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Vincent Charbonneau sat in his dimly lit studio, the soft glow of his laptop casting long shadows on the walls. His YouTube channel, known for its culinary brilliance and dry humor, had amassed a devoted following. Yet tonight, the glowing screen displayed not accolades but a flood of disparaging comments.
He sighed heavily as he scrolled through the barrage of messages, each one a reminder of the harsh reality he faced.
"Vincent doesn't deserve Rody," one comment read. "Rody and Manon are perfect together. How could he steal Rody from Manon?"
The same theme repeated over and over, driving a dull ache into Vincent's chest. It wasn't just the fact that people were speaking ill of him; it was the way they romanticized Rody's past relationship with Manon Vacher, another popular YouTuber. Vincent tried to ignore it, but the comments made it increasingly difficult.
"Vinny! Are you in here?" Rody's voice, full of exuberance, echoed from the hallway, pulling Vincent from his troubled thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm here," Vincent called back, trying to muster a semblance of normalcy. He closed the laptop and took a deep breath.
The door swung open, and Rody burst into the room, his energy a stark contrast to Vincent's somber mood. Rody's eyes sparkled with excitement as he held up a pair of ridiculously adorned cooking utensils. "I've got a new idea for our next video! It's going to be epic!"
Vincent forced a smile as Rody approached. "What's the idea this time?"
"A 'Cook-off Challenge' where we make dishes using ingredients that start with the same letter," Rody explained, practically vibrating with enthusiasm. "I was thinking 'L' for lemons! What do you think?"
Vincent managed a genuine smile despite the heaviness in his chest. "Sounds fun. But I don't want a repeat of last month's pineapple disaster."
Rody laughed, a sound that always managed to lift Vincent's spirits, even if just a little. "Deal! I'll get everything set up."
They spent the next few hours cooking, their banter punctuated by laughter and playful teasing. Rody's boundless energy was both a blessing and a challenge. As they prepared the final dishes for their video, Vincent struggled to shake the thoughts of the negative comments from his mind.
In the midst of setting up, Rody stopped and looked at Vincent with concern. "You've been off today. What's up?"
Vincent tried to brush it off. "It's nothing. Just the usual stress."
Rody didn't buy it. He took Vincent's hand, his touch warm and comforting. "I can tell something's bothering you. Talk to me."
Vincent hesitated, feeling the weight of his emotions pressing down on him. "It's the comments. People are saying... things about us. About you and Manon."
Rody's face fell slightly. "Oh. That."
Vincent nodded, his voice cracking a bit. "Yeah. They're relentless. It's hard to ignore, especially when they keep saying that you and Manon belong together and that I'm just..."
Rody's eyes softened, and he pulled Vincent into a tight embrace. "Vincent, I get it. It hurts to see that kind of stuff. But I'm with you. Not Manon. Not anyone else."
Vincent felt a lump in his throat. "I know, but it's hard when it feels like the whole world is against us. I'm constantly trying to prove myself, and it feels like no matter what I do, it's never enough."
Rody pulled back slightly, his eyes searching Vincent's. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone. Not to your viewers, not to me. We're together, and that's what matters."
