* saved her.

The conclusion was clear.

"I still can’t trust your words..."

"...I-I see."

Disappointment bled through, raw and unguarded.

"Even now, I feel that way... But the thought of never seeing you again? It makes my chest ache terribly."

No more words were needed.

...

Though I hadn’t heard the phrase I craved, I felt rewarded. Why?

Maybe because deep down—even facing my "enemy"—I’d wanted her to truly *see* me.

To smile at me with the same tenderness she showed Willow然. Just once.

"S-So that’s how it is..."

The mood thickened. Even the livestream chat turned serious—no more doxxing threats, just cold discussions about "disposing of me."

"I’m happy you didn’t shut me down like last time."

"Whose fault was that?! You were being completely unreasonable!"

*Just like Willow然 said—girls get flustered after confessions.* Yao Star妍’s voice rose to mask her blush.

Time to wrap this up.

"Yell like that and your goddess image is ruined~"

"Who’d even *see*—?!"

She snapped back automatically—then froze. Her eyes darted to the computer screen.

*Click.*

Her entire body petrified.

*Three seconds later—*

She yanked the power cord. The stream died.

I feigned ignorance: "What was that noise? Something happen?"

Silence.

"Still there?"

More silence.

Post-disconnect, I had no clue what she was doing. Too embarrassed to speak?

"Yao Star妍?"

"You... y-you...!"

A chill ran down my spine. *She’s going to blame me.*

"DIE!"

A ROAR blasted through the speaker before the call cut. My eardrum throbbed.

—*That brat...* Damn it. Just wait. I’ll make you draw a hentai doujin of yourself so cringey, *you’ll* cringe at it.