The Cozy Mansion had always been a world unto itself. Laughter echoed through its hallways. Arguments about monitor resolutions carried across floors. It was insulated. Controlled.
But now the outside world was starting to pay attention.
And it wasn't ready to be polite.
Mei in the Wild
It started with a grocery run.
Mei and Vi went out to grab snacks for a movie night. They weren't in disguise, just baggy hoodies and baseball caps—nothing flashy, nothing attention-grabbing.
But in the cereal aisle, a girl approached.
Awkward smile. Twitch app open on her phone.
"Um, are you the streamer who—like—talks to that guy off-screen during Minecraft?"
Mei blinked.
"...Yes?"
"Your voice helped me sleep during my exams. You and your boyfriend are the best."
Vi snorted. Mei went pink.
"He's not my boyfriend."
"Oh." The girl paused. "Well. You have boyfriend vibes."
"What does that even mean—"
"Sorry! Can I get a picture?"
They did. It was fine. Kind, even.
But when they got home, Mei didn't speak for a while.
Minh Accidentally Goes Viral
Back at the mansion, Minh had wandered into Lucia's stream.
She was doing a chaotic cooking challenge—chat chose the ingredients, and she had to make something edible.
"You look like you want to scream," she said, handing him a spoonful of bright orange sauce.
"I want to die," Minh replied calmly.
Clip.
Caption: "POV: visiting your unhinged streamer cousin and her house of madness."
The clip spread like wildfire.
"Get this man a therapist.""He blinks in memes.""He's our new favorite NPC."
Suddenly, Minh had a fanbase. One he never asked for.
He handled it well—if hiding under a blanket and refusing to come out for two hours counted.
Kai's Business Mind Awakens
Kai watched it all unfold with a frown.
This wasn't just content anymore.
It was… influence. Exposure. Risk.
That night, he sat down with Leo and Amir in the office-slash-editing-room.
"I think we need to legitimize things," Kai said.
"We pay taxes," Leo said. "That's legitimate enough."
"I mean—structure. Legal protection. Copyright. Sponsorship filters. Shared ownership options."
"Oh," Amir said. "You mean grown-up stuff."
"Yeah."
"I hate it," Leo muttered. "But fine."
The "Cozy Co-op" Plan
Kai proposed forming a creator co-op.
Everyone would own part of the brand. Equal stakes, shared revenue from group projects. No overlords. No one person could sell out the Cozy brand without consent.
It was fair. Honest.
Scary, too.
"You're giving away control," Zoey said later, arms crossed, voice serious.
"I never wanted control," Kai replied. "Just… the chance to make something better. Together."
She studied him, then nodded.
"Okay. Let's make it official."
That Night with Mei
She found him again in the kitchen. It was always the kitchen.
"You okay?" she asked, noticing how long he'd been staring at the fridge without opening it.
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"What happens when people start recognizing all of us. Not just online."
She nodded.
"It's already started."
"Scares you?"
"More than I expected," she admitted.
"We can stop anytime," he said softly. "No pressure. No expectations."
"But I don't want to stop," she said. "I just… need to go slower."
"Then we go at your pace."
He reached out, offering her a high-five. Silly, simple.
She hesitated—then took it.
"You're weird," she murmured.
"Professionally."
The Cozy Boardroom Meeting (Sort Of)
The next day, they held a full house meeting.
Everyone showed up in pajamas.
Kai handed out printed folders.
"Okay, these are the proposed terms of the Cozy Co-op—"
"We get folders now?" Linh whispered. "This feels like school."
"I feel powerful," Lucia said. "Like a CEO. But in sweatpants."
"Exactly the vibe," Kai replied.
They spent two hours going over everything. Revenue splits. Voting systems. Opt-out clauses. House fund for repairs and emergencies.
It was the most mature they'd all acted… ever.
"So this is real now," Vi said, holding the agreement like it might explode.
"It's always been real," Zoey said. "But now it's official."
"Like getting married," Lucia said.
"To eight chaos goblins," Amir added.
They signed.
End of a Long Day
That night, Kai sat on the roof again.
No camera. No mic. Just the cold metal beneath him and the warm summer air above.
Mei joined him eventually.
They didn't talk much.
Just watched the stars, as another anonymous clip of their last stream cracked a million views.
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