Ian’s finger hovered over the “Smooth Brain” button—a high-pitched, whiny clip of Ethan’s own voice from 2021. He waited. Timing was everything.
BWOOP. Ian hit the button.
Tonight’s episode was a minefield. Ethan Klein was already pacing behind the desk, rubbing his hands together with a manic glint in his eye. He had just read a tweet from a YouTuber he’d never met, and it had awakened something primal.
Ian looked down at the board. He bypassed the “Smooth Brain,” the “Chestnuts,” the “Vape Naysh.” His hand drifted to a button that hadn’t been pressed in six months. A forbidden one. He looked at Zach. Zach gave a slow, grim nod.
“Ignore him? He called our Teddy Fresh ‘overpriced garbage.’ Do you know how much organic cotton goes into a single hoodie?” Ethan’s face was turning a shade of pink that matched the set’s lighting. “It’s not garbage. It’s… it’s fashion . You know what he is? He’s a little scrawny boy .”
Ethan opened his mouth, but for once, nothing came out. He looked lost.
