Kai had never cared much for strict routines before.
But now, his mornings had shape.
Wake up at 9 a.m.Black coffee.Quick run around the block.Check analytics.Reply to DMs.Prep for stream.
His days were no longer dictated by whims or fatigue. There was a rhythm forming—something clean and sustainable. No frantic chaos, no burnout traps. Just slow, deliberate progress.
That morning, his Twitch dashboard showed 54 average viewers for the last stream.
It didn't sound like much.
But that number used to be six.
He sipped from his chipped Pikachu mug, smiled faintly, and saved the moment.
✅ Slot 2: Overwritten with "Steady Climb"
He didn't need the warmth of that sunny park day anymore.
This was a new kind of warmth.
Midweek stream:
The title read:
"Kaijo // cozy FPS nights w/ Hào 💤 | comfy chaos | ignore my aim"
The thumbnail had been drawn by Zoey during their Discord call the night before—a lazy, cartoony sketch of Kai's model peeking around a corner, with a speech bubble saying: "Did I shoot you or me?"
The duo stream with Hào turned out better than he expected. They weren't flashy. They weren't cracked out of their minds. But their deadpan banter and Hào's half-asleep sniping carried them.
Chat was alive.
"BRO HOW IS HE KILLING WITH 8 FPS?"
"Kai out here building IKEA while getting shot at."
"These two have the energy of a sleepy sloth and a raccoon with anxiety."
By the end of the stream, they had 140 concurrent viewers.
Zoey dropped in to call them both washed.
Hào told her he was "post-skill, pre-fame."
Kai laughed until his cheeks hurt.
That night, Kai did something he hadn't done since his first week back.
He opened a spreadsheet.
Not for taxes.
For planning.
He labeled the tab: "Kaijo Schedule - Month 1"
It had blocks of color-coded time slots:
Stream: Mon/Wed/Fri evenings.
Video Editing: Tues/Thurs afternoons.
IRL brainstorm: Sundays.
In another tab, he created content pillars:FPS Collabs. Reaction content. Cozy horror. Late-night rants. IRL ideas.
He wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel.
He just wanted his corner of the internet to feel lived-in.
Warm.
Familiar.
Like the group chat back in the day that never died.
Sunday IRL Brainstorm Call
Zoey: "You really wanna try IRL this early?"
Kai: "Yeah. Nothing crazy. Just a café stream or a 'walk with me' test."
Zoey: "You gonna talk to strangers or just vibe and sip lattes like a divorced poet?"
Kai: "Probably both."
Hào (typing):
bro stream ur shopping trips. people love that. "day in the life of a depressed streamer ft. oat milk"
Kai laughed. "Y'all are too chaotic for this to fail."
That Week:
He tested a two-hour IRL stream walking through a quiet park and browsing a small gaming shop near Prenzlauer Berg.
It was scuffed—audio dropped once, and the gimbal wobbled. But chat still had fun.
Someone in chat:
"This man really walked past 2 dogs and didn't say hi. unfollowed."
Zoey: "You have negative charisma IRL."
Kai: "I'm streaming my day, not speed dating."
Another viewer: "This is weirdly calming. Like...I'm just hanging out with a chill ghost."
He ended the stream with 87 live viewers and 3 gifted subs.
When he turned off the camera, he felt good. Not famous. Not viral.
Just... consistent.
Earnings That Month:
Twitch Payout: €236.84
Patreon: €94.12
YouTube Ads: €58.20
Total: €389.16
Not enough to brag about. But enough to taste the idea of self-sufficiency.
It also meant one thing:
He could afford to buy a second monitor and a better mic arm.
Later that night, he updated the group Discord.
Kaijo:IRL tests done.Hào, you were right. Grocery store was content gold.Zoey, next time I'm mic'ing the dogs.
Zoey 🦊:GOOD.Also I'm designing a new emote for you. It's just your face crying while holding a receipt.
LazySweater:10/10 brand identity
Kai chuckled and leaned back in his chair.
Everything felt small.
And that was exactly what made it feel so real.
No pressure. No forced drama. No viral chases.
Just the slow, daily click of things moving forward.
He saved again.
✅ Slot 3: "The First Real Month"
And then, after a moment of hesitation, he did something else.
He opened Slot 1, the save he'd made the day he returned.
He didn't load it.
He just stared at it.
The beginning.
Still there.
Still safe.
SUPPORT (Early Chapters): patreon.com/KyJo_
YT GAMING: https://www.youtube.com/@KyJoGaming
DISCORD: https://discord.gg/v2uSTygMgb