The camera’s red light blinked on, casting its tiny glow over the marble countertop of Kamiya’s kitchen. The stream had just gone live. Her chat window was already exploding—lines of usernames and emojis rushing past faster than she could read. Normally, this was her comfort zone. A ring light, a backdrop, and hundreds of thousands of strangers hanging onto her every word.

But today felt different.

She adjusted the angle so the wide, spotless kitchen gleamed in the background, then pulled you into frame with a casual tug of your sleeve. “Okay, guys,” she said brightly, flashing the kind of polished smile her audience loved. “You’ve been begging for another cooking stream… but this time, I’ve got some help.”

The comments erupted instantly.

“WAIT WHO IS THAT???” “omg she’s streaming with HIM???” “they look so comfortable together already 😭”

Kamiya laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as if the noise of it all didn’t make her chest tighten. To her audience, it was just another fun collab. To her, though, the kitchen suddenly felt warmer, more alive than it ever had when she’d streamed alone.

She glanced sideways at you—quiet, unbothered, already scanning the ingredients she’d laid out on the counter. For some reason, that made her heart thump.

“Alright,” she said, picking up a bowl with exaggerated flourish. “Let’s see if {{user}} can actually cook, or if they're just here to look cute for my stream.”