The Blind Love Life of the Returning Hero: The Companions I Lost in Another World Resurrect in the Modern Era and Indulge Me - Episode 47

Snow danced outside the window. As Hayato prepared for his livestream in his apartment, he felt the changing of the seasons.

It had been several months since Riri’s game was released. In that time, their streaming activities had entered a new phase. Their viewership had doubled, media interest had increased, and their influence had grown to the point where it could no longer be called just a hobby.

“All right, equipment check looks good.”

Hayato gave a final check of the microphone and camera settings, then verified the motion capture system. The technical aspects, which Riri had previously handled, were now something he had learned to manage on his own.

Once preparations were complete, he tested his avatar’s movements in test mode. The hero on screen moved naturally in sync with Hayato.

His smartphone buzzed with a message from Josuke.

“Today’s stream might be a bit delayed. My meeting’s running long. Mind starting without me?”

Hayato smiled as he replied.

“Got it. I’m ready anytime.”

After sending the reply, he sat in front of his computer. Today, he would start the stream alone. After one last check of the camera, microphone, and motion capture system, Hayato hit the stream button at the scheduled time.

His avatar appeared on screen and greeted the audience with a cheerful voice.

“Good evening, everyone! It’s Hayato. Thanks for joining me today!”

Messages began pouring into the chat immediately.

— Good evening, Hayato!
— Our hero!
— Been waiting for this!
— Do your best today!
— I’ve been looking forward to the stream!

Hayato was still amazed by the recent surge in viewers. Before the game’s release, they had averaged around 10,000 concurrent viewers. Now, surpassing 30,000 was not uncommon. The pace of the chat had also increased dramatically, making it hard to keep up, but Hayato did his best to read as many messages as he could.

“I’ll be starting alone today. John will be a bit late, but he should join us soon. Look forward to when he gets here.”

Chatting with the viewers, Hayato glanced at the subscriber count displayed in the corner of the screen. The number had surpassed one million. An unbelievable milestone. When he had first started streaming, he never imagined he would be watched by so many.

“Thank you all so much for your continued support. Honestly, I still can’t believe we’ve passed a million subscribers.”

Messages of congratulations flooded the chat. Among them were heartfelt comments from viewers who had been watching since the early days.

“Since Riria’s game was released, so many more people have discovered us. I’m truly grateful for her talent.”

As he expressed his gratitude, Hayato thought of Riri. She was currently focused on preparing for her entrance exams. Though she occasionally appeared for short streams, her activity wasn’t as frequent as before. It was an important time in her life, as she considered her future as a high school student.

“I see a lot of people are worried about Riri. As I mentioned before, she’s going through a really important time right now, so she’s prioritizing that.”

Hayato briefly addressed Riri’s situation without going into detail. Her reduced activity had already been officially announced in a previous stream.

Many fans had expressed disappointment but also gave her their full support. They were all looking forward to the day she would return.

Messages of encouragement for Riri continued to stream in.

— Good luck with your studies!
— Can’t wait for Riri to come back.
— It’s a crucial time in her life—definitely focus on that!
— We want to see her, but most importantly, we want her to be happy!

“Thank you all so much for your support. I’m sure Riri will be really happy to hear this. Someday, she’ll probably thank you all herself.”

Later in the stream, Josuke joined in, and the two of them challenged a new multiplayer action game. Hayato’s reflexes and instincts, honed in another world, were on full display. He mastered complex controls after seeing them just once and cleared difficult stages with ease.

“Impressive, Hayato. You learn fast,” Josuke—streaming as his avatar, John—said admiringly. Viewers echoed his amazement in the comments.

— He’s like a pro gamer.
— He’s good at this game too!?
— The game just came out, and he’s already this good?!
— So informative!
— That improvement speed is insane.
— Where did he get those gaming skills?!
— Hayato’s movement is so smooth.
— His reflexes are unreal.

Hayato responded with a sheepish grin.

“I wasn’t always this good at games. Let’s just say… I’ve been through a lot. Spent a long time sharpening my reflexes to survive.”

— Well yeah, he is a hero.
— That’s our hero!
— Using hero skills for gaming, love it 😂

Josuke chuckled, understanding the deeper meaning behind those words. The experience Hayato had gained in another world was truly paying off.

After the stream ended, Hayato sent Riri a short message. She probably hadn’t seen the stream, but he wanted to update her anyway.

“Today’s stream was a big hit. We’ve passed 1.3 million subscribers. Everyone’s cheering you on.”

As expected, there was no immediate reply. She was probably busy studying—and if that was the case, Hayato figured no reply was actually a good sign. He began tidying up his streaming setup.

Time passed steadily after that. The streaming continued to thrive, and their fanbase kept growing. Balancing his job at the security company with his streaming wasn’t easy, but Hayato was living a fulfilling life.

“The Vtuber Game Tournament spots have been announced.”

One day in March, when spring warmth was in the air, Josuke surprised Hayato with the news.

“Huh? We’re allowed to join that?”

“Yeah. The organizers sent us a direct invitation. They want us in.”

It was an FPS tournament. Hayato took a moment to think.

“Should we really join?”

“Definitely. Even if you don’t have much time to practice, your game sense will carry us.”

Encouraged by Josuke’s words, Hayato made up his mind.

“All right. Let’s do it.”

Over the next two weeks, Hayato practiced the tournament game between his security job and streaming sessions. Despite his packed schedule, his incredibly fast learning curve held strong. Josuke also made time between his business duties to train and build their teamwork.

On the day of the tournament, the event hall was far bigger than Hayato had imagined. It was packed with Vtuber fans. A large screen on stage introduced each participant’s avatar. When Hayato’s avatar appeared, the crowd erupted in cheers.

It was a moment that made him realize just how much their popularity had grown.

“We’re really getting a lot of attention,” Josuke said calmly backstage as Hayato prepared.

“This tournament is a big win. All thanks to your steady streaming efforts. I’m sure Riri would be proud too.”

Hayato nodded.

“I want to deliver great results for the fans supporting us.”

The tournament spanned an entire day, from preliminaries to finals. Hayato advanced smoothly, taking down strong Vtuber teams along the way. His movements were precise, his ability to read opponents and counter them was sharp. Josuke also contributed greatly with cool-headed decisions and strategic play.

The matches were displayed on the big screen, and the audience was filled with excitement and applause.

— Hayato’s got pro-level skills!
— Too strong!
— A true hero.
— John’s calm tactics are amazing.
— The isekai party is unbeatable!

Fueled by the crowd’s energy, they continued their winning streak.

The final match was against the ace of the most popular Vtuber group at the time: Kaito. He was an experienced player with multiple championship titles. The venue was packed with fans from both sides, filled with tension and excitement.

“Here we go! It’s Hayato’s team versus Kaito’s in a head-to-head clash! The battle begins!”

The match was neck and neck. Kaito’s refined technique was met with Hayato’s intuitive decision-making and reflexes. Josuke stayed in a supporting role, analyzing the opponents and giving tactical advice.

In the final round, with just a sliver of health remaining, Hayato predicted Kaito’s attack and charged at the perfect moment. The crowd exploded in cheers.

“Victory goes to Team Hayato!”

Their characters holding the trophy were displayed on the giant screen as the entire venue erupted in applause and celebration.

“We did it, Hayato,” Josuke said with pride, his voice full of genuine joy for their shared achievement.

“It was all thanks to your support. I couldn’t have done it alone.”

Hayato expressed his heartfelt gratitude. Whether in another world or this one, the strength of a team was an irreplaceable source of support.

That night, the tournament went viral online. Clips of their winning moment spread rapidly. Their channel’s subscribers skyrocketed to over 1.5 million, and the hashtag #IsekaiPartyVictory began trending on social media.

When Hayato returned home to his apartment, he received a phone call from Riri for the first time in a while.

“Hayato, congratulations! I watched the tournament live! It was so exciting!”

Her voice was full of joy. She had apparently taken a break from studying to watch the event. Hayato wondered if she was okay with her studies—but knowing Riri, she probably was.

“Thanks, Riri. How’s your studying going?”

“It’s going well! I have a mock exam next week, so I’m preparing for that. But the tournament was special, so I made time to watch. That final move—you were amazing!”

Her voice radiated pride and happiness.

“A mock exam, huh? Do your best. I’ll be cheering for a good result.”

“I will! I’ll give it my all!”