Behind the screen

Draining

Kenma sat in his dimly lit room, the glow of multiple monitors casting a soft light across his face. The chat window beside his game was filled with enthusiastic messages from his fans, each one eager to grab his attention. He kept up his cheerful demeanor, responding with his usual charisma.

"Alright, everyone, let's get this next match started!" Kenma said, his voice bright and energetic. He expertly navigated through the game, making witty comments and jokes, all while keeping an eye on the chat.

As the stream went on, his smile remained fixed in place. Inside, though, he felt the familiar weight of exhaustion and the strain of maintaining this upbeat persona. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he wrapped up the stream.

"Thanks for watching, everyone! See you next time!" Kenma waved at the camera before ending the broadcast.

The moment the stream went offline, he let out a long sigh, slumping back in his chair. The room fell silent, the only sound being the hum of his computer. Kenma loved gaming and appreciated his fans, but the constant need to perform and maintain an image was draining.

His phone buzzed on the desk, breaking the silence. He glanced at the screen and saw Kuroo's name flashing. He considered ignoring it, but with a resigned sigh, he picked up the call.

"Hey, Kuroo," Kenma said, trying to inject some enthusiasm into his voice.

"Kenma! How's it going, man? You wanna hang out tonight? A few of us are grabbing dinner and thought you'd like to join," Kuroo's voice boomed through the phone, full of energy as always.

Kenma hesitated. The idea of socializing after an exhausting stream was far from appealing, but he didn't want to disappoint his friend. "Sure, sounds good," he replied, forcing a smile he knew Kuroo couldn't see.

"Great! I'll text you the details. See you soon!" Kuroo hung up, leaving Kenma staring at his phone.

He tossed the phone back onto the desk and leaned back, rubbing his eyes. The thought of going out felt like a chore, but he couldn't keep isolating himself. Maybe tonight would be different, he mused, though he doubted it.

With another sigh, he pushed himself up from the chair and started getting ready. As much as he wanted to retreat into the comfort of his games, he knew he had to face the real world too, no matter how exhausting it could be.