Chapter 7 - Chapter 7

💬 Stream Chat— ViewerMom, where'd you go? You're finally back? Mom, where'd you go? You're finally back? Mom, where'd you go? You're finally back?— ViewerNo return date on Tenryeon's notice board, smash your head into it!— ViewerGo!— ViewerStreamer, turn on your mic! Streamer, turn on your mic! Streamer, turn on your mic!

The halted time began to flow again...

The chat scrolled up just as fast as everyone had been waiting. As someone who'd been blocked, it stung that I couldn't join in on the fun, but at least the routine was back on track.

...Or so I'd thought.

That was before a notepad suddenly popped up on the stream screen out of nowhere.

Hello, everyone.— Viewer???— ViewerOh come on, don't troll us— Viewer

What the hell is this notepad shit??

⭐ Top Comment— ViewerChild@abuse;My voice still isn't back because my body's not fully recovered.— ViewerThat's your problem lol— ViewerOverreacting much— ViewerCalm (yes) communication (no) stream— ViewerLearned some weird shit somewhere again lol— ViewerWas it your head that got hurt??

This was a disaster. What was the point of streaming like this?

I donated through an external program with all my desperate heart. It was a bloody 10,000 gold, but for my fandom, it was worth it.

'I want to hear your voice...'

⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙'Anonymous' donated 1,000 won!— ViewerTurn on the mic before I smash that retard's head— ViewerFor real lol— ViewerGo! Kill the notepad now!

A ton of people echoed my plea, but Apple stood firm.

Srsly, my condition's fucked.— ViewerSee this srsly makes me wanna flick her forehead— ViewerThanks for coming back anyway ㅠㅠ Thanks for coming back anyway ㅠㅠ Thanks for coming back anyway ㅠㅠ— ViewerSo where were you hurt??

What could we do if she was sick? Neither I nor the viewers pressed any further.

For the past two weeks, I had a crazy high fever so I was in the hospital, shut down the studio, and came back to my parents' place.— ViewerDon't get sick ㅠㅠ— ViewerWhy shut down the studio? You're not quitting streaming, right? ㅠㅠ— ViewerDon't say that or someone dies today— ViewerNot me tho lolI'll keep streaming, but talking's gonna be tough for a while.— ViewerJust quit lol— ViewerSigh ㅠㅠ— ViewerI warned you not to say that— ViewerWas that what I meant lol

"Ah..."

A sigh burst out like thunder from a clear sky. Did this mean I had to go back to Daesik's stream?

I'd gotten somewhat used to it, but it was still far from the stream I craved.

I didn't want a substitute when I had the real thing.

— ViewerSo what's on the menu today?— ViewerDitch the notepad talk!— ViewerFor real lolPlaying Eden today.— ViewerThe usual flavor... how nostalgic.— ViewerEden on again⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙'choi0401' donated 1,000 won! Collab with Daesik?No Daesik today.— Viewerㅠㅠ Daesik got dumped— ViewerDaesik was grinning thinking you'd collab lol— ViewerHas the love cooled? Has the love cooled? Has the love cooled?— ViewerAll you marriage wannabes GTFO

With the notepad as our means of communication, she couldn't hunt, but gathering herbs or ore would do just fine.

The familiar loading screen appeared on stream, followed by her oh-so-familiar character.

Where's that? Oh, Breeze-Enshrouded Field.

I moved my character toward her.

'Just a fan meet for the return celebration.'

I pushed aside my regrets and decided to be satisfied with this much for today.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

[Daesik (Berserker) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: Oh, you're back?

[Apple (Archer) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: Yeah

[Daesik (Berserker) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: Why no reply to KakaoTalk?

Apple—streamer Park Ha-young—frowned at Daesik's whisper the moment she logged in.

— ViewerLovers' quarrel lol— Viewer

Why no reply?? Why no reply?? Why no reply??

— ViewerYou're just another 'broth' fan, huh?— ViewerRelatability on lol

The viewers laughed it off as entertaining, but Park Ha-young's chest felt stuffy.

She checked her smartphone—KakaoTalk messages had piled up. What was the last thing she'd said to Daesik?

Park Ha-young tapped the chat with Daesik, where about 20 unread messages sat.

[Apple] (2 days ago): I'm disappointed.

[Daesik] (2 days ago): ??

[Daesik] (2 days ago): Why

[Daesik] (2 days ago): What?

[Daesik] (2 days ago): I said it'd be fine if you found a sub since you're sick and went to raid.

[Daesik] (1 day ago): This isn't it?

[Daesik] (1 day ago): ㅠㅠ?

[Daesik]: Hey? ㅠㅠ

[Daesik]: What the hell ㅠㅠ?

M messages stacked up neatly over three days after her "disappointed." He really seemed clueless.

The raid team she'd formed with other streamers. At the offline meetup, he had a bearish vibe on stream but seemed nice enough—a decent colleague.

Like the saying about a quiet cat climbing the stove first, that's exactly what happened.

"Never pegged you for that type."

A low voice leaked from Park Ha-young—no, now Park Ha-on's—lips.

Two weeks ago, she'd been burning with fever, barely able to move. When she came to, she was him. The "Awakening" she'd only seen on news, thought was someone else's problem, had happened to her.

Her streamer life, which she'd been grinding at, was semi-forced into a long hiatus. With nowhere to turn, she came back to her mom's—the Landlady's—place.

What if the Landlady didn't recognize her?

That worry proved unfounded.

'...Oh my, our daughter turned so handsome?'

That was the Landlady's first words.

Her only daughter had Awakened, but the Landlady was shockingly calm. It didn't take Park Ha-on long to figure out why.

Things felt off when the Landlady started packing food herself, saying she was pitiful and needed taking care of.

Who'd have thought another Awakened lived in the same building.

A petite woman with dark circles under her eyes, giving off a decadent beauty. She never said it, but her guarded demeanor was cat-like.

'...To think that's an Awakened.'

A face so striking that if she'd had it, she might've done girl cams instead. Park Ha-on felt an inexplicable sense of deprivation but figured they'd have no further contact.

Until she heard that.

Society shunned Awakened, especially male-to-female ones. She'd vaguely heard there was demand for them in certain circles from news articles.

But she never imagined it was someone in the same building—let alone that her main "client" was Daesik, a streamer friend.

"Even so, that's too much..."

By the time her morning tent-pitching became routine, seeing her face again made it slightly more understandable.

If even she, a former woman, thought that, how must guys feel?

But even giving the benefit of the doubt, she looked barely over 20? And it was a crime!

Unable to meet eyes properly, staying holed up with volume-based trash bags filling the place.

An awkward job done out of necessity to survive. A faintly trembling voice during chats. Looking almost scared of men...

From all these signs,

"Daesik, even so...!"

Maybe because they were both Awakened. An image of her like a small cat floated in Park Ha-on's mind.

'...Didn't seem to like coffee yesterday. Gotta prepare something else today.'

'Rent too high? Should talk to the Landlady.'

As she left the field thinking such things, an all-too-familiar character appeared before Park Ha-on.

"Ha..."

A quiet sigh escaped her lips automatically.

The psycho of psychos. Ever since she started Eden, he'd invaded this beginner field dozens of times, etched into her memory.

— ViewerTastyDori! TastyDori! TastyDori!— ViewerHot fire flavor. Gotta see it?— ViewerTeacher has arrived as expected. Thank you.⭐ Top Comment— ViewerFan meet time~

The chat exploded, and Park Ha-on hurriedly tried to chat.

[Apple (Archer) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: Dude

[Apple (Archer) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: Dude?

[Apple (Archer) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: Wait a sec

But of course, no response. The screen grayed out, and at the same time,

💥 CRITICAL HIT! 💥

[Tasty Apple (Sage) has killed Apple (Archer)!]

[Tasty Apple (Sage) / First to Summit Iron Mountain]: I'm a fan

Park Ha-on's character lay cold as a corpse.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

[Apple (Archer) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: Sigh fuck.

[Apple (Archer) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: Why do you do this?

[Tasty Apple (Sage) / First to Summit Iron Mountain]: Let's communicate

[Apple (Archer) / Suppressor of the Twin Forge Masters]: No fuck! The fuck??

The fan meets she couldn't have during hiatus. She wouldn't forget that impact.

Routine shattered because of it. Missed her so much. Why so late?

So much to say, but the wait was too long. Needed about 20 more communications today to soothe the emptiness.

No need for words—Apple would understand. She was my streamer, after all.

"This is the taste..."

I'd never had sex, but I could imagine the feeling.