The Boys™ streaming

The cramped living room echoed with the shuffle of bodies and the hum of equipment as The Boys™ set up for their first live stream. They had recently delved into the realm of social media, and to their surprise, their antics had garnered a sizable online following.

Inigo, with Gigan perched on his shoulder, finished fiddling with the camera setup. "Alright, everyone, we're live!" he announced with a grin.

Bobby lounged on a worn-out couch, a picture of nonchalance. "Hey, folks! Hope you're all having a good one. We're just gonna hang out, chat, and maybe do something interesting if the mood strikes us."

Hifumi, sitting next to Bobby, leaned in. "Hey, everyone! It's your favorite misfits here. Ready for some shenanigans?" said while greeting the viwers with a friendly wave.

"Alright, I can see some questions starting to pop up in chat... lets see... SakuraStar123 asks 'Weren't you guys going to upload a barbecue video some time ago?' Yeah, about that... We messed up a bit trying to upgrade the grill, again..." Said Inigo.

"No way we're uploading that video if we don't want to get banned." said Sandatsu leaning back in his chair.

"SnakeK.O. asks 'What's the deal with the grill?'" continued Inigo.

The boys looked at eachother "We are probably taking that info to our graves, aren't we?" asked Hifumi, smirking.

"Yup" answered Sandatsu nonchalantly.

The chat box erupted with greetings and questions, emojis flooding the screen like a digital confetti burst. Inigo, reading from the comments, said,"Hey guys, chat is asking us to cook something together. What do you think?"

The guys obviously agreed.

"Okay, but someone has to get the ingredients. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Inigo called out, and the familiar game of chance unfolded. The room crackled with energy as the four friends squared off for a round of rock-paper-scissors. The viewers, eagerly typing away in the chat, flooded the screen with a cascade of emojis and hype-filled messages.

Fists unclenched, palms unfolded, and the verdict was laid bare. Sandatsu, with a triumphant grin, brandished a rock. The others all had chosen scissors!

The uproar from the chat echoed the room's own explosion of excitement. Sandatsu reveled in his victory, throwing a mock punch in the air.

"Looks like the wild man wins this round!" Bobby laughed, conceding defeat with a theatrical slump.

The stage was set for the second round of the rock-paper-scissors showdown. The air was electric with anticipation, both in the room and on the Livestream chat. Sandatsu had taken over the streaming duties.

"In three, two, one... Shoot!" Inigo announced, and once again.

Miraculously—or hilariously—both Bobby and Inigo simultaneously thrust out clenched fists, proudly declaring, "Rock!"

Hifumi, with the finesse of an actor delivering a punchline, presented his hand—scissors.

"Hifumi, my man, you're really sticking with the blades, huh?" Bobby chuckled.

Hifumi, ever the theatric, responded with a flourish. "Naturally! It's the closest thing to a blade, after all. Gotta stick to my aesthetic."

Inigo, holding back laughter, added, "He's committed to the bit, you've got to respect that."

"Anyway, I'm gonna get the ingredients from the convenience store. Can't top that last round afterall!" Said Hifumi, getting up from his seat.

Amidst the chuckles and laughter that followed Hifumi's grand exit, the realization hit Inigo like a punchline in a joke they hadn't rehearsed. He scratched his head, a look of mild bewilderment crossing his face. "Hey, guys, did we, um, decide what we're actually gonna cook?"

The room erupted into another round of laughter. Bobby, wiping away a fake tear, chimed in, "Holy fuck it's true! We're so dumb!"

Sandatsu almost fell from his chair, holding his stomach laughing "Oh no no... My sides..."

Inigo chuckled, realizing the comedy in their oversight. "Alright, let's not leave Hifumi hanging. What are we making?"

They turned to their lively chat, the virtual voices of their followers flooding the screen. Amid emojis and rapid-fire suggestions, one clear winner emerged: takoyaki.

Inigo read out the popular vote with mock seriousness. "Well, it seems our dear viewers have spoken. Takoyaki it is. We're officially on Team Octopus Balls!"

Inigo, with his phone in hand, typed out the message to Hifumi, instructing him to buy takoyaki ingredients. However, as he went to tag Hifumi in the group chat, he noticed something.

"Uh, guys, am I missing something?" Inigo furrowed his brows in confusion "I can't ping Hifumi?"

Bobby and Sandatsu looked at each other for a few seconds before they started having trouble containing their laugher.

Amid the guffaws, Bobby managed to choke out, "Oh. Bro we may have, uh, forgotten about it?"

Sandatsu, struggling to suppress his laughter enough to talk, pointed at Hifumi's username in the group chat. There it was, not the familiar '@NothingPersonnel' but a new and apparently improved moniker: '@Challenged.'

"We. We changed it as a joke" laughter prevented Sandatsu from talking more.

"Both Sando an I forgot about it until now" added Bobby, red as a tomato.

Their laughter erupted like a volcano, and Inigo couldn't help but join in. the laughs of his bros was that contagious.

"Oh my sides!" Sandatsu wheezed, clutching his stomach as if to contain the hilarity that threatened to burst forth.

"Why is this so fun? Why are we even laughing so much?" Bobby managed to say between bouts of laughter.

"I have. I have no idea this is so dumb!" responded Inigo, between laughs and wild gestures, almost tearing up.

---

Moments later, the chat erupted with laughter as Hifumi returned, groceries in tow. The bags rustled as he set them down, eyeing his friends with a mix of confusion and amusement. "What's going on?" he asked.

His friends, Inigo, Sandatsu, and Bobby, were sprawled across the floor, exhausted, still letting out faint chuckles every now and then.

"What did I miss?" Hifumi asked, intriged by the bizarre scene.

Inigo, still chuckling, managed to sit up, gesturing to the chaotic aftermath. "Mass psychosis bro, you're the sole survivor."

Hifumi shook his head, a grin breaking across his face. "Uh, I see? But are you guys good? We still cooking?"

---

Tthe kitchen became a whirlwind of activity. Ingredients were laid out, utensils were grabbed, and the banter continued.

Bobby, with a confident grin, declared, "Maybe we should add some protein powder to the takoyaki! Get those gains while enjoying a snack."

"Bro I'm pretty sure you could end up in Tartarus just because of culinary crimes like this!" said Inigo.

"And don't forget the keratin. Takoyaki with an extra crunch." added Sandatsu.

"See? Sando gets me! Imagine the gains, though. Takoyaki that hits your taste buds and your biceps simultaneously. Revolutionary!"" said Bobby.

Hifumi, pretending to ponder the idea, added, "Maybe we could even make it into it's own thing. Call it 'Protein-o-yaki.' It's like takoyaki, but for heroes in training! Brinigng you the gains to push your hero game to a new level!"

As the takoyaki began to take shape, their "Protein-o-yaki" vision started to materialize. The batter, infused with protein powder and a hint of insanity, sizzled in the takoyaki machine. Hifumi expertly turned each takoyaki. Bobby was grinning like a mad scientist about to unveil his creation.

Inigo, capturing the moment on camera, couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. "I can't believe people are actually watching this. What has our lives come to?"

"For the record" said Bobby to the camera "this is just me experimenting, I'm not actually this deranged when it comes to cooking. I might not know much about takoyaki, but I can make a mean brisket. A man's specialty, you know?"

As the final takoyaki received its heroic keratin drizzle, the guys gathered around the makeshift kitchen island, ready to share their culinary masterpiece with the world. The Livestream chat buzzed with anticipation, a digital audience eager to witness the culmination of this absurd cooking venture.

Inigo, managing the Livestream with a smirk, read out some comments. "Someone said, 'I can smell the chaos through the screen.' Well, they're not wrong."

The comments seemed to fuel the boys' excitement. Inigo, with a theatrical bow, said, "For science! For friendship! For the viewer count!"

With that, they each took a Protein-o-yaki, raising the takoyaki like warriors lifting their goblets in a toast. The first bites were met with a range of expressions, from hesitant chewing to outright laughter.

Bobby, mid-bite, managed to say, "Tastes like justice, with a hint of chaos."

Inigo, grinning, added, "I feel stronger already!"

Hifumi, not missing a beat, proclaimed, "Heroic indeed!"

Sandatsu remained stoic while cheweing.

The Livestream chat exploded with reactions.

After the initial enthusiasm, the reality of the Protein-o-yaki's taste hit the boys like a sudden rainstorm. Their expressions shifted from heroically exaggerated to something more akin to mild disappointment.

Inigo, with a slight grimace, muttered, "Well, it's not terrible, but it's definitely not hero material."

Bobby, chewing thoughtfully, agreed, "Yeah, it's like a flavor identity crisis. I think my brisket might be offended by association."

Hifumi, ever the optimist, tried to salvage the situation. "Maybe it's an acquired taste?"

"I'm not sure my tastebuds can regenerate after being exposed to this" said Sandatsu.

The Livestream was now a mix of laughter emojis, confused expressions, and loads viewers chatting, both new and old ones.

Hifumi, who was looking at his phone while eating, suddenly spoke up

"Yo who the hell is Challenged?"

The others choked on the food laughing again.