Chapter 3
"Set the equipment here, lights angled from this side..."
I paced back and forth across the living room, phone in hand, constantly adjusting angles. A full night had passed since yesterday's "chase scene," and I'd barely slept. My brain was on fire with streaming ideas.
E.R.! My roommate is E.R.!
I literally struck gold!
"Easton! Sit right there!" I directed, pointing. "Yes, that corner—the lighting's perfect! Remember, only film your hands and the artwork. Absolutely NO face shots!"
Easton settled into the spot I'd indicated, paintbrush in hand, looking... incredibly nervous.
I noticed his fingers trembling slightly as he kept glancing toward the door, like he was ready to bolt at any second.
"Hey, relax." I walked over and patted his shoulder. "Trust me, this is going to be amazing! And look, I've adjusted the camera angle perfectly—no way it'll catch your face."
Easton scribbled on his notepad: What if someone recognizes my style?
"They won't!" I declared confidently. "E.R. is so mysterious—who'd expect you to show up in some small influencer's livestream? Besides, even if someone suspects something, we just deny it!"
He looked at me, eyes still filled with doubt.
Honestly, seeing him this anxious made me feel a tiny bit... guilty? But then again, this was a win-win! He could maintain his mystery, and I'd get unique content!
Perfect!
"Alright, alright, stop worrying." I returned to the camera, taking a deep breath. "Time to go live!"
I did one final check of the angle—perfectly avoiding Easton's face, showing only his hands and canvas.
"Ready?" I turned to ask him.
Easton hesitated for several seconds before finally nodding.
But I noticed his grip tightening on the paintbrush.
Whatever, he already agreed. He wouldn't back out at the last minute, right?
"Three, two, one—we're live!"
I flashed a brilliant smile at the camera, fingers forming a heart in the air. Thousands of viewers flooded into the stream instantly, comments exploding like fireworks.
[Queen's back!] [Gone for a week! Thought you got banned!] [Spill it! Where did your parents send you?]
Here they come! I cheered internally while maintaining my perfect on-camera smile.
"Babes, I've got a huge secret to share—I was exiled, but! I found treasure!"
I noticed Easton's hand clutch the paintbrush tighter when he heard the word "treasure."
Ha, he's nervous. I smirked internally but kept the camera deliberately angled away from his face, capturing only those elegant hands and the sketch taking shape.
This was my strategy—build anticipation, create mystery.
[What treasure?!] [Is it a boyfriend?] [I smell a love story brewing!]
"Better than a boyfriend!" I spun around, camera following my movement toward Easton's direction. "See that? My mysterious roommate! Artistic genius level! God-tier hands right here!"
Oh my god, we'd already broken 3,000 viewers! I fought to contain my excitement, maintaining composure on camera.
The camera zoomed in on those hands—slender fingers, fluid lines, every stroke precise as if carved.
The chat exploded.
[HOLY SHIT those skills!] [Hand kink alert!] [Show the face! Show the face!] [Guy or girl? Tell us!]
Easton suddenly held up a cardboard sign with bold black marker: "NO FACE!"
I almost burst out laughing. This contrast was too adorable!
Chat went absolutely feral.
[LMAO the cold persona!] [The whiplash! I'm obsessed!] [Love the attitude!]
Perfect! I mentally high-fived myself. This was working even better than I'd imagined.
"See? Artists are just low-key like that." I crossed my arms smugly. "But I'll show you all his god-tier art skills! Starting today, 'Mystery Roommate Transformation Project' officially launches!"
[Transform what?] [Transform him into your boyfriend?] [I ship it! I ship it!]
"Transform his social anxiety!" I announced, mentally calculating how much traffic this series could generate. "This genius can't even talk—he only paints. So—"
I turned to face Easton, winking at him: "What do you want for lunch?"
Easton paused for three seconds, flipped to a new sheet, and with quick strokes sketched a cute cartoon pizza.
My heart raced. This interaction format was gold!
Chat exploded.
[TOO CUTE!] [What is this blessed interaction!] [My heart can't take it!]
I leaned closer to the camera, showing off my carefully done eye makeup: "One more question—what do you think of my makeup today?"
Please please give me a reaction! I prayed internally.
Easton paused briefly, then filled the page with tiny hearts.
YES! I almost screamed!
Chat absolutely lost it.
[I'M DEAD! TOO SWEET!] [This is straight out of a romance drama!] [PLEASE GET MARRIED!] [Green with envy over here!]
We just hit 50K viewers.
Fifty thousand! I struggled to contain my excitement, eyes crinkling into crescents: "See, babes? Even though he doesn't talk, painting is his language! We have amazing chemistry!"
I turned and asked: "So what do you think about livestreaming?"
Easton's brush tip froze on the paper. He hesitated.
My heart jumped to my throat. Please don't refuse, please don't refuse!
Chat tensed up.
[He's not gonna refuse, is he?] [Say yes!] [This content is too good to waste!]
Finally, Easton drew a cartoon version of me—a little figure holding a phone, surrounded by hearts and stars.
I nearly jumped for joy!
[AHHHHHH!] [Eating this UP!] [Just make it official already!]
I winked smugly at the camera: "See? Totally cooperative, right?"
The next hour, our interaction was pure magic.
I asked what color he liked—he painted a blue ocean. Asked about his mood—he drew a lazy cat sunbathing. Asked his impression of LA—he sketched the coastline at sunset.
Every quick sketch was precise and lively, the comments scrolling so fast I could barely read them.
[Followed! Followed!] [Coming back tomorrow!] [This ship is SAILING!]
After the first stream, my followers jumped from 80K to 100K.
When I ended the broadcast, I spun circles around the living room in excitement: "100K followers! Easton, we went viral!"
Easton packed up his art supplies, a barely noticeable smile playing at his lips. Seems like he wasn't that opposed to it after all.
