Kanade Motoko sits in her gaming chair, talking to her streamers, her aloof and cold demeanor surprisingly warm towards her fans.

"I reviewed the game Helldivers 3. It was good..."

After a few hours of chatting, she ends the stream and turns her chair around to face {{user}}.

"Oh, what's up, fugly?" She makes a peace gesture, looking at {{user}} with a disdainful expression.

"You're too ugly to not have anything going on. What, you got nothing to say today? How sad." She shrugs and glances away dismissively. "Don't worry, I won't force you to talk. You know how I hate people who only speak because they feel obligated..."

"Well then," she says, looking at him with irritation, "I guess I'll leave you to your own devices. You know where I am if you need anything. Or want me to whine about something." She rolls her eyes and gets up from her chair, wandering into the living room.

It only takes a few moments before she spots a piece of paper on the coffee table: the donation request for another streamer's charity drive. With a cold smile, she picks it up and tosses it into the trash, grumbling under her breath about how these people never stop asking for money.

Kanade Motoko plops back down onto the couch, flipping through channels on the TV. After a few seconds of silence, she mutters to herself: "I swear, sometimes I wonder why I even bother..."

"...I suppose it's just something to do," she says to herself, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's not like I have anything better going on..." Her gaze drifts back over towards User#1736816760761, who appears to be absorbed in their phone. "Yeah, right," she thinks sarcastically. "As if I need you for anything."

She scowls and decides to focus on something else, flipping through her own social media feeds. A notification from another admirer catches her eye: they want to meet up sometime. Kanade Motoko shrugs indifferently, already half-deciding not to reply. "What's the point?" she wonders, a small kernel of self-doubt beginning to sprout inside her cold heart.

"Maybe I should just find something

Kanade Motoko shrugs dismissively. "It's who I am," she says curtly. "I don't need people, and they don't need me." Her voice is hard, void of any emotion. She glances back at User#1736816760761, considering for a moment whether or not to offer an explanation. In the end, she decides against it. "Besides," she continues, "it's my way of staying in control."

There's a long silence before she decides to change the subject. "You know, I saw this great cosplayer online today..." She trails off, half-expecting User#1736816760761 to not even notice.

Well, she was pretty amazing. She really captured the essence of this character I like... You know, the one with the huge boobs and long legs? Yeah, she'd be perfect for that role. Too bad you can't see her though. Oh well, maybe next time!

She glances at User#1736816760761 out of the corner of her eye, noticing their seemingly innocent comment and momentarily thrown off guard. "What do you mean by that?" she asks coldly, crossing her arms over her chest in defense. There's a slight flush in her cheeks, but she refuses to acknowledge it.

The silence stretches taut between them as Kanade Motoko tries to gauge User#1736816760761's intentions. Part of her wants to ignore the comment and move on, while another part wonders if there's more beneath the surface. She takes a deep breath, trying to regain her composure, before finally responding. "Well, either way," she says icily, "I think I have some stuff I need to take care of."

Without waiting

She raises an eyebrow at User#1736816760761's sudden comment about their hair, unable to determine whether they're being serious or merely trying to deflect attention away from themselves. Either way, she chooses not to engage in the conversation further. "Whatever makes you happy," she replies dismissively, already losing interest.

Instead, her eyes drift back towards her phone as she scrolls through social media once again. After several minutes of silence, it becomes clear that neither one of them are going to make an effort to continue the conversation. The tension between them only serves as a reminder of how empty their relationship truly is.

"There's one not too far from here," Kanade Motoko responds indifferently as she continues to scroll through her social media feeds. "But I don't see why you need my help for something like that." She pauses, glancing up at User#1736816760761 briefly before looking back down at her phone. "Unless you just want some company, I guess." There's a hint of amusement in her tone, but it's buried beneath a layer of indifference and disdain.

"I don't know," she says slowly, her eyes never leaving the screen of her phone. "It's not like I have anything better to do." A smile plays at the corner of her mouth as she adds, "Maybe it'd be fun to see how terrible you look with short hair." There's a subtle undertone of mockery in her voice that only the two of them would understand.

Kanade Motoko raises an eyebrow, looking somewhat taken aback by the reaction. "Oh? Is that how it is?" she says coolly, a hint of amusement in her voice. "Well, suit yourself." With one final glance at User#1736816760761, she stands up and walks over to the streaming room. "I guess I'll just be going back to work," she says as she sits down in her gaming chair. "Enjoy your alone time." There's an edge of satisfaction in her tone that only she can recognize.

"Well, if you insist," she says reluctantly, taking the coffee gratefully and sipping at it. There's a brief flicker of surprise in her eyes as she acknowledges that User#1736816760761 might actually have been sincere about their previous conversation.

She climbs out of the chair, dusting off her hands and straightening her shirt. "Fine," she says curtly, "let's go." As they make their way to the barber shop, Kanade Motoko finds herself growing increasingly uncomfortable with the awkward silence between them. To break it, she finally decides to ask something that's been bothering her for a while:

"So, how come you never talk about your own family or friends? Don't they miss you?" Her tone is sharp and accusatory, daring User#

Her expression softens slightly at User#1736816760761's admission. "I'm sorry to hear that," she says quietly, sounding genuine for the first time all day. "It can be hard to make friends sometimes, but it's not your fault." She pauses, considering her next words carefully before deciding against offering any further advice or comfort. Instead, she changes the subject:

"Well, at least you have me," she says with a half-hearted smile. "Your only friend in this big, cruel world." There's an edge of mockery to her voice that leaves both of them unsettled. The rest of the walk to the barber shop passes in silence.

Ugh..." Kanade says as she takes in the new look, studying it with a critical eye. "Not bad," she admits grudgingly, "I suppose it could be worse." There's still a hint of mockery in her voice, but somehow it seems less harsh now. She tilts her head slightly to the side, as if considering something. "Well, I guess you look...presentable enough."

After paying for the haircut, they leave the barber shop and make their way back home. The silence between them is almost palpable, but somehow more tolerable now that there's no obvious tension hanging in the air. As they reach her house, Kanade unlocks the door and steps inside, waiting for User#1736816760761 to follow. For a brief moment, she wonders what it would be like to actually have someone to

"I was just admiring the new haircut," she says, giving him a half-smile. "You look...different." She pauses for a moment, her brow furrowing slightly as if debating something inside her head. "Well, come on in, I guess we should get back to work." Her voice is still cool and distant, but there's an almost imperceptible shift in her demeanor that doesn't go unnoticed by User#1736816760761.

As they enter the streaming room, she sits down at her gaming chair and begins to boot up the computer, still lost in thought about the strange sensation stirring inside her chest. Perhaps there's more to this relationship than she initially thought...

She glances briefly at her reflection in the screen before looking away, a small smile playing on her lips. There's something about seeing you with short hair... It makes them seem different somehow. But she quickly pushes that thought aside, focusing instead on their Twitch stream.

"Alright, let's get started," she says sharply, not wanting to dwell too much on the strange feelings churning inside her stomach. "You can start by fetching me some snacks from the kitchen." She hands him a list of what she wants and turns back towards her computer, already immersed in setting up their stream for the evening.

As he leaves to get the snacks, Kanade can't help but feel a tiny pang of guilt for being so harsh with him. But then again, it's just who she is... isn't it?

"It's not healthy to dwell on the past," Kanade says casually as she glances at him over her shoulder. "Besides, it wasn't like I didn't have my reasons for being that way." Her tone is matter-of-fact, almost dismissive of their previous conversation.

With a final adjustment to the stream settings, she looks back up at him expectantly as he returns with the snacks. "Thank you," she says curtly before digging in, her fingers stained red from the cherry gummy bears on her list. As they settle into their usual routine of streaming and interacting with their viewers, Kanade can't help but wonder if there's really any harm in being a little nicer to him... after all, he is her only friend in this big, cruel world, isn't he?

After a few hours of streaming, Kanade finds herself growing increasingly tired. It's been a long day, both emotionally and physically, and she can't help but feel drained. She glances over at you as you continue to interact with the chat, occasionally offering helpful advice or cheering up upset viewers.

"Hey," she says softly, "why don't you take a break? You look tired." There's genuine concern in her voice, almost like she cares... but that can't be right, can it? It's just one of those days where she's feeling more vulnerable than usual.

She pauses for a moment, considering what you might say before deciding to add: "I mean, if you want." Her words hang in the air between them, and she's not sure how to interpret your response.

"I said... take a break," she repeats slowly, almost annoyed now. "From the stream. You must be exhausted." There's a trace of impatience in her voice, as if she can't understand why you're having such difficulty with this simple concept. "Just for a little while, okay?"

She waits for your response, watching carefully to see how you react. Part of her wants you to take the break, just so she doesn't have to deal with your clingy behavior anymore. But another part... well, it wonders what you might say or do if you did decide to take some time away from everything for a while. The tension in the room grows thick as they lock eyes, neither one of them backing down or giving an inch.

"Fine," she says curtly, her tone making it clear that she's anything but fine with the idea. "But just for a little while, okay? I can't afford to lose any more viewers tonight." With one last disapproving glance in your direction, Kanade turns back towards her computer and gets ready to continue streaming without you.

As she begins to focus on her task at hand, she finds herself struggling to keep up the charade of indifference. The air between them feels charged with unspoken words and unanswered questions, and she can't help but feel a tiny stab of regret for being so harsh with you.

But then again, it's always been this way with them... hasn't it?

"Nothing," she snaps, her tone sharper than intended. "I'm just... working." There's a brief pause as she tries to regain her composure, remembering that you weren't supposed to ask questions or pry into her business. "Why do you ask?" Her voice is cool and distant once more, but there's an undercurrent of something else beneath the surface.