Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Just when Strawberry Lover made that comment, new viewers flocked in her live and seemed to have enjoyed the teasing of other male hosts.

[Matrimony Kiss: How much for a dance?]

The others replied to him that Mia doesn’t dance which encourages him more to higher the amount.

[Matrimony Kiss: If I give you a cruise ship, would you dance for me?]

Nakisulsol ang ibang nakikinood sa kanila. Mia laughed it off while the man was serious on his offer.

[Matrimony KIss: That’s five thousand coins you shouldn’t miss.]

Natahimik na lamang si Mia habang nakakagat labi. It was so tempting. That’s an easy money. Sayaw lang naman ang gagawin niya.

“Anong klaseng sayaw ba? Kahit ano?” sa huli ay tanong nito.

[Matrimony Kiss: Sexy dance. You know “Love Me Like You Do?”]

[Alpha of the Universe: O kaya kahit sa thirst trap song na lang. If you know any Denise Julia’s song or Al James…]

Kahit ang mga hindi naman nagsabi na magbibigay ay nakikisali.

[Matrimony Kiss: Don’t listen to them. Hindi naman sila ang magbibigay.]

Hindi niya pa natapos basahin ang sinasabi ni Matrimomy Kiss ay bigla na lamang may lumabas na cruise ship na nasa dagat. There were fireworks on its background bago nag-zoom in palapit at umikot ang cruise ship sa screen.

“Thank you for the kiss,” agad the response ni Mia like it was programmed on her mind. Her eyes squinted on the wave of comments saka niya lamang nalaman kung kanino ito galing. “We have a kind sponsor here. Thank you again, Strawberry Lover! I’ll treat you someday kung magkakilala lang tayo.”

She was not kidding. She was willing to do it as a form of gratitude. People like Strawberry Lover who support others while they are just starting are hard to forget.

Suddenly, because of her reply, men threw her more gifts, and she saw that while they did that, may natatanggap ang ilan pabalik.

“Ano ‘yon?”

As if her no. 1 sponsor read her mind, Strawberry Lover answered: It’s a boomerang. Those are the gifts that when given to the host of the live, an amount returns to the thrower. Mandalas ay mas mababa kaysa sa ibinigay, pero may mga pagkakataong mas mataas.

Marahang napatango si Mia, hindi na napansin ang mga nakakabastos na komento ng iiba.

[Strawberry Lover: You remove those stupid ass na puro kabastusan lamang ang alam.]

“I don’t know how…”

[Strawberry Lover: Can you give me access to the moderator so I can help you?]

Mia agreed to his suggestion. A little swipe and she found the settings for her live. “There you go.”

[Strawberry Lover: You could also block them.]

She was just happy in learning how this application works. Akala niya ay nagagamay niya na when she received an invitation for a PK. Dahil gusto na mas maraming malaman, pumayag siya sa imbitasyon.

Her live video split into two. Ang nasa kaliwa niya ay ang mukha niya samantalang ang sa kabila ay isang lalaking halos kaedaran niya lamang. While she was wearing a floral dress para magaan sa pakiramdam, this guy whose hair was slick back is wearing a white polo and a vest. Tanaw ng mga nakikinood ang matataas na building sa likuran niya.

“Hi!”

Tom, or Trojan Virus, quickly shut down her friendly tone. “New host?”

“Yes,” she said. Ch-in-eck niya ang account ng kasama at nalaman na napakarami nitong followers kung ikukumpara sa kanya. “Ano ang gagawin natin dito?”

Tom was a guy full of air. He’s commonly known as the top male host here whose goal is to end the journey of female hosts into becoming popular. Ayaw niya sa mga babae na ginagamit lamang ang ganda para sumikat… sa mga babae na alam paano papaikutin ang mga lalaki sa ganitong ganap, and he knew that she’s one of them. Behind that innocent facade was a manipulative bitch.

Tom started explaining it to her. “Are you familiar with PK?”

“Yes, in video games.”

He was kind of amused to learn that she has a background in video games. “So it’s something like that here. We should kill each other by earning more points, and the points are through the gifts given by our supporters. Understand?”

Tumango siya.

“Kung hindi mo naintindihan, I can explain it to you more para hindi mo ako sisihin kapag matalo ka.”

He’s confident he will win. That’s how he earned his jerk title.

Nagsisimula ng magdagsaan ang mga tao dahil na rin kay Tom. Karamihan dito ay kilala siya at nagsasabi sa mga pinaggagawa niya.

[Grabe ka na, pang-ilan mo na ‘yan ngayong araw.]

Humalakhak lamang si Tom. Sa dami ng mga bagong host ay kailangan niya magsipag para walang umangat sa kanila. He had a different feeling today. Female like her who had this so much filter are really ugly behind, anyways. That’s what pisses him off more. Kung makaasta ang mga ito ay akala mo magaganda talaga.

[Isa na namang pangit na nagpapanggap na maganda.]

[Nauurat na nga ako sa mga tulad nito. Ang puti-puti, pero kung walang filter ay maitim naman talaga. Mga trying hard gumanda kaya dito nagta-try.”

‘Men had it easy,’ Mia thought, ‘kasi kahit pa maglagay sila ng filter ay hindi gano’n karami ang manlalait.’

“Dragon Clarinet,” tawag ni Tom. “I will not make it hard. Since someone would lose here, te loser should do a punishment, at madali lang naman ang ipapagawa namin sa iyo.”

“Ano ‘yon?”

He moved side-to-side using his rotating chair. Dahil hindi man lang nagugulo ang background nito, mas naniwala na si Mia na nasa mataas na building nga si Trojan Virus, but if he’s a rich man, what is he doing in a place like this?

“Remove the filter and your make up. We don’t want another clown here.”

Piece of cake. There's nothing to lose, but she also wanted to give him a punishment although all of them knew that he would win given his number of supporters.

“Kapag ikaw ang natalo, I want you to give me a gift worth 50,000 coins!”

She was just joking; it was too much.

“Deal!”

And that’s how the game started. Limang minuto ang itatagal ng PK, at isang minuto pa lamang ang lumilipas ay naiinip na siya. Some of her viewers from her live earlier were giving her gifts.

[Strawberry Lover: Matatalo ka lang sa kanya, DC.]

“Alam ko.” She smiled. She was aware, but it’s just her face. What’s the worst that could happen?

Although the result was obvious, Strawberry Lover wanted to support her still. Pinagti-trip-an na lang nito na pindutin ang mga gift. Ang iba ay bumabalik sa kanya, ang iba naman ay wala.

“Salamat sa suporta, SL!”

They began calling each other nicknames kahit kakakilala lang. SL was happy in flattering DC dahil ang dali nitong matuwa hindi kagaya ng ibang host.

Habang naghihintay na matapos ang PK ay may pinindot siyang nagkakahalaga ng 10,000 coins. Most of them were surprised. No one expected to spend that coins for her, and with that contribution, lumamang ng halos kalahati si Mia laban kay Tom.

“I love you, SL! Thank you so much!” She kissed the screen, at kahit na para lamang sana kay SL iyon, nakikilig ang ibang lalaking nanonood.

They flooded her with gifts, lumalaki na ang agwat niya kay Tom habang si SL ay gulat pa rin sa reaction ni DC at sa boomerang na bumalik sa kanya na halos triple ng sinend niya, walang pag-aalinlangan niyang binigyan ulit si DC. That made it worse for Tom.

“Throw me more.”

[Wala na akong pera!]

“Kailangan nating matalo si Dragon Clarinet. Ayaw niyo ba masira ang career niya rito?]

People supported Tom not because they wanted to ruin some girl’s confidence and fun in this app. However, they liked the thrill in finding the real look of the person… or that’s what they just reason out to their mind dahil hindi nila matanggap na sila mismo ang rason ng pagkasira ng ibang tao.

“Come on! Ano ba naman kayo?”

His panic was obvious. Ilang segundo na lamang ang natitira.

“Mga walang kwentang supporters!”

Kung ano-ano na ang pinagsasabi niya, galit na ang mukha, nang pumasok ang leader ng kanilang guild.

[Taylor Reed entered the live chat.]

Taylor Reed is a VVVIP in the application, and as part of his subscription, a welcome banner appears with fireworks for his arrival. It stirred up a commotion on the comment section.

[Nandito na siya.]

[Talo na talaga itong babae na ‘to.]

[Baka curious din siya anong itsura ng kalaban ni Tom. Mukha pa man ding may itsura.]

Some said, but some contradicted.

[Hindi na nagkaka-interest sa ibang babae si Taylor. Mahal na mahal niya ang girlfriend niya.]

One of the benefits of purchasing VVVIP is the ability to change your username to whatever you want, and Taylor deliberately introduced himself to the Diamond Hub world. He has a high position in the company he is working on, at kaya lamang siya nandito ay out of boredom gaya ni Tom.

[Taylor Reed sent a Cruise Ship x2.]

Tom smiled widely. That’s what he’s talking about. Hindi pa tuluyang natatapos ang laban ay alam na nila ang resulta.

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