Humanity, pushing back the encroaching night with artificial luminescence, launching cold masses of steel toward the moon, and projecting self-determination into life under the ethics and norms they themselves have forged, appears, at first glance, truly magnificent.
Yet, upon closer inspection, they are merely common mammals.
Though such a future might one day arrive, at least in the present day, humans remain inextricably bound by their primal urges.
Kang Nari, being human herself, was likewise subject to these fundamental needs.
****
It had been four days since Yoo Seo-ha was formally hired.
During that time, Kang Nari had eaten well and, well, relieved herself without issue…
But she hadn’t slept well.
This was because she had been held captive, receiving private lessons until dawn every single day.
Even now, a mischievous voice seemed to echo in her ears.
‘Boss, how can you possibly sleep with skills like that?’
It was no wonder that physiological needs occupied the highest tier of Maslow’s hierarchy.
The days of being guaranteed an average of only four hours of sleep had left her utterly exhausted.
She found herself nodding off frequently, her voice grew hoarse during broadcasts, and her body began to creak with fatigue.
(Though, the last part might simply be due to aging.)
“Haaah…! I finally got a good night’s sleep for once!”
In any case, as her energy levels plummeted due to exhaustion, even her main profession of broadcasting began to suffer.
With a solemn resolve, Kang Nari declared today a break day.
She wouldn’t even open her store.
Today, she would be free.
She intended to revel in an undisturbed rest that no one could infringe upon.
Rolling lazily.
Without getting out of bed, she simply rolled her body, searching for her phone.
Her ample chest created some obstruction as she moved, yet her body, seemingly accustomed to it, skillfully continued to roll forward.
Eventually, Kang Nari succeeded in getting her hands on her phone.
The time she saw was 10:00 AM.
By rights, she should have opened her store much earlier.
A faint smile crept onto her face, born of a delightfully transgressive pleasure.
Bzzzzzt——.
Right on cue, a call was coming in.
Rubbing her eyes, she focused on the screen, and the caller’s name faintly registered.
Then, with a conditioned reflex, she dropped the phone and scrambled backward.
“W-what? It’s still daytime! Why now?!”
Tria-Demon.
This was the person calling Kang Nari at 10:00 AM.
The events of the past four days had elicited a variety of reactions from Kang Nari.
For instance, she would flinch just hearing the other person’s voice over the phone, or she would change the name, originally saved as ‘Seo-ha,’ to something more reflective of their true nature.
Undoubtedly, Yoo Seo-ha had proven to be an excellent teacher in the field of Triachia.
However, whether an excellent teacher was necessarily a good teacher was an entirely different matter.
When Yoo Seo-ha would calmly point out mistakes from the recent gameplay…
Even though she wasn’t being scolded, Kang Nari would inevitably cower as if she were a criminal.
“Isn’t that a bit of an overreaction?” one might ask.
But when you’re called out for 47 mistakes in a game lasting just over ten minutes, such words simply don’t come to mind.
Moreover, she practiced with Yoo Seo-ha for at least ten games every single night.
Anyone who remained sane after that would have to be an ironman.
‘Should I just not answer?’
For a fleeting moment, the temptation arose, but she knew she couldn’t truly ignore it.
Contrary to Kang Nari’s instinctive perception, Yoo Seo-ha was by no means a truly malicious person.
Her demeanor, never once faltering in her voice even as she pointed out the same mistakes repeatedly, was truly…
The embodiment of benevolence itself, or perhaps the pinnacle of professionalism.
As it happened, she also had something to discuss.
Today was Kang Nari’s designated day off.
It only made sense, then, to skip practice as well.
Swallowing hard, she steeled her resolve, then picked up her phone and held it to her ear.
“Seo-ha? Why are you calling so early in the morning?”
– Ah, Boss.
Though her voice might sound blunt at first listen, Kang Nari now knew that Yoo Seo-ha was actually quite kind-hearted.
She knew, too, that her eyes widened adorably when surprised,
That she pretended not to, but secretly loved sweet things,
And that she suddenly became quite talkative when the topic of Triachia arose.
Despite only having exchanged voices for four days, there was no denying they had grown considerably closer.
– I went to the store to buy some new vape coils, but you weren’t there.
“Ah…”
To think something like this would happen precisely on the day she closed the store.
Kang Nari scratched her head, as if finding the timing rather inconvenient, and replied,
“It’s my day off today.
That’s why I didn’t open.”
– Oh dear.
That’s a problem.
“…But you’ve already used it all? You bought a week’s supply, didn’t you?”
– Uh… well… my hands just kept reaching for it whenever I was bored.
“I know you like sweet things, but it’s not good to vape too often, you know?”
– I’m not particularly fond of sweet things, actually…
Another lie.
Whenever they took a short break from gaming to clear their heads, they would engage in trivial chatter.
Naturally, their hobbies and preferences often came up as topics of conversation.
And each time, Yoo Seo-ha would tell obvious lies.
She claimed not to like cute, dainty wallets, even while using one herself.
She would always buy sweet-flavored e-liquids, yet insisted she wasn’t fond of sweet foods.
After four days, Kang Nari finally realized the common thread running through all these falsehoods.
Namely, Yoo Seo-ha denied anything associated with the stereotypical image of a ‘woman.’
Even if she genuinely liked them.
“Hmm.
Anyway, I don’t plan on opening the store today… What should we do?”
Of course, Kang Nari wasn’t so dense as to directly ask for the reason, so she didn’t press the issue.
Hadn’t she heard before that Yoo Seo-ha also suffered from anthropophobia (TL Note: A fear of people or social situations, often leading to avoidance)?
She certainly didn’t want to inadvertently hurt her by being tactless.
– I really can’t go without my vape…
“Seo-ha, were you that addicted to nicotine?”
– There’s another reason, too.
It’s more like… a kind of medicine, I guess?
“That sounds even worse… Do you really have to rely on vaping?”
– I realized four days ago that getting paid can replace vaping.
The easier the money is earned, the more effective it is.
She was referring to when Kang Nari had sent her the hourly wage after their first lesson.
Upon realizing this, Kang Nari could only slap her forehead.
“The more I talk to you, the less I understand you…”
– Hehe.
…But seriously, what should I do?
“Just buy it somewhere else for today.
Is our store the only vape shop in the world?”
– It’s not that I didn’t think of that, but I was worried you might get upset if I bought it from somewhere else.
So she did understand, after all.
Still, Kang Nari appreciated the thought that Yoo Seo-ha had for her.
She had considered opening the store herself, partly to see her face after a while, but…
Today was a day she truly, truly, truly did not want to go outside.
Thus, suppressing a vague, unexplainable hint of jealousy, she told her to look for another store.
“Oh? Now that I think about it, there’s an even better idea!”
– Huh?
“Seo-ha.
Want to come over to my place for a bit? I’ll get you some coils.”
It had just occurred to her that inviting Yoo Seo-ha over would solve everything.
For an impromptu idea, it felt remarkably good.
Kang Nari began to gently coax Yoo Seo-ha.
– Uh… that might be a bit much.
I feel like I’d be imposing too much… And I’d feel bad for your family, Boss.
“It doesn’t matter at all, I live alone anyway!
And you get free coils, so it’s a win-win, right?”
– That’s true, but, hmm… hmmm…
“…Are you really that against it?”
– No, it’s not that I dislike you, Boss.
It’s just that I’ve never been inside anyone’s home before in my life.
It’s like… I’m not mentally prepared?
“What? Don’t people usually visit their friends’ houses sometimes?”
– I don’t have any friends.
Ah.
A cold sweat began to trickle down Kang Nari’s back.
Her brain, more active than ever, began frantically searching for the optimal response.
“Ahem.
What do you mean you don’t have any? Am I not your friend…? I’d be a little hurt if I was the only one who thought of you as a friend, Seo-ha.”
– Huh! Are we friends?
“If we play games together every night, then we’re friends, right?
Well… even if some money did exchange hands, that’s pretty much it, wouldn’t you say?”
– So this is what they call friends…
Though it felt as if she had instilled a rather skewed perception, Kang Nari had successfully navigated the immediate crisis.
She had, quite unexpectedly, gained a friend with a significant age gap.
– I’m… making a friend for the very first time.
“U-uh, it’s an honor… I guess?”
– It’s strange.
I thought I’d live alone my whole life.
A sharp pang of guilt stabbed at Kang Nari’s heart.
She couldn’t possibly deny it now, especially since Yoo Seo-ha was clearly taking her words seriously.
She couldn’t even begin to imagine how hurt Yoo Seo-ha would be if she were to say it was all a joke.
She decided to think positively.
Triachia and vaping, they surprisingly shared many commonalities.
Moreover, their personalities meshed well, so she didn’t dislike the current situation at all.
“Anyway, if it’s too uncomfortable, you don’t have to force yourself to come.
Don’t feel pressured, just think about it.”
– I’ll come.
I’ve always wanted to experience visiting a friend’s house.
With every word Yoo Seo-ha spoke, Kang Nari felt her eyes inexplicably welling up.
How could someone who appeared perfectly normal on the outside have lived such a life?
– Usually, it’s polite to bring a gift when visiting, right?
What should I bring…
“Stop!
Please, just come over casually, okay? This is getting… a little heavy, Seo-ha…”
– Huh?
Your weight, Boss?
“Do you want to die?”
– No, I didn’t mean that.
It just suddenly occurred to me that, unlike me, you have a rather large mass of flesh on your chest.
It’s not sexual harassment.
“Just because you add ‘it’s not sexual harassment’ doesn’t actually make it not sexual harassment…”
– Ah, understood.
My apologies.
“Alright, then I’ll expect you?
Text me when you arrive!”
After sending her the address via text, Kang Nari finished a quick wash of her face, and then the doorbell rang.
Seeing Yoo Seo-ha hesitating at the door, her face visibly tense, made Kang Nari let out a small laugh.
Moments like these revealed her incredible innocence.
“Excuse me…”
“It’s just me here, so come in comfortably.
Have you eaten?”
“No, not yet.”
As it was lunchtime, they ordered chicken.
Since there were two of them, she chose a brand famous for its combo deals of two chickens.
Unlike her usual habit of ordering from a single brand, she had ordered from a different place out of consideration for Yoo Seo-ha.
In conclusion, her consideration proved to be meaningless.
The combined efforts of Kang Nari, who deliberately controlled her portions to maintain her figure,
And Yoo Seo-ha, who was naturally a light eater, managed to finish only one chicken.
Consequently, all the leftover chicken ended up in the refrigerator.
Perhaps Yoo Seo-ha had come because she wanted to visit a friend’s house, but once there, she couldn’t quite relax.
Yoo Seo-ha did not stay long at Kang Nari’s house.
After sharing a meal and a brief chat, she collected her coils and departed.
“As I said earlier, we’re skipping class today!
Get home safely!”
“Understood.
Thank you for the chicken, Boss.”
Kang Nari waved goodbye to Yoo Seo-ha, who bowed her head in farewell.
Finally able to revel in complete relaxation, Kang Nari immediately threw herself onto her bed.
The comfortable fullness in her stomach only added to her happiness.
Yet, the Kang Nari of that moment remained unaware.
She had no idea how massive a snowball Yoo Seo-ha’s visit today would become during tomorrow’s broadcast.
****
“Phew.
I barely won! Everyone, I’m going to eat something and then continue.”
[3 wins in a row, nice!]
[Nari’s form has really improved lately]
[For real]
[Does she just turn off the stream and play Triachia these days??]
[What’s for dinner today?]
“Leftover chicken from yesterday.
Ugh!”
[Heat it up before you eat it lolol]
[Oh, it’s Osik’s Two-Chicken combo]
[That actually tastes good]
[Wow, she ordered and ate all that by herself lolol]
[You’ll get fat]
“No, I said it’s leftovers from yesterday, okay??
And even if I gain weight, it all goes to my chest.”
[Haha… she knows how to play to the crowd lol]
[Ooh yeah]
[Why isn’t she eating Gochon like usual?]
[Seriously, she always ate Honey Combo]
[Wasn’t she famous for loving Honey Combo?]
[She took a break yesterday.
She probably just ordered it then.]
[Oh, I see]
Focused on eating her chicken, Kang Nari failed to notice the chat’s increasingly peculiar reactions.
Leaving her oblivious, the chat continued to roll forward with its conversation, like a stone tumbling down a slope.
[Day off? Two chickens she doesn’t usually eat? Hmm….]
[Probably just a friend came over]
[Don’t make up theories]
[Here they go again, overreacting, sigh]
Slowly.
But surely.
[Come to think of it, wasn’t she super sleepy recently?]
[Yeah, she was really nodding off during streams]
[Whoa, stop it]
[Please, I beg you, stop the speculation….]
[Sleepy? Couldn’t sleep at night?]
The connections began to form.
[Yesterday’s day off wasn’t her regular day off either]
[Seriously, she suddenly announced a break]
[Tsk tsk]
[Hoo hoo hoo hoo]
[Teachers, please stop, my brain is breaking]
[Nari is a baby, Nari is a baby, Nari is a baby, Nari is a baby]
“Ugh.
I should stop eating… I’ve already heard I’m ‘heavy’ recently, and I’m really going to gain weight.”
And by the time Kang Nari finished her meal and looked at the chat…
The situation had already passed the point of no return for damage control.
[Recently??? From whom???]
[No, it’s just a friend, probably]
[First a friend, then a boyfriend….]
[Probably a female friend ^^ I believe that]
[Nari, please manage the chat]
[I’m scared, save me, I can’t breathe]
[Is this the 592831st time they’re trying to maliciously ‘kill’ a female streamer with forced theories?]
[Armchair detectives, go away]
[Couldn’t sleep recently, eating chicken she doesn’t usually eat, and the day she bought it was a sudden day off, only *that* much is true hehe]
“Uh….
I’m screwed.”
Having grasped the situation, Kang Nari blankly uttered the curse.
