Chapter 1: A Chaotic Class at Streamer University

Ray nervously adjusted his hat, trying to make sure his short, curly black hair was hidden from view. He was live streaming his class, as was the norm at Streamer University, and he didn't want to draw any extra attention to himself. As a 19-year-old student from Taiwan, he was still getting used to speaking English, and his thick Asian accent and stuttering problems often made him feel self-conscious. "Okay, class. Today we're going to be discussing...," Professor Duke began, his deep, smooth voice filling the room. Ray's eyes glazed over as he listened to the professor's introduction. He was a streamer, and this was just another day of doing what he loved. He had met his best friend, Kai, three years ago when he was just 17, and Kai was 20. Kai had been live streaming while walking around in Japan, and Ray was one of the fans who had walked up to him to greet him. From that day on, they became inseparable. Just as Ray was starting to drift off, a girl beside him started arguing with someone else. "No, I'm telling you, I saw it first!" she exclaimed, her voice rising. Ray rolled his eyes and let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, wow, you're so dramatic," he said, his higher-pitched voice dripping with sarcasm. The girl a few rows away looked up from her phone, her eyes narrowing. "Hey, shut up, little Asian kid," she sneered. "Mind your own business." Ray's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Shut up, yourself," he shot back. The girl's boyfriend, who was sitting next to her, stood up, his face red with anger. "You think you're tough, little Ching Chong?" he sneered. Ray's stuttering problems got the better of him, and he stuttered out a reply, "I-I'm not af-afraid of you, dude." Without thinking, Ray popped a Skittle into his mouth and threw it at the angry boyfriend. The boyfriend let out a furious yell, but before he could do anything, Professor Duke strode over to him. "That's enough, young man," he said, his deep voice firm. "Ray, I need to speak with you. Please come sit with me up front." Ray got up, feeling a sense of trepidation. As he walked up to sit beside Professor Duke, he could feel the eyes of the class on him. He was still live streaming, and he knew that millions of people were watching this unfold. The boyfriend was still fuming, and he started spouting off racist comments. "Get this Ching Chong out of here! We don't need foreigners like him in this country!" Ray felt his face heat up with anger, but he tried to keep his cool. Professor Duke put a hand on his shoulder, his expression stern. "Let's just focus on the lesson, class," he said, his voice calm and soothing. "Ray, let's talk about this later." As Ray sat down beside Professor Duke, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He was still live streaming, and he had no idea what was going to happen next.