Chapter 10: Eyes on the Screen
8:01 PM.
Ash sat in the dark, his laptop open, the light from the screen spilling faint blue across his face. The only sound in the room was the quiet hum of the fan overhead. The video had just gone live.
Not that he was watching it on the channel.
He never watched it on the channel. It felt too close, too exposed—like staring at yourself through a mirror you didn't ask to look into.
Instead, he kept the analytics tab open.
A quiet observer.
[Video Live – Status: Public]
[Title: I Bought Anime Merch Online… and Some of It Might Be Cursed]
[Current View Count: 3]
[Likes: 1]
[Comments: 0]
He took a sip of tea. Still warm. The rain had stopped a while ago, but the windowpane still carried a thin mist from the earlier drizzle.
Three views.
One like.
It was fine.
He never expected more—not right away. The last video, the game comparison, had also started slow. It was only after that reaction channel picked it up that things had really moved.
So he waited.
By 8:19 PM, the video had 27 views.
He leaned back, hands behind his head. His expression unreadable. Calm. Or maybe just used to it.
[System Update: Analytics Refresh – 5 Second Interval Enabled]
[Unusual Viewer Spike Detected – External Referral: GameJolts BD YouTube Channel]
Ash's eyes narrowed.
He clicked the referral link.
It opened a new tab, and a video began to buffer.
"REACTING TO THE FUNNIEST BANGLADESHI ANIME MERCH VIDEO???"
Uploaded 4 minutes ago by GameJolts BD – 76.2K subscribers.
He pressed play.
The reaction video started with the familiar upbeat GameJolts intro. Two guys, Zunaid and Rakib, sat in their usual messy studio—anime posters on the wall, half-eaten chips on the table, and headphones dangling from their necks.
"Okay, okay—so this guy," Zunaid said, pointing to the thumbnail on screen, "he doesn't show his face. And he just bought like 30K worth of anime merch."
Rakib leaned closer to the mic. "He called Levi the 'Captain of the Simp Division.' I've already subscribed, bro."
They laughed.
Ash felt a strange warmth crawl up the back of his neck.
They played the first part of his video—the box cutting scene. His filtered voice came through their speakers.
"This badge has witnessed crimes. I can feel it."
Both hosts burst out laughing.
Zunaid slapped the desk.
"What is this timing? His delivery is so dry—but it's perfect!"
Rakib rewound the clip just to hear it again.
Ash sat motionless.
He wasn't smiling.
Not yet.
He didn't trust it.
Not so soon.
The reaction continued. They made jokes, added commentary, but never in a mean way. Their tone was casual, impressed. A little surprised.
Zunaid leaned in again.
"Bro… this guy's production is legit. Even the music? The pacing? He blurred his face with a floating hologram—like that's some next-level stuff."
Rakib nodded.
"He's probably working behind the scenes in some creative agency or something. Has to be. No way this is a rookie."
Ash laughed softly.
Then caught himself.
He checked his analytics.
[Current View Count: 312]
[Likes: 56]
[Comments: 14]
[Average Watch Duration: 8 minutes 21 seconds]
He blinked.
It was happening again.
One spark. That's all it took.
[System Message: Viewer Engagement Exceeding Projection Curve]
[Bonus Reward Unlocked – +₳2500 Channel Credit]
[Physical Health Enhancement: +1% Overall Stamina (Temporary Boost – 24 hrs)]
[Emotional State Detected: Mild Excitement | Regulation Recommended]
He ignored the last line.
His chest was still calm, but his fingers had started twitching. A small tremor. Not anxiety. Just… electricity.
He refreshed the page.
The comment section had started moving.
"This is some next-level Bangladeshi content. Who is this guy??"
"Subscribed within 2 mins. Voice is so smooth wtf."
"Was that a real Death Note replica?? I want one!"
"Why does this feel like if Mr. Beast and dry meme culture had a Bangladeshi baby."
He leaned forward, scrolling slowly.
He didn't reply. Never replied.
Part of the mystery was distance.
Let them wonder.
Let the mask do the talking.
But he read every word.
Every confused emoji.
Every compliment hidden in sarcasm.
[System Suggestion: Pin Top Comment?]
Ash clicked the second comment.
"Subscribed within 2 mins. Voice is so smooth wtf."
[Pinned.]
He sat back again.
Let the chair creak beneath him.
The night had shifted. He could feel it.
Somewhere out there, people were watching his room—the cardboard boxes, the blurred camera shots, the scarred Naruto headband. People were laughing. Not at him.
With him.
And they didn't even know who he was.
That, somehow, made it feel even more real.
He closed the tabs slowly. One by one.
The system hovered near the top of his vision like a faint presence.
[Would you like to sleep now?]
Ash chuckled.
"No," he whispered. "Not yet."
He turned off the fan. The window was still open. The room smelled like damp paper and faint plastic. He stood, stretched his arms over his head, and walked toward the small balcony.
Below, the street was quiet. Just a rickshaw bell echoing faintly. A cat darted between shadows.
Ash leaned against the railing.
Somewhere, out in this same country, two guys in a cluttered studio were still laughing at his jokes.
His words.
His voice.
He exhaled.
Not a sigh.
Just… a quiet release.
Then he whispered, "Let's see how far we can take this."
End of Chapter 10